Rating: 
Summary: GOOD MOVIE, POOR DVD
Review: This product is substandard. The DVD print has scratches. The DVD authoring doesn't allow you to remove the Chinese characters.
Rating: 
Summary: An astonishingly powerful film!
Review: Set in New Zealand, this excellent film portrays a small urban subculture of disenfranchized Maori, focusing on one disfunctional family. All the characters are compelling. There's Jake, the hard-drinking, brawling husband, always bitterly aware that he comes from a long line of slaves. And Beth, his full-blooded Maori wife, from a royal tribal line. Their sons: Boogie, ward of the court and sentenced to a Maori-centric boys' home; and Nig, prospecting for membership in an urban tribal gang. There's Grace, their sensitive 13-year-old daughter, who writes fanciful stories for her younger siblings and a homeless boy who lives in a car. And there are Jake's party-buddies, his beloved extended "family" -- "uncles" to his kids. The accents, ethnic traditions, martial arts, and particularly the facial tattooing of the Toa will appear "exotic" to the American audience. But the alcoholism, unemployment, domestic violence, teen delinquency, and child abuse are themes common anywhere. These subjects are presented with compassion. You'll come to genuinely care for all the characters. Even for Jake who, despite his brutality, is a tragic human being. I highly recommend "Once Were Warriors". The soundtrack alone will blow you away. The performances by all the actors are extraordinary and the ending will leave you breathless. Don't miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM TERRIBLE DVD DON'T BUY IT!
Review: I've waited a long time for the DVD to this great film. The DVD is a very poor transfer from a scratched dirty print with Chinese subtitles. Amazon should list the fact that this is a Hong Kong import and the viewer cannot get rid of the subtitles since they are on the transferred print.Wait for a domestic version of this DVD and avoid this import! I will be returning my disc ASAP.
Rating:
Summary: Reality In Your Face
Review: I watched this movie in my sociology class and it made me open my eyes to a life I was completely unfamiliar with. The acting is so powerful that I almost forgot it was just a movie. Anything that could possibily disturb someone is in this film. I give my praises to the writer for bringing the experiences of Maori life to the eyes of unsuspecting viewers. It's a shame that too many people miss out on movies like this because they are never Oscar nominees. Even though this film is very unsettling, there isn't a person in this world that I wouldn't recommend it to. It's definetly a story that will leave a lasting impression with me.
Rating:
Summary: Run from this import version on DVD!!!!
Review: This just happens to be one of my favorite films. I own a VHS copy and its incredible. The import DVD has scratches. This is a very poor transfer. Also the DVD doesn't allow you to get rid of the Chinese characters which are totally annoying. I will be sending this DVD back to amazon. Theres no actors bio or any extras. Shame on Amazon's quality control department to allow them to sell such a substandard product.
Rating:
Summary: A Mistake By the Academy
Review: I saw Once Were Warriors one night on a whim after the film I wanted to see was sold out. Rena Owen's performance in the film is the BEST I have ever seen in my life on film. She is so powerful. Her inner strength in the role makes the film so riveting. I bought a copy of the film as soon as it came out a few years ago. I have watched it over 50 times. I must admit that it brings me to tears everytime I see it. The cast is so powerful, true to life, and scary. Rena Owen truly was overlooked for an Oscar for Best Actress. Jake is so scary that you will hate him and feel sorry for him. Out of my top ten list of favorite films, Once Were Warriors is Number 1 on my list. I definitely recommend this film to anyone that appreciates exquisite writing, phenomenal acting, and a film that will enrage you, touch you, and make you cry and think. The Academy Awards of 1995 should have given Oscars to this film for: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay! Out of 5 stars, I give this film a million!
Rating:
Summary: ONCE WERE WARRIORS
Review: I SAW THIS FILM WHEN IT CAME OUT,IT IS ONE OF ONLY TWO MOVIES I HAVE SEEN WHERE EVERYONE WAS VERY QUIET DURING THE RUNNING OF THIS FILM,THE OTHER ONE BEING SCHINDLERS LIST.I HAVE LONG SAID TO A GREAT MANY PEOPLE IF NEW ZEALAND HAD THE MONEY WE WOULD BLOW HOLLYWOOD AWAY.TOO MUCH MONEY IS SPENT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS THESE DAYS AND NOT ENOUGH ON STORYLINES.I UNDERSTAND THAT IN AMERICA WHEN THIS FILM WAS RELEASED NOT MANY MOVIE HOUSES WOULD SHOW IT,TO REAL LIFE. I HARDLY WATCH THE OSCARS THESE DAYS AS I THINK MOVIES LIKE THIS SHOULD WALK AWAY WITH ALL THE AWARDS.
Rating: 
Summary: Brutal and uncompromising
Review: I thought I'd seen some disturbing films, but nothing prepared me for this. A social awareness movie as hardcore as it gets, this is a truly bleak and sobering depiction of a Mowrai community in New Zealand on the edge of disintegration. The film follows one family in which the father is an alcoholic who can barely hold down a decent job and thinks nothing of taking his frustrations out on his wife. The sons, meanwhile, have either joined gangs or are involved in skirmishes with the local authorities. The daughter's talent at writing and reading, the only ray of hope in a devastated family, passes unacknowledged by those around her until she decides to take her future into her own hands...There are no attempts here to couch the violence in Tarantino-esque post-modern designer chic, just a truly honest and brutally unflinching account of a community with their backs against the wall. The film's extreme scenes of wife beating, violence and rape make it almost unbearable to watch in places; emotionally, it packs a punch quite unlike anything else around. Ocassionally it's harrowing dynamics push the film slightly too far; judge the appeal for yourself.
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Summary: ''ONCE WERE WARRIORS IS THE BEST''
Review: ''ONCE WERE WARRIORS'' IS ONE OF THE BEST MAORI MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN... THE MAORI HEKE FAMILY,WHO HAVE LEFT THEIR RURAL NEW ZEALAND ROOTS TO LIVE IN THE CITY. FEISTY MOM BETH (OWEN) IS STRUGGLING WITH FIVE KIDS AND VOLATILE HUBBY JAKE (HEKE), WHO'S CONTINUOSLY OUT OF WORK BOOZING, AND FIGHTING. ELDEST SON NIG (ARAHANGA) HAS LEFT HOME TO JOIN A GANG, AND THE REST OF THE KIDS HATE JAKE FOR BEATING UP ON THEIR MOTHER THEY ALSO FALL VICTIM TO HIS TEMPER... BUT THE IS A ''ONE OF A KIND'' THIS IS ONE MOVIE THAT WILL STICK IN YOUR MIND FOREVER... TRUST ME, IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A GREAT MOVIE THIS IS IT...
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE LAST DECADE!!
Review: honestly, that statement is very true. i had heard about this film when,Siskel & Ebert, reviewed it on their show,and gave it 2 thumbs up! i saw a little and decided to see it. unfortunately,it was only playing in 1 or 2 theaters,and they were too far to go to,so i waited for the video release.(thank god for movie rentals! you get to see films you probably wouldn't see anywhere else,and they usually are BETTER than the major releases.) i am glad i saw it. it is one of the best films i had ever seen! the 3 main characters,(beth-played by Rena Owen,grace-played by Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell,and jake-UNFORGETTABLY PLAYED BY,Temuera Morrison) are so believable,you almost think you're peeking into their private lives. i know it's been said before,but,they all should have had OSCAR nominations. and i'll even go so far as to say,Temuera Morrison(jake),should have gotten one!! his performance was clearly the best performance by an actor that year.TRUST ME, this movie is an incredible piece of filmmaking. you even feel for jake somewhat, and that's hard to do when you play a role no one is supposed to like. PLEASE,if anyone goes to the video store and is looking for a great film. instead of checking out a movie that cost,$40,000,000 to make,and isn't even worth the price of a rental search for Once Were Warriors. i GUARANTEE you will not be disappointed.
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