Customer Reviews

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2005

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I only agree with the reviews about 55% of the time, but the team that assembles this guide does a superb job of writing brief capsule descriptions of a wide variety of films. The reference information --- stars, directors, dates, widescreen processes --- may all be available elsewhere, but it's often a lot easier to pick up the book then it is to get up out of your easy chair, boot up the computer, go to the imdb, type in the info you're looking for...

It's true that this edition, formatted to fit into a mass-market paperback, has very small print. As an AARP member who needs trifocals, this can sometimes be an issue. However, Maltin's does publish the book in a larger-type edition (a "trade" paperback) which is published about three months after this smaller sized version. (Why don't they publish both simultaneously? Who knows...)

P.S. This book is also very handy for working crossword puzzles.

If you buy this book be sure you have a very good magnifying glass. The pages have been reduced in size and the print is extremely small. They have also reduced the number of entries by thousands. The price has been reduced so that is a plus. Keep your old book.

I have been buying Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide for nearly twenty years now. It remains a vital and enjoyable purchase and is a great reference for major Hollywood features, breakthrough independents and widely-distributed foreign films. However, Maltin admittedly is a film historian who wastes a lot of space in this book on obscure, decades-old Hollywood films that are seldom, if ever, shown on television and have been unavailable on VHS or DVD for years. In this volume, he says he is going to divide the guide into different volumes, one focusing on classics, others on more recent releases. This is a good idea. I really do think Maltin needs to devote one guide to DVD and video releases and another to his beloved classics, both of which I would buy. That way, the smaller films (such as "Local Boys", for instance) that receive direct-to-video release and obscure titles that are not featured in this volume will be covered and Maltin's impeccable taste and invaluable advice will prove more useful.

As for his reviews, the only fault I find (and it's really more a difference in personal taste) is that Maltin tends to prefer classic-style filmmaking, which explains why a mediocre film like "Cider House Rules" ranks **** while Clint Eastwood's masterwork "Unforgiven" only gets ***. Also, his constant carping about "overlength" in any movie over two hours gets old, especially since few of the films he complains about truly are overlong. But that's what makes this book so much fun--complaining about and disagreeing with the somewhat odd rankings he and his staff come up with, along with the occasional surprise of knowing he also liked that badly-reviewed film you have a fondness for. And a special kudo to Leonard for finally admitting he blew it with his original review of Ridley Scott's brilliant "Alien" and upping that pathetic **1/2 rating by a *. It's nice to see critics admitting when they're wrong.

As I said, this is a fine collection of reviews that needs to be divided into volumes in order to provide a more complete collection of relevant reviews. Regardless, it's still the best guide out there. **** (out of *****)

I remember picking up my first Maltin guide almost 20 years ago when guides like this were indispensible to the burgeoning home video market.

Today, the reliance on home guides has really been greatly reduced. There are so many great websites out there such as the Internet Movie Database where you can get reviews in an instant that it has made old paper guides almost stone-age in comparison. I mean, the fact that by the time they hit the market, there are all ready hundreds of newer releases not in the book.

Still, I love Maltin's wit and his enthusiasm. He's never been high-brow like many reviewers and has a great appreciation for animation like I do.

His book has reviews for over 20,000 movies, an index of leading actors and actresses, and much more. Leonard's style has always been fun to read. If you are going to guy a book, then this is the one to get.

i used to buy this every year but i now buy the superior timeout guide.theres just too many mistakes on some of my favourite films.leonard maltin is way overated.for most hollywood films its fine but when it comes to international movies it struggles

Alright, there are some logical complaints here, but all easy to answer. First, this book IS available, as one reviewer mentioned, in large print(for those who need this). However, for others, like myself, just get this book. The descriptions of milestones, early appearances, etc. are well worth it. The facts here are much more numerous than any other guide. Included is a family guide-with a large quantity of great family pictures of the past and present(there's also a "Leonard Maltin Family Film Guide" on the market), a mail-order video area, and a widescreen glossary(which I find very useful-and not a bad idea for others to use, too, when I read on Amazon that they need to release the widescreen version of "Shadow of a Doubt", et al.-although this film was never in widescreen format).
As far as the comment on his TV movies, his TV guide has not been on the market for awhile(probably not a phenomenal sell-big shocker, huh?) This is why the more "important" TV films are still here. It also appears that he's stopped adding recent TV movies(within the last decade or more), but his focus on cinema is obviously the meat of this guide. You may need to look for a good TV encyclopedia for more. Also, it might not be a bad idea for him to just remove the actors/directors guide in the back, to save space. I mean, there are better guides on this subject-specifically, Ephraim Katz's 'The Film Encyclopedia'(see my critique on this one) or 'Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia'. However, I find the short directory in the back handy for when looking up info on the bigger stars and directors, which is its focus. Now, if you're a real film buff(and, I mean, you take in all periods and types of films), then you're probably not going to miss the absence of some of the recent pop culture actors/directors, anyway. If you do, though, get one of the other guides.
As far as this Maltin Movie/Video Guide goes, though, wait until August to purchase if it's spring-summer already(this is when he releases the new edition). You'll get all the recent films of the previous year. As I write this, it's late spring 2005, so I would wait for the "2006" edition, for example-which is actually released August 2005(confusing, huh?) The 2000 edition is worth finding, too, though, for although he discludes the director part of his directory in the back, in the front he has the "100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century", which is nice to have. Just get this book!

I don't think anyone could find a more economically price guide for movies, with such good coverage of: Directors, Actors, a synopsis of the storyline, and star rating system. I don't rent a movie without first checking out what Leonard Maltin has written about it. Highly recommend.

I wanted a guide that was as thorough as possible. Over the years, Leonard Maltin's movie guide has proven to be the best I've found. It makes a terrific gift for all ages. I recommend this edition over the mass market because it is slightly easier to read. Whatever the case, this jogs memories, solves mysteries, coughs up the crossword and trivia answers, arbitrates arguments, helps decide what to watch or rent.

Chances are, you aren't going to agree with all the ratings. I don't, but it's not the ratings that count for me. Chances are, if you are over the age of 45, you'd like something rendered in a larger font--so would I, but the magnifying glass I use for atlases and maps is at my elbow anyway and this is not as bad as an insurance policy, so what the heck. Maltin could make the move to two volumes or to a coffee table size paperback. He could drop the actor directory, move that to a different book and restore all sorts of lesser knowns. I'd willingly buy a separate directory.

But still, it's the best quick reference out there.

I hadn't had one of these in a decade, but it is even better than I remembered. All the facts, just the facts, and I agree with him most of the time. Even found my oddball and other classics there. Thanks for a great tool to use with my kids.

I have used his guides for years now. I always enjoy his very frank reviews. I feel the reviews often hit upon key points of the films which help in my decision to watch or not to. Sometimes the reviews are so bad in a funny way you just have to watch!

The book also notes in reviews, actors first "small" appearances in movies (often uncredited), any sequels or remakes are noted, the variety of formats the film is currently available,and a complete listing of popular actors of the past and present movies made in order of release.

You will also find a very handy list of places to find those "hard-to-find" movies!