The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I've also now seen 99 films in the cinema. Just...one...more to break 100...

What, in like, ever?

Also, I've been scared on biting the bullet on Life of Pi, I've been wanting to check out all the Best Picture Nods for the Oscars this year before the show, but this film doesn't look like my thing.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Make it a good one.

I remember seeing Moonrise Kingdom on my 50th birthday.

I've been eyeballing Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters as my next big one.

Originally Posted by Foggy

What, in like, ever?

Also, I've been scared on biting the bullet on Life of Pi, I've been wanting to check out all the Best Picture Nods for the Oscars this year before the show, but this film doesn't look like my thing.

Yep, 99 films in my lifetime...as far as I can remember. Chances are that I might have seen more as a kid, and just forgot about them. I've put down what I do remember (and what I've been told about from my parents) here.

Not sure what you'd make of LoP. Considering your favorites (Reservoir Dogs, Kill List, etc), it might be a bit bright for your tastes. It might behoove you to wait for it to come to disc, and rent it.

[kurtis21]

My Favorite movies of the year were.......

1) Skyfall

2) The Dark Knight Rises

3) The Avengers

4) Django Unchained

5) Lincoln

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I've been eyeballing Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters as my next big one.



Yep, 99 films in my lifetime...as far as I can remember. Chances are that I might have seen more as a kid, and just forgot about them. I've put down what I do remember (and what I've been told about from my parents) here.

Not sure what you'd make of LoP. Considering your favorites (Reservoir Dogs, Kill List, etc), it might be a bit bright for your tastes. It might behoove you to wait for it to come to disc, and rent it.

I wouldn't really call Kill List a favourite but it's damn good film that I picked up on blu yesterday

Also Hansel and Gretel can't you hold off one or two weeks and check out Cloud Atlas

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I wouldn't really call Kill List a favourite but it's damn good film that I picked up on blu yesterday

Also Hansel and Gretel can't you hold off one or two weeks and check out Cloud Atlas

Got a copy of Kill List myself just earlier today.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'll be around to catch Cloud Atlas in the theater. I'm going to have to see how the job situation works out.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Moonrise Kingdom

I strongly dislike all of Wes Andersons films except Bottle Rocket, which I only found borderline tolerable. Actually, I loathe his films. However, I understand what he is trying to do and appreciate that he has his own strong style. Ironically, it is his style that I hate. That said, something I cant explain always draws me to his latest film to see if this is "The One" that finally works for me.

Moonrise Kingdom is a ridiculous film, with corny dialogue, goofy cartoonesque performances, and overly deliberately artistic camera work that clashes with the rest of the movies qualities. I loved it. It was perfect. Perfectly weird.

I think the reason this one worked for me was because it was about kids, and somehow that made everything magically OK.

Film 4.5/5
PQ 4.5/5
AQ 4.5/5

OMG.

Agree.

Every. Single. Word.

Loathe Anderson? Check. Found Bottle Rocket as his only tolerable film? Check. Loved Moonrise? Check.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I: The Egg of the King

Of all the stories I've read and seen, none have captivated and enthralled me more than the Berserk saga. Not only is the action and bloodshed incredible and epic, but the characters are among the most endearing, and provide a solid pathos to drive the story into unpredictable directions. It's a saga deeply steeped in myth; not just a happy slappy fairy-tale myth, but a primal, Earthy type of myth that's rarely seen in any type of fiction. It's also a saga that doesn't just present senseless blood, guts, sex, nudity, or swearing for the sheer fun of it; it actually accentuates the story for a change. By far, Berserk remains the one and only adult-rated fantasy franchise that offers as much of a quality story as it does quality entertainment (imagine Game of Thrones type of awesomeness).

It's a series I hold in such high regard, I like it better than the Lord of the Rings films!

I've been a fan of the 1997 anime series for the last several years; despite its bleak ending, I considered it perfect for its circular narrative. I've since read the first 30+ volumes of Kentaro Miura's original manga, and I was blown away. The story is just immense and dense; I could immediately see the potential for adapting it as a complete anime series, and seeing all the new characters, events, battles, and situations brought to life. I've been yearning to see this series resurrected for a while.

My wish has finally come true: the first in a line of Berserk films has been released to disc. This first 70-minute feature covers about as much ground as the first half or so of the '97 anime series (I forget how that applies to the manga; Vols 2 - 7 or so?). One could probably spend pages and pages comparing the manga, the old anime, and the new anime, for there are certainly a wealth of subtle differences. The key term is subtle, because most of The Egg of the King is familiar territory for me. It hits up a lot of the same plot points exactly as I remember them, while cutting out a lot of excess fat in the story. There may be a bunch of nuances, information, and backstory that gets sacrifices in the process, but so far, the film is doing the manga decent justice.

With so much of the story cut and condensed into a short runtime, there's not much room for the characters to breathe (lesser characters in the Band of the Hawk are never given enough scenes to make them stand out). However, the attention remains firmly on Guts and Griffith, the two characters who are the most important. More scenes would have benefited them both and emphasizes their relationship (which is important in the long run), but there's enough here to understand the gist of it. What's really cool about this film is that many major scenes remain intact, and are still great.

After all these years, the '97 anime has not been holding up that well, given its cheap and stiff animation. Fortunately, this new film does receive a much-needed boost in quality: the film is presented in a sweeping widescreen frame with highly-detailed and colorful renderings. Designs for the characters, settings, props, and monsters are as awesome as ever. If there's any issue here, it's that the movements are a little weird; they almost resemble a video-game in some scenes. Voice-acting (English) is good, and the writing matches up with the old series and manga well. Music is alright.

So far, the new Berserk is about as strong of an anime as the Hellsing: Ultimate series and the Evangelion remakes. After seeing this first film, I'm psyched to see more; the preview at the end promises a polished and exciting continuation of events, while the opening credit scenes hint at new characters and events that have never seen the light of day beyond the pages of the manga. It's still early to tell whether this will be the end-all-be-all anime series for me, but so far, it's looking gooooood!

4.5/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: Nosferatu Zodd demands you watch this film!

This Blu-Ray has some banding to it, might have noticed some jaggies, but is otherwise sharp, clean, clear, and has good colors and contrast. Sound quality is not bad.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I've been eyeballing Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters as my next big one.



Yep, 99 films in my lifetime...as far as I can remember. Chances are that I might have seen more as a kid, and just forgot about them. I've put down what I do remember (and what I've been told about from my parents) here.

Not sure what you'd make of LoP. Considering your favorites (Reservoir Dogs, Kill List, etc), it might be a bit bright for your tastes. It might behoove you to wait for it to come to disc, and rent it.

Yeah, I think everyone will like the middle section the first and last 15 minutes are bruuuutal

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Got a copy of Kill List myself just earlier today.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'll be around to catch Cloud Atlas in the theater. I'm going to have to see how the job situation works out.

I think you'll really take to it: it's very heightened, exuberant, action packed & pulpy. If theres one criticism its that its a bit too straighforward and intelligible.DO NOT MISS IT!

My reasons are different than most fans, but, its in my top 5 out of 70 from 2012.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I wouldn't really call Kill List a favourite but it's damn good film that I picked up on blu yesterday

Also Hansel and Gretel can't you hold off one or two weeks and check out Cloud Atlas

What is this Kill List you Brits are all over. I'm just waiting for a decent price drop to blind buy it. It sounds like my type of film: slow, moody, graphic and Twisty:::

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

What is this Kill List you Brits are all over. I'm just waiting for a decent price drop to blind buy it. It sounds like my type of film: slow, moody, graphic and Twisty:::

It's exactly that. It's genre bending, enigmatic and atmospheric film with a final 20 minutes that are edge of your seat crazy

Just avoid trailers and reading anything about it until you've watched it.

[jvince]

Side by Side (2012)
dir. Christopher Kenneally

The Good: Interesting. Educational.

The Bad: Keanu Reeves as the narrator/interviewer; It just feels... weird. Glosses over a few things. Where's Spielberg? Tarantino? Pixar, even? Slightly leans towards digital. Ultimately feels like some Discovery Channel special.

The Bottom Line: While you likely won't learn much that you didn't already know before, Side by Side is still a solid documentary that every cinephile should seek out.

[Steve46]

Happy Birthday to Hayao Miyazaki (73).

Now go and watch every film he has ever made.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Happy Birthday to Hayao Miyazaki (73).

Now go and watch every film he has ever made.

No...

[Show spoiler]

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jvince

Side by Side (2012)
dir. Christopher Kenneally

The Good: Interesting. Educational.

The Bad: Keanu Reeves as the narrator/interviewer; It just feels... weird. Glosses over a few things. Where's Spielberg? Tarantino? Pixar, even? Slightly leans towards digital. Ultimately feels like some Discovery Channel special.

The Bottom Line: While you likely won't learn much that you didn't already know before, Side by Side is still a solid documentary that every cinephile should seek out.

Funny thing is all of those directors have shot on digital. Seems a bit biased.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Happy Birthday to Hayao Miyazaki (73).

Now go and watch every film he has ever made.

There are a bunch on my list of must sees, but I am waiting for Blu-ray releases.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Yeah, I think everyone will like the middle section the first and last 15 minutes are bruuuutal

Talking about Life of Pi? Yep, I can agree with that.

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I think you'll really take to it: it's very heightened, exuberant, action packed & pulpy. If theres one criticism its that its a bit too straighforward and intelligible.DO NOT MISS IT!

My reasons are different than most fans, but, its in my top 5 out of 70 from 2012.

I like the sounds of it. The Watchowskis haven't disappointed me yet (even with Speed Racer).

[Al_The_Strange]

To Kill a Mockingbird

It's a classic. Drag is minimal. Plenty of interesting courtroom scenes and scenes of kids getting into mischief. The story's a classic with lots of strong themes regarding race, tolerance, maturity, and whatnot. It's well-made and acting is great.

4/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

The Blu-Ray has a few soft spots, but otherwise it has plenty of good sharp scenes, good contrast levels, and superb clarity. Sound quality is decent.

PQ: 4/5, AQ: 4/5

[Steve46]

Life of Pi (2012)
Adventure, Drama, 127 minutes
Directed by Ang Lee
Starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, and Ayush Tandon

It's been four years since Slumdog Millionaire took home eight Oscars. I found myself thinking of that movie because Life of Pi opens in India and the cast is predominantly comprised of Indian actors. Like Slumdog Millionaire, the movie uses several actors to portray the main character at different ages. In fact, the older Pi is played by Irrfan Khan, who appears in both movies.

The story is framed with the older Pi relating his story to a writer. We learn that Pi's father owned a zoo, and his mother worked there as a botanist. His father is fond of giving Pi advice, and one memorable lesson involves a demonstration of how dangerous tigers can be, and that they should not be treated like a pet or a friend.

Pi is shown at four different ages, but the bulk of the story shows Pi as a young man, so Suraj Sharma receives the most screen time. Like Cast Away and 127 Hours, the movie relies on one actor holding our attention, and Sharma does a wonderful job of doing just that. It's his first role and he had to show a vast range of emotions in order for everything to work.

The first part of the movie shows Pi's life as a young boy. We see him go to school, and ultimately fall in love. But his life (and the story) is shaken up when his mother and father inform him that they have decided to move the family to Canada. Along with some of the animals, they set sail for their new home. If you have seen the trailer, or even the poster for this movie, it's not a spoiler to reveal that Pi ends up in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. I imagine that's quite a selling point, as a lot of people would wonder how such a relationship could possibly work.

Director Ang Lee overcomes the limitations of such an enclosed setting in several spectacular ways. It's fascinating to see how Pi tries to survive, as well as co-existing with a dangerous carnivore. The visual aspects of the movie are of the highest quality, and I would be shocked if the movie wasn't nominated in several technical categories. The tiger is convincing, but the visual effects also shine when we are shown some of the things that can happen at sea.

I think Life of Pi is a movie that should be experienced without knowing too much of the story beforehand, so I am not going to reveal anything more about the plot. Although I will mention that the ending is open-ended and leaves you guessing about what really happened out on the ocean.

Religion is an ever-present theme. The movie will ask you to think about why the events in our lives happen, and whether they are random or part of God's plan. But more than one religion is mentioned, and it's not done in an overbearing way.

The script is well-written, and is a big reason why the story works. There is quite a bit of humor, but it's smart and feels natural.

I'm not sure how many movies I have seen this year, but this is one of the best. The story feels fresh and unusual, and some of it is profound and moving. I should also say that a few of the animals are hurt or even killed, so be warned if you are sensitive to such things. That said, you would see more brutality on a nature documentary like Planet Earth.

Life of Pi grabbed my attention early and held it for two hours. It's more than special effects, with the screenplay and acting both standing out. I highly recommend it.

Overall score 4.5/5

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jvince

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
dir. Malik Bendjelloul

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Wow... What an amazing story: An enigmatic, Bob Dylan-esque singer-songwriter from Detroit catches the attention of producers back in the 70s who believe he'll become a big, musical icon. His albums bomb and he later commits suicide onstage during one of his gigs. Sadly, unknown to him, he's a huge superstar in South Africa (even bigger than Elvis), and more than 20 years later, two of his fans attempt to uncover what really happened to their musical hero. Rodriguez's songs are fantastic, it's absolutely unfathomable how he never got famous here in the States. Guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye before it ends.

The Bad: Upon further reading, the filmmakers ignored a few things for dramatic purposes.

The Bottom Line: Not only is Searching for Sugar Man the sure frontrunner for "Best Documentary," it is also one of the very best films you'll see this year.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm really glad I saw it.

Won't say much more than was already said here. It's a fascinating and touching story about a very simple-minded individual. Everybody that has access to this should watch it.