Posts Tagged ‘epic’

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Genres: Action | Drama | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Hanks, Tom | Sizemore, Tom | Burns, Edward | Pepper, Barry | Goldberg, Adam | Diesel, Vin | Ribisi, Giovanni | Davies, Jeremy | Damon, Matt | Danson, Ted | Giamatti, Paul | Farina, Dennis | Stadler, Joerg | Martini, Steven | Bruno, Dylan
Directors: Spielberg, Steven
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Opening with the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion under Cpt. Miller fight ashore to secure a beachhead. Amidst the fighting, two brothers are killed in action. Earlier in New Guinea, a third brother is KIA. Their mother, Mrs. Ryan, is to receive all three of the grave telegrams on the same day. The United States Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, is given an opportunity to alleviate some of her grief when he learns of a fourth brother, Private James Ryan, and decides to send out 8 men (Cpt. Miller and select members from 2nd Rangers) to find him and bring him back home to his mother…

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

Monday, March 17th, 2008
Genres: Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Countries: USA
Actors: Banderas, Antonio | Hayek, Salma | Depp, Johnny | Rourke, Mickey | Mendes, Eva | Trejo, Danny | Iglesias, Enrique | Leonardi, Marco | Marin, Cheech | Blades, Rubén | Dafoe, Willem | Vigil, Gerardo | Armendáriz Jr., Pedro | Mechoso, Julio Oscar | Larriva, Tito
Directors: Rodriguez, Robert
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A drug lord who pretends to overthrow the Mexican government. A corrupt CIA agent (Johnny Depp) who at that time, demands retribution from his worst enemy to carry out the drug lord’s uprising against the government.

Hero (2002)

Friday, March 14th, 2008
Genres: Action | Adventure | Drama
Countries: China | Hong Kong
Actors: Li, Jet | Leung Chiu Wai, Tony | Cheung, Maggie | Zhang, Ziyi | Chen, Daoming | Yen, Donnie | Yuan, Liu Zhong | Yong, Zheng Tia | Qin, Yan | Xiao Yang, Chang | Ya Kun, Zhang | Hua, Ma Wen | Ming, Jin | Hua, Xu Kuang | Xin, Wang Shou
Directors: Zhang, Yimou
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In ancient China, before the reign of the first emperor, warring factions throughout the Six Kingdoms plot to assassinate the most powerful ruler, Qin. When a minor official defeats Qin’s three principal enemies, he is summoned to the palace to tell Qin the story of his surprising victory.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Friday, March 14th, 2008
Genres: Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi
Countries: USA
Actors: Hamill, Mark | Ford, Harrison | Fisher, Carrie | Williams, Billy Dee | Daniels, Anthony | Prowse, David | Mayhew, Peter | Baker, Kenny | Oz, Frank | Guinness, Alec | Bulloch, Jeremy | Hollis, John | Purvis, Jack | Webb, Des | Revill, Clive
Directors: Kershner, Irvin
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The story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and the others didn’t end with the destruction of the Death Star - it continues in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Imperial forces have since driven the Rebels to hide on the ice world Hoth. But even on such an icy, backwater world, they cannot escape the wicked Darth Vader’s eye for long, and he devastates the Rebel base in an assault with the horrible AT-AT walkers. Luke flees to Dagobah to begin Jedi Knight training with Yoda, while Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia and C-3PO run the blockade of Imperial Star Destroyers in the Millenium Falcon. The Imperials pursue them across the galaxy and eventually catch up with them at Bespin. Now Darth Vader plans to use them as bait to lure Luke Skywalker to him, and turns Han Solo over to Boba Fett as a prize to be delivered to crime lord Jabba the Hutt. Luke learns a terrible family secret after losing a swordfight with Vader. Will he - and the others - escape the Empire’s clutches?

Troy (2004)

Thursday, October 4th, 2007
Genres: Action | Drama | History | Romance
Countries: Malta | UK | USA
Actors: Glover, Julian | Cox, Brian | Jones, Nathan | Maropis, Adoni | Smith, Jacob | Pitt, Brad | Shrapnel, John | Gleeson, Brendan | Kruger, Diane | Bana, Eric | Bloom, Orlando | Svegler, Siri | Barat, Lucie | Bones, Ken | Cauchi, Manuel
Directors: Petersen, Wolfgang
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It is the year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age. Two emerging nations begin to clash after Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnom to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. So they set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy. With the help of Achilles, the Greeks are able to fight the never before defeated Trojans. But they come to a stop by Hector, Prince of Troy. The whole movie shows their battle struggles, and the foreshadowing of fate in this remake by Wolfgang Petersen of Homer’s “The Iliad.”

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Genres: Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Countries: USA
Actors: Schwarzenegger, Arnold | Jones, James Earl | von Sydow, Max | Bergman, Sandahl | Davidson, Ben | Gava, Cassandra | Lopez, Gerry | Mako | Quennessen, Valérie | Smith, William | Barboo, Luis | Columbu, Franco | Foldvary, Leslie | Herman, Gary | Holmey, Erik
Directors: Milius, John
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A barbarian trained in the arts of war joins with thieves in a quest to solve the riddle of steel and find the sorcerer responsible for the genocide of his people in this faithful adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s sword and sorcery adventures. This film briefly sparked a wave of fantasy films including the sequel, Conan the Destroyer, in the early 80s.

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Sunday, May 6th, 2007
Genres: Action | Drama | History | War
Countries: Germany | Spain
Actors: Hancock, Martin | Green, Eva | Sheen, Michael | Gleeson, Brendan | Cox, Nathalie | Irons, Jeremy | Norton, Edward | Ebouaney, Eriq | Ahola, Jouko | Thewlis, David | Neeson, Liam | Glenister, Philip | Bloom, Orlando | Webb, Bronson | McKidd, Kevin | Coster-Waldau, Nikolaj | Robertson, Steven | Csokas, Marton | Siddig, Alexander
Directors: Scott, Ridley
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It is the time of the Crusades during the Middle Ages - the world shaping 200-year collision between Europe and the East. A blacksmith named Balian has lost his family and nearly his faith. The religious wars raging in the far-off Holy Land seem remote to him, yet he is pulled into that immense drama. Amid the pageantry and intrigues of medieval Jerusalem he falls in love, grows into a leader, and ultimately uses all his courage and skill to defend the city against staggering odds. Destiny comes seeking Balian in the form of a great knight, Godfrey of Ibelin, a Crusader briefly home to France from fighting in the East. Revealing himself as Balian’s father, Godfrey shows him the true meaning of knighthood and takes him on a journey across continents to the fabled Holy City. In Jerusalem at that moment–between the Second and Third Crusades–a fragile peace prevails, through the efforts of its enlightened Christian king, Baldwin IV, aided by his advisor Tiberias, and the military restraint of the legendary Muslim leader Saladin. But Baldwin’s days are numbered, and strains of fanaticism, greed, and jealousy among the Crusaders threaten to shatter the truce. King Baldwin’s vision of peace–a kingdom of heaven–is shared by a handful of knights, including Godfrey of Ibelin, who swear to uphold it with their lives and honor. As Godfrey passes his sword to his son, he also passes on that sacred oath: to protect the helpless, safeguard the peace, and work toward harmony between religions and cultures, so that a kingdom of heaven can flourish on earth. Balian takes the sword and steps into history.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Sunday, May 6th, 2007
Genres: Action | Drama | Romance | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Affleck, Ben | Hartnett, Josh | Beckinsale, Kate | Gooding Jr., Cuba | Voight, Jon | Baldwin, Alec | Sizemore, Tom | Scott, William Lee | Zola, Greg | Bremner, Ewen | King, Jaime | Kellner, Catherine | Garner, Jennifer | Rue, Sara | Shannon, Michael
Directors: Bay, Michael
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The above summaries do a great job of describing the dynamics of the love triangle that develops between the two pilots that fall in love with the same nurse. The movie also does a credible job of displaying the war from the American side with FDR and our side. It also shows the strategy of Japan as they plan for and execute all facets of the attack on Pearl Harbor. While all details may not be historically correct, I believe that they do the job well - all things considered. Historic events that were altered were probably done so in an attempt to also make this movie the entertaining epic that it is.

Alexander (2004)

Saturday, May 5th, 2007
Genres: Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | War
Countries: France | Germany | Netherlands | UK | USA
Actors: Leto, Jared | Hopkins, Anthony | Farrell, Colin | Bedella, David | Kamm, Jessie | Jolie, Angelina | Kilmer, Val | O'Shaughnessy, Fiona | Paolo, Connor | Carroll, Patrick | Blessed, Brian | Williamson, Peter | Ferris, Morgan Christopher | Earley, Robert | Gordon, Aleczander | Plummer, Christopher | Stretch, Gary
Directors: Stone, Oliver
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Alexander (Farrell), the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians he leads his Army across the then known world venturing further than any Westerner had ever gone all the way to India.

Munich (2005)

Saturday, May 5th, 2007
Genres: Crime | Drama | History | Thriller
Countries: USA
Actors: Bana, Eric | Craig, Daniel | Hinds, Ciarán | Kassovitz, Mathieu | Zischler, Hanns | Zorer, Ayelet | Rush, Geoffrey | Almagor, Gila | Lonsdale, Michael | Amalric, Mathieu | Bleibtreu, Moritz | Bruni Tedeschi, Valeria | Becker, Meret | Croze, Marie-Josée | Attal, Yvan
Directors:
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During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.