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Dragonfly (Widescreen)

Dragonfly (Widescreen)

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: OH DEATH WHERE IS THY STING?
Review: My wife cried during some of the scenes in this movie, so it can't be all bad, cause she doesn't cry that often. Anyway, DRAGONFLY is an okay film that attempts to deliver a spiritual message in its own roundabout way. Kevin Costner holds his own, but he doesn't put enough true grief into his portrait, and there are times when he looks extremely bored. Joe Morton is wasted as the one dimensional hospital administrator; Susannah Thompson is effectively heroic and beautiful; Linda Hunt is Linda Hunt in a nun's habit; catch "General Hospital's" Peter Hansen in the dinner scene; and of course, the real stars of this movie are the two brilliant child actors who play Jeffrey and Ben. They are so warm and convincing in their roles--they should have great careers as adults. The direction is moody and intense; and despite the sometimes incredibility of the plot, it holds your attention and ends on a supremely upbeat note.
RECOMMENDED TO THOSE WHO LIKE A THREE OR FOUR HANKY MOVIE.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: great ending
Review: Costner is awesome as the Doctor who finds out his dead wife is trying to contact him. he sees things with his kid patients and then he goes to another country where he finds out a amazing secret his wife left him. sometimes perdictable but the end is not

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: This has to be my all time favorite movie...it had my husband and I on our seats through the whole movie trying to figure out what the message from beyond was. I wont say no more, but if you havent seen the movie, you have to see it now!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: An absorbing supernatural drama.
Review: DRAGONFLY is a leisurely paced but absorbing supernatural thriller/drama directed by Tom Shadyac (who most recently directed BRUCE ALMIGHTY) and co-scripted by David Seltzer, possibly best known for writing the horror classic THE OMEN.
Kevin Costner plays Dr. Joe Darrow, a physician whose pediatrician wife is killed in a bus accident while on a mercy mission to the jungles of South America. As a result of her death Darrow buries himself in his work, helping in situations where he can preserve life (birth scene) and trying to ignore death (he refuses to treat a suicide attempt at first). But soon it becomes apparent that there are unseen forces at work: Strange voices, objects moving. A kid who's a patient at the hospital where Joe works claims Joe's wife has spoken to him. In addition to this, Joe's pet parrot is displaying the same behaviours it did while his wife was alive- like greeting her when she arrived home from work. Could she be contacting Joe from beyond the grave? Or by some miraculous coincidence is she still alive?
DRAGONFLY is not a brilliant movie, but it holds your attention for its 100 minutes. Oddly, the dragonflies shown in the movie's trailer don't even appear in the film! Kathy Bates has a supporting role as Joe's neighbour.
DVD extras include Director's commentary, location doco, deleted scenes and an interview with author Betty Eadie recounting a near-death experience she had; with her expressing her views of how the film-makers handle the subject of death and near-death experiences in the movie, which are apparently meant to be accurate. DRAGONFLY is a better movie than I expected; far superior to the similarly themed but dull MOTHMAN PROPECIES which was released around the same time. Worth a look. The film is unrelated to the John Farris novel of the same name.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: 3.5 Stars
Review: This was a great movie from the standpoint of taking a relatively original idea and running with it. Kevin Costner plays a doctor, who, after his wife's tragic death, is perplexed when a rash of "supernatural" events take place in his home and the hospital he works in. He believes his wife may be trying to connect to him in some way, but others are skeptical, believing that there is some rational explanation for the occurances. He continues to look for clues and tries to uncover the truths about his wife's death.

One negative about this movie was the apparent lack of depth to some characters. Kevin Costner, in his role as Joe, seems to just be going through the motions at times, rather than acting. It is not a problem that detracts from the overall impression of the movie, but it is a slight problem nonetheless. Also, I felt like Joe's supervisor at the hospital was kind of a "stock" character, playing the mean-spirited supervisor who tells Joe he needs to take a break from his role as doctor and then gets angry with Joe when Joe tries to go back to the hospital.

Another negative is the ending. This could have been done better. It just seemed kind of far-fetched. I won't give it away, you'll just have to see it yourself and decide.

Despite the negatives, this was an enjoyable movie to watch. It was finally one of those movies that was both gripping and enlightening at the same time. There are a few "edge-of-your-seat" parts when Joe is alone in the house (when he doesn't really feel alone). However, they don't overdo these, and most of the story concentrates on the plot. Joe's journey is discovering what life and death truly mean.

Rating : 3 1/2

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Please, Give Me a "Field of Dreams" Instead.
Review: Warning: Even if your mum or aunt is a huge fan of Kevin Costner, you must tell her first exactly what's gonna happen in the film before sending a copy of this film to her. DON'T say anything like "heart-warming" or "spiritual," misleading her to believe that this is another piece of work like superb "Field of Dreams." Yes, though some part of "Dragonfly" is surely giving a life-affirming message to us (in what way, that is another matter), and covers the same territory as "Ghost," the film contains actually many elements plucked from your regular B horror flicks -- you know, like, sudden big noise or shadow standing by the window.

The story is interesting at first. Chicago ER doctor Joe Darrow (Costner), his wife recently missing in Venezuela and believed to be dead, is feeling so devastated that his boss Joe Morton suggests he take a vacaton for a month. Stubbornly refusing the advice from him, or kindly neighbor Kathy Bates or co-worker Ron Rifkin, Joe continues to work at hospital, and one day he starts to see signs sent from his lost love (so he thinks) -- he sees such messages in a paperweight, mysterious words from a hospitalized boy, and a strangely drawn cross on the floor. Is it possible that Joe is receiving a message? Or is he just dreaming?

The premise is interesting, but the way the director Tom Shadyac conducts the whole things is simply awful. When you need very subtle handling of this subject matter, he simply throws every conceivable device at you, trying to attract your heart like a brick dropping from above. The film keeps moving on like, 'here's a surprise,' 'here's a possible logical explanation,' and 'another surprise again,' and ... well, like this, with few delicate touch. And Mr. Shadyac has directed in the past such films as Jim's "Ace Ventura," Eddie's "Nutty Professor" and Robin's sugar-coated "Patch Adams" (the last one ridiculed, quite understandaly, in one John Waters film). On and on this endless story goes until the climax (before one needless action segment ala Butch and Sundance, and a beautiful rainbow -- the same 'butterfly device' he employed in "Patch") which, I frankly want to say folks, is too unbelievable.

There are so many unwise choices; see, for example, the casting of Joe's wife Emily played by Susanna Thompson, who was previously seen in Harrison Ford's "Random Hearts" where she played Mr Ford's wife. If I am not mistaken, her role there undergoes a very similar situation there. This is worse than typecast; it gives me the taste of run-of-the-mill pre-production process. Or see the name of David Seltzer as a co-writer of the script. Remember his name? He wrote a bestseller called "The Omen," and the director is from "Ace Ventura"? What a combination, anyway?

Please, Kevin Costner's fans, don't say this half-hearted film is good. Just search for once in your old video collections, grab the tape "Field of Dreams," watch it again, and just compare. Which do you really want?

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: typical romp, but worth watching
Review: This tale of a Doctor who loses his wife in a tragic accident and then begins experiencing supernatural occurrences has been hashed over by hollywood in almost every way possible, still
its entertaining enough to keep your attention even though you know where the film is heading. Kostner plays it well as the agnostic, if not atheistic husband, who denies the exsistence of heaven, or hell, or afterlife, until he experiences it first hand in messages from his wife beyond the grave. The fact that these messages are channeled tbrough those who have had near death experiences, mostly children she had treated in some way before her death, make the movie work towards it obvious conclusion. All in all not a bad film.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Pretty Decent For Costner....
Review: This 'near-death experience' film stars Kevin Costner as a doctor desperately seeking a sign from his missing presumed dead wife. He starts getting those signs through young patients in his hospital who have in comas or flat lined and came back to life. Directed by Tom Shadyac (Ace Ventura), the film is well paced and a bit scary at times, but holds well until the ending which I think really worked! I didn't know what to expect and even though the film hints at what the ending will be, it throws you in the last minute. Better than I expected. ***1/2 Stars

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A very good and moving story
Review: After a long first part in the «conventionnal» and rationalistic world of a hospital in the USA, we have a very nice and moving last part in Venezuella nature. The film maker very well captured the salvage and powerfull vibration of this pristine nature. So it is really a good movie, and actors play well.
Certain scenes may look frightening to unacustomed persons. Of course rationalistist will not like this movie, but above all it will surely irritate the amateurs of horror movies and all who have problems to accept nice emotions.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Solid and entertaining
Review: Look it is not a masterpiece of world cinema, but as a ghost story, it has its moments. There are some genuine frights and next to no violence. It works together quite well.

If you cannot guess the ending, you lose all marks in the ghost story stakes. Kevin Costner is creditable as the anxious hero being buffeted by his ex-wife's spirit. There is nothing remarkable about the film or anything particularly wrong. It is a solid piece of entertainment which knows what it is doing and does it well.

If you like good ghosts stories. Why not watch it.


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