Customer Ratings & Reviews

An alien creature has been caught by the government and being mistreated. The Russians are trying to steal the information. A blue collar worker falls in love with the creature and is able to communicate with it. Excellent movie premise with an excellent storyline and excellent actors and actresses. A five star production.

Guillermo del Toro is today’s master of fantasy, having been a childhood lover of monsters growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, before making some of the finest films of recent years -- from the ghostly horror of “The Devil’s Backbone” in 2001 to his gothic horror/romance, “Crimson Peak” in 2015. Indubitably, however, his greatest film is “Pan’s Labyrinth”, the 2006 film many of us consider the finest fantasy film ever made. Now he’s broken new ground with “The Shape of Water”, one of the year’s most beautiful films. Set in Baltimore in the year 1962 at the height of the Cold War, the plot follows a mute janitor at a secret government laboratory who forms a bond with a captured amphibian of the “Creature of the Black Lagoon” variety. Her name is Elisa, and Sally Hawkins plays her with an artistry that seems to reach back to the silent days of Chaplin and Keaton. Michael Shannon, with devoted viciousness, plays the right-wing Colonel Strickland, someone more interested in dissecting the creature for exploitation purposes than he is concerned over the space race with the Soviets. Del Toro saw “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” on TV at 7 years old and it changed his life. Wishing a different ending for it in which the Gill Man and co-star Julie Adams would consummate their romance and live ‘happily ever after’, he wrote various scripts of a remake through the years that Universal studio executives wound up rejecting. “The Shape of Water” is the result of del Toro’s dream, and now today, with more permissive filmmaking allowable, he’s able to deal with the previously verboten issue between fish and human. The resulting film is a worthy accomplishment not only for its production design (embodying various shades of green) and its special effects, but also for attaining the level of a genuine adult fairy tale that deals with issues of trust, tolerance, and love in the human condition -- but most of all what it’s like to be an outsider (whether a lonely mute woman, gay man, overweight black woman, or an amphibious sea creature). “This is a healing movie for me,” del Toro states; one likes to think it would be for viewers as well.

Winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, this might be one of those movies you either love or hate. Presented as both a love story and a spin on Beauty and the Beast, this isn't for children. Rated R, it includes several scenes of full frontal female nudity. I found it to be lyrical and mesmerizing and this Blu-Ray transfer is well worth the money. The video and audio are excellent, but beyond that the special features for once actually are special, particularly if you are interested in how the movie was made. Not only are some tricks revealed but there are some interview elements with Guillermo Del Toro, the director and co-writer, that clearly reveal his passion for this project. Having previously directed Hellboy, Del Toro uses what clearly was gleaned from that film and infused those elements into this one. Color and design are used overtly and covertly so that you absorb the overall tone of the movie as part of its appeal. The special features will help you understand how these things worked and made me want to watch the movie a second time in order to see those elements employed. Of course with this package you get the additional DVD disc as well as the code to access it digitally to be played on other devices. Because it's largely an interior type movie, it should hold up even on smaller screens. Add this one to your collection.

Woo I love this movie and transfer is awesome 4K love

Quite simply put, an excellent film...no weaknesses whatsoever.

First off, let me say that this movie had more nudity in it than I expected. You don't get that from the trailer. What an incredible movie, though. It's like watching a piece of art. Visually stunning. Doug Jones is incredible as the gill man. Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Shannon, all top notch performances. Guillermo dell Toro has done it again! And the special features reinforce all the hard work and detail that has gone into the movie. I love this and highly recommend it. Not for the kiddies though.

This film is a love letter to Universal's horror movies and really, I think, a nod to 40's/50's musicals as well. It handles hearing challenges quite gently and as always the look of the movie is a testament to the talented director and the wonderful people he works with. It also is an anti-bigotry and anti-cruelty to animals message. All of this is wrapped up in saving a very special creature from a not-so-special person seeking self glorification from a system that rewards according to results and not the methods used to achieve such results. Don't turn your brain off folks. This one is a keeper!!

I love this movie. I'm a big fan of Guillermo del Toro's films & this is my second favorite. (Crimson Peak is my top choice.) As always, it is beautifully filmed. (Adore the themed color palettes he always chooses.) Brilliantly acted. Touching story.

Guillermo del Toro is a genius. Have you seen Pan's Labyrinth? Or Hellboy? Hellboy II? Pacific Rim was pretty good too I guess (although I prefer Neon Genesis Evangelion lol.) But my point is, del Toro has a very specific style that just has to be experienced. He loves monster movies, and practical effects, and he pulls both off to great effect. Don't know what I mean? Watch this film and see for yourself!

No spoilers, but it's nice to see another way to tell a story of beauty and the beast. Set in the 60's with little CGI, great character and costume. Wish I had seen it on the big screen. Liked the little background about the amazon wish they went more into Dedth but it wouldn't be the same film, otherwise great drama. You can tell alot of thought and love went into this film. Felt sorry for the cat, that's all I'm saying.

My wife and I had heard great things about The Shape of Water and weren't disappointed. Being able to watch and appreciate in our home with three versions for an excellent price -- Blu-Ray, DVD, and online digital copy. We learned so much by listening to the director's commentary in the extra features.

The Shape of Water is one of the greatest movie this decade. This movie was shot in 1.81:1, expect minor black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. The picture quality is excellent showing details and color almost flawlessly. The audio track is also great with a few minor issues.

This film is another reminder about how skilled Del Toro is as a filmmaker. The beautiful blu-ray allows the viewer to get lost in the blacks and the wide range of the color green. He explores the ideas of tolerance within the fantasy genre. He's truly one of my favorite filmakers.

I loved this movie when I first saw it. A wonderful story and visually incredible. Once I watched extras, learned the reason why del Toro fashioned it the way he did, and his passion behind telling the story, it made it even richer. It has moved into one of my top 5 favorite movies.

I was blown away by this movie because I normally do not by a movie for my collection before I have seen it. This movie struck my wife and I to buy it unseen and it was the best movie we have seen in years. Really great acting A+ and we would recommend it to all.

If you like the unusual with a creature twist then this is the love story for you. Some scenes in this movie I felt were not suitable for young children i.e. our female touching herself in the bathtub. I will leave it at that. But the Creature from The Black Lagoon finds a girlfriend theme here is pretty cool.

There is a reason this won an Oscar for Best Picture. Classified as Science Fiction, Benicio Del Toro has used that genre to create a moving heartwarming drama set amidst the background of the early sixties Cold War. This one will not disappoint.

This is like "Creature from the Black Lagoon" in many ways; a love story, beauty and the beast. Outstanding acting, great setting, the music is period correct and lovely. Singles and Couples alike will be touched by this enjoyable but tragic movie.

War-era America circa 1962. A government laboratory where lonely Elisa works. Her life changes when she discovers a secret classified experiment. It will keep you rooting for the underdog. Embracing a unexpected romance. And wanting more.

Really like this movie. Off-beat and something out of the ordinary. Reminded me of the Creature Feature movies I watched growing up so some real good Nostalgic feelings. They captured the era of early 1960"s well. I was pleasantly surprised when it won the Oscar for Best Picture too!