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DVD REVIEW FOR
"VANILLA SKY"

(2001) (Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz) (R)

Length Screen Format(s) Languages Subtitles Sound Sides
135 minutes Letterbox (1.85:1)
16x9 - Widescreen
English
French
English Dolby Digital 5.1 1

PLOT & PARENTAL REVIEW

AUDIO/VIDEO ELEMENTS:
Not as good as one might expect and/or hope for a big budget film, the picture quality here is marred by occasional instances of rather obvious pixelation on solid sections of certain scenes, particularly walls, where such surfaces seem alive and/or crawling with some sort of infestation. Beyond that, the disc sports a sharp and rich looking image, with decent amounts of detail and color reproduction. Regarding the audio track, the score and included songs all sound terrific, with various spatial and surround effects (wind, music and even some dialogue) nicely being used to add to the surreal, nightmarish aura the filmmakers are trying to achieve.
EXTRAS:
  • Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
  • Running audio commentary by director Cameron Crowe and composer Nancy Wilson.
  • Prelude to a Dream - 6+ minute segment about the film and its production, including clips from it, behind the scenes footage and stills, and various interviews.
  • Hitting it Hard - 10+ minute look at promoting the film.
  • An Interview with Paul McCartney (1+ minute).
  • Music Video: Leftfield/Afrika Bambaataa "Afrika Shox."
  • 8 Photo Galleries with an audio introduction by photographer Neal Preston.
  • Unreleased Teaser Trailer along with the International Trailer.
  • Credits for the DVD and its special features.
  • COMMENTS:
    When it comes to competition and/or the need and desire to succeed, it seems to be part of human nature to imitate, borrow or steal from others' successful or well-received efforts. Whether it's a school project, corporate product or service, or some entertainment based effort, if it's successful in one way or another, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone will copy or imitate it for his or her own gain.

    That certainly holds true for Hollywood where most any successful picture creates a host of similarly themed copycat films or remakes when it comes to those produced in foreign lands. The latest victim of such theft is Alejandro Amenábar, the writer/director of films such as "The Others" and "Tesis." In 1997, he directed the fascinating "Abre Los Ojos," the time-jumping and disorienting tale of a disfigured man accused of committing a crime he doesn't remember that was later released in the U.S. with the English title "Open Your Eyes."

    Although the picture clearly wasn't a runaway hit stateside, it did receive glowing reviews from critics and movie enthusiasts who loved the film's edgy style and wild plot. Thus, it was deemed a desirable project and the Hollywood types swept in and grabbed the rights to what's now being released as "Vanilla Sky."

    Written and directed by Cameron Crowe - based on Amenábar and Mateo Gil's original screenplay - and starring Tom Cruise, the film closely follows the basic gist of the original, but obviously arrives with a bigger budget look, various Americanized particulars, and some differences in character traits.

    The result is a decent film that isn't as good, thrilling or haunting as the original, but should still mesmerize viewers unfamiliar with Amenábar's version, which probably amounts to around 99.9% of domestic viewers.

    Perhaps it was due to being familiar with the first effort and thus knowing how the plot was going to play out, but this effort simply didn't blow me away as did "Abre Los Ojos." While stylistically shot by Crowe ("Almost Famous," "Jerry Maguire") and cinematographer John Toll ("Captain Corelli's Mandolin," "The Thin Red Line"), and certainly sporting a cast worthy of the adjective "eye candy" - with Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz joining the man with the $20 million smile - the execution of the story here just doesn't have the same spark that made the first film so memorable.

    Like its predecessor, the fun of this one is supposed to stem from its ever-twisting story where various dreams and the time-jumping plotline keep the viewer constantly guessing about what they're seeing. Seemingly inspired by the "what is reality" works of the likes of Philip K. Dick ("Total Recall") and the early efforts of Bruce Joel Rubin ("Jacob's Ladder"), the plot is convoluted but not distractingly so, and contains an ending that's supposed to blow viewers away.

    Yet, the revelation and corresponding explanations for everything are both too lengthy and verbose, and feel more contrived and forced than in the original film. The result of the superfluous explanatory elements is that the shock value is diminished, as the conclusion needlessly drags on, ultimately undermining what could and should have been an abrupt, but terrific finale.

    As far as the performances are concerned, they're generally good. No stranger to having to carry a film, Tom Cruise ("Mission: Impossible 2," "Magnolia") is decent as the troubled protagonist, but does better in the pre-accident, romantic playboy part than in the rest where he has to mix part "Phantom of the Opera," part "The Elephant Man" and some sci-fi together into a credible mix. With his personality suffocating behind the mask, Cruise does better once revealed once again - despite the disfigurement - but doesn't quite make the character as sympathetic as he should have been.

    Jason Lee ("Heartbreakers," "Almost Famous") is good as his "I'll always come in second" friend, while Cameron Diaz ("Charlie's Angels," "There's Something About Mary") nicely transitions from sexy friend to rapid stalker.

    Penelope Cruz ("Captain Corelli's Mandolin," "Blow") reprises her role from the first film and delivers what may be her best English speaking performance, no doubt helped by the palpable chemistry between her and Cruise. Meanwhile, Kurt Russell ("Soldier," "Breakdown") is solid as a sympathetic psychiatrist and Noah Taylor ("Almost Famous," "Shine") has some fun with a smaller, bit part.

    If you want to see a great version of this story, go out and rent "Abre Los Ojos" ("Open Your Eyes"). If you prefer your entertainment a bit whitewashed but with huge budgets, even bigger stars and no subtitles, you could certainly do worse than what this film offers. It's just too bad that the remake doesn't possess the same spark or eerie quality that the first film exuded with less effort. In the end, it's decent, but not great and certainly isn't convincing enough to warrant remaking the original.

    Vanilla Sky is now available for purchase by clicking here .

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