August Rush Reviews

7 Comments

1. Shannon Cassul

   September 27, 2010 at 8:05 pm

   Review by Shannon Cassul for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (+ BD-Live) [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   This is not a review of the movie, but rather of the poor job Warner Home Video has done with the Blu-ray video transfer. There are horizontal bands visible in various scenes throughout the movie. They are not constantly visible, but appear primarily in scenes where there are large areas of darkness – though of course that means they are visible in quite a few scenes of this very dark movie.
   
   The bands are not being produced by my player – I can see them on all three of my Blu-ray players, including my PS3 and two computers with Blu-ray drives. The bands are part of the image and are visible when the movie is freeze-framed.
   
   I recommend that those considering a purchase refrain from buying this disc until and unless a replacement is offered by Warner Home Video.
   
   I own over 200 Blu-ray discs, and this is the first time I have seen this issue on any transfer. It is obvious to me that this disc was mastered incorrectly.

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2. Midge

   September 27, 2010 at 7:37 pm

   Review by Midge for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (+ BD-Live) [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   I agree with Geoff. I love the Potter series and I love the movies… until this one. I was positively mortified and left hanging with a lifeless conclusion of an almost unrecognizable movie; butchered by Yates.

   While I realize things have to be omitted and trimmed for reasons of time and expense, there was no excuse for the butchering this Director Yates did to this movie. He didn’t trim… he decided to rewrite the entire book to his own version… as if he thought he could do a better job than a billionaire author? It had nothing to do with saving money either. Did it not occur to him that hundreds of millions of fans had already read the book and were expecting some semblance of similarity between the movie and the book? Did they think they would win brownie points with ANY of us by butchering our story? We don’t go to the Potter movies to see something different. We go to see a video version of the books we read because we enjoyed the books… not a hack job by some hack director trying to rewrite the series. Where the heck were the executive controls at WB who should have been watching what Yates was doing? And who did Yates blackmail to get the last 2 movies after what he did to this one? It certainly was not a case of talent on his part.

   I had to reread the book to make sure I didn’t miss something. The things this director did to butcher this movie did nothing to improve the story or save money and were completely unnecessary. We have to wonder if Yates ever bothered to read the books. I shudder to think what this poor excuse for a director will do to the final two movies. We’ll watch it because we have no choice… but I can guarantee, after the Potter films, I will never, ever watch another movie directed by Yates… ever again. I hope everyone else boycotts his future ambitions as well.

   Burning down the Weasley’s home… what purpose did that serve except to upset all of the fans? It was disrespectful like having someone spit on your family heirlooms. It did nothing to improve the movie or “move along” the progress of the movie. It had no useful purpose whatsoever and certainly did not please any of the movie fans and wasted the original Christmas scene… which would not have required as many expensive CGI’s as this distorted Yates version used.

   Same with the exclusion of the interaction with the Dursely’s and Dumbledore… so instead this terrible director has Harry hanging out in the underground metro diner hitting on some waitress while reading the daily profit out in the open… while Dumbledore appears outside the metro station dressed in his usual Wizard robes for all the muggles to see…. Not only was this totally in contradiction with the book, it served no useful purpose except to leave the entire audience wondering if they were watching the right movie. A dud of an opener.

   The exclusion of Kreacher and Harry’s inheriting Sirius’s home made no sense whatsoever. Kreacher is a big part of the final book.
   
   There is no semblance of a relationship between Harry and Ginny. That entire endeavor has fallen flat and nothing they can do will spark that part of the storyline now. There is zero magic between them. In fact, there is much more magic between Neville and Ginny than there is with Harry. Every relationship they have tried with Harry has been a dud. Hermione would have been the only one which might have worked.
   
   The relationship with Lavender and Ron was just terrible. Talk about “over acting!” They could have cut that part out and none of us would have missed it.
   
   Neville was almost nonexistent in the movie and that’s a shame. He adds a lot to the stories.
   
   Cutting out all of the storyline about Riddle’s family was cutting out the heart of why Voldemort is so obsessed about hating muggles and the hypocrisy of it.

   Then there was this ridiculous Yates version of the potions book. Like others have commented… Snape didn’t even react to Harry nearly killing Malfoy. He didn’t even act upset as he calmly healed Malfoy’s wounds… and unlike the book, Harry wasn’t even punished. Part of that punishment would have given Harry an insight as to how cruel his own father had been toward Snape.

   Yet, Yates completely changed the story where Harry put the book in the room of requirement with the Tiara on top of it… which is critical for the ending of the final book. It is substituted with some ridiculous scene with Ginny hiding the book… ending with a flat moment of meaningless intimacy.

   The worst moment of the movie by Yates is where Harry remained quietly below, watching while Dumbledore was being accosted and killed… where in the book, he had been paralyzed by Dumbledore and covered with his cloak so he could not interfere. I can’t see where changing this scene saved a single penny or a single moment of time. What it did was to be completely out of character for Harry to just stand there gaping while his mentor was killed. This was totally unpalatable for fans.

   Then, out of the blue, Snape declares himself to be the Half Blood Prince… when there wasn’t any reason given in the movie as to why Snape would even be aware that Harry was familiar with that name or the book… other than the fact that he had used one of his own spells on him… but there was no connecting storyline in the film that made his statement make any sense. It was just blurted totally out of context.

   The big let down was the ending. There was no ending. It just faded away without any climax or closure. It ended with a dud.

   I don’t know what WB is thinking… but they are allowing Yates to make enemies out of millions… hundreds of millions of fans. That is a huge fan base to upset just to protect some hack director who is butchering the most popular series of books ever published. I cannot imagine where their heads are… certainly not anywhere we can describe in public… Just like the idiots who cancelled Star Trek… a billion dollar franchise. Shallow thinking pitbulls who can’t leave a good thing alone… and then blame everyone but themselves when they shoot themselves in the foot.

   Yes… we go to the Harry Potter movies expecting to see what we read in the book with the understanding that they don’t have time to include everything. We do not go to the Harry Potter movies to see the story changed or rewritten.

   There is only one thing that all the fans would agree on having rewritten…. and that would be to use the resurrection stone to bring back Sirius, Dumbledore and everyone else who was killed in the series… including Harry’s parents and Snape. If WB and Yates want to change something… then change that! That is the one change we would welcome… and it might be enough to salvage WB’s reputation from this hack job they allowed to be perpetrated on our movie series.

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3. Christopher Omarah

   September 27, 2010 at 6:40 pm

   Review by Christopher Omarah for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (+ BD-Live) [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   I’ll leave it to others to discuss the sorry translation from novel to film. My WARNING is about the horrendous quality of the video. I saw the original in a theater, and this Blu-ray version is a sad mess of a transfer. Dark (yes, I know the movie is “dark”), soft, erratic quality. Most scenes dim and muddy with the rare, occasional cut to something bright and contrasty. I even attempted to adjust the viewing quality twice during playback and nothing made it better. This appears to be simply a bad job of mastering or duplication and this disc should be recalled without hesitation. I’ve haven’t seen video quality this poor since the early days of VHS.

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4. M. Potter

   September 27, 2010 at 6:17 pm

   Review by M. Potter for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (+ BD-Live) [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   Since I had to look elsewhere for DVD details (to decide whether to buy the 2-disc or one-disc film), I thought I’d post here:

   1-Disc Wide screen and Full Screen DVD

   *Includes both a wide screen and full screen version of the film.
   
   *No special features
   
   *RRP $28.98
   
   2-Disc Digital Copy Special Edition DVD

   *Widescreen version only
   
   *Additional scenes (6:31)
   
   *Close-Up with the Cast and Crew of Harry Potter special. Matthew Lewis (“Neville Longbottom”) and Alfred Enoch (“Dean Thomas”) lead us on an entertaining look at the cast of Harry Potter as they explore their interests away from acting and spend a day on set with the production team (28:30)
   
   *J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life: A fascinating and intimate look into the life of J.K. Rowling over the last year of writing “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” (49:32)
   
   *One Minute Drills: The cast has 60 seconds to describe their character’s personality, history, relationships and other traits before time runs out (6:43)
   
   *What’s On Your Mind: Hosted by Tom Felton, the cast is put on the spot when asked a series of rapid-fire questions on their likes and dislikes. (6:41)
   
   *Universal’s “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” Sneak Peek: Get an “inside look” at the amazing world of magic and excitement being created at Universal Orlando® Resort in Florida (11:38)
   
   *Digital Copy of the theatrical film (2nd disc)
   
   *RRP $34.99

   I can’t believe the negative reviews. I read the book and thought the filmmakers did a fantastic job with it. Anyone who wants a film to be an exact replica of any book should do themselves a favor and just read the book again. Am looking forward to enjoying it again (and again) on DVD.

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5. C.J. Darlington

   September 27, 2010 at 4:45 pm

   Review by C.J. Darlington for August Rush
   Rating:
   11-year-old Evan wants nothing more in life than to find his parents, or for them to find him. Labeled a freak by his fellow boys home residents it isn’t long before he finds himself on the streets of New York in search of the mother and father he never knew. Like a fish out of water, the sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps are at once overwhelming and intoxicating. In every thumping foot, squealing tire, barking dog and rattling chain he hears a rhythm. Music. Harmonics no one hears but him. He knows if he just follows the music somehow his parents will find him. What he doesn’t know is that his parents have no idea he exists.

   Ten years ago his mother, Lyla (Keri Russell), a gifted celoist, was a young prodigy herself when she met Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), the talented lead singer and guitarist for an Irish rock band. Immediately they share a bond, and their night together changes everything. Can the power of music bring this family of strangers back together again?

   Don’t let the somewhat un-inspiring title August Rush fool you. This movie is a heart-warming film with a rich narrative, visually diverse settings, and a lush original music score. Freddie Highmore’s spot-on performance as Evan, who soon takes up the moniker August Rush, immediately invokes our sympathy. We truly care what happens to this bright-eyed, innocent boy who hasn’t let himself become jaded by his harsh environment. (If he looks familiar it’s probably because of his Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Finding Neverland fame. He played the lead child roles in both.)

   But it’s not just Highmore who carries this movie. Every actor nails their role beautifully. Keri Russell (perhaps known best for the TV show Felicity) is a natural on the screen, skillfully bringing to life the character of Lyla both as a naive young woman and a passionate mother. Robin Williams’ supporting role as a music pimp to a brood of unwanted yet musically gifted children cinches that he can play the deeper roles right alongside his lighter comedy ones. You’ll also want to take notice of Terrence Howard’s performance as social worker Richard Jeffries, a man in the system who genuinely cares for the kids under his care but often finds his hands frustratingly tied.

   A few times suspension of disbelief is called for as August Rush is more about the fantastic than the realistic. It’s a little hard to believe Evan is able to play both the guitar and organ like a master (not to mention conduct an orchestra) without ever having seen or touched the instruments before in his life. But you really don’t mind. This movie has enough heart to carry it above and beyond those moments. Its portrayal of music’s magic, that powerful tug on the human heart and soul, sets it apart from your average film tackling the same subjects.

   Parents will appreciate the filmmaker’s tact in portraying Lyla and Louis’ one-night stand. No more than the beginnings of a passionate kiss are shown. A few swear words (h– and d–) probably aren’t appropriate for youngsters since several are uttered by children, but they really did have their place in showing you the hard existence of some of the street kids.

   August Rush reminds us that amidst the hardships there truly is some good left in this world. You’ll come away from this movie with a greater appreciation of music’s power, not to mention the power of love and family. Definitely worth seeing more than once.

   –Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk

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6. R. Kyle

   September 27, 2010 at 3:45 pm

   Review by R. Kyle for August Rush
   Rating:
   Some people hear the rhythm in a step, the strident beauty of a police siren, the whip of a powerline in the wind. Evan Taylor (Freddie Highmore) doesn’t get a decent night’s sleep in the orphanage because of it. His fellow inmates call him freak because he believes both his parents are living and they’ll come for him–if only he call out with the music that connects them.

   As he says, “I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales.” So, Evan decides after eleven years and some days to escape the orphanage and go find the music–and his parents.

   Even ends up in New York City with zero street smarts. He really doesn’t even know how to cross the road. A fortunate encounter puts him near Arthur (Leon G. Thomas III), a street busker his age who’s willing to help–for a price. Arthur introduces him to Wizard (Robin Williams) who gives musically talented street kids a place to stay in exchange for half their take. The Wizard quickly discovers that Evan, who he renames August Rush, is a prodigy and is making some plans for the lad.

   Meanwhile, we learn that Even’s mom Lyla Novacek (Kerri Russell) had only been with Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) one night. The Julliard educated cellist was in an accident while pregnant and her father decided to sign her name and give up her son–telling Lyla that he’d died. Instead of the stage career her father envisioned, Lyla mostly gave up music and taught–til Julliard called her for a special concert in Central Park.

   Louis has always longed for Lyla, the girl who got away. He gave up his music and became a manager. When he brings a girl to meet his family, they play a song he’d written for the band after Lyla’s departure from his life. He’s determined to find Lyla. When he believes she is married, he ends up in New York with no particular goals in mind except to find his music again.

   “August Rush” is just as much about the musical ties that bind us as the three people whose stories it tells. In my opinion, the best performances were the kids: Evan-August, Arthur and Hope (Jamia Simone Nash). This trio kept you captivated and cheering.

   Of course, the soundtrack is fabulous. You have Kaki King on the guitar as well as vocals from John Legend and John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting fame). I’m ordering the soundtrack tonight and I really don’t often like movie soundtracks well enough to order.

   I wasn’t the only person who’d give this film 5 stars. This is one of the rare films I’ve attended where many of the audience stood and applauded at the end. While this is a family film, I did notice that some of the younger children got restless and needed some explanation of what was going on.

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7. Chris Pandolfi

   September 27, 2010 at 3:06 pm

   Review by Chris Pandolfi for August Rush
   Rating:
   “August Rush” is a fairy tale. It doesn’t have princes, princesses, evil stepmothers, witches, or big bad wolves, but it’s a fairy tale nonetheless. And as such, it tells a story that resonates so strongly with its audience that it casts a magic spell. This movie is told in the language of music, and it exemplifies the harmonic connections between people, the rhythmic bonds that can never be broken in spite of distance and time. It’s also told in the language of faith, of the belief that love will indeed conquer all. No, this is not a realistic idea, but that’s not the point. Isn’t it nice that we have films like this to escape to when realism is bringing us down? Isn’t it wonderful when we find that one film that can raise our spirits? “August Rush” was that film for me, and I recommend it to anyone in need of a rejuvenating emotional boost.

   The film stars Freddie Highmore as an orphan named Evan Taylor, a quiet yet determined musical prodigy. He was born as the result of a chance encounter between two musicians: an Irish rock guitarist named Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and a classically trained American cellist named Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell). While living in New York City, they met and separated through twists of fate–Lyla’s controlling father (William Sadler) doesn’t take the news of her unplanned pregnancy very well, and when she’s hit by a car and injured, he uses that opportunity to make her believe that her baby did not survive. In reality, the baby was delivered and put into the legal system as a parentless orphan. Lyla and Louis go their separate ways, believing that they would never see each other again.

   In the present day, their eleven-year-old son Evan lives in an orphanage with a number of broken-spirited boys. They’re so disillusioned that they bully him into believing as they do. They constantly tell him that no one is coming for him, that his ability to hear music in everything makes him nothing more than a freak. And they will not stand for his belief that he actually hears the music of his parents calling out to him. But Evan refuses to sink to their level of hopelessness; he runs away to New York City, where the music seems to be beckoning him towards his destiny. It’s there he meets Wizard (Robin Williams), a shady musician who houses a number of musically inclined children in an abandoned theater. He, too, is beaten down by life, so much so that he uses these children for his own financial gain. When he discovers Evan’s natural ability to play the guitar, he gives him the pseudonym August Rush and forces him to perform in parks and on street corners.

   Lyla, meanwhile, is living in Chicago as a music teacher. Single and without any children, she seems complacent yet stable in her new life. But all that changes when (1) she’s offered a change to once again play with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and (2) she learns that her baby did not die eleven years ago. With a powerful yet unexplainable determination, she travels back to New York on a quest to find her long lost son, a quest that will hopefully be added by her playing of the cello. Hoping to help find Evan is Richard Jeffries (Terrence Howard), a social worker who met the boy when he was still living at the orphanage.

   And then, of course, there’s Louis, who has since gone on to be a businessman in San Francisco. His band members haven’t forgiven him for leaving, least of all his brother, Marshall (Alex O’Loughlin). But worst of all, Louis hasn’t been able to forgive himself, and upon seeing footage of himself performing on stage, he remembers the love he felt for Lyla. The memory is so strong that’s he vows to reunite with her. This journey of finding lost love leads him from Chicago back to New York City, where he’s inspired to rejoin with his band and restart his singing career. Much like his son–whom he doesn’t know exists–Louis is a gifted guitar player; one can hear his passion and energy with every chord, and his music operates at the same frequency as Lyla’s cello playing.

   As you can probably tell, most of the film thrives on serendipity, and it gets more and more prominent with every passing scene. A kind-hearted pastor eventually takes Evan in, and when made aware of his musical genius, they send him to the Julliard School of Music. He composes a piece within the first six months of his stay, one that the faculty believes is good enough to be performed. Thus sets into motion the events leading to one of the most satisfying endings of any movie I’ve seen this year, a scene so touching that I was in awe. As I listened to Evan’s “August’s Rhapsody,” I felt as if I had been enveloped in the folds of hope, love, and happiness; the earthiness of the chimes blended perfectly with the smoothness of the violins and the energy of the guitars, all of which made his unwavering faith in the power of connection perfectly clear.

   This is the magic of “August Rush,” a film so wonderful that I cannot recommend it enough. It’s a modern day fable with a timeless message, and it comes across so well that I never once stopped to consider how implausible it is. Plausibility doesn’t even come into play, here. What does come into play is the emotional impact, the sense that we can get something out of it if we surrender to pure fantasy. Evan opens the film by saying, “Music is all around us–all we have to do is listen.” This is one of the year’s best films, and if you keep that quote in mind when seeing it, you’ll be more inclined to agree.

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