Amazon.com
Based on Katherine Paterson's young-adult novel and filmed in picturesque New Zealand, Bridge to Terabithia has lessons to impart about empathy and self-expression, but the tone is never heavy-handed. Jesse (sleepy-eyed Josh Hutcherson, Zathura), a fifth-grade loner, lives in the country with his parents and four sisters, including pesky May Belle (Bailee Madison), who adores him. His strict father (Robert Patrick, The Terminator 2) works in a hardware store. Money is tight and classmates make fun of his hand-me-downs, so Jesse finds refuge in running and drawing. Everything changes when two writers and their daughter Leslie (wide-eyed AnnaSophia Robb, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) move in next door. Leslie is faster than all the boys, which initially puts Jesse off, but the two soon bond over their love of make-believe. In the forest, they find a creek that can only be crossed by rope. Leslie names the land on the other side Terabithia, where they imagine themselves rulers of the kingdom. Jesse and Leslie also connect with their unconventional music teacher, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel, Elf), who encourages their creativity. Despite the tension at home, Jesse's personal life is finally coming together when the unthinkable happens. Will he revert to his anti-social ways or will he grow from the experience? Though aimed at all ages, pre-school students may find Terebithia's creatures frightening. For grade-school kids and up, however, there's much to savor in this smartly written, sensitively acted film. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Reviews:
Wow...Hear that Sound?.......2007-09-10
If you listen very carefully throughout the movie, you will hear a very high-pitched spinning sound throughout the soundtrack. Unfortunately, by the end of the movie you will come to understand that the source of the disturbing audio is Walt Disney spinning with disgust in his grave. Shame on you Walt Disney Company!
Bridge to Terabithia.......2007-09-09
It was a well done movie. Got it and watched with my grandson. Didn't hold his interest the whole time or mine. It was well done and it was good. Just wasn't one of my big favorites but you might enjoy it more than we did.
Heartbreaking And Heartwarming at the Same time. .......2007-09-08
This is the sort of movie that's VERY hard to leave a review for. You dont' want to ruin it for those that HAVENT read the book.
Parents be warned- it was poorly marketed as a FANTASTY, it is not. It has religious undertones, and suprisingly deep content for a childrens film. If you are even sensitive in the LEAST you WILL CRY. I know an older guy, who watched it with his daughter and cried for quite some time afterward. I cried for at least twenty minutes.
The acting by the two leads, and the adult characters is excellent. Annasophia has a Dakota Fanning-like quality to her, making her the PERFECT Leslie, and Josh Huchenson (I honestly cannot remember HOW to spell his last name) as Jesse, really does a fantastic job on his part. (But he's already proven to be a good actor from what we've seen of him on "Zathura".)
Parents- you might want to watch this with your kids and have a "chat" afterward.
Tepid tale of childhood friends.......2007-09-07
Ten-year old Jess, bullied at school and ignored at home, meets new girl Leslie, who's also looked upon as a weirdo and outsider. The two become friends and use their imagination to turn a secret spot in the woods into a beautiful kingdom. In "Terabithia," they rule over the strange but good creatures and battle the Dark Lord. Everything is great, until one day when Jess doesn't come to play.
This movie could have, and should have been wonderful, with flights of fancy that made me say, "WOW!" and touching moments that left me teary. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. The fantasy land the children created wasn't that big of a deal; we only saw fleeting glimpses of it and never had time to be awed by its wonder and wish it were real. The two young leads, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, were competent, but not special. Neither of them had the charisma to own the screen and make me care about them. Of course, the big culprit was the script, which tried to include too much, ending up with not enough. We get Jess' poverty, artistic talent, and loneliness, Leslie's quirkiness and pluck, the bullies at school, his crush on his teacher, and the often-annoying cute younger sister, complete with precious lisp; with all this, there wasn't time to make Terabithia seem real or as fantastic as it should have been. The scene that should have elicited tears was abrupt and completely lacking in drama and power. So, it's an OK movie if you're stuck watching it on a plane, but not a flick to buy, unless your kids are fans of the book. 2.5 stars.
If you go into this expecting a big fantasy epic.......2007-09-06
....you'll be very disappointed.
This isn't a "Lord of the Rings" or "Narnia" knockoff, its a sweet/moving film about the power of friendship.
AnnaSophia and Josh give wonderful performances as Leslie and Jess, two bullied outsiders who find common ground in their love of make-believe and fastly become good friends.
Jess's home-life is chaotic and crowded... to escape he draws in his sketchbook...
Leslie's parents are writers and sometimes are too busy... her way of escaping is making up stories.
The special effects were great, they didn't overwhelm the story, they merely enhanced it.
There is a death of a young person in this film... the director portrayed this delicately. The anger/disbelief/grief were subtle but believable and not over the top.
Anyone whose ever lost a loved one/friend could relate. I had tears pouring down my face when they announced that this person died. The following scenes in the woods after the funeral were especially heartbreaking and you wonder if this character will pull through or just sink through despair.
I can highly recommend this film... just be sure to have some tissues ready :).
AnnaSophia is an excellent actress for her age... I see a bit of Kirsten Dunst in her. I can't wait to see what else she does.
Amazon.com
Based on Katherine Paterson's young-adult novel and filmed in picturesque New Zealand, Bridge to Terabithia has lessons to impart about empathy and self-expression, but the tone is never heavy-handed. Jesse (sleepy-eyed Josh Hutcherson, Zathura), a fifth-grade loner, lives in the country with his parents and four sisters, including pesky May Belle (Bailee Madison), who adores him. His strict father (Robert Patrick, The Terminator 2) works in a hardware store. Money is tight and classmates make fun of his hand-me-downs, so Jesse finds refuge in running and drawing. Everything changes when two writers and their daughter Leslie (wide-eyed AnnaSophia Robb, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) move in next door. Leslie is faster than all the boys, which initially puts Jesse off, but the two soon bond over their love of make-believe. In the forest, they find a creek that can only be crossed by rope. Leslie names the land on the other side Terabithia, where they imagine themselves rulers of the kingdom. Jesse and Leslie also connect with their unconventional music teacher, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel, Elf), who encourages their creativity. Despite the tension at home, Jesse's personal life is finally coming together when the unthinkable happens. Will he revert to his anti-social ways or will he grow from the experience? Though aimed at all ages, pre-school students may find Terebithia's creatures frightening. For grade-school kids and up, however, there's much to savor in this smartly written, sensitively acted film. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Reviews:
Wow...Hear that Sound?.......2007-09-10
If you listen very carefully throughout the movie, you will hear a very high-pitched spinning sound throughout the soundtrack. Unfortunately, by the end of the movie you will come to understand that the source of the disturbing audio is Walt Disney spinning with disgust in his grave. Shame on you Walt Disney Company!
Bridge to Terabithia.......2007-09-09
It was a well done movie. Got it and watched with my grandson. Didn't hold his interest the whole time or mine. It was well done and it was good. Just wasn't one of my big favorites but you might enjoy it more than we did.
Heartbreaking And Heartwarming at the Same time. .......2007-09-08
This is the sort of movie that's VERY hard to leave a review for. You dont' want to ruin it for those that HAVENT read the book.
Parents be warned- it was poorly marketed as a FANTASTY, it is not. It has religious undertones, and suprisingly deep content for a childrens film. If you are even sensitive in the LEAST you WILL CRY. I know an older guy, who watched it with his daughter and cried for quite some time afterward. I cried for at least twenty minutes.
The acting by the two leads, and the adult characters is excellent. Annasophia has a Dakota Fanning-like quality to her, making her the PERFECT Leslie, and Josh Huchenson (I honestly cannot remember HOW to spell his last name) as Jesse, really does a fantastic job on his part. (But he's already proven to be a good actor from what we've seen of him on "Zathura".)
Parents- you might want to watch this with your kids and have a "chat" afterward.
Tepid tale of childhood friends.......2007-09-07
Ten-year old Jess, bullied at school and ignored at home, meets new girl Leslie, who's also looked upon as a weirdo and outsider. The two become friends and use their imagination to turn a secret spot in the woods into a beautiful kingdom. In "Terabithia," they rule over the strange but good creatures and battle the Dark Lord. Everything is great, until one day when Jess doesn't come to play.
This movie could have, and should have been wonderful, with flights of fancy that made me say, "WOW!" and touching moments that left me teary. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. The fantasy land the children created wasn't that big of a deal; we only saw fleeting glimpses of it and never had time to be awed by its wonder and wish it were real. The two young leads, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, were competent, but not special. Neither of them had the charisma to own the screen and make me care about them. Of course, the big culprit was the script, which tried to include too much, ending up with not enough. We get Jess' poverty, artistic talent, and loneliness, Leslie's quirkiness and pluck, the bullies at school, his crush on his teacher, and the often-annoying cute younger sister, complete with precious lisp; with all this, there wasn't time to make Terabithia seem real or as fantastic as it should have been. The scene that should have elicited tears was abrupt and completely lacking in drama and power. So, it's an OK movie if you're stuck watching it on a plane, but not a flick to buy, unless your kids are fans of the book. 2.5 stars.
If you go into this expecting a big fantasy epic.......2007-09-06
....you'll be very disappointed.
This isn't a "Lord of the Rings" or "Narnia" knockoff, its a sweet/moving film about the power of friendship.
AnnaSophia and Josh give wonderful performances as Leslie and Jess, two bullied outsiders who find common ground in their love of make-believe and fastly become good friends.
Jess's home-life is chaotic and crowded... to escape he draws in his sketchbook...
Leslie's parents are writers and sometimes are too busy... her way of escaping is making up stories.
The special effects were great, they didn't overwhelm the story, they merely enhanced it.
There is a death of a young person in this film... the director portrayed this delicately. The anger/disbelief/grief were subtle but believable and not over the top.
Anyone whose ever lost a loved one/friend could relate. I had tears pouring down my face when they announced that this person died. The following scenes in the woods after the funeral were especially heartbreaking and you wonder if this character will pull through or just sink through despair.
I can highly recommend this film... just be sure to have some tissues ready :).
AnnaSophia is an excellent actress for her age... I see a bit of Kirsten Dunst in her. I can't wait to see what else she does.
Average customer rating:
- Pure entertainment
- DON'T MESS WITH THE DUKE !!
- Really fun to watch John Wayne plays 'Dirty Harry'!
- New cop movie ('75) with The Duke in shoot-out in merry old England!
- cop wayne goes british in this action/comedy
|
Brannigan
Starring:
John Wayne ,
Richard Attenborough ,
Judy Geeson ,
Mel Ferrer , and
John Vernon
Director:
Douglas Hickox
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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Similar Items:
-
McQ
-
Hellfighters
-
Legend of the Lost (1957)
-
Cahill - United States Marshal
-
Donovan's Reef
ASIN: B00005N89K
Release Date: 2001-10-02 |
Amazon.com
Fortunately, John Wayne had two vastly more interesting feature films (Rooster Cogburn and The Shootist) left in him following this disposable, leaden 1975 fish-out-of-water story. Wayne phones in his performance as a Chicago cop, Jim Brannigan, whose hunt for a fugitive in London is mostly an excuse for cross-cultural conflicts and comedy. Richard Attenborough adds local color as a Scotland Yard detective who partners with the Duke, and Judy Geeson plays a lovely, liberated constable who won't brook Brannigan's ingrained sexism. The by-the-numbers script is more pacifying for diehard Wayne fans than exciting to everyone, and the film looks embarrassingly ornamental with its naked display of touristy backdrops. Still, Brannigan is a slick tribute to the staying power of an American icon. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
Pure entertainment.......2007-03-27
From the time I saw Brannigan in the theaters as a kid, through a number of chances to watch it again over the years, it has been one of my favorite movies. I grew up with the crime dramas of the 1970s, had little patience for Westerns, and am sorry John Wayne had so little time left to make detective movies. His other police drama, McQ, was trying so hard to imitate other "gritty" characters and films, was so formulaic, artificial, confusing, dreary, stiff, heavy-handed, and cliché, that these elements crowded out Wayne. Not so Brannigan.
Wayne shined. He was natural and utterly comfortable and convincing in the role. He was likable, frank, good-natured, decent, down-to-earth, and tough -- "so damn solid," as Geeson's character put it (to which he replied, "Fat, you mean") in a nice, genuine scene where Brannigan talked about wanting to catch the hood responsible for killing his rookie partner because it was his duty to protect the kid even though, no matter how "nice a story" it would make if the kid had been like a son to him, he had not even liked the "smart-aleck" kid. Wayne had terrific, commanding screen presence. He looked as fit and acted as vigorous as called for by the role. Suggestions in other reviews that he was "too old" or "too fat" are nonsense. The mature cast is a pleasant contrast to today's rampant superficiality.
All of the supporting actors -- Attenborough, Geeson, Ferrer, Vernon, Pilon -- were real professionals who similarly brought substance to their roles and played them smoothly and effectively. The characters were nicely sketched. For example, Attenborough's titled Scotland Yard official was not a caricatured fop or dandy; he was polished but also appreciated rough, direct action to get the job done, which created a nice grudging rapport between him and Brannigan. Both the policeman and the hit-man were portrayed effectively in this movie, with the policeman actually outsmarting and outmaneuvering the hit-man in believable ways. The story had action, energy, purpose, and humor. The dialogue was smart, and the plot interesting, with some clever touches. The photography and music made it all the more enjoyable.
This is a fun, smart, well-paced, well-produced detective story with a good plot, well-drawn and well-cast characters, and good locations. The movie is excellent entertainment. As such, I could not recommend it more highly. Reviewers who apparently failed to watch the film on its own merits and have nothing to offer but pseudo-sophisticated, overly general, cheap-shot criticisms do not do it justice.
DON'T MESS WITH THE DUKE !!.......2006-12-17
John Wayne fans won't be disappointed with "Brannigan".This movie is a great way to spend an afternoon in front of the television.The video transfer and digital 2.0 sound are very good.The picture is in widescreen and it's a pretty clean video transfer with some minor blemishes here and there.The sound is also better than I expected.The dvd doesn't have any extras other than the original theatrical trailer,so it's bare bones release.Brannigan is full of great action and a very affordable release from MGM Studios.Another John Wayne movie called "McQ" from 1974 is available on dvd and definitely worth a look.I hope this review was helpful.
Really fun to watch John Wayne plays 'Dirty Harry'!.......2006-08-02
I recently watched the reruns of two action movies, McQ & Brannigan, both starring John Wayne, on cable TV. I had watched both of them in the theatres during the mid 70's or so.
As a young boy, I have always enjoyed watching John Wayne in so many westerns (Stage-coach, Rio Bravo, True Grit...) & in so many war movies (Green Berets, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Longest Day...).
I believe that John Wayne was almost in his late 60's/early 70's when he starred in the above two movies. I also believe that these were the only two movies in which he had played a street-wise no-nonsense cop. That's 'Dirty Harry' style!
In the first movie, McQ, he was Police Detective-Lieutenant Lon McQ in Seattle. He investigated the death of his partner & along the way uncovered some corrupt elements in his police department with shady connections to the mob. The signature mobster in the movie, Manny Santiago, was played by Al Lettieri.
In the second movie, Brannigan, he was Police Detective-Lieutenant Jim Brannigan in Chicago. He was sent to London to bring back an American mobster on the run, Ben Larkin, (played by John Vernon) & along the way he got entangled with the conservative work-style of Scotland Yard.
Despite his age, John Wayne was really remarkable in both roles. Having seen him in so many westerns & war movies, it was refreshing to see him acting in contemporary settings. The hot-pursuit action sequences (car chases & shoot-outs) were really good, considering that era. In McQ, the car chase along the beach, with sea gulls fluttering away for cover, was magnificantly choreographed. In Brannigan, the car chase segment ending at the Tower Bridge was great, too. There was even a large-scale brawl at a London pub...reminiscent of John Wayne's innumerable westerns. The storyline in both movies was quite intriguing. In McQ, he even got to show off his physical prowess with an unlicensed sub-machine gun. That was cool! The dialogue in both movies was witty, too.
In Brannigan, one could see how big & tall John Wayne was, when he was in London among the crowd. He really stood out like a sore thumb. His opposite was Commander Sir Charles Swann of Scotland Yard, played by a very fine British actor, Richard Attenborough. John Wayne even got a beautiful side-kick in the movie, Detective Sergeant Jennifer Thatcher, played by Judy Geeson.
In McQ, I was very surprised to see John Wayne in an intimate scene involving a junkie informer played by a fine actress (Colleen Dewhurst) in an understated role. This was something which had never happened in any of his other movies, as far as I know!
On the whole, both movies had a good mix of action, drama & comedy, coupled with witty dialogue throughout. I have enjoyed very much watching both of them again after so many years.
New cop movie ('75) with The Duke in shoot-out in merry old England!.......2006-05-10
Second straight hit for 'The
Duke' in cop actioner. Too
bad he was large and near the
end of his career. Too bad he
also turned down Dirty Harry
four years earlier. Two
more movies to go in his
great career and life. R.I.P.,
Mr. movie legend!
cop wayne goes british in this action/comedy.......2006-05-07
as stated i love john wayne,and any movie that he's in is a good one to me.brannigan is one of his last movies and really it's more comedy than action,but the duke delivers as he always does.
brannigan is a tough windy city cop sent to england to bring back a mobster for trial. before he gets there the mans lawyer fakes a kidnapping and now brannigan is going to teach england how an american cop handles things.
not much new here,but if you like wayne you will love it.
Customer Reviews:
some strange shi! going on..........2007-04-23
we'll this movie is worth seeing just for the housekeeper. she's so funny in her character and what she say's in one scene is worth the whole experience of watching it.
it's a little known "B" movie from the 80's and recently released on dvd. there was a whole string of horror movies made around the same time, each has it's own little appeal.
i can't say it's the best horror movie ever but it's worth a viewing. i've seen better and i've definitely seen worse. give it a watch and see for yourself. enjoy.
CMH
FOR MY HUSBAND.......2007-04-10
I GOT THIS DVD FOR MY HUSBAND, HE'S BEEN WANTING IT FOREVER! I MUST ADMIT IT WAS PRETTY GOOD!
![Brannigan [Region 2]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/2128Z3YGJVL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- Pure entertainment
- DON'T MESS WITH THE DUKE !!
- Really fun to watch John Wayne plays 'Dirty Harry'!
- New cop movie ('75) with The Duke in shoot-out in merry old England!
- cop wayne goes british in this action/comedy
|
Brannigan [Region 2]
Starring:
John Wayne ,
Richard Attenborough ,
Judy Geeson ,
Mel Ferrer , and
John Vernon
Director:
Douglas Hickox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Action & Adventure
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Attenborough, Richard
| ( A )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Booth, James
| ( B )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Dennen, Barry
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Down, Lesley Anne
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Ferrer, Mel
| ( F )
| Actors & Actresses
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| Video
Geeson, Judy
| ( G )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Glover, Brian
| ( G )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Meeker, Ralph
| ( M )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
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Pilon, Daniel
| ( P )
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Robinson, Tony
| ( R )
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| ( V )
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| ( H )
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| DVD
| Video
All Titles
| John Wayne Store
| Stores
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( B )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
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Similar Items:
-
McQ
-
Hellfighters
-
Legend of the Lost (1957)
-
Cahill - United States Marshal
-
Donovan's Reef
ASIN: B000127MAI |
Amazon.com
Fortunately, John Wayne had two vastly more interesting feature films (Rooster Cogburn and The Shootist) left in him following this disposable, leaden 1975 fish-out-of-water story. Wayne phones in his performance as a Chicago cop, Jim Brannigan, whose hunt for a fugitive in London is mostly an excuse for cross-cultural conflicts and comedy. Richard Attenborough adds local color as a Scotland Yard detective who partners with the Duke, and Judy Geeson plays a lovely, liberated constable who won't brook Brannigan's ingrained sexism. The by-the-numbers script is more pacifying for diehard Wayne fans than exciting to everyone, and the film looks embarrassingly ornamental with its naked display of touristy backdrops. Still, Brannigan is a slick tribute to the staying power of an American icon. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
Pure entertainment.......2007-03-27
From the time I saw Brannigan in the theaters as a kid, through a number of chances to watch it again over the years, it has been one of my favorite movies. I grew up with the crime dramas of the 1970s, had little patience for Westerns, and am sorry John Wayne had so little time left to make detective movies. His other police drama, McQ, was trying so hard to imitate other "gritty" characters and films, was so formulaic, artificial, confusing, dreary, stiff, heavy-handed, and cliché, that these elements crowded out Wayne. Not so Brannigan.
Wayne shined. He was natural and utterly comfortable and convincing in the role. He was likable, frank, good-natured, decent, down-to-earth, and tough -- "so damn solid," as Geeson's character put it (to which he replied, "Fat, you mean") in a nice, genuine scene where Brannigan talked about wanting to catch the hood responsible for killing his rookie partner because it was his duty to protect the kid even though, no matter how "nice a story" it would make if the kid had been like a son to him, he had not even liked the "smart-aleck" kid. Wayne had terrific, commanding screen presence. He looked as fit and acted as vigorous as called for by the role. Suggestions in other reviews that he was "too old" or "too fat" are nonsense. The mature cast is a pleasant contrast to today's rampant superficiality.
All of the supporting actors -- Attenborough, Geeson, Ferrer, Vernon, Pilon -- were real professionals who similarly brought substance to their roles and played them smoothly and effectively. The characters were nicely sketched. For example, Attenborough's titled Scotland Yard official was not a caricatured fop or dandy; he was polished but also appreciated rough, direct action to get the job done, which created a nice grudging rapport between him and Brannigan. Both the policeman and the hit-man were portrayed effectively in this movie, with the policeman actually outsmarting and outmaneuvering the hit-man in believable ways. The story had action, energy, purpose, and humor. The dialogue was smart, and the plot interesting, with some clever touches. The photography and music made it all the more enjoyable.
This is a fun, smart, well-paced, well-produced detective story with a good plot, well-drawn and well-cast characters, and good locations. The movie is excellent entertainment. As such, I could not recommend it more highly. Reviewers who apparently failed to watch the film on its own merits and have nothing to offer but pseudo-sophisticated, overly general, cheap-shot criticisms do not do it justice.
DON'T MESS WITH THE DUKE !!.......2006-12-17
John Wayne fans won't be disappointed with "Brannigan".This movie is a great way to spend an afternoon in front of the television.The video transfer and digital 2.0 sound are very good.The picture is in widescreen and it's a pretty clean video transfer with some minor blemishes here and there.The sound is also better than I expected.The dvd doesn't have any extras other than the original theatrical trailer,so it's bare bones release.Brannigan is full of great action and a very affordable release from MGM Studios.Another John Wayne movie called "McQ" from 1974 is available on dvd and definitely worth a look.I hope this review was helpful.
Really fun to watch John Wayne plays 'Dirty Harry'!.......2006-08-02
I recently watched the reruns of two action movies, McQ & Brannigan, both starring John Wayne, on cable TV. I had watched both of them in the theatres during the mid 70's or so.
As a young boy, I have always enjoyed watching John Wayne in so many westerns (Stage-coach, Rio Bravo, True Grit...) & in so many war movies (Green Berets, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Longest Day...).
I believe that John Wayne was almost in his late 60's/early 70's when he starred in the above two movies. I also believe that these were the only two movies in which he had played a street-wise no-nonsense cop. That's 'Dirty Harry' style!
In the first movie, McQ, he was Police Detective-Lieutenant Lon McQ in Seattle. He investigated the death of his partner & along the way uncovered some corrupt elements in his police department with shady connections to the mob. The signature mobster in the movie, Manny Santiago, was played by Al Lettieri.
In the second movie, Brannigan, he was Police Detective-Lieutenant Jim Brannigan in Chicago. He was sent to London to bring back an American mobster on the run, Ben Larkin, (played by John Vernon) & along the way he got entangled with the conservative work-style of Scotland Yard.
Despite his age, John Wayne was really remarkable in both roles. Having seen him in so many westerns & war movies, it was refreshing to see him acting in contemporary settings. The hot-pursuit action sequences (car chases & shoot-outs) were really good, considering that era. In McQ, the car chase along the beach, with sea gulls fluttering away for cover, was magnificantly choreographed. In Brannigan, the car chase segment ending at the Tower Bridge was great, too. There was even a large-scale brawl at a London pub...reminiscent of John Wayne's innumerable westerns. The storyline in both movies was quite intriguing. In McQ, he even got to show off his physical prowess with an unlicensed sub-machine gun. That was cool! The dialogue in both movies was witty, too.
In Brannigan, one could see how big & tall John Wayne was, when he was in London among the crowd. He really stood out like a sore thumb. His opposite was Commander Sir Charles Swann of Scotland Yard, played by a very fine British actor, Richard Attenborough. John Wayne even got a beautiful side-kick in the movie, Detective Sergeant Jennifer Thatcher, played by Judy Geeson.
In McQ, I was very surprised to see John Wayne in an intimate scene involving a junkie informer played by a fine actress (Colleen Dewhurst) in an understated role. This was something which had never happened in any of his other movies, as far as I know!
On the whole, both movies had a good mix of action, drama & comedy, coupled with witty dialogue throughout. I have enjoyed very much watching both of them again after so many years.
New cop movie ('75) with The Duke in shoot-out in merry old England!.......2006-05-10
Second straight hit for 'The
Duke' in cop actioner. Too
bad he was large and near the
end of his career. Too bad he
also turned down Dirty Harry
four years earlier. Two
more movies to go in his
great career and life. R.I.P.,
Mr. movie legend!
cop wayne goes british in this action/comedy.......2006-05-07
as stated i love john wayne,and any movie that he's in is a good one to me.brannigan is one of his last movies and really it's more comedy than action,but the duke delivers as he always does.
brannigan is a tough windy city cop sent to england to bring back a mobster for trial. before he gets there the mans lawyer fakes a kidnapping and now brannigan is going to teach england how an american cop handles things.
not much new here,but if you like wayne you will love it.
Average customer rating:
- Wow...Hear that Sound?
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Heartbreaking And Heartwarming at the Same time.
- Tepid tale of childhood friends
- If you go into this expecting a big fantasy epic
|
Bridge to Terabithia
Starring:
Josh Hutcherson ,
AnnaSophia Robb ,
Zooey Deschanel ,
Robert Patrick , and
Bailee Madison
Director:
Gabor Csupo
ProductGroup: Theatrical Release
Binding: Theatrical Release
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ASIN: B00005JPL3 |
Amazon.com
Based on Katherine Paterson's young-adult novel and filmed in picturesque New Zealand, Bridge to Terabithia has lessons to impart about empathy and self-expression, but the tone is never heavy-handed. Jesse (sleepy-eyed Josh Hutcherson, Zathura), a fifth-grade loner, lives in the country with his parents and four sisters, including pesky May Belle (Bailee Madison), who adores him. His strict father (Robert Patrick, The Terminator 2) works in a hardware store. Money is tight and classmates make fun of his hand-me-downs, so Jesse finds refuge in running and drawing. Everything changes when two writers and their daughter Leslie (wide-eyed AnnaSophia Robb, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) move in next door. Leslie is faster than all the boys, which initially puts Jesse off, but the two soon bond over their love of make-believe. In the forest, they find a creek that can only be crossed by rope. Leslie names the land on the other side Terabithia, where they imagine themselves rulers of the kingdom. Jesse and Leslie also connect with their unconventional music teacher, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel, Elf), who encourages their creativity. Despite the tension at home, Jesse's personal life is finally coming together when the unthinkable happens. Will he revert to his anti-social ways or will he grow from the experience? Though aimed at all ages, pre-school students may find Terebithia's creatures frightening. For grade-school kids and up, however, there's much to savor in this smartly written, sensitively acted film. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Reviews:
Wow...Hear that Sound?.......2007-09-10
If you listen very carefully throughout the movie, you will hear a very high-pitched spinning sound throughout the soundtrack. Unfortunately, by the end of the movie you will come to understand that the source of the disturbing audio is Walt Disney spinning with disgust in his grave. Shame on you Walt Disney Company!
Bridge to Terabithia.......2007-09-09
It was a well done movie. Got it and watched with my grandson. Didn't hold his interest the whole time or mine. It was well done and it was good. Just wasn't one of my big favorites but you might enjoy it more than we did.
Heartbreaking And Heartwarming at the Same time. .......2007-09-08
This is the sort of movie that's VERY hard to leave a review for. You dont' want to ruin it for those that HAVENT read the book.
Parents be warned- it was poorly marketed as a FANTASTY, it is not. It has religious undertones, and suprisingly deep content for a childrens film. If you are even sensitive in the LEAST you WILL CRY. I know an older guy, who watched it with his daughter and cried for quite some time afterward. I cried for at least twenty minutes.
The acting by the two leads, and the adult characters is excellent. Annasophia has a Dakota Fanning-like quality to her, making her the PERFECT Leslie, and Josh Huchenson (I honestly cannot remember HOW to spell his last name) as Jesse, really does a fantastic job on his part. (But he's already proven to be a good actor from what we've seen of him on "Zathura".)
Parents- you might want to watch this with your kids and have a "chat" afterward.
Tepid tale of childhood friends.......2007-09-07
Ten-year old Jess, bullied at school and ignored at home, meets new girl Leslie, who's also looked upon as a weirdo and outsider. The two become friends and use their imagination to turn a secret spot in the woods into a beautiful kingdom. In "Terabithia," they rule over the strange but good creatures and battle the Dark Lord. Everything is great, until one day when Jess doesn't come to play.
This movie could have, and should have been wonderful, with flights of fancy that made me say, "WOW!" and touching moments that left me teary. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. The fantasy land the children created wasn't that big of a deal; we only saw fleeting glimpses of it and never had time to be awed by its wonder and wish it were real. The two young leads, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, were competent, but not special. Neither of them had the charisma to own the screen and make me care about them. Of course, the big culprit was the script, which tried to include too much, ending up with not enough. We get Jess' poverty, artistic talent, and loneliness, Leslie's quirkiness and pluck, the bullies at school, his crush on his teacher, and the often-annoying cute younger sister, complete with precious lisp; with all this, there wasn't time to make Terabithia seem real or as fantastic as it should have been. The scene that should have elicited tears was abrupt and completely lacking in drama and power. So, it's an OK movie if you're stuck watching it on a plane, but not a flick to buy, unless your kids are fans of the book. 2.5 stars.
If you go into this expecting a big fantasy epic.......2007-09-06
....you'll be very disappointed.
This isn't a "Lord of the Rings" or "Narnia" knockoff, its a sweet/moving film about the power of friendship.
AnnaSophia and Josh give wonderful performances as Leslie and Jess, two bullied outsiders who find common ground in their love of make-believe and fastly become good friends.
Jess's home-life is chaotic and crowded... to escape he draws in his sketchbook...
Leslie's parents are writers and sometimes are too busy... her way of escaping is making up stories.
The special effects were great, they didn't overwhelm the story, they merely enhanced it.
There is a death of a young person in this film... the director portrayed this delicately. The anger/disbelief/grief were subtle but believable and not over the top.
Anyone whose ever lost a loved one/friend could relate. I had tears pouring down my face when they announced that this person died. The following scenes in the woods after the funeral were especially heartbreaking and you wonder if this character will pull through or just sink through despair.
I can highly recommend this film... just be sure to have some tissues ready :).
AnnaSophia is an excellent actress for her age... I see a bit of Kirsten Dunst in her. I can't wait to see what else she does.
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