Rating: 
Summary: It's Not Just A Music Video
Review: Leonard Maltin's review missed the main point of this movie. The movie is not primarily about a young musician who "struggles to gain acceptance for his own brand of ... rock music". Instead, the movie is about a man who has acquired his not only some of his father's musical interest and talent, but also his father's emotional instability and occasional abusiveness towards others, especially women. Maltin is correct that Prince's character is sexist and unappealing, but that's crucial to the movie. By playing his character as emotionally unstable, insensitive, and occasionally cruel, Prince de-glamourizes the cool, rebellious rock star image, showing that fame and talent are neither a guaranteed road to happiness nor a good excuse for being cruel to your girlfriend. This movie, rather than being a "soppy story" wrapped around concert footage, is instead genuinely literary. The concert footage is not an excuse for a movie; some of the concert footage is integral to the story. The title song, "Purple Rain", is used very effectively in the movie as a point of conflict between Prince and two of his female bandmates.This movie, like Quadrophenia, would make a good subject for an English literature class targeted towards aimlessly rebellious under-achievers (rather than the 4.0 GPA high school students that most English literature classes are designed for). [This review is based on the VHS version of the movie.]
Rating: 
Summary: Great Music, not so great acting
Review: What can I say? Prince's first movie was a big hit. The music was outstanding in every way. Prince is a true musical genius and gifted performer. I remember seeing this as a teen. Now watching it with more mature eyes, I can see some of its short comings. Sadly The acting it less then steller. Ok at best. The story is thin and un-inspiring. At the time, I thought it was one of the most compelling pieces of drama put on film. Now I see it as basically two rival bands dueling it out in the clubs. Actually Morris Day (Prices real life cousin) turns in the best acting job of all the non professional actors.
Ok, enough harping on the story and acting. The real star was the music and stage choreograph. This movies energy comes charging though full force when each band struts there stuff. When Prince has his guitar and a mic in front of him, he is on fire. When he is just acting, he should be set on fire. (sorry Prince, I love your music, but your not an actor)
Of the 3 (can you believe it?) movies Prince has done, this is by far the best.
I give this movie 3 stars for its music. Don't look too hard at the acting or story. And for gods sake, don't ever watch Under the Cherry moon...at lest not before eating.
Rating: 
Summary: Moviecology
Review: I wish I could give this movie 500 stars because it's just that good. When you're not watching awesome performances of incredible music, you either get to see hilarious bad acting that will make you laugh out loud, or boobs. All this movie needs are some ninja fight scenes and dare I say, it could be the greatest movie ever made.
"Remember back in the 80s when people used to argue over who was cooler - Prince or Michael Jackson? Prince won." - Chris Rock
Rating:
Summary: Hard to believe it has been 20 years
Review: You can't beat the music in this movie, this is Prince at the peak of his talents, but the movie is overtly melodramatic making it hard to sit through this with a straight face, especially when Vanity takes the stage. Prince catapaulted onto the music scene in the early 80s, giving the pop music world something Michael Jackson was unable to, music with an edge. His flamboyant style and discordant guitar licks were a welcome relief to the burgeoning techno music which would eventually take over the 80s. One of the more amusing sub-stories in this movie is the way Prince comes to unseat Morris Day and the Time, an updated doo wop band that ruled the roost at the club. But, it is Prince's own story that takes center stage here as he dredges up his past and develops his love interest for Vanity. I suppose this was (and still is) a good way to bring your music to a broader audience. Eminem pretty much did the same thing in 8 Mile. But, it reads like an MTV movie. The music is the driving force in this movie. It is only worth watching for the night club scenes.
Rating:
Summary: Great after all of these years
Review: Saw this for the second time in almost 20 years, and it brought back some great memories. Playing this movie makes you want to go back 20 plus years and party all over again "Like it's 1999".
The 80s, when life was simple, long before the 'net, cell phones, IPOD, XBOX and other modern day distractions. Ah, the memories, the days of big hair and big parties, where nothing else mattered, and you only had to worry about which party to go to.
In the Movie, Prince endures a turbulent homelife and an abusive father, animosity with his band members, a tug of war within his inner being, a rivalry with his nemesis, Morris Day, and the roller coaster relationship with his illegally and sinfully beautiful girlfriend, Apollonia Kotero. Despite all of these obstacles, Prince, or "the kid" comes out on top at the end with "Purple Rain", the title of the album that would alter the music landscape forever.
While the acting was a little cheesy, nonetheless, it is a must have for any Prince fan, let alone any pop music lover. Even if you are not a prince fan, you will appreciate him after watching this film. After finishing, I have re-gained a newfound respect for Prince, not only as an artist, but also as a person. In fact, the more I watch it, the more powerful and ingratiating it becomes, at least to me. While I don't have every single Prince album, Purple Rain, 1999, and Around The World in a Day are my favs. If you don't have this or haven't seen this, do so!
Rating:
Summary: Purple Rain still great after all these years...
Review: As a teen in the early to mid-eighties I was a big Prince fan. When "Purple Rain" came out in theaters I watched it at least three times and a dozen or so times more when it came out on VHS. I grew up, my music tastes changed, and Prince was no longer on my music list.
Last Friday I saw the 20th Anniversary DVD of "Purple Rain" at a local store. I thought to myself "Why Not?" and bought it. I'm glad I did.
The opening number of "Let's Go Crazy" took me back to the excitement and energy I felt when I watched the movie for the first time on the big screen 20 years ago. Before I knew it, the movie was over and I was a Prince fan again.
The picture quality is crisp, clear, and even better than I remember ever seeing both in the movie theater and on VHS. Sound is great too.
Speaking of sound, there is one part of the movie where the sound DOES NOT exist. It's the scene moments before The Kid's father shoots himself. The sequence is: The Kid walks towards the door, opens the door, the dad pulls the gun hammer back, and The Kid flicks the light switch on.
You don't hear The Kid's footsteps, You don't hear the door creak open, you don't hear the click of the gun hammer being pulled back. Sound returns when The Kid flicks the light switch on. At first I though my ears missed something, then I played it again. My ears were fine, there really is about seven seconds of dead silence ( no audio ) in the movie.
If you play the above scene back with the Commentary turned on, you'll hear the missing sounds.
Speaking of the Commentary, I recommend you watch the movie at least once with the Commentary turned on. Among many other cool bits of info you get from doing this, you'll learn that the dialog scene between The Kid and Apollonia in which she just gets out of Lake Minnetonka was actually shot in two locations ( Prince was in Minnesota, Apollonia was in Los Angeles ), which is why the camera cuts to each of them separately when each say their lines. I would've never known that because the editing and continuity was done so well. Lots of other interesting things in the commentary.
Two of the Special Feature includes pretty recent interviews with some of the cast members, director/editor, and other people involved in the making of "Purple Rain". The stuff from Lisa and Wendy was pretty cool, especially when they talk about the "Purple Rain Lady".
The eight music videos are cool. Especially the videos of Prince's live concert for "Take Me With You". The "Sex Shooter" video was lame only because it was directed and shot poorly at the time.
The MTV "Live Broadcast" of the Purple Rain premiere was the only thing I couldn't watch through the end.
I ended up watching "Purple Rain" until the last of the end credits three times this past weekend. That's how much I enjoyed seeing the movie after more than 15 years. Now I want to buy CDs of all the old Prince albums I used to own.
I give this Widescreen DVD 20th Anniversary release of "Purple Rain" 4 out of 5 stars, only because of the missing sound.
Rating:
Summary: Love Prince, Hate the "Anniversary" set
Review: I was very disappointed to see that this so called "anniversary" set didn't include deleted scenes!! I was hoping to see the entire movie as intended by it's directors...Boy was I disappointed! While the extras were ok (i.e.,comments, MTV "after party", etc.), there were some scenes in the trailer that I was hoping to see in the full length feature. I don't know what to say about this "new edition". In fact it's not new at all. It's the same ol' stuff that I've been watching on cable for the past 20 yrs.
How could they let Prince's fans down like that!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Power of Sadness
Review: So I was watching "Purple Rain" the other day, just the ending actually, and I've never seen the beginning or middle so I really have no idea what the thing is all about. I gather from Prince's other movie it's more "Soulmate" kinda stuff but I'm not really sure. Anyway, so I was watching it and Morris Day and the time, who play the antagonists in the movie, they're on stage doing this upbeat funk style song "The Bird," right? And the audience is into it. Because not only is it a song - it's also a dance. THE dance. According to them anyway. I mean they're REALLY into it. Dancing and squaking and all that. Because that's part of "The Bird" - the squaking. So they really get the audience into it, and I guess it's some sort of best-band contest or something. So you start thinking, "I feel sorry for whoever has to follow that." Wouldn't you know it...it's Prince. Yep. Prince is the one who has to follow it. And as Morris Day and the Time exit the stage...they pass Prince's dressing room. The door is open. There is tension in the air. They walk down the hallway laughing, celebrating, all the while knowing how great they just did and what an obsticle Prince has to overcome if he's going to win. It seems impossible. And as Morris Day passes Prince's locker room, he says something snyde. Something cruel. Something I don't remember. But I know it was something hurtful, I know it was. SO...our man Prince prepares to take the stage and even though he has the backing of The Revolution, he still somehow feels all alone. He walks out. Somber. Sorrowful. Sad. A chill comes over the audience. After all, they'd just done "The Bird"...they were so excited about it too. And now this sorrowful, somber purple guy is coming out and breaking up the vibe. One would have expected him to try and top "The Bird" with some upbeat funk of his own. That's where Prince's strategy comes into play. There is a hush. A silence. A nervous tension. Prince steps up to the microphone. He casually yet emotionally dedicates the next song to his dad. The crowd is in awe. What is this man doing? Prince starts playing his guitar. A slow, reflective, sorrowful melody. THIS is what he's doing to top "The Bird"? He's got to be out of his mind. But somehow, as he starts into "Purple Rain" the audience becomes sad too. "I only wanted just one time to see you laughing. I only wanted to see you laughing in the Purple Rain..." By this point...the audience is his. They too wanted to see Prince's dad laughing in the Purple Rain. Or maybe their own dads. Does it matter? Is there even a difference? Not now. They're so enveloped in the melancholy mood that they're even willing to pardon the next verse, "I never wanted to be your weekend lover..." Now, really...who does want to be their own dad's weekend lover? Maybe someone else's dad, but...ya know. The audience doesn't even care. Because they've forgotten about Prince's dad. They've forgotten about everything that brought them to this point. They're living completely in this moment. This sad, powerful, sorrowful moment. A request by Prince for "everybody over here to come on wave your hands" is answered by the entire audience in unison engaging in the act of hand waving. And the lighters...oh the lighters. They're out in full force. Not that "Full Force" is in this movie...they're in the original House Party, not Purple Rain. It's just an expression though. And so..."The Bird" is forgotten. Prince's dad lives on. Prince knows times are changing and it's time we all reach out for something new, that means you too. And Prince wins over the crowd with the power of sadness. Later he goes on to tell us that he would die for us, he's not our lover, he's not our friend, he's something that we'll never comprehend. All true statements continuing the theme of sadness and its power. Did he win the contest? I don't think we ever truly find out. But he won the movie. That's for sure. It certainly wasn't Morris Day and/or The Time. It was Prince. And it was all due to the power of sadness.
Can I get everybody over here to come on wave your hands?
I thought so, my friend. I thought so.
Rating:
Summary: Good 2 see it back
Review: All of the chops that make Prince a Grammy front-runner this year were present two decades ago, and then some. Witness, for example, the 8-minute sonic and visual barrage that opens "Purple Rain," as Prince and his band tear through "Let's Get Crazy." The film has lost its shock value -- who are all those fashion victims in their underwear? -- but none of its ability to astonish.
The mixture of dodgy acting, raw energy and high spirits gave "Purple Rain" the same infectious appeal found two decades earlier in "A Hard Day's Night" and two decades later in "8 Mile."
"Purple Rain" was one of the early Warner Bros. titles on DVD, in a pan-and-scan version that you actually had to flip over to see the entire movie. That disc is best tossed into the recycling. The "20th Anniversary Edition" returns "Rain" to its original widescreen aspect ratio, with a Dolby 5.1 audio mix that's house-party heavy on the subwoofer.
No surprise, of course, that Prince is nowhere to be found on the extras, given his long contract war with Warner Bros. The telling of the "Purple Rain" story largely is left to director Albert Magnoli and producer Robert Cavallo (who reunite for a commentary) as well as Prince's famed bandmates of the time, Wendy and Lisa.
In addition to the making-of featurette, there's a history of the Minneapolis club made famous by the film and a rah-rah look at "Purple Rain's" legacy in music and fashion. Fans of retro-goofs shouldn't miss MTV's live coverage of the movie's premiere, including Pee-wee Herman's arrival in a bumper car. Eight music videos include the classic "When Doves Cry."
Rating:
Summary: "Prince Rocks Purple Rain to Greater Heights"
Review: During Purple Rain debut in the cinemas a lot of individuals was mesmerized by this film and ironically up to this present time for those who has just experience it the response was the same. Further more with this 20th Anniversary edition you are treated with a lot of special bonus features that even makes this DVD worthy to buy. Chicago Tribune describes this film as one of the best combinations of rock music and drama. Well Prince is truly one of the best & worthy artist in "Music History". Hurry up and get it while supply last !!!
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