The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Q?

That's funny Al, I liked Papillon way better than The Great Escape, I just couldn't stand the silly march music, the unrealistic protrayal of isolation in prison, which is handled much better in Papillon I might add. But I did enjoy the actual Escape in TGE though, found myself being excited that sequence alone.

Yeah, I remember you reviewed and mentioned that. Just my opinion that "TGE" was never meant to be taken wholly seriously, and is more of an upbeat adventure than a rough 'n gritty prison movie. Thus, the upbeat music fits IMO, on the same level as "Bridge on the River Kwai," and it jives with me better.

Then again, I heard that "TGE" is based on a true life story, but I never read up on it, so it wouldn't surprise me if the movie totally butchers the account of actual events. Since I'm not familiar with the background, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it may bother other folks.

In short, "TGE" gets the high points for entertainment and fun, "Papillion" is artsier and more cinematically distinctive (and possibly being a more accurate-to-life film). Both are good though.

[Q?]

Yeah it's clear they wanted to do an upbeat movie, but the little I know about WWII still makes me kind of uneasy of how lightly they portray that time. Just doesn't make sense to me, but I do understand that they wanted to honour what they did. They just made it accesible and wanted it to be popular, just a "default" style of moviemaking of that time I guess.

[Foggy]

Falling Down

Michael Douglas goes on a one man rampage to stand for librialism

It's all very entertaining, it's funny and dramatic most the time, and neither really feels out of place. Though I do feel it's a little bit too smart with it's commentary and overly patronising in symbolism (a shot a Hitler in the middle of fight)

Robert Duvall is pretty cool as well, I like how the last person who retired before him was killed 2 mins before hand

8.5/10

[Q?]

I need to see it again! It's been years sine I last saw Falling Down.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Hep

LOL. Squid, that's just the result of a small isolated gene pool .

Ya, tu many kuzins round thees heer parts.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Hep

Here was my question to him:



Here is his response:

Hmmmm. Well then those bonus features were flat out fibbing. Weird.

Thanks for following up.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Next greatest movie borrowed from a library: “Papillion.”

Dustin Hoffman is a jolly fine and dandy actor, but with the eternal badass Steve McQueen in the mix, I figure this prison movie should be a true winner. And it is at some points: there are plenty of memorable, visually stunning scenes. It’s very surprisingly dark, gritty, gnarly, violent, and tense. The scenes where McQueen’s imprisoned in solitary confinement really had me engrossed. But aside from that, a number of bizarre surreal scenes, the occasional moments of brutal violence, and the occasional striking imagery…unfortunately, despite all this, I found the movie quite long and slow.

The story’s not bad. I think I briefly read somewhere that this was a sugar-coated book based on a real-life account or something. It wouldn’t surprise me if this tale is romanticized or watered down to some extent. But as it is, it’s pretty good, and the characters are quite strong.

As a film, the photography is good, with some moments of outstanding brilliance. Acting is good (at times I barely recognized the main characters) and the writing’s not bad. Production value is solid.

4/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5)

Recommendation: Sure.

The DVD looked and sounded like crap. The upcoming Blu-Ray release should do the film better justice.

I’m still not sure if I want a copy. The stuff I liked and the overall imagery might encourage me, but the pacing does not.

I probably like "The Great Escape" a little better.

One of my favorite movies of all time. I dont have a written top ten, but this would be there.

[Hep]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Hmmmm. Well then those bonus features were flat out fibbing. Weird.

Thanks for following up.

I honestly think the special feature just recalled info in the third person, erroneously. It's more likely they made the stunt man special gloves so he wouldn't cut his hands (on frayed or broken strands). You know these productions with all the liability concerns. In any case, what my buddy told me is first hand info and passes the common sense test for me, so I'll take that as true.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: “All-Star Superman.” Because the price wasn’t terrible, and I guess I just felt like nabbing it.

The action and pacing definitely did not disappoint. There are plenty of cool fights and some very big-scale events. It’s not every day we see a movie where the sun itself becomes humanity’s enemy…

I’m not at all familiar with the comics (except for the “Death of Superman” saga, which was effectively butchered by the “Superman: Doomsday” cartoon ). As it is, “All-Star Superman” seemed kinda nutty at first, as the story bounced from one crazy scene to another. It’s populated with such outlandish things as superpowered beings carousing through Earth, a mini-Kryptonian city in a dome, snobby Kryptonian squatters, some alien that sucks energy out of everything, and shedloads of other ideas that just seem really out-there. Maybe this is how it is with the comics too, I dunno; it just seems really off to me, especially since the movie zips through all these elements in a collage of events rather than one central story. But, there are central themes, ideas, and a general direction at work that keeps it somewhat focused: the concept of power (its use and abuse), the peril of the sun, the threat of Lex Luthor, and the spiel with Lois Lane. By the end, it generally satisfies, and with all the nice action scenes we get, it’s worth sifting through.

As a film, it looks gorgeous! Artwork looks top-notch, with plenty of strong colors, strong textures, and slick-looking character designs. Movements are very smooth, and animation quality seems above-average. Voice-acting seems okay, writing is not bad, and the music is okay (doesn’t compare to John William’s march though ).

4/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 4/5)

Recommendation: Rent it, see what you think.

I’ve been sitting too far away from the TV to accurately judge the PQ the same way the official review does; it points out an alarming amount of banding, pixilation, encode problems, etc. From where I’m sitting, it looks nice and sharp with good colors and contrast. Sound quality is pretty good, but I felt it was a bit on the low and unremarkable side.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Falling Down

Michael Douglas goes on a one man rampage to stand for librialism

It's all very entertaining, it's funny and dramatic most the time, and neither really feels out of place. Though I do feel it's a little bit too smart with it's commentary and overly patronising in symbolism (a shot a Hitler in the middle of fight)

Robert Duvall is pretty cool as well, I like how the last person who retired before him was killed 2 mins before hand

8.5/10

one of my all time favorite films and Michael Douglas's finest hour!! He should have been nominated for this film but I guess it's not exactly a "hollywood" movie!

[Hep]

Martyrs

I watched this last night and I’m still a bit of a mess from it. This movie is horrible to watch. The first act sets up a quality revenge story with serious horror elements. In the second act, the director lets loose, brutally torturing the audience with a relentless onslaught of hyper realistic violence toward young girls. This section is not entertainment, at least not in any sense that I would subscribe to. Every gut punch radiated through her into me, and it was a chore to maintain enough distance to not to get pissed and just turn the damn thing off.

For what seemed like an eternity I waited for the end, waited for the turning of the tides, waited for some sense of humanity, waited for anything to stop the terror...but it didn’t come. At this stage many will judge the movie as torture porn, but that would be a mistake. Every agonizing minute of horror serves a specific and beautiful purpose. In the third act a transformation occurs, and the audience has all but given up hope. Emotionally beaten and drained, the purpose finally becomes clear; clear but completely absent of resolution. The ending leaves the audience in a chasm filled with trepidation, more open to interpretation than scripture.

I’m still swimming in that pool, not certain if this movie belongs in the deep end. If I score this movie based on its effectiveness, it rates a 5/5. I can’t attempt an entertainment rating, because the experience had nothing to do with entertainment for me. It was too real, too visceral, too savage. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then you are the only one I can recommend this to.

If this movie were a food it would be:

[Show spoiler]

[jvince]

Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: Filmed in 24 countries on 6 continents and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack, this 1992 documentary is a pastiche of images of the natural world.
Running Time: 96 minutes

Director: Ron Fricke

Baraka is not your conventional movie. There is no plot, no dialogue, and no narration. It's simply just an hour-and-a-half tour around the world. But for those few minutes, Baraka immerses you in a one-of-a-kind visual experience you will never forget. The cinematography is so damn mind-blowingly breathtaking, I don't believe I'll ever see a film as beautiful as this. Baraka basically schools your eyeballs with masterful shots and techniques that will surely make you go "Wow..." at least once. The score and sounds are no slouches either, further augmenting the experience. There may be no characters or actors in this film -- only Earth -- but damn, does Earth give one hell of a performance. Baraka is like a majestic dream that stays with you well after you wake. And it is most definitely one you will be longing to revisit again.

Rating: ***** out of 5

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by jvince

Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: Filmed in 24 countries on 6 continents and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack, this 1992 documentary is a pastiche of images of the natural world.
Running Time: 96 minutes

Director: Ron Fricke

Baraka is not your conventional movie. There is no plot, no dialogue, and no narration. It's simply just an hour-and-a-half tour around the world. But for those few minutes, Baraka immerses you in a one-of-a-kind visual experience you will never forget. The cinematography is so damn mind-blowingly breathtaking, I don't believe I'll ever see a film as beautiful as this. Baraka basically schools your eyeballs with masterful shots and techniques that will surely make you go "Wow..." at least once. The score and sounds are no slouches either, further augmenting the experience. There may be no characters or actors in this film -- only Earth -- but damn, does Earth give one hell of a performance. Baraka is like a majestic dream that stays with you well after you wake. And it is most definitely one you will be longing to revisit again.

Rating: ***** out of 5

Hep, where is your response?
Shame on you, you should have been first and beaten me.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Hep

Martyrs

[Show spoiler]
I watched this last night and I’m still a bit of a mess from it. This movie is horrible to watch. The first act sets up a quality revenge story with serious horror elements. In the second act, the director lets loose, brutally torturing the audience with a relentless onslaught of hyper realistic violence toward young girls. This section is not entertainment, at least not in any sense that I would subscribe to. Every gut punch radiated through her into me, and it was a chore to maintain enough distance to not to get pissed and just turn the damn thing off.

For what seemed like an eternity I waited for the end, waited for the turning of the tides, waited for some sense of humanity, waited for anything to stop the terror...but it didn’t come. At this stage many will judge the movie as torture porn, but that would be a mistake. Every agonizing minute of horror serves a specific and beautiful purpose. In the third act a transformation occurs, and the audience has all but given up hope. Emotionally beaten and drained, the purpose finally becomes clear; clear but completely absent of resolution. The ending leaves the audience in a chasm filled with trepidation, more open to interpretation than scripture.

I’m still swimming in that pool, not certain if this movie belongs in the deep end. If I score this movie based on its effectiveness, it rates a 5/5. I can’t attempt an entertainment rating, because the experience had nothing to do with entertainment for me. It was too real, too visceral, too savage. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then you are the only one I can recommend this to.

If this movie were a food it would be:

[Show spoiler]

I gotta see this some day, see how it compares to the original "I Spit On Your Grave."

Nice food rating.

Originally Posted by jvince

Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: Filmed in 24 countries on 6 continents and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack, this 1992 documentary is a pastiche of images of the natural world.
Running Time: 96 minutes

Director: Ron Fricke

Baraka is not your conventional movie.

[Show spoiler] There is no plot, no dialogue, and no narration. It's simply just an hour-and-a-half tour around the world. But for those few minutes, Baraka immerses you in a one-of-a-kind visual experience you will never forget. The cinematography is so damn mind-blowingly breathtaking, I don't believe I'll ever see a film as beautiful as this. Baraka basically schools your eyeballs with masterful shots and techniques that will surely make you go "Wow..." at least once. The score and sounds are no slouches either, further augmenting the experience. There may be no characters or actors in this film -- only Earth -- but damn, does Earth give one hell of a performance. Baraka is like a majestic dream that stays with you well after you wake. And it is most definitely one you will be longing to revisit again.

Rating: ***** out of 5

Good review. I love the imagery too, and I give the film a lot of credit for showing me stuff that I know I'll never get the chance to see in a lifetime.

I should watch it again.

[Foggy]

Alien

I might of saw this one when I was younger (might had been the reason I'm put off horror films because this one mortified me, between this a waking up to the end of The Blair Witch Project in the middle of the night) it is pretty darn awesome. I guess it's only flaw was the predictabilty of the

[Show spoiler]Sciene officer being sent to fetch the alien back

, but ehh, it didn't bother me all that much, plus I didn't really expect

[Show spoiler]his head

to come off like it did

Awesome movie

[Hep]

Originally Posted by jvince

Baraka

[Show spoiler]Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: Filmed in 24 countries on 6 continents and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack, this 1992 documentary is a pastiche of images of the natural world.
Running Time: 96 minutes

Director: Ron Fricke

Baraka is not your conventional movie. There is no plot, no dialogue, and no narration. It's simply just an hour-and-a-half tour around the world. But for those few minutes, Baraka immerses you in a one-of-a-kind visual experience you will never forget. The cinematography is so damn mind-blowingly breathtaking, I don't believe I'll ever see a film as beautiful as this. Baraka basically schools your eyeballs with masterful shots and techniques that will surely make you go "Wow..." at least once. The score and sounds are no slouches either, further augmenting the experience. There may be no characters or actors in this film -- only Earth -- but damn, does Earth give one hell of a performance. Baraka is like a majestic dream that stays with you well after you wake. And it is most definitely one you will be longing to revisit again.

Rating: ***** out of 5

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Baraka might not have a traditional narrator, but the excellent choice of images and editing certainly provides a narrative or commentary.

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

Hep, where is your response?
Shame on you, you should have been first and beaten me.

I have failed . I should've checked the thread before bed last night .

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I gotta see this some day, see how it compares to the original "I Spit On Your Grave."

Nice food rating.

[Show spoiler]Good review. I love the imagery too, and I give the film a lot of credit for showing me stuff that I know I'll never get the chance to see in a lifetime.

I should watch it again.

I considered these, but they were too joke-y .

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

[haphilli]

Due Date

Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis have both been playing themselves in movies as of late. It's starting to wear on me. They've played the same character in every movie and there is no difference here, but I found it odd that I didn't mind it all that much. Everything from trailers to the movie poster indicate as much, so you should know what you're getting into.

The film is reminiscent of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with RDJ in Steve Martin's role and Zach filling in for Candy. Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter Highman (yeah you know that they are making fun of that name somwehere in the film); an uptight, sometimes raging, quick witted husband who has to make it back to L.A. to witness the birth of his child. Zach Galifiankis plays Ethan Tremblay who is a man who isn't quite all there, and although his intentions are good, his methods usually find him in trouble. After an incident on an airplane leaves both on a "no fly list" they are forced to make their journey by other means. What follows is one disaster followed by another.

I thought the film was pretty enjoyable. While Todd Phillips has often sprinkled a little bit of drama into his previous films he makes more of an effort to give the two characters more weight and depth. There are a couple of touching scenes in the film.

The PQ was very good, and the AQ was alright, there were no real exciting audio elements to the film.

I would recommend this film, but beware that there is no real change in the actor's characters from previous films, and that the film is not just straight up comedy, and that there are some dramatic instances.

7/10

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Hep

Martyrs

I watched this last night and I’m still a bit of a mess from it. This movie is horrible to watch. The first act sets up a quality revenge story with serious horror elements. In the second act, the director lets loose, brutally torturing the audience with a relentless onslaught of hyper realistic violence toward young girls. This section is not entertainment, at least not in any sense that I would subscribe to. Every gut punch radiated through her into me, and it was a chore to maintain enough distance to not to get pissed and just turn the damn thing off.

For what seemed like an eternity I waited for the end, waited for the turning of the tides, waited for some sense of humanity, waited for anything to stop the terror...but it didn’t come. At this stage many will judge the movie as torture porn, but that would be a mistake. Every agonizing minute of horror serves a specific and beautiful purpose. In the third act a transformation occurs, and the audience has all but given up hope. Emotionally beaten and drained, the purpose finally becomes clear; clear but completely absent of resolution. The ending leaves the audience in a chasm filled with trepidation, more open to interpretation than scripture.

I’m still swimming in that pool, not certain if this movie belongs in the deep end. If I score this movie based on its effectiveness, it rates a 5/5. I can’t attempt an entertainment rating, because the experience had nothing to do with entertainment for me. It was too real, too visceral, too savage. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then you are the only one I can recommend this to.

If this movie were a food it would be:

[Show spoiler]

Yikes. To your review AND the spoiler.

I'm tempted to give it a shot. Is there a valid reason for the brutality? Is there any sort of closure whatsoever?

[Batman1980]

All Star Superman 5/5
Excellent DCU movie that I recommend to all Kal-El fans and even people who don't really mind him. Best Superman based DCU film yet, well Public Enemies is better but it includes Batman. Best Superman movie period really, even more so than Superman I or II, although it may just be so new that I'm not giving an accurate grade on it. 4.5/5 for PQ and 5/5 for AQ.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Hep

I considered these, but they were too joke-y .

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

Mmmmmmmm.......bacon.....