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Post by TheDenizen on Sept 18, 2021 14:25:18 GMT
Unbroken - I watched this not knowing it was a biopic and spent two thirds of the runtime wondering when the fuck any sort of plot was going to resolve itself out of this mess. A bunch of terrible stuff happens to a guy and he survives, the end. It's not totally awful, but the direction makes everything feel really flat and artificial, and most of the dialog was astonishingly cliche...I was appalled to discover the Coen brothers wrote this nonsense. Also, Jack O'Connell is kinda shite in the lead role. 4/10
High Life - A morphine addict puts together a crew of junkies and ex-cons to rob a bank so they can stock up on high grade drugs in this quirky Canadian Indie. While it's weird seeing Olyphant play such an ineffective weasel of a person, it's not a bad flick, with a decent amount of laughs to be had during the short 80 minute run time. The ending kind of peters out to nothing, as though the writers just ran out of ideas....Dickie gets 4 years for armed robbery and accessory to multiple homicides? Um, ok. 7/10
Wrath of Man - For a Guy Ritchie heist flick, it's pretty disappointing. After the first 4 or 5 minutes, I made a series of predictions about the plot out loud to a friend who was watching with me, and I got almost everything right. It's a bang average by-the-numbers heist movie that doesn't do anything new or interesting but serves as a perfectly passable way to kill a couple of hours. Statham in particular seems wasted in a role with almost no snappy dialog or hand to hand fight scenes. 6/10
Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part I - The Final - 12 years after the defeat of Shishio and his generals, Kenshin's peaceful existence is interrupted yet again by the appearance of a mysterious gangster from China with ties to his past. It's an entertaining samurai drama with plenty of excellently choreographed and shot sword fights. After recently rewatching the first 3 films in this series, this one has a slightly repetitive feel of "been there, done that", but it still strikes a nice balance between broody angst and over the top fun. 7.5/10
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf - Young and cocky witcher Vesemir finds himself torn between defending Kaer Morhen, the home of the Wolf School, and unveiling a dark secret about the witcher's trade. It's cool seeing the origins of Vesemir, mentor to Geralt, and the slightly hyper animation style lends itself well to the gory fantasy action on offer. Not having read any of the books, I can't say if it's true to the source material or not, but it's fast and fun and doesn't overstay its welcome. Not bad at all. 7/10
Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part II - The Beginning - The final film in the Rurouni Kenshin series is chronologically the first, jumping back to Kenshin's early days as an assassin. Basically an origin story, it details how he obtained his distinctive scars and came to despise his role as a killer. By its nature, the combat in this movie is by far the bloodiest of the series, but this is offset by a tendency to overindulge in melancholy, with several scenes devolving into long takes of actors just staring at each other mournfully. 7.5/10
Noah - They take an already ludicrous tale and pump it so full of over the top family melodrama that it bursts at the seams. While there's certainly things to enjoy here (some of the scenes of Biblical carnage are particularly choice), the film chokes to death on its own stuffing...I get that the flood story is only a couple of pages long, but so much of the padding that was shoveled into this script adds absolutely nothing to the finished product except an unnecessarily bloated runtime. 4/10
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Post by TheDenizen on Oct 12, 2021 16:56:49 GMT
Been on something of a movie kick recently....
Kate - An assassin is poisoned, and has only one day to find her killer and exact revenge before she dies. The script is 100% formulaic mush that offers zero surprises or intrigue...every character, every act, every twist is exactly what you expect. However, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is surprisingly believable as a badass killer (though it's not clear if this is due to a great physical performance, effective editing or a combination of both), and the action is all pretty well shot and extremely gory. 6.5/10
Revenger - Threadbare revenge plot, no real script to speak of, terrible acting, and a star who is a sucking black hole of anti-charisma. While the fights are excellently choreographed and edited (with plenty of tasty spinning kicks to the head), at no point is the hero ever in anything resembling peril. He destroys every enemy he faces with such stone-faced ease that it's impossible to get invested in the fight scenes, no matter how many people they show getting chopped up with machetes. 5.5/10
Bill & Ted Face the Music - God damn this was stupid. Of course, Bill and Ted uniting the world with their music is retconned out of existence so their (obnoxious clone) daughters can be the chosen ones who don't just unite humanity but SAVE ALL OF TIME AND SPACE. Not only that, it commits the unforgivable crime of being wretchedly unfunny. This flick made me slightly chuckle a grand total of one time during its dreadful 90 minutes. Keanu looks like he's embarrassed to be there. Totally non-triumphant, dudes. 1/10
The Dead Don't Die - It's a Jim Jarmusch movie (about a zombie apocalypse in Smalltown, USA), so it's weird as fuck and ambles along at its own sedate pace. The cast is absurdly good: Bill Murray and Adam Driver as a pair of sardonic, deadpan cops who fully understand (and discuss the fact) that they're in a Jarmusch film. Tilda Swinton as a Scottish undertaker/ninja. Tom Waits as a crazy hermit/narrator/obvious stand-in for Jarmusch himself. Plus a ton of novel cameos. A very dry but enjoyable flick. 8/10
Shadow - A disgraced general hatches a plot to reclaim control of a great city. It's an interesting story, well acted and supported by some incredible visual compositions but is held back by two things: pacing (which is all over the place in the second half), and the complete and utter lack of a color palette. I mean, I totally get the aesthetic Zhang Yimou is going for, as well as the thematic parallels between the literal use of shadow and the way the general uses his double/shadow in the story, but damn. 7/10
The Witch - A family of farmers living near a remote forest in 17th Century New England experience a series of misfortunes and begin to blame unseen supernatural forces. Generates an awesome sense of dread, mostly using the psychotic religious fervor of the family to ratchet up the tension. Really solid script, grim sound design, and bleak cinematography...it's an excellent throwback to Hammer Horror witchcraft/satanism flicks, which were more about creepy atmosphere than action and gore. 7.5/10
Knock Knock - Two hateful bitches insinuate themselves into a man's life, utterly destroy him, his family and his home (for no real reason), and then walk away without any consequences. Keanu channeling his inner Nic Cage is novel for about 5 seconds, but this is truly appalling stuff. Keanu does everything he can to be helpful and kind, but the movie paints him as the villain and his mindless evil tormentors as anti-heroes. It's like Eli Roth watched Hard Candy and thought "I can do it stupider." If someone made a film with two male characters raping and ruining a woman and her family with zero repercussions, it would (rightly) be derided as fucking evil...I can't see how this is different. 0.5/10
Seriously, Knock Knock is one of the most offensively, aggressively stupid movies I've seen since Be Cool. It's soul destroying trash. Avoid it.
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Post by BakFu on Dec 17, 2021 13:09:40 GMT
Checked out a couple of “older” releases this week!
Hobbs and Shaw: fast and furious spin off featuring two of my favourites, well, I like Shaw, cheeky, slick, always suited and booted, driving the nice cars, but with that hard edge and rough start in life, then Hobbs, because he’s an over the top prick that bulldozes his way through problems. Good writing for the banter between these guys, the first hour feels like being shot out of a cannon, lots of action, great fights, lots of shit getting trashed, stuff like that. Idris Elba is a favourite of mine, I love watching him in pretty much anything, he played a great, unstoppable bad ass in this film, he needs more high profile shit (ahem, Bond, ahem). The ending was a bit corny, but it’s a F&F spinoff, so you know what you’re getting into, just sit back, turn off your brain, and enjoy!
Jojo Rabbit: I’m digging most of the stuff Taika Watiti is involved with, and this continues that trend. I guess I could see people misinterpreting the message in this movie, but to me, it’s a film about the mind of a child trying to understand his reality in a fascist run country that is at war. The film pokes fun at the absurdity of a Nazi youth organization, and the dangers of the whole “he alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.” ideology. There are lots of laughs to be had at the interaction between Jojo and his house guest, his imaginary friend, and Sam Rockwell’s captain Klenzendorf. The film balances between absurd satire/commentary and the sad realities of fascism / fanaticism. Some might think it’s taken too lightly, but I really enjoyed the whole package here from start to finish. If you like dark humour, are mature enough to understand and appreciate this kind of satire, I think there’s a lot for you in this film. 🙂
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Post by OrochiGeese on Dec 19, 2021 11:26:53 GMT
Checked out a couple of “older” releases this week! Hobbs and Shaw: fast and furious spin off featuring two of my favourites, well, I like Shaw, cheeky, slick, always suited and booted, driving the nice cars, but with that hard edge and rough start in life, then Hobbs, because he’s an over the top prick that bulldozes his way through problems. Good writing for the banter between these guys, the first hour feels like being shot out of a cannon, lots of action, great fights, lots of shit getting trashed, stuff like that. Idris Elba is a favourite of mine, I love watching him in pretty much anything, he played a great, unstoppable bad ass in this film, he needs more high profile shit (ahem, Bond, ahem). The ending was a bit corny, but it’s a F&F spinoff, so you know what you’re getting into, just sit back, turn off your brain, and enjoy! I haven't seen a FnF for a while but I have been wanting to see Hobbs and Shaw. Statham is awesome in every form and Dwayne Johnson is basically on super hero syrum at this point. I can't remember which FnF it was but the fight between the two of them in a building (hospital or corporate office building) was awesome. That's really cool that Elba is in there too. He's another guy with awesome presence 😎 |
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Post by jameshilliv on Jan 10, 2022 7:10:49 GMT
I watched a movie on Netflix called Don't Look Up. I didn't think I would like it, but it was actually pretty good. It kind of reminded me of Idiocracy but instead of being in the future it's now.
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Post by Nth on Mar 31, 2022 0:27:42 GMT
For a couple years now we have suspected something was up with Bruce Willis with his sudden prolific appearances in a dozen straight to video films and somewhat stilted performances. Red Letter Media speculated onset dementia and that Bruce was putting away some money for his care. They were partially right. Willis announced his retirement today from acting for onset aphasia which affects your ability to speak.
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Post by TheDenizen on Apr 19, 2022 23:30:01 GMT
Us - A pretty decent home invasion flick where the attackers are evil doppelgangers of the family in the house. The first half builds up some admirable tension and terror that unfortunately begins to unravel as the story explains itself. The second half raises more questions than it answers, and tacks on a nonsensical twist that makes zero sense given what leads up to it. Still, it's got some quality gore and a really impressive lead performance from Lupita Nyong'o. Not bad at all. 7/10
Jojo Rabbit - A gung-ho member of the Nazi youth discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his home, much to his horror, and that of his imaginary friend, a manic Adolf Hitler. Waititi deftly handles some pretty touchy subject material, delivering a sweetly romantic story against the nightmarish backdrop of WW2 Germany. Mixes a surprising amount of humor in with the darker stuff to keep the overall tone fairly light and fable-like. Stephen Merchant's gestapo agent is simultaneously hysterical and terrifying. 7.5/10
The Harder The Fall - Two outlaw gangs get in a scrap over some stolen loot and end up murdering each other to death in this odd Western. Full of obvious anachronisms and poor musical choices, this almost feels like a modern crime drama with cowboy cosplay. Elba and King are both in fine form as over the top villains, each getting to deliver a solid monologue in the second half...but one gets the sense that movie is trying to be too many different things at once, and it isn't terribly successful at any of them. 6/10
Special Correspondents - Two journalists lie about filing their reports from within an Ecuadorian warzone and then have to concoct more ridiculous lies to cover it up. A weak farce with a decent premise and very middling execution, there's a few laughs to be had, but it's mostly pretty boring. Gervais' well-honed stand up stage persona is a narcissistic jerk, and his best screen roles have him playing a smarmy asshole. Here he insists on playing the put-upon everyman and it only exposes his limited acting ability. 5.5/10
The Wandering Earth - On route to flying the entire planet Earth to a new home star, the Earth is imperiled when it is pulled into the gravitational field of Jupiter. It's a big budget disaster film in space with some stellar CGI and scenes of destruction, but not much else. The script is awful, dishing up a steady stream of nonsensical science and lame characters, and none of the actors do enough to elevate the material in the slightest. Essentially a Chinese remake of Armageddon. Pretty explosions, though. 6/10 The Highwaymen - Two aging Texas Rangers join the manhunt for Bonnie and Clyde. Well it turns out that watching two old cops chasing after a pair of young, charismatic outlaws isn't nearly as exciting or interesting as actually watching the young, charismatic outlaws...who'da thunk it? Harrelson and Costner are both fine but the script they're working from is pretty limp, giving each of them a single solid monologue and not much else. Probably the most historically accurate of the Bonnie & Clyde movies, tho. 6.5/10
Hereditary - A bunch of really horrible stuff happens to a family and then it turns out it's witches or something stupid. Technically really well made, with some eye catching cinematography and an excellent performance from Toni Colette....but man, the script is dumb and predictable. The second Joan started her "seance" I knew exactly what was going to happen for the rest of it. And it's not really scary at all: Oh look, it's a weird creepy girl just standing in the shadows....again. Fuck off, movie. 6/10
Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai - A black hitman working for the mafia lives his life according to the code of Bushido. Feels a bit like a comic book, with it's over the top gangsters and surreal moments of calm between the violence. It's Jarmusch, so it meanders down all kinds of little narrative alleys where you wouldn't expect, some of which are great (the changing flashbacks), some of which are not (the little girl in the park). Forest Whitaker is excellent but clearly could've used a little more training with his sword. 7.5/10
Red Sparrow - An inexperienced female spy is tasked with seducing a CIA agent in this perfectly serviceable if entirely unspectacular thriller. The movie is definitely hurt by a weak lead performance by Jennifer Lawrence, blandly staring at the camera for extended takes, and the fact that she has no chemistry at all with the guy she's meant to be seducing. This drastically undercuts the tension in the script that the director is clearly trying to translate to the screen. Oh well, nice boobs at least. 6.5/10
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Post by SonnyBone on Apr 29, 2022 9:03:29 GMT
THE NORTHMAN
that is all
go see it, goddamn
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Post by El Marsh on May 21, 2022 2:22:36 GMT
I'm the kind of sucker that nostalgic shit like the Rescue Rangers movie was made for and as such, I found it very enjoyable. "Probably" not something that I'd watch again (it's very rare that I do that with ANY movie, in fairness) but it was a lot of fun for someone who grew up with "The Disney Afternoon."
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Post by gotchism4life on May 22, 2022 13:12:18 GMT
I went back to some older movies on HBO Max. The Omega Man and 1981 Clash of the Titans. Refreshing to see special effects that don't revolve around CGI.
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Post by BakFu on May 22, 2022 14:43:35 GMT
I went back to some older movies on HBO Max. The Omega Man and 1981 Clash of the Titans. Refreshing to see special effects that don't revolve around CGI. Those are two fun, old films! One of the things I loved about Mad Max: Fury Road was George Miller’s commitment to using practical effects wherever possible, so the majority of the crazy car stuff in the film is practical stuff. I also remember reading that Samo Hung got pissed off and eventually canned from his choreographer role in Kung Fu Hustle because he butted heads with the “stars” that didn’t want to actually work or learn anything and just wanted the fight scenes CG’d. Once a year I have to go back and watch Police Story with Jackie chan to remind myself of what a great action film with NO CGI in it looks like! 🙂 Stop motion stuff looks old and campy now, but Clash of the Titans, Robocop (ED309), and stuff like that will always hold a place on my mental nostalgia shelf! |
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Post by Nth on Jun 26, 2022 2:55:06 GMT
Blade Runner released in theaters 40 years ago today.
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Post by BakFu on Jun 26, 2022 5:23:38 GMT
Wow, 40 years, but it still holds up so well and somehow still seems relevant. Cool analysis, thanks for posting the video!
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Post by jameshilliv on Jul 9, 2022 4:32:00 GMT
I hope this it the right place to post this. It is movie related.  |
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Post by BakFu on Jul 20, 2022 12:57:09 GMT
Spider-Man: no way home
I just checked the latest Spider-Man movie out on Prime Video, i was stoked to see it after being a bit disappointed with the last one (not a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal, and Mysterio has always been a favourite villain of mine, but I feel like they dropped the ball with him in the film), I hoped they could get back on track.
I love Tom Holland as Spider-Man, he’s supposed to be a dorky teenager, Holland fits the bill better than any other actor that has played the role, so I’m always happy to see him in there, but this film felt lazy, I’m done with the multiverse trend, recycling old villains felt lame to me, and they really just felt like props in the movie. None of them went anywhere character wise, I don’t know, it felt like amateur fan fiction to me. As usual, the action scenes are good, but this just felt mailed in. Let’s tie up loose ends left over from twenty reboots of the franchise in one rushed go.
The first Tom Holland movie was fun and had a lot of promise, but it feels like once again, poor Spider-Man is losing his way on the big screen.
PS: what the hell was that Venom credit scene all about?! 😂
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