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The Navigator

The Navigator

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $22.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An exploration of our unconscious saviors
Review: "The Navigator" is a film that truly explores the depths of the human mind and the heros that keep our existance in tact without us recognizing them. This movie is an excellent collection of information on the Hero's Journey, Jungian archetypes, and the three-part Freudian psyche.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: a classic indie sci-fi film that comes off as neither
Review: A wonderfully odd film with layers of meaning, besides being simply entertaining and amusing. Reminds me in tone of Neil Jordan's excellent The Company of Wolves. Lovers of big-budget stuff like Independence Duh and Armaggedon will likely be disappointed. Amazing soundtrack, though it's very hard to find on disc.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredible
Review: About five years ago, a former roomate rented this film one night. Having nothing better to do, I decided to watch it with him. Needless to say, this movie appealed to both my sense of fantasy and the medieval. The visuals were stunning, the actors were absolutely wonderful getting even the accents of the time correct. But what struck me the most was the soundtrack for the movie. As for the movie, if you haven't seen it, do so NOW. It will be time well spent.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: an amazing, thought-provoking experience
Review: As a PhD student in medieval history, I usually approach films set in the Middle Ages with no small sense of trepidation. The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey is the exception. It is a visually stunning, well-written well-acted little film that manages to be both thought-provoking and entertaining. What I found particularly worthy of note is Vincent Ward's use of imagery. His choice to film the medieval scenes in mid-winter and in black and white conveys the bleakness of medieval peasant life and the muted colours of the modern scenes have a mystical feel to them. The film actually feels medieval, and since it does not refer to an historical event more specific than the Black Death, there's no opportunity to get annoyed with historical inaccuracy (a curse of all we would-be professional historians!) I recommend it highly to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Intelligent sci-fi not for the shallow of heart
Review: Deep, resonating messages and stunning, haunting visuals contribute to the power of this film which is so completely independent of any genre that calling it a sci-fi or a fantasy does not seem to do it justice; rather, such stereotyping is more of an insult. The best eye-candy in this film is its shoestring-budget special effects (read: no REAL special effects) and its cinematography (it was directed by the same guy who did "What Dreams May Come," which is a poor modern cousin full of hypocrisy).

At any rate, The Navigator is real and raw. And a classic. It reminds me of the Dutch film version of MEDEA. It's fascinating the same way AKIRA might be fascinating: you simply cannot believe that such a fantastic story can work in such a simple narrative. The filmmakers of Navigator trust their audience to be receptive of that which is truly bizarre.

Not for the shallow of heart! I've read other reviews of this film and must agree with one in particular: if you feel intellectually stimulated by Independence Day or Armageddon or other such mindless fluff (even the Matrix), you will get nothing from this film....

Other films that remind me of the Navigator: The original Highlander movie (especially the low-res, poor-quality version on Beta Hi-Fi), Ladyhawke, Eraserhead, In the Name of the Rose (that weird monk movie with Sean Connery and Christian Slater), Medea (the scratchy Dutch version), and even Monty Python and the Holy Grail (not so much for the humor, but the general film presence).

Enjoy! But not too much.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Unique
Review: Ever wonder how historic peoples would react to today's modern society? This is the basic idea of the movie. Their reactions are believable and well portrayed. It's almost paradoxical how you can see their situation from a modern society dweller, yet also understand their point of view, but the acting makes it easy to emphasize with them. Also, the movie is very visually appealing, filled with darkness and mist. The music is well matched. The whole movie is engrossing and suspenseful, and the conclusion doesn't disapoint. Coincidently, the Lyons live here in Halifax, Canada. A lot of people at work consider it a classic but she seems tired of talking about it. Lately she's been producing some TV series for kids (life in different countries).

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Shoot the production company
Review: I have reviewed this film previously, and have waited for the DVD...alas, it is a big disappointment. No widescreen and no extras...in otherwords, a waste of time and money. Small, but important films such as this are poorly served by production companies who serve up a barely adequate product. This is a very good film, but the DVD is a dud. Buy the VHS in protest!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: NOT thrilled
Review: I purchased this disc in May 2004.
I has a VHS copy -taken from pay TV. While the DVD was a bit cleare/less grainy ,the video was 1.33:1 ,not 1.85:1 as advertised;also the sound was MONO ,not Dolby Surround as adveretised. A good film but a technically inferior disc.
Edd.
iegolden@shaw.ca

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Haunting
Review: I rented this film at the local Video Store in the most casual manner: by scanning the box art for a clue to something different, knowing nothing of the movie or its creators. It turned out to be the most haunting cinema experience I have ever had. Images from the film have never left me. A modern city is magically transformed and redefined through the eyes and spirits of people from another time. The quest for protection by a higher power highlights a universal need. This is a wonderful film.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: not your average time travel movie
Review: If you like "Back to the Future" you won't like this. It is more of a fantasy-wierd than anything about time travel. It can be best summed up this way: You will effectively time-travel yourself 1.5 hours back each time you DON'T watch this movie. And you can use that 1.5 hours much better.


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