Customer Reviews

Army of One (aka Joshua Tree)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Joshua Tree was one of the best action movies of the '90s and Artisan (who can usually be relied upon to make awesome DVDS) have given it a terrible transfer.

All we get on this very poor and lazy release is a flat and static main menu, Dolby-Surround, a fullscreen trailer and THE ENTIRE MOVIE IN FULLSCREEN. UGH!

This film is supposed to be in 2.35:1 but instead Artisan, for some reason, released it in a mutilated 1.33:1. This is not right. The directors vision of the film is the one that should be respected and seen by everyone. I advise you to wait for a more definative release of Joshua Tree (not Army of One). Joshua Tree is the REAL title.

I really do hope that Artisan change their minds about this DVD and release a better version soon. Widescreen is the most important feature of ANY DVD released. But it is not present here so save your cash for a future release.

Normally I would reccomend this DVD to you. But only in widescreen. Artisan have butchered an excellent action film. Leave this edition be.

I thought this was a good entertaining movie. I wish there was more hand to hand combat, since Lundgren is specialized, but overall it was good. I got double my money's worth. Non stop action. George Segal was excellent as well as a corrupt cop.

...but a terrible DVD. The sound is plain old Dolby Surround and the movie is in fullscreen. I find this very annoying.I have always like Joshua Tree and looked forward to it's DVD release. I imagined widescreen, Dolby 5.1, trailers, commentaries and motion menus. But none of that ever happened. Artisan disappointed me SO MUCH with this poor and unimaginative release.

I would like to start a campaign to get Artisan to change their minds. To get them to re-release this awesome film in widescreen. They must do this as this film totally rocks. Even the current cover art is painfully awful. A moody picture of a Joshua Tree would be better.

One last thing. Amazon and the back of the DVD state that the running time is 102 minutes when it is actually the unrated 106 version. This version must remain intact in the future widescreen release.

One Of The Best Lundgren movies made. Dolph plays an exotic car thief, who is framed by a corrupt cop(George Segal). An amazing car chase through The Desert. Also stars Kristian Alfonso.

I first saw Joshua Tree back in 1994. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the film was as Dolph was still a newbie to me then. He's pretty good in his role but is acted off the screen by George Segal who has as fun playing the villian than any other actor in a movie. What he brings to Joshua Tree is class. Not that it needed any.

Vic Armstrong is one of the top Hollywood guys when it comes to stunts. If there's one guy who knows how to blow something up or throw someone off a building best...it's Vic Armstrong. You can tell he loved making this movie when it comes to that breath-taking shootout in the desert warehouse. Wow! This stuff is better than John Woo.

But I don't think you should buy the DVD. Not this one at least. I'd take the advice of the reviewers below and wait for a more definative version to be released. To show a 2.35:1 film in 1.33:1 is a mutilation. Seriously. But this DVD runs at the uncut 106 not 102 like the cover says.

If you are a big fan of Joshua Tree (and it's understandable how you can be) I'd buy this DVD just to see how the picture and sound quality differs from the VHS. Even the current sound is in Dolby Surround so all those gunshots and the awesome musical score get terrible justice.

I hope and pray Artisan wise-up, scrap this version and release the widescreen version soon.

It would get 5/5 normally but in fullscreen and in Dolby Surround I'm afraid I can only give it 1/5.

Why did Artisan do this to a super-great movie? If you are going to release a DVD there are 2 rules I think should not be broken. The first rule is: always in anamorphic widescreen. The second rule is: always in Dolby 5.1. I knew that, before it was released, Artisan would release Joshua Tree. I hoped for so many special features. Like seeing a film in widescreen (2.35:1) that I had only ever seen in fullscreen. Plus a whole range of extras that the DVD format can offer. One particular extra I hoped for was an isolated musical score track as the music is some of the best I have ever heard. Joel Goldsmith's score explores so many moods and ambient feelings. From devastating action to gentle/quieter scenes. This is one of Dolph's best movies and it has been ruined. Artisan should re-release this film properly. And under it's correct title too. The title on the clapperboards and on the script was Joshua Tree. Even the name on the trailer is Joshua Tree. So what is with this "Army Of One" nonsense? How unoriginal is that. I really cannot understand why Artisan did this. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope they delete this version and re-release a more respectable version.

First of all this film is called JOSHUA TREE not army of one. And second of all it should be in 2.35:1. Not 1.33:1 with the "dead space" showing dozens of goofs.

That aside, this is Dolph's best movie. The plot is cliched and unoriginal but the delivery of the dialogue and that self-aware irony it has is unmatchable.

Joshua Tree is way more top-drawer than you may expect and is helmed by one of Hollywood's best action men, Vic Armstrong. Action scenes are amazing but poorly presented in Dolby Surround (think of what 6.1 EX could do for it) and the film has been ruined in pan and scan.

I rated the film 5/5. The DVD gets 1/5.

But this film really is wrecked and mutilated in pan and scan. I love this movie but I won't buy Artisan's DVD which does not even have the movies real title, "Joshua Tree".

I saw this as Joshua Tree. It had a different (and better) ending than the DVD. The action is seriously cool and proffesionally handled by BAFTA award-winning stunt co-ordinator Vic Armstrong. Joel Goldsmiths musical score will put you right into the emotion of the story and Dolph is remarkably stoic as Wellman Anthony Santee-the hero. George Segal turns in a good performance and Kristen Alfonso is a babe.

But Artisans DVD is terrible. No widescreen (the AR of Joshua Tree is 2.35:1) and very bad Dolby 2.0 sound. The DVD is not even digital. Instead it is directly mastered from the VHS tape and is of the same quality. A single trailer is the only extra and it even advertises the film by its actual title. Not this Army of One nonsense.

Anyways, this is a cool movie and I suggest you check it out sometime.