Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 13:07:12

"The Rise of Sam Axe"

This review is from: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (DVD) Nice back ground on Sam. I like his character in all of his work. It would be interesting to see a background movie on Fiona.

2012-05-24 21:48:00

Better than you might think!

This review is from: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I read many of the Amazon reviews before I bought this video and got the impression that this was a fair movie at best. After watching "The Fall of Sam Axe" I was (pleasantly) surprised.This is a fun action movie without foul language, sex, or gratuitous violence. It represents the irrepressible Sam Axe as we have come to know him from "Burn Notice." It gives a little more background than we had before and I did not find it to be contrived at all.I have bought all the "Burn Notice" seasons presently available on DVD and my sons and I are currently re-watching all of them, we love this series so much! (My sons are 17 and 23 by the way.) "The Fall of Sam Axe" was a perfect side-note to the series and I can say we wholeheartedly approve!

2012-05-15 01:27:51

Extended edition?

While this preorder gives little info. about the BD, I just received season 4 DVDs for "Burn Notice." Inside is a flier stating that this is an extended version (with some "making of" bits, too). The movie was about 88 minutes long. This is listed at 108 minutes (assuming this time does not include the included extras). Not sure how they could pad this for another 20 minutes. Perhaps, though, the "extended cut" part will influence some to buy this.The movie itself was okay. A bit pat, but a fun time, if one's expectations aren't too high.

2012-05-14 07:58:55

burn notice

This review is from: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (DVD) this is a pretty good movie not the best. I really can't say to much more then the other 4 & 5 star reviews have said about this movie will watch again.

kelvaris-1 2012-05-13 09:24:10

Burn Notice on Burn Notice, Sam needs his own show.

TV movies are awful. They tend to be a 40 minute show stretched out to90 minutes. This is not the case with BN:TFOSA. Bruce Campbell does hisusual awesome job of entertaining the audience that you forget you arewatching TV. I especially appreciated the nods to Evil Dead, and hisbook, thank you Bruce for being a fans actor. Many "A-listers" couldlearn a lesson or two about respecting the fans from you (yes I amlooking at you George Lucas). Jeffrey Donovan does a admirable showing as a director. He used somegood moves behind the lens without getting crazy. Many times directorswill so desperately want to "show their style" they get funky beyondreason, not the case here. He kept the action steady and allowed us toenjoy it. Thank you. The writing was better than average as well. I can't review the script( I didn't read that, and who knows how close the shoot came to it) butI can certainly see Mat Nix's hand on it. I would be surprised if theydeviated much from his very excellent work as a writer. The only complaint I could make would be the realism factor was down. Iknow BN tends to lean toward the A-Team side of realism and The Fallstuck with that style.Since this movie was announced at Comicon last year I have been eagerlyawaiting it. I was not disappointed, and if you like Burn Notice,neither will you.

film127 2012-05-12 20:15:12

Fun to see Sam Axe back story.

Our family was thrilled to see that we'd be getting more of BruceCampbell as Sam Axe. He did a good job with the material. Youdefinitely see his Burn Notice character's core integrity in this.The writing has some funny and some drama, but at times was a bitobvious and clunky. The only thing that really nagged me was theshrewish attitude of the lead female. Don't know if she was directed toplay it that way or if it was the writing, but it was annoying.Some of the other posters commented on the CGI. I didn't really careabout that. You still get the gist of the action regardless.Overall, it's worth a look to get the back story on a popularcharacter. And get more Bruce Campbell in your life.

2012-05-06 13:51:35

Don't get burned by buying this DVD

After hearing about this movie during Comic Con I had such high hopes for it.After watching the show it would have been better for Bruce to have his own two hour episode of Burn Notice.It just seems like it was rushed into production to fit in between seasons of the series and it shows.Chemistry is hard enough to get between characters I don't know why they messed with it.This will more than likely rerun right before the new season of Burn Notice if you missed it before."New info" The Blu-ray and maybe the DVD will have a extended version available.

2012-05-06 02:16:14

Sam's Story - a great flick with heart!

My husband is a big Burn Notice fan, so I occasionally watch episodes with him. One night he began watching this movie and I was instantly hooked. I didn't know it was a movie, and was happily surprised when it lasted longer than the average episode. I loved that the story was easy going and it had lot of heart and humor, just like Sam. Yeah, it was a little cheesy and there were some things that probably would never have happened in the real world, but have you watched Burn Notice?!? I recommend it to any Burn Notice fan, but I also think that it stands alone as a fun flick for those who have no previous exposure to the Burn Notice series.

2012-05-05 07:12:05

It's OK

This review is from: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (DVD) This prequel is OK for a slow evening. Looks like a long made-for-TV movie that wasn't quite good enough to get picked up. Fills in some blanks in Sam's and Michael's back stories.

bob the moo 2012-05-04 13:59:48

Distracting but uneven in tone and not particularly good in any specific regard – it is carried by Campbell though

Between season 4 and 5 of Burn Notice, this prequel movie of sorts wasproduced that focuses on Sam who, when we join him, is undergoing aninformal military "interview" over his actions during a mission inColumbia. This flashback structure takes us away from the normalsettings in the main but (hopefully) still allows for the easy mix ofstyle, comedy and action that makes Burn Notice a "safe pair of hands"when it comes to prime time. From the start it does feel like we are ina "lesser" product though because the camera work and sets seem to lackthe style, colour and flair of the TV show proper. It feels and lookslike either less money was available for it or the makers were playingit in a slightly different way.The result is somewhat of a B-movie thriller except with an oddlyuneven tone running across it. Sometimes it is amusing but it is neverhilarious; sometimes it has action but it is never exciting; it justtends to have a little bit of everything to make it passable for thosewilling to go along with it. If you sat to watch it without any vestedinterested in the character of Sam then probably you'll not get muchfrom it but then this is because it doesn't offer a huge amount foryou. The main selling point here is Campbell and he does make it moreentertaining than it deserves to be because his performance and hischaracter are quite fun. The in-jokes for his fans are a nice touch ifa little clunky, while he throws himself into it with energy and goodcomic timing. The supporting cast are never more than average thoughand it does hurt the overall film.The effects are solid enough and the A-Team-esque action is decent andbloodless enough to distract. The direction is surprisingly "straight"though; the TV show has lots of music and quick cuts and slidingtransitions but here the presentation is a lot more drab by comparison– a bit of "oomph" in this regard would have helped the film feelslicker and more fun as works for the show. Overall The Fall of Sam Axeis a distracting bit of filler to those fans of Burn Notice, eventhough it never gets to the same level of entertainment or fun as theactual show does. Bruce Campbell fans will get a kick out of it and itis certainly an "easy" watch but nothing more than that.

NDHFilms 2012-05-04 11:34:51

The Relatively Comfortable Non-Fall of Sam Axe

The Fall of Sam Axe was quite disappointing. In its best episodes, BurnNotice is tightly written, entertaining, and has a chemistry betweenthe actors. Little of that was present in this two-hour prequel. Thestory goes two years before the Burn Notice timeline, but whatsurprised me was how little it added to the overall narrative. The movie follows Sam Axe, a supporting character in the show whosupplies many of the laughs. As played by b-movie icon Bruce Campbell,he's a laid-back Lothario who knows a thing or two about combat. Here,we see Sam before a military tribunal, explaining what went wrong inhis final Navy SEALS mission. The mission into Colombia involves all the usual intrigue of corruptmilitary officials and freedom fighters that herd goats. As Sam defiesorders to save the rebels, he's joined by two doctors, played by KieleSanches and RonReaco Lee. Both are chronic whiners throughout the movieand offer no real substance to the plot. In fact, the only passionateperformance comes from Ilza Rosario, playing the young rebel Beatriz ina debut role. Bruce Campbell has always been one of the great pleasures to watchingBurn Notice. Here, as usual, he plays on the cult films of his past, atone point hurling a chainsaw in a nod to the Evil Dead trilogy. Hisappeal on the show was his devilish charm, a guy who doesn't mindname-dropping his connections. Ultimately, though, he's a Miami retireewith a good heart, and by setting this film before that, much of thisis lost. Seeing him as an overweight soldier just feels off, and Iwanted the Sam Axe we're familiar with. The movie was directed by Jeffery Donovan, who plays the protagonistMichael Westen on the show proper. This makes his feature-filmdirecting debut, and in the end the debut is weak. It feels too muchlike an episode stretched out over two hours, with no added urgency tojustify the extra running time. The high mountains of Colombia (or anadequate fake) are cloudy and gray, a far cry from the colorful,populated streets of Miami. But even Donovan doesn't deserve all theblame: series creator Matt Nix wrote the screenplay and co-wrote thestory. His pilot for the show won awards, deservedly so, for creating afast-paced and fun atmosphere for his spies and rogue agents to playin. All of that is lacking here.The best scene comes early on with a cameo by Donovan. His characterWesten was still the CIA's top agent at this point, and the camaraderiebetween the him and Axe was sorely missed as the film progressed. BurnNotice is most at home with its leads and pushing them intoever-tighter corners, so The Fall of Sam Axe lacks all the advantageswhile making poor use of the show's breakout character. Bruce Campbellis an eminent crowd-pleaser, but the movie here is certainly not.

sororoma 2012-05-04 06:52:39

At least Bruce looks good.

Bruce seems to have gotten in shape for the prequel. Of course, a NavySeal would have to be in better shape than the retired Sam we are usedto.OK, so my review is not going to be helpful, unless you value yourtime.2 hours of basically, Burn Notice. Nothing new to see here folks. Movealong to the next channel.People, even a cable network should be able to fork out a few bucks forless laughable CGI. A Michael Weston cameo. Why not. But without Fiona,what guy is going to watch this "action flick".Should you get the DVD no doubt to be released? Just save your moneyand watch it on HULU.

2012-05-03 11:37:15

Play it again, Sam

I'm a Burn Notice fan. I expected to like this movie. I did not expect to love this movie. It was not an extra episode, it was a wonderful journey into how Sam came to Miami and a strong example of the heart we've always known him to have.The story pre-dates Michael Westin's burn notice. He shows in the movie in the visiting context of Sam's spy friend. And that is it.I loved that he was not prominent in this movie. It did need to be Sam's story.It begins with Sam being escorted into a hearing for a sit rep on an incident that went down out of country. What unfolds is the iron clad character of the Navy Seal we all think of as loveable Sam. He is sent to observe a situation out of country once his commanding officer learns that Sam knows his wife. Sam didn't know she had a husband or he wouldn't have known her quite so well.At any rate, Sam quickly discovers that things are not what they seem and rides in to do what he does so well with Michael.... he saves the day and then waits to be saved!Beautifully done.

2012-05-02 22:26:29

A must for Burn Notice fans

This review is from: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (DVD) The Fall of Sam Axe is a must for all Burn Notice fans, he has been the comic side-kick, trusted friend (Apart from when he used to inform on you to the FBI...) and one of the key characters of the series.You were always told he was an ex-Navy SEAL, but did not know about his past, what he did, why he helps Michael? This telemovie explains most of that, including his love of drinking.Bruce Campbell carries the show well, providing a lead character that you just have to love. You get a cameo from Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) who directed this movie.There are others who tell the plot, I just say, if you like to be entertained, like the Burn Notice gunplay, wise cracks, and action at a pace, then this is for you. GET IT!

2012-04-25 21:08:23

Love it!

This review is from: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (DVD) Being a Burn Notice fan from the beginning, I love that they did a prequel movie for Sam. You always hear about their back stories but it is rare that you get to see them. Plus, the DVD extras and the mocumentary of "The Fall of Jeffrey Donovan" was hysterical!

WOLVERINE25th 2012-04-25 03:56:03

Very Groovy

Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe is a journey into the past of theseries' most enigmatic character as only Bruce Campbell can play him.Set in 2005, the movie follows Sam's last mission as a Navy Seal beforehe wound up retired in Miami. A moment of indiscretion gets Sam sentinto the South American jungles to deal with a terrorist group causinghavoc. But, things aren't what they seem.So far, the biggest complaints about this movie are that some of theuniforms are inaccurate, which means they must be doing everything elseright. As made for TV movies go, this was very good. Even thought itfelt more like one of Bruce's B-movie romps than an actual extension ofBurn Notice, that only helps bring home the fun of the movie. Brucegets many a great line, and a few nods to both his past and his fans.The other characters ranged from well-acted to a kind of mehperformance, and the overall direction by Jeffrey Donovan was welldone. Fans of both Bruce and Burn Notice will enjoy this picture andcome away feeling satisfied. Was this necessary? Maybe not. Was itworth it? Hell yes.

RamblerReb 2012-04-19 11:12:58

Vintage Bruce, not much else.

As a long-time Bruce fan (I first saw Evil Dead in the early 90's, notrealizing the man already had a cult fan base), I enjoyed every sceneBruce was in, and since he was in virtually every scene in the film,obviously I enjoyed most of the film. The doctor guy was annoying, thelove interest was whiny but an OK foil, the teen girl was hot butevidently found the scenery too tempting to resist gobbling up in bigbites. The villains were competently played but telegraphed oily evilimmediately, losing all sense of suspense there.It was predictable and a bit preachy, and the mention of the SOA wasbordering on heavy-handed, but Bruce charms and smirks his way throughit and makes an otherwise forgettable bit of tripe an actual pleasureto watch. It is significant, however, that no one but him could have.Of course, one doesn't watch Bruce Campbell for the outstanding specialeffects (Alien Apocalypse, anyone?), the great supporting cast (The Manwith the Screaming Brain?), or the realistic, down-to-earth plots (anyEvil Dead you care to name), one watches for Bruce. By that standard,this movie does fine.

2012-04-19 00:01:23

OK I'm kind of a fan boy

What can I say , I like Bruce. I read his book "If Chins Could Kill" and was impressed with his regular guyness.This movie is more BC than BN in my opinion but thats OK. I've come expect a level of cheese intermixed with sincerity and humor from Bruce and this movie does not dissapoint. If you are not a Burn Notice or Bruce fan then I would steer clear, if you are , its a must watch.

2012-04-09 12:58:06

Another Fun Ride by Bruce

OK, maybe this isn't the greatest film of the year, but take it for what it is, a fun story to give the viewer some background on the Burn Notice character. It almost seems this movie was custom made for Bruce, considering the use of the thrown chain saw, the phrase groovy, and especially Sam Axe's new nickname given by the farmers: the Chin. And it doesn't hurt that the female actors are extremely adorable! I would definitely recommend this movie to those who enjoy cheesy, fun films.

2012-04-09 00:26:38

Low Budget and Low Expectations

Even with low expectations, this tv movie didn't hit the mark. Bruce Campbell just couldn't save this project from it's incredibly low budget effects and the re-hashed (seen it a million times) plot.Noticeably absent was the traditional Bruce Campbell humor which usually can drag these types of movies to a positive review.