The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Walts Ghost]

Fast Five

Alright, I went at midnight last night and all I have to say is.....WOW! Anyone who has any doubts about this movie, just let them go. Summer is starting off in a big, big way, and for me, this is going to be hard to top. This is a big and exciting as movies come guys. It was great having so many of the key members back, in addition to adding Dwayne Johnson. This one feels more like the first with a lot of the family dynamics that has been missing making a welcome return.

Justin Lin has come a long way from Tokyo Drift. The action is really well shot, he gave everyone of the cast members time to shine, and he just really knows how to handle the franchise. I honestly think he is the best thing to happen to it, because he's really brought new life into over the last two films. Diesel and Johnson's big fight was really, really badass and really intense. From the beginning to the end the movie was packed full of great action and character moments that elevate this higher than most action movies. Heisting was always a small part of the series, but I never realized how much sense it made making them do a movie in the vein of Ocean's 11. It really fits the series, and I honestly welcome the change. But don't worry about them forgetting about car chases and races, because it's all still there as well.

The one thing I really liked as I mentioned earlier was having the character moments back and the feeling of family. That was something I always really liked from the first movie that was never touched on much after. This one has a lot of that, and a lot of great character moments that really flesh out the movie and put it up with the first. That's part of the reason I enjoyed it so much. Dom gives a speech how the only important people in the world are in that room and as it shows all of them, it was actually a pretty cool and touching moment. It was the first time in a long time that series has had that, and I'm glad they brought it back.

The action this time around was nothing short of incredbile. From the opening moments of the movie, it never slows down and it never dulls. The action is just insanely good. The last twenty minutes or so is a full car chase through Rio that wrecks massive destrucion that gives the Miami chase in Bad Boys 2 a run for its money. I was actually in shock out how cool some of it was. This is how action movies should be. It actually felt like an 80s action movie in a way, which was just fine with me. More movies like that, the better.

Overall, I just really loved this movie. It's surpassed the first to become my favorite in the series. It's unusual to see a movie this far into the series that is this well made and actually a really good movie. The series seems to be getting progressivly better after Tokyo Drift, which is pretty cool. If that's the case, I welcome Fast Six with open arms and will be there opening day!

5/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I loved their costumes and masks.

I thought it was quite clever that they

[Show spoiler]collected hair from a barber shop and left it at the crime scene to mislead the forensic investigators.

Very sneaky.

Ripped off from "Gattaca," jeez.

It actually is clever for a modern crime thriller. I was personally impressed by the costume work, especially toward the end

[Show spoiler]when they broke in dressed as cops. And then tried to make their escape as cops.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I thought I would start a movie review blog.

Another 40 years and it might have enough reviews

Four reviews up so far. I'm currently working on The Mist, which I saw again last night. I'll post them all here too.

Looking good boss. I added myself as a follower.

I really should start putting reviews in my blog. Heck, I need to start writing better reviews. Heck, I need to start writing period.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Looking good boss. I added myself as a follower.

I really should start putting reviews in my blog. Heck, I need to start writing better reviews. Heck, I need to start writing period.

Nearly all of your reviews are detailed and cover the important points. You rarely write just a few words about something. I think a free blog would be a good way to keep a record of what you think. It can't hurt?

Thanks for following. My first follower

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Nearly all of your reviews are detailed and cover the important points. You rarely write just a few words about something. I think a free blog would be a good way to keep a record of what you think. It can't hurt?

Thanks for following. My first follower

Thank you. I fear I never really take the reviews I write on this thread seriously, but it certainly couldn't hurt to publish them elsewhere.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Thank you. I fear I never really take the reviews I write on this thread seriously, but it certainly couldn't hurt to publish them elsewhere.

Some of mine are serious attempts, while others are just a brief comment or two. It takes me up to an hour to write everything I can think of, and that's a lot of effort when I know everyone knows the movie inside out anyway. I tend to spend more time on newer releases or obscure titles.

[Steve46]

The Mist
Directed by Frank Darabont
Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones

Weinstein Company | 2007 | 126 min | Rated R | Sep 16, 2008

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish

Discs:
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region free

Frank Darabont hasn’t directed many movies, but three of them are in my collection. The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile are both adapted from Stephen King stories and so is The Mist. Despite its lower budget, The Mist is another strong entry from Darabont.

The thing I like about Stephen King is that most story elements are based in the real world. We can identify with the type of town and the characters who inhabit it. He usually changes one or two things to transport us into another world. In this instance, the other element is the mist. We learn that

[Show spoiler]it has leaked through from an entrance to another dimension, along with some of the creatures from that reality.

The exposition is handled well and draws the viewer into the situation. After a brief description of David Drayton’s (Jane) home life, he travels into town with his son Billy (Nathan Gamble) and neighbor Brent Norton (Braugher). While the three are shopping in the local supermarket, a man runs in with blood on his face warning that there’s something in the mist.

Some of my favorite stories examine what happens when society breaks down. Stephen King seems to enjoy writing about it too. The Stand is one of the best novels dealing with the psychological effects of a catastrophe and The Mist delves into the same territory. Imagine the situation. You’re in a store and a mist descends outside. A man runs in injured and shouts a warning. Do you listen, or do you ignore the warning and assume it’s a natural phenomenon?

Some people are deeply rooted in routines. They know how much they earn and live one or two paychecks away from disaster. Their routine means that they rarely have to think about anything out of the ordinary. They may excel in one or two known situations, but be completely out of their depth when facing the unknown. That’s when we see who the real leaders are. Who will crumble and who will adapt and remain calm under pressure? Will anyone lose touch with reality completely and start behaving in unpredictable ways? Would you steal to feed your family or kill to protect someone? The Mist shows what happens in just such a situation. The results are interesting to say the least.

My favorite character is Ollie (Jones), the assistant manager of the store. He’s a great reminder of how people are not always what they seem. Looking like an older version of Radar O’Reilly, he’s able to step up and make a difference in a crisis.

Darabont doesn’t spend a fortune on special effects, but the result is convincing to me. As the story unfolds, we see a variety of creatures. Some of them are close to creatures we know while others are like nothing we have ever seen.

Another interesting choice from Darabont is the use of sound in the movie. Most entries in this genre would feature music heavily during every action scene. Darabont chooses to just show the events as they happen without trying to influence our mood with music. There are a few muted sound effects for most of the movie, but nothing more. The result is that we are drawn into the situation even more as if we are left alone to think about how we would handle the situation. The one exception is in the last few minutes of the story when The Host of Seraphim (Dead Can Dance) is played during a pivotal scene. Its impact is greatly enhanced due to the absence of music in the remainder of the movie.

Darabont changes King’s original ending. It’s a brave choice and will annoy a lot of people. King remarked that he wishes he had thought of it. It’s a resolution of sorts and it’s certainly not typical Hollywood fare.

Video Quality 4/5
The Mist Blu-ray package consists of two discs; one showing the movie in color and the other in black and white. Darabont is known to prefer the black and white version as it adds to the intended feel. While I like both, I slightly prefer the color version. Detail is good in both and there’s nothing to complain about. It’s not up there with the best the format has to offer, but it’s more than adequate.

Audio Quality 4/5
The movie is driven by dialogue and is as much a character study as a monster movie. With no music for the vast majority of the running time, this is not the type of movie to show off your sound system. It handles everything it’s supposed to without going over the top.

Special Features 4/5
The commentary track goes into considerable depth and is an excellent addition for those who want to know how everything was done. There are also 15 minutes of deleted scenes, a "making of" feature and a discussion with King and Darabont. There are several other features focusing on certain scenes or special effects. Overall, over two hours, and a good supplemental package that’s worth seeing at least once.

The Mist is a fun world to visit for two hours. See it if you are a fan of horror or psychological drama and enjoy a decent Blu-ray presentation.

Overall 4.5/5

[Marcus Wright]

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Just 30 minutes in and wow, I am totally hooked.
Haven't been so attached to any movie in the last year. Its just so emotionally/psychologically/philosophically influential.
Not for everyone although its clear, but it matches my tastes perfectly.

Reminds me of E.T.

5/5 so far.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Dudes, get with it. There is some awesome action in KFP, a good story, and reference audio.

I know. I hadn't watched many animated movies for a while until I watched Wall-E a couple of years ago. Now my collection shows that has changed quite a bit since then. I just never got around to watching it, but it is on my someday list for sure.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Just 30 minutes in and wow, I am totally hooked.
Haven't been so attached to any movie in the last year. Its just so emotionally/psychologically/philosophically influential.
Not for everyone although its clear, but it matches my tastes perfectly.

Reminds me of E.T.

5/5 so far.

why are you writing a review and scoring it if you're only 30 minutes in? lol must not be too "hooked" to it if you're on here instead of watching

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

why are you writing a review and scoring it if you're only 30 minutes in? lol must not be too "hooked" to it if you're on here instead of watching

I was watching downloaded version but I liked it so much that I have to get blu ray and see it on it now.
And my review said 5/5 so far.

[Al_The_Strange]

It'll be interesting to see your score for "AI" during the middle act and the last thirty minutes or so. It's almost like three different movies shoved together episodically.

The last part's my favorite. They just don't make much sci-fi like that...ever!

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Steve46

The Mist
Directed by Frank Darabont
Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones

Weinstein Company | 2007 | 126 min | Rated R | Sep 16, 2008

[Show spoiler]Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish

Discs:
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region free

Frank Darabont hasn’t directed many movies, but three of them are in my collection. The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile are both adapted from Stephen King stories and so is The Mist. Despite its lower budget, The Mist is another strong entry from Darabont.

The thing I like about Stephen King is that most story elements are based in the real world. We can identify with the type of town and the characters who inhabit it. He usually changes one or two things to transport us into another world. In this instance, the other element is the mist. We learn that

[Show spoiler]it has leaked through from an entrance to another dimension, along with some of the creatures from that reality.

The exposition is handled well and draws the viewer into the situation. After a brief description of David Drayton’s (Jane) home life, he travels into town with his son Billy (Nathan Gamble) and neighbor Brent Norton (Braugher). While the three are shopping in the local supermarket, a man runs in with blood on his face warning that there’s something in the mist.

Some of my favorite stories examine what happens when society breaks down. Stephen King seems to enjoy writing about it too. The Stand is one of the best novels dealing with the psychological effects of a catastrophe and The Mist delves into the same territory. Imagine the situation. You’re in a store and a mist descends outside. A man runs in injured and shouts a warning. Do you listen, or do you ignore the warning and assume it’s a natural phenomenon?

Some people are deeply rooted in routines. They know how much they earn and live one or two paychecks away from disaster. Their routine means that they rarely have to think about anything out of the ordinary. They may excel in one or two known situations, but be completely out of their depth when facing the unknown. That’s when we see who the real leaders are. Who will crumble and who will adapt and remain calm under pressure? Will anyone lose touch with reality completely and start behaving in unpredictable ways? Would you steal to feed your family or kill to protect someone? The Mist shows what happens in just such a situation. The results are interesting to say the least.

My favorite character is Ollie (Jones), the assistant manager of the store. He’s a great reminder of how people are not always what they seem. Looking like an older version of Radar O’Reilly, he’s able to step up and make a difference in a crisis.

Darabont doesn’t spend a fortune on special effects, but the result is convincing to me. As the story unfolds, we see a variety of creatures. Some of them are close to creatures we know while others are like nothing we have ever seen.

Another interesting choice from Darabont is the use of sound in the movie. Most entries in this genre would feature music heavily during every action scene. Darabont chooses to just show the events as they happen without trying to influence our mood with music. There are a few muted sound effects for most of the movie, but nothing more. The result is that we are drawn into the situation even more as if we are left alone to think about how we would handle the situation. The one exception is in the last few minutes of the story when The Host of Seraphim (Dead Can Dance) is played during a pivotal scene. Its impact is greatly enhanced due to the absence of music in the remainder of the movie.

Darabont changes King’s original ending. It’s a brave choice and will annoy a lot of people. King remarked that he wishes he had thought of it. It’s a resolution of sorts and it’s certainly not typical Hollywood fare.

Video Quality 4/5
The Mist Blu-ray package consists of two discs; one showing the movie in color and the other in black and white. Darabont is known to prefer the black and white version as it adds to the intended feel. While I like both, I slightly prefer the color version. Detail is good in both and there’s nothing to complain about. It’s not up there with the best the format has to offer, but it’s more than adequate.

Audio Quality 4/5
The movie is driven by dialogue and is as much a character study as a monster movie. With no music for the vast majority of the running time, this is not the type of movie to show off your sound system. It handles everything it’s supposed to without going over the top.

Special Features 4/5
The commentary track goes into considerable depth and is an excellent addition for those who want to know how everything was done. There are also 15 minutes of deleted scenes, a "making of" feature and a discussion with King and Darabont. There are several other features focusing on certain scenes or special effects. Overall, over two hours, and a good supplemental package that’s worth seeing at least once.

The Mist is a fun world to visit for two hours. See it if you are a fan of horror or psychological drama and enjoy a decent Blu-ray presentation.

Overall 4.5/5

I love the black & white version. It's a whole different movie watching it that way. I really, really wish that when The Walking Dead is done and they release the inevitable box set, it'll come with a black & white version.

[volcomsocal]

Hereafter - 2010

Your stock is rising Mr. Eastwood.

Clint Eastwood's directing style of slow paced movies really worked well on Hereafter.

I'm a sucker for well written, captivating stories. I don't need cgi

[Show spoiler](although ironically, the beginning used a bunch of it... but only to tell part of the story, so I can look past it)

, toilet humor, car chases, explosions, loud music, or any other cheesy hollywood cliches to enjoy a movie. I loved the way this movie had a serene and quiet flow to it. It kept me engaged to the story, which was told in an offbeat way of 3 different people, living in 3 different parts of the world. They end up connecting somehow, and it all paid off in the end.

I could see how some people wouldn't like this movie. Those people would say Hereafter is boring, slow, too long, lame, a dumb story, or something along those lines. I can accept that, but I'm not one of those people. This movie was not perfect, but nowhere near average. As the movie went on, it grabbed me more and more. I actually wished this movie was longer, by about 10 minutes. I liked the fact that Eastwood wasn't trying to make a point about the subject matter, but rather using it as a tool to get the characters' stories across. It might be tagged as a sci-fi drama, but it's not really sci-fi at all. It's more drama with a little "fantasy" thrown in, although that whole term could be argued depending on who you are talking to.

I'm very happy I watched Hereafter, because I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. The ending was just about perfect. If you're a patient movie watcher who likes dramas and has an open mind, I recommend it.

PQ - 4/5
AQ - 4/5

4.25/5

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by jvince

I love the black & white version. It's a whole different movie watching it that way. I really, really wish that when The Walking Dead is done and they release the inevitable box set, it'll come with a black & white version.

It's certainly a good special feature. A complete version of the movie. I doubt The Walking Dead would get the same treatment as the budget is presumably a lot lower.

[Q?]

Eden Is West is recommended as a rental!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Q?

Eden Is West is recommended as a rental!

Eden is West...East of Eden...Eden of the East...they need to come up with better titles...

[P@t_Mtl]

Needing You...

China 2000
Directed by Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai
With Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng
Format: Blu-ray

This one is a bit strange a a romantic comedy. The two main characters seem to be so different you wonder how could they ever really be together. Andy Lau play's a hard driven business guy while Sammi Cheng is a little weird out of the map girl. Yet they are push to become closer with helping each other with work and their constant no luck in love. Once again it's really different then your typical North American movies. Don't expect to see the same formula you would see in a Jennifer Aniston or Sandra Bullock movie in this one. Many time, you are not to sure if you should luahg or just cry for these two strange person. Yet the movie is sweet and funny. If you are a fan of Asian cinema, you will enjoy this.

The Blu-ray is so so. It's a Fortune Star release and while the imagine is not horrible, don,t expect it to looki stunning. There is grain details however and it make's me suspect that some of the look as to do with how the movie was done in the first place.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by jvince

I love the black & white version. It's a whole different movie watching it that way. I really, really wish that when The Walking Dead is done and they release the inevitable box set, it'll come with a black & white version.

My thoughts on the Mist have been discussed and argued endlessly. I will, however, comment briefly on the black and white and why I think it's not good. The reason is that the film was shot in color and then in post-production they added a black and white version, much the same way as color photos being changed to black and white. The problem with this, and Ebert subscribes to it, is that the film loses the purpose of black and white, which is the use of shadows and varying shades of light and dark, because it was originally shot in color.

[Al_The_Strange]

“Mortal Kombat.”

Back in the 90s, I remember when the classic video game hit the markets and caused a stir. Not only did it make a huge commercial splash, but it was also quite controversial for its graphicness. I honestly never had the pleasure of playing these MK games, and in this day and age, fighting games are not my forte. But action and martial arts movies certainly are, especially when they’re based on popular video games.

The “Mortal Kombat” movie offers plenty of fun. It’s got enough fight scenes to satisfy; some are short and some are pretty cheesy, but some fights hold up really well and are a blast. It’s got some very old-school special effects that, even though appear gaudy by today’s standards, are good in concept and design. Above all, this is a film that doesn’t take itself that seriously; it’s probably an important aspect for a film with such a weak story and with so many limitations. Most of the movie’s flaws are forgivable given the tongue-in-cheek attitude, and altogether it’s not too far off from the original video game.

For better or for worse though, the story suffers tremendously. Of course, fighting games like this don’t usually have a story to draw upon, so the movie does the best it can to extrapolate the characters and tournament-themed conflict into an “Enter the Dragon”-style plot. It works for the most part, but I find it pretty darn shallow, unoriginal, and lacking in proper immersion. Some more depth to the story, characters, or environment would probably have helped.

The film shows fine photography and editing, with some interesting lighting effects. Acting is pretty hammy all around; Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is almost laughable with his facial expressions and over-zealous dialogue, and I found it hard to take Christopher Lambert seriously. But, the three main leads (Robin Shou, Linden Ashby, and Bridgette Wilson) fit their roles respectably. Writing is not terribly sophisticated at all. The production shows some limitations with its horrid CGI-graphics and some fake-looking sets and props (in the end of the film, is that floor with the spikes make of tin foil?! ). But, the designs are awesome and the costumes aren’t bad. Music is really smashing.

I’m sure this film will appeal to kids wanting something exciting and don’t mind something slightly cheesy. Video game fans and folks who grew up with this movie will probably get a nostalgic kick out of it too. Otherwise, I can only recommend it as a rental.

3/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 2/5, film: 3/5)

This Blu-Ray looks better than I thought it would. I am pleased with its sharpness and detail, which appears consistently well-defined. Some noise and grain can be seen here and there, but otherwise it looks quite clean. Colors and contrast can be pretty weak at certain spots. Sound quality was disappointing; sound effects didn’t have much impact, the dialogue was subdued in many places, and the volume was a little low overall. One part sounded a bit muffled. But otherwise, it is mostly clean and clear.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 2.5/5

Extras include a God-awful 40-minute animated feature, a pair of trailers (one for the movie, one for the new game), and BD-Live capability. The first release of this disc includes a digital copy and a PSN download code to unlock a costume in the newly-released MK game.

Extras: 1.5/5