The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

My new Blu-Ray player came today

Can we expect an "Alien" marathon in the near future?

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Can we expect an "Alien" marathon in the near future?

Very near future

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I must be the only one here who was disappointed by the pool scene in "Let Me In."

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

That you are...

[Show spoiler] I'm sure there is at least one or two other people that were too.

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

I'm actually in the same camp as you Al. It wasn't bad or anything, but it just... Eh, I don't know, it didn't seem very well thought out / directed. And the "under water" thing kind of made me chuckle because it looked a bit goofy and overall felt a tad out of place.

Still love the movie though, that scene had no effect on my enjoyment of it

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Right on!

I think I prefer the original scene because of the way it's filmed, framed, and paced. The remake version seemed too fast to me, destroying the tension. But I get what you're saying about it.

I also wasn't that impressed with the pool scene in the remake. I was expecting to be, but it just felt a bit off. It was better executed in the original, imo. For me, Let the Right One In's iconic scene is the pool scene, while Let Me In's is the car scene.

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Wow, I've been looking forward to this but that makes me even more anxious... sounds great. Btw, here's a nice shot to rival some Malick visuals

[Show spoiler]

That's from the awesome montage in the opening scene, but far and away the best and most iconic shot in the film is the final one. It's simply breathtaking perfection.

I know there's a whole bunch of movies still coming up, but I find it hard to imagine another film replacing Melancholia as my favorite 2011 release. Don't wait for the blu-ray on this one.

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Scream 4 (not gonna write it as that god awful "Scre4m"! ) - 3.5/5

[Show spoiler]uhhh... that was interesting.

my score may go up or down depending on how i feel about the ending / killer after a few days of thinking it through

but before all that Scream 4 does a lot right. has many moments that fit right in with the previous films (some cheesy dialogue where i ask, "is this supposed to be this cheesy? they know this right? they have to!") while also doing a great job to poke fun at the current trends in horror (references to Saw and "torture porn" are well at home here to the money making but broken down generic genre ) and not living in the past.

some really brutal kills that upped the ante

yet... then there is the big reveal. when, like every other Scream film, a regular every day person is revealed to be the killer, yet in Scream 4, the killer suddenly seems to flip the MOTHERF*CKING ABSOLUTELY CRAZY SWITCH! and goes all ape $h*t on EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE! i mean, jeez, it almost got comical after awhile with how demented the character gets with absolutely ZERO signs or warnings coming in the 90 minutes previous... and while in one way it was absolutely awesome and paid homage to old school killers in horror films (they even reference this) and in another way it made no sense.

also the logic and reasoning... well, yeah, that's pretty much awfully written and showcased:

[Show spoiler]"hey you! no one is looking at me! and they only way to get attention is to kill all my family and friends and pretend that i am the survivor so everyone will know me when really i am the killer! but the script didn't show ANY signs of me maybe being the one, which while makes this reveal a big shock, makes NO sense since there was no logic to connect it to the events you're now watching! apparently i am cold and heartless and always have been because how DARE a family member who survived THREE SEPARATE TRAGEDIES get more attention than me!!!!!"

a big 'ol W.T.F. right there, at least to me.

and god knows how many young dumb people will see this and go, "hey... that's a good idea!" oh dear!

BUT! very entertaining and a worthy addition to the franchise. will pick up on blu eventually

I love this movie. One of my favorites of the year. I'll definitely be buying the blu-ray and the original set. I need to rewatch it, but there were some clues in there.

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Piranha - 1.5/5

[Show spoiler]a few months ago i had mentioned to Al how i wanted to buy this.

a few days ago (maybe it still is) it was on sale on amazon for like, $16 and i almost got it.

then today i rented it for a dollar.
and i feel i was ripped off.

wow this was bad.

the reason Piranha fails is because if you're gonna be a movie filled with awful CGI, crappy, cheap 3D gimmicks, boobies, dumb characters, and awesomely gruesome kills is YOU CANNOT TRY AND HAVE SERIOUS MOMENTS IN THE SAME DAMN MOVIE!!!!!!!!

what the hell? it's 1/3 of the movie is goofy, popcorn fun filled with blood, guts and good old fashioned American nudity! and then another 1/3 is all serious science blabbering about the damn piranha's and vortex's and lakes under lakes and... :asleep:

and then ANOTHER 1/3 with a HORRIBLE man actor with a HORRIBLE haircut who's mommy gets all serious and the film suddenly wants to be some "edge of your seat!" thriller when it never was like that EVER before.

bleh. sickening

if you want to be goofy, lighthearted fun willed to the brim with guts, violence, flesh eating fish and boobs, cool. awesome. i will always want to watch. but when you F it up with needless exposition that nobody cares about and characters we don't care about but in the last 10 minutes you want us to care about... well, then you lose me there.

This was one of those good bad movies. I'm actually (kinda) looking forward to the sequel. Besides, any movie with a ridiculous nude underwater scene with Kelly Brook is automatically good in my book.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Scream 4 (not gonna write it as that god awful "Scre4m"! ) - 3.5/5

[Show spoiler]
uhhh... that was interesting.

my score may go up or down depending on how i feel about the ending / killer after a few days of thinking it through

but before all that Scream 4 does a lot right. has many moments that fit right in with the previous films (some cheesy dialogue where i ask, "is this supposed to be this cheesy? they know this right? they have to!") while also doing a great job to poke fun at the current trends in horror (references to Saw and "torture porn" are well at home here to the money making but broken down generic genre ) and not living in the past.

some really brutal kills that upped the ante

yet... then there is the big reveal. when, like every other Scream film, a regular every day person is revealed to be the killer, yet in Scream 4, the killer suddenly seems to flip the MOTHERF*CKING ABSOLUTELY CRAZY SWITCH! and goes all ape $h*t on EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE! i mean, jeez, it almost got comical after awhile with how demented the character gets with absolutely ZERO signs or warnings coming in the 90 minutes previous... and while in one way it was absolutely awesome and paid homage to old school killers in horror films (they even reference this) and in another way it made no sense.

also the logic and reasoning... well, yeah, that's pretty much awfully written and showcased:

[Show spoiler]"hey you! no one is looking at me! and they only way to get attention is to kill all my family and friends and pretend that i am the survivor so everyone will know me when really i am the killer! but the script didn't show ANY signs of me maybe being the one, which while makes this reveal a big shock, makes NO sense since there was no logic to connect it to the events you're now watching! apparently i am cold and heartless and always have been because how DARE a family member who survived THREE SEPARATE TRAGEDIES get more attention than me!!!!!"

a big 'ol W.T.F. right there, at least to me.

and god knows how many young dumb people will see this and go, "hey... that's a good idea!" oh dear!

BUT! very entertaining and a worthy addition to the franchise. will pick up on blu eventually

Your complaint about the killer is one of the things I liked the best about the movie.

[Show spoiler]You have to admit that you had no idea it was Sidney's niece. They had to have her act normal the whole time so you wouldn't suspect her at all. I would rather have that than know who the killer was way before the reveal. Plus, she obviously didn't just turn on a switch since she was the one killing all of these people.

[Show spoiler]Again, the script not showing any signs of it was the point and I give Kevin props for finally making it somebody you don't suspect at all. They also explained why she did this, which you already said. She was crazy and wanted to be the next Sydney, but obviously went about it in the wrong way.

If anyone does, it's not Wes or Kevin's fault. Good luck finding many people that are in that situation, btw.

To lighten the mood of this post, I will end it by saying... "You don't f*ck with the original."

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

Your complaint about the killer is one of the things I liked the best about the movie.

[Show spoiler]You have to admit that you had no idea it was Sidney's niece. They had to have her act normal the whole time so you wouldn't suspect her at all. I would rather have that than know who the killer was way before the reveal. Plus, she obviously didn't just turn on a switch since she was the one killing all of these people.

[Show spoiler]Again, the script not showing any signs of it was the point and I give Kevin props for finally making it somebody you don't suspect at all. They also explained why she did this, which you already said. She was crazy and wanted to be the next Sydney, but obviously went about it in the wrong way.

If anyone does, it's not Wes or Kevin's fault. Good luck finding many people that are in that situation, btw.

To lighten the mood of this post, I will end it by saying... "You don't f*ck with the original."

i don't think anyone will try and blame the film, but with people saying crazier things like "videogames caused my kid to become a destructive little monster! had nothing to do with me being a bad parent" and other nonsense, having a movie that then describes WHY a person is doing what they're doing and how that makes them

[Show spoiler]"famous"

might make some doofus go, "heyyyyy, great idea!"

and i'm still debating if i like the ending or not. i originally did, and i think it will end up staying that way

[Diesel]

I have a few bucks of Amazon Instant Video credit...think I'll rent X-Men: First Class this week.
I was never all that interested in it...but for free, why not

Originally Posted by Foggy

My new Blu-Ray player came today

Wooo!

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i don't think anyone will try and blame the film, but with people saying crazier things like "videogames caused my kid to become a destructive little monster! had nothing to do with me being a bad parent" and other nonsense, having a movie that then describes WHY a person is doing what they're doing and how that makes them

[Show spoiler]"famous"

might make some doofus go, "heyyyyy, great idea!"

and i'm still debating if i like the ending or not. i originally did, and i think it will end up staying that way

Any movie's ending that has

[Show spoiler]the star defibrillate somebody in the head and then say "You don't f*ck with the original"

gets points in my book.

Originally Posted by Diesel

I have a few bucks of Amazon Instant Video credit...think I'll rent X-Men: First Class this week.
I was never all that interested in it...but for free, why not

It's about flipping time.

[Foggy]

After a good 2 months and something odd weeks after buying it...

Limitless

I think this actually improved since I saw it in theatres.

Yes, I still don't like the ending, and I think it's a mighty deus ex machina cop out (although it's a thousand times better than the pants alternative ending). But it hit me more how this attacks the senses.

It might have something to do with the overly insane bright high definition (Seriously, if my friends ***** to me out what Blu-ray adds to a film, this is going to be one to point them towards), but with it's great use of lighting, editing, effects, camera angles/lenses and the nauseating uber zooms down the new york, it's definitely one of the most unique films you'll see this year, and sort of shows why Neil Burger is a director to look out for. The only problem with his directing is some of the acting, not that it's bad, it's just a little over bearing at times, where people burst out into tears for no reason what so ever.

The plot is very tight, with almost zero plot holes left unattended to by the credits, sure, there are some logic gaps here and there, but they do explain why the characters do certain things, and it never really gets implausible, no matter how silly things get, and there are moments where this film gets silly, but it's strangely charming.

Actually most the highlights for me is when it gets that bit daft and tongue in cheek, like the moment in the ice ring, or the subway fight (Which still is my fave fight scene this year, which is disappointing when looking at the summer films we've had)

Again, my biggest problem comes down to the ending, I don't know why, but when this film starts, you really think it's going to blow you away with a big twist, or a really genius ambiguous cliffhanger, but it doesn't deliver either. At the end of the film, you don't really care what happens once it's finished, or what it's moral or point was. The only compliment I can give the ending was that it wasn't "Drugs are bad, mmkay"

Even though I liked it more than the first time I watched it, I give it the same score.

8.5/10

PQ - Wow, even I was surprised by how this looked, as I mentioned before, the transfer actually enhances the film, which puts it high for me, the only complaint is that there were a few moments where peoples skin tones looked a bit greenish, and the shadows where very dark, but other than that, I can't think of much bad stuff to say - 9/10

AQ - Sound is also a key feature in Limitless, it's very much a sensual film, so it's good to say audio is superb on the film. It's a very dialogue driven film, so no baysplosions to blow your mind apart through the speakers, but it's nice - 8/10

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Wow, I've been looking forward to this but that makes me even more anxious... sounds great. Btw, here's a nice shot to rival some Malick visuals

[Show spoiler]

Nice!

[iam1bearcat]

Devil - 3/5

it's been a long time since i've watched an M. Night film, so of course, i kind of forgot to expect the big twist ending he always had, so when it arrived in Devil, i was thrown for a loop. but upon thinking back on it, i asked, "did it make a lot of sense?" and the answer is, "it doesn't really matter" since this is a film about the Devil. so the 'vehicle' he travels in means almost nothing. yet, this will likely be a make it or break it moment for a lot of the audience.

acting wasn't anything above average (and average at best by the way...), camera movements were super slick and zoomed in and some weird angles, the film itself looked okay, but nothing special (or sharp), and the writing was better than i anticipated. ...however, Devil doesn't really contain many scares. at first i thought it was gonna be awful with booming generic bass rattling my walls, but the tension and atmosphere did pick up so that was nice to see.

and i was entertained for the entire 75 minute run time. i liked that the film was short and to the point. didn't waste much time, the script and pacing were right on and kept things moving forward and a pretty steady pace.

and another M. Night trade mark is the main hero who has to overcome a personal tragedy that happened (usually) years ago and has nothing to do with the story at hand until a random draw of the script card. this also didn't bug me and fit in... somewhat nicely to wrap some things up.

all in all, worth seeing but nothing memorable and the lack of legitimate scares and freaky moments bring it down a bunch as far as a horror movie goes.

[Al_The_Strange]

Got the steelbook for "The Green Lantern" (which is lovely, but I didn't bother taking pics of it ), and showed it off to my parents. We all agree: we don't see that much wrong with it. We did feel that the little scene in the credits didn't make much sense (

[Show spoiler]What good reason does Sinestro have to use the ring of fear?! A sequel better make sense of that!

). But on this viewing, the film didn't seem as entertaining as I remembered; all the drama on Earth kinda does get in the way of things. I can also kinda see how some scenes were re-arranged from what was originally scripted.

And the Extended cut adds a few interesting scenes to reinforce the story/characters, but also drags it out a little more.

I think my score will remain the same, but I would change my recommendation line, especially given all the hate for this movie:

Recommendation: As a rental.

The Blu-Ray is pretty darn dark, but still sharp, detailed, and clean. Sound quality is not bad.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4.5/5

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“The Green Lantern”

I never really knew a darned thing about the “Green Lantern” prior to this movie. It’s quite an experience watching entire races of aliens banding together to repel evil with sheer willpower. When the film’s not focusing on otherworldly planetscapes or outlandish mythology, the film packs itself with generous amounts of butt-kicking action, lighthearted humor, gorgeous special effects, and mass destruction. Hardly a moment goes by without something awesome happening.

The story’s pretty wild, and I’m sure the most critical viewers would call it stupid. But if you take it for what it is, it is fine by superhero standards; the plot is tightly-constructed and the characters show adequate depth. Above all, it’s a story that emphasizes willpower, or courage, as a source of power against fear; with this theme, the movie touches upon issues that most other superhero movies totally ignore.

As a film, it shows quality photography and editing. Acting is fine all around: Ryan Reynolds shows fantastic variety in being both funny and serious; Blake Lively is lovely; Peter Sarsgaard makes a good creep, and has a heck of a womanly scream; Tim Robbins felt a little bit like a throw-away role. Writing is okay, but not too exceptional. Production value shows solid sets, props, costumes, and I loved the SFX (suits and all). Music has some cool parts.

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

[Al_The_Strange]

“Dead Alive” (aka “Braindead”)

Before creating the eternally classic trilogy to outshine all epics (“The Lord of the Rings”), Peter Jackson got his start making eternally epic gorefest flicks. Some would call “Dead Alive” the goriest film of all time; I believe it falls just short, right behind the crazy Japanese films “Tokyo Gore Police” and “Meatball Machine.” But hell, back in 1992, “Dead Alive” probably would have held the record, and to this day, it’s still pretty darn sick! It starts off a little cringe-worthy, with a severed hand here, some flesh-eating there, and one crazy (and hilarious) kung-fu fight toward the middle. Once you get to the final act, it becomes an all-out eruption of craziness for at least half an hour. It’s pretty darn amazing what setpieces are derived using such things as lamps, garden gnomes, blenders, a lawn-mower, etc; the blood really flies, and the guts are everywhere (literally; there’s a scene where a man’s guts come to life and start chasing the main character). It definitely takes a strong gut to be able to watch all this madness. Despite all this carnage, the movie is not really horrific; it’s a comedy at its core, filled with screwball antics, silly lines, cheesy acting, and an overall zany style that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead II.” Yep, it’s a blast!

The story is pretty sound too. It’s a pretty clever comedic set-up in which the main character lands himself into constant trouble as he tries to control all the zombies that appear in his home. Throughout the first half of the film, it maintains a steady focus on the characters and their relationships, with the occasional burst of comedy and bloody mayhem to drive the story to its insane finale. In fact, I believe the movie is all about relationships; the main character and his mother take the center stage in a relationship that (literally) turns ugly, and negates the relationship the main man tries to have with the love interest. It gets even wilder when you throw in wannabe friends, lecherous relatives, and a suspicious township. You can’t help but to relate to the character as he fumbles along, and then you root for him during the final confrontation. The film might be a little too ridiculous to say anything significant about the characters and their relationships, but I believe it provides the core conflicts that drive the story, with the whole undead thing being a mere representation of just how “braindead” the dude’s friends and family really are.

The film is pretty wild, with lots of zany and in-your-face photography. Editing can be pretty rapid, but is never overwhelming. Acting is quite over-the-top and crazy, and the writing is okay. The production spares no expense on the blood and make-up effects; some of it may show their weaknesses, but are still highly effective. Locales, sets, props, and costumes are generally not bad. Music is good in some parts and kinda bad in others.

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

Recommendation. Yeah. Just don’t mind the blood.

This Blu-Ray looks fairly soft, with a little too much grain, haze, and occasional specks. Colors and contrast are not particularly great. Much of it still looks adequately detailed and sharp, but it could be better with the right remastering. Sound quality is okay at best.

PQ: 3/5, AQ: 3/5



"I kick ass for the Lord!!!"

[Foggy]

Brought Pulp Fiction today Finally filled up my second shelf

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Brought Pulp Fiction today Finally filled up my second shelf

That was the other Steelbook I got recently. By the end of the year, my Steelbook shelf will be full.

[Foggy]

Time for me to lose a lot of sleep

Alien Marathon!

Stance on the Alien franchise is that I've seen Alien and Aliens, never Alien 3 or Resurrection, and I won't bother getting into Alien vs Predator

Alien



It's rare to really find a film that comes across as timeless, you really can't tell until many many many years later and it still holds that core effect it had with audience back in the day for today's audiences...

Alien for the most part is that film, I think I consider it one of the most timeless films of all time, excluding some very dated effects like Ash's decapitated head and the finale. Most of this comes down the set designs and the xenomorph itself, although like most horror films, most the scares and brilliance doesn't come from the creature itself, it's truly a creature many will find scary for years to come.

Horror and Sci-fi, are two things I see as a hybrid made in heaven. People talk about the fear of the unknown, it's scarier to not know whats attacking you than what it is. Yet when it comes to sci-fi, it's not the fear of the unknown, it's the fear of what we don't know yet that gets to us. Think about it, we've paved it two ways, if aliens come, they're either going to hug us, or obliterate us

And, although I like The Thing better (btw, not looking forward to the Prequel when it hits over here) Alien was here first, and it's the better film. Pacing is top notch, with a slow build, each step leading to an unpredictable shock and the atmosphere consistantly head butting you because it's just moody, you're never really certain what's going to happen each time you watch it, even though you might of watched it a thousand times, there is that gut feeling that the film will get you somehow.

And as a final note, Ridley Scott sucks at giving opening speeches to directors cuts of his films, in this he just says he gets a lot of praise for the film and that he's added some footage in (not that he seemed all that happy about the added stuff). But it's better than the Gladiator one, where he just says "Yeah, my Directors cut, it's quite good", or the Robin Hood "I don't like this version as much as the one in theatres, so sucks for you watching it"

10/10

PQ - You know when I say that this film is timeless, well, blu-ray proves this. I love when I stuck a film from the 70/80's and it looks this good, you just look in awe as you struggle to comprehend the fact it was made 32 years ago I have serious worries about Aliens, considering how dated some of the effects in that film look - 9.5/10

AQ - Put it this way, had to have the TV on low volume because of the folks in bed, and they still complained it was too loud - 10/10

Aliens and (maybe) Alien3 tomorrow

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Right on!

I think I prefer the original scene because of the way it's filmed, framed, and paced. The remake version seemed too fast to me, destroying the tension. But I get what you're saying about it.

I can definitely understand liking the original version more, that was arguably one of the best scenes in the film. I thought the faster pacing of the new one fit perfectly, I mean,

[Show spoiler]people are getting ripped apart

, who needs slow built tension?

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by jvince

That's from the awesome montage in the opening scene, but far and away the best and most iconic shot in the film is the final one. It's simply breathtaking perfection.

I know there's a whole bunch of movies still coming up, but I find it hard to imagine another film replacing Melancholia as my favorite 2011 release. Don't wait for the blu-ray on this one.

That's a helluva opening montage shot. You're helping build the anticipation, definitely looking forward to this.

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Time for me to lose a lot of sleep

Alien Marathon!

Stance on the Alien franchise is that I've seen Alien and Aliens, never Alien 3 or Resurrection, and I won't bother getting into Alien vs Predator

Alien

[Show spoiler]

It's rare to really find a film that comes across as timeless, you really can't tell until many many many years later and it still holds that core effect it had with audience back in the day for today's audiences...

Alien for the most part is that film, I think I consider it one of the most timeless films of all time, excluding some very dated effects like Ash's decapitated head and the finale. Most of this comes down the set designs and the xenomorph itself, although like most horror films, most the scares and brilliance doesn't come from the creature itself, it's truly a creature many will find scary for years to come.

Horror and Sci-fi, are two things I see as a hybrid made in heaven. People talk about the fear of the unknown, it's scarier to not know whats attacking you than what it is. Yet when it comes to sci-fi, it's not the fear of the unknown, it's the fear of what we don't know yet that gets to us. Think about it, we've paved it two ways, if aliens come, they're either going to hug us, or obliterate us

And, although I like The Thing better (btw, not looking forward to the Prequel when it hits over here) Alien was here first, and it's the better film. Pacing is top notch, with a slow build, each step leading to an unpredictable shock and the atmosphere consistantly head butting you because it's just moody, you're never really certain what's going to happen each time you watch it, even though you might of watched it a thousand times, there is that gut feeling that the film will get you somehow.

And as a final note, Ridley Scott sucks at giving opening speeches to directors cuts of his films, in this he just says he gets a lot of praise for the film and that he's added some footage in (not that he seemed all that happy about the added stuff). But it's better than the Gladiator one, where he just says "Yeah, my Directors cut, it's quite good", or the Robin Hood "I don't like this version as much as the one in theatres, so sucks for you watching it"

10/10

PQ - You know when I say that this film is timeless, well, blu-ray proves this. I love when I stuck a film from the 70/80's and it looks this good, you just look in awe as you struggle to comprehend the fact it was made 32 years ago I have serious worries about Aliens, considering how dated some of the effects in that film look - 9.5/10

AQ - Put it this way, had to have the TV on low volume because of the folks in bed, and they still complained it was too loud - 10/10

Aliens and (maybe) Alien3 tomorrow

Nice!! I haven't seen this in years but the Alien and Predator films have always been favorites of mine, I used to have Predator memorized. However, haven't seen any of the Alien series in a looong time, I can't wait to dive back in

I know 1, 2 and 4 very well but I think I've only seen #3 once and I was like 12, that will definitely be interesting to revisit lol... David Finchers first film, and I've heard it's a mess after what Fox did to it. Anyways, 4 is pretty fun, though it's not a great film by any means

[iam1bearcat]

The American - 4.5/5

what is this?! a SLOW film?! ALMOST NO explosions or wicked car chases?! no loud obnoxious club music and weirdo villains that do stupid things?! no robots? no Michael Bayisms?! WHY AM I WATCHING THIS?! i am just a dumb American who can't sit still for two hours and pay attention to dialogue and visuals without a million items being thrown at my f*cking face! how dare you make a movie without all my favorite things!

what am i supposed to text my friends during the movie if nothing interesting happens???!!!!!



sadly, that is likely the response a lot of people will have / have had to The American.

it is slow, methodical, and deliberately paced.

it teases action, but is built as a suspenseful thriller. and it succeeds greatly at that. not because there are two people running around a city chasing each other down spraying bullets left and right, but because of the lack of music (or greatly used score at time), the terrific facial expressions and acting by Clooney, and the thick as syrup that that mosquito from Jurassic Park was stuck in atmosphere. "edge of your seat" might not be exactly what The American gives, but it delivers a strong, constantly thought inspiring, smart thriller that some will simply loathe. and others, like me, will absolutely love.

i love the beautiful setting, the pacing and the lack of characterization for Jack (Clooney).

the story, basically, is that Jack is a specialized weapon maker. he makes weapons for certain people to take out other people in very special, specific ways. and we're following him on his last quest. but, for as great as he is with building weapons (and using them) he doesn't seem to like his job, or at least, no longer likes it, and wants out.

so we follow him on his emotional journey to end his last mission and get out alive while he believes he is being followed.

the story itself isn't the most original or daring. he strikes up a relationship with a hooker (seen before) and of course is most comfortable around her than anyone else (seen before) and seems detached from the world as an "outsider" because of his job which he's likely has for far too long (seen before). but none of that matters because this is a damn good film that is vastly underrated

will definitely be adding The American to my collection some day. hopefully it drops on amazon a little bit more so i can pick it up for under $15. i would highly recommend it to anyone as a rental if you enjoy slow moving films such as Revanche, Michael Clayton, There Will Be Blood, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

this is NOT like the Bourne films or any other "actioneer", even though the previews kind of made it seem that way (for American audiences so us dumbies can follow a long ) so you've been warned.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The American - 4.5/5

[Show spoiler]
what is this?! a SLOW film?! ALMOST NO explosions or wicked car chases?! no loud obnoxious club music and weirdo villains that do stupid things?! no robots? no Michael Bayisms?! WHY AM I WATCHING THIS?! i am just a dumb American who can't sit still for two hours and pay attention to dialogue and visuals without a million items being thrown at my f*cking face! how dare you make a movie without all my favorite things!

what am i supposed to text my friends during the movie if nothing interesting happens???!!!!!



sadly, that is likely the response a lot of people will have / have had to The American.

it is slow, methodical, and deliberately paced.

it teases action, but is built as a suspenseful thriller. and it succeeds greatly at that. not because there are two people running around a city chasing each other down spraying bullets left and right, but because of the lack of music (or greatly used score at time), the terrific facial expressions and acting by Clooney, and the thick as syrup that that mosquito from Jurassic Park was stuck in atmosphere. "edge of your seat" might not be exactly what The American gives, but it delivers a strong, constantly thought inspiring, smart thriller that some will simply loathe. and others, like me, will absolutely love.

i love the beautiful setting, the pacing and the lack of characterization for Jack (Clooney).

the story, basically, is that Jack is a specialized weapon maker. he makes weapons for certain people to take out other people in very special, specific ways. and we're following him on his last quest. but, for as great as he is with building weapons (and using them) he doesn't seem to like his job, or at least, no longer likes it, and wants out.

so we follow him on his emotional journey to end his last mission and get out alive while he believes he is being followed.

the story itself isn't the most original or daring. he strikes up a relationship with a hooker (seen before) and of course is most comfortable around her than anyone else (seen before) and seems detached from the world as an "outsider" because of his job which he's likely has for far too long (seen before). but none of that matters because this is a damn good film that is vastly underrated

will definitely be adding The American to my collection some day. hopefully it drops on amazon a little bit more so i can pick it up for under $15. i would highly recommend it to anyone as a rental if you enjoy slow moving films such as Revanche, Michael Clayton, There Will Be Blood, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

this is NOT like the Bourne films or any other "actioneer", even though the previews kind of made it seem that way (for American audiences so us dumbies can follow a long ) so you've been warned.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I hated this movie, and not just because nothing happens in it.