Wolfgang Petersen Collection

Rating:
Summary: Great Films, Excellent Price
Review: I would recommend this if you are a fan of Petersen's work, because this is the best collection of it. Four of Petersen's best works are here: Das Boot, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, and The Perfect Storm, all in special edition DVDs. A great collection from a great director. First, you get Das Boot, Petersen's harrowing and suspenseful film on a German U-boat during WWII. This movie started his career. (Jurgen Prochnow, the captain, also has a small role in Air Force One). From the naval combat sequences to the character development scenes, Petersen shows his directorial brilliance, makes the film memorable, and carries home an Oscar for his trouble. A very well-made film, I would recommend reading the subtitles, the dubbing is not so good. Next you get In The Line Of Fire, Petersen's magnum opus. Everything is right here. Eastwood steps away from the tough guy role here and plays a very vulnerable, hurting Secret Service agent named Frank Horrigan. The acting is great all-around, with Malkovich playing an ex-CIA man with a mean streak a mile wide who wants to kill the current president. He brings a lot of energy to the table. Rene Russo is Horrigan's fellow agent. Unlike most movies these days, this film has only one love scene, and it doesn't even progress into intercourse. This is good, because whenever a movie has a sex scene, it loses focus. This movie is perfect, an excellent cat-and-mouse film with lots of wit. Love it or leave it, Air Force One is great entertainment. Harrison Ford takes up the old action hero role and, once again, plays it to perfection. The story is about terrorists who take over the Presidential Aircraft, and Ford, as the President, must stop them. A fast-paced, adrenaline filled movie, and very entertaining, Petersen's work should show Hollywood that a movie can be exciting and full of action and smart at the same time. As soon as this movie came out, the Secret Service rushed to say that the situation in the movie is implausible, but how implausible can it be? And finally, The Perfect Storm. I had mixed feelings over this one. Sure, the production values were high, and the camerawork was amazing, even to the point of nausea. The acting was fine. I am not a big fan of Clooney or Wahlberg, but both turned in fine performances, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was great here too. The movie took a bit long to set up, and the character development was forgettable. It cannot stand up to Petersen's earlier work. People say you need to suspend your disbelief for Air Force One, but you need it more for this film. How do you keep a blow torch lit in Gale-strength winds? You cannot find someone who falls overboard at night. There's more, but if you don't think too hard, you can have a good time. Conclusion: Four good DVDs at a great price. If you like action or Petersen, this is a must. Action films with a brain, a real rarity these days. If you liked these movies, try Outbreak as well. Another of Petersen's excellent films.