Movie Reviews 2.0
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Sigfried1977
Legend
I'm kinda stunned that anyone liked Robo-Remake; personally I thought it was shockingly bad...Any particular reason you liked it?
I quite enjoyed it too actually. Nicely updated Robocop for the new millenium. As a fan of all things nasty, I definitely missed Verhoeven's ultra violent direction, but to my surprise, I didn't miss it anywhere near as much as I expected. Verhoeven's particular brand of humor didn't work particularly well for me in Robocop's case (I liked it a lot better in Starship Troopers), so the remake's more somber tone didn't really bother me either.
I liked the new Murphy, absolutely liked the new armor (the scene where Murphy gets to witness the full extent of his cybernetic reconstruction was chilling), liked the new, improved, yet just-as-slithering OCP, liked the OST, and I quite enjoyed the action as well.
It's very different to many of these shot-for-shot remakes, and I guess that is why I enjoyed it. It's no masterpiece: I was a little confused by its politics. I'm assuming the beginning of the movie tried to make a case against the use of unmanned drones, but you'd be forgiven to think it did just the opposite or was at least rather ambiguous about it. And where the original grounded its major plot points firmly in logic (the only way to get around Robocop's hidden fourth ocp-employees-are-off-limits directive was to fire OCP employees), the remake often resorted to touchy-feely bullshit (love conveniently conquers all) to do the same. Then again Murphy managed to self regulate his hormone levels before, so even that ending didn't really come out of the blue. Still strikes me as a bit lazily written, though.
None of that really changes the fact that the movie came as a nice surprise.
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In reply to Interstellar:
IMO I didn't take it too much about love, but as an interpretation of the character(s). Essentially, what made the whole paradox thing possible was the fact that he had this bond with his daughter, that enabled to bridge the time lines with the message delivered through gravity (the only force able to travel across dimensions). If he didn't have that bond with her, any message delivered wouldn't have been understood or "found" because no one else knew where to look. That's why Cooper was meant to be on that space ship.
It's ultimately flawed, but for me it works because the "fiction" part (e.g. the non-believable parts) are actually in the realm of science fiction - like what would happen if falling into a black hole. No one's been there and science is limited (to a degree), so it gives a bit of freedom in regards to what they do with it.
It's ultimately flawed, but for me it works because the "fiction" part (e.g. the non-believable parts) are actually in the realm of science fiction - like what would happen if falling into a black hole. No one's been there and science is limited (to a degree), so it gives a bit of freedom in regards to what they do with it.
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It seems to me that a lot of the reviews in the UK (or at least, from the mainstream press) were predisposed to not liking it due to Edgar Wright leaving; they reviewed it through the eyes of a "troubled movie that the British director left because he couldn't work with the corporate Marvel overlords" rather than taking the movie for what it was. Fortunately, Empire didn't take that approach in their review.
Given the supposed troubles to start with, I personally don't think they came through in the final movie - overall this was a cohesive and entertaining story that slotted into the MCU without it being forced down your throat (ahem, Ultron). Didn't hit the surprise/delight value of Guardians for me, but I enjoyed it enough to have seen it twice already.
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Without spoiling it too much, but does it fit in with the other movies well? As in, is there a connection to the whole universe or is it more about its own little guy without connection to what's going on in the avengers?
Yes. (Apart from one element) this movie exists as a standalone, but is clearly enhanced my good knowledge of the MCU - as someone that is invested in it the opening scene completely surprised me, (given that it is in a trailer it isn't a spoiler) Falcon is there drawing a connection to the Avengers, there is an opening to some things that can occur for the future of the MCU and the very end credit tag (yes, this one has two, so stay to then end) is a clear (semi)
"WTF was that about?" unless you clearly know whats next for the MCU.
Saw Inside Out last night (digital projection, 2D). I'd read a bunch of reviews beforehand, mostly written by parents it seems, that said it was far too dark a message for a Disney film and should be avoided as a result. Sorry, but the message in the movie is just how life is, and I don't see the merit in shielding kids from getting a glimpse of it from a movie. If anything it should help them rationalise that feeling the way Riley did in the film is OK, and to be expected.
There were a few laugh out loud moments, mostly involving Sadness, where I caught myself as the only person in the screening having a giggle. Whoops. The plot's pretty straightforward: growing kid struggles with how to feel about stuff, but how it's told is fun and relevant. My only complaint is that it gets wrapped up in a couple of minutes right at the end, so it felt cut short. Plenty of jibes at San Francisco (it's where the movie is set) which made me laugh, since I've spent decent time there in the last half decade.
Oh, and the new short that screened before the film, Lava, was almost worth the price of admission itself.
Maybe not the best thing Pixar have ever done, but I thoroughly enjoyed it because it was so different.
There were a few laugh out loud moments, mostly involving Sadness, where I caught myself as the only person in the screening having a giggle. Whoops. The plot's pretty straightforward: growing kid struggles with how to feel about stuff, but how it's told is fun and relevant. My only complaint is that it gets wrapped up in a couple of minutes right at the end, so it felt cut short. Plenty of jibes at San Francisco (it's where the movie is set) which made me laugh, since I've spent decent time there in the last half decade.
Oh, and the new short that screened before the film, Lava, was almost worth the price of admission itself.
Maybe not the best thing Pixar have ever done, but I thoroughly enjoyed it because it was so different.
I know this is the movies thread, but I just wanted to mention that it's been hard to watch any movies lately - I'm just catching up on too good and too many series.
Completed Lost (yes, I've been living under a rock for the last decade).
Completed season 5 of Game of Thrones. Wow.
Completed Dexter. Very very good.
Very impressed.
Watching True Detective season 2 currently. Stellar acting performance across the board IMO, just like season 1.
Oh and I finally watched the latest Terminator (Genisys) at the movies (which I'm sure has been part of some discussion a few pages back).
Completed Lost (yes, I've been living under a rock for the last decade).
Completed season 5 of Game of Thrones. Wow.
Completed Dexter. Very very good.
Very impressed.
Watching True Detective season 2 currently. Stellar acting performance across the board IMO, just like season 1.
Oh and I finally watched the latest Terminator (Genisys) at the movies (which I'm sure has been part of some discussion a few pages back).
Meh. It was good and bad all the same. I guess not that bad, but ruined by high expectations, even if I knew it was an impossible task. I really loved the first movies by James Cameron and love the plot (even if the whole paradox thing upon close inspection is a bit far-fetched), but what I don't get is why they need to blow up and exaggerate everything. It was the biggest down fall of T3; which IMO would have been a decent movie, if the Connor character had been played by someone better and the Terminatrix wasn't this awful looking cyborg. It actually felt like an inferior terminator to what the T1000 was portrayed to be in T2. If anything the Cameron movies (the first one) showed that suspension and thrill isn't the result of a deadlier robot - more intelligence on the robots part (or a better plot) would perfectly do. And better direction.
Then Genisys comes along and what do they do? They create some over complicated paradoxic script that not only turns everything on its head, but also changes the actual characters. All the while, putting in lots of good laughs for the fans. It was a bit like T3 in that sense, just... worse. I actually think the whole franchise post T2 could have been much better planned, better executed and way more coherent/consistent than what they delivered. As a Terminator fan, kinda sad.
But, despite all that - It had some nice touches none-the-less. It just could have been much better.
Then Genisys comes along and what do they do? They create some over complicated paradoxic script that not only turns everything on its head, but also changes the actual characters. All the while, putting in lots of good laughs for the fans. It was a bit like T3 in that sense, just... worse. I actually think the whole franchise post T2 could have been much better planned, better executed and way more coherent/consistent than what they delivered. As a Terminator fan, kinda sad.
But, despite all that - It had some nice touches none-the-less. It just could have been much better.
Yes, I'm very much enjoying True Detective season 2. Season 1 was, on balance, maybe the best TV series I've ever seen. Season 2 is not disappointing so far. Maybe we need a TV series discussion thread, because there's a heck of a lot more to be said about those than movies, over the lifetime of a show.
P.S., Dexter was awful in the end
P.S., Dexter was awful in the end
And as I always wanted to have the book club thread, I've been thinking of creating a TV shows thread for years, yet I still haven't.
There are far too many amazing shows to discuss. I will do this!
There are far too many amazing shows to discuss. I will do this!
digitalwanderer
Legend
I really enjoyed Wayward Pines on TV recently, and Humans has been good but I'll reserve judgement until the final episode next Sunday.
Highly recommend Wayward Pines! Don't read anything about it or look it up, just watch it and be surprised/delighted. It's only 10 episodes, and they're the short American length ones so they're only 43 minutes each.
Highly recommend Wayward Pines! Don't read anything about it or look it up, just watch it and be surprised/delighted. It's only 10 episodes, and they're the short American length ones so they're only 43 minutes each.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Watched The Avengers 2 a couple of weeks ago and thought it was pretty meh. Not much of a story.
Last week I had to travel to the USA so I had about 30 hours to watch movies.
First up was Full Metal Jacket which I had on my laptop because Hawaiin fucking airlines dares charging 7.99 for a single movie on some of their flights. Oh, and what kind of piece of shit airport is Honolulu and does US immigration really has to be such a bitch? yes excuse me for not knowing exactly where Oregon stops and Washington state stops...
Anyway, FMJ was good as always though the lady sitting next to me didn't seem to appriciate Gomer Pyle blowing out his brains very much lol.
On the flight back I watched Man of Steel, which I turned off after above 2/3's because that movie is just boring as hell.
Watched Love Forecast instead which is actually a pretty funny movie. Looks like I'm the only person here actually watching Korean movies but they make a lot of good stuff. The story is about a girl that is the "weather goddess" and gains fame with her online weather show. She gets hired out a big TV channel and all seems well buuuutttt she has a drinking problem and falls for all the wrong men.
The story is pretty basic but that doesn't matter because thats not why you watch a movie like this. You watch is for drunk and angry Korean women because drunk and angry Korean women, whether they are acting or in real life, are funny.
Last week I had to travel to the USA so I had about 30 hours to watch movies.
First up was Full Metal Jacket which I had on my laptop because Hawaiin fucking airlines dares charging 7.99 for a single movie on some of their flights. Oh, and what kind of piece of shit airport is Honolulu and does US immigration really has to be such a bitch? yes excuse me for not knowing exactly where Oregon stops and Washington state stops...
Anyway, FMJ was good as always though the lady sitting next to me didn't seem to appriciate Gomer Pyle blowing out his brains very much lol.
On the flight back I watched Man of Steel, which I turned off after above 2/3's because that movie is just boring as hell.
Watched Love Forecast instead which is actually a pretty funny movie. Looks like I'm the only person here actually watching Korean movies but they make a lot of good stuff. The story is about a girl that is the "weather goddess" and gains fame with her online weather show. She gets hired out a big TV channel and all seems well buuuutttt she has a drinking problem and falls for all the wrong men.
The story is pretty basic but that doesn't matter because thats not why you watch a movie like this. You watch is for drunk and angry Korean women because drunk and angry Korean women, whether they are acting or in real life, are funny.
P.S., Dexter was awful in the end
I know.
It's amazing how much damage they inflicted with that last episode. It boggles the mind. It's especially hard, after you've invested countless of hours, loving the plot, the story, the characters etc only to have such a dissatisfying ending. I get why perhaps the creators thought of ending it that way, but on the other hand, they could have made it all the more satisfying. Still, I must say, Dexter across the entire series was good fun. I especially liked the lightheartedness of it all, despite the rather 'dark' underlying theme that gets more serious as bits and pieces from the past unfold. It will go down as one of my favorite series I think (although there are many that I like for many different reasons and IMO deserve to be right up there.
Yes, I think we need a series topic too.
https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/the-official-long-awaited-tv-shows-thread.57187/I know.
It's amazing how much damage they inflicted with that last episode. It boggles the mind. It's especially hard, after you've invested countless of hours, loving the plot, the story, the characters etc only to have such a dissatisfying ending. I get why perhaps the creators thought of ending it that way, but on the other hand, they could have made it all the more satisfying. Still, I must say, Dexter across the entire series was good fun. I especially liked the lightheartedness of it all, despite the rather 'dark' underlying theme that gets more serious as bits and pieces from the past unfold. It will go down as one of my favorite series I think (although there are many that I like for many different reasons and IMO deserve to be right up there.
Yes, I think we need a series topic too.
Not sure I see the funny in alcoholism TBH, nor do I think I ever will either for that matter. Back in 2006 on a transatlantic flight back to Europe (Schiphol, Amsterdam), I watched "Good Night and Good Luck", it was a very, very, very good movie. Don't think it's still in circulation on airplanes though, but if you get a chance to see it, do it, at least if you enjoy historical period dramas.
(On the outbound leg of the same trip, they screened one of Robin William's worst movies ever, "The Great Rolling Turd", as I like to think of it...
)Just finished watching Jupiter Ascending by the Wachoshochowowoskowchiskisisis brothers. It was...well, very very bad probably, but somewhat watchable in its own way I guess. Story-wise it shared more than one similarity to The Matrix. Visually it also had some parallels; leather and laquer and straps - all black or dark greys - on certain uniforms and suits, and lots of blue tint to this movie versus the Matrix's greens, and anachronistic mixing of steampunkish old technology with hyper-modern. There were also some oddball scenes, moments and characters with a very childish fairy-taled nature sprinkled into there as well which felt extremely out of place, and made me question exactly which age-group the movie was trying to target. On the whole it is entirely too fast and violent for kids I would say, but at the same time these instances made it feel not entirely grown-up either, and not exactly in a good way either.
The story is entirely forgettable, basically Cinderella really, but with space, space aliens and space ships thrown in as well for good measure, and minus the evil stepmother. The one redeeming feature is here we have a female main character who doesn't spend the entire movie screaming in terror and/or blubbering. Of course, in the end she still has to be saved by Prince Charming (who is neither a prince, granted, nor all that charming really when it comes down to it), but maybe it's understandable since our heroine spends most of the movie in a constant fish-out-of-water state due to the events and circumstances going on around her.
It's still a little tiring though. So final score? Hm, I dunno. Like with Tron 2010, you might find some redeeming features in its audio-visual style. It's overworked, and cuts and overall pacing is probably too fast for you to really get to enjoy the visuals most of the time, but still, maybe one can find something to latch on to in this soppy mess. Somewhat below average since I feel like being generous; 4/10, perhaps...?
*shrug*
So on my lovely flight back to London from Shanghai, I ended up watching a movie I'd never heard of before, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/what_we_do_in_the_shadows/
What an absolute bonker fest gem of a movie. Loved every second of it. It's a 'docu-film' about a group of vampire flat mates in New Zealand. Just watch it. Hilarious.
What an absolute bonker fest gem of a movie. Loved every second of it. It's a 'docu-film' about a group of vampire flat mates in New Zealand. Just watch it. Hilarious.
For anyone who needs additional clarity on the season (and catch up on some missed bits) Polygon seems to have a good (and long) summary of events and minor details likely overlooked.Yes, I'm very much enjoying True Detective season 2. Season 1 was, on balance, maybe the best TV series I've ever seen. Season 2 is not disappointing so far. Maybe we need a TV series discussion thread, because there's a heck of a lot more to be said about those than movies, over the lifetime of a show.
P.S., Dexter was awful in the end
http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/28/90...lain-details-characters-plot-help-recap-party
I just watched Furious 7 last night, despite not wanting to see it for a long time...
It was very very very good. I think they did a terrific job.
It was very very very good. I think they did a terrific job.
Yes, some scenes are way over the top in the realm of impossibility, but like Fast 5, I still enjoyed them, though less in part 6. I think Part 7 is one of the better ones. What made it really good was the ending though; A beautiful ending to the film, Paul Walker and his character that like this, will live on forever.
R.I.P. Paul Walker.
PS: I have no idea though what was changed in the film due to his passing etc ?
R.I.P. Paul Walker.
PS: I have no idea though what was changed in the film due to his passing etc ?
DuckThor Evil
Legend
I think the ending is the only thing that changed. Most of the action sequences were already filmed prior to his passing. They brought two of his brothers for likeness and to imitate his body language and CGI'd the face on top of them for the other scenes.
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