The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Pretty brutal first half, but I found the finale to be extremely gorgeous. Glad you enjoyed it. I think I gave it a lower rating before, but it'll probably go up next time I see it.

Speaking of Criterion-grade feces, have you seen "Salo" yet? Totally not recommended, I was just curious.

I know of Salo, hence the comment I will watch eventually

I found the finale pretty brutal as well, the make up they used was pretty grizzly

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I know of Salo, hence the comment I will watch eventually

Brave man...

Originally Posted by Foggy

I found the finale pretty brutal as well, the make up they used was pretty grizzly

If I remember right, the actor genuinely lost a lot of weight for that scene.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Steve46

All I watched last night was 50/50.

And... Did you like it?

Originally Posted by Diesel

Haywire

[Show spoiler]It was free, so I watched it. I wanted my money back.

Now here's the thing, it wasn't a BAD movie, I wish it was, then I could have at least had some fun poking fun at it. It was just kind of...there.

It was so mind numbingly dull and boring. And no it's not because it didn't have things blowing up every few seconds, it was because the entire thing just felt so uninspired and there was not a single character to attach to.

The film never succeeded (or really tried that hard) to give me a reason to care for the main character and her story. Carano does a decent enough job in her barely speaking, lots of punching role...but that doesn't matter when the character is so completely absent of viewer attachment.

One of my biggest issues was that some of the shots and sequences seemed to just hold for EVER and felt way too long.

In fact, the entire movie itself felt way too long...and it's not even two hours long.

But still, like I said, it is not a BAD movie, it is just one I very much did not enjoy and could not wait for it to be over.

There's always two sides to the coin, Jvince gave it a 4 star rating. So if you think you'll enjoy it, go for it and I hope you come out more pleased than I did

Rating - 1/5

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

This is exactly how I felt watching "Traffic" (sorry guys), "The Good German," and "Solaris" (for the first time; second time was alright). "Che," "The Informant!" and the "Ocean's" sequels were a bit if a hit-and-miss with me. So yeah, I probably won't like Soderbergh's "Haywire" either. And I have little desire to see "Contagion" either.

So far, "Ocean's 11" is the only Soderbergh film I really enjoyed.

Yeah, Soderbergh's style is definitely not for everyone and he is very hit-and-miss for me. His latest one, Contagion, is horrible, and The Informant is unwatchable. Ocean's Eleven, Solaris, and Haywire are the only films of his that I like (not love).

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by jvince

And... Did you like it?

Yeah, I liked 50/50, but didn't love it. Worth watching again. I would give it 7.5/10.

[Steve46]

I'm heading out to see The Descendants, but three quick hits from last night:

Water for Elephants - enjoyable enough, but unremarkable. 6.5/10

Collateral - Cruise and Foxx in good form and never boring. 9/10

Whisper of the Heart - UK import worth owning if you can view Region B. I love these Studio Ghibli worlds. 9/10 in terms of Studio Ghibli. 10/10 for animation in general.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Yeah, I liked 50/50, but didn't love it. Worth watching again. I would give it 7.5/10.

I love it. Saw it twice in a week. JGL never disappoints, and Rogen was great in this. It's kinda odd not seeing 50/50 in this year's awards race. It's so much better than The Descendants, imo, and it seems like the type of film that viewers and critics alike would love.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Underworld: Awakening

[Show spoiler]I've had my ups and downs with expectations for this one since it became official that it was happening. I went in today with low expectations to not be disappointed...and it worked.

This is not a great movie. It is not even a very good movie. But it is an enjoyable movie if you are a fan of the series or the Selene character in my opinion.

I was worried about the

[Show spoiler]daughter

story line, but it worked surprisingly well.

None of the new characters are interesting in the slightest.

Just like the second film (outside of flashbacks that is), the presence of Nighy and Sheen is sorely missed because of how good they were in the first part. Though there is one vampire who I thought looked like Nighy's stunt double

...and I really don't have much else to say about it.

If you didn't enjoy any of the previous movies, you won't like this one.

If you liked either of the first two, then you'll probably like this one at least a little bit.
...or if you're just watching it because of Kate Beckinsale being uber hot, then you'll highly enjoy it

Rating - 3.5/5

A little lower score than I expected, but you said all I really needed to hear.

Originally Posted by jvince

Yeah, Soderbergh's style is definitely not for everyone and he is very hit-and-miss for me. His latest one, Contagion, is horrible, and The Informant is unwatchable. Ocean's Eleven, Solaris, and Haywire are the only films of his that I like (not love).

Out of his films I have seen so far, he has yet to miss with me, with Out of Sight being one of my favorite films of all time. I hope the streak can continue when Haywire comes out on Blu-ray.

I guess the reviews here saying that the movie is slow paced (unlike how it has been advertised) will help adjust my expectations.

I love it. Saw it twice in a week. JGL never disappoints, and Rogen was great in this. It's kinda odd not seeing 50/50 in this year's awards race. It's so much better than The Descendants, imo, and it seems like the type of film that viewers and critics alike would love.

I hope to also agree with you on 50/50 since I have it pre-ordered on Amazon. I have little doubt I will though, and it is always nice to know it has very high replay value.

[iam1bearcat]

Ah man, you guys didn't like The Informant! that's one of the smartest comedies ever. Terribly underrated. I've seen it 4 times now and love it

I guess I would be labeled a big time Soderbergh fan seeing as every film of his I've seen I've very much enjoyed and I believe I've given all his films at least a 4/5.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Ah man, you guys didn't like The Informant! that's one of the smartest comedies ever. Terribly underrated. I've seen it 4 times now and love it

I guess I would be labeled a big time Soderbergh fan seeing as every film of his I've seen I've very much enjoyed and I believe I've given all his films at least a 4/5.

I can't comment on The Informant! since that is amongst the group of his films I have never seen.

We are pretty much the same there (even all of the Ocean's films). You might have seen more of his movies though. I have seen Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Ocean's 11, Ocean's 12, and Ocean's 13.

[Show spoiler]Yes, I realize I could have just said Ocean's 11-13.

Speaking of Erin Brockovich, where is the damn US release of it on Blu-ray? I realize I could just import it, but you would think I wouldn't have had to by now.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Ah man, you guys didn't like The Informant! that's one of the smartest comedies ever. Terribly underrated. I've seen it 4 times now and love it

I guess I would be labeled a big time Soderbergh fan seeing as every film of his I've seen I've very much enjoyed and I believe I've given all his films at least a 4/5.

I remember finding one or two amusing moments in it, and it was a story worth telling. Acting was good. But, I think the movie's trailer made it out to be funnier and flashier than it really was.

Here was my review from back when my reviews were only a few lines long.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Rented "The Informant!" today. It was okay; nowhere near as funny as the trailer made it out to be, but it did have its moments. It's more of a docudrama of sorts. It has decent action and a quality production design, but for me, it's just not that engaging (I'm not that wild about Soderbergh's work anyway). 3/5

[Steve46]

I just got back from The Descendants. I'm surprised there were 20 people there on Sunday morning 9 weeks after it was first released.

I loved it, but I haven't got time to say why with the NFL games about to start.

It's close between this and Midnight in Paris for my favorite of 2011, although I haven't seen them all by any means.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest rental: "True Grit" 1969.

Why? Because I let my folks borrow the 2010 version, and they thought it sucked. They hated Jeff Bridges in the role, citing that John Wayne was way better. They likely didn't care for the few bits of grisly violence that the Coen Bros inserted into their version (which is dumb, because I know they like at least two other Coen Bros films ). But as it is, they insisted that the original is better (although mom hates both ).

Having never seen the original, I graded the 2010 film on its own merits, and for a western, I was pleased. But, I figured I owe it to myself and everyone else to check out the original before I go around praising the new one too much.

I really wasn't expecting to be engaged with this film, but eventually it sunk its claws into me. It starts off a bit slow, but the drama can be pretty intriguing. Interest levels reach their peak when the characters embark on their journey for vengeance, which leads up to a nice climactic shootout and a struggle for survival. With a little bit of humor in the mix, and a whole lot of badassery, this movie has some true grit in it.

The story is pretty cool. I did enjoy watching the characters hunt down the villain, and along the way, develop some interesting bonds. Hell, this story is probably 75% the exact same as the 2010 version, even down to how certain scenes are set up. Both films do touch upon interesting subtleties regarding alcoholism, violence, the relationships between men and women.

The film looks pretty sharp. Photography and editing are not bad; the 2010 film may have more style, but the original does have some very gorgeous locales, and is a brighter film overall. Acting is swell. I did enjoy John Wayne in this iconic role. I felt that Jeff Bridges played the character's drunkenness well, but John Wayne has more machismo and attitude. Everybody else is decent. Writing is good. Production value includes fine-looking sets, props, and costumes (although one or two of the sets looked a little too modern, I dunno). Music is kinda sappy.

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

Recommendation: It's worth seeing at least once.

I did grade the 2010 version a 4.5/5, but realistically, I feel that both films have equal merits. I probably just find the remake a grade more entertaining. Chances are good that I'll add this original to my collection later on.

This Blu-Ray has a few soft-looking spots, but looks darn near perfect a lot of the time. It's very clean, sharp, and vivid. Sound quality is decent.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

If this movie was a song, it'd be

[Show spoiler]this western-type of song; I should have attributed it to "The Punisher," but heck, I'll use a "Punisher" song to describe this one, why not?

Mark Collie - In Time - YouTube

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

Yeah, Soderbergh's style is definitely not for everyone and he is very hit-and-miss for me. His latest one, Contagion, is horrible, and The Informant is unwatchable. Ocean's Eleven, Solaris, and Haywire are the only films of his that I like (not love).

I actually enjoyed The Informant. Very uncomfortably akwardly humorous in a dark way. Kinda Coenish.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Ah man, you guys didn't like The Informant! that's one of the smartest comedies ever. Terribly underrated. I've seen it 4 times now and love it .

I think a lot of people expected it to be straight drama. I did. Then I realized, whoa, this is too crazy to be serious, took off my serious hat and enjoyed the ride. Damons character was such a pathetic weasel, and a dimwit.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I just got back from The Descendants. I'm surprised there were 20 people there on Sunday morning 9 weeks after it was first released.

I loved it, but I haven't got time to say why with the NFL games about to start.

It's close between this and Midnight in Paris for my favorite of 2011, although I haven't seen them all by any means.

This is on my to-see list. I think I'm going to see Shame within the next few days.

Go Niners!

[Al_The_Strange]

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

I remember last year or so everybody was psyched and hyped up to see this. Then...what happened? The movie sucked!

At this point, there may be a few nuances to the first three films I may have forgotten about. I was certainly wondering how the heck Jack, Barbossa, the other dude, all wound up in London (I suppose the dialogue just passed it off as the lot of them searching for another ship and crew). So I was a little concerned that there would be continuity issues, both between the films and within this one.

So, in the end...........none of it bothered me.

That's right, I enjoyed this film as much as the other three. There was plenty of action throughout; probably nothing that will stand up against the epic setpieces in the last three movies, but I did enjoy the frequent chases, pursuits, and fights. The comedy is probably way funnier here than in the previous three. A few parts dragged, but not enough to get to me.

As far as the story goes, it is a bit haphazard, but then so were the others. I followed this story's logic easily enough, and didn't have a problem when it threw zombies, mermaids, and voodoo magic at me. I actually felt some of these off-the-wall elements received a respectful introduction, and fit into the "POTC" mythos quite well. I was never really lost, bored, or uninspired as one crazy scene transited to the next. In the end, I was happy with the story. The old characters remained true to themselves, and the new characters received adequate development.

As a film, it looks nice and stylish, with solid photography and editing. Acting is still great; Johnny Deep and Geoffrey Rush are still the men, while Ian McShane and Penelope Cruz were decent in their roles. I enjoyed the writing. This production spares no expense on the sets, props, costumes, or special effects. Music was pretty cool at times.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5) Same as the other three.

Recommendation: As a rental. Would be more highly recommended to fans of the series, but the film's overall reception is average at best.

Aside from a few soft-looking scenes, this Blu-Ray looks and sounds darn near perfect!

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 5/5

If this was a song, it'd be

[Show spoiler]epic symphonic metal. One that's good and makes me think of the sea and stuff, but not my favorite.

Sirenia - Sirens of The Seven Seas - YouTube

[Foggy]

Pirates 4 sucked



Seriously, I found that all the cool stuff they had going in it was completely wasted, I forgot there were even zombies in it. Comedy scenes where so forced and dragged (the 3 gun waterfall scene was one of the worst set up and poorly directed scenes I watched last year). Yet again, in my review I got Mick Jagger and Kieth Richards mixed up

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Pirates 4 sucked



Seriously, I found that all the cool stuff they had going in it was completely wasted, I forgot there were even zombies in it. Comedy scenes where so forced and dragged (the 3 gun waterfall scene was one of the worst set up and poorly directed scenes I watched last year). Yet again, in my review I got Mick Jagger and Kieth Richards mixed up

Yes, I counted a total of...two whole zombies.

I didn't realize that was Keith Richards in that part. At first, I actually wondered if that was Blackbeard himself. See, we all makes mistakes.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Yes, I counted a total of...two whole zombies.

I didn't realize that was Keith Richards in that part. At first, I actually wondered if that was Blackbeard himself. See, we all makes mistakes.

Keith Richards wasnt Blackbeard, he was Depps Dad. Blackbeard was played by Ian McShane. Unless I confused what you were saying.

[jhiggy23]

Several quick reviews:


One Day
Film: 2 stars (out of 4); girlfriend's rating: 2 1/2 (out of 4)

I found it to be a completely ordinary film, with the characters not being particularly interesting.


__________________________________________________ ___________

Puncture

Film: 3 stars (out of 4); girlfriend's rating: 2 stars (out of 4)

Chris Evans plays a civil lawyer with an extremely bad drug habit, who discovers a corporate conspiracy involving the purchase and sale of hypodermic needles to hospitals after a nurse is pricked by a needle and dies from the disease she obtains. The movie is based on the real-life story from 15 years ago and is akin to a low-budget Erin Brockovich. No big courtroom scenes here, but the film succeeds due to a very interesting story. My girlfriend thought it was drawn out however.

__________________________________________________ __

American Beauty

Film: 4 (out of 4); girlfriend's rating: 3 1/2 (out of 4)

A modern masterpiece, plain and simple. Established Sam Mendes as one of the most talented directors working today.

__________________________________________________ ___________

Good Will Hunting

Film: 3 1/2 (out of 4); girlfriend gave it the same rating

Very well-scripted and fantastic acting. Williams' monologue on the bench is exceptional.

__________________________________________________ ______

State of Play

Film: 3 1/2 (out of 4); girlfriend gave it the same

Well-acted and entertaining. This was my second viewing and it held up well.

__________________________________________________ __

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Film: 3 (out of 4); 3 1/2 (out of 4)--girlfriend's rating

Entertaining and funny, although I don't think it's up the level of 40 Year Old Virgin or Superbad. It was even more fun watching since my girlfriend and I are going to St. Lucia in May.

__________________________________________________ ____

Next few movies:

Julia's Eyes (comes tomorrow on Netflix) (from the makers and the star of The Orphanage)
Witness
Dead Poet's Society
The Thin Blue Line
Moneyball
The Ides of March
Contagion
Drive