Oliver Emmett Knox

"Young Hercules" movie (1998) is one-liner-filled, campy and fun action-adventure story. It is the backstory to the Young Hercules series and the Hercules The Legendary Journeys series. It is really nice to see the beginnings of the relationship between Hercules and Iolaus and Jason. All of the cast did a very good job of playing very well-written characters. Ian Bohen was very good in his role as Young Hercules. Dean O'Gorman gives a very good performance as the wise-cracking conman, Iolaus. Chris Conrad is very good as Jason the determined prince who is to become king. Kevin Todd Smith was born for the role as the villainous Ares, the Greek god of war. The breath-taking scenery of the New Zealand countryside is the backdrop of this innovative film. A fun movie with plenty of action. A great deal for any Hercules and Xena fans.

Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring movie has successfully opened the door into Tolkien's world of Middle Earth for me. The plot tells of the quest of a hobbit, Frodo Baggins, to destroy an evil ring of power. He is aided in his quest by his friends and other companions who accompany him and protect him on his journey. The costumes, weapons, armor, the One Ring and the props are so rich and very well crafted by the film crew. The scenery and landscapes of New Zealand are very beautiful. The movie sets for the Shire, Rivendell, Lothlorien, Amon Hen, Weathertop, Bree, Isengard and Moria are very gorgeous. The realm of Mordor looks very dark and scary in a good way. The action and battle scenes at Weathertop, Moria and Amon Hen are epic, memorable and perfectly executed. The special effects for the Balrog, the cave troll, the Watcher in the water, Gollum and Sauron's Eye are very incredible. The Prologue scene narrated by Galadriel and with flashbacks of the forging of the Great Rings, the War of the Last Alliance and the One Ring passing to Isildur, Sméagol and Bilbo was a clever way for Peter Jackson to introduce the Lord of the Rings story. The acting is superb The cast crew is so awesome and do an excellent job in playing their roles. Sir Ian McKellen is flawless in his role as Gandalf the Grey. Sir Christopher Lee isirreplaceable in his performance as Saruman the White. Cate Blanchett captures Lady Galadriel perfectly with a wonderfully deep and emotional voice. Elijah Wood is very gifted and bright in his role as Frodo Baggins with the charcter's haunted, frail courage that Tolkien captures. Sean Astin was born for the role as Samwise Gamgee and does an amazing job in capturing Sam Gamgee's personality. Dominic Monaghan Billy Boyd make for a delightful duo as Merry and Pippin Viggo Mortenson was an excellent choice for the role as Aragorn/Strider. Orlando Bloom pulls off Legolas very nicely with the character's bowmanship, various movements and fighting skills. John Rhys-Davies is brilliant and hilarious as Gimli the dwarf. Sean Bean gave an excellent performance as Boromir. Hugo Weaving gives a wonderful performance as Lord Elrond. Liv Tyler is ethereal and breathtaking in her role as Arwen Evenstar. Andy Serkis gives an amazing performance as Gollum. Ian Holm literally is Bilbo Baggins. Craig Parker is very good as Haldir. Howard Shore is a musical genius is composing splendid songs and outstanding music scores that capture the spirit and the essences of Tolkien's world of Middle Earth. "May It Be" by Enya is a hauntingly beautiful song that plays at the credits. Peter Jackson's "The Fellowship of the Ring" is an epic, incredible experience for me. A truly spectacular adventure story all the way through, probably the best ever adapt into a movie. This still is a major milestone in cinema history.

Michael Curtiz's The Adventures of Robin Hood movie from 1938 is still one of the best adaptations of Robin Hood ever made by Hollywood. In 1191, King Richard joined the Crusades and then he is captured by the Duke of Austria. His ambitious and evil brother Prince John takes over the throne and oppress the Saxons increasing the taxes and hanging those that cannot afford to pay. The Saxon nobleman Robin of Locksley hides in the Sherwood Forest and defends the people against the tyrannical John and his right hand, Sir Guy of Gisbourne and is now considered to be an outlaw. When Robin Hood meets Lady Marian, they immediately fall in love with each other. However, Robin Hood and his men are hunted down by Sir Guy and the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham. The movie plot itself is purest escapist magic and very well written. This swashbuckler movie has great action sequences well staged with stylish and vitality, adventure, romance, outstanding final dueling and is pretty entertaining. The archery and the sword fighting are very well done and provide brilliantly executed action scenes. The costumes, weapons and move props are very well made. Every character is rich and the adventure that the viewers are invited to follow is wonderful. The cast is faultless for the roles of their characters. Errol Flynn was born for the role as Robin Hood. Errol Flynn’s dominance, arrogance, cheerfulness and good humor that he brought to Robin Hood’s character cannot be denied. Olivia de Havilland is stunningly gorgeous, adorable and breathtaking as Maid Marian with an innate sense of class and intelligence. Basil Rathbone gives a superb performance in portraying Guy of Gisbourne as a clever and arrogant man who matches wits and blades with Robin Hood. Claude Rains was spectacular in his role as Prince John by being both charming and diabolical at the same time. Alan Hale gives an excellent performance in his role as Little John. The chemistry between Robin Hood and Maid Marian is demonstrated beautifully and perfectly. The cinematography is very colorful in the glimmer of Sol Polito's ant Tony Gaudio's Technicolor. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's music score is superb. The dialogue has plenty of wit and has decent humor. This is truly terrific and definitely one of a kind. This movie has a rich story, a wonderful cast, beautiful music, great sets, and engaging battles. A must have for anyone enjoys the timeless story of Robin Hood.

BBC's Blue Planet is simply jaw-dropping. It is one of the greatest documentaries ever made on the ocean. The cinematography is astounding. This series has a lot of beautiful footage of the most impressive marine environments on Planet Earth. Various organisms such as fish, sharks, marine mammals, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms and medusa are all shown in this spectacular documentary series. All eight episodes are informative and fascinating, with wonderful cinematography, beautiful and diverse marine environments, incredible marine creatures, engaging music and nearly perfect narration. Polar regions, deep sea, coral reefs, islands, open ocean, and mangrove swamps are all covered in each episode. The subject matter is indeed enthralling and very well written. The visuals are absolutely striking and the background music is absolutely fantastic. David Attenborough does an excellent job as the narrator of this amazing series. Blue Planet is without a doubt the most stunning and amazing documentary series about the ocean that I have ever seen! From the open ocean to tidal pools, coral seas to the deepest darkest part of the ocean itself, the BBC takes the viewer on an almost magical journey through the ocean. Entertaining, and educational at the same time. There are so many wondrous things in the oceans that are worth protecting and that deserve a lot of appreciation from humanity. Highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of BBC's nature documentaries, who has a strong passion for nature and who wants to learn more about the ocean and protect marine life.

"Excalibur" is by far the best movie adaptation of the Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table directed by John Boorman. The movie plot is about how Arthur came to be king, how he wielded the great sword Excalibur, how the Knights of the Round Table came to be, and the rise and fall of Camelot. This is an epic movie of betrayal, quest, honor, magic, ambition, tragedy. It has violence, sex, myth, drama, intrigue, heroics, pathos, and aspirations to art. The cinematography is beautiful and breathtaking. The costumes, amour the weapons and the castles are magnificent and very authentic. The events are approached with total emotional reality. The special effects hold up fairly well. The magical element is there within a believable medieval setting. The Christian aspects were added into the movie as well. The acting is superb. Nigel Terry gives a brilliant performance as King Arthur. Nicol Williamson was excellent in his role as the wizard, Merlin with moments of whimsey and deadly seriousness personalities. Helen Mirren does an excellent job in portraying the beautiful and evil sorceress, Morgan Le Fay. Paul Geoffrey as Percival, Gabriel Byrne as Uther Pendragon, and Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance were astounding through their impressive performances. The music in the movie is remarkable with dark and moody classical passages, ethereal vocals, and brass fanfares. Overall, an excellent movie version of the Arthurian legend. If you like fantasy adventure, sword and sorcery, magic, romance, medieval Europe, and knight chivalry, this Arthurian movie is a must see.

"The Return of the King" is by far the most moving, inspirational, and epic of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy movies. The movie plot is compelling with themes of friendship, strength, and loyalty. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee continue their quest to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom led by Gollum. Gollum becomes more cunning and sneaky than ever. Gandalf the White, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli regroup with Merry and Pippin in Isengard, and they learn that Sauron is planning a full-scale attack on the largest city of men, Minas Tirith in Gondor. The rest of the Fellowship prepares for another battle to hold Minas Tirith against an onslaught of the armies of Mordor. A distress called is sent to Rohan, and King Theoden is able muster a large army of Rohirrim, to set out for Minas Tirith. After the free people's victory at the Battle Pelennor Fields, the Fellowship what remaining forces of Gondor and Rohan that they have and storm the Black Gate to distract the Eye of Sauron's gaze and buy time for Frodo to finish his quest. The movie set for Minas Tirith, The City of Kings, is very gorgeous. The lighting of the beacon is authentic. The costumes, weapons, armor, props and movie sets are very well tailored by the film crew. The special effects for the army of the Dead (oathbreakers), Gollum, Shelob the spider, the mumakil, the eagles, Sauron's Eye, the fellbeasts and the trolls are breathtaking and incredible. The movie visuals for Minas Tirith, Pelennor Fields, Osgiliath, The Grey Havens, Mordor, The Black Gate, Mount Doom, Minas Morgul and Shelob's Lair are spectacular. King Thedeon's speech at Pelennor Fields and Aragorn's speech at the Black Gate are some of the best movie battle speeches ever. The heroism and romance are incredibly moving. Gandalf's speech to Pippin about death being another path to take in life is so emotional. Sam Gamgee's devotion to Frodo is something that can show what true friendship is. The battles are amazing and always heightening the tension. The tension for the siege on Minas Tirith is so highly anticipated. The acting and the cast crew are superb. Sir Ian McKellen is flawless in his role as Gandalf the White. Viggo Mortenssen is at his charismatic in his role as Aragorn. Sean Astin captures Samwise Gamgee perfectly and is able to provide the character's heart. Andy Serkis provides a stirring and great performance as Smeagol/Gollum. Orlando Bloom as Legolas and John Rhys-Davies as Gimli carry their roles very well. Elijiah Wood gives a great performance as Frodo Baggins descending into corruption with an incredible talent. Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and Billy Boyd (Pippin) still make a great duo. David Wenham is particularly good in his role as Faramir. John Noble gives a brilliant performance as the tragic and broken Lord Denethor. Bruce Spencer was wonderful in his role as the treacherous Mouth of Sauron in the extended edition. Lawrence Makoare was incredible in his role as Gothmog, the orc lieutenant from Minas Morgul. The rest of the cast including Bernard Hill, Mirianda Otto, Karl Urban, Ian Holm, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving are perfect in their roles. The Battle of Pelennor Fields is still the most spectacular and epic battle sequences in Hollywood movie history. The visual effects of battle at Minas Tirith are stunning and perfectly executed. The incredible scope of the battle with the special effects, sounds, and many close-ups of pieces of the action make for an exciting scene. The final stand at the Black Gate is so emotional involving and is done so with vision beyond imagination. The many endings that follow are brilliant.

"Spartacus" is masterpiece and very influential movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. The movie plot is based on a true story of a slave revolt lead by the Thracian gladiator, Spartacus, in 73 B.C. An adventurous drama in which an idea about freedom has resisted to strength of a glorious Roman Empire. A very moving and compelling story of epic proportions. The scenery and the cinematography are very impressive. The final battle is still breathtaking and epic. The cast crew are almost flawless in their roles. Kirk Douglas gives an outstanding performance as Spartacus. Laurence Olivier gives a wonderful portray as The tension in Kirk Douglas' face is a strong reflection of the seriousness of his character. Laurence Olivier is wonderful in his role as Roman General Crassus, the main antagonist. Tony Curtis was very good as Antoninus, Crassus' personal slave, who joins the revolt. Charles Laughton is wise and witty in his role as the elder senator, Peter Ustinov. Jean Simmons is excellent in her role as Varinia, a very strong woman, who shows her pride, love and character in every scene. The characterization is reflected in a sort of rivalry in love and politics. The soundtrack is outstanding with very good music scores. An exciting epic adventure in combination with the political drama of Ancient Rome. This is still one of the greatest of all the historical movie epics ever made by Hollywood. The lessons about a man's desire for freedom and to control his own destiny are eternal and valid.

"Dance with Wolves" is a pure excellent Western movie from the 1990's. The plot focuses on Lieutenant John Dunbar, a Civil war officer who befriends a band of Lakota Sioux and adopts their culture in the post-Civil War American West. The treatment of the Lakota Sioux people is truly remarkable by portraying them as individuals with feelings, honorable peculiar customs, and human beings with human urges and impulses. This movie speaks directly to the heart and soul of The Native Americans. The Lakota language is beautifully spoken. The relationship between John J. Dunbar and the Lakota Sioux people is excellently portrayed. The cast is superb. Kevin Costner gives a brilliant performance as Lieutenant John J. Dunbar and portrays his character perfectly. The cinematography is breathtaking and beautiful. The camera captures the prairie beautifully. The costumes, setting, movie props and the Civil War era tools and transportation are very authentic. The scenery with interesting characters and an excellent music score is overwhelming. A timeless masterpiece that is touching and well made.

I absolutely love this show, "Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan." This show is one of best wildlife and travel documentary TV series that I have ever seen. Dominic Monaghan does an excellent job as the host of this amazing show. Dominic Monaghan is very knowledgeable about the animals that he finds and the history and cultures of the countries that he travels to. He is hilarious as well. His wit and enthusiasm for what he is presenting to the world is fantastic. Dominic Monaghan truly enjoys going to all these beautiful countries and seeing many of the world’s awesome animal species. I have learned so much from him about various animal species and the culture and history of very exotic and amazing countries by watching each episode of this incredible series. This show is very well done. Highly recommended.

Ang Lee's movie adaptation of Yann Martel's novel, "Life of Pi," is a very tremendously ambitious and stunningly beautiful movie. The plot young man stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker after the cargo ship carrying Pi Patel's family and their zoo animals sinks. Ang Lee does a fantastic job in telling Pi Patel's life in three stages: childhood, teenage life and adult. Pi's adult stage is quite emotional. The visuals are stunning and enhance the storytelling superbly. The digital rendering of animals and Richard Parker the Bengal Tiger is beautiful to behold. The CGI animals look so clean and almost look like real life animals. The night sequences are over the top and very beautiful. The spiritual context is so rich that the movie compels multiple viewing. The acting is top notch. Suraj Sharma was very excellent and flawless in his role as teenage Pi Patel. Irrfan Khan was solid in his role as adult Pi Patel. Adil Hussain gives a very good performance as Pi's father, Santosh Patel. The animators did a very excellent job of bringing Richard Parker to life and making the tiger be an active and vital character. the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker is presented perfectly. The graphics, photography and colors are very awesome. Some of the most memorable scenes are the whale leaping out of the ocean and splashing back into sea, seeing the exotic fish and phytoplankton underwater, and the island when it turned carnivorous at night. The story is magical and mysterious. "Life of Pi" is truly a groundbreaking movie masterpiece and a beautiful work of art ever made. Ang Lee has created a cinema masterpiece that will long be a very-memorable film due to the breathtaking cinematography and beautiful scenery.