Home :: DVD :: Art House & International  

Asian Cinema
British Cinema
European Cinema
General
Latin American Cinema
Lorna Doone

Lorna Doone

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $19.96
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I would have gladly spent $7.50 at the cinema to see this
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this rousing tale of love and deception. The acting was superb, the scenery beautiful, and the story breath-taking. Frankly, I enjoyed this more than Braveheart and found the lead actor more handsome than old Mel Gibson!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Rent this one before you buy!
Review: I'm glad I rented this movie from my local library. I would have been disappointed if I had purchased it first.

While the locals and costumes were the usual standard for A&E productions, the story itself was by no means good. It would have been better if there were at least two parts. I felt cheated. If you I had not read the book, I don't believe the video would make much sense.

First off, in the book, John did not witness his father's murder. He was away at school. Secondly, the movie didn't make good use of the secret meetings between John and Lorna. In the book their meetings were more intense and romantic. (John knew from their first encounter Lorna was a Doone.) Finally, the most disappointing part of the movie was Lorna's rescue from the Doones. In the book, the setting was in a really bad winter (20 or more feet of snow). Lorna and Gwennie were being starved by Carver to force her to marry him. John carried Lorna and Gwennie away on a sled in all that snow and cold, not on horseback on a bright sunny day as shown on the video.

I will say that the acting was first rate and the soundtrack was wonderful. True romantics will enjoy watching it. However, I would not buy this A&E production.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great !
Review: If you like romance, you will like this one! All I can say is Richard Coyle is a HOTTIE!!! The plot was good, but I was left with wanting more. I would have made it longer. I wanted more details about where Lorna Doone came from. The acting was good, but the female lead character's acting was not all that good, in my opinion. I needed more details! But overall it was good!

If anyone know what else has Richard Coyle have done, please let me know.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great
Review: It's just a great movie to watch. Great casts in a classic tale. It's a feel good movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exciting the whole way through
Review: John Ridd's father was killed by the Doones-a band of ruthless outlaws who had threatened and stolen from the townspeople. John (Richard Coyle) watched his father die, and vowed he would get revenge for their evil deeds. He falls in love with a sweet and beautiful maiden, only to learn that she's a Doone. Lorna (Amelia Warner) is a granddaughter of the Doone's leader, and she is expected to marry the future leader of the Doones-her cousin Carver Doone (Aiden Gillen). John finds himself in a difficult situation-he not only loves a girl that his family will hate, but he must fight Carver, who is just as determined to marry Lorna. The characters find themselves battling with issues of loyalty. This is a great story based off R.D. Blackmore's classic novel. I would highly recommend it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: an ok movie
Review: Lorna Doone is a great story line with much to be desired for quality. It's a movie I enjoy watching, but wouldn't spend money to buy. That's coming from someone who loves to collect period films!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Splendid, enjoyable blend of action/romance!
Review: Lorna Doone is based on the 17th century English novel by R.D. Blackmore. It tells the story of the feud between the once-noble, banished Doone family and the honest, peace-loving Ridds. John Ridd's father was murdered by the Doones when he was young but John's hatred of the Doones is tempered when he falls in love with the beautiful Doone "princess," Lorna. Lorna and John's love blossoms but Carver Doone - the future head of the family - vows to do everything in his power to make Lorna his wife. Trouble and fighting ensues and secrets about Lorna's birth surface which threaten to divide her from John forever.

This production is brought to us by the A&E/BBC team - the same creative minds behind the 1995 "Pride and Prejudice." Young newcomer Amelia Warner is luminous and enchanting as Lorna while the handsome leading men - Aidan Gillen ("Circle of Friends") and Richard Coyle ("Wives and Daughters") - turn in powerful performances as the blackhearted, obssessive Carver Doone and honest, kind John Ridd. Barbara Flynn ("Wives & Daughters," "Cracker") as Mrs. Ridd, Michael Kitchen ("The Buccaneers") as Judge Jefferys, Martin Clunes ("Shakespeare in Love") as Jeremy Stickles and Peter Vaughan ("Our Mutual Friend") as Sir Ensor Doone are excellent in their supporting roles. The film has a strong resemblance to the sweeping romance and powerful action scenes of "Braveheart" (without the gore). The story moves quickly and keeps the viewer engaged and interested. The costumes, acting, production values and music are all excellent. I was glued to my seat for the entire 2 hours and highly recommend this video to anyone who enjoys first-rate British drama.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Really awful
Review: Overwrought, trite, predictable. I was shocked at this A&E production, since they are usually excellent (Pride & Prejudice, Emma, etc.) The dialogue was like a bad TV melodrama -- cheesy, by not cheesy enough to be fun (like Dynasty!). The music was annoying, the acting was wooden. What were they thinking?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Much More Than Your Average "Bodice Ripper"
Review: Set against the lavish and lonely expanse of the moors, this epic of "star-crossed lovers, unbridled greed, dark secrets, and ruthless ambitions" is a stirring and intensely romantic story for both classes... those who enjoy the action and intensity of war and revenge, and the lovers of period drama with wholesome messages and uplifting truths. It's more than a romance; it's a clash of good and evil, a fight for a country, and a passionate story of courage and redemption that has gained it thousands of fans worldwide. The cast is excellent... Amelia Warner lives and breathes the essence of Lorna, her innocence, her compassion, her youth; Richard Coyle is a lovable and heroic man well worthy of her affections; and Adian Gillen strikes a chill down your backbone with one glance from those tantalizing pale blue eyes.

I went into it with low expectations, and it exceeded my highest regards and has well-earned the spot of honor on my shelf of movie classics. Compelling, romantic, haunting and with a shocking climax that will shatter your hopes and then restore them again in a breathtaking final sequence, it is a well-acted, well-produced, well-choreographed, well-directed, and well-scored masterpiece. In my opinion, the best A&E has to offer. My only complaint is the complete nonexistence of an accompanying soundtrack... I'd pay out fifteen bucks easily to own such a magnificent score, and more!

The DVD is a letdown other than that the color is vibrant and one can see more of what's going on around the main characters. The sound is excellent and the opening menu charming, but there's an absence of trailers, featurettes, even cast listings that would have made it an even better release. An excellent movie, sorely under-appreciated by A&E and the BBC who choose not to push it as well as they might have. I've recommended it to all my friends, even to the point of purchasing an additional VHS so they can enjoy it at home.

A beautiful story, and one that you can find worthy of your attentions and time. Lorna Doone is a refreshing change from the everyday romantic film, and what's more, offers you a breathtaking glance into a bygone era to boot. 5 stars, and a winner every time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Epic tale in the footsteps of Romeo and Juliet--with a twist
Review: Set in the beautiful valleys of England, this A&E original movie is both gripping, elegant and poetic in its screenplay. It follows the story of Lorna, part of the family of feared and much-hated Doones, and John Ridd, an honest farmer, as they fall in love and struggle to overcome in the shadow of the hate that exists between their families. Based off the book by Richard Blackmore, the movie contains excellent action sequences, non-stop adventure and unexpected twists in plot that will leave you aghast and enthralled. And if that does not interest you, Lorna Doone is a must-see for its historical observation of English life and times during the period of the Monmouth rebellion, and it's enduring theme that, ultimately, love conquers social status, prejudice, and even family secrets long concealed.


<< 1 2 3 4 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates