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intereact!Director: Victor Salva
Actors: Scott Mechlowicz, Amy Smart, Nick Nolte, Ray Wise, and Karen Landry
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Retail Price (not our price): $19.98
Release Date: 2007-06-26
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Studio: Universal Studios
Run Time: 121 minutes
Format: Array
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Discs: 1
Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
1) Excellent Movie - true to the book [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Really enjoyed this movie, as a big fan of Celestine Prophecy it lived up to my expectations.2) The Cocky Upstart And The Sage Meet On The Zen Plain [Rating: 4 out of 5]
More of a self-help guide for the Zen needy, PEACEFUL WARRIOR does have some good acting, a solid (albeit schmaltzy) message, and some amazing filming using light and shade.Loosely based on Dan Millman's autobiographical novel "Way of the Peaceful Warrior", the film focuses on Millman's over-inflated ego during his time as a super-gymnast yet having dark dreams related to failure. Unable to sleep, Dan (played by Scott Mechlowicz) frequents the streets of Berkeley, California in the wee hours of the morning only to stumble across a wise Zen-like master with no name whom Dan labels as "Socrates." Socrates (Nick Nolte, Off the Black) sees Dan's misguided spirit as a challenge and eventually allows Dan to see a path to inner enlightenment via the "here and now." Initially Dan sees this as shamanistic rubbish but quickly learns that he can apply Socrates' knowledge to help better his gymnastic abilities. Still focused on selfishness (wanting to win Olympic Gold) Dan finds himself injured after a horrific motorcycle accident and must come to terms with the fact that he may never walk again.With the help of Socrates, Dan not only walks but does the impossible. The message of the film is valid if you believe in such things as focusing energy only on the "now" and "throwing out the trash" that rattles around in your head every minute of every day. Doing so, according to Millman's philosophy, will allow you to become not only a better person, but a better whatever-you-are in your professional life. Mechlowicz and Nolte play well off each other, one being the cocky upstart and the other a wise and patient sage (perhaps even a ghost). But the real winner here is the light and shading of much of the film's images, especially whenever Mechlowicz enters the gas station where Nolte's character works. The dark aspect of the station gradually lightens up as Millman comes to accept what he's being taught. Also the motorcycle crash that injures Millman is done in fine slow-motion action with acrobatics to stop the heart of most movie watchers.All in all it's good film. Not great. But visually it certainly is a treat to watch.3) A Hidden Bar of Gold [Rating: 4 out of 5]
There are great "great" movies like Jurassic Park, Titanic and Saving Private Ryan. Those are all big budget great movies. On par with those movies but in another room are great low-budget "heart and mind" movies that stretch the emotion. Peaceful Warrior is one such movie. We all can relate to Dan. I wish his relationship with Joy was explored just a little bit more in the movie, but not much else was missing. The acting was great, that is to say believable. There is nothing bad to say about this movie. This movie left one not caring about the detination, because we spent too much time enjoying the journey. Dan's struggles provided for a believeable transformation from "my world"-in a selfish sense", to "my world"-in a self awareness sense. Socratese represents everything from our own conscience to God. His calm wisdom in the face of a fire and ice "superstar" was written to perfection.Nik Nolte shows why he is one of Americas best, unrecognized actors. Few actors posess his ability to make you forget that they are even acting or that you are watching a movie. His subtilties place him within the viewers proximity, making you think you are having a conversation with him instead of watching an "A" class performance. Amy Smart was gorgeous, and a little mysterious as Joy. Scott Mechlowicz gives an inspiring performance as Dan. He takes us with him on his spiritual, maturing journey to inner peace. He shows us that the most effective warriors' muscles are in his spirit , not in the gym. A great watch.4) The Master and the Student [Rating: 5 out of 5]
This movie explores the growing relationship between an elder service station worker (the Master), and a successful college student who is a promising member of Berkeley's gymnastics team (the Student). Through direct experience, the Master (Socrates, played by Nick Nolte) teaches the young man profound lessons about reality and life itself.Don't hesitate a minute. Watch this film for it is truly a worthwile experience.5) Peaceful Warrior review [Rating: 3 out of 5]
Nick Nolte (Affliction, Another 48 Hrs) is a philosophical preacher, the Socrates through which the real Dan Millman chooses to deliver his message. Based on Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives, a self-help book that's everyone apparently read and been inspired by, this movie stands on shaky feet, much like its main character. The philosophical sound bites are overwhelming. It would've been nice to see one or two of those ideas fully developed in the movie, but instead, Peaceful Warrior tries to cater to too many people and to appeal with too many one-liners.The most intriguing character isn't Socrates or even Dan Millman, who is played by the handsome and buffed-for-this-role Scott Mechlowicz (EuroTrip, Mean Creek), but is the elusive girl named Joy (Amy Smart Just Friends, The Butterfly Effect), who appears for about three minutes in the entire film. We never find out how she is related to Socrates or why she chooses to believe in Millman or even decides to associate herself with a jock like him.The beginning and the ending sequences are artistically shot as are a few other scenes of Millman training in the rain. If more scenes were this artfully executed, perhaps the lack of coherency and stability would've been less noticeable.Several Western ideas are challenged in this movie - living until that something that we all think we'll make us happier rather than the Eastern belief of living in this moment. However, there aren't any new or Earth-shaking revelations in this movie. Being in the "now" and experiencing two hours worth of this movie seems wasteful and contradictory.Universal decided to re-release this movie and gave away $15 million worth of free tickets in hope that there would be positive word-of-mouth about this movie, enough to generate huge ticket sales. I'm sorry to say that they will not be getting such positive feedback from me. I think a smarter move would've been to promote this movie on DVD, where it will do fine and where the watching of it might be spaced out over a few days, so that the philosophical talk isn't so heavily prevalent in such a short period of time.To paraphrase the movie's philosopher, you can't be better than anyone else, just like you can't be less than anyone else, but you can definitely have better movies than this one. And, those are the movies that are worth your hard-earned money.