The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I am pretty sure it was in the bonus features. From memory, it was pretty significant, showing the stunt doubles, crashes, how they did the camera work etc. Am I spacing out?

No, you're not spacing out. At least I don't think so. They definitely didn't show all that during the credits. I forgot until I just went back and read about the special features that after I got done with the movie I only had time to watch the five Munchausen by Proxy music videos when I watched my copy. I'll make sure to watch the rest of the special features the next time.

[Diesel]

Pearl Harbor

First time viewing.


Some parts -
Some parts - ,


To get it out of the way right from the beginning, this movie is loaded with historical inaccuracies...and I mean loaded. So if you haven't seen this movie but are planning on it, do not expect many actual facts here besides Pearl Harbor being attacked on December 7th 1941.

That said, the attack sequence on Pearl Harbor was incredible. The official review on this site says that sequence taken on its own would be 5 stars all the way, and I agree with that completely. Like a lot of the film, it wasn't exactly completely accurate, but it worked very well for a battle sequence and was very well done. Bayhem

Everything before that and some of it after, however, was very

The pre-attack portion of the film could (and should) have been MUCH shorter and less all about the love life of a fictional soldier and his buddy. It's not that I despised having the story in the film, its that it was WAY to over represented and took precedence over the actual attack and counter attack. Which is a huge issue for me.


Hartnett was bad for just about all of the movie, Affleck was good occasionally but not as a whole. Beckinsale wasn't anything to phone home about but at least the only thing about her performance that made me was some of the lines she had to say. Of course, I'm always biased when it comes to Beckinsale
John Voight was easily the best performance in the film as President Roosevelt. Baldwin also did good. Besides that, no other character/actor with more than 2 minutes of screen time is even worth mentioning.


I really wanted to like this movie overall, especially because of the portions of the film that I loved, but I just can't do it because of the over present love triangle that takes away far too much from what I wanted this movie to be about, the annoying cast of supporting characters, the over inflated runtime (which I wouldn't have minded if the attacks, planning of the attacks, basically anything military related on the events, were the central point of the film) and tossing so much actual history to the wind. Inaccuracies usually don't bug me that much on average, but some of what was ignored/changed/Hollywood-ized would have made a better film in my opinion.



Rating - 3/5

[Hep]

Originally Posted by Q!

The Social Network.

I wasn't absolutely blown away like I had hoped, still wasn't dissapointed though. The music was great, hope Trent gets to do some more scores in the future because it definitely elevated the movie. It never dragged, acting was very much enjoyable especially Armie Hammer as the twins, some hilarious moments.

8.5/10

I haven't seen the movie yet, but if you like the soundtrack then run (don't walk) here to grab a BD-Audio copy. Highly recommended.

[iam1bearcat]

Waiting...

watched this (extremely edited by the way ) earlier today on Comedy Central. haven't seen it in a few years.

i've always enjoyed it because it contains a few of my favorite actors in it: Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long and Anna Faris (), even though it also contains the god awful "look at me because i'm funny as i point out the obvious" Dane Cook

it's funny, it's crude and from what i hear about people who are / were servers and worked in a restaurant / bar setting, this is incredibly real. maybe not all of what the cooks do to people's food, but customer rudeness, slow times, games played amongst co-workers and whatnot.

and the film is a very good lesson in why to never piss someone off who touches your food!

it's not a good film by any stretch of the imagination and the structure and flow is completely and totally amateur (of course, that matches most of the very crude humor) and the film won't win any awards for anything, but i know A LOT of people hate the film, but i find it humorous and genuine. and very, very dark in tone.

don't think i'd ever buy it though, definitely a film i bought on dvd and said, "fudge. i'm rarely gonna watch this " so not gonna upgrade it. but a film that when on tv, if nothing else is on, i'll sit down and watch it.

3.5/5

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I guess I should start looking at peoples collections.

I will quiz you on my collection at a random time next week. Be ready

[Show spoiler]Yikes. So have I when I was 18. My Dad was strapped down in a bamboo POW cage in Korea, screaming and spitting at his captors as they tortured his buddies for info. The problem was, this was taking place in our kitchen in 1978. A scary evening for my Mom and I.

That's intense. Was he drunk? The guy was in the event I witnessed. Since then I realized how deep the trauma can crawl in your brain and never go away.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Its actually better than skateboards. Its those big boards that you lay on and go down big hills. The mishaps are pretty good.

LMAO. I definitely remember now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn6BsnymUCI

I will be watching the special features when I get home for the holidays.

[volcomsocal]

Resident Evil - 2002

Yes, It's my first time watching this movie, as I'm not a horror fan.

I played one of the Resident Evil video games on the Wii, and enjoyed it... so I figured why not give the movie a try.

I wasn't too impressed with the movie as a whole... subpar script, mehh acting, special effects were pretty cheesy (seemed like they could have easily been in a movie from 1992).... and just an overall mehhh plot. Yes, I know it's a direct adaptation from the video game, but i was expecting something a little more impressive. More than likely I will rent all the sequels because it just seems like a natural fit to see how the story goes.

Anyway, the movie was ok. Not horrible, but not great at all.


6.5/10





*Milla Jovovich is one hell of a sexy a** specimen. I've always enjoyed laying my eyes on her, and I gave my score an extra half point JUST because she is in this movie. She's a goddess. rawrr

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wright

Justcie League: Crisis On Two Earths.

Summary of this movie is easy.
If you want to see

- Superman beating crap out of Superman
- Batman beating crap out of Batman
- Woder Woman beating crap out of Wonder Woman
- Flash beating crap out of Flash
- Alein from Mars beating crap out of himslef

Plus some really good plot that logically connects this seimingly non-sense, with some philospohy about the point of life thrown in by Batman, than this movie is highly recommended.
Sounds interesting, doesnt it, tell me honestly?

Rating: 4.5/5

Yup, watching Wonder Woman and her Justice Lords counterpart wail on each other is one of my favourite animated fights of all-time, even if it was short.
X3 4.5/5
PQ and AQ 5/5
Quite a movie, even if most people hate it, still wish we could've seen where an X4 would've gone.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest rental: “Solaris” 2002.

Must have been seven years ago when I last looked at it. Back then, it did nothing for me. I did like the SFX and all, but with its pacing and artistic sensibilities I found it dull and boring.

Now that I’ve seen the original ’72 version and some other Soderbergh films, I can appreciate the film better now. It is slowly-paced with a lot of hushed dialogue, sure, but compared to the original 2 hour 45 minute feature that moved with the pace of a snail crawling on tar, this remake is actually quite sublime. The film’s photography and editing techniques are pretty tight, and helps effectively relay all the needed visual information without lingering too long on any given shot. As such, I think the pacing is agreeable.

The story shares much in common with the original film, but takes on a few interesting twists and turns of its own. This movie can stand well on its own, and if anything it’s more eventful than the original. It has a lot of interesting motifs, some of which mirror what’s in the original, and others which are new. Characters also receive interesting treatment here; I’d say they’re a little more lively, but without going completely over-the-top. If anything, they are respectable and nuanced (as is the acting).

The film has a lot of slick and interesting photography, and carries a huge modern art-house vibe more than it is sci-fi. The nature of the story and the editing effects really help make the film stand out on an emotional level. Acting is great in a very subtle way. As said above, the cinematography is wonderful. Production value is good.

In the past, I think I gave this something between a 2 or a 3 out of 5. But now…

4/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5, intellectual/emotional impact: 3/5)

Recommendation: Fans of space operas (like “2001,” “Moon,” or the original “Solaris”) will probably dig it. Everybody else should rent it.

A Blu-Ray for this would be nice.

[Q?]

Originally Posted by Hep

I haven't seen the movie yet, but if you like the soundtrack then run (don't walk) here to grab a BD-Audio copy. Highly recommended.

I might just do that, thanks

[P@t_Mtl]

Kick Ass

watched this Sunday night, had it on my DVR.

Beside seeing the previews back in the spring and seeing it was some sort of superheroes movies a la Watchmen I really did not know much about it. I knew that in general the movie seem to be very polarizing, you either liked it or not.

I found the idea of it very interesting, who among us as never dream of being Superman, Batman or Spiderman...to have strengh and be a hero with no fear, to face up to the bad guys and excuse the pun here, kick their ass? So one kid decide to do it, to become one and be a hero. The characters of Big Daddy & Hit Girl where hilarious. I love how Nick Cage was talking while in costume. Sure it's nothing but a movie, no way a 11 years old kid could do what Hit Girl does but the idea behind it is interesting.

Warning for everyone, it's a comedy of sort but it's also violent. Parents with young kids don't go into this one thinking it's a typical DC Comic movie, it's not. It's violent, brutal and the language is shall we say not for kids

For my take, I enjoyed it. It was fun, interesting, had a good story with interesting characters and was a funny take of the superheroe type movie.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

No! Waiting for the Blu to watch it ALL-in-a-row-without commercials-with-HD audio-and-HDPQ.

Ummmm......HBO doesn't have commercials silly.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest rental: “Joheunnom Nabbeunnom Isanghannom,” aka “The Good, The Bad, and the Weird.”

This movie has all the elements of a common western: gunslingers, train-robbing bandits, guys with dusters and wide-brimmed hats, horses, deserts, etc…

…but, it takes place in Manchuria.

“The Good, The Bad, and the Weird,” as the name suggests, is fundamentally similar to “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly;” both share a similar treasure-hunting storyline featuring the three archetype characters alluded to in their respective titles. Both films also take place during some kind of war. Both films even have a similar finale (three-way duel, FTW!). “The Good, The Bad, and the Weird” features other homages too (one scene reminded me a lot of “For a Few Dollars More”).

I think this film is a very interesting take on the story/subject matter; there are enough changes and differences for it to stand on its own and distinguish itself as something fresh, new, and unique. It definitely ramps up the action tremendously; the film is loaded with gunfights, knife-fights, chases, and duels. Many of these scenes are explosive and intense. And even in between action scenes, the movie pushes the story along pretty briskly, and there is a lot of humorous comedy here and there. There is hardly a dull moment.

The film is pretty well-made. Photography is really strong in a lot of spots, but action scenes do get a little jittery and wild. Acting is decent all around and writing is not bad. Production value is pretty bizarre and interesting (I think because they worked so hard to combine elements from Western movies into a turn-of-the-century Asian setting; it kinda works as its own little world, but I have no idea if any of it is historically accurate or anything. Like it even matters ). Music is very interesting (…is that a “Kill Bill” song I hear?).

Truth is, this film is probably more what I expected when I saw “Sukiyaki Western Django.” Between the two, I like this one better.

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

Recommendation: Highly recommended for anybody who enjoys unusual Asian films like this. Otherwise, rent it, see if you think it’s good, bad, or weird.

I will probably own it!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Pearl Harbor

[Show spoiler]First time viewing.


Some parts -
Some parts - ,


To get it out of the way right from the beginning, this movie is loaded with historical inaccuracies...and I mean loaded. So if you haven't seen this movie but are planning on it, do not expect many actual facts here besides Pearl Harbor being attacked on December 7th 1941.

That said, the attack sequence on Pearl Harbor was incredible. The official review on this site says that sequence taken on its own would be 5 stars all the way, and I agree with that completely. Like a lot of the film, it wasn't exactly completely accurate, but it worked very well for a battle sequence and was very well done. Bayhem

Everything before that and some of it after, however, was very

The pre-attack portion of the film could (and should) have been MUCH shorter and less all about the love life of a fictional soldier and his buddy. It's not that I despised having the story in the film, its that it was WAY to over represented and took precedence over the actual attack and counter attack. Which is a huge issue for me.


Hartnett was bad for just about all of the movie, Affleck was good occasionally but not as a whole. Beckinsale wasn't anything to phone home about but at least the only thing about her performance that made me was some of the lines she had to say. Of course, I'm always biased when it comes to Beckinsale
John Voight was easily the best performance in the film as President Roosevelt. Baldwin also did good. Besides that, no other character/actor with more than 2 minutes of screen time is even worth mentioning.


I really wanted to like this movie overall, especially because of the portions of the film that I loved, but I just can't do it because of the over present love triangle that takes away far too much from what I wanted this movie to be about, the annoying cast of supporting characters, the over inflated runtime (which I wouldn't have minded if the attacks, planning of the attacks, basically anything military related on the events, were the central point of the film) and tossing so much actual history to the wind. Inaccuracies usually don't bug me that much on average, but some of what was ignored/changed/Hollywood-ized would have made a better film in my opinion.

Rating - 3/5

A kind chap, indeed.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

A kind chap, indeed.

What would you give it? 2? 1?

A break down for me would be

The attack portion / Doolittle Raid - 5/5

Almost everything else - 2/5

But since everything else is longer, I gave it more weight and arrived at the 3/5 average.

[jhiggy23]

Contempt (Le Mepris)


PQ: 4 stars (out of 5)

Some scenes looked fantastic and others looked like a dvd, but I was still pleased.


AQ: 4 stars (out of 5)


Film: 4 stars (out of 4)


Synopsis:

Jean-Luc Godard’s subversive foray into commercial filmmaking is a star-studded Cinemascope epic. Contempt (Le Mépris) stars Michel Piccoli as a screenwriter torn between the demands of a proud European director (played by legendary director Fritz Lang), a crude and arrogant American producer (Jack Palance), and his disillusioned wife, Camille (Brigitte Bardot), as he attempts to doctor the script for a new film version of The Odyssey. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this brilliant study of marital breakdown, artistic compromise, and the cinematic process in a new special edition.

Note: this was taken from the Criterion website--the film is out of print on Criterion dvd.


Review:

I loved this film and it immediately places itself among my top 50 favorites. It's the fifth Godard I've seen (Pierrot Le Fou, Breathless, Vivre Sa Vie, Le Petit Soldat) and the second without Anna Karina. I would rank it just below Vivre Sa Vie, but it's still fantastic.

Brigitte Bardot was without a doubt the most famous European actress in the world in 1963 and as one of the special features states, the only modern European woman who exceeded her popularity was Princess Diana. She's wonderful in this role and reminds me a bit of Monica Vitti in Red Desert, in that her feelings are suppressed and it's difficult to really understand where her pain is coming from.

I can understand how some would find this film tireless, especially the half hour long scene between Brigitte and Michel in their apartment. However, that scene is the most fascinating and realistic depiction of love gone lost in a relationship I have ever seen. Only Godard could've written dialogue this authentic.

Two other points: the cinematography and photography are stunning, especially in Capri. Lastly, the music is some of the best I've heard. Camille's theme, which I posted below, is used over and over in the film. Normally, I would say that overuse is a bad thing but here it's used at important times and is just a beautiful piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Bcd...eature=related

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Yup, watching Wonder Woman and her Justice Lords counterpart wail on each other is one of my favourite animated fights of all-time, even if it was short.
X3 4.5/5
PQ and AQ 5/5
Quite a movie, even if most people hate it, still wish we could've seen where an X4 would've gone.

The bridge scene is breathtaking.

[jhiggy23]

The Burmese Harp (Criterion dvd)


Film: 4 stars (out of 4)


Synopsis:

An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close of World War II and finds harmony through song. A private, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. Magnificently shot in hushed black and white, Kon Ichikawa’s The Burmese Harp is an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one of Japanese cinema’s most overwhelming antiwar statements, both tender and brutal in its grappling with Japan’s wartime legacy.



Review:

One of the top 20-30 films I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. I found this film to be profoundly moving. It's components are very strong, from its affecting acting, to its splendid photography and wonderful score. Other films have followed a similar setup since this film was released in 1956, but none do it as well as this. Criterion--release this on blu next year!

[jhiggy23]

Home Alone (dvd)


Film: 3 1/2 (out of 4)


One of my girlfriend's favorite movies and one that honestly never gets old to me, as well. I never can get enough of Culkin's expressions, Pesci's quips, and Stern's scream.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I will quiz you on my collection at a random time next week. Be ready



That's intense. Was he drunk? The guy was in the event I witnessed. Since then I realized how deep the trauma can crawl in your brain and never go away.

No, he wasnt. He has never drank, smoked, drugged or used foul language beyond damn it, and was always super mellow.

[Show spoiler]It happened before I was "educated" on the subject. I was asking questions and receiving weird responses and he started behaving oddly. Sooooo, succumbing to my curiosity and throwing good sense to the wind, I made the mistake of probing further and pushing buttons. It was my fault and I knew it once he was gone. And he was GONE. He thought we were the Koreans and was enraged and violent. The only saving grace, was in his delusional state, he was tied to the chair. But it was scary watching him trying to "break his bonds". Watching him come back to 1978 USA was a scary as watching him leave too. I learned my lesson about trying to help people in a field where I am not qualified. We got him to seek professional help after that and he's never had an episode since.