The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[surfdude12]

Mad Max: Fury Road 4.5/5

Wowza this film was 120 minutes of non-stop octane adrenal ...and I loved every second of it I didn't care that the action was over the top, because the whole setting and circumstances were over the top. When I saw the dudes playing drums I was like "WTF, funny!". When I saw the dude playing the electric guitar I first thought "ok this is facking insane, but then realized "wait a minute...this whole facking world is insane, this dude playing the electric guitar fits perfectly" (on a side note: I loved how that guitar dude at one point has his guitar taken but then when he got it back he just kept on playing, he never cared about the battle...just playing )
The character development was excellent. Theron's character went through a convincing struggle and her relationship with Max had incredible scope. Overall just great.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

The Revenant 4/5

Very solid film overall. Excellent cinematography. Unbelievably long no-cut sequences of intense and complicated action! I've never seen anything like it. I mean the sequence is going on for 10 minutes straight, which includes a sequence of people falling out of trees and getting hit at precise camera locations...it just boggles the mind how they pulled it all off. Not much to gripe about. A few scenes seemed implausible like

[Show spoiler] surviving that bear mauling

but overall a very solid film.

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Mad Max: Fury Road 4.5/5

Wowza this film was 120 minutes of non-stop octane adrenal ...and I loved every second of it I didn't care that the action was over the top, because the whole setting and circumstances were over the top. When I saw the dudes playing drums I was like "WTF, funny!". When I saw the dude playing the electric guitar I first thought "ok this is facking insane, but then realized "wait a minute...this whole facking world is insane, this dude playing the electric guitar fits perfectly" (on a side note: I loved how that guitar dude at one point has his guitar taken but then when he got it back he just kept on playing, he never cared about the battle...just playing )
The character development was excellent. Theron's character went through a convincing struggle and her relationship with Max had incredible scope. Overall just great.

Awesome, these are my top two favorite movies from last year.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

The Revenant 4/5

Very solid film overall. Excellent cinematography. Unbelievably long no-cut sequences of intense and complicated action! I've never seen anything like it. I mean the sequence is going on for 10 minutes straight, which includes a sequence of people falling out of trees and getting hit at precise camera locations...it just boggles the mind how they pulled it all off. Not much to gripe about. A few scenes seemed implausible like

[Show spoiler] surviving that bear mauling

but overall a very solid film.

I think the bear mauling was the only bit that's actually historically accurate.

[surfdude12]

Love & Friendship 2/5

Not sure why this got such rave critic acclaim. Unlike most Jane Austen films, the "romance" (if you call it that) is more cut-throat and selfish than warm and genuine. Nothing wrong with that, except I can't root for a protagonist who selfishly manipulates people

[Show spoiler]without consequence

. Even the worst movie villains in film history weren't that lucky

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I think the bear mauling was the only bit that's actually historically accurate.

LOL I think you're right.

[surfdude12]

The Babadook 5/5

Wow, this film was amazing. Reminded me a lot of The Shining. Especially the constant reference to Big Bad Wolf and 3 little pigs tale (Jack: little pigs, little pigs, please let me in...then I'll huff and I'll puff )

Overall, the best and most powerful aspect of the film (like The Shining) is the theme of how we create our own inner hell/monsters in our heads, and we feed this monster the more we deny its existence.

[Show spoiler]In the film, we constantly hear "let me in your house!". Where "house" is a metaphor for "mind" or "head" and its almost like evil thoughts only come into our head if we invite them. A great quote in the film is "The more you deny me, the stronger I become" - this reminds me of the Socrates (?) quote "what we resist, persists" or biblical quote "resist not evil" (i.e. the more you deny something, the stronger it gets). Only by seeing it for what it is (and not running away from it), do you defeat it. Its so powerful because its practical - I can use it today as I go about my day. If I start to feel upset at someone, the more I deny that I'm upset and ignore it, the more upset I'll get. Only by stopping and asking myself "ok you're upset - why? ...." and understanding it will it go away.

This theme was also in Lost Highway, when the "mystery man" (Robert Blake) goes up to Bill Pullman and says:

MYSTERY MAN: I'm inside your house

PULLMAN: How'd you get inside my house? (i.e. head)

MYSTERY MAN: You invited me. Its not my custom to go where I'm not invited (i.e. evil thoughts won't go inside a head where they're not invited)

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Love & Friendship 2/5

Not sure why this got such rave critic acclaim. Unlike most Jane Austen films, the "romance" (if you call it that) is more cut-throat and selfish than warm and genuine. Nothing wrong with that, except I can't root for a protagonist who selfishly manipulates people

[Show spoiler]without consequence

. Even the worst movie villains in film history weren't that lucky

Almost went and watched this the other day, but wasn't feeling up to it. I might check it out come later in the year but at the moment I'm a bit relieved (it would have made like my 4th cinema trip in about 3 days, I would have been knackered).

Originally Posted by surfdude12

The Babadook 5/5

Wow, this film was amazing. Reminded me a lot of The Shining. Especially the constant reference to Big Bad Wolf and 3 little pigs tale (Jack: little pigs, little pigs, please let me in...then I'll huff and I'll puff )

Overall, the best and most powerful aspect of the film (like The Shining) is the theme of how we create our own inner hell/monsters in our heads, and we feed this monster the more we deny its existence.

[Show spoiler]In the film, we constantly hear "let me in your house!". Where "house" is a metaphor for "mind" or "head" and its almost like evil thoughts only come into our head if we invite them. A great quote in the film is "The more you deny me, the stronger I become" - this reminds me of the Socrates (?) quote "what we resist, persists" or biblical quote "resist not evil" (i.e. the more you deny something, the stronger it gets). Only by seeing it for what it is (and not running away from it), do you defeat it. Its so powerful because its practical - I can use it today as I go about my day. If I start to feel upset at someone, the more I deny that I'm upset and ignore it, the more upset I'll get. Only by stopping and asking myself "ok you're upset - why? ...." and understanding it will it go away.

This theme was also in Lost Highway, when the "mystery man" (Robert Blake) goes up to Bill Pullman and says:

MYSTERY MAN: I'm inside your house

PULLMAN: How'd you get inside my house? (i.e. head)

MYSTERY MAN: You invited me. Its not my custom to go where I'm not invited (i.e. evil thoughts won't go inside a head where they're not invited)

Yeah, this one is really superb, really want to revisit it.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Almost went and watched this the other day, but wasn't feeling up to it. I might check it out come later in the year but at the moment I'm a bit relieved (it would have made like my 4th cinema trip in about 3 days, I would have been knackered).

If you do, let me know what you think. TRIVIA QUESTION: the opening few minutes has a score sequence that is copy of one of Al's favorite films!!! See if you can figure out which one LOL

Knackered...holy cow haven't heard that in years.

Yeah, this one is really superb, really want to revisit it.

What really amazed me was how, in a matter of 90 minutes, the mom-son relationship went from

[Show spoiler] warm to neutral to cold to HOMICIDAL to cold to neutral and back to warm

and CONVINCINGLY!!!!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

If you do, let me know what you think. TRIVIA QUESTION: the opening few minutes has a score sequence that is copy of one of Al's favorite films!!! See if you can figure out which one LOL

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

LOL

I knew it RIGHT when I heard it.

Here's another hint: its an opening score sequence of one of your favorite films where they're introducing the characters....

(I just looked and its in your top 20, for some reason I thought it was your #1, or #2, but its still in top 20)

ok here is the answer LOL

[Show spoiler]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI-mDTdeKR8

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

What really amazed me was how, in a matter of 90 minutes, the mom-son relationship went from

[Show spoiler] warm to neutral to cold to HOMICIDAL to cold to neutral and back to warm

and CONVINCINGLY!!!!

While I wouldn't call their relationship warm at the start, you're right, it really puts the characters at the center, and I love how the house seems to become more and more gothic as the film goes on, and it plays both towards the psychology and the supernatural. It's kind of like Night of the Hunter, where the horror becomes less domesticated and more of a horror story, and the house and the rooms begin to get framed like a silent horror film, with over sized roofs and exaggerated shadows.

I also liked that the ending was more about

[Show spoiler]coming to terms with that dark side, accepting the creature, whether you see it as her grief for her husband or her fears towards her child. Usually in films like this they defeat the monster and then they've just over come what ever problems they have. It's like the two different endings of The Descent, the US ending one has her escaping, kinda symbolising her getting over her families death, but the original ending has only a tease of that ending and she winds remaining trapped, because she'll never truly be able to escape what she has lost. One's optimistic and one's pessimistic, but The Babadook manages to walk the line between the two to get something narratively satisfying, whilst not losing the ambiguity as to the physical threat and menace.

I recommend checking out It Follows, which was the rave horror film from last year. I don't think you'll particularly care for it's aesthetic, and it doesn't quite share the ambiguity as The Babadook, but it taps into quite a few of the existential fears that The Babadook does.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

LOL

I knew it RIGHT when I heard it.

Here's another hint: its an opening score sequence of one of your favorite films where they're introducing the characters....

(I just looked and its in your top 20, for some reason I thought it was your #1, or #2, but its still in top 20)

ok here is the answer LOL

[Show spoiler]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI-mDTdeKR8

Ha! I was going through my faves in my head and this was one of my guesses (especially since the L&F soundtrack seems to be mostly classical). My only other guesses would have been LOTR (which seems too subtle and less iconic in its character intros), or Koyaanisqatsi (which isn't on my top 20 now, but should be--that list is quite outdated now).

[Show spoiler]So if one of these fine Jane Austen type of gentlemen stares deeply into the camera and drinks a glass of milk, I might be inclined to give the film a try.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

The Babadook 5/5

Wow, this film was amazing. Reminded me a lot of The Shining. Especially the constant reference to Big Bad Wolf and 3 little pigs tale (Jack: little pigs, little pigs, please let me in...then I'll huff and I'll puff )

[Show spoiler]

Overall, the best and most powerful aspect of the film (like The Shining) is the theme of how we create our own inner hell/monsters in our heads, and we feed this monster the more we deny its existence.

[Show spoiler]In the film, we constantly hear "let me in your house!". Where "house" is a metaphor for "mind" or "head" and its almost like evil thoughts only come into our head if we invite them. A great quote in the film is "The more you deny me, the stronger I become" - this reminds me of the Socrates (?) quote "what we resist, persists" or biblical quote "resist not evil" (i.e. the more you deny something, the stronger it gets). Only by seeing it for what it is (and not running away from it), do you defeat it. Its so powerful because its practical - I can use it today as I go about my day. If I start to feel upset at someone, the more I deny that I'm upset and ignore it, the more upset I'll get. Only by stopping and asking myself "ok you're upset - why? ...." and understanding it will it go away.

This theme was also in Lost Highway, when the "mystery man" (Robert Blake) goes up to Bill Pullman and says:

MYSTERY MAN: I'm inside your house

PULLMAN: How'd you get inside my house? (i.e. head)

MYSTERY MAN: You invited me. Its not my custom to go where I'm not invited (i.e. evil thoughts won't go inside a head where they're not invited)

Nice to see a perfect score. I was seriously impressed by this film as well. It really got under my skin, especially how it escalates psychologically the longer the mother goes without sleep and small moments like the coat at the police station. I had to go out and find a copy on blu after seeing it on Netflix and found a pretty neat special edition at Best Buy with a pop-up book slipcover.

Great insight into the film. The Witch is another film that deals with the theme of fear exceptionally well.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Mad Max: Fury Road 4.5/5

Wowza this film was 120 minutes of non-stop octane adrenal ...and I loved every second of it I didn't care that the action was over the top, because the whole setting and circumstances were over the top. When I saw the dudes playing drums I was like "WTF, funny!". When I saw the dude playing the electric guitar I first thought "ok this is facking insane, but then realized "wait a minute...this whole facking world is insane, this dude playing the electric guitar fits perfectly" (on a side note: I loved how that guitar dude at one point has his guitar taken but then when he got it back he just kept on playing, he never cared about the battle...just playing )
The character development was excellent. Theron's character went through a convincing struggle and her relationship with Max had incredible scope. Overall just great.

It's about damn time....

[Al_The_Strange]

Haven't really found the time or motivation to do full-blown reviews on my latest viewings. So, here's a bunch of rambling summaries:

Captain America: Civil War: Yeah, sure, it's okay, why not? As most reviews point out, the movie wastes little time on a setup, because it's already there from every other Marvel movie before it. This film promises an emotional climax for the Steve Rodgers / Winter Soldier / Iron Man conflict, which results in a massive 12-hero fight in an airport that's just plain nuts. As cool as it all is, I found myself caring shockingly little for the emotional stakes. If anything, I found myself sympathizing with Tony Stark more (even though I agree more with Rodger's stance on the political issues), and less about Cap / WS, which is what we should probably care about the most. On top of that, there are plot holes and some subplots that have little to do with Cap America (seriously, how long was

[Show spoiler]Spider-Man's reintroduction

?). On the plus side, the debate at the core of the film is interesting, and carries a lot of the same thematic density that Batman vs Superman had.

3.5/5 (best recommended to Marvel fans)
--------------------
X-Men: Days of Future Past: Always did love it. It might have one or two plot holes and a lot going on, but I admire the film a lot for its double-barrelled narrative wrapped around a Terminator-style plot. Conflicts are tense, action is great, but what I love the most are the characters. So many familiar faces pick up the strands where previous films left off (even finding some dramatic gold from the series' crappiest moments), and they run with them to weave a phenomenal web of clashes. This makes it a very cathartic experience, almost to the point of operatic melodrama (seriously,

[Show spoiler]Storm's death might be the best acting I've seen out of Halle Berry in that role

). What makes this really sweet are the superb performances, and a high-quality production with plenty of attention to detail. I still believe this is the most mature X-Men film of the lot, in terms of quality, style, and storytelling. After this viewing, I've determined that yes, this is my favorite (supplanting X2, my former favorite, which now seems so cartoony by comparison).

Watched the Rogue Cut this time. Biggest alteration is a subplot in which Rogue is extracted to step in for Kitty--pretty neat touch, but hardly necessary.

5/5 (recommended)
--------------------
X-Men: Apocalypse: I've wanted to see all of this come to a head with Apocalypse ever since 2000, when the very first movie came out. I knew it had to come (curse you, The Last Stand...the more X-Men I see, the more I hate thee). Following DOFP, it's finally come--an epic showdown between the world's most powerful mutant and the titular X-Men. There is tons of carnage to behold, yes. What makes this bearable is that all the same qualities of DOFP manage to carry over--maybe not as much, but characters are still relevant and still feel fresh. While DOFP dealt a lot with Charles Xavier overcoming his low point, this one shows Magneto's high point in life, which is torn down in a gut-wrenching tragedy. Other characters show apt development as well, and they all contribute to a complex final act that includes several heroes fighting over a ruined Earth, and Xavier fighting Apocalypse all Inception-style. Despite a few contrivances (seriously, as cool as Quicksilver's slow-mo scene is in this one, it's utterly ridiculous) and continued difficulty connecting strands from all the movies (like, all those last shots in DOFP suddenly don't mean much anymore), I see lots to love in this movie.

4/5 (recommended the most to franchise fans, I'm sure others will bash it)

[P-Rock]

Regression Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Emma Watson, Ethan Hawke Movie HD - YouTube

Regression is a film that proves that Emma Watson really is a bad actress and has much to improve. She never convinces as the girl who is supposedly abused by her dad and a satanic cult. She has to cry a lot in this movie and it's cringe-worthy. Ethan Hawke is good as usual, although he does overact a bit in the second half. David Thewlis gets very little to work with as the psychoanalyst who uses regression therapy on the victims and perps and is ultimately wasted. Alejandro Amenábar is a good director but he's not showing much of his skills here. It sometimes has the look and feel of a movie made for tv. The story can't decide what it wants to be. Someone who watches movies like this on a regular basis will also see the twist (of course there is one) coming from a mile away, because everything is so obvious. Not recommended. 5/10

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by P-Rock

Regression Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Emma Watson, Ethan Hawke Movie HD - YouTube

Regression is a film that proves that Emma Watson really is a bad actress and has much to improve. She never convinces as the girl who is supposedly abused by her dad and a satanic cult. She has to cry a lot in this movie and it's cringe-worthy. Ethan Hawke is good as usual, although he does overact a bit in the second half. David Thewlis gets very little to work with as the psychoanalyst who uses regression therapy on the victims and perps and is ultimately wasted. Alejandro Amenábar is a good director but he's not showing much of his skills here. It sometimes has the look and feel of a movie made for tv. The story can't decide what it wants to be. Someone who watches movies like this on a regular basis will also see the twist (of course there is one) coming from a mile away, because everything is so obvious. Not recommended. 5/10

Well that's a shame. Looks like something that could have interested me.

[P-Rock]

The Darkness - Official Trailer (2016) - YouTube

The Darkness is not a good horror movie. It's basically a rip-off from every haunted house movie that exists: from Amityville to The Conjuring, from Poltergeist to The Haunting. This time a family is haunted by some evil supernatural native american spirits because an annoying autistic kid took their precious stones from their not-so-hidden cave. The first hour nothing remotely interesting happens. For some reason ghosts always like to prank people by moving things or let lights blink, before they get to the real hardcore stuff. Anyway, it's more of a family drama with some spooky things interjected into the story. Kevin Bacon looks seriously bored, Radha Mitchell was surprisingly okay and the kids are annoying like in every other generic horror movie of this kind. There was one moment that you could call tense and somewhat exciting, but everything else is just bad, bad filmmaking. It's kinda hard to believe this piece of crap comes from the same guy who directed Wolf Creek. 4.5/10

[Al_The_Strange]

Good time as any to start getting psyched for Star Trek: Beyond...

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

"Each of us... at some time in our lives, turns to someone - a father, a brother, a God... and asks...'Why am I here? What was I meant to be?'" - Leonard Nimoy
--------------------
It took a good ten years to adapt Star Trek, one of the best and most famous sci-fi TV shows of all time, for the big screen. When they finally did, Star Trek: The Motion Picture premiered to showcase a big, bold, extravagant spectacle, and a story that promised to be the end-all be-all Trek adventure.

The problem is, watching this film has always been a weird experience. Despite the gorgeous model work and special effects, there really isn't much action to this, and the pacing overall is rather slow. Even at its smartest, the Star Trek series and all its future incarnations always had an adventurous spirit embedded with its stories--this movie strips away the adventure in favor of a strict and somewhat cold piece of hard sci-fi. There's little warmth, and certainly no real bang, to this picture.

That being said, it still has its merits. The interstellar odyssey through the V'Ger cloud could be seen as something wondrous and awe-inspiring. The biggest draw to this film will be its story, which showcases a very clever high-concept premise with strong overarching philosophical themes of existence, purpose, and the human spirit.

The plot holding these concepts up is a pretty standard affair, but is stretched rather thinly due to a number of lengthy scenes that could have easily been cut from the film. A lot of screen time is devoted to endless beauty shots of the Enterprise, there's a weird and silly scene where everybody's trapped in a wormhole for some odd reason, and there's a seemingly-pointless scene involving a transporter accident. What really throws me off, however, are the characters. The original cast is all here--Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Dr. McCoy, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, Scotty--but Spock is the only one of the lot who actually feels like a main character. In this movie, it's Decker and Ilia who take the center stage, and they go through a romantic spiel that borders on being sappy.

Photography and editing are generally good in this film. Acting is disappointingly dry from the classic Trek crew, possibly because they're not given much to do as they are in the sequels. Leonard Nimoy is easily the biggest standout here--William Shatner does the best he can to make Captain Kirk cool again, but comes off as a little grouchy. DeForest Kelley throws out some occasionally crass and witty lines. As the true main character, Stephen Collins comes off as rather dull. Persis Khambatta might be the best and most interesting performance here. Writing is not bad, especially regarding the high-brow aspects of the film, but it lacks a certain personality overall. This production has some rather gaudy costumes, but most sets, props, and special effects are great. Music is great too.

In the same fashion as 2001: A Space Odyssey, I have to really be in the right mood to watch this film. Both 2001 and Star Trek: The Motion Picture are space operas with very big special effects and very big ideas, but aren't that big on character building. As a Trek film, this first feature can be a rather dry and bewildering experience, especially if you're looking to see the original Enterprise crew in action. As a piece of intelligent sci-fi, with a pair of entirely strange new characters in the lead, it can be an interesting and rewarding experience. Especially for the Director's Cut of this film, which is a little more evenly-paced, and features some smashing new special effects.

It's worth a look for interested sci-fi fans and most Star Trek fans.

3.5/5
--------------------
On Blu-Ray, this movie looks really smashing at times. Most space scenes and models look better than ever. However, some slight DNR and EE rear their ugly heads, making some of the indoor shots appear soft or fuzzed-out. Some noise can be seen here and there. Sound quality shows its age, but is pretty decent.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 3.5/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

"Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is very cold...in space!"—Ricardo Montalbán
---------------------
Star Trek: The Motion Picture had its fair share of ambition, but was a lumbering beast of a film that proved bewildering and somewhat dull. In their wisdom, the filmmakers realized that they needed to spice things up for the inevitable sequel, even at the expense of kicking Gene Roddenberry—the revered creator of the franchise—to the curb.

Thus, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan came into fruition. Coming after the classic Trek episode Space Seed, this film brings back Khan Noonien Singh as the story's nemesis, and the whole thing becomes a rocketing thrill ride from then on. Space battles are fairly simple and short, but they are still quite spectacular to watch, especially with the colorful backgrounds of the Mutara Nebula. The pacing is pretty even throughout, and the film boasts some remarkable iconic moments that all audiences can recognize and relate to.

The story is appealing—even though there is plenty of action and peril in the movie, it has enough breathing space for quality characterization and theme development. A good chunk of the film focuses on Kirk contemplating his old age and mortality. Thanks to the parallels of the Genesis torpedo and the film's ultimate solution, strong themes of death and rebirth emerge very subtly. Even without such elements, the characters come off as being well-rounded and enjoyable. The story covers some fascinating concepts, and is well-structured.

This film is shot and edited with quality precision. Acting is phenomenal: while it is always a joy to see William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and the rest of the crew in action, Ricardo Montalbán steals the show as the villain, with a powerful and iconic performance. Writing is great, featuring plenty of great memorable lines. The production has a fine array of solid sets, props, costumes, and special effects (costumes in particular are much improved from the last Trek picture). Music, despite deviating from the classic Trek themes, has a catchy melodic charm of its own, and it is phenomenal.

Of this film, I can say this. Of all the Trek films I have known, this still the most...endearing.

A Director's Cut of this film is available, containing some new dialogue. Its very short ad subtle changes, but they add a little more oomph to the characters and themes.

4.5/5
--------------------
The original theatrical cut of this looks/sounds fine as it is on Blu-Ray. The newly-released 4K remastered Director's Cut looks just slightly more natural, with a fully-intact grain structure. Most of the film looks sharp and clean, with the model-work and sets looking the best they can. Some shots of the actors still appear soft, but I suspect they may be source limitations (cameras out of focus or something). The transfer overall looks a tad dark and gray in nature. Sound quality is pretty clean and dynamic, which is excellent considering the movie's age. Overall, the DC Blu-Ray is a good buy for fans. It is worth noting that there are one or two bizarre errors in the film itself (namely, in the opening scene Sulu speaks without turning his head...WTF? I personally didn't spot anything else that I'd consider a deal-breaker).

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4.5/5