Best of 2010 - Members' choice

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Tough call between Inception and Saving Private Ryan, but I decided to go with the best war film ever made.

I can think of at least two war films that are both much better, any they both happened to have came out on Blu this year. One of them is the best blu-ray I have ever seen, but that doesn't mean much. Saving Private Ryan is kind of a cliche, typical Disney version of war (it is Speilberg, after all).

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I can think of at least two war films that are both much better, any they both happened to have came out on Blu this year. One of them is the best blu-ray I have ever seen, but that doesn't mean much. Saving Private Ryan is kind of a cliche, typical Disney version of war (it is Speilberg, after all).

Are they The Thin Red Line and Days Of Glory/Bridge Over River?

[SlickDamian]

I was thinking of The Thin Red Line and Apocalypse Now.

[Icedburden]

I went with Saving Private Ryan. I was going to go with the Alien Anthology, but I thought the third film was ok and Resurrection was HORRIBLE.

[aggienader08]

I'm glad to see that soo many people enjoyed the Alien Anthology set. It's not what I voted for, but still great.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I can think of at least two war films that are both much better, any they both happened to have came out on Blu this year. One of them is the best blu-ray I have ever seen, but that doesn't mean much. Saving Private Ryan is kind of a cliche, typical Disney version of war (it is Speilberg, after all).

I definitely don't agree with you. The actual story of Saving Private Ryan may be fiction, but it has the best script, acting, and effects I have ever seen in a war film period. The biggest plus in my book is that Spielberg insisted that Tiger I tanks and Marder II tank destroyers were to be used in the film. There's an excellent documentary out there showing how the crew built the two Tiger I tanks off of Russian T-34 tank chassis. You can watch any war film from the 50s-70s and notice that the German tanks are always gray painted M60s or something else that doesn't belong.

[herzog4life]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

The actual story of Saving Private Ryan may be fiction, but it has the best script, acting, and effects I have ever seen in a war film period.

See more war films.

[aggienader08]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I can think of at least two war films that are both much better, any they both happened to have came out on Blu this year. One of them is the best blu-ray I have ever seen, but that doesn't mean much. Saving Private Ryan is kind of a cliche, typical Disney version of war (it is Speilberg, after all).

Let me guess... The Thin Red Line? While good, doesn't even hold a candle to SPR IMO, and general consensus seems to agree with me. You have no idea what you're talking about sir. Cliche? Please explain your assessment. Disney version of war? How so? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I guess you feel the same about BoB and Pacific then? You should explain yourself or stop making stupid claims.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

You can watch any war film from the 50s-70s and notice that the German tanks are always gray painted M60s or something else that doesn't belong.

Yea, that has ALWAYS bothered me big time, however though, 'Kelly's Heroes (1970)' was the first movie to do this Tiger/T34 conversion for filming, I believe.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Yea, that has ALWAYS bothered me big time, however though, 'Kelly's Heroes (1970)' was the first movie to do this Tiger/T34 conversion for filming, I believe.

That is correct.

As much as I love Battle of the Bulge and Patton using M60s for the German tanks really bothered me.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by herzog4life

See more war films.

I've seen more than I can count.

[Boob-Ray]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

I agree with this. Avatar is nowhere near as good as Saving Private Ryan, Alien, or Aliens. A friend of mine posted the image below on another forum and I must have laughed for a good minute.

That's rich! Especially "shot with arrows, yo!"

No offense to its fans, seriously...but I thought Avatar blew chunks. Big blue chunks of predictable movie vomit. A hair better than Transformers because someone had to "dream up" those annoying, stupid-looking blue pixies and their dream-dragons...ugh. I wanted the army-guys to waste 'em all. I was routing for the "bad guys," I guess you could say.

[aggienader08]

Originally Posted by herzog4life

See more war films.

What? What does that even mean? I've seen more war films than you probably and I still think that SPR is the best on all fronts. I don't mean to sound all hurt in the butt, but comments like these are just flat out dumbfounded.

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

I've seen more than I can count.

[technique]

I went with Saving Private Ryan...i had a tough time choosing between thin red line, this and alien anthology but spr is such an amazing film.

[herzog4life]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

What? What does that even mean? I've seen more war films than you probably and I still think that SPR is the best on all fronts. I don't mean to sound all hurt in the butt, but comments like these are just flat out dumbfounded.

I'm dumbfounded why people think SPR is the be all, end all war film. And while I don't agree that it's a Disney version of war, it's a film that doesn't conjure any feeling (at least with me). Of course the SFX are great, and if you're looking for an action movie, it's a good one. I just hate that it's an action movie disguised as a war film. I still enjoy SPR (at least it's not that POS Schindler's List), but I prefer a war movie that makes me think (The Thin Red Line) or feel something for the characters (Come and See).

[aggienader08]

Originally Posted by herzog4life

I'm dumbfounded why people think SPR is the be all, end all war film. And while I don't agree that it's a Disney version of war, it's a film that doesn't conjure any feeling (at least with me). Of course the SFX are great, and if you're looking for an action movie, it's a good one. I just hate that it's an action movie disguised as a war film. I still enjoy SPR (at least it's not that POS Schindler's List), but I prefer a war movie that makes me think (The Thin Red Line) or feel something for the characters (Come and See).

Ok herzog. Your opinion is your opinion and I'm not going to try to change it. But did you honestly not feel anything for the characters in SPR? Its just that I've never heard anyone say that before. I love The Thin Red Line, I really do, but if I'm asked what the definitive winner of that battle is, I'm going with SPR every time as the better film. That's just me though.

Your opinions are just. There's no argument about that. I just wanted to hear your thoughts and why you discredit a film that too me is one of my favorites.

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

Ok herzog. Your opinion is your opinion and I'm not going to try to change it. But did you honestly not feel anything for the characters in SPR? Its just that I've never heard anyone say that before. I love The Thin Red Line, I really do, but if I'm asked what the definitive winner of that battle is, I'm going with SPR every time as the better film. That's just me though.

Your opinions are just. There's no argument about that. I just wanted to hear your thoughts and why you discredit a film that too me is one of my favorites.

SPR is just unreaslitic and too melodramatic as far as I am concerned.
I just dont feel threatened by the fight scenes.
Thann again, its true for all Speilberg films for me.

Good war film example would be Days Of Glory or even We Where Soldiers, wher I actually get freaked out by whats going on the screen both in action and in emotional level with actors.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

SPR is just unreaslitic and too melodramatic as far as I am concerned.
I just dont feel threatened by the fight scenes.
Thann again, its true for all Speilberg films for me.

Good war film example would be Days Of Glory or even We Where Soldiers, where I actually get freaked out by whats going on the screen both in action and in emotional level with actors.

only war film that freaked me out during some scenes was easily Black Hawk Down. frightening

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

Let me guess... The Thin Red Line? While good, doesn't even hold a candle to SPR IMO, and general consensus seems to agree with me. You have no idea what you're talking about sir. Cliche? Please explain your assessment. Disney version of war? How so? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I guess you feel the same about BoB and Pacific then? You should explain yourself or stop making stupid claims.

Just because someone has an opinion different from yours doesn't make it stupid, and yes I can assure you that I do have an idea what I'm talking about. While I apologize if I offended you, I find this to be a rather childish style of conversation.
In my opinion, Band of Brothers and The Pacific are pretty awesome, and I enjoy them. herzog4life made a nice statement. What I mean by cliche and Disney is that the film conveys a feeling of "everything is ok in the end". There's no real contemplation on war or war's place in humanity. It is an action movie, as someone said. But I prefer to not think of war as action. It includes death, gunshots, explosions and suspense, but war really isn't action. It's psychology. At least that's how I like to look at it, and films like The Thin Red Line and Apocalypse Now really delve into this aspect. Saving Private Ryan is an action movie with war iconography, with a warm-fuzzy overtone. To me, this is incredibly unrealistic and a real disservice to the war story being told, wether fiction or not. I can understand why someone doesn't like to think so much when they watch a film. That's just not my style. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, although honestly you shouldn't be offended just because someone doesn't like the same film as you.

[Yeha-Noha]

I narrowed it down to two: Avatar and Alien.

I am a fan of both of these and love them both. It's a very hard choice!

The good:

Avatar: Cutting edge, top notched PQ and unsurpassable AQ. It's a real reference quality showpiece with a cute story to go along with it. It's presents a lesson for us all to ponder the consequences of our actions toward primitive societies and people as well as other intelligences (dolphins, whales, and the greater hominids or bipeds, for instance so commonly coral-ed or caged for public amusement ). All of them deserve the same equal respect and dignity that we would lend toward ourselves.

Alien/Aliens: Two unrivaled sci-fi thrillers and horror stories with lots of action, suspense, and top notch performances by Weaver and others. You're riveted to your chair not knowing what will happen next in the first two episodes: Alien and Aliens. The sound tracks are pretty darn good, but not quite reference quality though.

The bad:

Avatar: Parts of the story are too predictable and quite similar to The New World (Christian Bale) with some elements of Dances with Wolves. It's lacking in originality. The script and acting could have been a lot better considering the movie's budget.

Alien Anthology: Adding Alien Resurrection puts the turd in the punch bowl. All it has going for it is it's name. It comes across as a low budget sci-fi. It fails to place the crown, a worthy conclusion, on the previous two movies. It's a miserable failure in all respects. It would have been better to deep six it instead of including it in the Anthology. Although the other two are unbeatable story-wise, they only have passable PQ. They don't offer the eye candy kind of PQ found in Avatar. That's for sure.

My vote thus went to Avatar because it has a story worth watching and the best PQ and AQ of all.

In retrospect, had Alien Resurrection been excluded, then yes, of course, my vote would have gone to Alien Anthology.