Rating: 
Summary: Frankly A Disapointment
Review: Despite having read the book and having some anticipation for the film on that basis I wanted little else but to sit back and be entertained. I found the film to be flat and meandering with little drama nor coherent plot line. Anthony Hopkins a gifted actor was enjoyable to watch but really seemed only to be playing this part by the numbers. The film just never really seemed to pull itself together and take off. It occurred to me that probably watching this film accompanied by the Directors commentary would prove to have been a more satisfying experience. I would let this one go and rent it on VHS the next time you visit your local video store. Pity as with many films it could have been remarkable.
Rating: 
Summary: I was robbed
Review: I gave this a one star for one reason. I was not able to select zero stars. I WAS ROBBED. I bought this DVD elsewhere, also I bought it because Anthony Hopkins was in it. A gentleman whose work I admire. More importantly I bought this DVD AFTER I read the book. I am angry and disgusted for having wasted the money buying this trash. They took 75 percent of Mr. Kings fine novel and threw it away. This movie is only a brief portion of the book. Of the portion that was portrayed there was so much missing. I was so disgusted with the movie that I threw away the DVD. There was a tremendous amount of the story that was simply disregarded. I was as disgusted with this movie as I was with the movie version of IT. I strongly advise anyone to not buy this movie, by the book instead. If you did buy this movie, return it.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth watching---once.
Review: I came into this film expecting something in the vein of The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and The Green Mile (each of which I think are terrific, with Shawshank being my favorite). In some respects, I wasn't disappointed. Hearts In Atlantis has some tonalities in common with these other films (all of which are based upon Stephen King stories). It comes closest in tone to Stand By Me, which is not surprising given that both films involve the coming of age of almost-teens. It also has some similarities in tone to This Boy's Life (which, if you hate Leonardo DiCaprio, give him a second chance and watch This Boy's Life. An awesome performance, I'm afraid.)And it is worth watching, if for no other reason than sheer sentimentality. After all, who isn't waiting to be reminded of their first love, the first girl (in my case) who grabbed your heartstrings and brought you your first, deepest emotions (Barbara, if you're out there, I would have spoken to you about that if I had to do it all over again), your first adult mentor, and the hazy moments when you first developed a voice of your own. Hearts In Atlantis has some success on this level. But, there are great disappointments. The you lead actor, Anton Yelchin, just isn't up to the task. He'd probably be better suited to doing commercials. I can only imagine what Haley Joel Osment might have done with this role. And Anthony Hopkins not only mumbles many of his lines, but he starts sounding like Hannibal Lecter--"What do you see, Bobby/Clarice." (Although that might be just me. His performance in Silence of the Lambs kind of typecast him for me.) This is a sentimental tone poem--and one whose instruments are, admittedly, a little blunt. But I found it warm and engaging, given my increasing sentimentality. There are worse things than watching a pleasant little movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful DVD Features
Review: Be sure to watch the movie with the director's audio commentary turned on. Scott Hicks provides one of the best director's commentaries I've heard yet on DVD, with marvelously articulate but down-to-earth insights into the subtleties and nuances of his craft. He is truly a great director.
Rating:
Summary: Slow...Yet Mind Twisting.
Review: This movie stars Anthony Hopkins, Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis, Mika Boorem and David Morse. It is based upon a book by Stephen King (which I found hard to believe because it lacked all that Mr. King is well known for; but I did not read the book and gave it the benefit of the doubt because all adaptations do not turn out well). The story line opens in the present day with a man named Bobby Garfield surveying his old childhood home and reflecting back on his 11th birthday. Upon his reflection, the film backtracks to 1960 and a period of time in little Bobby's life. Thus enters Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) a very mysterious man gifted with psychic ability. Ted and Bobby become very close. Ted warns Bobby to "beware of The Low Men" dressed in black, riding in long black cars and traveling in packs. During Ted's hide out from The Low Men, his psychic abilities brings about a rape acknowledgement, healing, forgiveness and saves a life. The movie gets off to a slow start, but the mystery and shadowy imagery of The Low Men will hold your attention. The storyline gives meaning to the old saying that people come into our lives for either a season, reason or lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: Bad Book - Worst Movie
Review: This movie is really bad. I red the book (and belive me the book is bad enough), however I thought that it would be fun to see the recreation of the Sixties. But guess what, no sixties in the movie!!!!!.
Is just the absurd story of the Old Ted and Little Bobby O. Is basically a bunch of non-sense "Low Men" (of course you will never know who they are or where they come from) searching for and old idiotic guy, a little kid and his friends that think that the old guy is cool and a mom that hates him.
Save yourself 16 bucks don't buy this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: VERY GOOD COMING OF AGE FILM...
Review: Not having read the Stephen King book upon which this movie was based, I had no expectations of this film. In fact, after seeing the film, I was surprised that it had been based upon a Stephen King book, as it seemed so far removed from anything to do with horror, the supernatural, or science fiction. It also has nothing to do with the lost continent of Atlantis. The movie is, essentially, a coming of age film, and a particularly good one, at that. It opens with a middle aged man, Bobby Garfield (David Morse), returning home for the funeral of his childhood best friend. While there, he stops by his old home and begins reminiscing in his mind's eye, remembering growing up with those with whom he had lost touch, his now deceased friend and his first girl friend, Carol Gerber (Mika Boorem). The viewer then sees eleven year old Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) living with his selfish, self absorbed, widowed mother, Liz Garfield (Hope Davis) in that very same house. A mysterious older man, loner Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins), takes up residence in an upstairs apartment in that house. He becomes a sort of a grandfather figure to Bobby, and a warm relationship develops between the two. Bobby gets from Ted what he is unable to get from his mother. Ted helps Bobby at a time in his life, when he sorely needed an interested adult, as his mother seems unable or unwilling to step up to home plate. Ted reveals to Bobby that some mysterious people, referred to only as the "low men" are after him. Ted enlists Bobby's aid in looking out for them. It also appears that Ted has some kind of extra sensory perception. It is a gift of which Bobby becomes aware, as Ted and Bobby begin to look out for each other. This apparent psychic ability, however, is not the focus of the movie and is somewhat incidental. The film is simply an atmospheric, well rendered coming of age film, marked by nostalgia and the strong performances of its actors. Velvet voiced Anthony Hopkins is superb as the perceptive Ted Brautigan, giving yet another beautifully nuanced performance. Anton Yelchin is wonderfully natural in the role the young Bobby Garfield. The rest of the supporting cast is excellent, as well. The only thing that mars the film is the reference to the "low men". At first, I thought it was to "law men" that Ted was referring. I found the use of the term "low men", without some explanation, distracting. Since William Goldman had apparently made changes to the book when he wrote the screenplay, he should have excised this term, as it serves only to be distracting rather than mysterious, especially as the "low men" seemed likely to be simply some sort of secret government agents. The DVD provides the usual excellent sound and audio a viewer has come to expect from a high quality DVD. It has a feature length audio commentary of the film by its director, Scott Hicks, as well as a fairly lengthy interview with Anthony Hopkins, that makes the price of the DVD well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: good movie, great book
Review: The movie itself is wonderful, but if you've read the book first, you're not going to be happy with it. My suggestion would be to see the movie then read the book. Otherwise, you will spend the entire time during the movie picking it apart.
As a whole the movie was great, but since I have read the book I kept expecting certain things to happen or picking apart certain things that did happen. Please enjoy both the movie and the book. But do them in that order.
Rating:
Summary: Ho-Hum
Review: I must admit that I am reviewing this with a little bit of bias because I am a fan of the original Stephen King story, and I feel it would have been better if certain supernatural elements were left in. I can understand why they were left out thought, it would have been confusing to non-King readers. The movie itself is passable enough. It is nothing the would stay imprnted on your phyche for any amount of time. Anthony Hopkins delivered a good preformance as usual, the kids in this seemed kind of wooden at times and some of the dialog seemed down right silly. ie: "I thought we were going to fall to our doom!" or "You can sleep on the pullout couch it is ever so comfortable." I expected a little better out of William Goldman. See it if your a fan just don't expect too much.
Rating:
Summary: Lackluster effort
Review: I love Anthony Hopkins, but this movie just did not move me. I watched and watched, fully expecting the plot and characters to become more gripping, but it just never materialized. This very well may be the weakest film I've seen with Sir Tony. The plot manipulations are rampant and sentimentalism the norm in this formulaic effort.
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