The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jvince]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

I'm sold enough on Short Term 12 that I want the Blu-ray...

Oh, gotcha.

[jvince]

It's Not You, It's Me -- Gillian Jacobs, Rob Huebel & Fran Kranz - YouTube

It's Not You, It's Me (2012)
dir. Matt Spicer

The Good: Gillian Jacobs. The emphasis on sounds. Cool song choices. Suitcases.

The Bad: A tad by-the-numbers.

The Bottom Line: So, it turns out Britta is a psychopath after all. Why you gotta keep Britta-ing things up, Britta? A deliciously dark comedy about relationships. Writer-director Matt Spicer is one to watch.

[Member-244966]

Elysium. Great Sci-Fi fun, Sharlto Copley absolutely killed it in this movie!

8/10

Kick-Ass 2. Sorry haters, but I found nothing but entertainment in this sequel. I felt the puking/diarrhoea scene was a bit overkill (And disgusting), and I have to say, I've never had an experience so horrible in the cinema watching

[Show spoiler]The Mother****er's team trashing the Justice Forever whilst Colonel Stars and Stripes watches in pain

but the Ian Glenn cameo was brilliant and despite being darker, I thought it was hilarious and just as good as the first

9/10

[legendarymatt92]

A couple of mini-reviews:


Season of the Witch (dir. Dominic Sena, 2011)

The major problem with SotW is that it doesn't quite know what it wants to be: is it a medieval thriller, a supernatural chiller or an action movie? What's certain is it fails on almost every level at being anything resembling competent film-making, and is so painfully dull that it can't even be described as "unintentionally funny". It very occasionally does manage to find the right atmosphere, and I'd even go as far as to say that some shots are impressively -- and surprisingly -- sumptuous, but these flickers of positivity are too few and far between in the cesspit of terrible dialogue and boring plot that they make no difference.

2.5/10


The Pink Panther (dir. Shawn Levy, 2006)

Awful, turgid attempted reboot of a beloved, classic series, in which there is no consistent or even tone and the comedy falls completely flat. I hated every moment of it, and not because it was awful -- it was competently made, as is Levy's apparent speciality of producing middling wares -- but because it didn't understand one iota of the humour Sellers' brought to the role in Blake Edwards' originals, which is almost the holy grail when remaking something such as that.

2/10


Johnny English Reborn (dir. Oliver Parker, 2011)

At one point, Atkinson's English was the archetypal cinematic spoof agent, and easily the most popular here in Britain. It was the British sensibilities, the gentle (yet entirely awestruck) spoofing of James Bond and the visual humour that made it much more palatable than some absolute train-wrecks. Fortunately, some of that well-balanced humour finds its way into Parker's sequel, and it does tick over nicely with some funny moments, but it never feels as gusto and real as the first did: it feels as though it's holding back and, rather than enjoying itself and revelling in its parody, it purposely attempts to make more lewd jokes for crass effect. It wasn't awful and it certainly was entertaining, but it was never as hilarious or unhinged as it could -- and should -- have been.

4.5/10

[Foggy]

Matt, why would you watch that shit?

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Matt, why would you watch that shit?

I take it he has run down all the Lang, Hitchcock, Ozu, Griffith, Antonioni, Fellini, Ford, Peckinpah, Akerman, Wiseman, Errol Morris, Hawks, Bergman, Tarkovsky, Cocteau, Dreyer, Minnelli, Ophuls, Truffaut, Malle,,, he could get his hands on. Now it's all about devouring t h e r e s t.

[legendarymatt92]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Matt, why would you watch that shit?

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I take it he has run down all the Lang, Hitchcock, Ozu, Griffith, Antonioni, Fellini, Ford, Peckinpah, Akerman, Wiseman, Errol Morris, Hawks, Bergman, Tarkovsky, Cocteau, Dreyer, Minnelli, Ophuls, Truffaut, Malle,,, he could get his hands on. Now it's all about devouring t h e r e s t.

Let's take it as something like that. The truth is far more banal: my girlfriend wanted to watch them on holiday. Johnny English Reborn was surprisingly more entertaining than I thought originally it would be; I find myself trying increasingly to like Oliver Parker and failing, so it was only logical that I should see his most recent offering.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest rental: Supergirl

Holy crap, they made a Supergirl movie? When did this happen? Why did it happen? Sure, I've seen all four of the Salkinds' Superman films (I grew up on the first two; they've been with me my whole life), but for whatever reason, I never knew of this film's existence until recently.

Well, there are reasons why some movies fall into obscurity: Supergirl is pretty silly and stupid. It taps into all the same colorful, cartoony, and corny elements that made Superman III and Superman IV so ridiculous. What action and heroics Supergirl goes through is pretty lame, lacking in any major thrills or spectacle. Special effects are plentiful, but are quite gaudy at times. Above all, the entire film is overshadowed by its constant focus on a sappy romance and, for some odd reason, showcasing witches as the evil villains. Witches...really?

The story for this film is as stupid as they come: the opening scenes are loaded with some of the stupidest and nonsensical exposition ever written, and everything from then on is just one random thing after another. Supergirl herself can be an appealing character, but she comes across as a ditz at times. All the characters are pretty shallow and dumb.

This film has okay, but rarely exceptional, photography and editing. Acting is extremely hammy and over-the-top: Helen Slater is probably the only decent performance here; Faye Dunaway acts like she belongs in the movie Hocus Pocus, while Peter O'Toole acts like a slacker version of Lawrence of Arabia. Writing is nothing to scream about either. This production uses sets, props, costumes, and special effects that are extravagant, but also somewhat cheap and gaudy. Music is not bad though.

Supergirl is to the Superman franchise what Red Sonja is to the Conan movies. Diehard fans might want to give it a rental someday, but everybody else should avoid.

2/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Awful | Film: Poor)

Recommendation: Nope!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by legendarymatt92

Let's take it as something like that. The truth is far more banal: my girlfriend wanted to watch them on holiday. Johnny English Reborn was surprisingly more entertaining than I thought originally it would be; I find myself trying increasingly to like Oliver Parker and failing, so it was only logical that I should see his most recent offering.

Well, it's time to give her a mix tape with Fiona Apple's "Get Gone."

[jvince]

Safety Last! (1923)
dir. Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor

The Good: The amazing climbing sequence.

The Bad: Too many contrivances. Most of the gags aren't that funny. Feels longer than it should be. They could have easily trimmed the department store portion to make the film tighter.

The Bottom Line: Maybe I was spoiled by the sheer awesomeness and hilarity of Chaplin and Keaton, but I didn't find Safety Last! anywhere near as charming or inventive as the works of those two legendary slapstick masters. The final 20 minutes makes this film worth seeing though.

[The Great Owl]

Killing Season, which stars Robert De Niro and John Travolta, was shot on several locations here in Georgia, including Sweetwater Creek State Park, Black Rock Mountain State Park, Tallulah Gorge State Park, and the Pine Mountain Gold Museum. I rented Killing Season earlier this afternoon from a Redbox dollar booth down the street because I expected to see several familiar landmarks, and I was not disappointed. A pivotal confrontation takes place inside the old mill ruins at Sweetwater Creek where friends and I go running at least once a month, an early moment features scenic shots of Tallulah Gorge where I have spent several weekends hiking and taking my own photographs, and various other sequences effectively mix footage from areas inside these parks. Since I will be out at Sweetwater Creek State Park this coming weekend for a trail race, I know that I will enjoy running by the same terrain where De Niro and Travolta stalked and brutally attacked each other time and time again.

Unfortunately, Killing Season is really not a good movie.

De Niro and Travolta are both phoning in their performances with bad dialogue from a vapid script. John Travolta has an unintentionally comical look with the worst facial hair imaginable, and his Serbian accent does no favors to the character portrayal. Robert De Niro sleepwalks through the story with no real emotion whatsoever, and he even seems bored when pulling an arrow out of his calf. I will not go so far as to say that Killing Season is unwatchable, but there is a good reason why this 2013 film went straight to video, and it makes me think of the lower-tier action movies that used to air during off hours on Cinemax or Showtime.

The above-mentioned Georgia State Parks have some visually spectacular settings, but there are better ways to see them.

[jvince]

Riddick (2013)
dir. David Twohy

The Good: Vin Diesel. Riddick's pet jackal. The box. Naked Starbuck. Not a complete Pitch Black retread like the trailers suggest. Has some nice, suspenseful moments.

The Bad: Shitty, shitty CGI. So shitty, this could easily be mistaken for an early 90s film. Drags in spots. Acting is a little iffy. Climax feels weird in a sort of "that's it?" kind of way. Ultimately pointless.

The Bottom Line: So, was this third chapter really necessary, it just had to be made? No, not at all. Nine years, and this is the best story Twohy can come up with? There's barely any major plot advancements and the whole thing just screams half-baked, so what's the point? That aside, it is fairly entertaining, I'll give it that. Just don't forget to turn your brain off if you wish to see this.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by jvince

Riddick (2013)
dir. David Twohy[/CENTER]

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Vin Diesel. Riddick's pet jackal. The box. Naked Starbuck. Not a complete Pitch Black retread like the trailers suggest. Has some nice, suspenseful moments.

The Bad: Shitty, shitty CGI. So shitty, this could easily be mistaken for an early 90s film. Drags in spots. Acting is a little iffy. Climax feels weird in a sort of "that's it?" kind of way. Ultimately pointless.

The Bottom Line: So, was this third chapter really necessary, it just had to be made? No, not at all. Nine years, and this is the best story Twohy can come up with? There's barely any major plot advancements and the whole thing just screams half-baked, so what's the point? That aside, it is fairly entertaining, I'll give it that. Just don't forget to turn your brain off if you wish to see this.

That's disappointing. My minimum expectation was to be entertained, so it'll please me if my reaction is close to your's. Was hoping for a little more than that though.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

Riddick (2013)
dir. David Twohy

The Good: Vin Diesel. Riddick's pet jackal. The box. Naked Starbuck. Not a complete Pitch Black retread like the trailers suggest. Has some nice, suspenseful moments.

The Bad: Shitty, shitty CGI. So shitty, this could easily be mistaken for an early 90s film. Drags in spots. Acting is a little iffy. Climax feels weird in a sort of "that's it?" kind of way. Ultimately pointless.

The Bottom Line: So, was this third chapter really necessary, it just had to be made? No, not at all. Nine years, and this is the best story Twohy can come up with? There's barely any major plot advancements and the whole thing just screams half-baked, so what's the point? That aside, it is fairly entertaining, I'll give it that. Just don't forget to turn your brain off if you wish to see this.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jvince

Riddick (2013)
dir. David Twohy

The Good: Vin Diesel. Riddick's pet jackal. The box. Naked Starbuck. Not a complete Pitch Black retread like the trailers suggest. Has some nice, suspenseful moments.

The Bad: Shitty, shitty CGI. So shitty, this could easily be mistaken for an early 90s film. Drags in spots. Acting is a little iffy. Climax feels weird in a sort of "that's it?" kind of way. Ultimately pointless.

The Bottom Line: So, was this third chapter really necessary, it just had to be made? No, not at all. Nine years, and this is the best story Twohy can come up with? There's barely any major plot advancements and the whole thing just screams half-baked, so what's the point? That aside, it is fairly entertaining, I'll give it that. Just don't forget to turn your brain off if you wish to see this.

Originally Posted by Diesel

That's disappointing. My minimum expectation was to be entertained, so it'll please me if my reaction is close to your's. Was hoping for a little more than that though.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - YouTube

[KilloWertz]

No offense to jvince, but the review doesn't change anything for me. I still plan on attempting to make a rare trip to the theater to see Riddick.

[SquidPuppet]

I am between Netflix discs of Bordwalk Empire, so I am finally going to watch two movies tonight.

Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro.

[Abdrewes]

I haven't even seen the first two Riddick films. aren't they gonna be on crazy sale next week at Best Buy.

[jvince]

Pitch Black (2000)
dir. David Twohy

The Good: Interesting premise. Decent characterizations. Cool set design. Inspired POV effects. Fantastic set locations.

The Bad: Odd stylistic choices, such as the editing and the distracting use of color filters. Cheap-looking CGI. First half has some pacing issues. Shaky acting.

The Bottom Line: It might not seem like it, but after seeing Riddick and then revisiting Pitch Black, Vin Diesel has actually improved on his acting skills. A respectable, low-budget sci-fi thriller that has its moments. Easily the best installment in the Riddick saga.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Diesel

That's disappointing. My minimum expectation was to be entertained, so it'll please me if my reaction is close to your's. Was hoping for a little more than that though.

You know, I forgot to mention, I did get to meet that Vin Diesel fellow. Such a nice and humble dude. He did autographs and took pics for all of the fans who attended. You rarely see other actors do that. Actually, at first, he was only able to sign and take pics with the first few people before being whisked away by his bodyguards. He did a few photos and interviews at the red carpet for a few minutes and then, all of a sudden, he slipped past his guys and ran back towards the fans to continue signing and taking pics with the rest. He didn't have to do that -- and most actors wouldn't -- but he did it anyway. Then, before the show, he went up and made a 10-minute speech thanking all kinds of people, including his fans. He seemed genuinely happy to be there. Now, I could see why people love him. He just won over a new fan.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - YouTube

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

No offense to jvince, but the review doesn't change anything for me. I still plan on attempting to make a rare trip to the theater to see Riddick.

It's not bad, and it was fun. Just a decent, mindless flick to pass time, really.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I am between Netflix discs of Bordwalk Empire, so I am finally going to watch two movies tonight.

Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro.

I haven't seen Kiki's yet, but Totoro is great.

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I haven't even seen the first two Riddick films. aren't they gonna be on crazy sale next week at Best Buy.

Pitch Black is worth a look.