The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Holmes]

I thought Run Lola Run was an entertaining movie.

I'm a fan of director Tom Tykwer in general. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer was amazing, IMO. And the Guggenheim shootout in The International was epic and perfectly constructed (the movie overall was a bit less inspired).

[Walts Ghost]

Watched Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner.

I had never seen it before today, and its one of my close friends favorite movies. Been holding off watching it, until now. And I'm not sure how I feel. It was a decent movie, but Costner doesn't really fit the character to me. He doesn't even try an English accent. The story was different, almost jarring to me because I've seen so many versions of the story that are similar, to have one change some of the characters so much was a little weird. The music was good, and the picture on blu was nice to look at. The movie was entertaining, but not my prefered Robin Hood. That goes to BBC's more recent series and Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood

5/10

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Run Lola Run

Couldnt finish it.

Not because of the movie, but because of the music. To be fair, the score actually was achieving its goal, which is to stress the viewer out and ratchet up the intensity. My problem (and its MY problem) is that I cant tolerate relentless, repetative, electronic THROB music. I dont know if it was House, or Dance or what style it was, but for me its like nails on a chalkboard.

Made it 20 minutes in before I pulled the plug. It seemed like I would have enjoyed the film if it werent for that.

I think I gave it 3 or 3.5/5 stars. It didn't live up to the hype for me, and most of all, wasn't original yet seemed to assert itself as original.

[Show spoiler]Fate/Determinism of the life of person A, based on the choice/decisions of person B

. I now know that Squid and electronic THROB music don't mix

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

You're not missing much

I saw it recently after hearing a lot of great things, and for me it didn't live up to the hype. Surfdude agreed as well. I think it's kinda cool, but nothin more than that. Franke Potente helped me enjoy it more

thought it was awesome! 4/5

[iam1bearcat]

Blow

a year or two ago i would give this film a 5/5 and i found nothing really wrong with it. it was a personal favorite of mine. and while it still is a favorite of mine, after watching it today i suddenly saw many more flaws in the film than i ever anticipated. kinda made me sad actually

the film follows the story of George Jung a man who at an early age decides he will never be poor and will do what it takes to live a good life. that "good life" inevitably leads him to the drug business. it starts off as marijuana, but quickly escalates to cocaine.

i love Johnny Depp's performance as George Jung and the ending is simply tragic and crushing. i've shown a lot of people this film and they're a weepy mess once the credits role. the ending is masterful and incredibly sad. but, Ted Demme (director) could've made it such a much more powerful impact had his directing been a little less scattershot and the rest of the film had a bigger 'sense of heart' than it does.

the film moves too quickly, doesn't really makes us feel for George (and that's an incredibly hard thing to get across in a film where the main character is a "bad guy" coke dealer) as a man. i can see a lot of people having a hard time sympathizing with him. and especially with the final decision he makes that dooms him.

i haven't seen a lot of "drug cartel" / mafia / gangster films yet, so i can't really compare it to others of the genre, but i still hold Blow in my heart and mind as a favorite. it just isn't as perfect as i once thought it was. i guess that the "love / hate" relationship i will have with film. the more i see, the more i learn to see flaws in previous films where i once didn't.

still an extremelt solid movie that tells an engaging story. with a better director however, it truly could've been something more people talk about (i'd say about 80% of the people i mention the film to have never even heard of it).

4/5

EDIT: i've recently been trying to compose my "favorite's" list, and while Blow may be on the list for "favorite's" it certainly won't be on it for being a great film. after watching There Will Be Blood last night i now understand the difference between "favorite films" and "great films" (for me at least) and Blow doesn't register... as sad as that is to admit...

[surfdude12]

Barry Lyndon (DVD)

Film: 5/5
-first viewing (horrible for a Kubrick fan like me)
-I connected on somewhat of a personal level, having grown up in Ireland for 11 years. The cinematography/direction was second to none. The landscape shots were beautiful, and perfectly represent the beautiful Irish countryside.
-The use of natural lighting gave a perfectly cinematic feel. ONly candlelight and sunlight was used. The authentic look and feel just added to the experience
-Now to the plot: incredible on every level. A perfect tale of a Irish man rising up in the English ranks of nobility (written on back of DVD, so not a spoiler).

[Show spoiler]You see him go from young boy with a crush on his hot cousin (who share a slow/patient climatic romance scene that is rarely matched in cinema), to English soldier, to Prussian soldier, to Prussian spy, and finally to husband of a wealthy countess. THe second half is the most powerful IMO, as it shows the fatal missteps he take (and which most all men take) when put in those circumstances.

The film is 3 hrs, but I barely noticed the time going by and fast-forwarded right through the intermission at 1:42 Yes, I liked it that much. I haven't seen a plot with this much dynamics and breadth/scope (in the "epic" dept) in a while. You really get the feel that you've watched decades in hours, without being told you have.
-The Score was also terrific!!! Kubrick has a track played throughout the film that gives an eerie dramatic feel. A bass string pluck tune that takes your emotions and turns them to mush at will (or should I say, creates a physical force that pushes you to the edge of your couch leaning with your torso at 45 degrees towards the TV .
-All actors were also great.
-This film is definitely a top 100, probably top 50 of mine, and definitely demands repeated viewings (after which I can see loving the film even more)

[Freekman]

I watched Book of Eli already in theaters, but just watched it on Blu:
Film - 4/5
PQ - 4/5
AQ - 5/5

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Q!

A Serious Man

Just watched this this night, I liked it. Black humour as the Coen Brothers does best. But there's no real plot to this movie, which is fine but I just thought it had one . Also I guess you have to know alot about the jewish culture or be one yourself to fully understand it, so I checked IMDb and the special features and it made more sense. I thought it had some hilarious moments, like the asian student made me laugh the most. But I also found myself to be more annoyed by the weak and pathetic lead as the movie went on, but not much though. Features a great cast, funny writing, some things hard to understand, but rent it if you like the Coens.

7/10

yeah, other than Lebowski, their comedies (Burn After, Serious Man) haven't impressed me much. I think I'll just stick to their dramas from here on in

[master_8ball]

The Book of Eli

Watched this over the weekend and thought it was pretty good. I really enjoyed how they handled the action and fight sequences. I thought the story was original and enjoyed the religious tone of the movie and how it explored both sides of religious benefits and control of society. I didn't see the twist coming at all which doesn't happen all that often.

4/5

[master_8ball]

The Hammer

Watched this on a movie channel this past weekend, I think it came out within the last couple of years and was most likely a direct to video. It was written by and stars Adam Carolla from The Man Show and is about an ex boxer past his prime working a dead end contractor job and teaching boxing classes. He loses his job fixing houses and decides to go back into boxing to try and make the Olympic team after some misleading encouragement from a boxing coach. The movie is really about him finding his love for himself again through his ability to box, his new unlikely love interest and a young boxer he is training with.

Lots of laughs in the movie and both my wife and I enjoyed it. A big part of the movie deals with the pursuit of his new love interest but I wouldn't say this movie is a romantic comedy.

3/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Latest and greatest:

"Wall-E"

As a sci-fi geek, this film intrigues and entices me above all other Pixar films. I do love its fantastic imagery, its settings, and its concepts. Its portrayal of humanity’s future is grim in a funny and almost sarcastic sort of way; it’s easy to point at the screen and laugh at the sad truth about ourselves

[Show spoiler]as a global corporation herds humanity onto a spaceship and lets them grow fat and lazy after trashing the planet.

I could almost believe that it will happen someday if things keep going the way they are. I read that some folks have complained about this viewpoint, calling it anti-American or anti-capitalist or something; I see it more as generic criticism on modern lifestyles.

But all of this is just the backdrop for a rather touching love story. “Wall-E” embodies the exact plot structure of a typical romantic comedy, but with a sci-fi setting and some key slapstick scenes. I really admire the way the animation portrays the robots’ “emotions” (do they really feel, I wonder?) and expressions with limited voices and more action. The movie has its share of moments, both cute and dramatic.

The visuals are excellent, especially from an animation point-of-view. Some shots look darn near photo-realistic.

I could criticize certain things about the movie; I can’t deny that the film is a little less funny and less entertaining than something like “Monster’s Inc,” which was practically nonstop hilarity. The constant use of the musical songs, and the constant “EEEEVEEE!!!” does get a little annoying. For me these are minor; for others, it may be a little much.

It’s still my favorite Pixar film!

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

Watched in on DVD this time around, but I have seen the BD before and it has reference quality!


“The Dam Busters,” a blind-buy.

Yep, I can see where good ol’ George Lucas got the idea for the Death Star battle from. My God, the entire Battle of Yavin is almost identical to the last half-hour or so of “The Dam Busters;” the visuals are very similar (streaks of enemy fire flashing across the cockpit while the fighter zooms low over the terrain) and some of the dialogue is practically the same (“Stay on target!” “It’s away!”). Callsigns are similar (hmm, “leader,” or “Red Leader,” take your pick!), and the entire structure of the battle is the same (planes make a run, miss the first time, make a second run…etc). Jeez George, was anything in “Star Wars” original?!!

On its own merits, “The Dam Busters” was pretty good. It has excellent photography throughout, to showcase a rather interesting piece of World War II history. The film didn’t focus so well on characters, but it has an interesting story with plenty of action towards the end. Not as entertaining as the best war films out there (or “Star Wars!”), but it is pretty decent.

4/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5)

The Region-B Blu-Ray for this looks decent; contrast is excellent and it has adequate sharpness. On close inspection though, it does show some video noise that obscures some detail, and there are some frequent spots, specks, artifacts, etc. Sound quality seemed good.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 4/5

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Barry Lyndon (DVD)

Film: 5/5
-first viewing (horrible for a Kubrick fan like me)
-I connected on somewhat of a personal level, having grown up in Ireland for 11 years. The cinematography/direction was second to none. The landscape shots were beautiful, and perfectly represent the beautiful Irish countryside.
-The use of natural lighting gave a perfectly cinematic feel. ONly candlelight and sunlight was used. The authentic look and feel just added to the experience
-Now to the plot: incredible on every level. A perfect tale of a Irish man rising up in the English ranks of nobility (written on back of DVD, so not a spoiler).

[Show spoiler]You see him go from young boy with a crush on his hot cousin (who share a slow/patient climatic romance scene that is rarely matched in cinema), to English soldier, to Prussian soldier, to Prussian spy, and finally to husband of a wealthy countess. THe second half is the most powerful IMO, as it shows the fatal missteps he take (and which most all men take) when put in those circumstances.

The film is 3 hrs, but I barely noticed the time going by and fast-forwarded right through the intermission at 1:42 Yes, I liked it that much. I haven't seen a plot with this much dynamics and breadth/scope (in the "epic" dept) in a while. You really get the feel that you've watched decades in hours, without being told you have.
-The Score was also terrific!!! Kubrick has a track played throughout the film that gives an eerie dramatic feel. A bass string pluck tune that takes your emotions and turns them to mush at will (or should I say, creates a physical force that pushes you to the edge of your couch leaning with your torso at 45 degrees towards the TV .
-All actors were also great.
-This film is definitely a top 100, probably top 50 of mine, and definitely demands repeated viewings (after which I can see loving the film even more)

I liked this one a lot as well-- very underrated Kubrick for sure! Can you imagine how nice this could look on blu-ray if remastered correctly?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Barry Lyndon (DVD)

Film: 5/5
-first viewing (horrible for a Kubrick fan like me)
-I connected on somewhat of a personal level, having grown up in Ireland for 11 years. The cinematography/direction was second to none. The landscape shots were beautiful, and perfectly represent the beautiful Irish countryside.
-The use of natural lighting gave a perfectly cinematic feel. ONly candlelight and sunlight was used. The authentic look and feel just added to the experience
-Now to the plot: incredible on every level. A perfect tale of a Irish man rising up in the English ranks of nobility (written on back of DVD, so not a spoiler).

[Show spoiler]You see him go from young boy with a crush on his hot cousin (who share a slow/patient climatic romance scene that is rarely matched in cinema), to English soldier, to Prussian soldier, to Prussian spy, and finally to husband of a wealthy countess. THe second half is the most powerful IMO, as it shows the fatal missteps he take (and which most all men take) when put in those circumstances.

The film is 3 hrs, but I barely noticed the time going by and fast-forwarded right through the intermission at 1:42 Yes, I liked it that much. I haven't seen a plot with this much dynamics and breadth/scope (in the "epic" dept) in a while. You really get the feel that you've watched decades in hours, without being told you have.
-The Score was also terrific!!! Kubrick has a track played throughout the film that gives an eerie dramatic feel. A bass string pluck tune that takes your emotions and turns them to mush at will (or should I say, creates a physical force that pushes you to the edge of your couch leaning with your torso at 45 degrees towards the TV .
-All actors were also great.
-This film is definitely a top 100, probably top 50 of mine, and definitely demands repeated viewings (after which I can see loving the film even more)

Dude,

Its in my queue at position #78. I have never seen it. I have been keeping it away from the top in hopes of a Blu release. Did the DVD upscale well? I want to see it badly, but all descriptions of the visuals make me lean toward waiting.

Input please.

Did Ryan pull off the accent?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

yeah, other than Lebowski, their comedies (Burn After, Serious Man) haven't impressed me much. I think I'll just stick to their dramas from here on in

Did you see Intolerable Cruelty? It isnt dark comedy like Fargo. Its so over the top silly that I actually loved it. The story IS Coenesque, but the humor is more traditional comedy.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Barry Lyndon (DVD)

Film: 5/5
-first viewing (horrible for a Kubrick fan like me)
-I connected on somewhat of a personal level, having grown up in Ireland for 11 years. The cinematography/direction was second to none. The landscape shots were beautiful, and perfectly represent the beautiful Irish countryside.
-The use of natural lighting gave a perfectly cinematic feel. ONly candlelight and sunlight was used. The authentic look and feel just added to the experience
-Now to the plot: incredible on every level. A perfect tale of a Irish man rising up in the English ranks of nobility (written on back of DVD, so not a spoiler).

[Show spoiler]You see him go from young boy with a crush on his hot cousin (who share a slow/patient climatic romance scene that is rarely matched in cinema), to English soldier, to Prussian soldier, to Prussian spy, and finally to husband of a wealthy countess. THe second half is the most powerful IMO, as it shows the fatal missteps he take (and which most all men take) when put in those circumstances.

The film is 3 hrs, but I barely noticed the time going by and fast-forwarded right through the intermission at 1:42 Yes, I liked it that much. I haven't seen a plot with this much dynamics and breadth/scope (in the "epic" dept) in a while. You really get the feel that you've watched decades in hours, without being told you have.
-The Score was also terrific!!! Kubrick has a track played throughout the film that gives an eerie dramatic feel. A bass string pluck tune that takes your emotions and turns them to mush at will (or should I say, creates a physical force that pushes you to the edge of your couch leaning with your torso at 45 degrees towards the TV .
-All actors were also great.
-This film is definitely a top 100, probably top 50 of mine, and definitely demands repeated viewings (after which I can see loving the film even more)

This is the Kubrick film that I just can't bring myself to watch, idk why. Your high recommendation of it will def make me reconsider my hesitancy.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Dude,

Its in my queue at position #78. I have never seen it. I have been keeping it away from the top in hopes of a Blu release. Did the DVD upscale well? I want to see it badly, but all descriptions of the visuals make me lean toward waiting.

Input please.

Did Ryan pull off the accent?

Did the DVD upscale well? On my DLP: no. On my Dad's Plasma: yes. Seriously, it was night and day. I guess this is an example where the type of TV matters! Depending on your HDTV, it will look ok or good.

Another consideration: mine is not 16:9, it looks more like 4:3 that is stretchable to 16:9 via. putting the upscaler to "full". I thought that sucked, given that they couldn't even give the 1.66:1 AR for the DVD. Another factor to consider (assuming you get the same DVD as me)

His accent was not great, but as good as he could have made it. However, he was perfectly cast and most won't recognize that his accent is off the mark. He was perfectly cast for reasons I can't say until you watch the film!

All in all, its definitely worth watching. Slow paced, so as with many quality films, it rewards the patient, and doesn't reward the addicts of instant-gratification I know you and jhiggy disliked Howards End but this is entirely different period (Georgian 1700-1800), and themes are much different (not social conflicts among classes, as in Howards) but one man's epic tale of life and adventure. I identified with him a lot, and not just because of the Irish heritage, although that doesn't hurt

[Chrysagon]

Red Cliff I & II shocked me in its scope, PQ and AQ, music score, battle scenes and character development. I'm referring to the 5 hour international version (I have not seen but cannot imagine anyone getting the shorter American release after seeing the Int'l version.) This movie is epic in all aspects of the word.

Immediately, in the beginning credits, you see an ancient sword morphing from 1800 year old eroded metal back to it's original beauty, and you know you are in for a BD high definition treat. All of the characters, especially antagonist Cao Cao, and protagonists Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, are fully developed and superbly portrayed by the actors. The battle scenes are original, long and expertly choreographed. The music is memorable, the photography beautiful. John Woo knows his business when it comes to this genre of movies.

5 stars for Movie, PQ and AQ. I'm happy to have this in my collection.

[BladeRunner2007]

Predator 2 3.5/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Barry Lyndon (DVD)

[Show spoiler]
Film: 5/5
-first viewing (horrible for a Kubrick fan like me)
-I connected on somewhat of a personal level, having grown up in Ireland for 11 years. The cinematography/direction was second to none. The landscape shots were beautiful, and perfectly represent the beautiful Irish countryside.
-The use of natural lighting gave a perfectly cinematic feel. ONly candlelight and sunlight was used. The authentic look and feel just added to the experience
-Now to the plot: incredible on every level. A perfect tale of a Irish man rising up in the English ranks of nobility (written on back of DVD, so not a spoiler).

[Show spoiler]You see him go from young boy with a crush on his hot cousin (who share a slow/patient climatic romance scene that is rarely matched in cinema), to English soldier, to Prussian soldier, to Prussian spy, and finally to husband of a wealthy countess. THe second half is the most powerful IMO, as it shows the fatal missteps he take (and which most all men take) when put in those circumstances.

The film is 3 hrs, but I barely noticed the time going by and fast-forwarded right through the intermission at 1:42 Yes, I liked it that much. I haven't seen a plot with this much dynamics and breadth/scope (in the "epic" dept) in a while. You really get the feel that you've watched decades in hours, without being told you have.
-The Score was also terrific!!! Kubrick has a track played throughout the film that gives an eerie dramatic feel. A bass string pluck tune that takes your emotions and turns them to mush at will (or should I say, creates a physical force that pushes you to the edge of your couch leaning with your torso at 45 degrees towards the TV .
-All actors were also great.
-This film is definitely a top 100, probably top 50 of mine, and definitely demands repeated viewings (after which I can see loving the film even more)

So you're Irish, eh? Awesome. I've only been to Ireland once as a kid, and don't remember a whole lot about it. But the film definitely has the English/Irish look to it, with its rolling green hills, stone walls, old-looking buildings, etc.

I personally felt the film was long and slow, but I loved its imagery and was intruiged by the story.

It's definitely worth a watch for those who haven't seen it and have three hours to kill.

Good review.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by spa

Red Cliff I & II shocked me in its scope, PQ and AQ, music score, battle scenes and character development. I'm referring to the 5 hour international version (I have not seen but cannot imagine anyone getting the shorter American release after seeing the Int'l version.) This movie is epic in all aspects of the word.

Immediately, in the beginning credits, you see an ancient sword morphing from 1800 year old eroded metal back to it's original beauty, and you know you are in for a BD high definition treat. All of the characters, especially antagonist Cao Cao, and protagonists Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, are fully developed and superbly portrayed by the actors. The battle scenes are original, long and expertly choreographed. The music is memorable, the photography beautiful. John Woo knows his business when it comes to this genre of movies.

5 stars for Movie, PQ and AQ. I'm happy to have this in my collection.

I gave it perfect scores across the board. Absolutely incredible film and incredible blu. A true must own.

The film is not without its flaws, but it's positives far outweigh its negatives, most of which are trivialities in the grand scheme of things.