The Classic

List of DVDs

Having presented his view on a rather strange relationship in the 2001 blockbuster "My sassy girl", director Gwak Jae-yong brings you back to an earlier, simpler time for "The classic" love story.

The film tells a tale about a young college student Chi-hye (Sun Ye-jin) who is involved in a love triangle with her friend Su-kyong (Lee Sang-in) and a young modish playwright Sang-min (Jo In-seong). Meanwhile, she uncovers the romance and tangles her mother Chu-hui (also played by Sun) fell into in the late 1960s.

Bouncing back and forth, the film delicately unfolds the two romances of the two generations. Though the time and people differ in the two stories, the "classic" love feelings remain unchanged.

Professional Review:

For most of you, acclaimed director Kwak Jae-yong (My Sassy Girl) is probably the biggest reasons that propels you to watch this film. The Classic, Kwak Jae-yong's latest work right after My Sassy Girl, is actually quite different from its predecessor. Compared to the joyful and highly entertaining My Sassy Girl, The Classic is rather a sophisticated and passionate drama.

This film features the love stories of two generations, with Son Ye-jin playing the role of both the mother and the daughter. Ji-hye (Son Ye-jin) discovers her mother Joo-hee's (Son Ye-jin) love letters by accident. Out of curiosity, she begins to read about Joo-hee's first love with Joon-ha (Jo Sung-woo). At the same time, Ji-hye falls in love with her schoolmate Sang-min (Jo In-sung), and she soon realizes that the situation she is facing is somewhat identical to the triangular love relationship among Joo-hee, Joon-ha and Joon-ha's friend Tae-soo (Lee Ki-woo). Although the story intertwines between the past (Joo-hee) and the present (Ji-hye), the focus of interest seems to be the mother Joo-hee and Joon-ha. Apart from her romance with Sang-min, the most important function of the daughter Ji-hye is to merely act as a storyteller that brings out Joo-hee's story.

Apparently, director Kwak Jae-yong is using a different approach in this film. Unlike the blatant and comical encounters of the characters in My Sassy Girl, the love affairs of the characters are mainly developed from casual daily activities. From the boat rowing date to the firefly catching scene, most of them are depicted in a very simple and direct manner. There is no surprising twist at all, yet the romantic atmosphere keeps the audience engaged. One problem of this kind of melodrama is that the story is easily fallen into cliche (Ji-hye does actually say so when she begins reading her mother's diary), and this is what the latter part of the movie suffers from. The scene after Joon-ha joined the army seems to be a forced tragedy. It is quite distracting as it seems a misfit to the banal events in the first half of the film and it also reminds me of Pearl Harbor. Moreover, the twist at the end (identity revealing) is also not as touching as I would expect. It is probably because the link between the mother and the daughter's respective love affairs is not that strong. Nevertheless, this film is still enjoyable as Kwak Jae-yong is no doubt a master of storytelling. There are many unforgettable scenes that will make you love this film. The cinematography is excellent (as good as the unbeatable Il Mare), as well as the trademark mellow background music, viewers are inevitably soaked in this delicately crafted dieresis.

Son Ye-jin looks gorgeous in this film. Her roles as both the mother and the daughter are persuasive, despite the physical resemblance between the two characters. The mother is more active in pursuing her love while they daughter is a passive and shy little girl. Among the two male leads, Jo Sung-woo performs much better than Jo In-sung. Perhaps it is because of the plot and the character design, Jo Sung-woo's lively portrayal of his character Joon-ha is way more appealing than the wooden face of Jo In-sung. New actor Lee Ki-woo (this guy is really tall!) is also impressive that viewers should keep an eye on.

In general, The Classic is a professionally made romance movie. Every scene is beautifully and carefully constructed. I am quite confident that most Korean drama lover would find it an enjoying piece. However, one advice for those My Sassy Girl's lover is, this is not a sequel of that film and so please don't expect any surprise as you would find in My Sassy Girl.

Cool guy(s) - Jo Sung-woo, Son Ye-jin, Lee Ki-woo

Reviewed by Kantorates -　Cinespot.com (source: YesAsia)

Buy The Classic DVD here >>> The Classic, The Classic DTS and Hongkong Version

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Sad Love Story

List of DVDs

Dive into the passionate world of Korea's romantic TV sensation Sad Love Story!

MBC's TV drama Sad Love Story (a.k.a. Forever and Ever and Sad Sonata) broke all records with a top production cost of won 7 billion (around HK$ 52 million), turning it into this year's grandest TV release. Popular Korean stars Kwon Sang-woo (Stairway to Heaven) and Kim Hee-sun (Calla) join forces to offer K-drama fans a wonderful romance. Yeon Jung-hoon replaces Song Seung-hun who has stepped down owing to his obligatory military services. Indeed Song Seung-hun's withdrawal has made Sad Love Story a center of attention from the media during production!

Kwon Sang-woo portrays a talented music composer Joon-young who has been in love with a blind girl Hae-in (Kim Hee-sun). Hae-in works as a lounge singer and later follows her step-father to the States where she meets a rich man Gun-woo (Yeon Jung-hoon). Out of his love for Hae-in, Joon-young also moves to America and becomes a good friend of Gun-woo who is also attracted to Hae-in...

For more information and online purchase, please clik here >>> Sad Love Story

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Full House - Director's Cut

List of DVDs

Song Hye-kyo unfolds her charms again!

The captivating romance between a lovely everyday girl and a pampered movie star whose lives intertwine through fate promises to keep you glued to your seat until the end of this wonderful Korean TV treat.

Through a tricky scheme by her so-called friends Ji-eun loses the ownership rights to her beloved Full House, a luxurious mansion that used to belong to her parents when they were still alive. The new owner of the estate, Yeung Jae (Rain), is Asia's most hailed film star, and always behaves as if he was the ruler of the entire world, while while treating others in his habitual straightforward manner. Desperate to get back what rightly belongs to her, Ji-eun uses all her womanly appeal to bring about an advantageous marriage with the over-confident entertainment artist...

Based on the Korean comic strip of the same name, Full House earned an average viewing rate of 31.9%, and its final episode even attracted 40.2% of all viewers! Song Hye-kyo won the hearts of TV lovers through her skilled performances in popular TV series hits including All In, Hotelier, and Autumn in My Heart , while Rain (a.k.a. Bi) is also famous as a pop singer. The all-round star (whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon) possesses a dynamic, mellow voice and is known for his down-to-earth and modest behaviour. Director Pyo Min-su was not able to land a potential TV series hit with his earlier, more artistically-inclined works that include Lie, Foolish, and Solitude, but he created a real winner with this touching romantic tale. Written by Min Hyo-jeong, who was also responsible for the script of Rooftop Room Cat .

This version comes with bonus features including :

# Making of
# Love Story of Song Hye-kyo and Rain
# Shower Power Video
# Interview with the director
# Photo Gallery

For more information and online purchase please click here >>>> Full House Director's Cut

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Wedding

List of DVDs

Unlike many K-drama series, Wedding begins with two young lovers tying the knot. However almost from the word go, things do not go smoothly for the newlyweds. Se-na (Jang Nara) is a music graduate from a rich family and works as a manager at a theater. She was introduced to diplomat Seung-woo (Ryu Si Won) and the two decide to marry because they are considered a good match.

As time goes by, however, they clash on virtually every issue because of their different backgrounds and life values. Seung-woo begins falling for his childhood sweetheart, Yun-soo (Myung Se Bin), who is far less reckless than Se-na. But as her husband drifts away from her, Se-na grows more attracted to him and begins to take steps towards reconciling their differences.

For more information and online purchase please click here >>> Wedding

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April Snow

List of DVDs

The allure of forbidden love reigns supreme in the long-awaited motion picture, April Snow! Mega-popular actor Bae Yong Joon, star of the smash hit Korean drama Winter Sonata, headlines this highly anticipated romance directed by Heo Jin Ho, the man behind such acclaimed films as One Fine Spring Day and Christmas in August.

Released in Korea and Japan simultaneously, the film centers on In Su (Bae Yong Joon) as he travels to Korea's east coast after discovering that his wife Su Jin (Im Sang Hyo) was critically injured in a car accident. To In Su's surprise, it seems that she was traveling with a man named Kyung Ho (Ryoo Seung Soo, from The President's Barber), and both of them now lie in the operating room as they undergo treatment for their injuries. While waiting for news of his wife's condition, In-Su meets the man's wife, Seo-Young (Son Ye Jin, from A Moment to Remember) and together, the two of them piece together the devastating truth: their spouses were carrying on an affair.

Deeply upset by this shocking revelation, the duo's world spins out of control, as they both come to grips with their feelings of sorrow and betrayal. After several chance encounters, the two become closer. Both stay at the same dingy motel, and soon enough, they forge a deep connection. Will they act on their feelings for each other? And if they do succumb to their passions, will it be out of revenge or out of love? The answers await in Heo Jin Ho's April Snow, the stirring romance that swept Asia by storm!

Special Features:

# Audio Commentary
# Cast & Crew Interviews
# On Location Footage
# Deleted Scenes
# Music Video
# Trailers & TV Spots

Buy it here >>> April Snow

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Sympathy For Lady Vengeance

List of DVDs

Acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan Wook returns to the director's chair to helm Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, one of the most highly anticipated Korean films of 2005. The film marks the end of Park's hugely popular "Vengeance Trilogy", a series of films that began with 2002's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and continued with 2003's internationally successful Old Boy. Unlike most trilogies, this trio of pictures is united not by plot or by characters, but by its thematic content, namely, revenge and its terrible consequences.

Actress Lee Young Ae (Joint Security Area, Jewel in the Palace) takes up the leading role in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, portraying Geum Ja, a beautiful woman just released from jail after thirteen years of imprisonment. Her crime? The kidnapping and brutal murder of a young child. Through the use of flashbacks, it is revealed that Geum Ja was extremely kind and generous to the other prisoners during her internment, earning a widespread reputation as a veritable saint among the imprisoned women.

However, Geum Ja's polite behavior masks her true intentions, for it seems she is totally innocent of the charges brought against her and is covertly hatching an elaborate plan to seek retribution on the twisted Mr. Baek, an English teacher played by Old Boy's Choi Min Sik who is responsible for her unjust conviction. And as soon as Geum Ja is released from prison, her demeanor changes. Once kind and considerate, she becomes cold and calculating. Enlisting the help of a retired cop (Nam Il Woo) and her daughter Jenny (who was adopted by an Australian couple during the anti-heroine's incarceration), Geum Ja sets in motion her plan for bitter vengeance, but will she succeed? Find out in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, a film that may just prove why revenge is a dish best served cold!

Special Features:

Disc One:
# Theatrical release of the film
# Audio commentary by director Park Chan Wook
# Audio commentary by Director, Cinematographer and Art Director
# Making of documentary
# Character profiles
# Venice 2005 footage
# Promotional material - Theatrical trailer, teaser, TV spots, posters

Disc Two:
# The "Fade to Black & White" version of the film
# Audio commentary with Korean film critic
# Deleted scenes with optional director's commentary
# The Style Of Lady Vengeance - five part production featurette: Visualization, Production Design, Costume & Make Up, Special Art and CG Effects

Buy it online here >>> Sympathy For Lady Vengeance

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Mr. & Mrs. Smith

List of DVDs

Synopsis:

A married couple (Pitt and Jolie) are getting bored with their quiet domestic life. What they don't know, however, is that they're both assassins, secretly hopping the world and killing for hire. But their separate lives are about to collide when each finds out their next target is their own spouse.

AMAZON REVIEW:

Released amidst rumors of romance between costars Angelina Jolie and soon-to-be-divorced Brad Pitt, Mr. and Mrs. Smith offers automatic weapons and high explosives as the cure for marital boredom. The premise of this exhausting action-comedy (no relation to the 1941 Alfred Hitchcock comedy starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery) is that the unhappily married Smiths (Pitt and Jolie) will improve their relationship once they discover their mutually-hidden identities as world-class assassins, but things get complicated when their secret-agency bosses order them to rub each other out. There's plenty of amusing banter in the otherwise disposable screenplay by Simon Kinberg (xXx: State of the Union, Fantastic Four), and director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) gives Pitt and Jolie a slick, glossy superstar showcase that's innocuous but certainly never boring. It could've been better, but as an action-packed summer confection, Mr. and Mrs. Smith kills two hours in high style. --Jeff Shannon

Buy this product here >>> Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Widescreen Edition), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Full Screen Edition)

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King Kong

List of DVDs

Synopsis:

An expedition exploring a remote island capture a gigantic ape and bring him back to New York for exhibition. A beautiful actress who accompanies them is menaced when the monster's love for her causes him to break out.

AMAZON REVIEW:

"Now you see it. You're amazed. You can't believe it. Your eyes open wider. It's horrible, but you can't look away. There's no chance for you. No escape. You're helpless, helpless. There's just one chance, if you can scream. Throw your arms across your eyes and scream, scream for your life!" And scream Fay Wray does most famously in this monster classic, one of the greatest adventure films of all time, which even in an era of computer-generated wizardry remains a marvel of stop-motion animation. Robert Armstrong stars as famed adventurer Carl Denham, who is leading a "crazy voyage" to a mysterious, uncharted island to photograph "something monstrous ... neither beast nor man." Also aboard is waif Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and Bruce Cabot as big lug John Driscoll, the ship's first mate. King Kong's first half-hour is steady going, with engagingly corny dialogue ("Some big, hard-boiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang, he cracks up and goes sappy") and ominous portent that sets the stage for the horror to come. Once our heroes reach Skull Island, the movie comes to roaring, chest-thumping, T. rex-slamming, snake-throttling, pterodactyl-tearing, native-stomping life. King Kong was ranked by the American Film Institute as among the 50 best films of the 20th century. Kong making his last stand atop the Empire State Building is one of the movies' most indelible and iconic images. --Donald Liebenson

Buy this product here >>> King Kong (Collector\'s Edition), King Kong (2-Disc Special Edition)

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Fantastic Four

List of DVDs

AMAZON Review:

Marvel Comics' first family of superherodom, the Fantastic Four, hits the big screen in a light-hearted and funny adventure. It begins when down-on-his-luck genius Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd, Horatio Hornblower) has to enlist the financial and intellectual help from former schoolmate and rival Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon, Nip/Tuck) in order to pursue outer-space research into human DNA. Also on the trip are Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis, The Shield); his former lover, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba, Dark Angel, Sin City), who's now Doom's employee and love interest; and her hotshot-pilot brother, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans, Cellular). Things don't go as planned, of course, and the quartet becomes blessed--or is it cursed?--with superhuman powers: flexibility, brute strength, invisibility and projecting force fields, and bursting into flame. Meanwhile, Doom himself is undergoing a transformation.

Among the many entries in the comic-book-movie frenzy, Fantastic Four is refreshing because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Characterization isn't too deep, and the action is a bit sparse until the final reel (like most "first" superhero movies, it has to go through the "how did we get these powers and what we will do with them" churn). But it's a good-looking cast, and original comic-book cocreator Stan Lee makes his most significant Marvel-movie cameo yet, in a speaking role as the FF's steadfast postal carrier, Willie Lumpkin. Newcomers to superhero movies might find the idea of a family with flexibility, strength, invisibility, and force fields a retread of The Incredibles, but Pixar's animated film was very much a tribute to the FF and other heroes of the last 40 years. The irony is that while Fantastic Four is an enjoyable B-grade movie, it's the tribute, The Incredibles, that turned out to be a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi

DVD features:

The principal extra on the DVD is a spirited commentary track by Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Ioan Gruffudd. Self-avowed FF fan Chiklis explains why the Thing doesn't have a craggy brow, Alba recalls which things were "cool," and they all talk about looking forward to the sequel. There are three short deleted scenes (including a goofy Wolverine reference), 20 minutes of barely watchable hand-held video footage from the press tour, music videos, and some short featurettes including an appearance by FF creator Stan Lee. --David Horiuchi

For more information and online purchase please click here >>> Fantastic Four (Widescreen Edition), Fantastic Four (Full Screen Edition)

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The Island

List of DVDs

Synopsis:

Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) is a resident of a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the mid 21st century. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to the "The Island" - reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. He and all of the other inhabitants of the facility are actually human clones. Lincoln makes a daring escape with a beautiful fellow resident named Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson). Relentlessly pursued by the forces of the sinister institute that once housed them, Lincoln and Jordan engage in a race for their lives to literally meet their makers.

For more information and online purchase, please visit this page >>> The Island

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Frank Miller's Sin City (Recut, Extended, Unrated)

List of DVDs

Synopsis:

Sin City is a violent city where the police department is as corrupt as the streets are deadly. In this movie, we follow three stories, the central of which is Marv, a tough-as-nails and nearly impossible to kill street fighter who goes on a rampage of vengeance when a beautiful woman, Goldie (King), he sleeps with for only one night is killed while lying in bed with him.

For more information and online purchase please visit this page >>> Frank Miller\'s Sin City (Recut, Extended, Unrated)

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The 40-Year-Old Virgin

List of DVDs

AMAZON REVIEW:

Cult comic actor Steve Carell--long adored for his supporting work on The Daily Show and in movies like Bruce Almighty and Anchorman--leaps into leading man status with The 40 Year-Old Virgin. There's no point describing the plot; it's about how a 40 year-old virgin named Andy (Carell) finally finds true love and gets laid. Along the way, there are very funny scenes involving being coached by his friends, speed dating, being propositioned by his female manager, and getting his chest waxed. Carell finds both humor and humanity in Andy, and the supporting cast includes some standout comic work from Paul Rudd (Clueless, The Shape of Things) and Jane Lynch (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind), as well as an unusually straight performance from Catherine Keener (Lovely & Amazing, Being John Malkovich). And yet... something about the movie misses the mark. It skirts around the topic of male sexual anxiety, mining it for easy jokes, but never really digs into anything that would make the men in the audience actually squirm--and it's a lot less funny as a result. Nonetheless, there are many great bits, and Carell deserves the chance to shine. --Bret Fetzer

For more information and online purchase please visit these pages:

- The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
- The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated Full Screen Edition)
- The 40-Year-Old Virgin (R-Rated Fullscreen Edition)

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The Sound of Music (40th Anniversary Edition)

List of DVDs

Synopsis:

Maria had longed to be a nun since she was a young girl, yet when she became old enough discovered that it wasn't at all what she thought. Often in trouble and doing the wrong things, Maria is sent to the house of a retired naval captain, named Captain Von Trapp, to care for his children. Von Trapp was widowed several years before and was left to care for seven 'rowdy' children. The children have run off countless governesses. Maria soon learns that all these children need is a little love to change their attitudes. Maria teaches the children to sing, and through her, music is brought back into the hearts and home of the Von Trapp family. Unknowingly, Maria and Captain Von Trapp are falling helplessly in love, except there are two problems, the Captain is engaged, and Maria is a postulant!

More information and online purchase here >>> The Sound of Music (40th Anniversary Edition)

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Serenity

List of DVDs

Synopsis:

The crew of the Serenity is getting desperate. They have lain lower and lower to protect their doctor, Simon Tam (Sean Maher), and his telepathic traumatized little sister, River (Summer Glau), from the alliance, whom he rescued her from a year earlier. This has made getting jobs harder and now they are desperate. When they take River on a robbery during which Reavers (humans who have gone crazy and turned into cannibals) attack, Simon decides that its time to leave the crew of the Serenity for his and River's safety. She then mutters "Miranda" and goes berserk and nearly shoots Capt. Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), until her brother says the safety word to put her to sleep. Reynolds decides to take them back on board for safety, only now an alliance operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is on their tracks and making Reynolds determined to find out what "Miranda" is and what the Alliance is hiding.

For more information and online purchase please click here >>> Serenity (Widescreen Edition) or Serenity (Full Screen Edition)

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March of the Penguins

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AMAZON Review:

March of the Penguins instantly qualifies as a wildlife classic, taking its place among other extraordinary films like Microcosmos and Winged Migration. French filmmaker Luc Jacquet and his devoted crew endured a full year of extreme conditions in Antarctica to capture the life cycle of Emperor penguins on film, and their diligence is evident in every striking frame of this 80-minute documentary. Narrated in soothing tones by Morgan Freeman, the film focuses on a colony of hundreds of Emperors as they return, in a single-file march of 70 miles or more, to their frozen breeding ground, far inland from the oceans where they thrive. At times dramatic, suspenseful, mischievous and just plain funny, the film conveys the intensity of the penguins' breeding cycle, and their treacherous task of protecting eggs and hatchlings in temperatures as low as 128 degrees below zero. There is some brief mating-ritual violence and sad moments of loss, but March of the Penguins remains family-friendly throughout, and kids especially will enjoy the Antarctic blue-ice vistas and the playful, waddling appeal of the penguins, who can be slapstick clumsy or magnificently graceful, depending on the circumstances. A marvel of wildlife cinematography, this unique film offers a front-row seat to these amazing creatures, balancing just enough scientific information with the entertaining visuals. --Jeff Shannon

More information and online purchase, please click here >>> March of the Penguins (Widescreen Edition)

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Fantastic Four

List of DVDs

Synopsis: When an experimental space voyage goes awry, four people are changed by cosmic rays. Reed Richards, inventor and leader of the group gains the ability to stretch his body, and takes the name, Mr. Fantastic. His girlfriend, Sue Storm, gains the ability to turn invisible and create force fields, calling herself the Invisible Woman. Her younger brother Johnny Storm gains the ability to control fire, including covering his own body with flame, becoming the Human Torch. Pilot Ben Grimm is turned into a super-strong rock creature calling himself Thing. Together, they use their unique powers to explore the strange aspects of the world, and to foil the evil plans of Doctor Doom.

More information and online purchase here >>> Fantastic Four (Widescreen Edition) or Fantastic Four (Full Screen Edition)

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Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

List of DVDs

It has been three long years since the Clone Wars have first begun, and Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) have fought as hard as they possibly could. When the capital planet of Coruscant becomes under attack by the Separatist droid armies and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is kidnapped by the army leader, General Grievous (voiced by Matthew Wood), Anakin personal problems begin to develop, including his anger at the Jedi Council for not giving him the rank of Master, though he is on the council, and his plagued visions of his secret wife, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), dying in childbirth. He is determined to do anything to save her, no matter the cost. While Obi-Wan is sent to kill General Grievous on Utapau, Anakin is taken under Palpatine's wing, being subtly seduced by the Dark Side of the Force and convince that the Dark Side is power than can save his wife from death. Soon enough, a new, darker, ominous figure that would eventually be feared by the entire galaxy is formed: Lord Darth Vader. Obi-Wan, discovering Anakin's betrayal, sees no choice but to face his own apprentice in an attempt to bring back the young, loyal Jedi that had been like his own son, brother, and friend.

For more information and online purchase please visit here >>> Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition) or Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Full Screen Edition)

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