Home :: DVD :: Mystery & Suspense :: General  

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem
British Mystery Theater
Classics
Crime
Detectives
Film Noir
General

Mystery
Mystery & Suspense Masters
Neo-Noir
Series & Sequels
Suspense
Thrillers
The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)

The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $14.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 .. 46 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Special Edition worthy of the Criterion Collection!
Review: By now everyone knows "The Usual Suspects" so I won't comment on the film, just this MGM Special Edition; and it is a prime example of just how well these can be done. As I said in the headline, this is worthy of the Criterion Collection but at a very affordable price.

Side One has both the widescreen and P/S formated versions (although who still wants to watch a cropped film with pan&scan camera movements the director never made is beyond me). The transfer is high-definition with superb picture quality augmented by 5.1 Stereo Surround Sound. This film on this DVD looks better than when it was on the big screen. This side also features two running commentaries: the one by director Singer and screenwriter McQuarrie is the same one on the first "Suspects" DVD which was taken from a special limited edition VHS (Letterboxed film, same plus commentary, and a third box of "collectables". I think I was the only one who bought this!) The second commentary of by John Ottman, the editor and composer, and this one is a revelation to anyone who is interested in filmmaking, specifically "putting the film together after the finished shoot": editing and scoring. After my initial viewing of the film I really didn't think I could sit through it again right away, especially with the incredible dialogue subdued. But after listening to Ottman for five minutes, his enthusiasm became contagious and I was hooked. There is plenty here that "Suspects" fans will appreciate.

Side Two has all of the extras and there are plenty of them. Two half-hour documentaries, ("Pursuing the 'Suspects'" and "Doing Time with the 'Suspects'") with the actors, Singer and Ottman. (I guess McQuarrie felt he did his part with the original commentary.) A twenty-minute documentary on "Keyser Sose: Lie or Legend" which is funny and informative. Five deleted scenes introduced by Ottman (but it is easy to see why they were deleted) totalling ten minutes. Add ten minutes of trailers, TV spots, a seven minute gag reel introduced by Singer and some special "Easter Eggs" which I plan look for today (and probably watch the film again!) and you'll know everything you've wanted to know about "Suspects" and Mr. Sose.

There is finally some deserved praise for cinematographer, Tom Sigel, who made this "$4 million dollar production look like a $50 million film." Ottman, Singer and Gabriel Byrne also lament how this film, basically a rogue, independent production, could not be made today with studios rejecting originality and artists' visions in lieu of boilerplate plotlines, sequel-itis, and adapting films to their perception of what an audience wants after multiple pre-screenings. Byrne justly calls these "MacMovies" and I can't think of a more apt term.

Congratulations MGM for elevating your standards on Special Editions. This one was worth waiting for and delivered more than what was expected.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Crime Caper I've Seen
Review: I saw this movie ... and I would think it would be a terrible film but I kept on watching and I fell in love with it. This film had such a great script and excellent acting by Kevin Spacey that it blew me away. The day after I saw I bought the DVD. The film has came on to my top ten list of excellent films and this movie also has a killer ending. This movie is surely a classic in my book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: 5 Star Thriller
Review: This is a fantastic, edge of your seat thriller that has a surprise ending that will leave you wanting to watch it again. All the acting in this movie is superb, but the job that Kevin Spacey does is second to none. I would recommend this movie to anyone, regardless of the genre you normally prefer. This is moviemaking in its finest form.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Cheating the Audience Big-Time
Review: Sure it's clever and tricky, sure Kevin Spacey gives a knock-out performance, sure the rest of the cast is solid and entertaining, but it just amazes me that not one viewer here recognizes, or is willing to admit to, the vast cheat this film plays on its audience. Oh yeah, the revelation at the end is a complete surprise, and for a moment, the shock elevates the movie, but once you start to let reason enter in, you realize that everything else that has gone before in this story has been rendered utterly meaningless. You get involved in characters for ninety minutes, then discover you didn't really know them at all. Then my question to the viewer is: what is the point of the story? That a good story-teller can make time pass quickly? Come on. Many films with great surprise endings work within the story to shed new light on what has gone before (Sixth Sense, Memento), but his one completely throws out everything else in the movie, and says, "Nyah, nyah, fooled you, and you sat there and listened to the whole thing!"

It's a highly entertaining film, don't get me wrong. It has a great crime story and strong actors letting it all hang out, especially Gabriel Byrne as the one crook who finally figures out what's going on, but don't pretend that the ending is some brilliant twist. If you want to fall into the world of a story, you have to trust that it's a real world, and not one existing solely in the mind of one character. They could have just as easily had a space ship swoop in at the end and scoop up Verbal, and it would have made just as much sense.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not The Usual Thriller
Review: Bryan Singer's The Usual Suspects is a brilliantly crafted thriller that leads the viewer through a roller coaster ride of twists and plot turns. The film marked the breakout of Kevin Spacey and helped him become a big star and win the first of his two Oscars. The cast is full of superb actors including Gabriel Byrne, Benecio Del Toro, Kevin Pollack, Pete Postelwaithe, Chazz Palminteri, Giancarlo Espinosa and elicits a strong performance from the normally cringe inducing Stephen Baldwin. The interplay between Mr. Spacey and Mr. Palminteri is the centerpiece of the film as the story unfolds in a flashback manner. Mr. Palminteri is a cop who is grilling Mr. Spacey regarding a drug deal gone bad aboard a ship. Throughout the story, the name of the mysterious Keyser Soze comes up and it is the identity of Mr. Soze that adds suspense and intrigue to the plot. The ending is a true surprise and you really don't see coming even the clues are there all along. The Usual Suspects will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Who is Keyser Soze?
Review: I saw this movie for the first time not too long ago, and I must say, this is one of the best movies I've seen with Kevin Spacey in it in a long time. The plot is riveting, camera angles exciting, and the action very intense. If you're looking for a genre name for this movie, I'd say its somewhere in between action thriller and suspenseful mystery. The movie will keep you going to the end and boy what an ending it turns out to be. If you enjoyed the ending to Seven, and want another great movie ending to follow suit, rent or buy The Usual Suspects today. Also, I reccommend this to anyone that likes movies that read like books. The movie doesn't give you any real clues as to who the characters are, or what they are trying to do, untill the opportunity presents itself. The ending will make you realize what has just happened in the last two hours that you have been sitting in front of the t.v. A great all around movie. Pay attention while watching it or you might be more confused at the end than you were for the beginning. Check out other movies with Spacey in them as well. Some of my favorites are American Beauty, Seven ( where Kevin makes more of a cameo than anything else), and the Big Kahuna. also, don't forget about Spacey's newest, K-Pax. a great movie with another great ending. Enjoy the usual suspects, and then be sure to figure out who in the world this Keyser Soze person is that everyone mentions in their reviews.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: All I can really say is this movie has one of the best endings ever! I was totally blown away the first time I saw it! My jaw dropped! Great cast! Great storyline! Great acting! Suspensful and unforgetable! Make this movie a part of your collection!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: perfect thriller movie
Review: A super slick thriller witch kept me on the edge of my seat for the total running time. The actors are absolutely excellent in this film, especially Spacey, who gives out one of his best bad guy roles since his other classic, Seven. The movie takes you through twists and turns all the way, with a stunning montage wich makes all the rest make perfect sense. A must-see.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Old and New and Borrowed and Blue
Review: Old fashioned noir matched with the current fascination with trick endings plus very good acting, excellent writing, and superior camera work= The Usual Suspects. This is a thriller on lots of levels.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Highly entertaining!!!
Review: Great movie,.. Entertaining, alot of action, plus, you actually have to think!!!


<< 1 .. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 .. 46 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates