A Classic Made Better
928416
J. R. R. Tolkien's classic, The Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is a true jewel in Peter Jackson's epic adaptation. The extra 30 minutes of video, and two whole DVDs of special features have only made the theatrical version better. Fans who have never read the book will find interesting new facts about Middle-Earth, and those who have read the book will be delighted to rediscover such scenes as the Midgewater Marshes; when Galadriel reveals the ring Nenya to Frodo in the scene at the Mirror; and Gimli's hilarious love of the Lady of the Galadhrim.
I personally have read the book twice, and was delighted to find some of my favorite scenes and fun facts added to the Extended Edition. I don't think I'll ever watch the old theatrical version again - this one is too good!
4463132
A classic- much better than the remake w Brendan Fraser. Yes, it can be hokey, but the cast carries it off. It's a fun, low-pressure movie;-)
3685286
Personally, I like this one better than the original.
1918797
I recommend buying this audio drama. This is a faithful reproduction of the classic.  The music and interpretation was faithful.  It is a bit annoying that that Cleopatra was a shrewish and weak.
727949
The classic, Three Men In A Boat (to say nothing of the dog) is the inspiration for this mildly funny book.  The classic is better, being written in a past era, rather than about a past era.  This book is a work  of gentle wit and slow story telling, which seems to match the pace of a  slow boat ride up a lazy river.  At times the central love story seems  contrived, and the time travel is not well plotted.... arbitrary jumping  around instead of clever construction.  I like the book, but it does not  jump out and bite you.  A good read for slow days.
756993
The previous reviews have covered the fact that this is a take on "The Count of Monte Cristo" so I won't go into a discussion of it.

Suffice to say, this is a pretty good re-do of the classic story updated for today's modern tastes.  That is, sex and violence --  lots of it.

The story moves a little slow during the first half, but still is interesting showing how our hero accepts and adapts to his prison life.  Once he meets his benefactor, the old art thief, the story starts to move rapidly.

The bad guys ARE bad, but they could and should have been "badder".  We cheer on our hero and are glad when the individual villains get their come-uppance.  However, I was wishing that they were uber evil and the punishment was over the top so we could jump up and cheer.

One little plot line that was supposed to be a surprise at the end was known early by anyone with half a brain---the parentage of the young Allen.  This is not a spoiler because it is apparent from the get-go and we know that to be a fact since it is a part of the original novel.

Recommend to those who enjoy updated material from the classics.
2134751
My three daughters grew up watching this movie and we still quote lines from it to each other. I sent a copy to my NYC daughter to cheer her up. The book gives more insight to the characters but somehow was less straightforward than the movie. Still, a beloved classic - any small additional details adds to my enjoyment.
2965137
Well- made, comfortable, durable and reasonably priced: a classic for good reasons.
4294847
I saw it for the first time when I was a young boy. I was so impressed then. For years this version was unavailable and I always wanted to see it again. Seeing  it as an adult was disappointing. It was not as good as I had remembered. Still, I am glad it became available. I bought the version for old times sake. The Alastair Sim version is my favorite followed closely by the Reginald Owen version. These two are more appealing to an adult audience.
4427926
It was a treat to revisit the Princess Bride with my boys, who are the age of the boy to whom the story is being told and who have the same hang ups with "kissing books". They really go into the story and the characters. It is a timeless, modern classic that does not really get old. The special effects for the Rodents of Unusual Size is dated, but nevertheless, given the nature of the story being told, it is not a real distraction. Love this movie.
1216950
A five star classic! Three stars for quality of the remake.

Watch the HD version.
3939073
There's a reason this is a classic, now the movie annoys me - the book is always better.  LOVE IT.
4281870
I disagree with Evan Wilson that the latter revisions make this work a better piece. I feel that this original version is better than the 1880 version in all aspects.
The 1874 version possesses a sense of exquisite beauty and originality. When I first listened to this version, I was struck by its strong message of beauty, sorrow, calm and romance. While the message in the 1880 version is the same, the message was not as strong and much less inspiring. Much of raw power of the content had been mellowed down by revisions to make the work more acceptable to public at that time.
However my gripe with this recording is the quality of the playing. For the 1880 version, there is a large selection of very very well played recordings of the world's best orchestras and conductors. Bohm, Karajan(especially Karajan), Furtwangler, etc. While Jesus Lopez Cobos does fare quite well with his orchestra, he somewhat falls short when compared to the very best. I feel that the problems mentioned by Evan Wilson is due to this rather than the music itself. I can only imagine how it would sound like should the 1874 be played by top musicians.
908699
Compared to the movie, the novel is a classic.  It is one of those books that could have been so much better.  Still it was an enjoyable read.
3226909
I vaguely remembered seeing this version when I was five years old on a black-and-white set, so seeing it in this black-and-white kinescope version did not cause me any major trauma; it was not that different than how it was for me years ago except that now I have the advantage of more than forty years of experience and knowledge. There is absolutely no comparison between this version and the versions that came after it. In this version, the acting and plot are much more substantial, and Julie Andrews as a singer and actress dwarfs those women who played in the title role after her. The 1965 version had the advantage of color and more video effects but was all glitz and rather shallow. The Disneyized, multiracial version that was created later failed to take into consideration the need for acting ability on the part of the singers in the leading roles. The original version far surpasses both in terms of overall content and performance. Had the same technology been available for the original version as was available in the versions that followed it, there would be no contest at all.

I recall that when the 1965 version came out, the justification for making it was that when the 1957 version was produced, videotape did not exist so that once the production was aired, it was lost forever. Had the producers tried to recreate the 1957 version rather than to mangle it, perhaps they could have been forgiven, but Lesley Ann Warren could not easily have replaced Julie Andrews, as this DVD shows very clearly.

This version is truly Broadway brought to the small screen. In addition to Julie Andrews as Cinderella, Kaye Ballard and Alice Ghostley are the two stepsisters, Ilka Chase plays the stepmother, and the original version gives a much clearer picture of how Cinderella is excluded from the family structure than in the other versions while the talents of the actresses truly shine through. Edie Adams plays a very smart and savvy Godmother (the term Fairy Godmother is not used in the show at all) and is quite sly in how she "turns in" Cinderella to the palace guards so as to trick them into trying the glass slipper on her at the end. Her baton-twirling "magic" introduces the Waltz for a Ball, a true Rodgers and Hammerstein dance specialty number that is the hallmark of many of their great musicals. Howard Lindsay and Dorothy Stickney, both Broadway theater royalty, play the King and Queen and have very significant roles in the play in a way that was totally lost in the versions that followed; the scenes with the King and Queen are entertaining and endearing. The young Jon Cypher was a total unknown at the time of the production and gives an impressive performance; he had the best debut any novice actor could have dreamed of having. The magic of live theater is very evident throughout the show in a way that the later versions totally lack. Even without the comparison, this production of Cinderella is superb entertainment.

The additional commentaries that come with the DVD are most interesting and revealing as well. For those persons who remember the initial screening of Cinderella, watching this performance is a powerful experience. For those seeing it for the first time, it is a valuable milestone in the history of television and musical theater that has fortunately been captured for future viewing.
4051485
This is one of several romantic classics adaptions which were made in the wake of the huge popularity of Zefferelli's ROMEO AND JULIET in the 60's and 70's. Though purists will find this to be a Classics Illustrated version of Bronte's dark and complex story, it is nevertheless a finely crafted film with a beautiful and haunting score by Michel Legrand which the lush DVD soundtrack shows to full effect. Timothy Dalton is a perfect Heathcliff on a par with Olivier's Hollywood version. He digs deep into this tortured man's soul. Anna Caulder-Marshall is less convincing as Cathy, although few if any actresses have ever assayed the part better(Miss Marshall was burdened with an artificial leg, but this is not evident in her performance). I remember this film with affection as an artifact of it's time and the DVD has brought it back in full glory. If you enjoy well made historical romances as I do, you will want to add this film to your library.
1676493
This is a real Modern Classic that still satisfies.