Great Adventurers

Rating:
Summary: Shackleton - The Search for Good Video Documentation
Review: As one thirsty to find good video content on Shackleton's legendary expedition to Antartica, I am especially interested in Hurley's (Shackleton's photographer on his Endurance voyage) motion picture images, said to exist and to be used to document that trip. Unfortunately, this video has (little or) no footage of Hurley's moving pictures, but does contain the most famous still photos. Perhaps the weakest part of the video is the periodic dramatization, in a studio, of the life threatening circumstances. The snow and setting are obviously fake and don't convey the sense of suffering and harsh conditions under which the expedition labored. On the positive side, the video does a good overall bio on Shackleton, presenting him in a positive light, and showing something of the extraordinary nature of his character.

Rating:
Summary: THE ADVENTURERS!
Review: Here is an international SPY THRILLER from director RINGO LAM! Starring ANDY LAU as a young Cambodian who heads to San Francisco's CHINATOWN twenty years after seeing his parents killed by a TREACHEROUS CIA AGENT! Now the killer has become a CRIME BOSS and now Wai Lok-yan, now known as MANDY CHAN, is going to get his revenge! Co-starring the lovely ROSAMUND KWAN! Not as much action as you would expect from a HONG KONG film, but, HEY! They can't all be good! ALSO you will be outrageously happy to know that this DVD includes both the CANTONESE and MANDARIAN soundtracks!

Rating:
Summary: Ho hum.
Review: The production of Francis Drake consists of a narration, some live action monologues, beautiful costumes, and nice close-ups of antique maps. The acting by the Francis Drake character, and other characters, consists mainly in a number of poses. There is little real dialogue, just mainly monologues by the actors. Francis Drake's speech is somewhat easy to understand, but there is a young, blond-haired actor who plays some other character, whose speech is unintelligible. At one point, the Queen Elizabeth character talks to herself by a window, posing stiffly. Wouldn't if have been better to have her talking with some other character? This picture could be helped a bit if it allowed you to activate captions, since the actor's speech is not well recorded. The scenes of the ship, both inside and out, are lovely and inspiring. However, there are no scenes of the ship (Golden Hinde) in the proximity of any other ships, and there are no scenes of it docking near any beaches or towns. Hence, the production as a whole gets a little monotonous. The production could be improved by a few dialogues involving two actors, an argument or two, a short debate, some amusing banter. The company that made this video made a large series of videos on historic persons. Unfortunately, I also bought their version of King Alfred the Great. It too, has monotonous monologues, and speech that is not well recorded.

Rating:
Summary: Video Review of "Sir Francis Drake"
Review: This British filmed documentary depicts historical events in Sir F.Drake's early days as a privateer, the famous circling the globe in the "Golden Hind" ship during 1577-1580,his relationship with Queen Elizabeth I,the defeat of the Spanish Armada at his hands and ultimately his shipboard demise.The movie may be a nice addition for Drake, Naval or Anglophile historians, libraries or schools.There is a lot of footage of the replica "Golden Hind" ship on the high seas with English actors in 16th Century clothing recounting the drama of the events. This is not the most action packed historical documentary.There are no fancy computer graphics or elaborate fight scenes with the Drake's foes but the producers did a commendable job recounting Drake's storied life.