title: X-Men 1.5 function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();�<br> studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen release year: 2000 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture: Five Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein “X-Men” was an engrossing big-screen experience that was previously released on DVD in 2000 (it had opened theatrically earlier in the year) in a very well-made edition that was nevertheless somewhat sparse in the special features department. Now we have “X-Men 1.5,” a double-disc special edition that has a DTS 5.1 sound option for audiophiles and director audio commentary and literally hours of behind-the-scenes material for “X-Men”-philes.

title: Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();�<br> studio: Paramount Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Noah Taylor, Ciaran Hinds release year: 2003 film rating: Three Stars sound/picture: Three-and-a-Half Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” – sequel to “Lara Croft Tomb Raider,” which is in turn based on a hugely successful videogame – is a more enjoyable popcorn movie than its predecessor, albeit still not exactly an ideal representative of its species. “Tomb” has tons of stunts, special effects, gorgeous and charismatic cast members of both genders and fabulous locations, and Dean Georgaris’ script, from a story by Steven E. de Souza and James V. Hart, never gets bogged down in exposition. It even has some cool mythological resonance – but this is also where “Cradle” starts to fall, because its key reference to primal horror trips over itself before it has a chance to scare us.

title: The Adventures Of Indiana Jones Trilogy function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); studio: Paramount Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG, PG, PG-13 starring: Harrison Ford, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliot, Sean Connery, Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw, Alison Doody, Paul Freeman, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Julian Glover, Ke Huy Quan and River Phoenix. release year: 1981, 1984, 1989 film rating: Four-and-a-Half Stars sound/picture: Four Stars reviewed by: Paul Lingas At last, producer George Lucas has allowed some of his films to be put on to DVD. Everyone has reason to be happy with the results, as these transfers are among the most pristine I have ever seen for a restored film. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” especially stands out, since it is a 22-year-old film whose colors and contrast leap off the screen. There is nary a speck of dust on any of the negatives and digital enhancement has been further used to clear up any flaws that might have accumulated over the years. It’s nicer than some recent films that ...

title: The Italian Job function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); studio: Paramount Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, Franky G, Donald Sutherland release year: 2003 film rating: Three-and-a-Half Stars sound/picture: Three-and-a-Half Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein The original 1969 “The Italian Job” is considered by many to be a classic of the crime-caper genre, lighthearted subdivision. This reviewer is embarrassed to admit to having seen only the climax, which has a fantastic chase sequence – something the new version has a few of – and a literal cliffhanger ending, which is not the case here.

title: A Man Apart function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();�<br> studio: New Line Home Entertainment MPAA rating: 2003 starring: Vin Diesel, Larenz Tate, Timothy Olyphant, Geno Silva, Jacqueline Obradors, and Steve Eastin release year: 2003 film rating: Two Stars sound/picture: Two Stars reviewed by: Paul Lingas This shoot-‘em-up-while-trying-to-be-sensitive vehicle for Vin Diesel fails on many fronts, mostly because it can’t quite decide what tone to adopt. The script seems to have come out of a cookie cutter with obvious and unnecessary plot twists, the acting is uneven and there are too many bad guys with not enough personality to make the ending satisfying. Too many movies these days employ what have come to be known as alternate extended endings, where when you think the movie is over, it really isn’t. This can work sometimes, but too often it feels anticlimactic, just like it does here.