Rating: 
Summary: Great movie but DVD transfer is weak
Review: I recently bought this movie made by Artisan Home Entertainment and the product details said widescreen 2:35 aspect ratio. The DVD case says "matted" 1;85 aspect ratio. And boy is it ever "matted". I have this movie taped from AMC in full screen mode and made a comparison. My new Artisan "matted" version has at least 15 percent LESS picture at the top and bottom. I think they really just put a Matte over the fullscreen version to make it appear as widescreen. What a disappointment. The picture quality is good, however. I bought Capricorn One made by LIVE entertainment in the same order. Guess what? The product details said 2:35, the DVD case says "matted" 1:85, and the movie actually is a beautiful 2:35 transfer that I am very happy with. I just wonder what gives. Otherwise, Boys From Brazil is a great movie that I can watch over and over again.Yes the acting is over the top but who wants it any other way. I watch movies as one reviewer said for a slice of cake, not a slice of life. Movies are escapism, if I want reality I can always watch paint dry. Peck and Olivier together- nuff said.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent movie!
Review: a great movie if you are interested in the nazi era. Or if the history of the concentration camps, josef mengele and adolph hitler interest you this film is a must watch.
Rating:
Summary: Highly engrossing thriller!
Review: Ahead of its time and even more entertaining than Ira Levin's engaging bestseller on which it is based, this story will keep you engaged for its entire 127 minutes. As with so many of the Nazi schemes (see "Lebensborn" or "Sacred Blood"), the scenario is eerily ahead of its time and, in spite of over-the-top performances by Peck, Olivier and the strange Jeremy Black, it remains as a First Class "What If" thriller. As for other the rest of the cast, Lilli Palmer is just right as the beleaguered sister of Nazi Hunter Olivier. James Mason, as always, is an understated and a treat to watch. Uta Hagen's all too brief scene as a remorseless Nazi is pure brilliance. Every actor's dream--no wonder she "wrote the book" on the subject! Be on the lookout for a pre-rhinoplasty Steve Guttenberg!
Rating: 
Summary: the boys are butchered by the worst DVD ever released
Review: Bad news ! Franklin J.Schaffner's enjoyable thriller is unfortunately spoiled by what could be the worst DVD ever to be released on the market. I am focusing on the picture quality which looks worse than VHS. ARTISAN should apologize to all those who bought this DVD and deliver a new copy of THE BOYS OF BRAZIL. Meanwhile, you may listen to Jerry Goldsmith's excellent soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: Just Cloning Around
Review: Based on the 1976 bestseller by Ira Levin, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL is an entertaining sci-fi/horror flick concerning a plot to establish a new German Reich, one headed by none other than Adolf Hitler himself. After Nazi hunters discover the whereabouts of Dr. Josef Mengele, the infamous Auschwitz doctor--often referred to as the "Angel of Death"--who performed atrocious medical experiments on Jewish prisoners, they eventually uncover his most heinous experiment of all: Mengele has created multiple clones of the evil Fürer and has subsequently distributed the children around the world with hopes that one will grow up under the right circumstances and, with a little help from surviving Third-Reich Nazis, bring Germany back to its former "glory."When Ira Levin writes a novel, he has his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. Even though his stories are often categorized as horror or science fiction, most of his works are not meant to be interpreted as speculation about something that could actually happen; instead, they should be read as allegories, satires, or even as cautionary tales. And the same is true of the films that have been based on his novels. The real message of THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL is that scientific advancement is a two-edged sword--it can be used for great benefit and good, but it can be used with equally strong malice when in the hands of the wrong person. (The movie also takes satirical pokes and jabs at certain aspects of the scientific community. One of the most obvious targets is the ongoing nature-versus-nurture debate in Psychological circles.) Interestingly enough, however, the film has become even more chilling in recent years because some of the things depicted actually HAVE come about. Around 1985, it was learned that the remains of Joseph Mengele were in South America...and in the last country in which he'd taken refuge--Brazil! (It was determined that he'd died circa 1980). And, of course, the news today is replete with stories about cloning, the coverage dealing with the advancements in the laboratory as well as political and religious fervor over the ethicality of both the procedure and its potential results. So while THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL may be a satire or in some ways even a parody, the basic plot is more firmly rooted in reality than some critcs and moviegoers may have initially realized. As with most decent movies, part of the fun of watching this film is the acting. Several big names show up: James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Rosemary Harris, and Steve Guttenberg, to name just a few. But it is the over-the-top performances of Sir Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck as the two principals--Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman and the infamous Dr. Mengele, respectively--that really steal the show. Both actors ham it up and often fervently chew the scenery, yet their performances in no way seem disrespectful to the script or its source material. Both actors manage to bring Mengele and Liberman to life as intelligent, driven men who are extremely passionate about doing their part in the bizarre events in which they have become key players (Mengele by choice; Liberman by circumstance). Though the movie is not quite as strong or as cohesive as Levin's novel, it can still be quite intense at times and is engaging overall. Certainly worth a viewing or two. The DVD from Artisan Entertainment is short on extras, and though it does not offer the greatest digital transfer ever, it is still quite viewable. Considering the fairly reasonable price, it probably deserves a spot in the film library of an ardent movie buff.
Rating:
Summary: A Mixed Bag
Review: Boys from Brazil is interesting because it is one of the few roles in which acting great Gregory Peck departs from his all-American image and takes on a historical figure of unimaginable evil. He is without a doubt the strength of the movie, which is a somewhat muddled work as a whole. While the story itself can be fascinating at times, the plot often gets sidetracked with too many odd diversions and kind of wacky turns of historical science. Boys from Brazil takes a fascinating look at the secret Nazi underworld based in South America. Ex-SS officers and assorted other war criminals have created a financial and scientific network which allows them to live in freedom, hidden from the authorities and the various international Nazi hunters. Meanwhile, a select group is trying to explore ways in which to resurrect the Third Reich. One avenue is that of genetic madness, namely, the cloning of Adolf Hitler. The operation is spearheaded by the dreaded "Angel of Death", Dr. Josef Mengele, a real life Nazi war criminal of horrific proportions. He seeks to duplicate the life of the young Fuhrer, requiring him to kill dozens of fathers' across the world. This operation gains the attention of several people, including Nazi hunter Lieberman, played by a radically transformed Laurence Olivier. Slowly but surely, the range and depth of the plan unfold, and Mengele is confronted directly by his sworn enemies. It is a fascinating premise, but the story is real tough to pull off. You have to jump continents and have numerous murders. I never really felt like the movie got on track, it seems to jump all over the place, never settling on the correct storytelling avenue. Peck is great as Mengele though, he really channels a good amount of the pure evil inside the historical mad doctor of the Third Reich. The representations of the German émigré communities inside nations such as Paraguay were quite interesting, as there are those rumors and accounts of the flag being raised on "his" birthday. I admire Olivier's transformation, but I thought his actual character was kind of odd and sometimes laughably stupid. There are some good scenes, but they just do not grip the viewer. Nice story, nice try, but it does not deliver in the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Peck vs Olivier as the Nazis try to clone Adolf Hitler
Review: Gregory Peck gets about as far away from his Oscar winning role as Atticus Finch as possible with his over-the-top performance as the infamous Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele. Once you learn about the plot of "The Boys from Brazil," based on Ira Levin's novel, Peck's hammy performance makes perfect sense. At a South American summit of Nazis, Mengele announces that over the next couple of years 94 adult males with much younger wives and adolescent sons are to be systematically murdered around their 65th birthdays. Mengele had cloned Hitler, implanted the eggs in all of these women, and now wants to recreate what he believes was the Fuhrer's formative experience as a child. Fortunately young Nazi-hunter Barry Kohler (Steve Guttenberg) overhears the plot and right before he is murdered manages enlists the aid of the legendary Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier) to stop this horrific plot. Just think of this film as a cross between "Jurassic Park" and "Triumph of the Will." The scene where a scientist explains the cloning process in excruciating detail to Lieberman is a textbook lesson on how too much exposition can stop a movie in its tracks. But then there is the final living room standoff between Mengele, Lieberman and one of the Hitler clones with his pack of trained killer Dobermans. Actually, the actor who impresses me in "The Boys from Brazil" is James Mason, who plays Nazi Eduard Seibert and somehow makes the whole thing seem reasonable. Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen, Rosemary Harris and Denholm Elliott round out the stellar supporting cast caught up in this madness. Jeremy Black has the interesting role of playing all the young Hitler-Wannabees (Jack Curry, Simon Harrington, Erich Doring, Bobby Wheelock, etc.). Director Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes," "Patton," "Papillion") directs this straight up while Peck spews curses and Olivier trots out his wise old man routine. But to be fair, once we get past the exposition and Olivier tells the scientist that the person who has been cloned is neither Mozart nor Picasso, the story does get into gear. In what other over the top film can you see this much acting talent chewing up this much scenery? "The Boys From Brazil" is a first-class bad movie.
Rating:
Summary: Overdone but chilling
Review: Gregory Peck plays a Nazi doctor who escaped to Brazil as the Third Reich fell, while Laurence Olivier plays a Nazi hunter on Peck's trail. What is the evil doctor involved in? How about the creation of a Fourth Reich led by an Adolf Hitler clone? Will Olivier catch Pevck in time? Will that be enough? Both of these great actors seem to have either tried too hard to make this movie work, or else treated it as somewhat of a farce. They overplay many of their scenes. Nevertheless, this is an intense, chilling, creepy movie with enough story to capture and maintain the viewer's attention. There is considerable gore at times; you might not want to pet a Doberman for a while after seeing "The Boys From Brazil". You might also find yourself wondering about the genetic background of eerily familiar-looking boys you might see, especially given recent advancements in cloning.
Rating:
Summary: Overdone but chilling
Review: Gregory Peck plays a Nazi doctor who escaped to Brazil as the Third Reich fell, while Laurence Olivier plays a Nazi hunter on Peck's trail. What is the evil doctor involved in? How about the creation of a Fourth Reich led by an Adolf Hitler clone? Will Olivier catch Pevck in time? Will that be enough? Both of these great actors seem to have either tried too hard to make this movie work, or else treated it as somewhat of a farce. They overplay many of their scenes. Nevertheless, this is an intense, chilling, creepy movie with enough story to capture and maintain the viewer's attention. There is considerable gore at times; you might not want to pet a Doberman for a while after seeing "The Boys From Brazil". You might also find yourself wondering about the genetic background of eerily familiar-looking boys you might see, especially given recent advancements in cloning.
Rating:
Summary: The Boys Are Back In Town
Review: Gregory Peck, playing out-of-type, one-dimensional, and over the top is the highlight of THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL as Josef Mengele (quite a turn-around considering he had just played General MacArthur in MACARTHUR a year before). Mengele/Peck is overseeing a plot to clone and produce hundreds of little "Hitlers" and to find the future leader for the hibernating Nazi's. Ezra Lieberman (in an equally great performance from Laurence Olivier) is a Nazi hunter on the trail of Mengele to stop the conspiracy (this character is quite a turnaround equal to Peck as Olvier played an escape Nazi war criminal in MARATHON MAN two years before). The cloning aspect of the story is quite daring for its day and resonates implications of ethics of today's headlines. Also, the film asks the age old question if a person's personality is a result of inherited genes or outside environmental factors. Overall, a film which fits in well with some of the other 1970's paranoid thrillers with the right mixture of action, mystery and suspense. Note: Look for a young Steve Guttenberg (POLICE ACADEMY) in a very early film role as the young Nazi Hunter (Barry Kohler). He is somehow exposed and killed by Mengele's henchmen. Notice the scene following his death, he is in the background (as Mengele/Peck is in the foreground) sitting on the floor slumped against the wall. Guttenberg can be seen blinking when his character is supposed to be dead.
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