DANCE FLICK NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Dance Flick from imdb

Megan (Shoshanna Bush) has a dream of going to Juilliard and becoming a dancer. While she is performing at her dance audition, her mother is tragically killed in an auto accident. Megan must move to another city to her destitute father's apartment which is located in a condemned building. She enrolls in Musical High, an inner city high school. Since her mother's death, Megan has given up dancing. Megan meets some new friends at the school like Tracy (Chelsea Makela), Charity (Essence Atkins), and Thomas (Damon Wayans Jr.) who dance in a street dance gang. Thomas and Megan connect, and they must face their impossible dance dream together. They try to bring the ultimate dance crew together to win $5,000 at the local dance contest. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)

Here is a review for the movie Dance Flick from dvdtalk

What I'm about to write isn't a recommendation of the new parody film "Dance Flick," but more of a gentle warning that what the Wayans Brothers are serving up here isn't nearly as wrist-slittingly disgraceful as expected. We're still miles away from the bellylaugh miracles of the golden "Airplane!" and "Naked Gun" era, but "Dance Flick" has an appealing concentration on zany that's eluded fellow yuksters such as Friedman/Seltzer and even David Zucker in recent years. Again, this is not a recommendation. More a blazing "all clear" signal flare to those partial to a little brainless comedy on occasion.

Joining the never-ending stream of Wayans siblings into the spotlight is Damien Dante, who takes a director slot on "Dance Flick" while the rest of his family eats up the writing, co-starring, and producing credits. Spoofing seems to be a unique family obsession, with "Dance Flick" joining the likes of "Scary Movie," "Don't Be a Menace to South Central," and the classic "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" on the carousel of Wayans-approved lampoons. The targets of derision here are musicals and the once-flooded urban street dance genre, with the script primarily using "Save the Last Dance" and "Step Up" for inspiration, though plenty of bile is saved to splatter a wide range of titles.

Certainly "Dance Flick" has its fair share of dud gags, potty jokes, and disturbingly uninspired riffs (a "Black Snake Moan" parody comes immediatley to mind), but it's astonishing to observe Wayans locate the right speed of lunacy for his picture, with leads Damon Wayans Jr. and Shoshana Bush eager to follow anywhere the script leads them. It's a devotion to the fine art of insanity that makes "Dance Flick" somewhat endearing. This is not a consistent picture, nor a product dripping with commendable wit. It's lowbrow and PG-13-bendingly shameless all the way, refusing to accept the lazier razzing track the diseased Friedberg/Seltzer train has been occupying. Instead, "Dance Flick" employs known screen successes to form its own cyclone of stupidity and slapstick. Wayans does a sufficient job building "Dance Flick" into a runaway boulder of a comedy, using the lampoons wisely, or at least creatively. While I've been conditioned to treat spoof movies as the enemy in recent years, "Dance Flick" actually finds room to have fun with itself and not just slow down to rehash every last pop culture speed bump.

There's likable buoyancy to Damon Wayans Jr.'s lead performance -- he's clearly inherited his father's timing; David Alan Grier shows up in a bizarre cameo as a morbidly obese criminal known as Sugar Bear and Amy Sedaris adds uncomfortable tartness as the stern ballet teacher Ms. Cameltoe; crosshairs are aimed at "Hairspray," "High School Musical," and "Dreamgirls" (Sugar Bear sings "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" to food); Keenan Ivory Wayans arrives to slap Steve Harvey and his "loud-ass suits" around; and there's plenty of urban-flavored bits that require the services of Shawn and Marlon Wayans. "Dance Flick" is a cornucopia of cartoon trimmings and raunchy escapades, and I have to be honest here: it did make me laugh. Not a lot, but just enough.

At its worst, "Dance Flick" incites a few groans and uncomfortable silences. At its best, it's an energetic, slaphappy comedy with a cheerful attitude. I mean, come on: it's a scant 75 minutes long, contains a well-deserved swipe at the goofiness that is the "Twilight" saga, and features a beatboxing vagina. If that doesn't marginally entertain you, nothing will.

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HARRY POTTER 3 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Harry Potter 3 from imdb

Harry Potter is having a tough time with his relatives (yet again). He runs away after using magic to blow Uncle Vernon's sister Marge who was being offensive towards Harry's parents. Initially scared for using magic outside the school, he is pleasantly surprised that he won't be penalized after all. However, he soon learns that a dangerous criminal and Voldemort's trusted aide Sirius Black has escaped from the Azkaban prison and wants to kill Harry to avenge the Dark Lord. To worsen the conditions for Harry, vile shape-shifters called Dementors are appointed to guard the school gates and inexplicably happen to have the most horrible effect on him. Little does Harry know that by the end of this year, many holes in his past (whatever he knows of it) will be filled up and he will have a clearer vision of what the future has in store... Written by Soumitra

In the summer before his third year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter becomes fed up with his horrible aunt and uncle, and after accidentally inflating his visiting aunt Marge, he runs away. Unfortunately, there's much more danger in the wizarding world than harry thought; convicted mass murderer, Sirius Black, has escaped from the wizarding prison Azkaban. Black is known as Lord Voldemort's most devoted follower, and he's after Harry to avenge Voldemort and finish the job. But not everything is what it seems, and inside of Hogwarts there may just be a traitor... Written by Esamey

"He's at Hogwarts. He's at Hogwarts." The infamous Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison and all sources believe he's after Harry Potter's life. What connection could there be between Harry's past and this crazed murderer? Can Harry figure it out before Black gets to him? And why does Mr. Weasley think Harry may want to find Black first? A shocking insight to a night 12 years ago. Written by Trinka

Harry's life is in mortal danger yet again, this time more than ever. First, a killer named Sirus Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison, and it seems that he broke out just to finish what his master wanted to do 13 years ago: kill Harry Potter!. Also, for Harry's protection, Azkaban has sent hundreds of Dementors to guard Hogwarts in an attempt to catch Black. But will they turn out to be a great help or a big mistake? Written by Prince

Approaching his third year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter has had enough of his muggle relatives. He runs away from them (finally) and enters his third term facing trouble from more than one side: for using magic outside the school and from the news that a notorious criminal, serial killer Sirius Black, has escaped the wizard's prison at Azkaban and apparently is headed for Harry. The school calls in supernatural help against Black in the form of Dementors, but unusual things continue to put Harry in peril. He is thrown into a confusing panoply of shifting alliegences and shifting shapes where nobody is who or what they seem. Who is the real criminal? What is the real crime? Who is telling or knows the truth? Written by Anonymous

Here is a review for the movie Harry Potter 3 from dvdtalk

The movie

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has, in a way, the toughest challenge of any of the three Harry Potter films to date, in trying to live up to the merits of J.K. Rowling's book. The Sorcerer's Stone did a nice job of capturing the book's charm while introducing us to the characters and setting of Harry Potter's world, and The Chamber of Secrets even improved on the source material, making a highly entertaining adaptation of the weakest of the Harry Potter books. To me, though, The Prisoner of Azkaban stands out as the best of Harry Potter books yet published, combining a distinctly darker tone with a tense, tightly-plotted, often frightening story.

And overall, the film rises to the challenge. The film version of Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts is not a totally smooth ride, but it's one that has enough punch in its story and enough surprises up its sleeve to more than make up for a weak opening. At this point, audiences know the characters and setting very well, so The Prisoner of Azkaban is able to focus on the engaging (and often rather frightening) plot to good effect.

The film is very faithful to the original book, which ironically is the source of the one real weakness of the film. The opening fifteen minutes or so of The Prisoner of Azkaban aren't handled well at all: we get what amounts to a scene of slapstick humor at the Dursley's home, complete with obtrusive theme music that sounds like it came out of a sitcom. While this is precisely how the book opens, on screen it plays out badly, seeming as though the filmmakers are deliberately catering to the youngest audience members rather than those who have "grown up" along with Harry Potter. Harry's eventual burst of temper and rebellion make sense in the book, since we're privy to his thoughts, but in the film, his actions seem abrupt and slightly out of character. All in all, it's a rather inauspicious start for what turns out to be an excellent film.

Fortunately, however, once Harry leaves the Dursleys, the film settles down to telling its real story, and one useful marker of how well it succeeds is that the nearly two-and-a-half-hour film doesn't feel nearly that long. While never feeling rushed, the story moves along at a brisk pace, with new events always unfolding, and with something always keeping us intrigued by what's going to happen next. Here, the film takes a more assertive tack with adapting the original book, to good result. For instance, the Quiddich matches that that take up a considerable share of the book, and which would have slowed down the film's storyline for no particularly good reason in the film, are cut down to a single scene and altered to incorporate a brush with the Dementors, serving to advance the plot.

All in all, The Prisoner of Azkaban is a nicely plotted film, with the various suspenseful threads dealing with Sirius Black, the fate of Buckbeak, and Professor Lupin unfolding in a very interesting manner, with some solid twists and turns toward the end of the film. As with the earlier films, we get some well-known actors in new supporting roles, but once again it's great to see how the actors immerse themselves in their characters. Emma Thompson is nearly unrecognizable in an excellent small role as the professor of Divination, and while Gary Oldman doesn't fit my own personal image of Sirius Black, he's spot-on for the way Rowling describes the character. Alan Rickman continues to be delightfully nasty as Snape, and Michael Gambon steps in with an admirable performance as Dumbledore, replacing the late Richard Harris.

The Prisoner of Azkaban is a film that relies heavily on CGI: there's hardly a scene that doesn't call for some sort of special effect, however small. What's really impressive, though, is the way that CGI seems to have grown up and taken its place as just another tool in the filmmaker's kit. All the magical effects and fantastical creatures in The Prisoner of Azkaban are there because the story, setting, or mood of the scene demand their presence... not because the filmmakers want to show off their cool CGI. The result is a feeling of "wholeness" to the film, and a sense that we've really stepped into Harry's world. When we meet Buckbeak, we share Harry's awe... but most importantly, we're awed because of the beauty and majesty of the creature in the story, rather than by the technological wizardry that created it. When we see the Marauder's Map, we're intrigued by its potential for mischief, not just by how cool it looks. (Well, to be honest, I also admired the technical wizardry behind these effects, but it's secondary and we're not drawn out of the film to do it.)

This is a film that's going to be a favorite of young viewers as well as adults, so I'll mention that parents will want to make sure to watch it along with younger (under 13 kids). While it's only rated PG, not PG-13, there are quite a few disturbing and frightening elements in the film, from the chilling Dementors to the appearance of a giant spider. This shift toward a darker tone is very effective in terms of the overall story, and it is well suited to the audience who has grown up with Harry Potter; it just means that younger siblings might find it quite scary.

The DVD

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a two-disc set, packaged in a single-wide plastic keepcase. It's a different style of packaging than the first two films, but I'm glad to see the switch, since the plastic case stands up better to wear and tear and is easier to access.

Video

I'm pleased to report that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has an excellent transfer. The widescreen edition presents the film in its original theatrical 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is anamorphically enhanced.

The image is crisp and clean, with no noise or print flaws appearing anywhere; it's also a nicely detailed transfer, with only a slight amount of edge enhancement appearing in some of the more visually demanding scenes. Colors are handled very well; everything looks natural while also having a bright, vibrant feel. I did notice that contrast seems to be a bit on the heavy side, but I think that we're looking at an artistic decision to make the film, overall, look darker; dark scenes tend to have a lot of black areas, but there's always enough light and detail where it matters. All in all, we're looking at a very nice transfer that will allow you to sit back and thoroughly enjoy the ride.

Audio

The Dolby 5.1 soundtrack is, like the video transfer, handled very well, and it certainly adds to the enjoyment of the film. The "meat and potatoes" of the soundtrack is taken care of with crisp, clear dialogue and an effective balance of voices, background music, and special effects. It's the surround sound that gives the track its extra sparkle. Throughout the film, the side and rear channels are used very effectively to create a sense of immersiveness; on many occasions, the directional effects create the impression that you're really in the middle of things, which is particularly effective in the scarier scenes.

Dubbed Spanish 5.1 and French 5.1 tracks are also included, along with English closed captions.

Extras

Unfortunately, my first impression of The Prisoner of Azkaban on DVD was negative, thanks to a truly horrible menu design. The film begins playing automatically when it's inserted in the player, which is always annoying, but what's worse is trying to go to the main menu. There's a long animated menu opener, which gets a failing grade from me on two counts: 1) It contains numerous spoiler images from the film, and 2) It is not skippable. Navigating between sub-menus is also slowed down by the non-skippable animations.

Once you get past the menus, the bonus content is reasonable, if not mind-blowing. Disc 1 is mainly devoted to the film; the only special features there are a cast and crew list (just a list of characters and names, with no additional information) and trailers for the three Harry Potter films.

On Disc 2 we find the bulk of the special features. (Incidentally, viewers can choose to have the menus in either English or French.) In an example the kind of cutesy menu design that's been an affliction of the Harry Potter DVDs so far, the features are categorized not by their actual content, but by different areas of Hogwarts.

The most interesting material is found in the "Divination" section. First of all, five unfinished/deleted scenes are presented in "Trelawney's Crystal Ball," ranging from about 30 seconds to 2 minutes. They're in rough format, sometimes with blue-screens still in evidence, but will be of mild interest to fans. Next up in this section is "Creating the Vision," a 12-minute featurette that focuses on the overall making of the film and its adaptation from the book; we hear from director Alfonso Cuarón and J.K. Rowling, among others.

The most substantial single bonus feature is the "Head to Shrunken Head" featurette in the Divination section. This is actually a compilation of 43 minutes of interviews with cast and crew, in which the actors and crew members discuss their experiences with making the film. There's a "play all" feature, or viewers can select individual interviews with the "Heroes," "Gryffindors," "Slytherins," Lupin, Sirius Black, Dumbledore, Hagrid, the Dursleys, and the filmmakers (the director, the production designer, and the director of photography.) The actors are listed by their characters' names rather than their own, probably to help younger viewers who don't know the actors' names.

The "Great Hall" section is, in my opinion, a great waste of time, as all we get here are some rather lame DVD games, which incidentally contain quite a few spoilers, so it's best to avoid them until after seeing the film. "Catch Scabbers!" is a puzzle-type game in which viewers "help Crookshanks catch Scabbers," as the name implies, and "The Quest of Sir Cadogan" also asks viewers to help the knight complete his quest. "Choir Practice" is a rendition of the song from the film, played to a montage of clips from the film with the lyrics printed on-screen.

The "Defense Against the Dark Arts" section is likewise rather pointless. "Magic You May Have Missed" is a memory/observation game using clips from the film, and "Tour Lupin's Classroom" is just a 360-degree rendition of the room from the film that viewers can rotate through. The "Tour Honeydukes" section is even more pointless, as it's nothing more than another 360-degree room tour, this time of the sweet shop.

We finally get to some more interesting material once again in the "Hogwarts Grounds" section. Inside "Hagrid's Hut" there's a 5-minute featurette called "Care of Magical Creatures," which is an intriguing look at the animal trainers and the animal stars of the film. The 15-minute "Conjuring a Scene" is also quite interesting, as it gives us a look at the makeup and special effects that were used on characters like Sirius Black and Professor Lupin. Lastly, the "Hogwarts Grounds" section has a preview of the game based on the movie, and a link to DVD-ROM content.

Final thoughts

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a worthy installment in the Harry Potter series of films, offering an entertaining, well-paced story and shifting quite effectively to a darker, scarier tone for the film. The DVD transfer is excellent, with great video and sound quality, and while the special features fall more on the "quantity" rather than "quality" side of the scale, there are still several features that will be worth watching for fans of the films. Overall, the film earns a "highly recommended" mark from me.

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HARRY POTTER 2 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Harry Potter 2 from imdb

Forced to spend his summer holidays with his muggle relations, Harry Potter gets a real shock when he gets a surprise visitor: Dobby the house-elf, who warns Harry Potter against returning to Hogwarts, for terrible things are going to happen. Harry decides to ignore Dobby's warning and continues with his pre-arranged schedule. But at Hogwarts, strange and terrible things are indeed happening: Harry is suddenly hearing mysterious voices from inside the walls, muggle-born students are being attacked, and a message scrawled on the wall in blood puts everyone on his/her guard - "The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies Of The Heir, Beware" . Written by Soumitra

It's Year 2 at Hogwarts, and Harry Potter (Radcliffe), Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) are back learning, but their year doesn't go past quietly. Members of the school are turning up petrified and bloody writing are appearing on the walls, revealing to everyone, that someone has opened the chamber of secrets. The attacks continue, bringing the possibility of the closure of Hogwarts. Harry and his friends are now forced to secretly uncover the truth about the chamber before the school closes or any lives are taken. Written by Film_Fan

Harry Potter is in his second year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is visited by a house-elf named Dobby and warned not to go back to Hogwarts. Harry ignores his warning, and returns. He is still famous, although still disliked by Snape, Malfoy, and the rest of the Slytherins. But then, strange things start to happen. People are becoming petrified, and no-one knows what is doing it. Harry keeps hearing a voice.. a voice which seems to be coming from within the walls. They are told the story of the Chamber of Secrets. It is said that only Salazar Slytherin's true descendent will be able to open it. Harry, it turns out, is a Parsel-tongue. This means that he is able to speak/understand snakes. Everyone thinks that it's him that has opened the Chamber of Secrets because that is what Slytherin was famous for. Written by Sarah

Harry Potter's adventures continue...Harry Potter begins his second year at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, but is warned by a mysterious creature that danger awaits him at the school. Malevolent voices whisper from the walls. Soon it's not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at Hogwarts. Written by Kateway

Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts School of Wizardry for his second year. After a confrontation with a house elf named Dobby, Harry escapes to the Weasley house with Ron Weasley in a flying car. They are then late for the train and have to ride it to school. When they get there, strange happenings invade the school. "Mudbloods" (people of Muggle families) are "petrified" by an evil monster lurking in the grounds. When every one suspects that it is him, the trio then set out to find the culprit and find out more than they bargained for: the diary of Tom Riddle, why Hagrid was expelled and what the Chamber of Secrets is and why is it so feared in Hogwarts. Written by Michael Johnston {highoncaffiene@hotmail.com}

Here is a review for the movie Harry Potter 2 from dvdtalk

The Movie: A rare sequel that improves upon the original, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" still has some concerns, but the darker tone and mystery of the story make for a more involving movie. The film opens with Harry once again living at his evil relatives before being rescued by his friends from school. However, before he left with his friends, Harry was warned by house-elf Dobby that he'd be in terrible danger if he returns to school for another semester at Hogwarts. Once he's back at school, rejoined with friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), the warnings start to become true. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and friends spy a warning that those who aren't pure-blood wizards will be in serious trouble. When several of the students turn up petrified, Harry - who turns up in the wrong place at the wrong time - becomes a suspect. It's up to Harry to find out who's behind the strange occurances and what is in the school's dark "Chamber of Secrets" before more students are in danger and the school is closed. Many of the characters from the first film - strict Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman, perfect in the role), headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris, in his final role), Draco (Tom Felton) and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). New characters, such as Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh) and Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs), Draco's father, also make an impression. Felton is more delightfully evil this time around as Draco, too, while Harris is especially good in his final performance. I like several aspects of "Chamber of Secrets", both great and small, over the prior film. "Sorcerer's Stone" boasted marvelous digital effects, nearly all of which were seamless and visually inspired. However, the sequel not only boasts the same level of effects work, but integrates them into the story in a better (and somewhat more restrained) fashion. I also liked the fact that the film's locations are used a bit more strongly in this film, with the cinematography nicely highlighting the haunting and beautiful architecture. The darker tone is also well-handled, as are the mystery elements. That said, the second film still has some issues of its own. As with the first film, the nearly three-hour running time begins to feel unnecessary at times. Once again, we get an entertaining first act, a zippy last act and a middle act that often just holds the attenion, but occasionally becomes a bit tedious during some stretches. As with the first film, I still feel Radcliffe is the least interesting of the three leads. Graves is funnier here than he was in the last film and it's especially unfortunate that lovable know-it-all Hermione, played so well by Emma Watson, gets less screen time here. Overall though, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is a welcome return. The performances are great, the material is a bit more involving and richer, and the mystery and adventure are somewhat more exciting and compelling. An excellent sequel, but I'm particularly interested in what new director Alfonso Cuaron ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") has in store for the next sequel. The DVD VIDEO: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is presented by Warner Brothers in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (a severely cropped pan & scan version will also be available). The second film has a somewhat darker, more shadowy feel than the first picture, capably presented by Roger Pratt ("Batman", "Iris")'s cinematography. Sharpness and detail are, as one might expect, first rate; the presentation boasts fine detail and depth to the image. Of course, it's not as amazing as the very impressive DLP presentation I saw theatrically last Winter, but it's still very nice, nonetheless.

Although there are some occasional faults visible throughout this presentation, the picture quality overall is better than that of the DVD of the first picture. While grain gave some scenes from the first film a rather harsh appearance, grain isn't really an issue here. As one might expect, the print looked terrific, with not a speck or mark to be seen. Edge enhancement does become a slight issue in a few scenes, but I was never bothered by it.

The film's rich, dark color palette looked accurately rendered here, with nice saturation and no flaws. Black level remained solid, while flesh tones looked accurate and natural. This is a very, very nice transfer; it's not perfect, but at its best, it looks fantastic.


SOUND: As with the previous film, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 EX. This film's sound design benefits from the addition of sound designer Randy Thom (the award winning sound designer of such films as "Cast Away", "Final Fantasy: The Sprits Within" and "Jumanji") to the film's sound crew. Thom and the film's sound crew have created a soundtrack that, while still maybe not as aggressive as it could have been, is a more entertaining and lively effort than the prior "Potter" film's sound.

One of the film's examples several instances of fun sound design comes early on, when the students are pulling the Mandrakes out of their pots. The screams of the little creatures can be heard from all around the viewer, including the back surround. A scene soon after with pixies also sends the sounds of the little creatures scurrying around the listening space. The sound design of the Quidditch match also is better realized here, with a more enveloping and aggressive feel to the sound than I remember from the scene in the first film. In other words, the danger and excitement of the Quidditch match is communicated better this time around not only in terms of the visuals, but the sound.

The film's second hour does have some stretches of rather front-heavy sound, mainly because the dialogue-heavy passages don't have much need for rear speaker use (although maybe some ambience would have been nice). Still, as the film heads into the third act, there are some additional sound surprises to be found as the surrounds once again kick in during several scenes. Audio quality is certainly up to expectations for such a massive project. The film's sound remained dynamic and crisp throughout, with the John Williams score, dialogue and effects remaining clean and easily heard. Some of the effects sound especially punchy, and low bass is also present during many scenes. This is a very, very enjoyable soundtrack.

EXTRAS: Once again, Warner Brothers has provided a set of supplements that seem targeted towards the DVD's younger viewers, although some of the supplements (and the navigation) are improved over the DVD for the prior film. Director Chris Columbus, who will not be doing the third film, still has not recorded a commentary. On the first disc, viewers will find the film's theatrical trailer, bios and "Year One At Hogwarts", which is a basic guide to the first film. The most worthwhile feature on the second disc are the deleted scenes. While the nearly three hour picture is long as is, some of these deleted or extended scenes offer some entertaining action (a little more Quidditch, for example) or involving character moments that are fun to watch. Also interesting are the interviews, including a 16-minute interview with novelist JK Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves. The two writers discuss and joke (in terms of how Kloves doesn't always get information about what's happening in the future stories about the characters) about the process of trying to bring the series to the screen. There are also brief interviews with the lead and supporting actors (viewers click on a question and we hear the responses from the cast in terms of the "students" - there are more standard interviews from the cast who play the professors ). Also on disc two are production sketches, a 16-minute featurette on production design, games, behind-the-scenes tours, a preview of the video game and more information about Branagh's character, who has his own section. There's also DVD-ROM features, including a Hogwart's timeline, screensavers, additional games and more. Final Thoughts: I found "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" to be a darker, more mysterious and involving film than the previous picture. It's not without some concerns, but the performances are good, it's imaginative and it puts digital effects to better use. The DVD for the sequel is also an improvement, as audio/video quality were consistently excellent, and the supplements seemed a bit better. With a project this massive, it still feels as if there could/should be far more supplements exploring the making of the film. Still, I'll certainly give "Chamber of Secrets" a recommendation.


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HARRY POTTER 1 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Harry Potter 1 from imdb

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first film in the Harry Potter series based on the novels by J.K. Rowling. It is the tale of Harry Potter, an ordinary 11-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is snatched away from his mundane existence by Hagrid, the grounds keeper for Hogwarts, and quickly thrown into a world completely foreign to both him and the viewer. Famous for an incident that happened at his birth, Harry makes friends easily at his new school. He soon finds, however, that the wizarding world is far more dangerous for him than he would have imagined, and he quickly learns that not all wizards are ones to be trusted. Written by Carly

Harry Potter is an average bespectacled 11 year old boy who has lived with the Dursley family ever since his parents died in a car crash. For some reason the family has always mistreated him. On his 11th birthday a giant man named Rubeus Hagrid hands him a letter telling him that he has been accepted as a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry learns that his parents were wizards and were killed by an evil wizard Voldemort, a truth that was hidden from him all these years. He embarks for his new life as a student, gathering two good friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger along the way. They soon learn that something very valuable is hidden somewhere inside the school and Voldemort is very anxious to lay his hands on it. Written by Soumitra

Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy celebrating his 11th birthday, but he is far from wrong. A giant named Hagrid appears, and gives Harry the all important news. He is a wizard. Now his journey in life gets more intense as he travels to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry to learn the trade of being a wizard. Here, he meets his friends who would be by his side for many years to come. Ron Weasley is not very brave friend and Hermione is the smart friend. But not everything is quiet at Hogwarts as Harry suspects someone is planning to steal the philosopher's stone. Written by simon

Young Harry Potter has to lead a hard life: His parents have died in a car crash when he was still a baby, and he is being brought up by his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. For some reason unbeknownst to the bespectacled ten-year-old, the Dursleys let him live in the small chamber under the stairs, and treat him more like vermin than like a family member. His fat cousin Dudley, the Dursley's real son, keeps bothering Harry all the time. On his eleventh birthday, Harry Potter finally receives a mysterious letter from a certain Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, telling him that he is chosen as one of the future students of that supposedly renowned school. Hagrid, the gigantic man who brought the letter, finally introduces Harry into the real circumstances of his life: His parents were a wizard and a witch, they were killed by the evil wizard Voldemort protecting him. Harry still has a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead from that event. Since he survived the attack as a baby, and also somehow deprived Voldemort from his powers, he has been famous in the wizarding world ever since. The Dursleys, strong disbelievers in that magical crap, never told Harry anything about his true self. So, Harry is strongly surprised, yet absolutely happy to start his training. At Hogwarts, Harry meets his teachers, and becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The three of them accidentally find out that the potions master, Severus Snape, seems to plot on stealing something that is guarded by a three-headed dog. Since nobody would believe some first years to have found out such important things that even would incriminate a Hogwarts teacher, they take it on themselves to find out what Snape is up to. Their quest for the truth leads across many obstacles, from keeping up the everyday school life, a bewitched Quidditch match (Quidditch is a popular wizard sport), Fluffy, the three-headed monster dog and quite some tasks one has to overcome to get to the guarded object. Written by Julian Reischl {julianreischl@mac.com}

On his 11th birthday, young Harry Potter discovers the life he never knew he had, the life of a wizard. In his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he meets his two best friends Ron Weasley, an expert at Wizard Chess, and Hermione Granger, a girl with non-magic parents. Harry learns the game of Quiditch and Wizard Chess on his way to facing a Dark Arts teacher who is bent on destroying him. Written by Shaun Ouimette {xextreemshaun589@hotmail.com}

Here is a review for the movie Harry Potter 1 from dvdtalk


The Movie:

Having read the first three books in the Harry Potter series (I'm still working on the fourth), I was really looking forward to this movie. I had some apprehension in the fact that Chris Columbus was directing the movie though. Columbus has not had the best track record in recent years with such movies as Bicentennial Man and Stepmom. He had a good run in the late 80s and early 90s, but he has fallen since then.

Needless to say, that apprehension was not needed in this case. While leaving some little touches from the book out of the movie and creating some allusions to the coming books/movies, it stays pretty faithful to the book and is pretty much the personification of the images in my head that I got from the book.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is about a boy named Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe) and his entrance into the wizard world where he is already a celebrity and doesn't even know it. Why doesn't he know it? Well, he's grown up most of his young life with his Muggle (non-magical) Uncle, Aunt and Cousin who all don't treat him very well. You see, Harry lives in a small compartment under the stairs and not a bedroom. Harry lives a pretty poor existance until a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft shows up via an owl.

His Uncle takes the letter away from him, but the owls keep coming with letters. At one point there are tons of letters that come through the chimney when Harry's Uncle blocks the mail slot in his door. They go to a secluded area, but the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid (played by Robbie Coltrane, who does Hagrid great justice), shows up and takes Harry to Hogwarts. He also tells Harry that his parents were killed by the evil Wizard Voldemort and that they didn't die in a car crash like his relatives had said. His lighting strike-like scar on his head came from Voldemort when he unsuccessfully tried to kill Harry when he was a baby.

Our first showing of the wizard's world is in Diagon Alley. This is where Harry finds out his parents left him a lot of money and he gets his school supplies. The most interesting part is when he goes to the wand shop where John Hurt plays the curator of the shop. After going through a couple wands (and blowing stuff up), Hurt grabs a wand and gives it to Harry wondering if this special wand will work. When it does work Hurt lets Harry in on some information about his wand

Then it's off to Hogwarts via a train station that's actually located in the wall between platform 9 and 10 in the train station...platform 9 3/4 in fact. Once on the train we meet up with the other young main characters: red-headed Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and bookworm Hermione Granger (Emma Watson).

Once at Hogwarts we meet up with the staff and other students: Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), potions Professor Snape (the always great Alan Rickman) and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) as the antagonist student to Harry. All parts are done well and this is really a well acted movie. The added benefit of an all British cast just adds to this movie. Spielberg had originally wanted to do this movie, but he wanted Americans in the role. I just can't see that personally.

At Hogwarts, Harry has adventures with Ron and Hermione that involve things such as a troll and a three-headed dog aptly named Fluffy. Where does the Sorcerer's Stone come into all of this? Well, Hagrid picked it up in Diagon Alley and Fluffy is guarding it. Someone at Hogwarts wants it and Harry is getting searing pains from his scar. The rest of the movie involves Harry, Ron and Hermione tracking down who is trying to take the Sorcerer's Stone and why it's so important.

There were a few sections that really stood out to me in the movie. The first is the section where the Sorting Hat sorts out first-year students to one of four houses (or dormitories): Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Those four names are the people that started Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat itself is an excellent use of CGI and the voice is perfect for it.

The second section is the Quiddich match. Although very obvious that it is mostly CGI, the section works rather well. Quiddich is difficult to explain and I thought it would be very hard to pull off in the movie, but ILM did an excellent job of it.

Another section that was very interesting involves Harry, a mirror and a cloak. Seeing these parts on the screen after reading them in the book made me feel they accurately portrayed what I was seeing in my mind when I read the book.

Now the major question is if you haven't read the books will you like the movie? I took my wife and mother to see this movie and neither had read any of the books. The both loved the movie and totally understood everything that was going on. They both said they wanted to see it again just to see what they missed.

Final Thoughts: In the end, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a great movie. Although many parts were left out, the movie still runs 142 minutes. Not once did I look at my watch or feel bored in the movie. There are some parts they cut that I wish they would have kept in, but I can understand the need to keep the movie from being over 3 hours long. I still don't totally agree with Columbus as the director. To me he just doesn't have that special touch. With this movie he seems to have left a lot of it to Industrial Light and Magic, who are magicians themselves. A high-water mark has been set that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will have to meet or overcome. And for reference, the next book is a little better than this one.

I highly recommend going to see this movie. It doesn't matter if you're a child, adult or a person who has never read any of the books. This is an example of a highly hyped movie that delivers on it's hype. I cannot wait for the DVD release of this great movie.


Here is the direct download for the movie Harry Potter 1.

STATE OF PLAY NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie State of Play from imdb

On the morning of a new Congressional hearing led by popular congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) the lead Research Assistant falls in front of a train on her way to the hearings. Old style news reporter for the Washington Globe Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), investigating a shooting of a petty thief thinks there may be a connection because his seasoned hunches as a reporter just tell him so. His old college roommate Congressman Collins is taking a high-profile position as a champion against a private corporation called PointCorp which will have taps on the entire workings of American phones, e-mails, and all private information. As the story breaks of the death of the Research Assistant so does the congressman break in public, shedding tears and generating rumors that he was having an affair with the young thing from Minnesota. When the Washington Globe's blogger newbie college grad Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) approaches McAffrey for an opinion about his former dorm buddy Collins, she is immediately told to get lost by the old-school reporter, but after looking over the coincidences, McAffrey pulls Frye into his investigation and reporting of how murder and PointCorp may be threatening Collins. As the two get deeper into the facts they realize that there is a structured network of former soldiers that have been trained into a mercenary group-for-hire and now are employed by a division of the corporation Collins is questioning in Congress. As Della learns how to get a story from the inside from the old pro McAffrey the story develops and exposes corruption on a much deeper level than was initially seen. What is more shocking is that a murderer is attempting to keep the story from breaking and McAffrey and Frye are in his sights.

Here is a review for the movie State of Play from dvdtalk

Adapted from the six-hour-long 2003 BBC miniseries, "State of Play" manages to compact meaty portions of intrigue and thrills into two snappy hours. A study of political power plays, calamitous sexual impulses, and the twilight of newspaper journalism, "State of Play" is riveting, sublimely acted, and sincerely intelligent...at times.

When Sonia Baker (Maria Thayer), a pivotal research assistant and lover to Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), is murdered, the mysterious death triggers a series of potential high-profile news stories for hardened journalist Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), employed by the deteriorating Washington Globe newspaper. Sharing a personal history with Collins and his wife Anne (Robin Wright Penn), McAffrey is conflicted over the type of story he wants to tell, leading him to team up with political blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) to help sort out the mess of rumors, deceptions, and further bloodshed. As McAffrey plunges further into the investigation, he finds his long-standing methods of reporting are counterproductive to the changing world of profitable journalism, pushing the writer to shape the story quickly, at the risk of alienating old friends.

"State of Play" is a knotty thriller that almost seems ashamed of itself, fearful of losing the greater audience by holding tight on wordy, flinching acts of investigation to fuel a majority of its tight narrative twists and turns. Director Kevin Macdonald ("The Last King of Scotland") is seeking to mold a film that might appeal to those in dire need of brain food at the multiplex and those who like their mystery spoon-fed. It's a troubled cocktail of intent, marring an otherwise gripping mystery inspired by the great paranoia/journalism thrillers of the 1970s.

While "State of Play" loses itself to occasional spasms of on-the-nose screenwriting, snarling Bruckheimerish assassins, and unbecoming sequences of gunplay, the film is an exceptionally taut concoction overall. Arranging a parade of colorful characters and diverse motivations, Macdonald finds chess-like timing for the story, keeping his cast on the move as the mystery of Sonia Baker unleashes a torrent of Washington D.C. revelations and double-crosses. While remaining topical with a crucial subplot concerning the development of privatized armies profiting from a war-happy government, Macdonald seems more enchanted by the unseemly side of the case, and the intricate personal history that clouds McAffrey's raw investigative judgment.

Performed with beautiful timing and believable fatigue by the cast (including Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, and Helen Mirren), "State of Play" is at its most darkly rapturous when fixed on the exploratory maneuvering of the journalists, observing these professionals execute remarkable pulls of information as the mystery intensifies. The film is truly a compelling team effort, but as the de facto lead character, Crowe reawakens himself with this performance, lugging himself out of a string of misguided motion pictures to find a role that fits him and his hardened screen instincts well. As the dumpy but gifted reporter, Crowe rumbles around the frame performing a spellbinding ballet of dog-eared curiosity and suspicion, elevating the ensemble's game with his leadership. Affleck also registers strongly as the besieged politician, playing a crucial role with interesting shades of internal conflict.

As much as "State of Play" is a murder mystery, it's also substantial elegy for the newspaper business, underscoring the tension with forceful scraps of lament as McAffrey finds his prolonged methods of reporting are no longer welcome in the reader-hungry, blogosphere world of modern journalism. It's a concept Macdonald nurtures throughout the feature, spotlighting the combustible relationship between McAffrey and Frye as one of tidal newsprint change, though he ultimately sides with the shifty practices and unshowered tenacity of the seasoned, unkempt reporter lifestyle. Perhaps this guarantees that "State of Play" will receive a gushing review from any critic currently working for a newspaper or in the midst of pursuing a journalism degree.

"State of Play" doesn't always trust its own instincts, leaving sections of the film absurdly overcooked to drive easily telegraphed plot points home; nevertheless, the picture still clicks as an eager suspense piece, offering a smattering of proper armrest-gripping moments and mouth-agape revelations to stand itself upright and deliver the goods.

Here is the direct download for the movie State of Play.

17 AGAIN NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie 17 Again from imdb

At 17 Mike O'Donell was on top of the world; he was the star of his high school basketball team, and was a shoo in for a college scholarship. And is dating his soul mate, Scarlett. But on what's suppose to be his big game wherein college scouts are checking him out, Scarlett reveals that she's pregnant. Mike decides to leave the game and asks Scarlett to marry him which she does. During their marriage, Mike could only whine about the life he lost because he married her. So she throws him out. And when he loses his job, he returns to the only place he's happy at - his old high school. And while looking at his high school photo, a janitor asks him if he wishes he could be 17 again and he says yes. One night while driving he sees the janitor on a bridge and apparently jumps in and he goes after him. When he returns to his friend, Ned's house, where he has been staying, he sees that he is 17 again. He decides to take this opportunity to get the life he lost. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com


Here is a review for the movie 17 Again from dvdtalk

Forget all about the age-reversing hocus-pocus that's going on during "17 Again." The real fantasy at play in this picture is the concept that Zac Efron is supposed to be the younger version of Matthew Perry. Sure. If you can hurdle that whopper, "17 Again" is a generously spirited comedy that's more victorious as a debutant ball for Efron's big screen career than a true gut-buster. The picture charms easily and makes a decent pass at a heart. Considering the director and the iffy premise, I think the idea of "17 Again" being anything other than migraine-inducing is worth a few minutes of applause and smiley reflection.

Frustrated with the failure of his life and his marriage to high school sweetheart Scarlett (Leslie Mann), Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry, in a brief cameo) makes an audible wish to be young again, desperate for a chance to reboot his life. The wish is magically granted by a spirit guide (a Santa-like Brian Doyle-Murray), turning Mike back into a teenager (Zac Efron). Seeking the help of geeky friend Ned (Thomas Lennon), Mike elects to enroll in the same high school as his children (Sterling Knight and Michelle Trachtenberg) to keep an eye on his family. Looking to instill his son with confidence and keep his daughter away from a lothario, Mike starts to insinuate himself back into his own house, eventually hoping to reconnect with Scarlett; however, his efforts strike the family as particularly strange, leaving Mike unable to comprehend why his wish was granted in the first place if he was destined to fail all over again.

While the temptation is there to label the feature as a body switching comedy along the likes of a backwards "Big," "17 Again" isn't aiming for a whimsical handle to the laughs. Under the direction of Burr Steers (the odious "Igby Goes Down"), "17 Again" is more at home within a sitcom arena, featuring a broad plot of cockeyed redemption to underscore the flashy comedic fireworks display. Steers mutes all his tendencies to smother the actors in stillborn affectations and lets the cast roll with the punches, permitting a harmless screenplay to be executed safely and often winningly. In the seven years it took Steers to follow-up "Igby," he's learned to trust his ensemble, allowing for generous spurts of glee to escape what is honestly an eye-rolling concept.

The plot concentrates on Mike's foggy, befuddled path to salvation, but the film appears more infatuated with Efron and his performance elasticity. As bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as Efron was in the "High School Musical" pictures, his work in "17 Again" reveals a dazzling comedic presence and an overall ability to command a scene. Backed wonderfully by Mann, Lennon, and Melora Hardin (here stealing scenes as Mike's principal and Ned's nerdly object of affection), the film gives Efron a wide berth to just do his thing. And that thing seems to be the capacity to make a dusty screenplay shine with his gusto and silly portrayal of man-boy bewilderment, while throwing a few well-timed reactions around to beef up the laughs.

Efron keeps the film upbeat and eager to please, but it's comforting to see "17 Again" not entirely turn its back on the inherent creepiness of a teen father spying on his teen kids. While dealing with bullies, basketball tryouts, and abundant caloric intake, Mike also has to confront burgeoning affection from his own daughter, a thorny consequence of his renewed attention to their romantic activities. Steers keeps the subplot nicely distanced and humorous, but the very appearance of such a twist demonstrates that "17 Again" has a delightful sense of mischief to share. Eventually the film devolves into third-act sniffles to ease the premise back onto solid ground, but a generous helping of actorly vitality and a dash of troublemaking elevates the picture away from its skim milk origin.

Here is the direct download for the movie 17 Again.

THE SIMS 3 NOW AVAILABLE (NEWZBIN FILE)

Here is the product description for the Game The Sims 3 from Amazon.com

Amazon.com Product Description

The freedom of The Sims 3 will inspire you with endless creative possibilities and amuse you with unexpected moments of surprise and mischief. Create millions of unique Sims and control their lives. Customize their appearances and personalities. Build their homes - design everything from exquisitely furnished dream homes to quaint cottages. Then, send your Sims out to explore their ever-changing neighborhood and to meet other Sims in the town center. With all-new quick challenges and rewarding game play, The Sims 3 gives you the freedom to choose whether (or not) to fulfill your Sims' destinies and make their wishes come true.

Key Game Features:

New Seamless, Living Neighborhood
Explore the ever-changing neighborhood—and take your Sims to meet friends in the park, go on a date at the bistro, visit neighbors’ homes, converse with less-than-savory characters in the graveyard and more. Who knows what might happen?
Admire the natural beauty of the beach, the mountains, and more.
New Create a Sim Functionality
Create any Sim you can imagine with easy-to-use design tools that allow for unlimited customization of facial features, hair color, eye color, and more.
Fine tune your Sims’ body shape from thin to curvy to muscular.
New Personality Traits
Create over a million different personalities with traits such as evil, insane, kleptomaniac, romantic, and more.
Influence the behaviors of your Sims with the traits you’ve chosen. Will you create a neurotic romantic with a heart of gold, or a geeky super-genius with an evil streak?
New Unlimited Customization
Everyone can customize everything—design and build your dream house and decorate it to fit your Sims’ personalities.
Customize everything from floors to décor, shirts to sofas, wallpaper to window shades.
New Gameplay That’s Rewarding and Quick
Face short and long-term challenges and reap the rewards.
Your Sims can pursue random opportunities to get fast cash, get ahead, get even, and more.
Choose whether, or not, to fulfill your Sims’ destinies by making their wishes come true. Will your Sims be thieves, rock stars, world leaders? The choice is yours.
Get Connected and Share Your Creations with The Sims 3 Online Community
Get free bonus content—download Sims, outfits, furnishings, houses and more.
Create and Share Sims, houses, movies and more with anyone.
Join The Sims 3 community to share ideas with fans of The Sims from around the world.

Here is the direct download for the NZB file for the game The Sims 3.

UFC UNDISPUTED 2009 NOW AVAILABLE(360 NEWZBIN DOWNLOAD)

Here is summary for the 360 game UFC Undisputed 2009 from Amazon.com

Amazon.com Product Description UFC 2009 Undisputed is an explosive fighting game detailing the action, intensity and attitude of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, players will push the envelope with a powerful new game engine and put their best fighting disciplines to the test in the world famous Octagon. Take your best shot - UFC 2009 Undisputed is as real as it gets! Develop attributes, perfect moves and fights for entry into the UFC Hall of Fame through a series of dynamic storylines that build friendships and instigate intense rivalries

Here is a review for the game UFC Undisputed 2009 from IGN.com

6.5 Presentation
The lack of ring entrances is disappointing and the menu systems that govern the game are ugly. Nice broadcast-style touches help bring it back up, as does the well-designed career mode.

8.0 Graphics
Collision detection hiccups and the look of everything but the two fighters in the ring don’t help. The focus of your attention almost always looks gorgeous.

7.5 Sound
A poorly constructed soundtrack will have you reaching for the volume button. Rogan and Goldberg are solid but a bit unexciting.

8.0 Gameplay
A good recreation of UFC that will only get better with time. Up the gameplay speed to keep up with the speed and brutality of the genuine article and this game could be truly great.

7.5 Lasting Appeal
Career mode will last you awhile, especially because your fighter can’t age. The same goes for classic fights and the bevy of brawlers for exhibitions. Barebones online gameplay is a bummer.

7.6
Good OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

Here is the direct download for the NEWZBIN File for the game UFC Undisputed 2009.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Night at the Museum 2 from imdb

When the Museum of Natural History is closed for upgrades and renovations, the museum pieces are moved into federal storage at the famous Washington Museums. The centerpiece of the film will be bringing to life the Smithsonian Institution, which houses the world's largest museum complex with more than 136 million items in its collections, ranging from the plane Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) flew on her non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic and Al Capone's (Jon Bernthal) rap sheet and mug shot to Dorothy's ruby slippers, Fonzie's jacket from Happy Days, the still from M*A*S*H and Archie Bunker's lounge chair from All in the Family. With a forwarded resume, Larry (Ben Stiller) becomes another caretaker at the Smithsonian, where Kahmunrah, an evil Pharaoh will come to life with the reestablishing of a tablet as a magical force in the museum bringing the old exhibits (Such as Theodore Roosevelt and Dexter) and new exhibits (like General Custer and Al Capone) back to life, and in conflict with each other. Larry enlists the help of Amelia Earheart, who he develops a romantic interest in, and together they try to put everything back in order.

Here is a review for the movie Night at the Museum 2 from dvdtalk

This being the second go-around with the "Night at the Museum" franchise, it's clear to me that laughs shouldn't be the focal point of the material. With all these fantastical events occurring within a cherished educational playground, it feels like a major directorial failure to pursue dollar-store jokes when there's so much adventure to be had. "Battle of the Smithsonian" has the advantage of hindsight over its ramshackle 2006 forefather, yet it only occasionally lives up to its wondrous, chaotic premise. Instead the film appears more delighted with tiresome improvisational acrobatics than generating a welcoming tidal wave of wonder.

Now an infomercial guru pimping glow-in-the-dark flashlights, Larry (Ben Stiller) has been ignoring his late-night friends at the American Museum of Natural History. When technological advances in education force the magical statutes into storage, the museum contents are shipped to the massive bowels of the Smithsonian, much to Larry's surprise. With the Tablet of Akmenrah now in a new location, it brings the contents of the buildings to life, including the villainous Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), who needs the Tablet to raise his feared Army of the Dead. Larry, slipping into the Smithsonian in a stolen guard suit, looks to thwart Kahmunrah's wicked plan, finding help from his Natural History buddies, and also a new round of creatures and historical figures, including a spunky Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams).

One of the pleasures of "Battle" is finding the "Museum" series tapped out of sentiment, having wrapped up the anemic Larry-the-lukewarm-father routine in the previous motion picture. It's a gift to have that screenwriting 101 clutter swept out of the way for the sequel, leaving ample space for returning director Shawn Levy to squeeze as much cartoon madness as he can out of the concept, especially within the voluminous hallways of the Smithsonian. Interestingly, this sequel doesn't want to stun the audience with showboating special effect displays and feats of historical strength, it would rather make everyone laugh. It's a specific craving from Levy and the production I'm having trouble understanding.

Sure, the "Museum" movies are primarily family entertainment with a strict guideline of slapstick and broad educational merriment. Yet, "Battle" lurches into shapeless Judd Apatow territory, with Levy allocating many scenes to drag out interminably with improvisational jousting between Stiller and the heavy-hitting assortment of comedic actors gathered here to assume history's finest, including Christopher Guest (Ivan the Terrible), Bill Hader (General Custer), Robin Williams (returning as Theodore Roosevelt), and Azaria (in multiple roles). There are also appearances by Apatow mainstays as Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel, several cameos by cast members from "The Office," and Ricky Gervais, back as the jittery Natural History director. Levy is all too eager to hand the film over to these comic titans, but the brutally humorless improvs tend to run the pace of the film into the ground, leaving sections of the picture with nothing to do but stand around and wait impatiently for the comics to exhaust their hackneyed jokes before moving on.

When "Battle" rubber-bands back to Larry's exhaustive navigation of museum pitfalls, the motion picture reveals itself to be more dynamically mounted than the earlier film. Levy deploys the larger budget wonderfully, showcasing the Smithsonian antics with amazing technological achievements. Not just corralling wax figures this time around, "Battle" has Larry conversing with a group of Albert Einstein bobbleheads, dodging the tentacles of a massive squid, and, in the film's best sequence, diving into the "Kissing Sailor" WWII victory photo to sneak away from the bad guys, leading to a memorable B&W sequence. "Battle" is generous, inventive eye candy, miles ahead of the previous picture, and the upgraded optical punch enlivens the feature greatly through Levy's gentle acceleration of CG-enhanced heroics and slapstick.

Screenwriters Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant attempt to smuggle in some perverse sort of emotional arc for Larry in the third act that concerns his abandonment of the museum fun he used to cherish, but it hardly makes a dent. Thankfully, Levy doesn't push the matter too firmly, instead showing more interest in matters such as the adventures of miniature buddies Octavius (Steve Coogan) and Jedediah (Owen Wilson), which culminates in a parody of "300," though a teeny-tiny one; giving life to the Lincoln Memorial and works from artists Grant Wood and Edgar Degas; imagining a trio of cherubs as the Jonas Brothers; and permitting Amy Adams to steal the movie as the tart-tongued, high-flying feminist who convinces Larry to follow his moxie. At this point, I'm convinced Adams must have unicorns and rainbows for blood. She's just that overwhelmingly appealing of a screen presence.

While only showing minimal overall improvement over the preceding museum adventure, "Battle of the Smithsonian" at least finds a suitable resuscitation of the core concept. It's a film best with blockbuster displays of exaggerated mayhem, not doling out cutesy, stream-of-consciousness giggles. Here's to hoping that the inevitable third installment will lean more toward rousing institutional excitement instead of further enabling an exhausting game of verbal Twister.

Here is the direct download for the movie Night at the Museum 2.

X-MEN WOLVERINE NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie X-Men Wolverine From imdb

In 1845 in North-Western Territory, British North America, young James Howlett (Troye Sivan) sees his father John Howlett (Peter O'Brien) killed by his friend Victor Creed's father, Thomas Logan (Aaron Jeffery). In an act of vengeance, James kills the elder Logan using bone claws which have grown out of his hands. With his dying breath, Logan tells James that he is also his son. James and Victor (Michael-James Olsen) run away, pursued by a torch-wielding mob. They promise to look out for each other.

In the years that follow, adult brothers James (Hugh Jackman) and Victor (Liev Schreiber) are seen fighting together in the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and eventually the Vietnam War. Their regenerative powers keep them from being killed in the battlefield. James is forced to act as a check on Victor's increasing rage and ferocity. In Vietnam, Victor kills a superior officer after being stopped from raping a girl, and James and Victor are sentenced to death by firing squad, though their unique regenerative abilities keep them alive.

Major William Stryker (Danny Huston) approaches the two mutants and offers them membership in Team X, his elite group of mutants. The team consists of mutants Fred Dukes (Kevin Durand), who's super-strong and invulnerable; John Wraith (Will i Am), who can teleport; Chris Bradley (Dominic Monaghan), a.k.a. Bolt, who can control electricity; expert marksman Agent Zero (Daniel Henney); and mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), an amazing swordsman who never stops talking. The brothers join the group and are sent to the team's first mission: Invade the headquarters of a diamond trafficking operation in Lagos, Nigeria, to retrieve a meteorite. Afterwards, Stryker and the team brutally interrogate people from a nearby village to learn where the meteorite was found. James is disgusted by the murders committed by his teammates and abandons the group.

Six years afterward, James -- now going by his last name, Logan -- is a lumberjack living with his girlfriend Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Meanwhile, Victor hunts down and murders Bradley, who works at a circus; Victor mentions that Wade is already dead. Stryker locates Logan and claims that someone is killing members of the now-disbanded team. Stryker asks Logan for help, but is refused. Shortly after, Silverfox is murdered by Victor. Wolverine hunts down his half-brother, but is easily defeated. Stryker once again asks Logan for help, and Logan agrees. Stryker has Logan's skeletal system reinforced with adamantium, a virtually indestructible metal retrieved from the meteorite found by Team X. Before the procedure, Logan asks for his new dog tags to say "Wolverine," a reference to a story that Kayla told him. After the procedure, Stryker orders Wolverine's memory to be erased, but Wolverine overhears this and flees. Stryker orders Agent Zero to hunt him down and take his head off.

An elderly couple, Travis (Max Cullen) and Heather Hudson (Julia Blake), see Wolverine -- who escaped in the buff -- enter their barn. They're wary but welcoming, giving him food and clothing, including a leather jacket of their son's -- and their son's motorcycle. The next morning, both are shot dead by Zero. Wolverine takes out several HMMWVs, a helicopter and Zero himself, then goes to Las Vegas. Wolverine locates former associates John Wraith and Fred Dukes (who is now massively obese from a guilt-driven eating disorder), seeking to learn the location of Stryker's new laboratory. Wolverine learns the disbanded team had been capturing young mutants for Stryker. One of them, Remy LeBeau (Taylor Kitsch), also known as Gambit, escaped the island laboratory and knows its location. Dukes tells Logan that his brother Victor is actually working for Stryker, capturing and killing mutants for him. Meanwhile, Stryker captures a teenaged Scott Summers (Tim Pocock) with Victor's aid.

Wolverine and Wraith locate Gambit in a New Orleans bar. Wolverine talks to Gambit while Wraith keeps watch outside, but Gambit suspects Wolverine was sent to recapture him and, using his ability to charge objects with kinetic energy, throws several playing cards at Wolverine that send him flying through a wall. Outside, Wolverine sees Victor has killed Wraith and taken a sample of his blood. Wolverine fights Victor, only to be interrupted by Gambit. Victor escapes, and after a brief struggle, Gambit agrees to take Wolverine to the mutant prison/laboratory on Three Mile Island. Once there, Wolverine confronts Stryker and learns Silverfox is still alive; Victor faked her death with hydrochlorothiazide. She was keeping track of the mutant to free her sister, Emma Frost (Tahyna Tozzi), who is also in the prison. Wolverine is devastated by this betrayal.

With no more quarrel with Stryker, Wolverine departs. Victor, angered that Stryker let Wolverine go, demands the adamantium procedure. Stryker, however, tells him that he won't survive the procedure and in an act of rage, Victor tries to kill Silverfox. Wolverine hears Silverfox's screams and attacks Victor. Finally having the chance to kill Victor, Wolverine chooses not to give in to his animal instincts and instead knocks him out. Silverfox shows Wolverine to the holding cells, and he frees the mutants there; among them are Emma Frost and Scott Summers.

Panicking, Stryker prematurely activates his newest creation, Weapon XI (Scott Adkins and Ryan Reynolds), a bald, pale-skinned and deformed Wade Wilson, lacking a mouth and with patterns on his skin marking his adamantium bone structure. As the rescue party approaches an exit, it is blocked by Weapon XI, who is under Stryker's control. Wolverine tells them to find a new exit as two blades extend from Weapon XI's arms. The blades are similar to Wolverine's claws, but more like katana swords, Wilson's weapon of choice. Wolverine realizes that this monstrosity is actually Wade Wilson. "Looks like Stryker finally found a way to shut you up," he quips.

Weapon XI, also called Deadpool, is a mutant Frankenstein's monster, with the abilities of several of the killed and captured mutants: Scott's optic blasts, Wraith's teleportation, and Wolverine's healing ability. During the escape, Silverfox is mortally wounded. The other mutants escape through the facility's tunnels, guided by Scott who is unable to tell them how he knows the way out. Emerging from the tunnel, the party encounters a helicopter. Emerging from the helicopter is a familiar figure: Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who has guided them to safety and offers them a home at his school.

Meanwhile, the fight between Wolverine and Weapon XI moves to the top of one of the nuclear power plant's cooling towers. Weapon XI overpowers and prepares to decapitate Wolverine, but Victor returns to aid his brother. Wolverine and Victor, now working together, are able to decapitate Weapon XI, sending its head, still firing optic blasts, down into the cooling tower. Wolverine coldly informs Victor that despite his help, their relationship is over. Victor reminds him that as brothers, they can never be finished, and jumps off the the cooling tower. The damage from the optic blasts causes the cooling tower to collapse, but Wolverine is saved by Gambit.

Wolverine asks Gambit to ensure the prisoners are safe, while he returns to find Silverfox, who stayed behind because she was wounded. As he carries her to safety, Stryker shoots him in the back with an adamantium bullet. Wolverine tries to kill him but is shot in the head, knocking him unconscious.

Silverfox uses her powers of persuasion to order Stryker to walk away until his feet bleed, then dies from her injuries. Gambit returns to assure Wolverine that the mutants are safe, but due to amnesia caused by the brain damage the adamantium bullets inflicted, Wolverine does not remember anything (this was Stryker's intention, knowing that even the adamantium bullets could not kill Logan). Gambit tries to get Wolverine to come with him, but he declines. Gambit wishes Wolverine good luck before departing, and Wolverine flees the scene as the ambulances and police arrive.

The film has several additional scenes during and after the credits. The first of these scenes plays a few seconds into the credits, and depicts William Stryker walking down a road. Due to Silverfox's order, the toes of his shoes are torn and bloody from walking for so long. A military vehicle drives up behind him and he is apprehended by military police for questioning about the death of General Munson. (Stryker murdered the general earlier in the film in order to protect his vendetta against mutants.)

Depending on which theater the movie was shown in, one of two possible endings then appears following the credits. In the first ending, Weapon XI's hand reaches out from the rubble of the nuclear complex to touch his severed head. The second alternate ending shows Logan drinking at a bar in Japan. The bartender asks if he is drinking to forget; Logan replies that he's drinking to remember.

Here is a review for the movie X-Men Wolverine from dvdtalk

The bottom line on "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is this: if you found any morsel of entertainment value out of 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," then "Wolverine" will be painless to digest. If you found "Last Stand" to be a drooling cinematic rape of a near-brilliant franchise, "Wolverine" is going to feel like further salt in the wound. While I recognize the multiple fandom violations of "Last Stand," I found it to be a lively thrill ride with an abundance of mutant vs. mutant action to sufficiently numb the brain. "Wolverine" is less triumphant as multiplex junk food, but still retains a satisfying lunacy and even more mutant monkey business to relish.

Born in the 19th century, Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) has forged a life of aggression with brother Victor/Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), taking the mutant siblings on a ride of world wars and bloody heroism, only in Victor's case, the courage has gradually twisted to villainy. When fiendish William Stryker (Danny Huston) comes calling to form a special covert team of mutants (including wil.i.am, Dominic Monaghan, and Ryan Reynolds as the sword-happy Deadpool), the brothers sign up, but Logan soon develops a distaste for governmental terrorism. Retiring to Canada with love Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins), Logan is pulled back into Stryker's deceptions when it's revealed that Victor has gone rogue, murdering his old mutant conspirators, with his brother next on the list. Agreeing to Stryker's demand for an excruciating adamantium makeover, Logan turns his body and bone-claws into metal, hoping his new defense will put an end to Victor's reign of terror.

The cruel "Last Stand" comparison is an apt one to make, since the "X-Men" franchise slowly dissolved into a primitive cartoon once director Bryan Singer walked away after his virtuoso work on the first two features. Without his nuanced touch, these movies have been stripped of their regality and turned into action fodder for pre-teen boys to emulate in the backyard, and simpleton entertainment for message-board mooks to ironically mock. "Wolverine" squeezes the franchise for the basic routines of mutant combat and operatic slashes of betrayal, leaving behind any opportunity to return the series to the intelligent comic book escapism it started out as. Those days are long gone, and now all the franchise wants to do is make noise.

While crippled by severe filmmaking blunders, "Wolverine" remains a sweet piece of hard candy, nourished by an incredibly fluid summer movie pace and an edict that demands an explosion every 15 minutes. Unlikely director Gavin Hood (the sensitive "Tsotsi") is wise to keep the train moving at all costs, trusting sheer velocity might help to counteract the film's enormously inane screenplay. Credited to writers David Benioff and Skip Woods, "Wolverine" is a disaster whenever the characters pipe up, inviting monosyllabic exchanges and verbose, on-the-nose exposition that's completely unnecessary. A visual feast, the film is best communicating through sweaty body language and bountiful special effects, but Hood insists on a running commentary, and it grows progressively more infuriating as the film unspools. The dialogue is either teeming with clichés or insultingly idiotic, at times feeling like the actors are merely reading a transcription of the film's international release subtitles.

Listen, with Jackman oiled up and growly, Schreiber licking his fangs and jagged fingernails, and a host of other mutants scurrying around for screentime (the list includes Blob, Agent Zero, Emma Frost, Cyclops, Bolt, Kestral, the almighty Gambit, Kegel, Fingersnaps, and Peppers - the last three I just made up), do we really need an endless stream of one-liners and overly descriptive monologues to pad the film? "Wolverine" is a wonderfully bright and beautiful picture to watch. The garrulous dialogue just smothers any potential fun. It adds up to clumsy storytelling that kicks the legs out from under the feature.

"Wolverine" is a cluttered film, but it stays moderately focused, primarily due to the raw, knowing performance from Hugh Jackman. This is arguably his greatest screen role, and Jackman appreciates what audiences are dying to see from Wolvie, which includes the adamantium blades, partial nudity, bushy mutton chop sideburns, and a facial gallery of grimaces and grunts. The actor delivers big on the grit of the character, adding a new dimension of breathless betrayal as Wolverine is hit below the belt from all sides in this new adventure. It's a joy to watch Jackman bring the role to life again, and while this is his fourth time with the "X-Men" franchise, the actor seems more energized than ever to wrestle with stuntmen and fly through the air, slicing everything in his path. His gusto is contagious, constantly lending "Wolverine" thunderous highlights it doesn't always earn on its own.

What exactly are Stryker and Victor up to? Well, it all comes down to a mutant brawl on the lip of a nuclear reactor, which perfectly sums up the bigness Hood is searching for and occasionally achieves. Staying true to the title, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" gives the audience a solid backstory to the character's mutation, his code name, and his lifelong pledge of solitude. There's plenty of action to gorge on too, along with a few surprises for die-hard fans. It's all so plastic and forgettable, but for the 100 claw-popping minutes immersed deep in Wolverine country, the film remains palatable. Heck, if the actors didn't bother to speak at all, I'm convinced there's a masterpiece to be found in here somewhere.

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