Rating: 
Summary: A Family Favorite
Review: Serious critics tend to dismiss THE SOUND OF MUSIC as too sweet to stomach, but that hasn't hurt the film's popularity over the years. The movie's combination of straight forward drama, great music (including the title song and "Climb Every Mountain," to name but two), and strong performances remains a potent combination.Julie Andrews gives the performance of a lifetime in her role of Maria, a postulant nun in 1930s Austria who finds her true calling outside the walls of the convent when she is assigned to act as governess to an icy-mannered military man's children. The two fall in love--but no sooner does all seem well in their world than the Nazis invade, forcing the new family to a fateful decision. The script is fairly commonplace, but the story is strong, the cinematography is first rate and memorable, and the film is a lot of fun to watch. Some may find the whole thing over-long, and hardcore musical fans are likely to find it much too obvious for their taste, but even most people who DON'T like musicals like THE SOUND OF MUSIC. You'd have to go some to find a better "family movie" choice.
Rating: 
Summary: The Sound of Lindsay & Crouse
Review: I've often wondered what this show (both the stage and movie version) would have been like, had Oscar Hammerstein 2nd written the book, and not just the lyrics. Unfortunately, the movie gives us even less of what the Broadway version gave us - two of the best songs from the stage version, "How Can Love Survive," and "No Way To Stop It" have been cut - albeit with a slightly less saccharine narrative (here penned by Ernest Lehman). The authors of the stage version, Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, were attached to the project before R&H, at the behest of the ultimate Broadway gamine, Mary Martin, and her (no pun intended) martinet/producer/manager/husband, Richard Halliday. Rodgers and Hammerstein came on board late in the game (after the lackluster debut of "Flower Drum Song") only to supply the score.
This DVD provides us with a world of information - information that has Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews vehemently stating that the show, before Lehman's adaptation, had to lose a lot of the maudlin qualities [that people still complain about] the stage version had.
It's nice to see most of the original cast, and director Robert Wise - and Lehman - chatting about the production. There is a lot of useful information here; not just about this particular movie, but about the [soon-to-be] end of the successful Hollywood musical. I give this DVD high marks for its extra-curricular content, but not for the movie. Call me what you will, but I still say that this show would have been better if Hammerstein (the author of "Show Boat," "Oklahoma!" "Carousel," "The King and I," and the co-author (with Joshua Logan) of "South Pacific") had written the show instead of Lindsay & Crouse. Still, "Edelweiss," not only the last lyric written by Hammerstein, is one of their best songs - a simple but wonderful waltz by Rodgers (his trademark), and a simple but poetic lyric by Hammerstein.
Rating: 
Summary: A better sound of Sound of Music
Review: Whether you like or dislike this movie, that's up to you. Not everyone has the same taste. So, I'll just tell you what I like about this DVD version: -The sound is awesome. They have enhanced it with the THX digitally mastered format.
-Disc1 has the movie, the DVD-ROM stuff and the audio commentary by Robert Wise. So as you play the movie, he tells you about certain scenes.
-Disc2 has everything a true fan would want. It contains documentaries, audio supplements, interviews, production stills, trailers, radio and TV sports and DVD-ROM games.
-The movie comes in widescreen format. On a big TV, this is no biggie. It's actually better because you are watching the movie as it was presented at the theater.
-The quality of the picture is ... well DVD quality. With that I mean, the very nice and sharp quality VHS lacks. What I don't like?
Well, nothing. If I were to find something I don't like, it would be the option of having the widescreen and tv-screen versions included. I wonder if that would take three discs though. But I like it as it is offered. Finally, I love the movie. I've watched it so many times, and I know I'll keep watching it forever. The only difference is that now I get to see it at such good quality and with all those behind-the-scenes extras I always wondered about. :)
Rating:
Summary: Julie Soars Again in Music
Review: This is one of the best musicals ever to emmanate out of Hollywood. Julie Andrews is excellent as the virginal young novice Maria, who meets and falls in love with Hot hunk Georg Von Trapp and decides to make a play for him, much to the chagrin of the beautiful Baroness Von Schraeder. But Maria's pristine good looks and polite manner captivate the Captain and the Baroness gets the boot. The highlight of the film is when Marni Nixon appears as Sister Sophia and sings "How Do You solve a Problem like Maria"? The exciting climax of the film, is when Blonde Boy Ralph, who has been chosen as one of Hitler's Youth, cries out "Lieutenant!" and almost gives their whereabouts away. But don't worry, they escape over the mountain while the nuns sing "Climb Every Mountain" to them from the Convent.
Rating:
Summary: It be so def I can't hardly explain it.
Review: Now, y'all know them two be knockin' boots when dem kids be sleep. But they don't show nothing. Still, it were very fat.That chick all the time be singing. She no rapper, though. She sound like she be whining a lot. Come to think, maybe she ain't getting nothing.
Rating:
Summary: Sound of Music
Review: Really enjoyed This Movie classic, I only wish it came in full screen
Rating:
Summary: great film
Review: I don't love this movie because of the music, although it is wonderful. Many would sneer at this film because it has been so overly made fun of since the Sixties, but perhaps such people should take a closer look at the true depth of the story, like I did. After having seen it in my childhood over and over again, I watched it recently after it sat on the shelf for many years. I went in with an open mind and was literally moved to tears by the story. The film's true beauty lies not in the cheesy musical numbers or in Julie Andrews dancing around the Alps, but in the courage and determination of the family to sing about life and freedom in the face of Nazi oppression. The "sound of music" is the sound of freedom and hope. To see the opposing forces at work in this movie is to grasp the essence of The Sound of Music. What a heartbreaking drama. Take away the score and the film still stands as a triumph of moviemaking.
Rating:
Summary: Great Stuff
Review: Great DVD set. Lots of worthwhile extras, and the movie sounds and looks great. A keeper!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie, but PLEASE don't watch on DVD--it's awful
Review: I was so excited to get the 5 star collection of "The Sound of Music". When I did, I popped it in expecting that warm feeling but instead I found it cold and vaguely creepy. In the opening scenes, showing the Austrian hills, the scenes look so fake and cartoonish...like a video game. These scenes were actually filmed on location to get the true feeling of being there. Now, they look computer generated--in fact, I can tell some differences that have been thrown in to make everything look even more glistening. It isn't higher resolution, it's fake stuff. The warm feeling of film is gone and is replaced with harsh sound and even the faces of the characters look plastic, like robots. This is a movie best seen on VHS in Widescreen format. If they digitalized it anymore, it would look like "The Matrix"...it almost does. I love the DVD format for most movies but this one overdoes it bigtime. It looks like a cartoon or video game.
Rating:
Summary: A great film!
Review: I highly recommend this film. It is wonderful!
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