The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Foggy]

Rango

Unless Uwe Boll brings out the big Oscar winning film, this will be my surprise of the year.

When ever I saw the trailers for this all I thought was, yeah looks good I'll check it out one day in the not so foreseeable future" (and yes I do think like that). It was the glowing reviews that dragged me into the theatre. The film biggest thing going for me was it's heavy western themes. And it stays to them well.

Sure at it's core it's a plain animation film, typical Fish out of Water storyline. But it goes so well hand in had with the Western genre. And it has fun with it's conventions.

The character of Rango is very interesting as well, a chameleon who aspires to become an actor yet doesn't know who he wants to be. The film often plays around with the idea of fate and destiny also in very fun ways.

The animation is beautiful also, with so much detail to each character. There are times that seem photo realistic, and not that bullcrap that is pulled out of Happy Feet and that owl movie, where they craft there characters so that they look like plain characters. I mean you can believe that Rango could be a real cameleon though he is up walking around and is designed like a cartoon character.

And this amount of craftsmanship is also placed into the films rapid fire script, jokes keep firing at you with all sorts of subtlety, most of which kids won't catch (though there were a few kids laughing at them in my screen), and few adults won't first time round. It reminds me of Fantastic Mr. Fox with it's script, very quirky humour.

The film does have some story problem though, I really dislike when animation films crowbar romance sub-plots just so it can be used as a plot device rather than character development, and this film is shameless about it. The two don't even kiss at the end, the romance really adds to nothing. And also it's not hard to guess

[Show spoiler]that the Mayor is going to be evil really.

With those in mind though, they can be nearly diminished

[Show spoiler]by the cameo they pull in this movie, it's supremely awesome. But I say nearly diminished because if that cameo was the actual person, then this film would become flawless, even with it's flaws

End of the review, I'm not gonna wrap this stuff up, just go watch Rango for Christ sake!

9/10

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Unless Uwe Boll brings out the big Oscar winning film, this will be my surprise of the year.

It could happen yet.

[Show spoiler]Just as robots growing from a person's head could happen. But you never know.

Originally Posted by Foggy

Rango

[Show spoiler]
When ever I saw the trailers for this all I thought was, yeah looks good I'll check it out one day in the not so foreseeable future" (and yes I do think like that). It was the glowing reviews that dragged me into the theatre. The film biggest thing going for me was it's heavy western themes. And it stays to them well.

Sure at it's core it's a plain animation film, typical Fish out of Water storyline. But it goes so well hand in had with the Western genre. And it has fun with it's conventions.

The character of Rango is very interesting as well, a chameleon who aspires to become an actor yet doesn't know who he wants to be. The film often plays around with the idea of fate and destiny also in very fun ways.

The animation is beautiful also, with so much detail to each character. There are times that seem photo realistic, and not that bullcrap that is pulled out of Happy Feet and that owl movie, where they craft there characters so that they look like plain characters. I mean you can believe that Rango could be a real cameleon though he is up walking around and is designed like a cartoon character.

And this amount of craftsmanship is also placed into the films rapid fire script, jokes keep firing at you with all sorts of subtlety, most of which kids won't catch (though there were a few kids laughing at them in my screen), and few adults won't first time round. It reminds me of Fantastic Mr. Fox with it's script, very quirky humour.

The film does have some story problem though, I really dislike when animation films crowbar romance sub-plots just so it can be used as a plot device rather than character development, and this film is shameless about it. The two don't even kiss at the end, the romance really adds to nothing. And also it's not hard to guess

[Show spoiler]that the Mayor is going to be evil really.

With those in mind though, they can be nearly diminished

[Show spoiler]by the cameo they pull in this movie, it's supremely awesome. But I say nearly diminished because if that cameo was the actual person, then this film would become flawless, even with it's flaws

End of the review, I'm not gonna wrap this stuff up, just go watch Rango for Christ sake!

9/10

Sounds good, boss!

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

It could happen yet.

[Show spoiler]Just as robots growing from a person's head could happen. But you never know.

Sounds good, boss!

I would go see it later today with my family if the little ones weren't annoying me so much and the movie wouldn't end so close to the start of my shift.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

I would go see it later today with my family if the little ones weren't annoying me so much and the movie wouldn't end so close to the start of my shift.

If I was you, I would risk it

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Foggy

If I was you, I would risk it

Well I didn't realize it was 2 hours long, which means it's not happening. I don't really like going to the theatre anyway, I can wait till this comes out in July or August.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Well I didn't realize it was 2 hours long, which means it's not happening. I don't really like going to the theatre anyway, I can wait till this comes out in July or August.

Shame, but I'm certain it'll make for a great Blu

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

For my first review in a while:


Good Will Hunting

[Show spoiler]

• 1997 | R | 126 Minutes
  
  
• Director: Gus Van Sant
  
  
• Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams
  
  
• Drama
  
  
• First Time Viewing

I'll start off by saying I missed probably a good 10 minutes of dialog in the first half of the film because one of my friends was pissing and moaning about how boring the movie was and got up and started walking around the room and playing with a ping pong ball...I kid you not
My other buddy had enough of it and gave him a laptop to amuse himself with for the second hour of the film and we got to watch that in mostly peace.

Even still, I did manage to enjoy it. The story was pretty interesting to me, especially the interaction between Damon and Williams. Easily the best part of the film imo. It didn't start off too hot for me; the stuff with him and his friends early on made me think I wasn't going to enjoy it very much. I understand their place in the film and why they were needed, but at that point I was about them. Once Williams showed up it kicked off for me and the rest of the film was very good.

There were some parts that were because I really was into the characters and there is also a fair amount of humor that had me rolling at times (almost literally).


Matt Damon was pretty good in the lead. I wouldn't say great though.

Williams was definitely my favorite in the film and gave the best performance I thought (I see he won an Oscar for his role).


I would recommend it for at least a one time watch, as I will add it to my One and Done Collection.

Rating - 4/5

I really want this on Blu-ray.

Did you know Ben Afleck wrote this when he was in his early twenties? IIRC

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Shame, but I'm certain it'll make for a great Blu

Excluding Kaboom of Doom, this is the third excellent DW movie in a row, following How to Train Your Dragon and Mega Mind, they keep it up and they may actually pass Pixar soon, well for me at least.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Excluding Kaboom of Doom, this is the third excellent DW movie in a row, following How to Train Your Dragon and Mega Mind, they keep it up and they may actually pass Pixar soon, well for me at least.

It's not done by Dreamworks it's done by Nicklodeon movie (first good movie to come from them I think) and also Shrek Forever After came between Megamind and HTTYD

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I really want this on Blu-ray.

Did you know Ben Afleck wrote this when he was in his early twenties? IIRC

The Canadian release of Good Will Hunting is decent.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Steve46

The Canadian release of Good Will Hunting is decent.

Let me know when they give us one with subtitles and for $20-, I'll be all over it.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I really want this on Blu-ray.

Did you know Ben Afleck wrote this when he was in his early twenties? IIRC

Yep, and they did a pretty good job with it imo

[Diesel]

The Patriot

• 2000 | R | 165 Minutes
  
  
• Director: Roland Emmerich
  
  
• Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs
  
  
• Action | Drama | War
  
  
• First Time Viewing

Mel Gibson single handedly defeated the English and freed Scotland. When he heard that they were taking over land in North America he was PISSED and came over to give them a beating there as well and fight for the colonists FREEEEEEEDOM.



Seriously though, I really enjoyed this movie. I was when I saw it was a Roland Emmerich film. It definitely did NOT feel like his typical movie...which I'm so thankful for for this particular movie.

I liked Martin's story in the film, but Gabriel was my favorite character. Seeing as how he was the eldest son of the main character,

[Show spoiler]I knew he was going to die. And when he got married I knew she was going to die

I was reading the "Trivia" on IMDB and it says Harrison Ford rejected the role because he thought they had boiled down the Revolutionary War to one man's revenge story. I disagree with that; the movie was NOT about the Revolutionary War. The movie was about this man and his family; the Revolutionary War was just the backdrop for that story. And in that, I think it works very well.

I enjoyed both the quiet scenes between Martin and his family and the battle scenes/ambush scenes.

The movie was also quite nice to look at

There was one thing that really made me go though:

[Show spoiler]Tavington looks under the table for the boy...but doesn't see him. Even though the boy is apparently sitting next to the table and the table cloth doesn't go all the way to the floor

Pretty obvious mistake that they missed....


Mel Gibson was pretty good, as he usually was before he went all bat**** crazy.

But like I said, Gabriel was my favorite character, so Heath Ledger was my favorite in the film. While watching it it made me think, "Ah man...he's dead "
I thought he did a really good job in this one


This one will not be going into the One and Done Collection; in fact I plan to add it to my collection when it hits $10 or less again.

Rating - 4.5/5

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

The Patriot

[Show spoiler]

• 2000 | R | 165 Minutes
  
  
• Director: Roland Emmerich
  
  
• Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs
  
  
• Action | Drama | War
  
  
• First Time Viewing

Mel Gibson single handedly defeated the English and freed Scotland. When he heard that they were taking over land in North America he was PISSED and came over to give them a beating there as well and fight for the colonists FREEEEEEEDOM.



Seriously though, I really enjoyed this movie. I was when I saw it was a Roland Emmerich film. It definitely did NOT feel like his typical movie...which I'm so thankful for for this particular movie.

I liked Martin's story in the film, but Gabriel was my favorite character. Seeing as how he was the eldest son of the main character,

[Show spoiler]I knew he was going to die. And when he got married I knew she was going to die

I was reading the "Trivia" on IMDB and it says Harrison Ford rejected the role because he thought they had boiled down the Revolutionary War to one man's revenge story. I disagree with that; the movie was NOT about the Revolutionary War. The movie was about this man and his family; the Revolutionary War was just the backdrop for that story. And in that, I think it works very well.

I enjoyed both the quiet scenes between Martin and his family and the battle scenes/ambush scenes.

The movie was also quite nice to look at

There was one thing that really made me go though:

[Show spoiler]Tavington looks under the table for the boy...but doesn't see him. Even though the boy is apparently sitting next to the table and the table cloth doesn't go all the way to the floor

Pretty obvious mistake that they missed....


Mel Gibson was pretty good, as he usually was before he went all bat**** crazy.

But like I said, Gabriel was my favorite character, so Heath Ledger was my favorite in the film. While watching it it made me think, "Ah man...he's dead "
I thought he did a really good job in this one


This one will not be going into the One and Done Collection; in fact I plan to add it to my collection when it hits $10 or less again

.

Rating - 4.5/5

Aim small, miss small.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Aim small, miss small.

Interesting note about that:

When teaching Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger how to shoot a muzzle-loading rifle, technical advisor Mark Baker gave them the advice to "aim small, miss small", meaning that if you aim at a man and miss, you miss the man, while if you aim at a button (for instance) and miss, you still hit the man. Gibson liked this bit advice so much he incorporated it into the movie, just prior to the ambush scene.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/trivia

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Interesting note about that:



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/trivia

It's $9.23 shipped new from an Amazon 3rd party seller right now, I say go for it.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

It's $9.23 shipped new from an Amazon 3rd party seller right now, I say go for it.

I only buy direct from Amazon; better safe than sorry to mess with 3rd party sellers.

Especially since the one that is selling it for so cheap doesn't have any feedback at all and is new

Thanks for the heads up though.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Interesting note about that:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/trivia

Fixed.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Fixed.

[Show spoiler]

I see that you own the movie...the site gives the PQ/AQ a 5...would you say that is accurate?

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Fixed.

I guess Squid likes head shots, thing with that is it's probably easier to aim for the head and miss than it is to aim for a button in the body and miss.