The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Al_The_Strange]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Ten years ago, I laid eyes on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and instantly fell in love. I realized pretty quickly that it was the perfect combination of style and substance: a film so loaded with story and detail, but also had enough style and action to make the experience truly epic. This experience would only be supplanted by The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the latter of which has taken its place as my personal number-one favorite movie.

After so many years of legal battles and creative turmoil, The Hobbit is finally adapted for the big screen. If anything could displace the Lord of the Rings as my favorite film trilogy, I was certain that it would be The Hobbit; if for no other reason than I found Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a far easier and funner read than LOTR, and I always knew that there would be moments that would make for excellent cinema.

Despite the underwhelming reviews and reception, I found The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey satisfying; it met my expectations perfectly. I won’t deny, however, that the film overall feels like a long-labored attempt to force lightning to strike twice. Not only because of all the story padding, connections to LOTR, returning stars, and the splitting of the story into three films, but also insomuch as trying to craft new iconic characters out of Bilbo and Thorin to mirror Frodo and Aragorn respectively. It almost looks like they’re trying hard to make Richard Armitage into the new Viggo Mortensen. I think the thing that really gets on people’s nerves is the sheer audacity in taking a single book (one that was previously adapted into a humble, bite-sized 79-minute cartoon) and exploding it into a 500-minute franchise. Thus follows the common complaints that the films are too long, too padded, too big for their own good.

Personally, none of these factors really affected my enjoyment of the film. The only real drag I felt was in the opening act; the Shire scenes seemed to take a good while to wrap up. Once the party hit the road, the film explored the big plot points I remembered well from the novel’s first third, complete with awesome rip-roaring action. The film’s final act is pretty jam-packed with loads of orc-slaying mayhem. Above all, however, the film has a nice sprinkling of humor and character throughout, keeping things lightweight and even. I think the most memorable and satisfying of scenes, however, will be the major encounters that I remember fondly from the novel: outwitting the three trolls, for example, or the riddle scenes with Gollum, are all brought to life perfectly on the big screen.

The story for The Hobbit is as quintessential of a fantasy adventure as, well, Lord of the Rings, with maybe some influence from such legends as Die Nibelungen or the Prose Edda. The film not only does a fine job of packing in loads of events, characters, and fine details from The Hobbit’s narrative and story, but it also ties in some content from The Silmarillion and the appendices of Tolkien’s books. A lot of this is incorporated to make tangible ties with LOTR, allowing the film to serve as a proper prequel, while digging up additional subplots, conflicts, and details to layer onto all of Peter Jackson’s Middle-Earth films. Yes, the film could have all these extra scenes cut out, making the film trimmer. Frankly, I liked it the way it is. Some of the scenes helped me understand certain nuances of The Hobbit’s politics and backstories. Some helped in the nuances of established characters and events (especially in regards to chronicling Gandalf’s whereabouts, who would otherwise just pop in and out randomly, like in the book, but it would have probably alienated audiences further). Some is purely invented for the film series to streamline the continuity (purists might be outraged when they see Radagast on screen). It’s a bit early to tell where The Hobbit is going with all the threads it has grabbed, but it does serve a purpose. If nothing else, it’ll help average audiences connect and understand the Middle Earth on a deeper level, and set things up for later events in the next two films.

As expected, the film looks splendid, with quality photography and editing. I’m especially pleased to see that the filmmakers dropped the shakey-cam effects that were dispensed in the fight scenes of LOTR; just about every shot in The Hobbit is solid and steady. Acting is pretty decent from the whole cast; aside from all the familiar faces, Martin Freeman plays Bilbo with the right amount of nuanced uptightness, while Richard Armitage plays it tough as Thorin, and every other dwarf actor does their best to make their characters stand out in their own neat ways. Writing is great; the script adapts as much as it can from the novel, while allowing the film to breathe on its own. This production is loaded with excellent sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is nice too.

Perhaps I’m biased, because this is another film where I see nothing really wrong with it. Even if it is a blatant cash-grab, drawing out the material across three movies to maximize the franchise, it is still a fair crowd-pleaser. Given that we still have the desolation of Smaug and the Battle of the Five Armies to witness on the big screen, I’m certain that An Unexpected Journey is but a small taste of greater things to come; things that may prove to be as epic, if not moreso, than LOTR! At the very least, the film does perfect justice to the original novel, while delivering a fine spectacle. I couldn’t ask for a finer film.

5/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Perfect | Film: Perfect)

Recommendation: Yeah, but if you go into it griping about how they split one book into three movies, you’ll just come out complaining it’s too long and padded...like most other critics.

[Mahatma]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Ten years ago, I laid eyes on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and instantly fell in love. I realized pretty quickly that it was the perfect combination of style and substance: a film so loaded with story and detail, but also had enough style and action to make the experience truly epic. This experience would only be supplanted by The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the latter of which has taken its place as my personal number-one favorite movie.

After so many years of legal battles and creative turmoil, The Hobbit is finally adapted for the big screen. If anything could displace the Lord of the Rings as my favorite film trilogy, I was certain that it would be The Hobbit; if for no other reason than I found Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a far easier and funner read than LOTR, and I always knew that there would be moments that would make for excellent cinema.

Despite the underwhelming reviews and reception, I found The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey satisfying; it met my expectations perfectly. I won’t deny, however, that the film overall feels like a long-labored attempt to force lightning to strike twice. Not only because of all the story padding, connections to LOTR, returning stars, and the splitting of the story into three films, but also insomuch as trying to craft new iconic characters out of Bilbo and Thorin to mirror Frodo and Aragorn respectively. It almost looks like they’re trying hard to make Richard Armitage into the new Viggo Mortensen. I think the thing that really gets on people’s nerves is the sheer audacity in taking a single book (one that was previously adapted into a humble, bite-sized 79-minute cartoon) and exploding it into a 500-minute franchise. Thus follows the common complaints that the films are too long, too padded, too big for their own good.

Personally, none of these factors really affected my enjoyment of the film. The only real drag I felt was in the opening act; the Shire scenes seemed to take a good while to wrap up. Once the party hit the road, the film explored the big plot points I remembered well from the novel’s first third, complete with awesome rip-roaring action. The film’s final act is pretty jam-packed with loads of orc-slaying mayhem. Above all, however, the film has a nice sprinkling of humor and character throughout, keeping things lightweight and even. I think the most memorable and satisfying of scenes, however, will be the major encounters that I remember fondly from the novel: outwitting the three trolls, for example, or the riddle scenes with Gollum, are all brought to life perfectly on the big screen.

The story for The Hobbit is as quintessential of a fantasy adventure as, well, Lord of the Rings, with maybe some influence from such legends as Die Nibelungen or the Prose Edda. The film not only does a fine job of packing in loads of events, characters, and fine details from The Hobbit’s narrative and story, but it also ties in some content from The Silmarillion and the appendices of Tolkien’s books. A lot of this is incorporated to make tangible ties with LOTR, allowing the film to serve as a proper prequel, while digging up additional subplots, conflicts, and details to layer onto all of Peter Jackson’s Middle-Earth films. Yes, the film could have all these extra scenes cut out, making the film trimmer. Frankly, I liked it the way it is. Some of the scenes helped me understand certain nuances of The Hobbit’s politics and backstories. Some helped in the nuances of established characters and events (especially in regards to chronicling Gandalf’s whereabouts, who would otherwise just pop in and out randomly, like in the book, but it would have probably alienated audiences further). Some is purely invented for the film series to streamline the continuity (purists might be outraged when they see Radagast on screen). It’s a bit early to tell where The Hobbit is going with all the threads it has grabbed, but it does serve a purpose. If nothing else, it’ll help average audiences connect and understand the Middle Earth on a deeper level, and set things up for later events in the next two films.

As expected, the film looks splendid, with quality photography and editing. I’m especially pleased to see that the filmmakers dropped the shakey-cam effects that were dispensed in the fight scenes of LOTR; just about every shot in The Hobbit is solid and steady. Acting is pretty decent from the whole cast; aside from all the familiar faces, Martin Freeman plays Bilbo with the right amount of nuanced uptightness, while Richard Armitage plays it tough as Thorin, and every other dwarf actor does their best to make their characters stand out in their own neat ways. Writing is great; the script adapts as much as it can from the novel, while allowing the film to breathe on its own. This production is loaded with excellent sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is nice too.

Perhaps I’m biased, because this is another film where I see nothing really wrong with it. Even if it is a blatant cash-grab, drawing out the material across three movies to maximize the franchise, it is still a fair crowd-pleaser. Given that we still have the desolation of Smaug and the Battle of the Five Armies to witness on the big screen, I’m certain that An Unexpected Journey is but a small taste of greater things to come; things that may prove to be as epic, if not moreso, than LOTR! At the very least, the film does perfect justice to the original novel, while delivering a fine spectacle. I couldn’t ask for a finer film.

5/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Perfect | Film: Perfect)

Recommendation: Yeah, but if you go into it griping about how they split one book into three movies, you’ll just come out complaining it’s too long and padded...like most other critics.

Kind of like this review then

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Mahatma

Kind of like this review then

Yep, long epic movie needed a long epic review.

[SquidPuppet]

5 Centimeters Per Second

2007 / DVD

Wow.

After reading about this Anime film over two years ago I added it to my Netflix queue. Netflix didnt have any copies and the film was bouncing from one studio with financial difficulties to the next, so I decided to let it ride even if it took a long time. Amazon sellers had used copies for $165.00 so that was a dead end for me. I dont know how or where, but Netflix finally got some copies. Yippee.

I aint a big Malick fan, but I do appreciate how his films look. I have to say that Makoto Shinkai, the director of 5 Centimeters Per Second, has out done Malick in capturing beauty on a screen. I have never seen a film, animated or live action, that frame after frame after frame just struck me with awe with its beauty.

Shinkai almost never moves the camera. And when he does, it is extreme minimalist and very slowly. It is almost imperceptable, yet hugely effective. At first I found it too slow, like looking at a set of still photographs. But 15 minutes in I had decided that eveyone else in the industry was moving the camera TOO MUCH. He also plays with focus and light in magical ways. The shots of cherry blossoms drifting downward, snow falling under streetlights, Trains glowing silently past in the far distance, cloudy sunsets, and simple rural roads lined by meadows were just gorgeous. Simply stunning to behold, and mood inducing to say the very least.

The Story? Quite simple. An elementary school boy and girl are very close friends. As the years pass they are separated by family moves that force them to attend different schools. The distance grows greater as they reach their college years. They attempt to remain close through letters and train trips, but this becomes more difficult with each passing year. They miss each other a lot.

If you ever had a special "First Love" or have lost touch with someone that you deeply cared for, this film may provide more emotional impact for you than it would for others without those life experiences.

Recommendation? For the visuals alone I say heck yes. If you are a Malick fan, give it a whirl just to appreciate the "Cinema as Art" aspect. I am tempted to watch it again with the audio OFF and simultaneously listen to some Eddie Vedder Water on the Road.

The DVD is beautiful, so if this ever makes it to Blu-ray, I suspect it could be jawdropping.

4/5

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Oh, I don't know...just because it's a little wide in the hips and has a lot of CGI make-up doesn't make it a total skank.

I was just messing with you, I actually really like the film.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I was just messing with you, I actually really like the film.

Right on.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

5 Centimeters Per Second

[Show spoiler]
2007 / DVD

Wow.

After reading about this Anime film over two years ago I added it to my Netflix queue. Netflix didnt have any copies and the film was bouncing from one studio with financial difficulties to the next, so I decided to let it ride even if it took a long time. Amazon sellers had used copies for $165.00 so that was a dead end for me. I dont know how or where, but Netflix finally got some copies. Yippee.

I aint a big Malick fan, but I do appreciate how his films look. I have to say that Makoto Shinkai, the director of 5 Centimeters Per Second, has out done Malick in capturing beauty on a screen. I have never seen a film, animated or live action, that frame after frame after frame just struck me with awe with its beauty.

Shinkai almost never moves the camera. And when he does, it is extreme minimalist and very slowly. It is almost imperceptable, yet hugely effective. At first I found it too slow, like looking at a set of still photographs. But 15 minutes in I had decided that eveyone else in the industry was moving the camera TOO MUCH. He also plays with focus and light in magical ways. The shots of cherry blossoms drifting downward, snow falling under streetlights, Trains glowing silently past in the far distance, cloudy sunsets, and simple rural roads lined by meadows were just gorgeous. Simply stunning to behold, and mood inducing to say the very least.

The Story? Quite simple. An elementary school boy and girl are very close friends. As the years pass they are separated by family moves that force them to attend different schools. The distance grows greater as they reach their college years. They attempt to remain close through letters and train trips, but this becomes more difficult with each passing year. They miss each other a lot.

If you ever had a special "First Love" or have lost touch with someone that you deeply cared for, this film may provide more emotional impact for you than it would for others without those life experiences.

Recommendation? For the visuals alone I say heck yes. If you are a Malick fan, give it a whirl just to appreciate the "Cinema as Art" aspect. I am tempted to watch it again with the audio OFF and simultaneously listen to some Eddie Vedder Water on the Road.

The DVD is beautiful, so if this ever makes it to Blu-ray, I suspect it could be jawdropping.

4/5

Hmmm, sounds interesting...

[dag]

Oh boy, Total Recall (2012) is one b-a-d movie. I only found it interesting to try to identify the Toronto locations used in the shoot.

[Sackvile]

hobbit just 10/10 its a wonderful movie to watch ....

[jvince]

Pitch Perfect (2012)
dir. Jason Moore

The Good: Amusing protagonists. Scene-stealing turns from Rebel Wilson and Hana Mae Lee. Hot chicks. Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow. Naked. In the shower. Together. 'Nuff said.

The Bad: There are some pretty funny lines and moments here and there, but overall, the writing is mediocre, littered with cliches and lazy contrivances. Goes downhill after the first half. What? A sequel? Why? Blah.

The Bottom Line: Sporadically fun and funny, but ultimately forgettable and uninspired, Pitch Perfect doesn't quite match Glee at its prime (and yes, there actually was such a time).

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by jvince

Pitch Perfect (2012)
dir. Jason Moore

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Amusing protagonists. Scene-stealing turns from Rebel Wilson and Hana Mae Lee. Hot chicks. Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow. Naked. In the shower. Together. 'Nuff said.

The Bad: There are some pretty funny lines and moments here and there, but overall, the writing is mediocre, littered with cliches and lazy contrivances. Goes downhill after the first half. What? A sequel? Why? Blah.

The Bottom Line: Sporadically fun and funny, but ultimately forgettable and uninspired, Pitch Perfect doesn't quite match Glee at its prime (and yes, there actually was such a time).

I watched this yesterday and enjoyed it far more than you did. I will admit that I probably did enjoy the first half better than the second, and no it's not a perfect movie by any means (not enough focus on Beca's life outside of the group), but I did have a good amount of fun watching it.

A sequel makes sense given that the movie was a surprise hit, but hopefully it never ends up going the route of the Bring It On series with a bunch of DTV sequels.

[Foggy]

Merrrrrrrrrrrry Christmas!

[Lepidopterous]

Merry Christmas all!

[jvince]

A Christmas Story (1983)
dir. Bob Clark

The Good: The cast, the direction, the writing, the humor, the pacing, and every single scene and line -- Just all-around perfection.

The Bad: You'd be hard-pressed to find a flaw in this delightful film or a cold, heartless grinch to not love it.

The Bottom Line: No matter how many times they air A Christmas Story on television, it never gets old, nor does it lose a single ounce of its hilariousness or charm. A must-see classic.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by jvince

A Christmas Story (1983)
dir. Bob Clark

The Good: The cast, the direction, the writing, the humor, the pacing, and every single scene and line -- Just all-around perfection.

The Bad: You'd be hard-pressed to find a flaw in this delightful film or a cold, heartless grinch to not love it.

The Bottom Line: No matter how many times they air A Christmas Story on television, it never gets old, nor does it lose a single ounce of its hilariousness or charm. A must-see classic.

When are you going to go and check out the second one?

[jvince]

Merry Christmas, you f*ckers!!!

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

5 Centimeters Per Second

2007 / DVD

Wow.

After reading about this Anime film over two years ago I added it to my Netflix queue. Netflix didnt have any copies and the film was bouncing from one studio with financial difficulties to the next, so I decided to let it ride even if it took a long time. Amazon sellers had used copies for $165.00 so that was a dead end for me. I dont know how or where, but Netflix finally got some copies. Yippee.

I aint a big Malick fan, but I do appreciate how his films look. I have to say that Makoto Shinkai, the director of 5 Centimeters Per Second, has out done Malick in capturing beauty on a screen. I have never seen a film, animated or live action, that frame after frame after frame just struck me with awe with its beauty.

Shinkai almost never moves the camera. And when he does, it is extreme minimalist and very slowly. It is almost imperceptable, yet hugely effective. At first I found it too slow, like looking at a set of still photographs. But 15 minutes in I had decided that eveyone else in the industry was moving the camera TOO MUCH. He also plays with focus and light in magical ways. The shots of cherry blossoms drifting downward, snow falling under streetlights, Trains glowing silently past in the far distance, cloudy sunsets, and simple rural roads lined by meadows were just gorgeous. Simply stunning to behold, and mood inducing to say the very least.

The Story? Quite simple. An elementary school boy and girl are very close friends. As the years pass they are separated by family moves that force them to attend different schools. The distance grows greater as they reach their college years. They attempt to remain close through letters and train trips, but this becomes more difficult with each passing year. They miss each other a lot.

If you ever had a special "First Love" or have lost touch with someone that you deeply cared for, this film may provide more emotional impact for you than it would for others without those life experiences.

Recommendation? For the visuals alone I say heck yes. If you are a Malick fan, give it a whirl just to appreciate the "Cinema as Art" aspect. I am tempted to watch it again with the audio OFF and simultaneously listen to some Eddie Vedder Water on the Road.

The DVD is beautiful, so if this ever makes it to Blu-ray, I suspect it could be jawdropping.

4/5

Has it really been that long since I first reviewed it here?

Yeah, the animation is what struck me the most. It's so gorgeous. I believe I only gave it a 4/5 because there were some parts that didn't work for me, like the cheesy ending.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Hmmm, sounds interesting...

I think you might appreciate it, Al.

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

I watched this yesterday and enjoyed it far more than you did. I will admit that I probably did enjoy the first half better than the second, and no it's not a perfect movie by any means (not enough focus on Beca's life outside of the group), but I did have a good amount of fun watching it.

A sequel makes sense given that the movie was a surprise hit, but hopefully it never ends up going the route of the Bring It On series with a bunch of DTV sequels.

Yeah, it was kinda fun, but I think a sequel is unnecessary and I don't really see the next one turning out to be better.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Foggy

When are you going to go and check out the second one?

Lol... Never.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by jvince

Yeah, it was kinda fun, but I think a sequel is unnecessary and I don't really see the next one turning out to be better.

For a good amount of people, it wouldn't have to be better because they were more than happy with the first one.

I don't really think it's absolutely necessary either, but Pitch Perfect was a success, so it's inevitable. I won't care if Anna Kendrick isn't back though.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Merrrrrrrrrrrry Christmas!

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Merry Christmas all!

Originally Posted by jvince

Merry Christmas, you f*ckers!!!

It's A Wonderful Life - Merry Christmas! - YouTube

MERRY CHRISTMAS MOVIE REVIEW THREAD!!!!!

Originally Posted by jvince

Lol... Never.

Ditto.

[jvince]

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
dir. Benh Zeitlin

The Good: Great performance from its young lead, Quvenzhané Wallis. CGI isn't that bad.

The Bad: Stereotypical characters. Sorely lacks punch that it never really grabs you; it only distances itself. Tries too hard to do/say too much. Fantasy is poorly integrated, it feels like an afterthought.

The Bottom Line: What an incoherent mess. Without Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild would've been a terrible film. This is another one of those baffling critical darlings.

[Foggy]

Wrong!