The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[nolfoc]

Toy Story 3

movie 5/5

this is one of pixars finest movies they have put out and a tremendous way to end a great franchise

[kelvin555]

Toy Story 3 10 out of 10

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Planet of the Apes (2001)

i've only seen the original once. and then i watched the remake (even though no one calls it that). i didn't think too much of the original as i thought they missed many opportunities to make it a faster paced, and imo better, film. but after watching Tim Burton's "re-imagining" (not 'remake') i have a whole new level of respect for what the original did.

POTA (2001) just doesn't feel like a movie. it doesn't seem like anyone wanted to make this or had any fun making it. sometimes, i don't know how, you can just kind of tell when a film lacks heart. to me, this is one of those cases. Mark Wahlberg - i like most of his performances - seems out of place here and he doesn't seem to know what his character should be doing / what emotions should be shown or how to change his vocal delivery. the only person that seemed to contribute any heart was Helena Bonham Carter. and she just creeped me out every time she was on screen because i couldn't tell if her ape makeup was so wickedly awesome or just really badly disturbing

very disappointed with the final product here. will definitely watch the original and think of that film much more than this "re-imagining" whenever 'Planet of the Apes' is mentioned.

1.5/5

If you get a chance, listen to Burton's commentary towards the end. It's funny to hear him struggling to justify his own ending.

[LordoftheRings]

Film: 4.5/5
Picture: 4.25/5
Audio: 4.75/5
Extras: 2.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

* Last comment: Top notch film.

[JLant19]

When in Rome(Netflix Rental)

Film: 2.5/5

Exactly what I thought the film to be, not great by any means but not unwatchable. Before I even started this film I knew what would happen every second and I was right every time. This film seemed like it should of been tended to the younger crowd like children in their "pre-teen" age. But none the less it held my attention even though there were some points where too much of the same things happening over and over again. Its safe to say I will never buy or watch this film ever again.

[ThaiTeaGal]

Toy Story 3

10/10

[Show spoiler]What a cute movie! I had tears in my eyes towards the end of the movie. Even though Lotso was a bad bear, I think he's so cute and adorable. He's my favorite. I definitely recommend this movie.

[Freekman]

My dad had Netflixed The Triangle, which I began watching half way through. I pieced together what I could (with the help of Wikipedia) and by the end of the film, I was impressed. Horror movies never really seem to be good these days, IMO, but this film was well-done. I know I haven't actually seen the entire film, but I give it an 8/10.

[Walts Ghost]

Toy Story 3

10/10

Pixar has made the perfect trilogy. I absolutely loved it. The opening sequence was incredibly breathtaking in IMAX 3D. You need to see this movie!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

If you get a chance, listen to Burton's commentary towards the end. It's funny to hear him struggling to justify his own ending.

haha i actually listened to it this morning! there were a lot of times he didn't seem to know what to say. almost like, "well, i know this movie sucks and everyone hated it... and i'm not really sure why i made it..." haha

one of the (unintentally) funnier commentaries i've listened to

[iam1bearcat]

There Will Be Blood

wow. i have no idea where to begin. excellent movie. fantastic writing. fantastic characters. fantastic acting. absolutely stellar musical score. amazing atmosphere. incredible scenery. absolutely frighteningly hilarious ending, and a legendary character in Daniel Plainview portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis.

is it a "slow burner" film? yes. and it was marvelous. loved every second of the movie. numerous scenes had me shocked and in awe, and i was amazed throughout. i understand why some may hate / be bored with the film, but i wasn't. the scene where Daniel

[Show spoiler]leaves H.W. on the train and walks away

was one of the many standout moments in the film. i was like, "wow. this character is a complete @ss, and i love that." and while we kind of understand what he was doing later in the movie, i'm sure that made a lot of people hate the character. but i think we were supposed to. the story is based on one man's selfishness and greed and his willingness to do anything for it. hell, the scene where Daniel

[Show spoiler]gets baptized and "confesses" to his sins

is proof enough that this man doesn't care what he "has to do", and doesn't care about what he's doing. he's only doing it for money / property and the opportunity to drill for oil.

I LOVE IT!

maybe because my personality is a lot like Daniel Plainview that i connected more than 'normal' person would, but this film is easily one the best i've ever seen.

the cinematography is also outstanding. the scene where Daniel is

[Show spoiler]standing in the distance watching the derrick work and you see his whole production

i was just in awe of the scene. amazing.

P.S. - Paul Thomas Anderson has created a masterpiece and has still not made a bad film. he hasn't even made a 'good' film. to me, all he's made are masterpieces (Boogie Nights, Magniolia, Punch Drunk Love, and now There Will Be Blood - which is his best film yet in my eyes)

5/5

[Q?]

iam1bearcat agree fully with your review!

Adventureland.

Rented the dvd with my gf and you should too!
If you like slow movies, hate cheesy love stories and a great indie like soundtrack, rent it. I really liked the flow of the movie, liked all the characters too. Not sure what to complain about with this movie though it wasn't perfect.

8/10.

[Show spoiler]Same rating as my gf's

[rkolinski]

THE DEER HUNTER

An American working class buddy movie shot like the Godfather (in style) and probably one of the most controversial movies dealing with the Vietnam War ever made. Most famously known for its use of the potentially lethal use of the game of Russian Roulette as a metaphorical comment on the Vietnam War. I just received this today from Amazon UK, it is a Studio Canal release and it is playable on Region A players, including the PS3. The PQ is head and shoulders above the previous DVD release I owned while the SQ presents some unique problems. I have seen this on the big screen and the small screen via DVD and can only say that the the DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio soundtrack is simply horrible and was just painful to hear. I could tell that the audio was off in pitch from the opening music. It is like someone ran the audio track a little faster than it should have been and although I realize this was a PAL mastering problem, this isn't how the movie should sound. However, the DTS-HD MA 2-Channel track does sound right and is the soundtrack I chose for watching this film. Still, I was sad to hear this because I think this film had a very good and haunting film score. Some consider this film to be overly long and I have to agree but if you break it into 3 chapters - before the war (ending at the approximate 1 hour point), Vietnam (ending at the approximate 2 hour point) and the remainder of the film (dealing with how the war affected the primary characters in the film), one will get the gist of the film. "They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?" ranks this film #205 between Schindler's List (#203) and Wages of Fear (#206). I'm not sure I agree with that placement because I don't think The Deer Hunter is nearly as good as either of these 2 films but that is my personal opinion. This film has a 91% rating at RottenTomatoes.com. The Supplementary material is outstanding and I'm re-watching this film right now listening to the commentary by the Director, Michael Cimino, which I haven't heard before. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Movie: 4/5 PQ: 4/5 AQ: 3/5 (for DTS-HD MA 2.0 only) Supplements: 4/5

As a side note, I grew up in a very ethnic blue-collar south side neighborhood where my father worked for U.S. Steel so this story captures what I remember of ethnic life back then perfectly. That's why I gave the movie a 4/5. As a Vietnam veteran, I would rate the film much lower only because I know there are much better movies out there dealing with the WAR! When I enlisted, I was very GUNG HO, got my orders to go to Vietnam, and by that time, didn't want to go and came back being so totally against the WAR that I demonstrated against it. Personally, I think Saving Private Ryan is a much better anti-war film than this film pretends to be. However, I am not aware of any other Vietnam War themed film which deals with the the lives of the working class, who bore the brunt of the War, like this one does. For that reason alone, I think this film is fantastic. So those are my reasons for giving the Movie a 4/5.

[iam1bearcat]

rkolinski - edit your review!
it says "DEER HUNGER"! unless that is what you watched!

[rkolinski]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

rkolinski - edit your review!
it says "DEER HUNGER"! unless that is what you watched!

Thanks for catching the mistake!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Q!

iam1bearcat agree fully with your review!

Adventureland.

Rented the dvd with my gf and you should too!
If you like slow movies, hate cheesy love stories and a great indie like soundtrack, rent it. I really liked the flow of the movie, liked all the characters too. Not sure what to complain about with this movie though it wasn't perfect.

8/10.

[Show spoiler]Same rating as my gf's

have you seen (500) Days of Summer, Q!? i think that film is a lot like this one. although i haven't seen Adventureland yet, i've heard they're similiar. and (500) Days was fantastic, fresh and original.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by rkolinski

Thanks for catching the mistake!

no problem!

[Q?]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

have you seen (500) Days of Summer, Q!? i think that film is a lot like this one. although i haven't seen Adventureland yet, i've heard they're similiar. and (500) Days was fantastic, fresh and original.

Yup, I think I saw that some weeks ago.

(500) Days of Summer is more witty, bittersweet and is a bit sillier too, Adventureland has a slower pace and just a hair or two better. Though it has just as much comedy they're very different in terms of style. (500) is set in almost a perfect world and more stylistic, Adventureland being grounded in reality with the location sets.

I actually thought Adventureland was a 2 hour movie when it finished, turns out it was "only" 1 hour 36 min. lol
Though not in a bad way.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Q!

Yup, I think I saw that some weeks ago.

(500) Days of Summer is more witty, bittersweet and is a bit sillier too, Adventureland has a slower pace and just a hair or two better. Though it has just as much comedy they're very different in terms of style. (500) is set in almost a perfect world and more stylistic, Adventureland being grounded in reality with the location sets.

I actually thought Adventureland was a 2 hour movie when it finished, turns out it was "only" 1 hour 36 min. lol
Though not in a bad way.

definitely gonna be picking up Adventureland soon. i've always been eager to buy it (i hate renting, so i blind buy a lot) but it's always hovered around $30 on amazon and i can't find it in any stores near me. as soon as this sucker drops, it's mine.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

There Will Be Blood

wow. i have no idea where to begin. excellent movie. fantastic writing. fantastic characters. fantastic acting. absolutely stellar musical score. amazing atmosphere. incredible scenery. absolutely frighteningly hilarious ending, and a legendary character in Daniel Plainview portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis.

is it a "slow burner" film? yes. and it was marvelous. loved every second of the movie. numerous scenes had me shocked and in awe, and i was amazed throughout. i understand why some may hate / be bored with the film, but i wasn't. the scene where Daniel

[Show spoiler]leaves H.W. on the train and walks away

was one of the many standout moments in the film. i was like, "wow. this character is a complete @ss, and i love that." and while we kind of understand what he was doing later in the movie, i'm sure that made a lot of people hate the character. but i think we were supposed to. the story is based on one man's selfishness and greed and his willingness to do anything for it. hell, the scene where Daniel

[Show spoiler]gets baptized and "confesses" to his sins

is proof enough that this man doesn't care what he "has to do", and doesn't care about what he's doing. he's only doing it for money / property and the opportunity to drill for oil.

I LOVE IT!

maybe because my personality is a lot like Daniel Plainview that i connected more than 'normal' person would, but this film is easily one the best i've ever seen.

the cinematography is also outstanding. the scene where Daniel is

[Show spoiler]standing in the distance watching the derrick work and you see his whole production

i was just in awe of the scene. amazing.

P.S. - Paul Thomas Anderson has created a masterpiece and has still not made a bad film. he hasn't even made a 'good' film. to me, all he's made are masterpieces (Boogie Nights, Magniolia, Punch Drunk Love, and now There Will Be Blood - which is his best film yet in my eyes)

5/5

This is a great review, which I've come to expect from you. Of course, many ppl know that I don't like this film at all at gave it 2 1/2 stars, simply because the acting of Day-Lewis was absolutely incredible (I wasn't a fan of the other acting in the film) and the directing was exceptional. I just didn't like the story or the payoff.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by rkolinski

THE DEER HUNTER

An American working class buddy movie shot like the Godfather (in style) and probably one of the most controversial movies dealing with the Vietnam War ever made. Most famously known for its use of the potentially lethal use of the game of Russian Roulette as a metaphorical comment on the Vietnam War. I just received this today from Amazon UK, it is a Studio Canal release and it is playable on Region A players, including the PS3. The PQ is head and shoulders above the previous DVD release I owned while the SQ presents some unique problems. I have seen this on the big screen and the small screen via DVD and can only say that the the DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio soundtrack is simply horrible and was just painful to hear. I could tell that the audio was off in pitch from the opening music. It is like someone ran the audio track a little faster than it should have been and although I realize this was a PAL mastering problem, this isn't how the movie should sound. However, the DTS-HD MA 2-Channel track does sound right and is the soundtrack I chose for watching this film. Still, I was sad to hear this because I think this film had a very good and haunting film score. Some consider this film to be overly long and I have to agree but if you break it into 3 chapters - before the war (ending at the approximate 1 hour point), Vietnam (ending at the approximate 2 hour point) and the remainder of the film (dealing with how the war affected the primary characters in the film), one will get the gist of the film. "They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?" ranks this film #205 between Schindler's List (#203) and Wages of Fear (#206). I'm not sure I agree with that placement because I don't think The Deer Hunter is nearly as good as either of these 2 films but that is my personal opinion. This film has a 91% rating at RottenTomatoes.com. The Supplementary material is outstanding and I'm re-watching this film right now listening to the commentary by the Director, Michael Cimino, which I haven't heard before. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Movie: 4/5 PQ: 4/5 AQ: 3/5 (for DTS-HD MA 2.0 only) Supplements: 4/5

As a side note, I grew up in a very ethnic blue-collar south side neighborhood where my father worked for U.S. Steel so this story captures what I remember of ethnic life back then perfectly. That's why I gave the movie a 4/5. As a Vietnam veteran, I would rate the film much lower only because I know there are much better movies out there dealing with the WAR! When I enlisted, I was very GUNG HO, got my orders to go to Vietnam, and by that time, didn't want to go and came back being so totally against the WAR that I demonstrated against it. Personally, I think Saving Private Ryan is a much better anti-war film than this film pretends to be. However, I am not aware of any other Vietnam War themed film which deals with the the lives of the working class, who bore the brunt of the War, like this one does. For that reason alone, I think this film is fantastic. So those are my reasons for giving the Movie a 4/5.

As always, you choose great films to watch and you're reviews are always great to read. I know you and I have talked about this film so I won't post any of that here, but I do have to say something about They Shoot Pictures. I absolutely love that site but their top 1000 films is a bit odd at times. It baffles me that Schindler's List is ranked where it is, when it is far better than many films above it. That's the case for a lot of films I consider to be great, such as 12 Angry Men, Judgment at Nuremberg, and others. Still, it is the single best movie website out there.

Can't wait to pick up this title!