The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

I agree, I can always appreciate a film when it's well made but I also have to give a damn about the subject matter. I was definitely interested in Emma more than anything else

Kick-Ass was just rad as f*ck, even though it was pretty wacky

Well, duh, of course. Emma Stone is the star and all...

Kick-Ass wouldn't have been anywhere near as good if it didn't refuse to play by the "rules". It was insane, but the way it executed all of the insanity helped make the movie special. Name me one movie where

[Show spoiler]a 11 year old girl bounces off of walls while shooting two guns and reloading the clips in mid-air.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Your opinion is f*cking stoooopid!

Honestly, I think the outfit is damn cute.

your eye sight fails!

Originally Posted by tbizzle

That looked pretty bad, thanks for the confirmation lol. I know it's not gonna be good but I'm still kinda interested in seeing Your Highness... I can't not see a Natalie Portman film

same! i will buy Your Highness knowing it will likely suck. but that's okay. the swimming scene is more than worth it!

[tanujdua]

Originally Posted by Foggy

You didn't see Kick-Ass in theatres??? makes me

Glad I opted to check out Fright Night over Apollo 18, although, I would of gotten all you can eat Chinese with Apollo 18

I don't think I'd watch it again even if you gave me all you can eat Chinese .

and I DID see Kick-Ass in theatres! I meant I hadn't seen it since I saw it in theatres I saw it TWICE in theatres because it's so damn AWESOME!!!!!

[dag]

[Show spoiler]

I attended my first screening tonight of the Toronto International Film Festival, and what a way to begin. I must say, I found The Artist to be absolutely captivating!

It is an incredibly beautiful film. The black and white film stock is a wondrous treat for the eye. The art deco style that decorates so much of the film - not merely the sets, but also such things as the fake movie posters - really bring back the age of the silent movies. I cannot say enough about how beautiful this film looks.

Yes, the fact that The Artist is a silent film is a bit gimmicky. And there is plenty of melodrama, climaxing in a fittingly suspenseful encounter. But the movie really is fantastic. The Artist is an extended love letter to a bygone age. I wholeheartedly encourage you all to see it.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Bummer.

I put the saved Gift Card balance towards Green Lantern's extended cut and Captain America...so in that sense...score



_____

I watched Toy Story 3 today.

It's been reviewed. It's been discussed. It's even been cried over

Rating - 5/5

[Steve46]

It's official, I'm a Jason Reitman fan.

I love Juno and Up in the Air and keep watching both, so I decided to check out Thank You For Smoking. All three scripts are intelligent and funny. I guess J.K. Simmons is to Reitman what Samuel L. Jackson is to Tarantino.

Aaron Eckhart does a good job in his role as Nick Naylor; a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. He's an expert at public speaking and twists the arguments of his opponents in funny and intelligent ways (just like the script). It's fascinating to see him defend evil and you pretty much end up rooting for him.

For a small budget, the cast is phenomenal. Eckhart, Simmons, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, Rob Lowe and Sam Elliott all make appearances.

Reitman is sometimes accused of trying to appear too clever for his own good. I disagree. Like Ebert said, since when is it a crime to admit we're intelligent?

If you like satire, good writing and clever humor, check it out. I'll be adding it to my collection when it's eventually released on Blu-ray.

Overall 4.5/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: “Gantz” 2011.

Just as it is with “Death Note,” this is a live-action counterpart for a hit anime series (which I reviewed previously in the TV show thread). The anime series has been a favorite of mine since it came to disc some years ago; it’s probably the most bloody and psychotic show in any format, but it’s got a hell of a story and the suspense is incredible.

The “Gantz” movie trims off a lot of the fat that the anime series had. It is missing a lot of elements of the story and characters, in addition to cutting down on the bloody violence and fan-service. On its own merits, the movie can stand pretty well on its own; it hits all the same major plot points as the anime/manga. The battles in this movie are fairly intense and brutal. The pacing overall still carries an air of purposeful suspense.

It’s the story that proves most intriguing though. It’s a weird story, filled with mysteries that are never fully resolved, but provides the necessary platform for the events. It’s exactly the type of thing that keeps you engrossed, wondering that the heck is going on and whether or not any of the characters will survive. Even if you’ve seen the anime and know what happens, the movie has one or two surprises of its own. The characters remain adequately strong; they are substantially more distinctive in the anime, but for a two-hour movie, they are solid.

My real complaint about the movie is purely in comparison with the anime; the character development is not quite as strong, and the film doesn’t really go into the theme of exploring the dark primal side of human nature that much.

The film has decent photography and editing. Acting and writing are not bad (although it takes some getting used to seeing the spiky-hair anime dudes as real actors, much less seeing the ladies with realistic proportional size ). The production value is spot-on with all the sets, props, and costumes (they match the anime/manga perfectly). Special effects are just a little fake-looking, but quite well-realized. Music is pretty cool.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5)

Recommendation: Yes. I believe this edition of the story is good for casual viewers who have not seen (or are simply not interested in seeing) the original anime/manga.

I personally still favor the anime, but it looks like there will be at least one sequel for this…

The Blu-Ray looks pretty good and slick, save for a large amount of dark scenes with contrast levels that are just okay. Sound quality is not bad, and English dubbing is included.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5

[dag]

Just two movies today at TIFF:

The Raid is an Indonesian action flick that plays like a less ambitious Tony Jaa flick but feels a lot more accomplished. The director said before the screening that we shouldn't take the movie too seriously. Indeed, it's a very decent shoot 'em up / chop socky action movie. The fight sequences were well choreographed, and entertained me. Thumbs up!

I can't believe I paid to attend the premium screening of Lars von Trier's Melancholia (since I detested Antichrist, and the director's comments at Cannes this spring were reprehensible). I also don't know what to make of the film. Its bifurcated structure may or may not properly mesh. Certainly, it is very well photographed, and Wagner's beautiful music, repeated throughout as the movie's only score, was even more moving as a result of being paired with the enigmatic and stunning images. Definitely a film worth seeing and debating.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by dag

I attended my first screening tonight of the Toronto International Film Festival, and what a way to begin. I must say, I found The Artist to be absolutely captivating!

[Show spoiler]It is an incredibly beautiful film. The black and white film stock is a wondrous treat for the eye. The art deco style that decorates so much of the film - not merely the sets, but also such things as the fake movie posters - really bring back the age of the silent movies. I cannot say enough about how beautiful this film looks.

Yes, the fact that The Artist is a silent film is a bit gimmicky. And there is plenty of melodrama, climaxing in a fittingly suspenseful encounter. But the movie really is fantastic. The Artist is an extended love letter to a bygone age. I wholeheartedly encourage you all to see it.

Originally Posted by dag

Just two movies today at TIFF:

The Raid is an Indonesian action flick that plays like a less ambitious Tony Jaa flick but feels a lot more accomplished.

[Show spoiler]The director said before the screening that we shouldn't take the movie too seriously. Indeed, it's a very decent shoot 'em up / chop socky action movie. The fight sequences were well choreographed, and entertained me. Thumbs up!

I can't believe I paid to attend the premium screening of Lars von Trier's Melancholia (since I detested Antichrist, and the director's comments at Cannes this spring were reprehensible).

[Show spoiler]I also don't know what to make of the film. Its bifurcated structure may or may not properly mesh. Certainly, it is very well photographed, and Wagner's beautiful music, repeated throughout as the movie's only score, was even more moving as a result of being paired with the enigmatic and stunning images. Definitely a film worth seeing and debating.

I want to check these three out. Thanks for the reviews, dag.

[Hep]

Hey guys. It's been a while since contributing on here, but the move to a new home and subsequent construction of a new Home Theatre is all but complete, so I thought it was time to start talking movies again. Here is my latest blind buy...

Hanna

Just in case there are any of you who haven’t seen this one, and haven’t already read a review, I’m not going to give much background info on the plot. Ok, it’s about a 16 year-old girl assassin, but that’s all I’m giving. I went in to this one nearly that blind...I didn’t read Ken’s review until after watching...and that mystery certainly facilitated the movie’s charm. Despite having a knack for watching movies with an open mind - ignoring preconceived notions - I’ll echo Ken’s advice from his review, go into this one blind. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love being surprised by originality, and Hanna delivers. This movie is one of those gems that cruises across genre boarders as effortlessly as the protagonist crosses political ones. The pace is dictated by the story, and happily not the other way round. Action occurs when required, but is not sustained at the expense of character development. When the action is gracing the screen, the film is awash with awesome industrial-synth groves courtesy of the Chemical Brothers. At the end I was left wanting more; I’m not sure if that’s a critique of the film itself, or a reflection of how much I liked it.

There are no concerns with PQ or AQ on this release; actually it’s downright impressive. I was particularly blown away with the clarity of the audio and the thumping of the aforementioned soundtrack. In fact, even on my new set-up, I didn’t notice the banding mentioned in Ken’s review; of course take that with a grain of salt since I tend to be forgiving of minor flaws when I’m completely engrossed by a good story unfolding on the screen.

4.5/5

Food rating:

[Show spoiler]Ninja Cookies: sweet but deadly.

[Al_The_Strange]

Been playing "Dante's Inferno" on the PS3 again, so I decided to watch...well, "Dante's Inferno."

Just like "The Animatrix" and those "Deadspace" cartoons, this is a simply a money-making companion to the video game of the same name. Once again, they brought in a few different anime directors to translate the story into multiple anime-style segments.

To be fair, the movie has its awesome moments. The visuals are slick as always, and the action is extremely bloody and intense. The pacing is tight and mostly-even, and it's all pretty easy to digest (well, gnarly violence and scary hellscapes notwithstanding... ).

The biggest negative about this film is in the story. It's not a bad story per se, but it won't offer much insight to Dante's original story, and it doesn't really add much to the video game either. It hits all the same plot points as the game, zipping through all nine levels of Hell and showcasing a few of the major boss battles. The story does have the brilliance of drawing a strong parallel between Hell's punishments and all the crimes the main character committed in his life (which, in turn, provides a rather brutal and invoking portrayal of the crusades). The character does benefit from some rich backstory, development, and philosophical insight. However, the rapid-fire use of flashbacks makes the whole thing convoluted. And ultimately, this entire thing pales horridly in comparison with the video game, which covers all of the exact same content in a richer and fuller experience. In the end, I don't think this 90-minute film does good justice to the story; the game is where it's at.

The movie is pretty slick though. The animation quality has some excellent textures, renderings, and highly-detailed environments. Character designs are pretty slick and cool. However, there are a few shortcuts made in the animation, with poor lip-synching, shots that get repeated (including some of the lip flapping I believe), and some shots that are too stuttery for their own good. However, just like with the video game, the production design is phenomenal. Every level of Hell is rendered with immaculate attention to detail; the environments are scary, invoking, and at times, beautiful by gothic standards. At the same time, I believe they've done a good job in incorporating history, philosophy, and elements of the classic literature into everything (but once again, it's better covered in the game). My only big complaint is that, thanks to the multiple directors involved, the style changes a few times, and for a continuous story, it can be very disruptive. Voice-acting is okay, but it seems like they just yell a lot. Music is pretty decent.

It's lacking in depth when compared to the video game, but still pretty solid in general. It would probably be a good video to show folks who are interested in the game or story.

3/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 2.5/5, film: 3/5)

Recommendation: Rent it...if you dare!

This Blu-Ray looks and sounds good.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Hep

Hey guys. It's been a while since contributing on here, but the move to a new home and subsequent construction of a new Home Theatre is all but complete, so I thought it was time to start talking movies again. Here is my latest blind buy...

Hanna

[Show spoiler]Just in case there are any of you who haven’t seen this one, and haven’t already read a review, I’m not going to give much background info on the plot. Ok, it’s about a 16 year-old girl assassin, but that’s all I’m giving. I went in to this one nearly that blind...I didn’t read Ken’s review until after watching...and that mystery certainly facilitated the movie’s charm. Despite having a knack for watching movies with an open mind - ignoring preconceived notions - I’ll echo Ken’s advice from his review, go into this one blind. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love being surprised by originality, and Hanna delivers. This movie is one of those gems that cruises across genre boarders as effortlessly as the protagonist crosses political ones. The pace is dictated by the story, and happily not the other way round. Action occurs when required, but is not sustained at the expense of character development. When the action is gracing the screen, the film is awash with awesome industrial-synth groves courtesy of the Chemical Brothers. At the end I was left wanting more; I’m not sure if that’s a critique of the film itself, or a reflection of how much I liked it.

There are no concerns with PQ or AQ on this release; actually it’s downright impressive. I was particularly blown away with the clarity of the audio and the thumping of the aforementioned soundtrack. In fact, even on my new set-up, I didn’t notice the banding mentioned in Ken’s review; of course that that with a grain of salt since I tend to be forgiving of minor flaws when I’m completely engrossed by a good story unfolding on the screen.

4.5/5

Food rating:

[Show spoiler]Ninja Cookies: sweet but deadly.

You never quite realise how much you miss food ratings until they're gone

Good review, although I don't quite agree with it, I reviewed a few pages back and thought it was pretty, but also pretty hollow.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Hep

Hey guys. It's been a while since contributing on here, but the move to a new home and subsequent construction of a new Home Theatre is all but complete, so I thought it was time to start talking movies again. Here is my latest blind buy...

Hanna

[Show spoiler]
Just in case there are any of you who haven’t seen this one, and haven’t already read a review, I’m not going to give much background info on the plot. Ok, it’s about a 16 year-old girl assassin, but that’s all I’m giving. I went in to this one nearly that blind...I didn’t read Ken’s review until after watching...and that mystery certainly facilitated the movie’s charm. Despite having a knack for watching movies with an open mind - ignoring preconceived notions - I’ll echo Ken’s advice from his review, go into this one blind. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love being surprised by originality, and Hanna delivers. This movie is one of those gems that cruises across genre boarders as effortlessly as the protagonist crosses political ones. The pace is dictated by the story, and happily not the other way round. Action occurs when required, but is not sustained at the expense of character development. When the action is gracing the screen, the film is awash with awesome industrial-synth groves courtesy of the Chemical Brothers. At the end I was left wanting more; I’m not sure if that’s a critique of the film itself, or a reflection of how much I liked it.

There are no concerns with PQ or AQ on this release; actually it’s downright impressive. I was particularly blown away with the clarity of the audio and the thumping of the aforementioned soundtrack. In fact, even on my new set-up, I didn’t notice the banding mentioned in Ken’s review; of course that that with a grain of salt since I tend to be forgiving of minor flaws when I’m completely engrossed by a good story unfolding on the screen.

4.5/5

Food rating:

[Show spoiler]Ninja Cookies: sweet but deadly.

Welcome back. Congrats on the new place and the new HT!

The food reviews are back!

[Show spoiler]Those ninja cookies are hilarious!

EDIT:
If "Dante's Inferno" was food, it'd be...

[Show spoiler]raw chicken from "Hell's Kitchen."

Hell's Kitchen S09E09 - Paul Gets Thrown Out Of The Kitchen - YouTube

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Hep

Hey guys. It's been a while since contributing on here, but the move to a new home and subsequent construction of a new Home Theatre is all but complete, so I thought it was time to start talking movies again. Here is my latest blind buy...

Hanna

[Show spoiler]Just in case there are any of you who haven’t seen this one, and haven’t already read a review, I’m not going to give much background info on the plot. Ok, it’s about a 16 year-old girl assassin, but that’s all I’m giving. I went in to this one nearly that blind...I didn’t read Ken’s review until after watching...and that mystery certainly facilitated the movie’s charm. Despite having a knack for watching movies with an open mind - ignoring preconceived notions - I’ll echo Ken’s advice from his review, go into this one blind. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love being surprised by originality, and Hanna delivers. This movie is one of those gems that cruises across genre boarders as effortlessly as the protagonist crosses political ones. The pace is dictated by the story, and happily not the other way round. Action occurs when required, but is not sustained at the expense of character development. When the action is gracing the screen, the film is awash with awesome industrial-synth groves courtesy of the Chemical Brothers. At the end I was left wanting more; I’m not sure if that’s a critique of the film itself, or a reflection of how much I liked it.

There are no concerns with PQ or AQ on this release; actually it’s downright impressive. I was particularly blown away with the clarity of the audio and the thumping of the aforementioned soundtrack. In fact, even on my new set-up, I didn’t notice the banding mentioned in Ken’s review; of course that that with a grain of salt since I tend to be forgiving of minor flaws when I’m completely engrossed by a good story unfolding on the screen.

4.5/5

Food rating:

[Show spoiler]Ninja Cookies: sweet but deadly.

Welcome back, Hep. Lol... I missed them food reviews too.

[Hep]

Originally Posted by Foggy

You never quite realise how much you miss food ratings until they're gone

Good review, although I don't quite agree with it, I reviewed a few pages back and thought it was pretty, but also pretty hollow.

Hey Foggy,

I just read your review, and I can't really disagree with you POV. I actually thought the detached nature of Hanna was intentional...

[Show spoiler]I mean she's a genetically altered 16 year-old girl raised in complete isolation save for her "father". Social interaction and modern life is all new to her; that was demonstrated during the hotel room scene and the rejected kiss (I lol'd...dad must have reinforced that one).

I also felt that some of the unresolved plot lines are either:

a) intended to reflect reality better...nothing in real life wraps up into a neat little bow all at once; or (more likely)

b) as a hook for the sequel .

At first I thought the British girl was going to grate on me the rest of the movie, but her character actually grew on me enough to accept her for what she was, a complementary (if not opposite) character for Hanna to play off of.

Besides, it seems your 7/10 and my 9/10 aren't worlds apart

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Hep

Hey Foggy,

I just read your review, and I can't really disagree with you POV. I actually thought the detached nature of Hanna was intentional...

[Show spoiler]I mean she's a genetically altered 16 year-old girl raised in complete isolation save for her "father". Social interaction and modern life is all new to her; that was demonstrated during the hotel room scene and the rejected kiss (I lol'd...dad must have reinforced that one).

I also felt that some of the unresolved plot lines are either:

a) intended to reflect reality better...nothing in real life wraps up into a neat little bow all at once; or (more likely)

b) as a hook for the sequel .

At first I thought the British girl was going to grate on me the rest of the movie, but her character actually grew on me enough to accept her for what she was, a complementary (if not opposite) character for Hanna to play off of.

Besides, it seems your 7/10 and my 9/10 aren't worlds apart

I completely agree, but it just really hard to root for a film that just ends with you feeling very when everything else in the film is just so fantastic

I'm still glad you like it, and I would still recommend it to anyone who wants something different than the normal action film

[Hep]

I see you liked Cowboys & Aliens...that will be another blind buy for me, and with the inconsistent reviews I was having second thoughts. I'm happy to see you putting it in the win column .

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Hep

I see you liked Cowboys & Aliens...that will be another blind buy for me, and with the inconsistent reviews I was having second thoughts. I'm happy to see you putting it in the win column .

Yeah I was pretty excited for the film until the reviews came in, still checked it out and found it just a blast to watch

[Diesel]

I DVR'd The Terminal again today


...come on Spielberg, where's the blu-ray?!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Steve46

It's official, I'm a Jason Reitman fan.

I love Juno and Up in the Air and keep watching both, so I decided to check out Thank You For Smoking. All three scripts are intelligent and funny. I guess J.K. Simmons is to Reitman what Samuel L. Jackson is to Tarantino.

Aaron Eckhart does a good job in his role as Nick Naylor; a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. He's an expert at public speaking and twists the arguments of his opponents in funny and intelligent ways (just like the script). It's fascinating to see him defend evil and you pretty much end up rooting for him.

For a small budget, the cast is phenomenal. Eckhart, Simmons, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, Rob Lowe and Sam Elliott all make appearances.

Reitman is sometimes accused of trying to appear too clever for his own good. I disagree. Like Ebert said, since when is it a crime to admit we're intelligent?

If you like satire, good writing and clever humor, check it out. I'll be adding it to my collection when it's eventually released on Blu-ray.

Overall 4.5/5

Queued it up. Thanks.

Its behind a freight train of TV shows though.