The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Foggy

The best one in my opinion

I like Under the Red Hood and Mask of the Phantasm quite a bit, wish the latter would get a blu-ray, not that fond of the Adam West film at all, I doubt I'll ever get it.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

I like Under the Red Hood and Mask of the Phantasm quite a bit, wish the latter would get a blu-ray, not that fond of the Adam West film at all, I doubt I'll ever get it.

"That crazy missile! It wrote two more riddles before it blew up!"
"What goes up white and comes down yellow and white?"
"An egg!"
"How do you divide seventeen apples among sixteen people?"
"Make applesauce!"
"Apples into applesauce - A unification into one smooth mixture. An egg - nature's perfect container. The container of all our hopes for the future."
"A unification and a container of hope? United World Organization!"

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by CZAR

The Expendables - I was so tempted to blind buy this when it came out but never pulled the trigger. Finally got this from netflix and now wish I wouldve just bought it from the jump. This was a very entertaining action film and it was cool to see all these action film stars together. The only thing I wanted was a bigger role for both Bruce Willis & Arnold. Other than that I was satisfied. Some of the effects were not the best including how the fire looked at times but it wasnt a big distraction.

Gisele Itié who I never seen before was stunning and I now hope to see her in future american films. Charisma Carpenter was also a cutie but she has nuthin on Gisele. The story wasnt the best but it was good enough to tie the film together. I enjoyed Statham's character the most and thought he did the best job of all the actors. All in all this was a good action film and it was great to see homage paid to the great 80's era of action films. I am now anticipating part two. Got Em!!

Film Rating - 4 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

+1

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

100 pages ago. But I did watch it just now and it rocked! My previous review below still applies. I would just add an intellectual/emotional impact score of 4/5, and maybe re-adjust the overall score so that entertainment value is 5/5 (even if it is long, it moves pretty darn fast) and a lower story score to 4.5/5 (let's face it, the movie has so many twists and turns that plot holes are inevitable). But it's still a 5/5 either way.

And the recommendation line would look like this:

Recommendation: Ooohhhh yeah!!



Okay, Batman marathon is over...until my rentals for "Under the Red Hood" "Mask of the Phantasm" and the Adam West movie come in...

Love the recommendation

Phantasm was okay for me, not as good as I had hoped.

(Posted from PS3, hence the short reply)

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

"That crazy missile! It wrote two more riddles before it blew up!"
"What goes up white and comes down yellow and white?"
"An egg!"
"How do you divide seventeen apples among sixteen people?"
"Make applesauce!"
"Apples into applesauce - A unification into one smooth mixture. An egg - nature's perfect container. The container of all our hopes for the future."
"A unification and a container of hope? United World Organization!"

Intrest has increased by 1000%!

This dialogue is swell!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Love the recommendation

Phantasm was okay for me, not as good as I had hoped.

(Posted from PS3, hence the short reply)

Ooohhh yeahhh...

I mean, right on!

I remember seeing "Phantasm" all over the place as kid, on VHS and stuff, but never saw it. Better late than never.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Intrest has increased by 1000%!

This dialogue is swell!

I tried to watch it the other day on some random channel and while the horrible dialogue was great, the horrible acting and beyond cheesy effects got to me rather quickly and that's coming from someone who enjoys Schumacher's Batman movies.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by CZAR

The Expendables - I was so tempted to blind buy this when it came out but never pulled the trigger. Finally got this from netflix and now wish I wouldve just bought it from the jump. This was a very entertaining action film and it was cool to see all these action film stars together. The only thing I wanted was a bigger role for both Bruce Willis & Arnold. Other than that I was satisfied. Some of the effects were not the best including how the fire looked at times but it wasnt a big distraction.

Gisele Itié who I never seen before was stunning and I now hope to see her in future american films. Charisma Carpenter was also a cutie but she has nuthin on Gisele. The story wasnt the best but it was good enough to tie the film together. I enjoyed Statham's character the most and thought he did the best job of all the actors. All in all this was a good action film and it was great to see homage paid to the great 80's era of action films. I am now anticipating part two. Got Em!!
[/spoiler]
Film Rating - 4 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

I would rate this the same. I liked this when I saw it earlier, so I picked it up a few weeks ago when it was $12.99.

Bruce Willis

[Show spoiler]might have a bigger part in the sequel given the role he had in the first one. It was small, but he was still a fairly big character for only being in it for a few minutes

. As for Arnold, his few minutes in the film were expected.

I watched it again a few days ago (first time on Blu-ray) and the AQ easily earns that 5/5. I have yet to get into the Special Features, but they are supposed to be really good too.

Between the two, I would pick Charisma, but I can't knock you for picking Gisele either.

This is $14.99 right now on Amazon. It's a couple of dollars more than what it was a couple of weeks ago, but I still think that's a pretty solid price.

Originally Posted by Diesel

I'll be checking this out with my dad this weekend. He wanted to watch it as he is a big fan of the 80s action movies so I'm going to rent it for us to check out. I hope its good

I hope you enjoy it. It's not something I'd put in my Top 10 for last year, but it is still something I enjoyed and I have no problem owning it.

[Diesel]

CZAR will not be pleased...


The Kung Fu Kid

• 2010 | PG | 140 Minutes
  
  
• Director: Harald Zwart
  
  
• Starring: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith
  
  
• Action | Drama | Family
  
  
• First Time Viewing

Okay, with the original fresh in my mind from just a few weeks ago, I have to say that this one is easily....not as good as the 1984 one

As I said before, this is NOT The Karate Kid...this is the Kung Fu Kid. I understand the business side thinking behind naming it Karate Kid...but its a poor decision. Don't piggy back on the original, call your film what it is and differentiate yourself from it, make your own path and don't follow the originals. Of course the name isn't the only thing that makes it stay in the shadow of the original...

The core story is really good...because it is exactly the same as the original. They didn't change it up at all. Yes the details and specifics are modified to fit the new film, but the core is the same movie and that takes away any anticipation or tension the film may try and build if you've seen the first one. You don't have to make radical changes, but at least change it up a little. I didn't knock off major points for reusing the same exact story as the original because it IS a good story.

It also was too long and plodded along for a while. It needed to be shaved down by 15 or 20 minutes; 140 minutes is too long for this movie.


The only actor I liked in the film was Jackie Chan. He was really good in this. It's hard to follow Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi but Chan does a great job. I thought his "breakdown" scene was much better than Morita's in the original film. I was pretty because of his work in that scene. The only times I laughed at the humor in the film was some of the humor from Jackie, he is one of the funniest actors out there

Smith was not good. I'll give the kid his due credit for trying, he really looked like he gave it his all...but he just doesn't have "it". Don't quote this review and say, "He's a kid dude". Bull****. There are examples of GREAT performances from child actors all throughout film history, so being a child is no excuse at all. Maybe he'll grow up to be better, but as of right now, for me, he is just bad in this and The Day the Earth Stood Still (at least he was better than that movie here ); which is really a shame because he did fine just a few years ago in his role in The Pursuit of Happyness. He was irritating throughout the entire film, I really just wanted to see the kids beat him up again.

Add to that that he (and all of the younger characters) is not old enough imo. The characters in the original were like 15 or 17 or something like that (not the actors, Ralph Macchio was like 23 ) but here they are TWELVE (Smith was 10/11 during the filming ). If it HAD to be Jaden in the role (which I wish it wasn't) then they should have waited until he was older.

All of the supporting characters....yea.


The movie as a whole, I thought, turned out to be okay, which is a shame because it could have been really good with an older/better lead, not an exact rehash of the original film and some better supporting characters.

They are making a sequel I believe, which will take care of my age issue (unless he still looks like a ten year old when it comes out in 2 or 3 years ). Hopefully they go their own way with it and don't just follow The Karate Kid II.


Rating - 2.75/5

Rating if I hadn't seen the original - 3/5

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Love the recommendation

Phantasm was okay for me, not as good as I had hoped.

(Posted from PS3, hence the short reply)

What's the deal with Diesel's thumb? It looks to be two thumbs stacked atop one another, possibly as the result of inbreeding. Is he Megan Fox's bruncle, twice removed?

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

What's the deal with Diesel's thumb? It looks to be two thumbs stacked atop one another, possibly as the result of inbreeding. Is he Megan Fox's bruncle, twice removed?

He REALLY approved of something at that moment, so he magically made his thumb larger to reflect just how much he truly endorsed whatever it is he was looking at

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

What's the deal with Diesel's thumb? It looks to be two thumbs stacked atop one another, possibly as the result of inbreeding. Is he Megan Fox's bruncle, twice removed?

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Two very simple responses.

Plot holes

[Show spoiler]They pulled a fingerprint from the van, they had probable cuase. In a case where there are multiple violent felonies repeated over and over by the same crew, and the FBI is pulled in, a search warrant can appear out of thin air when needed, and they do.

Also. The girl from the DWI that they approached at the end was a fail as well. They would have squeezed her, a known drug deliverer and Affleck connection, right at the very beginning. They had plenty of data to pinch her anytime but they didnt until it fit into the screenplay. They would have been all over her right from the start.

Bad guys

[Show spoiler]"You cant escape where you came from" may be a point that the film is trying to make, but because that frame of mind is utter horsesh!t, I have no sympathy for anyone who claims to be a victim of it. In fact, during the film Affleck realizes he is on the wrong road and wants to start a new life in Florida. Yet, he is committing these crimes WHILE he knows they are wrong. He is commiting these crimes to get away. He wants to "Escape where he came from" and uses crime and innocent peoples suffering to do so. He does in fact "Escape where he came from" at the cost of others. Shall we forgive him because he is a product of his environment? NO! A starving 10 year old in a ghetto gets a pass from me for shoplifting a package of food. But a 30 something year old blaming his neighborhood? Bahhh.

In movies where we dont REALLY know the innocence or guilt of a character, thats fine. Or when the film takes a "light" tone with hints of comedy like Butch and Sundance, then we can suspend disbelief, or offer sympathy.

Annnnd in response:

Plot Holes:

[Show spoiler]if memory serves me correctly, and I've seen the movie twice for what it's worth, the statement of "we pulled a fingerprint from the van" was false and simply used as an interrogation technique. However, let's say it wasn't false and that they actually did find a fingerprint. That may or may not provide probable cause to search his residence. A fingerprint, without more, would almost definitely not provide probable cause. Reasonable suspicion, yes, but that's a lesser standard and not good enough. Of course, it depends on the judge, but I digress.

As for DWI girl, that's looking too much into it. Would they have attempted to question her? Probably, but that doesn't mean she'd talk (at that point). She only talked when Affleck made it clear that he was done with her and that he wanted to take someone else with him. If they subpoena'd her they might have more success, but that's a different story. It's also highly likely that she'd want an attorney and invoke her right to counsel.

Don't try to argue the legal world with me, especially when I do criminal law!

Bad Guys: I don't disagree with you at all. I agree in full, although the film still worked for me. Jem was shockingly likeable, in a cruel way. Affleck was somewhat likeable as well. I would've preferred more moral ambiguity instead of the tagline you mention, but it still worked for me. The fact that it didn't for you is completely valid and I don't blame you at all!

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Diesel

CZAR will not be pleased...


The Kung Fu Kid

• 2010 | PG | 140 Minutes
  
  
• Director: Harald Zwart
  
  
• Starring: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith
  
  
• Action | Drama | Family
  
  
• First Time Viewing

[Show spoiler]

Okay, with the original fresh in my mind from just a few weeks ago, I have to say that this one is easily....not as good as the 1984 one

As I said before, this is NOT The Karate Kid...this is the Kung Fu Kid. I understand the business side thinking behind naming it Karate Kid...but its a poor decision. Don't piggy back on the original, call your film what it is and differentiate yourself from it, make your own path and don't follow the originals. Of course the name isn't the only thing that makes it stay in the shadow of the original...

The core story is really good...because it is exactly the same as the original. They didn't change it up at all. Yes the details and specifics are modified to fit the new film, but the core is the same movie and that takes away any anticipation or tension the film may try and build if you've seen the first one. You don't have to make radical changes, but at least change it up a little. I didn't knock off major points for reusing the same exact story as the original because it IS a good story.

It also was too long and plodded along for a while. It needed to be shaved down by 15 or 20 minutes; 140 minutes is too long for this movie.


The only actor I liked in the film was Jackie Chan. He was really good in this. It's hard to follow Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi but Chan does a great job. I thought his "breakdown" scene was much better than Morita's in the original film. I was pretty because of his work in that scene. The only times I laughed at the humor in the film was some of the humor from Jackie, he is one of the funniest actors out there

Smith was not good. I'll give the kid his due credit for trying, he really looked like he gave it his all...but he just doesn't have "it". Don't quote this review and say, "He's a kid dude". Bull****. There are examples of GREAT performances from child actors all throughout film history, so being a child is no excuse at all. Maybe he'll grow up to be better, but as of right now, for me, he is just bad in this and The Day the Earth Stood Still (at least he was better than that movie here ); which is really a shame because he did fine just a few years ago in his role in The Pursuit of Happyness. He was irritating throughout the entire film, I really just wanted to see the kids beat him up again.

Add to that that he (and all of the younger characters) is not old enough imo. The characters in the original were like 15 or 17 or something like that (not the actors, Ralph Macchio was like 23 ) but here they are TWELVE (Smith was 10/11 during the filming ). If it HAD to be Jaden in the role (which I wish it wasn't) then they should have waited until he was older.

[Show spoiler]
All of the supporting characters....yea.


The movie as a whole, I thought, turned out to be okay, which is a shame because it could have been really good with an older/better lead, not an exact rehash of the original film and some better supporting characters.

They are making a sequel I believe, which will take care of my age issue (unless he still looks like a ten year old when it comes out in 2 or 3 years ). Hopefully they go their own way with it and don't just follow The Karate Kid II.

Rating - 2.75/5

Rating if I hadn't seen the original - 3/5

I did think during my first viewing that it took a little while to get going, but in the end I still really liked it. Once it got to Dre training with Mr. Han, I thought the movie got pretty good. You didn't, and while I of course don't agree, it's all good.

The one thing I want to comment on though is obviously what I left outside the spoiler tags. I don't think the age difference between the characters in this and the original should matter. Just because it is nearly identical to the original story wise doesn't mean that the ages have to be as well.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by killowertz

I did think during my first viewing that it took a little while to get going, but in the end I still really liked it. Once it got to Dre training with Mr. Han, I thought the movie got pretty good. You didn't, and while I of course don't agree, it's all good.

The one thing I want to comment on though is obviously what I left outside the spoiler tags. I don't think the age difference between the characters in this and the original should matter. Just because it is nearly identical to the original story wise doesn't mean that the ages have to be as well.

I've seen both versions recently-- I thought both of them dragged in spots and both of them could have been trimmed from their running times--

I did like both movies however...

[Batman1980]

The Orphanage - 5/5
PQ and AQ 4.5/5
This movie scared the crap out of me, doubt it's one I'll be randomly watching a lot really. If I had known it would be this scary, I wouldn't have gotten it. I doubt CZAR will ever see it since it's in Spanish so you have to watch it with subtitles.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by killowertz

I did think during my first viewing that it took a little while to get going, but in the end I still really liked it. Once it got to Dre training with Mr. Han, I thought the movie got pretty good. You didn't, and while I of course don't agree, it's all good.

The one thing I want to comment on though is obviously what I left outside the spoiler tags. I don't think the age difference between the characters in this and the original should matter. Just because it is nearly identical to the original story wise doesn't mean that the ages have to be as well.

That's not why I had an issue with the ages though

I thought they were too young regardless of the ages in the original. I was using the original as an example of how old I would like them to be (15-17). I didn't take points off for anything in this one because of the original except for the exact same story being used over (.25 off).

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

+1

No doubt man. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by killowertz

I would rate this the same. I liked this when I saw it earlier, so I picked it up a few weeks ago when it was $12.99.

Bruce Willis

[Show spoiler]might have a bigger part in the sequel given the role he had in the first one. It was small, but he was still a fairly big character for only being in it for a few minutes

. As for Arnold, his few minutes in the film were expected.

I watched it again a few days ago (first time on Blu-ray) and the AQ easily earns that 5/5. I have yet to get into the Special Features, but they are supposed to be really good too.

Between the two, I would pick Charisma, but I can't knock you for picking Gisele either.

This is $14.99 right now on Amazon. It's a couple of dollars more than what it was a couple of weeks ago, but I still think that's a pretty solid price.



I hope you enjoy it. It's not something I'd put in my Top 10 for last year, but it is still something I enjoyed and I have no problem owning it.

Yea I am gonna add it to my collection soon for sure. Hope I can get a slip with mine still. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by Diesel

CZAR will not be pleased...


The Kung Fu Kid

[Show spoiler]

• 2010 | PG | 140 Minutes
  
  
• Director: Harald Zwart
  
  
• Starring: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith
  
  
• Action | Drama | Family
  
  
• First Time Viewing

Okay, with the original fresh in my mind from just a few weeks ago, I have to say that this one is easily....not as good as the 1984 one

As I said before, this is NOT The Karate Kid...this is the Kung Fu Kid. I understand the business side thinking behind naming it Karate Kid...but its a poor decision. Don't piggy back on the original, call your film what it is and differentiate yourself from it, make your own path and don't follow the originals. Of course the name isn't the only thing that makes it stay in the shadow of the original...

The core story is really good...because it is exactly the same as the original. They didn't change it up at all. Yes the details and specifics are modified to fit the new film, but the core is the same movie and that takes away any anticipation or tension the film may try and build if you've seen the first one. You don't have to make radical changes, but at least change it up a little. I didn't knock off major points for reusing the same exact story as the original because it IS a good story.

It also was too long and plodded along for a while. It needed to be shaved down by 15 or 20 minutes; 140 minutes is too long for this movie.


The only actor I liked in the film was Jackie Chan. He was really good in this. It's hard to follow Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi but Chan does a great job. I thought his "breakdown" scene was much better than Morita's in the original film. I was pretty because of his work in that scene. The only times I laughed at the humor in the film was some of the humor from Jackie, he is one of the funniest actors out there

Smith was not good. I'll give the kid his due credit for trying, he really looked like he gave it his all...but he just doesn't have "it". Don't quote this review and say, "He's a kid dude". Bull****. There are examples of GREAT performances from child actors all throughout film history, so being a child is no excuse at all. Maybe he'll grow up to be better, but as of right now, for me, he is just bad in this and The Day the Earth Stood Still (at least he was better than that movie here ); which is really a shame because he did fine just a few years ago in his role in The Pursuit of Happyness. He was irritating throughout the entire film, I really just wanted to see the kids beat him up again.

Add to that that he (and all of the younger characters) is not old enough imo. The characters in the original were like 15 or 17 or something like that (not the actors, Ralph Macchio was like 23 ) but here they are TWELVE (Smith was 10/11 during the filming ). If it HAD to be Jaden in the role (which I wish it wasn't) then they should have waited until he was older.

All of the supporting characters....yea.


The movie as a whole, I thought, turned out to be okay, which is a shame because it could have been really good with an older/better lead, not an exact rehash of the original film and some better supporting characters.

They are making a sequel I believe, which will take care of my age issue (unless he still looks like a ten year old when it comes out in 2 or 3 years ). Hopefully they go their own way with it and don't just follow The Karate Kid II.

Rating - 2.75/5

Rating if I hadn't seen the original - 3/5

Sorry to hear u didnt like it. But I dont feel as bad as u didnt like Psycho or Blood Diamond either and like we have said u have been on a tear ripping some good films haha. Anyhoo glad u gave it a go but I strongly disagree with u on just about everything accept for your statements about Chan. Got Em!!

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

The Orphanage - 5/5
PQ and AQ 4.5/5
This movie scared the crap out of me, doubt it's one I'll be randomly watching a lot really. If I had known it would be this scary, I wouldn't have gotten it. I doubt CZAR will ever see it since it's in Spanish so you have to watch it with subtitles.

Yea I really want to see this so I have to figure sumthin out. Got Em!!

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Diesel

That's not why I had an issue with the ages though

I thought they were too young regardless of the ages in the original. I was using the original as an example of how old I would like them to be (15-17). I didn't take points off for anything in this one because of the original except for the exact same story being used over (.25 off).

Alright, but I think you can understand why I thought that is why you did.

I disagree obviously, but like Czar said, at least you gave it a shot. You liked Jackie Chan in the movie, so you're not all bad.

Originally Posted by CZAR

Yea I am gonna add it to my collection soon for sure. Hope I can get a slip with mine still. Got Em!!

I'd be very surprised if you didn't get a slip with your copy, whenever you end up buying it. When I bought my copy at Best Buy a few weeks ago, they still had all of their copies with slips on them. Granted I think they were still from their initial shipment since they always seemed to have plenty of them, but I don't think Lionsgate stops making the slips as quickly as some studios. I can't guarantee it of course, but my guess is that Amazon still has copies with slipcovers.

[CZAR]

Piranha 3D - What an adventure this film was! What more could u ask for...There was great nudity, great gore, classic kills and great effects. This was a heckuva ride!!! Elizabeth Shue still looks good even as she gets older. This seemed like a fun film to make and Im sure the cast had fun. It was a great thrill ride. This film isnt for everyone and I would only recommend it to those big horror fans and it pays homage to the 80's horror films in my book as well. The replay value is damn good as well.

On a sidenote for anyone that has seen this film, does anyone know who the chick was that was

[Show spoiler]hang gliding with the huge breast hanging out?

Got Em!!

Film Rating - 4 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)