Lorna Doone

Rating:
Summary: Epic tale in the footsteps of Romeo and Juliet--with a twist
Review: Set in the beautiful valleys of England, this A&E original movie is both gripping, elegant and poetic in its screenplay. It follows the story of Lorna, part of the family of feared and much-hated Doones, and John Ridd, an honest farmer, as they fall in love and struggle to overcome in the shadow of the hate that exists between their families. Based off the book by Richard Blackmore, the movie contains excellent action sequences, non-stop adventure and unexpected twists in plot that will leave you aghast and enthralled. And if that does not interest you, Lorna Doone is a must-see for its historical observation of English life and times during the period of the Monmouth rebellion, and it's enduring theme that, ultimately, love conquers social status, prejudice, and even family secrets long concealed.

Rating:
Summary: Heart warming
Review: Star crossed lovers..... hmmmm? Remind you of some famous Shakespeare play? Yes, Lorna Doone reminds me of the ever popular Romeo and Juliet. Though it is set in England, circa 16th/ 17th century, Lorna warms the heart the way only a few movies do. John witnesses the murder of his father, assinated by the notorious Doones, and vows to hate them for the rest of his days. One day, he meets young Lorna, who tells him never to return. Until years later, he doesn't. He goes back and falls in love with her. Amelia Warner is marvelous in the title role. Watch this Movie! Read the Book! You WILL become hooked on LORNA DOONE.

Rating:
Summary: Very Mediocre
Review: The script was overwraught, the direction was predictable. Even the casting was a bit wobbly. Aiden Gillen was enjoyably evil as the villain, Carver Doone, and Jack Shepherd and Anthony Calf are always good. But I found Richard Coyle made for a pretty lifeless hero, and while I think Amelia Warner is a good actress (see Quills) I thought she seemed far too smooth and polished for someone brought up with the likes of Carver. It would have been more fun if she'd had just a little bit more spirit. The film dragged on far longer than was necessary, and was generally not cohesive.

Rating:
Summary: Worth a look
Review: There is a quiet charm to this movie, it worms its way into your subconscious and even as you sit there watching and mentally making notes of all the inconsistencies (not to mention all the predictable clichés and resolutions) it still manages to entertain you so that you just don't care after a while.

The actors manage to rise above the mediocre treatment of the material --the editing seems choppy at times and the continuity suffers because of it-- nevertheless it is a solid couple of hours of entertainment, and I'm sure highly enjoyable to hopeful romantics everywhere.

The DVD itself is nothing special. No special features at all. The image and sound are good but the frame froze a few times during transitional scenes. I don't know if this is because of my DVD player or the disk itself. Overall, it is a worthy addition to any A&E/BBC collection.

Rating:
Summary: Great Entertainment!
Review: This dvd was worth the purchase and worth the viewing time! Truly enjoyable entertainment!

Rating:
Summary: Fun Romance
Review: This isn't a great epic, and it may have a few holes, but it's great fun! Funny and romantic, Lorna Doone is set in late 1600's England. John Ridd, who has a wonderful smile, hates the outlaws the Doones that plunder villiages and murder innocent people, including his father. As fate would have it, he meets a beautiful young Lorna, who also has a brilliant smile. They immediately fall in love. When John finds out she is a Doone, in fact, the QUEEN of them, it is too late for him. He is already too deep in her spell. He plans on rescuing her from the terrible home she has, but Carver Doone messes everything up. He has always been destined to be Lorna's husband, and he won't let some farmer's boy take his obsession away from him. He is personally my favorite character played by Aidan Gillen, even though it is a kind of corny part. The music and the scenery are breathtakingly beautiful in this classic swashbuckling romance.

Rating:
Summary: This movie is fantastic!
Review: This movie was just great! I was a little hesitant when I bought it , but I bought in based on amazon's reviews and it was worth it! It has action, intrigue, secrets and romance. It is worth having in any home DVD collection.

Rating:
Summary: Superb Production by A & E
Review: This superb BBC/A & E production filmed in the English and Welsh countryside, is a haunting adventure and touching love story. The story line is quite a complex one and although it turns out happily, it keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the very end. In fact you might want to keep a box of kleenexes handy! John Ridd's father was killed by the outlaw Doones when John was a boy, and his life complicates further when he falls in love with the Lorna, a member of this this evil family. The journey to find some way to be together is a theme throughout the movie. I did have to watch the movie for a second time before I completely grasped the many background details that motivated the characters. The romantic chemistry between handsome Richard Coyle and classic beauty Amelia Warner took my breath away. It's the best love story I've seen in a while and it contains so many beautiful scenes that I will want to watch over and over again. The movie has many contrasts such as the beautiful English/Welsh countryside - the dark and forboding scenes with the Doones, the ruthless and evilness of Carver - the extreme goodness of John Ridd. During the darker scenes there is a fair amount of killing and violence and so in my opinion the movie is most appropriate for mature pre-teens to adults. It is just over 2 hours and 20 minutes in length and so I was somewhat disappointed to find that the DVD contains only 14 chapters. The soundtrack is beautiful as well, but I believe that at this time it is not available to purchase. In closing, I would just like to say that I think this is a gripping story and I would highly recommend this movie. It really has something for everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Superb Production by A & E
Review: This superb BBC/A & E production filmed in the English and Welsh countryside, is a haunting adventure and touching love story. The story line is quite a complex one and although it turns out happily, it keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the very end. In fact you might want to keep a box of kleenexes handy! John Ridd's father was killed by the outlaw Doones when John was a boy, and his life complicates further when he falls in love with the Lorna, a member of this this evil family. The journey to find some way to be together is a theme throughout the movie. I did have to watch the movie for a second time before I completely grasped the many background details that motivated the characters. The romantic chemistry between handsome Richard Coyle and classic beauty Amelia Warner took my breath away. It's the best love story I've seen in a while and it contains so many beautiful scenes that I will want to watch over and over again. The movie has many contrasts such as the beautiful English/Welsh countryside - the dark and forboding scenes with the Doones, the ruthless and evilness of Carver - the extreme goodness of John Ridd. During the darker scenes there is a fair amount of killing and violence and so in my opinion the movie is most appropriate for mature pre-teens to adults. It is just over 2 hours and 20 minutes in length and so I was somewhat disappointed to find that the DVD contains only 14 chapters. The soundtrack is beautiful as well, but I believe that at this time it is not available to purchase. In closing, I would just like to say that I think this is a gripping story and I would highly recommend this movie. It really has something for everyone.

Rating:
Summary: So This is Where the Cookie got its Name
Review: Two hours of viewing, and no sign of any cookies, much less "Lorna Doone" cookies. But there are compensations for this omission. For instance, the law and justice scenes are probably accurate for this time in England, and suggest why the Founders of the United States made sure to write procedural due process into our bill of rights, and later into our 14th Amendment.

The key action sequence starts when Lorna's rescuer is sentenced to death, to be commuted if he goes and cleans out the pro-protestant Doone clan, before they can link up with Monmouth in his bid to succeed to the British throne, and displace the Catholics. This incentive is enough, and the Doones are destroyed.

This is very interesing, and at times even gripping, even if "English literature" types of costume-intensive British dramas have given this category of film a stilted, boring reputation.