Comments on: Remo Williams – The Adventure Begins http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/ Buy DVDs. Read Reviews. Comment. Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:55:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: L. Shirley http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-33003 L. Shirley Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:22:31 +0000 http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/#comment-33003 <i>Review by L. Shirley for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Remo-Williams-Adventure-Fred-Ward/dp/B000092Q5C%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJUWDFYMJHQYUSRYA%26tag%3Dmydvb.net-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000092Q5C" rel="nofollow">Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins</a></i> <b>Rating: <img src="http://mydvb.net/wp-content/plugins/WPRobot3/images/4.png" ></b> This review refers to "Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins" (DVD/MGM) <br /> <br />Remo! Remo! Remo!...I really enjoyed the fun and action packed adventure that began in 1985. It was a film about good vs. evil, that I could enjoy with my kids. But you sure do know how to keep a lady waiting. I've been waiting 20 years already, for the adventure to continue. I mean it took Bruce Willis 3 times to save the world, and the Karate Kid didn't even learn the drum technique until part three of his training.Rocky, well Rocky needed 4 sequels to complete his training! And Bond..well you know! If you wait any longer you will have to do one of those, coming out of retirement to save the world stories! <br /> <br />For those that missed this fun flick, here's a little of the story. As the title implies, the adventure begins. A NYC cop is set up to take a fall, right into the River.He is presumed dead,and the perpetrators of this little scheme, turn out to be a secret organization, committed to eradicating bad guys. They answer only to the President of the United States.This is their way of recruiting new blood. While recuperating, our hero is given a new look, and a new name..Remo Williams(anyone out there remember how they came up with the name?). Against his will he will be trained by a master in martial arts to fight off the villains. He will dodge bullets, balance on a pole and walk on air! The master thinks it will take 15 years to fully train this guy who "walks like a pregnant Yak", but as it happens there are some really bad guys that need to be taken care of immediately, and we get to see Remo take them on by putting all his new skills to work. <br /> <br />So you see, Remo had only begun to train. The title is a real teaser for fans of Remo. Now I know he had to take some time out to fight off the underground creatures, making the earth tremor, but I figure after 20 years, Remo must be trained by now! How about a sequel? <br /> <br />The film is a great action and adventure film that may be enjoyed by the entire family without getting too graphic on the violence or language. It takes place in New York City(most of the training is there), and has some historical views as well. Some great shots of the skyline, including the WTC, and a fabulous chase up and down the outside of the Statue of Liberty with all the scalffolding during the time it was being refurbished. Fred Ward stars as Remo, and Joel Grey is Chiun, the master. And what a pair they make. You'll be laughing and rooting for the good guys all the way. <br /> <br />Although the DVD has an excellent picture and the sound is very good in Stereo surround(could even be better in 5.1), I have to complain that "This DVD has been formated to fit your screen" Pan and Scan...what's up with that? There are subtitles in English, French and Spanish for those needing them. <br /> <br />Checking over at the IMDB, I saw two interesting things. First the tech info for the DVD lists it as Widescreen..I can't find one in widescreen? Where is it? Second, there was a TV movie made in 1988 titled Remo Williams in which he has a new assignment. I never saw it or heard about it. <br /> <br />Come back Remo... an entire new generation(and some of us oldies) await your return! <br /> <br />And oh yeah.. how did they come up with the name Remo Williams?(hide your eyes if you don't want to know)..from a bedpan..of course! <br /> <br />Enjoy....Laurie <br /> <br />also recommended for fans of Fred Ward:Tremors <br /> Review by L. Shirley for Remo Williams – The Adventure Begins
Rating:
This review refers to “Remo Williams – The Adventure Begins” (DVD/MGM)

Remo! Remo! Remo!…I really enjoyed the fun and action packed adventure that began in 1985. It was a film about good vs. evil, that I could enjoy with my kids. But you sure do know how to keep a lady waiting. I’ve been waiting 20 years already, for the adventure to continue. I mean it took Bruce Willis 3 times to save the world, and the Karate Kid didn’t even learn the drum technique until part three of his training.Rocky, well Rocky needed 4 sequels to complete his training! And Bond..well you know! If you wait any longer you will have to do one of those, coming out of retirement to save the world stories!

For those that missed this fun flick, here’s a little of the story. As the title implies, the adventure begins. A NYC cop is set up to take a fall, right into the River.He is presumed dead,and the perpetrators of this little scheme, turn out to be a secret organization, committed to eradicating bad guys. They answer only to the President of the United States.This is their way of recruiting new blood. While recuperating, our hero is given a new look, and a new name..Remo Williams(anyone out there remember how they came up with the name?). Against his will he will be trained by a master in martial arts to fight off the villains. He will dodge bullets, balance on a pole and walk on air! The master thinks it will take 15 years to fully train this guy who “walks like a pregnant Yak”, but as it happens there are some really bad guys that need to be taken care of immediately, and we get to see Remo take them on by putting all his new skills to work.

So you see, Remo had only begun to train. The title is a real teaser for fans of Remo. Now I know he had to take some time out to fight off the underground creatures, making the earth tremor, but I figure after 20 years, Remo must be trained by now! How about a sequel?

The film is a great action and adventure film that may be enjoyed by the entire family without getting too graphic on the violence or language. It takes place in New York City(most of the training is there), and has some historical views as well. Some great shots of the skyline, including the WTC, and a fabulous chase up and down the outside of the Statue of Liberty with all the scalffolding during the time it was being refurbished. Fred Ward stars as Remo, and Joel Grey is Chiun, the master. And what a pair they make. You’ll be laughing and rooting for the good guys all the way.

Although the DVD has an excellent picture and the sound is very good in Stereo surround(could even be better in 5.1), I have to complain that “This DVD has been formated to fit your screen” Pan and Scan…what’s up with that? There are subtitles in English, French and Spanish for those needing them.

Checking over at the IMDB, I saw two interesting things. First the tech info for the DVD lists it as Widescreen..I can’t find one in widescreen? Where is it? Second, there was a TV movie made in 1988 titled Remo Williams in which he has a new assignment. I never saw it or heard about it.

Come back Remo… an entire new generation(and some of us oldies) await your return!

And oh yeah.. how did they come up with the name Remo Williams?(hide your eyes if you don’t want to know)..from a bedpan..of course!

Enjoy….Laurie

also recommended for fans of Fred Ward:Tremors

]]> By: Darren Harrison http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-33002 Darren Harrison Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:09:16 +0000 http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/#comment-33002 <i>Review by Darren Harrison for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Remo-Williams-Adventure-Fred-Ward/dp/B000092Q5C%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJUWDFYMJHQYUSRYA%26tag%3Dmydvb.net-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000092Q5C" rel="nofollow">Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins</a></i> <b>Rating: <img src="http://mydvb.net/wp-content/plugins/WPRobot3/images/4.png" ></b> When this movie was released in the UK they wisely dropped the subhead "The Adventure begins..." because it was clear by the time the movie had made it across the Atlantic that the movie series began and ended here...and that's a shame. <br />In the directors chair for this movie was Guy Hamilton, who was undoubtedly the perfect choice to direct having several of the best James Bond movies (including the classic "Goldfinger" from 1964) under his belt. However, by the time the camera's rolled on REMO Hamilton had been out of the 007 business for over 10 years, with his last James Bond movie being 1974's "The Man With the Golden Gun," and here he was trying to launch a lesser known literary hero (from The Destroyer series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir) onto the big screen. Still, he does manage to do a serviceable job. <br />Fred Ward does a good job too, fresh from his role in the fantastic "The Right Stuff" and Joel Grey is his usual wonderful self as Chiun, the Korean master who puts Remo through his paces in the martial art Sinanju (which includes the rather useful skill of being able to dodge bullets.) <br />And this, ironically, is where the movie really falters. For much the same reason why the initial book in the series this character is based on (Created, the Destroyer) it's an origin story and so it spends too much time introducing the characters and covering the training. There are some spectacular scenes (including a fight atop the Statue of Liberty) but they feel a little muted, tame and underwhelming amid the action spectacles of Indiana Jones. In fact the lackluster pace seems at times more fitting for a weekly television series instead of the big-screen extravaganza it should have been. <br />The plot involves the "death" of one character and his rebirth as the title character. Following his death at the hands of some hoods a New York police officer awakens in a hospital bed with a new name and a new face. Initially reluctant to accept the situation he finds himself in he is eventually coerced into working for the secret government agency CURE. Headed by Smith (whom Chiun insists on calling "Emperor Smith") who is played by Wilford Brimley, the agency is one of those ultra-secret mechanisms of the United States government that answers only to the President. Here, they are involved in investigating a crooked defense contractor (played with relish by Charles Cioffi), a mission which brings Remo into contact with Maj. Rayner Fleming (played <br />by pre-Voyager Kate Mulgrew) as an Army officer who is suspicious of the defense contractor. It is in the final moments of the movie that it finally picks up as Remo battles an entire army base in his quest to uncover the truth and bring the contractor to justice. <br />It's a shame there was no sequel made to this movie as the literary series really did not take off until the third novel "Chinese Puzzle." And given the fact that there is so much talent behind and in front of the camera it's a surprise that it ended up the way it did. Perhaps now, with the movie theater's screens full of origin stories, from "Batman Begins" to the granddaddy of fictional secret agents James Bond in his first mission ("Casino Royale"), the time is right to attempt to launch this series again - it would certainly get my vote. <br />Unfortunately we get a bare-bones DVD release. It would be nice if we could at some point get a more deluxe release, but this will do for now. <br />Recommended. Review by Darren Harrison for Remo Williams – The Adventure Begins
Rating:
When this movie was released in the UK they wisely dropped the subhead “The Adventure begins…” because it was clear by the time the movie had made it across the Atlantic that the movie series began and ended here…and that’s a shame.

In the directors chair for this movie was Guy Hamilton, who was undoubtedly the perfect choice to direct having several of the best James Bond movies (including the classic “Goldfinger” from 1964) under his belt. However, by the time the camera’s rolled on REMO Hamilton had been out of the 007 business for over 10 years, with his last James Bond movie being 1974′s “The Man With the Golden Gun,” and here he was trying to launch a lesser known literary hero (from The Destroyer series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir) onto the big screen. Still, he does manage to do a serviceable job.

Fred Ward does a good job too, fresh from his role in the fantastic “The Right Stuff” and Joel Grey is his usual wonderful self as Chiun, the Korean master who puts Remo through his paces in the martial art Sinanju (which includes the rather useful skill of being able to dodge bullets.)

And this, ironically, is where the movie really falters. For much the same reason why the initial book in the series this character is based on (Created, the Destroyer) it’s an origin story and so it spends too much time introducing the characters and covering the training. There are some spectacular scenes (including a fight atop the Statue of Liberty) but they feel a little muted, tame and underwhelming amid the action spectacles of Indiana Jones. In fact the lackluster pace seems at times more fitting for a weekly television series instead of the big-screen extravaganza it should have been.

The plot involves the “death” of one character and his rebirth as the title character. Following his death at the hands of some hoods a New York police officer awakens in a hospital bed with a new name and a new face. Initially reluctant to accept the situation he finds himself in he is eventually coerced into working for the secret government agency CURE. Headed by Smith (whom Chiun insists on calling “Emperor Smith”) who is played by Wilford Brimley, the agency is one of those ultra-secret mechanisms of the United States government that answers only to the President. Here, they are involved in investigating a crooked defense contractor (played with relish by Charles Cioffi), a mission which brings Remo into contact with Maj. Rayner Fleming (played

by pre-Voyager Kate Mulgrew) as an Army officer who is suspicious of the defense contractor. It is in the final moments of the movie that it finally picks up as Remo battles an entire army base in his quest to uncover the truth and bring the contractor to justice.

It’s a shame there was no sequel made to this movie as the literary series really did not take off until the third novel “Chinese Puzzle.” And given the fact that there is so much talent behind and in front of the camera it’s a surprise that it ended up the way it did. Perhaps now, with the movie theater’s screens full of origin stories, from “Batman Begins” to the granddaddy of fictional secret agents James Bond in his first mission (“Casino Royale”), the time is right to attempt to launch this series again – it would certainly get my vote.

Unfortunately we get a bare-bones DVD release. It would be nice if we could at some point get a more deluxe release, but this will do for now.

Recommended.

]]> By: Alexander E. Paulsen http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-33001 Alexander E. Paulsen Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:12:08 +0000 http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/#comment-33001 <i>Review by Alexander E. Paulsen for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Remo-Williams-Adventure-Fred-Ward/dp/B000092Q5C%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJUWDFYMJHQYUSRYA%26tag%3Dmydvb.net-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000092Q5C" rel="nofollow">Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins</a></i> <b>Rating: <img src="http://mydvb.net/wp-content/plugins/WPRobot3/images/4.png" ></b> I saw this in the theater when it came out and anxiously awaited the sequels. This is one movie where the sequel would have probably been a much better movie if for no other reason than actors and director would get into The Destroyer legend.I loved the books at least up until Richard Sapir passed away. The books were fun, funny and contained much social satire. They were gems of wit and wisdom.Basically it is about a cop recruited to be a supersecret agent for the government for an agency called CURE. The theory being that the President needed a tool to combat evil that could be fought only by violating the Constitution. Of course Presidents now boast about violating the constitution but these stories are from a more innocent age.In the movie Fred Ward is perfectly cast as Remo Williams named in a very amusing way - "We put a lot of thought into it."<br>Joel Gray does a marvelous job of Chiun the Master of Sinanju the latest in a line of assasins dating back a millenia or two. Sinanju being the "sun source of all martial arts".Wilford Brimly is probably the biggest departure from the books cast as Harold Smith. In the series Smith was a much more interesting character and the interplay between him and Remo is always entertaining.Overall the plot was weak. Iw ould have rather had them adapt one of the many stories from the book series. I just never felt that Grove was that evil a guy worthy of accelerating Remo's mission. Patrick Kilpatrick was a great villan - muscle man "Stone". I particularly enjoyed the scene where Remo uses Stone's special feature to escape from a gas chamber.The film was well structured I thought with equal amounts of Remo's training and mission, Joel Gray doing a wonderful Chiun, soap operas and all.I thought it was a good first effort. Had they kept it up I am sure they would have gotten the hang of it and the movies gotten better and better. I downrated the DVD mainly because of the format. so-called "fullscreen" is really only a half a screen. I did not buy the DVD just for that reason. I have an old copy on Betamax that I still watch twice a year or so.There are no significant bonus features on the disk as was pointed out by a previous reviewer. This is just about inexcusable these days.If my Beta tape ever weasr out I may be forced to buy a disk, but until then maybe MGM will get their heads out of you know where and re-release this movie properly. Review by Alexander E. Paulsen for Remo Williams – The Adventure Begins
Rating:
I saw this in the theater when it came out and anxiously awaited the sequels. This is one movie where the sequel would have probably been a much better movie if for no other reason than actors and director would get into The Destroyer legend.I loved the books at least up until Richard Sapir passed away. The books were fun, funny and contained much social satire. They were gems of wit and wisdom.Basically it is about a cop recruited to be a supersecret agent for the government for an agency called CURE. The theory being that the President needed a tool to combat evil that could be fought only by violating the Constitution. Of course Presidents now boast about violating the constitution but these stories are from a more innocent age.In the movie Fred Ward is perfectly cast as Remo Williams named in a very amusing way – “We put a lot of thought into it.”
Joel Gray does a marvelous job of Chiun the Master of Sinanju the latest in a line of assasins dating back a millenia or two. Sinanju being the “sun source of all martial arts”.Wilford Brimly is probably the biggest departure from the books cast as Harold Smith. In the series Smith was a much more interesting character and the interplay between him and Remo is always entertaining.Overall the plot was weak. Iw ould have rather had them adapt one of the many stories from the book series. I just never felt that Grove was that evil a guy worthy of accelerating Remo’s mission. Patrick Kilpatrick was a great villan – muscle man “Stone”. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Remo uses Stone’s special feature to escape from a gas chamber.The film was well structured I thought with equal amounts of Remo’s training and mission, Joel Gray doing a wonderful Chiun, soap operas and all.I thought it was a good first effort. Had they kept it up I am sure they would have gotten the hang of it and the movies gotten better and better. I downrated the DVD mainly because of the format. so-called “fullscreen” is really only a half a screen. I did not buy the DVD just for that reason. I have an old copy on Betamax that I still watch twice a year or so.There are no significant bonus features on the disk as was pointed out by a previous reviewer. This is just about inexcusable these days.If my Beta tape ever weasr out I may be forced to buy a disk, but until then maybe MGM will get their heads out of you know where and re-release this movie properly.

]]> By: James Vitale http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-33000 James Vitale Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:52:13 +0000 http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/#comment-33000 <i>Review by James Vitale for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Remo-Williams-Adventure-Fred-Ward/dp/B000092Q5C%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJUWDFYMJHQYUSRYA%26tag%3Dmydvb.net-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000092Q5C" rel="nofollow">Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins</a></i> <b>Rating: <img src="http://mydvb.net/wp-content/plugins/WPRobot3/images/4.png" ></b> This film gets a lot of bad commentary by people who did not read the book series that it was based on. The.......... review has this problem as well. This movie was based on a series that currently has 123+ books in it. If you are a fan of the books, the character acting by Joel Grey and Fred Ward is pretty right on, not a political correctness faux pas as the review suggests. It was not stereotypical acting, but a near perfect depiction of a character whose personality has developed over the course of a 100+ books. Yes, the action scenes are a little lukewarm primarily because it was not really possible to depict the capabilities of the book characters with the technology of the time. If you are a Destroyer fan, you will most likely love this movie and the life it brings to Chuin and Remo, and even Harold Smith (although Wilford Brimley is a little too portly to be the gaunt, perfectly groomed Smith, although he accomplishes the lemonyness perfectly). Review by James Vitale for Remo Williams – The Adventure Begins
Rating:
This film gets a lot of bad commentary by people who did not read the book series that it was based on. The………. review has this problem as well. This movie was based on a series that currently has 123+ books in it. If you are a fan of the books, the character acting by Joel Grey and Fred Ward is pretty right on, not a political correctness faux pas as the review suggests. It was not stereotypical acting, but a near perfect depiction of a character whose personality has developed over the course of a 100+ books. Yes, the action scenes are a little lukewarm primarily because it was not really possible to depict the capabilities of the book characters with the technology of the time. If you are a Destroyer fan, you will most likely love this movie and the life it brings to Chuin and Remo, and even Harold Smith (although Wilford Brimley is a little too portly to be the gaunt, perfectly groomed Smith, although he accomplishes the lemonyness perfectly).

]]> By: Lulu http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-32999 Lulu Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:06:48 +0000 http://mydvb.net/comedy/remo-williams-the-adventure-begins/#comment-32999 <i>Review by Lulu for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Remo-Williams-Adventure-Fred-Ward/dp/B000092Q5C%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJUWDFYMJHQYUSRYA%26tag%3Dmydvb.net-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000092Q5C" rel="nofollow">Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins</a></i> <b>Rating: <img src="http://mydvb.net/wp-content/plugins/WPRobot3/images/2.png" ></b> I can't tell you how disappointed I was when Remo Williams FINALLY was released to DVD and MGM had the temerity to release it in FULL-FRAME (pan and scan) rather than widescreen in its original theatrical aspect ratio! It's 2003, MGM...people are savvier about film than they used to be, and we want to see our favorite films the way they were originally presented in the theater! I don't even demand "extras" like commentary or making-of documentaries...just a crisp transfer in anamorphic widescreen with enhanced sound. Is that so much to ask?Four stars for the movie "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" - a wonderfully engaging '80s action-adventure flick that doesn't take itself too seriously, featuring terrific performances by Fred Ward and Joel Grey - and one star for the crummy presentation it received on DVD. Remo deserves so much better than this. Review by Lulu for Remo Williams – The Adventure Begins
Rating:
I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when Remo Williams FINALLY was released to DVD and MGM had the temerity to release it in FULL-FRAME (pan and scan) rather than widescreen in its original theatrical aspect ratio! It’s 2003, MGM…people are savvier about film than they used to be, and we want to see our favorite films the way they were originally presented in the theater! I don’t even demand “extras” like commentary or making-of documentaries…just a crisp transfer in anamorphic widescreen with enhanced sound. Is that so much to ask?Four stars for the movie “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins” – a wonderfully engaging ’80s action-adventure flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously, featuring terrific performances by Fred Ward and Joel Grey – and one star for the crummy presentation it received on DVD. Remo deserves so much better than this.

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