Gran Torino (Widescreen Edition) | 
| Director: Clint Eastwood
Actors: Clint Eastwood, Brian Haley, Christopher Carley, Geraldine Hughes
Studio: Warner Home Video
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $3.99
as of 11/21/2009 23:02 CST details
You Save: $15.99 (80%)
New (55) Used (48) Collectible (1) from $3.99
Seller: frankmmc
Rating:  353 reviews
Sales Rank: 112
Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 1000041155
UPC: 883929033164
EAN: 0883929033164
ASIN: B001KVZ6F2
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: June 9, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | A disgruntled Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R Age: 883929033164 UPC: 883929033164 Manufacturer No: 1000041155 |
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Disgruntled Korean war vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.
Amazon.com
Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino, an unassuming picture shot during a post-production lull on his elaborate period piece Changeling, was quietly rolled out at Christmastime 2008, whereupon it proceeded to blow away all the Oscar-bait behemoths at the box office and win its 78-year-old star the best reviews of his acting career. Both film and performance are consummately sly--coming on with deceptive simplicity, only to evolve into something complex, powerful, and surprisingly tender. Just as Unforgiven was a tragic reflection on Eastwood's legacy in the Western genre, Gran Torino caps and eloquently critiques the urban heritage of Dirty Harry and his violent brethren. And on top of that, the movie becomes a savvy meditation on America in a particular historical moment, racially, economically, spiritually. Call it a "state of the union" message. But call it that with a wry grin. The latest Dirty Harry is actually a grumpy Walt: Walt Kowalski (Eastwood playing his own age), widower, Korean War veteran, retired auto worker, and the last white resident of his Detroit side street. It's hard to say who irks him more--his blood kin (a pretty lame bunch) or the Hmong families who are his new neighbors. Kowalski's a racist, because it has never occurred to him he shouldn't be. Besides, that's the flipside of the mutual ethnic baiting that serves as coin of affection for him and his working-class buddies. Circumstances--and two young people next door, the feisty Sue (Ahney Her) and her conflicted brother Thao (Bee Vang)--contrive to involve Walt with a new community, and anoint him as its hero after he turns his big guns on some ruffians. The trajectory of this may surprise you--several times over. Eastwood opted to film in economically blighted Detroit--a shrewd decision, but it's his mapping of Walt's world in that classical style of his that really counts. Every incidental corner of lawn, porch, and basement comes to matter--and by all means the workshop/garage that houses the mint-condition Gran Torino which Walt helped build in a more prosperous era. This is a remarkable movie. --Richard T. Jameson
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 353
 Gut wrenching and Incredible November 15, 2009
D. Hammes (Lakes Country in Minnesota)
All the intellectual reviews and evaluations of this film are fine, but what I know is that I am still feeling this movie in my gut long after I watched it. Cut my male macho bulls*** right off at the knees. Awesome film making, incredible performance by an actor and director at the epitome of his craft.Gran Torino engaged me emotionally is ways I did not expect, and I was the biggest guy in the room. Buy it.
 Good eye opener. November 13, 2009
enterthemeowmix
Nice to see how Clint's character changed his tune after getting to know the neighbors. Its an eye opener on the reality of gang violence too. The movie was sad though as he made the ultimate sacrifice to save the kids and teach them to make the right choices. Clint Eastwood was great.
great movie November 11, 2009
Willie Montgomery (Denmark,South Carolina)
So,this is Clint Eastwood's last movie as an actor.He did a very good job in closing out a wonderful career.The movie made me angry about the street gang he takes on and it shows how our youth today are destroying their lives.His character is one person who is not afraid to back down from a threat.I did see some Dirty Harry in the movie.The trailer to the movie was great.Although this is his last movie as an actor and now he is going behind the camera I will always be a Clint Eastwood fan.
Funny, Powerful & Its a Work of Art. November 9, 2009
Damon Smith (USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Gran Torino straight up shows how pathetic and ignorant gangs really are. Its not about the car in this movie, but the special features on this DVD about cars just ruins the whole message in Gran Torino. Although Clint Eastwood was good in the special features, its just the other actor's interviews in Special Features that made it seem like they were only interested in the car, just like how Walter's family in the movie were kinda acting. Thats the only problem I had with this. Besides the dumbed down special features, I thought Gran Torino was one of Clint Eastwood's best movies.
Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is now an old retired Polish American Ford factory worker and Korean War veteran. He lives in Highland Park, Michigan neighborhood with his dog, Daisy. He does not get very long with the neighborhood very well and thinks the whole town is overrated and calls them a bunch of names throughout the film, who can blame him. I would too if I was living in that type of neighborhood. Because it pisses you off. Walter definitely says some things in this movie about some people's behavior that is actually true in the real world. For example, some families really do get greedy and only care about the materials the dead ones left over for them. Thats one true example. The other example are the gangs roaming around the neighborhood that can piss someone off like Walt Kowalski. Some say that this movie was racist. Well not really, there are a few racist jokes that Clint Eastwood made throughout this movie, but they were quite hilarious. Although most of the time I figured Clint Eastwood's new alter ego character, Walter was just being his honest self in Gran Torino. Thats one thing I actually admired so much and that was Walter's brutal honesty in this film.
We go into another character's story, Thao Vang Lor, or Toad (Walt likes to keep calling Thao, Toad). We see him walking on the sidewalk while an asian gang inside their car pokes fun at Thao. Another asian gang inside another car sees what is going on and buzzes off the gang who was poking at Thao. This gang that helped Thao wants him to come join them, but Thao just walks away and goes back to his house with his book that he was reading along the way. There ends up being a big pile of gangs fighting each other and over Thao at night at the door next to Walt Kowalski's house, then Walt orders them to get off his lawn threatening the pile of gangs with a shotgun and saves Thao and his family's lives.
The next morning Thao's family is now giving Walter a bunch of food on his footsteps at the porch outside his house, although Walter gets annoyed with the whole thing and orders them to go back home with there food.
We now witness a new character in this movie. Thao's older sister, Sue Lor. She is the first woman to befriends with Walt Kowalski in this film. Sue is very intelligent and street wise, although makes an mistake by going out on a date with some wuss that leads them into a corner sidewalk with a gang that eventually tries to assult Sue and attacks her date. That is when Walter comes in and saves the day, but tells Sue's date to scram for being a wuss. Then tells the gang to take care.
Later Walter finally forgives Thao for trying to steal his Gran Torino car when Thao apologizes and tells Walt the real story why he was stealing the car. Then is required to work for Walt about a week to make up his apologies. A week after that, Walter finds Thao a job and is a success, but it seems the gang is now pressuring on Thao. Because Thao is taking responsibility for himself and it gives a bad look for the asian gang. This is a sad thing that is still actually going on in this world today.
after the fight with the gang, Thao goes back to Walt's garage and tries to hide what has happened from Walt, but Walt finds out what happened by looking at the burnt scar on Thao's face from a asian member who used a light-up cigerate to stab Thao's face with. Walt gets all pissed about it, then goes back to the same gang member to beat him up and threatens him with a pistol to stay away from Thao because he has nothing to do with the gang.
Apparently the fight does not end, it gets worse. But something heroric happens in this movie and I don't want to give anymore detail after that. Because what Walt Kowalski does is incredible near the end and inspiring.
Gran Torino is an amazing movie. Its one of those art movies you don't see anymore. What I love about this movie is how honest it is about some of the reality thats happening in this world. Its an refreshing movie and original half drama/half comedy film with some good hints about real problems some people really do have in this world today throughout this movie.
highly recommended!
Full 5 stars.
Very enjoyable movie! November 5, 2009
AquaOpal (North Central, Florida United States)
I really enjoyed this movie, even though it was difficult at some points to really immerse myself into the story because the acting of Hmong kids was not convincing...I am referring to Sue and Thao....would have been a perfect 5 stars if the acting was good. :-(
Aside from that a very entertaining movie with a lot of expletives and racist comments, but all the same very humorous.
Would recommend to those not offended by off color, racey (and I do mean RACEy) humor.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 353
|
|
|
|
