The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Al_The_Strange]

“The World Is Not Enough.”

Back in the day, I considered this to be my favorite Bond film. When it first came out, I was rather thrilled by its action setpieces. The film is admittedly not 100% action-packed, but the opening boat chase scene is probably my favorite of the series, the ski chase is pretty fun, and there are plenty of other pursuits and gunfights to satisfy.

What really appealed to me was the story. I love how Bond’s character is rendered vulnerable as his arm is broken in the opening scenes (another unusual hit to an otherwise invincible character). I really love how the main villain is an invincible character who feels no pain and has no limits; it’s a good foil for Bond’s character. I also admired Elektra’s character, with her “what’s the point of living if you can’t feel alive” attitude, her phobias and mental condition, and her relationship with Bond

[Show spoiler]that ultimately ends with betrayal and murder; it’s a cold and dramatic resolution topped only by the new “Casino Royale.”

It seems like a lot of folks cite Denise Richards’ role as a scientist to be silly, but I think she’s hot. Altogether, I felt the story was rather deep and thoughtful, mostly with the characters, but also with the subject of global oil production (a theme still relevant today, and was explored somewhat in “Quantum of Solace”). I think my only complaint is that the final fight seems rather standard, and the film reaches a standard conclusion.

Cinematically, the photography is pretty good and quite solid. Acting is not bad; Pierce Brosnan is still the man, Sophie Marceau is brilliant as Elektra, Robert Carlyle is pretty decent as the villain, Denise Richards is probably the weakest link but I think she’s okay, and John Cleese is pretty funny in this one. This is Desmond Llewelyn’s last appearance in a Bond film, RIP. Production value is decent, with plenty of cool gadgets, cars, interesting locations, and quality sets, props, and costumes. Music is good.

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

Recommendation: Rent it, see what you think.

I’m looking at my parents’ Blu-Ray copy today. It looks pretty sharp and detailed. Grain and noise are quite evident. Colors and contrast are not terribly great, but then again this always was a dull-looking film. Sound quality is pretty good at times, average at others.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Okay, so its a 4.145482 then right?

Exactly

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I must have been a James Bond fan since I was 12. Hence, I spent half of my day today playing “007: Blood Stone.” Thus, I managed to beat it. Ergo, I decided it was as good of a time as any to kick off a James Bond marathon! Therefore…

“Casino Royale” 2006

[Show spoiler]From 1962 to 2002 (if not longer if you count the original books and TV special), the James Bond franchise had swelled tremendously. “Die Another Day” was the twentieth in the series…and probably the worst of the lot. As long as the series ran, any semblance of a story arc was long forgotten, the character became somewhat hollow and lost through different actors’ incarnations, and the movies have varied so much in quality and substance. Something went missing since the Sean Connery era; the franchise was ripe and ready for a fresh new start!

So in 2006, “Casino Royale” blasted into the scene. It’s cooler, slicker, bigger, and a whole lot of fun! From start to finish, the film features shedloads of thrilling action scenes, all fast-paced and intense. Even when the characters aren’t chasing each other or shooting the place up, the film maintains decent tension and high pacing (which is especially surprising since a good chunk of the movie focuses on a card game). With a long runtime and a big scope and scale, the film is easily the most ambitious Bond film to date.

Even more surprising, the story is probably the deepest of all Bond films. A fairly faithful adaptation to the original Ian Fleming novel, this story helps establish the main character and sets up the story arc that would guide the franchise. Some liberties are taken to update the story for the times; the megalomaniac Cold War adversaries have been replaced with terrorists (and as we learn in the sequel, the Quantum organization), and some big action scenes were plopped into the story (other liberties were probably taken, but I don’t remember exactly how the book went now). But what really makes the movie’s story shine is the main character’s treatment: James Bond is much more hard-edged, has a wicked attitude, but still carries the same cool and classy demeanor. Much of the film focuses on his ego, which he has to learn to subdue in order to fulfill his duty. These issues tie into the story very well, effectively introducing, developing, finally changing Bond into the hardened super-spy.

Cinematically, the film is quite strong as well. Photography is very beautiful most of the time; it can be a little hectic in action scenes, especially with the rapid editing, but it is hardly overdone. Camera angles are strong, and the imagery overall can be very vivid. Acting is top notch: Daniel Craig is the most iconic Bond since Sean Connery, Eva Green is lovely as Vesper, Mads Mikkelsen makes a decent villain, and Judi Dench always makes for a badass M. Production value is very high; the Bond films have always had a sophisticated air to them as Bond struts around in suits and orders his vodka martinis, but in this case the suits looks nicer, the drinks are clearer, the cars are very exquisite, the settings and locations are gorgeous, and there’s a whole lot of sleek high-tech devices at the characters’ disposal. Music is quite good too.

5/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 5/5, film: 4.5/5) 9th favorite movie of all time, 1st favorite Bond film.

Recommendation: Yes!!!

Totally agree

“Quantum of Solace.”

[Show spoiler]The cards have been played in “Casino Royale,” and now the first sequel in the rebooted series has to ramp up the stakes and start building up some kind of story arc. In the process of doing so, “QoS” gives us a plethora of fantastic action scenes: a fast and wicked car chase, an intense boat chase, a sweeping airplane chase, some frenetic foot chases, and plenty of loud shoot-outs. Why, this movie takes it to land, sea, and air! And with a short bite-sized runtime and a good pacing, the film starts off fast and hardly lets up. The only real detractor with the film’s action is going to be the cameramanship, which is exceptionally shaky, and has some of the fastest editing I’ve ever seen.

As far as the story goes, it gets a little random as Bond meanders from one country to another, before finally winding up in Bolivia to deal with terrorists, dictators, the environment, and some other stuff. To be fair, the story does succeed in encompassing all the major issues in the world today, and distilling it into palpable moral ambiguity. Part of the story’s conflict revolves around not knowing who anybody can trust, as governments side with shady organizations and characters backstab each other. Even though it may seem convoluted, it does become clearer with repeat viewings, and it looks as though “QoS” only scratches the surface of the potential conspiracy that Bond could uncover…maybe in the next sequel!

What makes “QoS” exceptional is going to be the character and his final resolution. Bond’s metamorphosis that started in the first film is complete by the end of this one; both films can stand very well as its own duology, since the final scenes are that satisfying.

As far as the film goes, it can be a hit or a miss. The photography is a very mixed bag: it has beautiful shots in a lot of scenes, but in the action sequences the editing becomes rapid-fire and the camera shakes around quite a lot. It definitely makes for an intense experience (if not totally nervewracking ). Acting is still strong though: Daniel Craig is still the man, I liked Olga Kurylenko, and Mathieu Amalric is an okay (if not rather realistic) bad guy. Production value is strong: there are still plenty of cool cars, snazzy costumes, nice-looking locations and settings, and the occasional bit of impressive technology. Music is cool.

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

Recommendation: Yes, especially as a followup for the above.

Totally disagree. Just didnt work for me

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by 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

Emmerich's best film.. period.

Agree with most of what you said, I give it a solid 5 stars as I found it to be a really great film-- my only disagreement is the comment about Mel Gibson being "pretty good"-- Gibson is on the very small list of actors that can portray incredible strong emotion just with an expression and I thought he was outstanding in this--

[Show spoiler]the scene for instance early in the film when one of his sons is shot before him-- wow! His emotion in that scene just blew me away--

Terrific blu-ray as well!

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“The World Is Not Enough.”

Back in the day, I considered this to be my favorite Bond film. When it first came out, I was rather thrilled by its action setpieces. The film is admittedly not 100% action-packed, but the opening boat chase scene is probably my favorite of the series, the ski chase is pretty fun, and there are plenty of other pursuits and gunfights to satisfy.

What really appealed to me was the story. I love how Bond’s character is rendered vulnerable as his arm is broken in the opening scenes (another unusual hit to an otherwise invincible character). I really love how the main villain is an invincible character who feels no pain and has no limits; it’s a good foil for Bond’s character. I also admired Elektra’s character, with her “what’s the point of living if you can’t feel alive” attitude, her phobias and mental condition, and her relationship with Bond

[Show spoiler]that ultimately ends with betrayal and murder; it’s a cold and dramatic resolution topped only by the new “Casino Royale.”

It seems like a lot of folks cite Denise Richards’ role as a scientist to be silly, but I think she’s hot. Altogether, I felt the story was rather deep and thoughtful, mostly with the characters, but also with the subject of global oil production (a theme still relevant today, and was explored somewhat in “Quantum of Solace”). I think my only complaint is that the final fight seems rather standard, and the film reaches a standard conclusion.

Cinematically, the photography is pretty good and quite solid. Acting is not bad; Pierce Brosnan is still the man, Sophie Marceau is brilliant as Elektra, Robert Carlyle is pretty decent as the villain, Denise Richards is probably the weakest link but I think she’s okay, and John Cleese is pretty funny in this one. This is Desmond Llewelyn’s last appearance in a Bond film, RIP. Production value is decent, with plenty of cool gadgets, cars, interesting locations, and quality sets, props, and costumes. Music is good.

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

Recommendation: Rent it, see what you think.

I’m looking at my parents’ Blu-Ray copy today. It looks pretty sharp and detailed. Grain and noise are quite evident. Colors and contrast are not terribly great, but then again this always was a dull-looking film. Sound quality is pretty good at times, average at others.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5

As a Bond fanatic, I have seen all of the movies several times-- for some reason this one is my least favorite of all-- Brosnan started out great with Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies and then made 2 weak efforts-- this one and Die Another Day-- but this one in particular just didn't work for me-- Denise Richards is the worst Bond girl, the action scenes were never great-- the best one was the opening sequence, the ending was totally anti-climatic, and the main villain was ridiculous-- he looked like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers!!
I liked Sophie Marceau-- but overall this ranks as my least favorite 2.5/5.0

[Batman1980]

Robin Hood 2010 - 4/5
I thought it was pretty good, only thing that would've made it a bit better is having a hotter Maid Marian. Will definitely get the steelbook for this movie at some point. Not sure why this is so hated, yes it's not your typical Robin Hood story but that's not a bad thing.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Robin Hood 2010 - 4/5
I thought it was pretty good, only thing that would've made it a bit better is having a hotter Maid Marian. Will definitely get the steelbook for this movie at some point. Not sure why this is so hated, yes it's not your typical Robin Hood story but that's not a bad thing.

I tried watching this a couple of weeks ago and just couldn't get into it at all-
I'll have to give it a try again soon--

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Totally disagree. Just didnt work for me

Too much camera shake? Or not enough plot?

Originally Posted by AKORIS

As a Bond fanatic, I have seen all of the movies several times-- for some reason this one is my least favorite of all-- Brosnan started out great with Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies and then made 2 weak efforts-- this one and Die Another Day-- but this one in particular just didn't work for me-- Denise Richards is the worst Bond girl, the action scenes were never great-- the best one was the opening sequence, the ending was totally anti-climatic, and the main villain was ridiculous-- he looked like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers!!
I liked Sophie Marceau-- but overall this ranks as my least favorite 2.5/5.0

Truth is, as I watched it this time around I became aware of just how dumb Denise Richards' character really was. I never thought of it, but yeah the bad guy does resemble Dr Evil with that scar in his head. His performance was pretty standard, but I liked the idea they put behind him.

Can't blame you for the hate.

[Al_The_Strange]

“Goldfinger.”

At first glance, I rather ignorantly dismissed “Goldfinger” as another boring old movie. But in truth, this is probably the first Bond movie in the series that really kicks the entertainment up a few notches; compared to “Dr No” and “From Russia With Love,” “GF” is practically nonstop! The action is pretty big, fast, and a whole lot of fun. It’s also the freshest and most significant of the lot, as it presents a magnificent smorgasbord of memorable and iconic moments (what with the jazzy music, Jill being painted in gold, Bond fighting a Korean dude with an iron hat, Bond strapped to a table with a freaking laser beam creeping toward him, among other scenes). A lot of the film is quite absurd, over-the-top, and not very believable, but it never really takes itself 100% seriously. It’s also a pretty short film with a tight, fast pacing. That all makes for a classic piece of entertainment!

The story’s pretty straightforward, featuring a standard megalomaniac bad guy with a rather clever plot. I never felt that the story for this was totally exceptional, especially since it doesn’t really advance the franchise’s main plot (that being, Bond’s fight against SPECTRE), but it’s the individual moments that make it definitive. And ultimately, the story is well-executed with no drag. Characters are pretty flat, but for a fun-filled story like this, does it really matter?

The movie has superb photography with plenty of solid camera angles and some rather nice imagery. Acting is great: Sean Connery is darn near perfect as Bond, Gert Frobe is distinctive as the title character, Honor Blackman is quite lovely and edgy as the aptly-named ***** Galore , and everybody else is pretty good. Writing shows some excessive exposition, but is otherwise quite witty. Production value shows its limitations, with some well-aged special effects, some fake-looking props, and one or two other silly things. Otherwise, the sets, props, costumes, vehicles, weapons, and gadgets are quite slick for their time, and most of it still looks cool and sleek. Music is awesome.

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

Recommendation: Yes!

The Blu-Ray looks darn near perfect; colors are way more vibrant than I ever remember, contrast seems spot-on, and there’s hardly any sign of dirt, grain, scratches, DNR, EE, or any other bad thing. Sound quality is pretty good for a film this old; dialogue is clear, but a little subdued next to the blaring music.

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 4/5

[Foggy]

You should go on to Goldeneye now Al, one of my faves when I was like 3 or 4

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

You should go on to Goldeneye now Al, one of my faves when I was like 3 or 4

Heck, that one was the first one I ever saw that turned me into a Bond fan. Aside from "The World is Not Enough," It used to be my favorite one just before "Casino Royale" came out!

Not enough time tonight...might do it tomorrow...

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Robin Hood 2010 - 4/5
I thought it was pretty good, only thing that would've made it a bit better is having a hotter Maid Marian. Will definitely get the steelbook for this movie at some point. Not sure why this is so hated, yes it's not your typical Robin Hood story but that's not a bad thing.

+1.
I quiet enjoyed it.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Robin Hood 2010 - 4/5
I thought it was pretty good, only thing that would've made it a bit better is having a hotter Maid Marian. Will definitely get the steelbook for this movie at some point. Not sure why this is so hated, yes it's not your typical Robin Hood story but that's not a bad thing.

that's all that is wrong with it.

So you'd prefer...



over an Oscar winning actress.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Foggy

that's all that is wrong with it.

So you'd prefer...



over an Oscar winning actress.

Cate Blanchett is an incredible actress but I don't think she fit that role at all, I'd be all for Heard if they had been going a lot younger in the Robin role.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Cate Blanchett is an incredible actress but I don't think she fit that role at all, I'd be all for Heard if they had been going a lot younger in the Robin role.

I wouldn't complain if she was in the role (the thing I don't like about the film is it's plodding pace and dull politics). I just think it's a weak sauce complaint in a film that Blanchett wasn't hot enough

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I wouldn't complain if she was in the role (the thing I don't like about the film is it's plodding pace and dull politics). I just think it's a weak sauce complaint in a film that Blanchett wasn't hot enough

I've never liked Blanchett in the looks department, probably wouldn't have minded as much if she weren't pretty much the only girl in the movie you see most of the time. John's woman was quite pretty though, I'll say.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

I've never liked Blanchett in the looks department, probably wouldn't have minded as much if she weren't pretty much the only girl in the movie you see most of the time. John's woman was quite pretty though, I'll say.

Did you see the Directors Cut, how does it compare to the Theatrical Cut, the Theatrical cut is pretty bloody but still felt very toned down.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Did you see the Directors Cut, how does it compare to the Theatrical Cut, the Theatrical cut is pretty bloody but still felt very toned down.

Whichever cut I DVRed off DirecTV, checking the run times now. The record time was about the length of the director's cut but the recording included some fight/match thing also that was about 10 minutes long so I think it was the theatrical cut.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Whichever cut I DVRed off DirecTV, checking the run times now. The record time was about the length of the director's cut but the recording included some fight/match thing also that was about 10 minutes long so I think it was the theatrical cut.

Well the gorest thing in the Theatrical Cut was

[Show spoiler]Mark Strong getting the arrow through the neck

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“Goldfinger.”

At first glance, I rather ignorantly dismissed “Goldfinger” as another boring old movie. But in truth, this is probably the first Bond movie in the series that really kicks the entertainment up a few notches; compared to “Dr No” and “From Russia With Love,” “GF” is practically nonstop! The action is pretty big, fast, and a whole lot of fun. It’s also the freshest and most significant of the lot, as it presents a magnificent smorgasbord of memorable and iconic moments (what with the jazzy music, Jill being painted in gold, Bond fighting a Korean dude with an iron hat, Bond strapped to a table with a freaking laser beam creeping toward him, among other scenes). A lot of the film is quite absurd, over-the-top, and not very believable, but it never really takes itself 100% seriously. It’s also a pretty short film with a tight, fast pacing. That all makes for a classic piece of entertainment!

The story’s pretty straightforward, featuring a standard megalomaniac bad guy with a rather clever plot. I never felt that the story for this was totally exceptional, especially since it doesn’t really advance the franchise’s main plot (that being, Bond’s fight against SPECTRE), but it’s the individual moments that make it definitive. And ultimately, the story is well-executed with no drag. Characters are pretty flat, but for a fun-filled story like this, does it really matter?

The movie has superb photography with plenty of solid camera angles and some rather nice imagery. Acting is great: Sean Connery is darn near perfect as Bond, Gert Frobe is distinctive as the title character, Honor Blackman is quite lovely and edgy as the aptly-named ***** Galore , and everybody else is pretty good. Writing shows some excessive exposition, but is otherwise quite witty. Production value shows its limitations, with some well-aged special effects, some fake-looking props, and one or two other silly things. Otherwise, the sets, props, costumes, vehicles, weapons, and gadgets are quite slick for their time, and most of it still looks cool and sleek. Music is awesome.

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

Recommendation: Yes!

The Blu-Ray looks darn near perfect; colors are way more vibrant than I ever remember, contrast seems spot-on, and there’s hardly any sign of dirt, grain, scratches, DNR, EE, or any other bad thing. Sound quality is pretty good for a film this old; dialogue is clear, but a little subdued next to the blaring music.

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 4/5

now we're talkin'!! My favorite Bond of all! 5/5 this is my favorite because to me it's got the best Bond (Connery), cool cars and gadgets (the classic Aston), a super villain and henchman (Goldfinger and Oddjob), famous dialogue ("you expect me to talk?" "no Mr Bond I expect you to die!"... just everything came together perfectly..