Bolt (voice of Travolta) is a celebrity dog and the star of a hit TV show where his amazing feats and powers draw big ratings. But when a mail-room mix-up finds him roaming free on the streets of New York City, the wonder dog will have to learn to rely on his actual strengths -- as well as his new friends, an abandoned housecat and a starry-eyed hamster -- in order to find his way back home to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of Cyrus).
Buzz:
Disney's latest morality tale sort of sounds heaps better than, say, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but way less interesting as the Monsters Vs. Aliens teaser trailer that popped up online earlier this week. Hmm, what else to say? Well, Travolta is nowhere near as creepy to look at here than he was in Wild Hogs and Hairspray. Good luck to Ms. Miley Cyrus in her voice-role debut; she might be barely audible among the presence of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" standout Sussie Essman -- listen for her to steal as many scenes as she's in, though she'll have to keep her language family-friendly here.
In her new town of Forks, Washington, misfit teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) falls for her alluring and mysterious classmate, Edward Cullen (Pattinson). As it turns out, Edward belongs to a lineage of vampires, although he doesn't fit the typical vampire mold. As their passion reaches dizzying heights, can Edward resist his natural urges, and will he be able to defend Bella from his family members who have come for her?
Buzz:
In terms of movies, 2008 will be remembered as the year superheroes went truly mainstream and, separately, the industry realized that female and gay male audiences are a neglected demographic. But what about the younger generation -- more specifically, teenage girls? Has any studio been able to figure out what they want, aside from Hannah Montana? Enter Catherine Hardwicke's adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's first novel, a project that first captured our interest very early this year when Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward), and a handful of their castmates took over our STARmeter chart, well in advance of any available footage from the production. The hype reached its first apex at Comic-Con, when the movie's panel earned Beatlemania comparisons from aging journalists who covered their ears as the teen girls and their "Twilight Moms" made the event more of a freak-out and less of a presentation. It's always tricky to predict if Internet buzz will turn into box-office gold (or, in this case, crimson) but I will say this: If the mother-daughter duos turn out for opening weekend (which was pushed up from mid-December to pre-Thanksgiving once Harry Potter decided to hide until 2009), Twilight could trump some higher-profile holiday movies, powered by repeat audiences, and send competing studios rushing off to optioned like-minded novels. Stephenie Meyer is keeping a blog on the movie's progress, so you might want to bookmark it as your destination for all things vamp as the release date draws near.
Metermaid Les Franken (Rapaport) has an unexpected reaction to the anti-depressant he's taking as part of a clinical trial; suddenly convinced he's a superhero, he embraces his new powers, dons a homemade costume, and hits the streets to protect the citizens of his city. the corporation behind the pill, fearing bad publicity about their drug, set out to bring down our hero, who in turn hones his abilities to fight off his new arch-nemeses.
Buzz:
This one has been around since '06, but Magnet Films has saved it from DVD obscurity as part of their Six Shooter Film Series. You can bank on an ace performance from go-to character actor Michael Rappaport (who is sadly un-super-famous), but reviewers say prepare for a tonal shift that steers the story away from its comedic beginning and into murky, paranoid territory. Is that a good or bad thing? Either way: It sounds better than Hancock to me.
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The Flintstones (DVD) Review
Turning the television world flat on its head, The Flintstones became the first animated hit series in prime time history. Set in the Stone Age town of Bedrock, the show explored the lives of ancient cave dwellers through the lens of a modern lifestyle, with bird beaks acting as phonograph needles, elephant trunks as vacuum cleaners, and fireflies as light bulbs. With its measured use of top-grade humor and clever visuals, The Flintstones became an instant smash hit - spawning decades of syndicated re-runs, spin-offs, and thousands of derivative products?
Loosely modeled after the hit show The Honeymooners, The Flintstones follows the lives of burly loudmouth Fred Flintstone (who has a heart of gold) and his wife Wilma (who puts up with him). The couple lives next door to best friends Barney and Betty Rubble, and they have a dog (a dinosaur) named Dino to keep them company. Following in the footsteps of shows such as I Love Lucy, the show's characters are always inventing hair-brained schemes, attempting to cover up little white lies, or engaging in some other form of behavior bound to get them in trouble. The Flintstones also features numerous cameo appearances parodying famous personalities from the early-sixties? In the show's later years, each couple would add a child to the mix with Fred & Wilma having Pebbles (a little girl) and Barney & Betty adopting Bamm-Bamm (a little boy)?
The Flintstones DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "The Flintstone Flyer" in which Fred pretends to be sick so he and Barney can get out of going to the opera with Wilma and Betty. Escaping in their Stone Age helicopter, the two go bowling, but it isn't long before Barney spills the beans on what they really did? Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "The Swimming Pool" in which Fred and Barney build a pool together only to have it strain their friendship, and "Hollyrock, Here I Come" in which Betty and Wilma win a trip to Hollyrock as a television game show prize?
Below is a list of episodes included on The Flintstones (Season 1) DVD:
Episode 1 (The Flintstone Flyer) Air Date: 09-30-1960 Episode 2 (Hot Lips Hannigan) Air Date: 10-07-1960 Episode 3 (The Swimming Pool) Air Date: 10-14-1960 Episode 4 (No Help Wanted) Air Date: 10-21-1960 Episode 5 (The Split Personality) Air Date: 10-28-1960 Episode 6 (The Monster from the Tar Pits) Air Date: 11-04-1960 Episode 7 (The Babysitters) Air Date: 11-11-1960 Episode 8 (At the Races) Air Date: 11-18-1960 Episode 9 (The Engagement Ring) Air Date: 11-25-1960 Episode 10 (Hollyrock, Here I Come) Air Date: 12-02-1960 Episode 11 (The Golf Champion) Air Date: 12-09-1960 Episode 12 (The Sweepstakes Ticket) Air Date: 12-16-1960 Episode 13 (The Drive-in) Air Date: 12-23-1960 Episode 14 (The Prowler) Air Date: 12-30-1960 Episode 15 (The Girls Night Out) Air Date: 01-06-1961 Episode 16 (Arthur Quarry's Dance Class) Air Date: 01-13-1961 Episode 17 (The Big Bank Robbery) Air Date: 01-20-1961 Episode 18 (The Snorkasaurus Hunter) Air Date: 01-27-1961 Episode 19 (The Hot Piano) Air Date: 02-03-1961 Episode 20 (The Hypnotist) Air Date: 02-10-1961 Episode 21 (Love Letters on the Rocks) Air Date: 02-17-1961 Episode 22 (The Tycoon) Air Date: 02-24-1961 Episode 23 (The Astra' Nuts) Air Date: 03-04-1961 Episode 24 (The Long, Long Weekend) Air Date: 03-10-1961 Episode 25 (In the Dough) Air Date: 03-17-1961 Episode 26 (The Good Scout) Air Date: 03-24-1961 Episode 27 (Rooms for Rent) Air Date: 03-31-1961 Episode 28 (Fred Flintstone: Before and After) Air Date: 04-07-1961
Britt Gillette is author of <a href="http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com">The DVD Report</a>, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of <a href="http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/flintstones-dvd.html">The Flintstones (DVD)</a>. Read more at:http://www.ArticlePros.com/arts_and_entertainment/movie_reviews/article-17767.html.