The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Steve46

At least Bourne is in that one

Amazon has the trilogy for $27.99 this week.

HMV have the trilogy going for £12 in store I've considered picking it up, but I'm not over keen on the Bourne films

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by Foggy

HMV have the trilogy going for £12 in store I've considered picking it up, but I'm not over keen on the Bourne films

I like all three quite a lot. I guess I like Damon in most things too.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Dude, you need to get on that one!

Yeah, I'm gonna check it out. TNT's gonna air it soon so I'll DVR it. I didn't know Verhoeven made this one too. Is it kinda similar in tone to RoboCop? I love that movie.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I didnt like how

[Show spoiler]clear, calm, concentrated and focused she was for the entire crime, then simply to turn into a slobbering conffessional for no reason.

I thought the ending was perfect. Everything is unraveled and wrapped up nicely, although it isn't quite as straightforward when not pondered about. Remember that

[Show spoiler]Stanley was clearly an unstable woman mostly due to the death of their child, which is basically what drives her to commit the crime. The final seance pretty much debunks her psychic abilities and that is when we realize that this isn't a story about a psychic scam artist but of a very broken and sad woman consumed by her grief and guilt (from the death of her child and of the girl, which of course, is revealed to have been spared by her husband). You realize by then why she was how she was; why "Arthur" wasn't really the spirit of her son (an ironic reveal given that the customers she cons are typically the type of people who believe in spirits to cope with their loss yet she herself is far worse than those she manipulates); and why she lives in her own world, detached from reality; a complete contrast to her husband, whom we find out still had his senses in the end when he doesn't kill the girl despite his wife's orders. In fact, both of them were unraveled to be a couple of very tragic characters in the end. A weak woman afflicted with madness and a pushover who loves his wife, no matter what

. Excellent character work. Very psychological; very Hitchcokian, yet better than majority of Hitchcock's films, imo.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jvince

Yeah, I'm gonna check it out. TNT's gonna air it soon so I'll DVR it. I didn't know Verhoeven made this one too. Is it kinda similar in tone to RoboCop? I love that movie.

To me, "RoboCop" and "Total Recall" have always gone hand-in-hand. In fact, if you add "Starship Troopers" into there, you'd have the ultimate Paul Verhoeven sci-fi marathon.

[surfdude12]

He goes to the Recall company to receive an vacation implanted in his memory: a vacation on Mars, with

[Show spoiler]the same woman he dreams about, and with him becoming a secret agent.

In the film's last minutes, Quaid overlooks

[Show spoiler] the Martian landscape with a new blue sky, and suddenly realizes that none of it could be real.

This part is fascinating. According to the “dream theory”, there are 2 dreams:

[Show spoiler]
Real dream: which we see when the movie starts (Quaid on Mars with Melina, falls down mountain, helmet cracks, sucking for air…)
Recall dream: which begins when they implant him at Recall. But the dream is IDENTICAL to his real dream above that we saw at beginning of film (Quaid on Mars with EXACT SAME BRUNETTE – Melina, falls down mountain and also has helmet crack and gasps for air)
-what are the chances that the Recall dream just randomly programmed his brain with the EXACT SAME facts (Melina, falling down mountain, helmet crack, sucking for air, etc) that his Real Dream did? Not likely. IN fact, virtually impossible. In all likelihood, even though Quaid gave Recall his preferences (Brunette, sleezy, secret agent, etc), it is far more likely that he would have had a trip to Mars with SOME VARIATION from this real dream (different Brunette, trying to stop nuclear bomb instead of trying to stop oxygen crisis, etc etc).
This strongly supports the “real theory” because it suggests the “dream theory” is highly unlikely, plus suggests that Quaid’s Real Dream (at beginning of film) wasn’t just a dream, but an old REAL memory, which means he really is a secret agent (PRE-GOING TO RECALL) and thus when we see the plot unfold about the bad dudes trying to stop Quaid (who is realy called Hauser), it all fits the PRE-RECALL plot of him having a dream with visions that EXACTLY MATCH his real experience on Mars later in the film!
I still support the “Dream theory”, but am playing devil’s advocate there – I think this is the strongest evidence of “real theory”

There is plenty in the script that permits this straightforwd interpretation. After all, everybody Quaid runs across in the film's opening act

[Show spoiler]tries to disuade him from going to Recall, much less even thinking about Mars.

Now that is a fascinating point too, although it could be easily explained as

[Show spoiler]genuine concern of friends who actually did read in the newspaper about a dude getting lobotomized by Recall. But, then even the Recall dude said “no, you don’t want Mars! You want Saturn! ” Also, if you look at Stone’s face and the bald dude’s face, they look at Quaid for an extra few seconds after he looks away , with a “is he really going to go? Do I have to call Cohaggen?” look in their eye – brilliant direction.

He even asks for the Recall scientists to replicate Melina in his simulation.

Hmm, now this is also interesting, because

[Show spoiler]didn’t he just say “brunette, athletic, sleezy” and THEY BROUGHT UP MELINA ON THE SCREEN! The same girl in his real dream at beginning of film. As I recall, you can’t really see Melina’s face in the beginning Real Dream, but it does look like her a lot. Either way, there is nothing to explain how they’d randomly pick Melina, other than perhaps those Recall workers were working for the rebels on Mars and wanted Quaid to recall his old Mars memories (in real theory version) and go back to Mars, and so injected the Melina memory to help him to do it!!!

[Show spoiler]So if you can accept the film as it is, with all its plot complexities, why even consider that it's all just in Quaid's head?

Personally, I like it because

[Show spoiler]not only is it fun to look at each interpretation, but it emphasizes the power of the mind – and how the mind can convince the body of anything, even something that is NOT OCCURRING on the outside! For some reason, I find that very fascinating, which is why I usually argue for the “dream interpretation” in these type of ambigious films

[Show spoiler] He has his dreams about Mars and Melina, either out of the blue, or out of some construct of his inner consciousness. In these opening scenes, Quaid would receive all the information he would need to build his fantasy (the news footage pretty much lays out all the conflict between Cohaggen and Kuato).

Good points here! This is why the dream theory passes muster, IMO. Because even the best argument for the real theory (

[Show spoiler]dream at the beginning coincidentally ending up being the same as his implanted dream by a machine

) can actually be turned around to support the dream theory for the reasons you stated.

[Show spoiler]Only one thing causes Quaid (and thus, the audience) to disregard Dr. Edgemar's words: a single bead of sweat. It tips off Quaid that this is not just some virtually-injected program, but is just another one of Cohaggen's goons.

Of course, under the dream theory, one would say that

[Show spoiler]if the Recall Dream is capable of virtualizing planets, eco systems, hair, skin, pain, and all of the other real elements, a bead of sweat should be no bother! 

[Show spoiler] If anything, it's far easier to accept the movie as a total fantasy, given all the plot twists, and given how fantasic everything is.

I didn’t realize the director

[Show spoiler]intended a real theory interpretation, but threw in the imaginary stuff for window dressing. I still love the ambiguity of it, and I”ll stick with my personal preference of total fantasy. As you laid out very well, there is lots to support it. Most of all, IMO, is the fact that the Real Theory interpretation requires the viewer to accept that (a) Quaid went to Recall to request a virtual trip to (i) Mars, (ii) to meet an athletic Brunette, (iii) save the planet, (iv) kill the bad guys. And he just COINCIDENTALLY, prior to dream implant, ACTUALLY (i) went to Mars, (ii) met an athletic brunette, (iii) saved the planet, and (iv) killed the bad guys. But as you pointed out so well, according to the Real Theory, his prior identity (which induced the dream at the beginning) would have caused him to select the Recall parameters (that weren't implanted in the Real theory) and cause him to experience the ACTUAL events he did, which is why his Real Dream matches the Real experience!! This movie just kicks serious a$$!! 

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

I've been thinking about revisiting my "Top [X] Movies"

I am surprised that you are into pornography.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

I thought the ending was perfect. Everything is unraveled and wrapped up nicely, although it isn't quite as straightforward when not pondered about. Remember that

[Show spoiler]Stanley was clearly an unstable woman mostly due to the death of their child, which is basically what drives her to commit the crime. The final seance pretty much debunks her psychic abilities and that is when we realize that this isn't a story about a psychic scam artist but of a very broken and sad woman consumed by her grief and guilt (from the death of her child and of the girl, which of course, is revealed to have been spared by her husband). You realize by then why she was how she was; why "Arthur" wasn't really the spirit of her son (an ironic reveal given that the customers she cons are typically the type of people who believe in spirits to cope with their loss yet she herself is far worse than those she manipulates); and why she lives in her own world, detached from reality; a complete contrast to her husband, whom we find out still had his senses in the end when he doesn't kill the girl despite his wife's orders. In fact, both of them were unraveled to be a couple of very tragic characters in the end. A weak woman afflicted with madness and a pushover who loves his wife, no matter what

. Excellent character work. Very psychological; very Hitchcokian, yet better than majority of Hitchcock's films, imo.

IMO we didnt learn anything at the end. It was straight forward and revieled nothing we didnt already know. It felt lake a big unnecessary, emotional rehash of facts already in evidence.

[Show spoiler]We should never have believed her psychic abilities to begin with, and the movie makes that clear early on. We already knew, for a long time, the whole story about losing her child. We already knew she was unstable as hell.....since the first act, reinforced by the second act.

The thing that frustrated me was that she KEPT IT TOGETHER when under pressure throughout the whole film. Then, AFTER they had gotten away with the crime, she crumbles.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I am surprised that you are into pornography.

No, you're not surprised. At least I know I'm not surprised.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I am surprised that you are into pornography.

I put the brackets around the X after I typed that because I KNEW you would come along with that joke...my attempt at subverting your efforts was futile

[Diesel]

Been meaning to do this for a little while, so I sat down tonight and put some thought into making my definitive list of favorite movies. I made one a good while back now (2 years ), but my opinions have shifted around since then, though nothing from my original Top 15 list has dropped out.

My favorites are comprised of a mix of what some would consider "great" movies, "popcorn" movies, bad movies, fun movies and so on. My list is VASTLY different than, say Higgy or Surfs lists and probably more in line with Al or Killo.

But the best thing about our group in this thread is that we have such wide ranging tastes between each other and still can have fun discussing all sorts of different movies


So...without any more rambling...this is my updated list of Top 20 Favorite Movies*:

#20

[Show spoiler]The Fast and the Furious
4.5/5

Favorite Scene: Climactic heist scene

Favorite Character: Dominic Toretto (Duuhhhhh! )

Favorite Line: Ask any racer, any real racer. Don't matter if you win by an inch of a mile. Winning's wining.

#19

[Show spoiler]Rocky Balboa
4.75/5

Favorite Scene: Rocky's conversation with his son outside the restaurant.

Favorite Character: Rocky Balboa

Favorite Line: The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!

#18

[Show spoiler]Batman Begins
4.75/5

Favorite Scene: Bruce and Ducard training on the ice.

Favorite Character: Batman

Favorite Line: It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.

#17

[Show spoiler]Kingdom of Heaven
4.75/5

Favorite Scene: Balian and Baldwin's first meeting and discussion.

Favorite Character: King Baldwin

Favorite Line:None of us know our end, really, or what hand will guide us there. A king may move a man, a father may claim a son, but that man can also move himself, and only then does that man truly begin his own game. Remember that howsoever you are played or by whom, your soul is in your keeping alone, even though those who presume to play you be kings or men of power. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus," or that virtue was not convenient at the time. This will not suffice. Remember that.

#16

[Show spoiler]The Curse of the Black Pearl
4.75/5

Favorite Scene: Jack and Barbossa's sword fight.

Favorite Character: Jack Sparrow

Favorite Line: You best start believing in ghost stories Ms. Turner. You're in one!

#15

[Show spoiler]Minority Report
5/5

Favorite Scene: Eyeball chasing scene

Favorite Character: John Anderton

Favorite Line: [Why he wants to keep his original eyes] My mother gave them to me.

#14

[Show spoiler]Star Trek
5/5

Favorite Scene: McCoy giving Kirk the different injections

Favorite Character: James Kirk

Favorite Line: I got your gun!

#13

[Show spoiler]3:10 to Yuma
5/5

Favorite Scene: Wade kills the entire gang after Charlie kills Dan

Favorite Character: Dan Evans

Favorite Line: I hate posses.

#12

[Show spoiler]Gladiator
5/5

Favorite Scene: Maximus reveals his identity to Commodus

Favorite Character: Maximus Decimus Meridius

Favorite Line: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the armies of the North, General of the Felix legions, loyal servant to the true Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

#11

[Show spoiler]Toy Story 3
5/5

Favorite Scene: Opening sequence

Favorite Character: Woody

Favorite Line: So long...partner.

#10

[Show spoiler]Raiders of the Lost Ark
5/5

Favorite Scene: Indy fights the swordsman

Favorite Character: Indiana Jones

Favorite Line: I hate snakes Jock! I hate 'em!!

#9

[Show spoiler]The Last Crusade
5/5

Favorite Scene: Indy walks up behind the rest of the gang on the cliff

Favorite Character: Henry Jones, Jr.

Favorite Line: [To passengers after throwing guy off plane] No ticket!

#8

[Show spoiler]Taken
5/5

Favorite Scene: Electricity scene

Favorite Character: Brian

Favorite Line: I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for a ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills that I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't...I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

#7

[Show spoiler]The Empire Strikes Back
5/5

Favorite Scene: Luke and Vader battle

Favorite Character: Vader

Favorite Line: The Force is strong with you, Young Skywalker...but you are not a Jedi yet.

#6

[Show spoiler]Toy Story
5/5

Favorite Scene: Buzz pulls up Skud's eyelids

Favorite Character: Woody

Favorite Line: You see the hat?! I am Mrs. Nesbit! Muaahahahaha!

#5

[Show spoiler]The Prestige
5/5

Favorite Scene: Borden and Angier's final conversation

Favorite Character: Alfred Borden

Favorite Line: Are you watching closely?

#4

[Show spoiler]The Lion King
5/5

Favorite Scene: Simba speaks with his father's spirit

Favorite Character: Mufasa

Favorite Line: Long live the king...

Special Note: Contains, in my opinion, the single saddest moment in any film.

*My Top 3 have remained unchanged for years, and will likely remain that way for a very, very long time. They are my three "locked-in" positions.


#3

[Show spoiler]The Two Towers
5/5

Favorite Scene: Battle of Helm's Deep

Favorite Character: Aragorn

Favorite Line: Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not!

Special Note: Contains, in my opinion, the best battle sequence in any film.

#2

[Show spoiler]The Dark Knight
5/5

Favorite Scene: The interrogation scene.

Favorite Character: Batman

Favorite Line: Shut it off. He doesn't want to talk to us...God help whoever he does want to talk to.

#1

[Show spoiler]Return of the King
5/5

Favorite Scene: Elrond presents Aragorn with Andúril

Favorite Character: Aragorn

Favorite Line: You will suffer me!

*Yes, I used my original format that DJ copyrighted from me, sue me

[Show spoiler]

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

This part is fascinating. According to the “dream theory”, there are 2 dreams:

[Show spoiler]
Real dream: which we see when the movie starts (Quaid on Mars with Melina, falls down mountain, helmet cracks, sucking for air…)
Recall dream: which begins when they implant him at Recall. But the dream is IDENTICAL to his real dream above that we saw at beginning of film (Quaid on Mars with EXACT SAME BRUNETTE – Melina, falls down mountain and also has helmet crack and gasps for air)
-what are the chances that the Recall dream just randomly programmed his brain with the EXACT SAME facts (Melina, falling down mountain, helmet crack, sucking for air, etc) that his Real Dream did? Not likely. IN fact, virtually impossible. In all likelihood, even though Quaid gave Recall his preferences (Brunette, sleezy, secret agent, etc), it is far more likely that he would have had a trip to Mars with SOME VARIATION from this real dream (different Brunette, trying to stop nuclear bomb instead of trying to stop oxygen crisis, etc etc).
This strongly supports the “real theory” because it suggests the “dream theory” is highly unlikely, plus suggests that Quaid’s Real Dream (at beginning of film) wasn’t just a dream, but an old REAL memory, which means he really is a secret agent (PRE-GOING TO RECALL) and thus when we see the plot unfold about the bad dudes trying to stop Quaid (who is realy called Hauser), it all fits the PRE-RECALL plot of him having a dream with visions that EXACTLY MATCH his real experience on Mars later in the film!
I still support the “Dream theory”, but am playing devil’s advocate there – I think this is the strongest evidence of “real theory”

Yep, I agree with that.

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Now that is a fascinating point too, although it could be easily explained as

[Show spoiler]genuine concern of friends who actually did read in the newspaper about a dude getting lobotomized by Recall. But, then even the Recall dude said “no, you don’t want Mars! You want Saturn! ” Also, if you look at Stone’s face and the bald dude’s face, they look at Quaid for an extra few seconds after he looks away , with a “is he really going to go? Do I have to call Cohaggen?” look in their eye – brilliant direction.

I forgot to mention that

[Show spoiler]if it is all a dream, then yes, Lori and all of Doug's buddies would just be dissuading him out of genuine concern. At this point, I think I like this interpretation better than just saying that they were all in on Cohaggen's plot (I certainly think it's a stretch to say that the Recall emplyees would have been involved as well, although I can't see why they would be concerned about Doug going to Mars otherwise)

.

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Hmm, now this is also interesting, because

[Show spoiler]didn’t he just say “brunette, athletic, sleezy” and THEY BROUGHT UP MELINA ON THE SCREEN! The same girl in his real dream at beginning of film. As I recall, you can’t really see Melina’s face in the beginning Real Dream, but it does look like her a lot. Either way, there is nothing to explain how they’d randomly pick Melina, other than perhaps those Recall workers were working for the rebels on Mars and wanted Quaid to recall his old Mars memories (in real theory version) and go back to Mars, and so injected the Melina memory to help him to do it!!!

Hmmmm, maybe...

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Of course, under the dream theory, one would say that

[Show spoiler]if the Recall Dream is capable of virtualizing planets, eco systems, hair, skin, pain, and all of the other real elements, a bead of sweat should be no bother! 

I did think about that too, making the scene fit in either interpretation.

Originally Posted by surfdude12

I didn’t realize the director

[Show spoiler]intended a real theory interpretation, but threw in the imaginary stuff for window dressing. I still love the ambiguity of it, and I”ll stick with my personal preference of total fantasy. As you laid out very well, there is lots to support it. Most of all, IMO, is the fact that the Real Theory interpretation requires the viewer to accept that (a) Quaid went to Recall to request a virtual trip to (i) Mars, (ii) to meet an athletic Brunette, (iii) save the planet, (iv) kill the bad guys. And he just COINCIDENTALLY, prior to dream implant, ACTUALLY (i) went to Mars, (ii) met an athletic brunette, (iii) saved the planet, and (iv) killed the bad guys. But as you pointed out so well, according to the Real Theory, his prior identity (which induced the dream at the beginning) would have caused him to select the Recall parameters (that weren't implanted in the Real theory) and cause him to experience the ACTUAL events he did, which is why his Real Dream matches the Real experience!! This movie just kicks serious a$$!! 

Thank you for your comments; it's certainly an interesting film to analyze. I agree; it kicks serious butt!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Been meaning to do this for a little while, so I sat down tonight and put some thought into making my definitive list of favorite movies. I made one a good while back now (2 years ), but my opinions have shifted around since then, though nothing from my original Top 15 list has dropped out.

My favorites are comprised of a mix of what some would consider "great" movies, "popcorn" movies, bad movies, fun movies and so on. My list is VASTLY different than, say Higgy or Surfs lists and probably more in line with Al or Killo.

Yay!!!

Originally Posted by Diesel

[Show spoiler]

#20

[Show spoiler]The Fast and the Furious

[Show spoiler]

4.5/5

#19

[Show spoiler]Rocky Balboa

[Show spoiler]

4.75/5

#18

[Show spoiler]Batman Begins

[Show spoiler]

4.75/5

#17

[Show spoiler]Kingdom of Heaven

[Show spoiler]

4.75/5

#16

[Show spoiler]The Curse of the Black Pearl

[Show spoiler]

4.75/5

#15

[Show spoiler]Minority Report

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#14

[Show spoiler]Star Trek

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#13

[Show spoiler]3:10 to Yuma

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#12

[Show spoiler]Gladiator

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#11

[Show spoiler]Toy Story 3

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#10

[Show spoiler]Raiders of the Lost Ark

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#9

[Show spoiler]The Last Crusade

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#8

[Show spoiler]Taken

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#7

[Show spoiler]The Empire Strikes Back

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#6

[Show spoiler]Toy Story

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#5

[Show spoiler]The Prestige

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#4

[Show spoiler]The Lion King

[Show spoiler]

5/5

*My Top 3 have remained unchanged for years, and will likely remain that way for a very, very long time. They are my three "locked-in" positions.

#3

[Show spoiler]The Two Towers

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#2

[Show spoiler]The Dark Knight

[Show spoiler]

5/5

#1

[Show spoiler]Return of the King

[Show spoiler]

5/5

Still haven't seen #19 , but the rest is all good! I especially agree with a lot of the favorite scenes/lines you've mentioned; lots of good moments there. A few of these will crack my own top 20 as well (especially #1 ).

[jvince]

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
The worst installment in the series. Has a bit more action than Identity but is less tighter and a little uneven. Greengrass loves to shake his camera way too much. Didn't like Oksana Akinshina's bit role in the end, which is weird since I remember her being quite amazing in Lilya 4-Ever. The highlight is easily the car chase sequence; it's insane.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Been meaning to do this for a little while, so I sat down tonight and put some thought into making my definitive list of favorite movies. I made one a good while back now (2 years ), but my opinions have shifted around since then, though nothing from my original Top 15 list has dropped out.

My favorites are comprised of a mix of what some would consider "great" movies, "popcorn" movies, bad movies, fun movies and so on. My list is VASTLY different than, say Higgy or Surfs lists and probably more in line with Al or Killo.

But the best thing about our group in this thread is that we have such wide ranging tastes between each other and still can have fun discussing all sorts of different movies


So...without any more rambling...this is my updated list of Top 20 Favorite Movies*:

#20

[Show spoiler]The Fast and the Furious
4.5/5

#19

[Show spoiler]Rocky Balboa
4.75/5

#18

[Show spoiler]Batman Begins
4.75/5

#17

[Show spoiler]Kingdom of Heaven
4.75/5

#16

[Show spoiler]The Curse of the Black Pearl
4.75/5

#15

[Show spoiler]Minority Report
5/5

#14

[Show spoiler]Star Trek
5/5

#13

[Show spoiler]3:10 to Yuma
5/5

#12

[Show spoiler]Gladiator
5/5

#11

[Show spoiler]Toy Story 3
5/5

#10

[Show spoiler]Raiders of the Lost Ark
5/5

#9

[Show spoiler]The Last Crusade
5/5

#8

[Show spoiler]Taken
5/5

#7

[Show spoiler]The Empire Strikes Back
5/5

#6

[Show spoiler]Toy Story
5/5

#5

[Show spoiler]The Prestige
5/5

#4

[Show spoiler]The Lion King
5/5

*My Top 3 have remained unchanged for years, and will likely remain that way for a very, very long time. They are my three "locked-in" positions.


#3

[Show spoiler]The Two Towers
5/5

#2

[Show spoiler]The Dark Knight
5/5

#1

[Show spoiler]Return of the King
5/5

*Yes, I used my original format that DJ copyrighted from me, sue me

[Show spoiler]

I like the list. Only three made my Top 100 series (Taken, The Dark Knight, The Prestige), but I like most of the things you mentioned. The ones that don't work at all for me are Kingdom of Heaven and Indiana Jones. I haven't seen any of the Fast and the Furious series.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Top 20 Favorite Movies*:

#17 is epic and your quote is beyond epic into the region of eternal bliss

#5 is fascinating that you have it that high, given the interpretation you chose. everyone knows there is only one way to interpret it. see Squid for further details. ROFLMAO

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Still haven't seen #19 , but the rest is all good! I especially agree with a lot of the favorite scenes/lines you've mentioned; lots of good moments there. A few of these will crack my own top 20 as well (especially #1 ).[/LEFT]

Its, obviously , my favorite of the series. Definitely check it out when you get a chance

Originally Posted by Steve46

I like the list. Only three made my Top 100 series (Taken, The Dark Knight, The Prestige), but I like most of the things you mentioned. The ones that don't work at all for me are Kingdom of Heaven and Indiana Jones. I haven't seen any of the Fast and the Furious series.

The Fast and Furious movies are without a doubt the highest form of art attainable in the realm of film making.

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

#17 is epic and your quote is beyond epic into the region of eternal bliss

#5 is fascinating that you have it that high, given the interpretation you chose. everyone knows there is only one way to interpret it. see Squid for further details. ROFLMAO

I knew when writing the list that those were the two you would without a doubt comment on

[Walts Ghost]

When it was announced that 'Total Recall', the 1990 action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was going to be made, many were very upset by the thought. But I was actually excited by the idea As fun as Arnold's movie may be, it's not exactly how I imagined "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale", the Phillip K. Dick short story the movie was based on, being. So for me, this was a chance for the movie to return the roots of the story and start again. And while they're very similar movies, the new version of 'Total Recall' goes for a more serious take on the material, and I think it works in the film's favor. The film, directed by Len Wiseman ('Live Free or Die Hard, 'Underworld') and starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Nighy, and Bryan Cranston is not only a visual treat, but it's a fun take on the material that put a smile on my face from ear to ear from beginning to end.

Doug Quaid (Farrell) is a mild mannered factory worker who isn't terribly happy with how his life has turned out. While he's married to the woman of his dreams, Lori (Kate Beckinsale), he can't help but feel there's more to life than what he has. They live in a rundown apartment in The Colony, one of the two only inhabitable places left on the planet. Not helping matters, he's having a recurring nightmare where he's some sort of secret agent, and he and some woman (Jessice Biel) are being chased through a building, where he is captured and taken away by a group of cops. Doug decides that he'll go to a Rekall clinic and get some new memories, making is life a little more exciting. But when a simple trip to Rekall turns into a hellish nightmare of gunfire, Doug doesn't know what to do. But is the shootout real, or is it all in his mind inside the Rekall clinic? Suddenly, Doug's world is turned upside down, and he's not sure what's real, and what's Recall.

There was one thing out the gate I was really excited about with this movie, and that was seeing Colin Farrell back as a leading man, and he did not disappoint. I've been a big fan for a long time, so I was excited to see him coming back for a big budget action film where he could be the star. He's really good as Doug, the man who's life is falling apart around him. For me, I could believe he was a man who had no idea if he was a secret agent or not. The moment things go wrong inside Rekall, you can really feel his confusion and panic as he finds himself in the middle of this gunfight. Farrell plays the role perfectly from there on out, and I couldn't help but feel for him. He wanted nothing more than to have his life back the way it was, but to have it all taken out from under you in one swoop, and now to be unsure if it was real or not, that'll mess with your mind, and that's what is so perfect about his performance. Farrell plays it well, and it doesn't seem forced. He really got into the character, something I'm very glad to see, and gave it his all. But he's not the only one I enjoyed in this. I was rather taken with Jessica Biel's character of Melina. I thought she was really good as Doug's friend and partner, the one guiding him through this nightmare. I liked the chemistry between the two, and I could believe there was an actual relationship there between the two, something that's very important to make me care about what's happening. Biel has come a long way since I saw her on '7th Heaven' years ago, and it's great to see her not only really utilizing her acting skills, but getting to be in a big budget film like this as a leading lady.

I enjoyed Kate Beckinsale in the film as well, as the character Lori. She was a good foil for Doug and Melina, and she milks the scenes she's in for all they're worth. I just wish she had had a little more to do other than just the bad guy, because there was a moment where I thought we might see a more sympathetic side from her, but it never materialized. And then there's Bryan Cranston, who absolutely kills as McClane, the big bad guy who is bent on invading The Colony and destroying it. It doesn't matter what Cranston does, he's gold in it. He was definitely having fun while he was filming this, which is blatantly clear. He just chews up his scenes, and is a bit over the top, and I couldn't get enough of it. This year seems to be the year of Cranston, with him popping up in so many movies, and I for one couldn't be happier. Bill Nighy has a small part, but sadly, he's underused and we don't get to see him much. That was a great shame, because I love Nighy, and I think his presence could have added more to the film.

Len Wiseman's direction, as always, is competent. He's not doing anything to set himself aside from other directors, other than maybe the bluish tint that seems to be present in all his films, and in a way, that sort of hinders him. I liked all the action scenes in the movie, particularly the first gun fight, one inside the elevator shafts of an apartment complex, and the whole last twenty minutes or so. But there isn't anything that really sets his action scenes apart from any other action director like James Mangold or Justin Lin. I thought he did a much better job of that in 'Live Free or Die Hard' than he did here. Again, that's not saying his action scenes are bad, far from it. I just wish they had a more personal feel to them. That said, I love the visualization of his future in the film. I love the mix of 'Blade Runner' and 'Minority Report' that the film has, which makes it a visual treat. I couldn't help but be in awe of how The Colony and The United Federation of Britain look. It was visual eye candy, at least for me.

The one thing I find interesting is that while the first film really plays with the idea of what's real and what's recall, this one doesn't play with that as much. Here, it's still a focus of course, but it's a lot less mind bendy here. And I actually like that more. The idea that there really is a reality to everything that's happening adds more to the movie for me, because it means there are more stakes to everything.

While 'Total Recall' may not be perfect, it's still a solidly entertaining and fun film that really takes 'We Remember It For You Wholesale' in a different direction. While both it and the original version are similar, they are two completely different styles and tones, which really makes them different movies. Bolstered by a strong cast led by Colin Farrell, 'Total Recall' is exactly what I was hoping it would be and more. With a more grounded and less over the top take on the story, this one stands out and works better for me. I'm very curious to see what the Director's cut version will like look when it comes out on blu-ray.

7.5/10

My Blog

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I like the list. Only three made my Top 100 series (Taken, The Dark Knight, The Prestige), but I like most of the things you mentioned. The ones that don't work at all for me are Kingdom of Heaven and Indiana Jones. I haven't seen any of the Fast and the Furious series.

Did you see the Dirtectors cut of Kingdom of Heaven?

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Did you see the Dirtectors cut of Kingdom of Heaven?

No idea, but I hated what I saw. No interest in that type of movie at all.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

My Blog

Now that's more like it. I'm still debating whether or not I'll like it and want to see it on the big screen...