Excellent full action, not really "lifetime"
356404
I have used these hose end sprayers for many years, including the identical (but all black) Craftsman model. They have the best "full action" nozzle of any multi-pattern sprayer I have tried, in addition to decent shower and flood settings. I must admit that the "lifetime" warranty is really unrealistic and this unit needs o-ring replacement/rebuilding every couple years (one can also just canabalize the parts that wear from the all plastic, most inexpensive model).  I have tried a number of other brands and always come back to this one.
3300008
If you are looking for a Jacky Chan style constant fight scene, then look elsewhere. But if you want some humor, subtlety, and brains with your brawn, then you might want to consider this unusual action movie. While some call the pacing slow, I actually very much like how the story unfolded and built up momentum. There was some very good character development and real tension between Elektra's old life, and where she might go next. Jennifer Garner's acting is nothing short of amazing. There are only a few negative things I found about the DVD, and they didn't really hurt my viewing enjoyment much. First, there seems to be way too much material to make a plausible single movie about Elektra.  I would rather have seen them do a trilogy. In particular, I think it would have been very interesting to see more of the earlier Elektra in action, rather than have some character describe what she was like. Given that they could only make one DVD instead of three, then I think they did a pretty good job. Second, some of the editing on the fight scenes is a little choppy.  I understand what the editor and/or director were trying to achieve with this approach, but I would have rather seen them use different speeds rather than lots of cuts. As a DVD viewer you can overcome this problem as I did by playing the big fight scenes at half speed after watching the whole DVD at full speed.  At half speed you can really appreciate the wonderful fight choreography and the skills of those performing the fights. Aside from these minor problems, I found this DVD very entertaining, even more so than Dare Devil, which had some flawed computer animation which broke the otherwise cool feel of the movie, because I think Jennifer Garner makes a better lead character, and because I actually like this script better. That being said, I wish they would make more Dare Devil and Elektra movies as it would be fun to see more of these interesting and complex characters.
3092755
Very good action,logical situations,good acting
2372948
There's a lot to like about this game. It has an actual STORY to go along with the action, which is pretty rare for an FPS game. The graphics are beautiful, and the voice acting and sounds are very well done. The gameplay is outstanding. I bought Max Payne 1 and 2 together, and while the Bullet-time implementation in MP1 is good, MP2 is even better. Part of this is because MP2 uses the Havok physics engine, which causes objects in the environment to react to the player's actions in a lifelike way (for example, if you run into a small chair it will fall over). It's so good it's nearly cinematic! I replayed a few early encounters several times just to see Max in Bullet-time, dodging, firing and reloading -- all of it's executed brilliantly, and a visual treat.

The game does have a few weak points. The story is weaker, less noir-ish than in MP1. There's a twist in the story, but it was such a break with the MP1 story that I had a hard time swallowing it. And they ended up killing so many of the original characters, sometimes it seemed they were killing the characters off for the heck of it. On the other hand, the novel telling the story was much improved over MP1 (less obfuscation and bombast), so perhaps those cancel out. I also felt that the level design was rather uninspired at times. For example, there are two or three pairs of levels where you climb to the top floor of a building, then climb back down. Not very imaginative. Finally, there is no possibility of stealth gameplay. This can be quite a surprise if you've played games like No one Lives Forever 2 or Splinter Cell. You can't shoot out any lights. Worse, enemies have "radar sense" -- they'll see you the instant you enter an area, even if you're hiding behind a car and a hundred yards away. This can be annoying at times. On the whole, though, gameplay was so smooth that these drawbacks seemed minor to me.

Between MP1 and MP2, I liked MP2 much better. Several aspects of the original have been improved in MP2: the graphics (obviously), the storytelling (though not so much the story), and the gameplay. Of these, the major enhancement was the gameplay. The game's pacing is *MUCH* better controlled than MP1's frenetic pace: kill 5 enemies, turn a corner, kill 5 more, open door, kill 5 more, walk down ladder, kill 5 more and do it all with no health packs ("painkillers"). Playing MP1 was a reload-fest for me; not at all enjoyable. In contrast, MP2 is paced more reasonably; there are a few puzzle solving levels and dream levels between the fighting levels,and in the fighting levels, there are areas to let the player catch their breath after a major battle (and even watch TV!). On the default difficulty level, I needed to reload just a few times - a big plus in my book.

On the whole, I'd recommend MP2 to anyone who likes FPS games and/or action movies. Hopefully there'll be a sequel to this series which combines the strengths of the story of MP1 and the gameplay/graphics of MP2. Maybe it will reveal that Max Payne is a comic-book character and the *real* heroes are Captain Baseball-Batboy and Bicycle-Helmetgirl. :-)
1522538
There are many reviews on line regarding the plot, the premise, the acting etc. so I will not comment there. But with regard to the action sequences it was clear that an accomplished security or self defense expert provided much of the inspiration and direction (or the director studied these). I reviewed the fight sequences in slow motion and at speed and every move is something that would actually work. The style is not for Kung Fu enthusiasts, rather, it is based on the Applegate, Jim Grover, Fairbairn, styles of self defense that real bodyguards and experienced law enforcement use. There is even some grappling but practically applied (not MMA). The close quarters shooting is likewise realistic. I did not count rounds fired relative to each weapon but given that this is a work of fiction, unless you see fifty rounds come out of a semiautomatic without reloading, I can live with it. Other details that many may not care about such as the lead actor switching shooting hands in order to maximize cover are consistent and obviously were given thought. I suppose my point is that those with backgrounds in LE or other areas will appreciate the care taken in terms of realism.
895922
I went to see this film in the hopes of seeing some good action and perhaps a bit of engaging plot concerning the history of modern Japan, and I'll admit, I was not disappointed.  Still, I think the fans of Tom Cruise and the modern Hollywood presentation would have seen this as more of an overwhelming hit than I did, as I plunked down for 150 minutes of what was, after all, the fabled silver screen that had so entertained me as a kid in the 1970s.  What it looked like, more than anything else, was a new entry in the style of shoot-em-up (or slice-em-up) Western movies, as indeed the time setting would make it, at 1876 - 1877.  Cpt. Algren, late of Custer's fame in the post-bellum Indian campaigns, is off to assist the nascently forward-looking empire of Japan, who seems to be having its own trouble with stubborn indigenous folk.  In taking a newly-formed conscript army to the field against the nobly-savage Samurai (are these the same "Samurai" I remember there being seven of?), he comes face-to-face with who they really are, under the care of the gracious Taka (Koyuki), who bids him to carry on the tradition of her family's honor, using his "mind".  Don't worry, the "mushy" parts aren't all that frequent, as in the typical John Wayne or James Stewart classic, so the younger boys won't have to keep their eyes shut long.  I was indeed struck by the immense quality of the cinematography, on what appeared to be a 2.35:1 aspect screen, and the action buffs will be thrilled by all of the assorted combat, both hand-to-hand and (one-sidedly) firearms-related.  Students of Japanese will approve of the dialogue (including by Cruise) in that language, though I had to keep my glasses fully on to read the subtitles.  My overall effect, upon walking back into reality, 127 years later, was one of feeling good.  This is what we earn our entertainment dollars (or Euros, Yen) to buy, and it was well worth it.  This is pretty much what we expect from American cinema, and thus, they've made it.
2128571
I don't like to talk about feasibility when it comes to action movies.  It seems silly to me to expect that the events in a fictional story should be 100% plausible.

Instead, I judge them by how well they pull me in.  So, is the movie pretty believable? Yes  Are the details accurate enough? Yes  Does the movie give me a feel for the main character and maybe one or two others? Yes
Does the story interest me? Yes  Does it have a good balance between action scenes and drama/storyline? Yes
Do the actors do a good job with their parts? Yes

The movie meets my requirements in that it's well done and has a good storyline, and not overdone with action scenes.  Tom Cruise performs his role perfectly, and almost every time that happens you get a 5 star movie worth watching more than once.

No reason to comment on the picture and sound quality since it's a 2012 movie from Paramount so of course it's excellent on blu-ray
1294763
This is a great, fast paced action film that keeps you engaged even though you can guess the outcome.  Great acting and camera work.  Great effects.  Great story...except one thing....

***********SPOILER***********

Remember the part where all the cops were shooting at the train trying to hit that little red emergency stop button?  You know, the one overtop the FUEL tanks?

Well...then why didn't the fat guy at the beginning just push that instead of running and trying to get ON the train?

I think it's a valid point, but then the film would have only lasted 10 minutes.

***********OOPS!*************
We watched this again and my wife caught something.  Notice when toward the end as the trains go through towns that the train is already going past the crossing and the gates are coming down.  Remind me NOT to drive across tracks in Pennsylvania!
1609443
moving, realistic combat action ... excellent
4456014
while not an accurate portrayal of the desert war, it is great fun, with plenty of action. only problem, the 30 minute format. not long enough
1346215
Action flick more than anything. Lots of aerial combat, special effects and all done well except now and again, faint hint of computer graphics but did not ruin action. Found perhaps a little too long and predictable plot and surprisingly, very little about Negro aviators. Oh, that aspect in film but to extent that it moved me or made me angry how we treated Negro in the day and still do, no, movie did not move me BUT as I said up front, action movie and a good one for that. Recommend when action is all you want.
3547194
This movie is a good companion to "Midway" as it is a front bookend to Midway's back bookend on the fate of the Japanese Carrier Fleet in the early part of the war in the Pacific. Much of the action was done with models (CGI not existing at the time), but it is about as realistic as you can get, even so. The story is compelling; the cinematography is excellent; and the acting (while stilted a bit here & there) is really good. All in all, a great movie.

PS. If you are into a bit of fun, then also get Midway. And, also get "The Final Countdown."
340915
When I watched the third Terminator movie a couple of weeks ago, I felt like it was beginning to feel old, familiar, and predictable.  Still, that movies ending, I was curious to see how the story would advance in the next film, Terminator: Salvation.  I was surprised to find they told a different kind of story in the familiar world of the franchise, and I liked the movie for that.

For the first time, the entire movie takes place in the post-apocalyptic future, aka 2018.  John Connor (Christian Bale) is leading the resistance, or at least part of the resistance, in Los Angeles.  While on a mission, he uncovers a device that might lead to the complete destruction of SkyNet.  And the timing couldn't be better since a new hit list has just come out with John as number two.  Number one?  A teenager named Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin).

Tests of this new weapon are proving to be successful, but theres a complication.  Destroying SkyNet might also mean the destruction of Kyle.  John now needs to find a way to save his father, and he might have to rely on the most unlikely of sources for that help.

While we have seen glimpses of the future in the past movies, this is the first time weve spent much time there.  That alone was a nice change of pace since we can now see the future weve been hearing about and dreading.  Normally, Im not a fan of post-apocalyptic stories, so the fact that I was ready to explore this world says something about the franchise.

Another change that I liked was the fact that we didn't spend the entire movie running from terminators.  Yes, that aspect of the franchise was still there, but it wasn't the focus of the movie.  Instead, the focus was taking the battle to SkyNet while still preserving the past.  Plus we get a bit about the power struggle happening inside the resistance.

The thing we do still get are wonderful action scenes.  They had me glued to the screen since so much was happening so quickly I couldn't keep track of it any other way.  Was what we saw possible?  Probably not.  But it was so well done I really didn't care.  The special effects were wonderful as always for the franchise, too.

The one flaw I can see in the movie is the lack of character development.  I know, thats not usually a strong point in an action movie, but it is a flaw again here.  The only character I truly felt connected to was John Connor, and that was because this is the fourth movie telling his story.  Even then, he could have been a stronger character.

Not that Im blaming the actors.  They do a great job with the material they have.  Its the script that could have been stronger.

Speaking of actors, there is a noticeable absence in this film.  When the movie was made, Arnold Schwarzenegger was busy being the governator here in California, so the brief appearances of his face in the film are all CGI.

Weak characters aside, I still loved Terminator: Salvation because it told a new story in the world we already know.  Like the rest of the franchise, its a fun ride, so pop it in, sit back, and enjoy.
270688
In director Brad Bird's first live action film, "MI:GP" succeeds what it sets out to do.  It is a tight action spy film with some great sequences and awesome gadgets.  Brad Bird is the director of some truly excellent films; albeit they are animated, but great none the less.  His films like "Ratatouille", "The Incredibles" and "The Iron Giant" were all wonderful animated films with a lot of heart and good direction.  Bird has proven to this reviewer he has the skill for live action feature films.

"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" brings us back to our hero Tom Cruise while he is locked up in a Russian prison.  Of course the inevitable happens and he is broken out of jail in a really great opening sequence.  Cruise and team assemble; their mission, prevent a nuclear launch.  Unfortunately, their plans are curbed when the team is implicated in a massive bombing.  The President decides to initiate "Ghost Protocol" which completely dismantles the "IMF" and paints Cruise and team as rogue agents.  Their new mission, clear the IMF's name and save the world.  Pretty basic stuff for a Mission Impossible movie.

Pretty basic, yes, but what a ride it is.  First, I'd like to congratulate the scriptwriters on finally making a M.I. film with a tight and aggressive script.  There was hardly a dull line in the entire movie.  With the writers having primarily a television background they were able to get their points across quickly and effectively.  Second, is of course the action sequences.  Realistic, invigorating, suspenseful....just downright awesome.  It is surely a fun ride and if you have a chance to see it in IMAX you will be blown away during the Dubai sequences.  Location is another gem in this movie; Dubai, Russia, India are beautifully shot and give some very nice eye candy.  But for me, the highlight were the gadgets and spy sequences, it wouldn't be a Mission Impossible film without great gadgets right!?  Ghost Protocol doesn't disappoint.  From gloves that stick to glass, visual projections and everything in between there is some really cool stuff in this film.

I can't go without commenting on Tom Cruise doing his own stunts.  Regardless of what you think of him on a personal level, one has to admit him doing his own stunts was pretty incredible.  There are some really hairy situations he gets into and I was very impressed he went the extra mile, I think it helped knowing he was actually doing the stunts while I was watching.  I would say overall the acting was good, but not overly impressive.  This isn't a drama film after all so I'm not taking any points away.  Why would you go to a Mission Impossible movie for great acting?  You go for the action, and if you keep that mindset, this film will be worth your time and money.
2232428
This is not quite a full length movie.  The actual run time is close to an hour.

The movie does take you through a short romp in the 40k universe where we follow a small group of newly minted Ultramarines into their first battle.

The movie can feel like a cheap horror flick at times, but it is worth putting up with some of the slower scenes.

Everything is presented in CGI.  It is well done with great textures and detailed facial animations.

The music matches the 40k universe very well.

The extras you get with the main movie are actually quite good.  There is a short comic story that serves as a prelude and an extras DVD with a making-of and other goodies.
2839228
This is one amazing game.  Three years later it has lost none of its jaw-dropping power.  I suppose it could be considered short by some, but the fact that each element of gameplay and graphics is so meticulously crafted, the visuals are so richly detailed, and the combat is so intense, I'd say it is the perfect length.  If it was much longer I think players would get tired of mowing down hordes of similar enemies.

If the game has a flaw, though, that is it: that the enemies fall into about 4 categories, and you've seen them all by the middle of the game, so by that mid-point, you don't really have to learn any new tactics or modify your gameplay style at all.  I would have liked to see something new after a while.

However, that's a small grievance and shouldn't detract at all from the overall glee that you will experience as you dash from cover to cover blasting the living hell out of hordes of truly despicable aliens.  This game makes you feel like you are inside the biggest action movie ever made: Aliens, Predator, Starship Troopers, whatever-have-you, this game lets you "live" your fantasies with more action and intensity than even those movies depicted.  An amazing achievement and a truly satisfying entertainment experience.  I would suggest this for anyone remotely interested in action games.
3825610
Ballistic is unfortunate in that the parts making it a good film aren't necessarily the ones that B-movie action fans typically find appealing. The amount of time it spends on its characters will make adrenaline junkies itch for action, and when those awaited fight scenes don't blow em away, its easy to be disappointed. Nevertheless, the pictures got charm beyond its means, and its obscurity makes it a rare find for an appreciative fan like me. Despite its price tag, Im sorry I waited so long to get my hands on it.

The story: When a straight-shooting police officer (Marjean Holden,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/BeastMaster/dp/B00474XADE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">BeastMaster)</a>) is falsely implicated in a murder, she battles time to prove a conspiracy between the department and a sleazy arms dealer (Sam Jones,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Flash-Gordon/dp/B0038ZITIE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Flash Gordon</a>).

Whats simultaneously infuriating and refreshing about the film is that, even though this is Marjean Holdens sole leading credit, she doesnt hog the spotlight. Its clearly her vehicle, but the amount of prominence given to costars Joel Beeson and Richard Roundtree is surprising. While its easy to write this off as Holden being unable to carry a vehicle by herself, the story highlights the interrelationships between characters and makes what would otherwise be a bunch of stock figures seem interesting and easy to invest in. This isn't a masterpiece of drama, but if more B-movie action yarns spent this much time making you care about the people in it, the genre might have a better reputation. Also, its one of the few films of this sort wherein Richard Roundtree actually earns his highly-placed credit, and for that it deserves praise.

Theres a good amount of action here, mainly in the way of fistfights, but the quality is inconsistent. Holden is a better onscreen fighter than, say, Mimi Lesseos but she doesnt approach Cynthia Rothrocks standard. The late Joel Beeson has at least as many fights as her and is a respectable kickboxer, though nothing out of the ordinary. The brawls range from basic karate-style encounters to pro wrestling-inspired bouts and even the odd weapons-themed showdown. Holdens final opponent is bodybuilder Corinna Everson (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Double-Impact/dp/B0000542CD/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Double Impact</a>), and while their match is interesting, its not the showstopper you're hoping for. Supplying some much-needed pizzazz is Michael Jai White in a rare indie role wherein he actually fights. White has a few matches and his acrobatic moves vastly outclass those of anyone around him, to the point that you wish hed get an opponent who can keep up with his skill.

Production values are above average for this kind of picture, comparable to a really good PM flick. Its rolling pace and engaging tone make it a good starting point for newcomers to low budget action flicks. Again, viewers who are all about the action might not go for this, but at this point its their loss. Among the hills of schlock and mountains of trash this genre has accumulated, this ones a diamond.