Author Topic: Movies (Read 281786 times)

Captain K. · « **Reply #1425 on:** July 25, 2011, 05:10:34 AM »

Captain America! Fuck Yeah!: Yeah, that was pretty much what I wanted out of a Captain America movie. A bit of mishmash on his actual history and villains, but certainly evoked the right feelings of being PROUD TA BE AN MERICAN!

Also, the Arnim Zola introduction scene was colossally funny if you actually know who Arnim Zola is.

EDIT: A few more thoughts while this is fresh in my mind. The montage itself didn't bother me as it compacted a lot of very similar events (destroying one base after another). What did bother me was the motorcycle scene, since it was fairly obviously ripped off from the Endor speederbikes.

Dr. Erskine was portrayed very well. In the comics, Cap always thought of him as a father figure. This came off well in the movie.

I also liked the little touches into Steve's character that they threw in (like his artistic ability). It's nice when a movie can change some events from the comics but still retain the feeling of comic-accuracy.

Cmdr_King · « **Reply #1426 on:** July 25, 2011, 11:17:29 PM »

I felt that the prison break was the highlight of the movie, with a good mix of raw action and slower paced, pseudo-spy kinda feel. so I couldn't help but think that just showing one 'blow up the bases' sequence in a little more detail, and leaving the audience to suppose the rest, would have kept a more consistent feel to the film.

I thought the bike chase was much closer to the one from Last Crusade, myself >.>

Shale · « **Reply #1427 on:** July 27, 2011, 03:13:37 AM »

Captain America: Good movie, but not great. Cap himself was note-perfect - Evans was great casting and the script absolutely nailed every character beat (LOVED them showing Cap's cartooning ability, shame they didn't go the whole nine yards and give him a credit on the comic book). The pacing was off, though. CK's right about that montage not cutting it as a transition between USO Show Steve and the final assault on Hydra. Honestly, that whole conflict felt a bit like going through the motions. It probably doesn't help that I had to take a phone call just as the rescue mission heated up (and didn't get back until the scene with Hydra's human guinea pig), so I missed the only sustained action sequence before the climax. Accursed real life.

Also, was it just me or did Schmidt's endgame seem suspiciously similar to the WWII episodes of Justice League?

Idun · « **Reply #1428 on:** July 28, 2011, 03:27:07 PM »

Some time, we should congregate to discuss movies in subject to cereal, dinners or simple yes or no's.

Hunter Sopko · « **Reply #1429 on:** July 29, 2011, 09:38:48 AM »

Horrible Bosses: This was good, not great. Charlie Day is at his best being Charlie Day, but not wholly utilized well. Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and especially Colin Farrell play their douchey roles to a T and make it work. Coulda been better but I can't pin down how to arrive at it. Overall much better than I thought it'd be originally, but otherwise just okay.

I would say it is pot roast and mashed potatoes without gravy.

OblivionKnight · « **Reply #1430 on:** July 30, 2011, 12:11:32 AM »

God, Lifetime movies are so, so, so awful.

Shale · « **Reply #1431 on:** August 01, 2011, 01:07:56 PM »

Harry Potter Seven and a Half: Good movie. They really used the expanded runtime well, and parts 1 and 2 hold up as the most complete story any of the HP movies has had. Aside from the delivery of the "bitch" line, most of the film's weaknesses come from the book's - the stupid, stupid epilogue and the mechanics of the Elder Wand, mainly.

metroid composite · « **Reply #1432 on:** August 06, 2011, 04:42:38 PM »

Captain America

You know, it did everything it was supposed to do, Cap was likeable, and believable as this kid from Brooklyn who used to get beat up. And yet I did not really like it.

Part of that, I think, is that I couldn't help thinking about Smurfs the whole movie. There is one female character, and her personality trait is "token female"/"token love interest". Part of that is just not really doing anything to stand out. Sure, it's 40s vintage, but "superhero movies set 50 years ago" are almost a cliche now. X-Men First Class did it; Watchmen is certainly partially set in the past; I'm guessing that the Wolverine movie is too but I've been instructed not to watch it.

(SPIOLERS)

Another part that bugged me is that...it just bothered me that when storming Hydra they didn't take a few Hydra weapons with them from previous raids. They were fighting with inferior weapons for no apparent reason. Oh, and those bombs that were released: I'm scratching my head and thinking "Wait, what?" (Cap stops some of the bombs, but not all of them; did those cities just get destroyed in a bigger-than-nuke way in this continuity?)

Sierra · « **Reply #1433 on:** August 07, 2011, 02:21:55 PM »

While that's a valid reason not to like a movie, I'm not sure how you go into Captain America not expecting that to be the case. I was just glad she at least got to shoot some dudes. For spoiler stuff:

Yeah, none of that stuff made any sense. Not even in the fridge logic way, but in the immediate, "Wait, what?" way. What happened to Chicago? He didn't stop that bomb! I'm also not sure why his only choice was to crash the plane since he could apparently control it and it's not like the bombs were automatically guided or anything. Also, seems safe to assume Red Skull got warped to Asgard or something instead of actually dying.

Otherwise, generally fun diversion considering I came in with no real expectations.

Grefter · « **Reply #1434 on:** August 07, 2011, 03:04:51 PM »

Noting that I haven't seen it yet or anything.

My understanding is that the finale involves the Cosmic Cube which is a pretty big part of the Red Skull comics plot, so it is probably just the vehicle for bringing him into the future to menace Cap.

I hope it doesn't involve Asgard because I really liked that spin on Loki. I don't want Loki to be sullied with Nazism.

Interesting take on the female lead met. From most of the reviews I have read people praised her as being one of the stronger (have heard strongest!) female leads in a comic book movie purely because given the ending she couldn't just be there to be the romance plot.

Note that most of these reviews are from dudes though. Also note that the competition sets the bare amazingly low at best here.

Shale · « **Reply #1435 on:** August 07, 2011, 09:26:07 PM »

It's a little of both. The Red Skull uses the Cosmic Cube to power his Nazi super-death-rays, and the Cube is supposedly an Asgardian artifact. None of the gods show up in any form, though. Just the cube and a picture of Yggdrasil.

Captain K. · « **Reply #1436 on:** August 08, 2011, 01:51:13 AM »

I couldn't be bothered to note whether the female lead was strong or not because I was too busy staring at her fantastic breasts. /male chauvinist pig

superaielman · « **Reply #1437 on:** August 08, 2011, 02:54:51 AM »

Quote from: Grefter on August 07, 2011, 03:04:51 PM

Noting that I haven't seen it yet or anything.

My understanding is that the finale involves the Cosmic Cube which is a pretty big part of the Red Skull comics plot, so it is probably just the vehicle for bringing him into the future to menace Cap.

I hope it doesn't involve Asgard because I really liked that spin on Loki. I don't want Loki to be sullied with Nazism.

Interesting take on the female lead met. From most of the reviews I have read people praised her as being one of the stronger (have heard strongest!) female leads in a comic book movie purely because given the ending she couldn't just be there to be the romance plot.

Note that most of these reviews are from dudes though. Also note that the competition sets the bare amazingly low at best here.

The female lead was oceans better than the one in the green lantern film. She was actually pretty competent at her job and had a defined role.

Grefter · « **Reply #1438 on:** August 08, 2011, 04:32:36 AM »

I am would be interested in the opinion of the other lesbian in the audience as well if she gets time.

Anthony Edward Stark · « **Reply #1439 on:** August 09, 2011, 03:03:59 AM »

Cowboys and Aliens: gave me all the things I wanted out of this movie.

Hunter Sopko · « **Reply #1440 on:** September 06, 2011, 11:20:07 PM »

30 Minutes or Less- Saw this today. Pretty good. Everything Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Anzari related is utterly awesome. Everything Danny McBride and Nick Swardson related kills the movie, except for when the two pairs cross paths. It still averages out to pretty damn funny, at least.

Cmdr_King · « **Reply #1441 on:** October 04, 2011, 11:40:05 PM »

So I went to see the 3D Lion King. I haven't watched the movie in at least 10 years, probably more.

While the 3D effect is continuous, only two or three shots really make use of it.

The movie itself though... y'know, animated movies have changed a lot over time. Pixar's dominance, and the influence of Dreamworks, changed the landscape a lot from the 90s Disney era. I don't think you could even make Lion King now, not with the care, detail, and fluidity of it. But that's not what stood out to me.
I feel like we really lost something in the past 10 years, a willingness to evoke genuine emotion. I'm comparing Toy Story 3, the closest of the pixar movies to Lion King in tone, and there is more than a little gap. Look at the incinerator scene, then look at the wildebeest stampede? Yeah. Maybe I'm overreading here, but Lion King went balls out selling that scene, musically, in the animation, in the ebb and flow of tragedy and fear and hope. It's like... you have to downplay everything now, that there's something wrong with trying to build up emotions and it's better to throttle them back to a whisper.

'course, my favorite show may well be Gurren Lagann, so perhaps I'm just weird.

Veryslightlymad · « **Reply #1442 on:** October 21, 2011, 11:26:26 PM »

The Perfect Host:

(SPOILERS. I doubt anyone knows or wants to see this anyhow)
This is the single weirdest film I have ever seen, and keep in mind that 1)I'm a film major and 2)I'm familiar with the works of David Lynch.

That doesn't mean this is a good movie, or even one that makes any goddamn sense. The first plot twist is really good and fun, the smaller plot twists in the middle are fun, but the second really BIG plot twist is just.... over-the-top ridiculous and about where the movie shits itself in a surrealist explosion of bafflement.

David Hyde Peirce plays a guy who inadvertently takes in a bank-robber for dinner. The bank robber eventually reveals himself and starts threatening DHP, who looks scared, but then when the robber sits down, he notices a photo with Peirce putting his hand over.... no one. The robber looks at his wine in shock and passes out.

Cue an hour of Peirce acting fuckin' crazy. He has a dinner party with a bunch of guests that aren't actually there, and then he shows a photo album to the bank robber of his last dinner party guest, who eventually wound up with his throat slit. So does this robber.

Who.... wakes up in an alley, and it was all make-up. DHP didn't kill him at all. But hey, he's fuckin' crazy. Maybe he did it to prove a point. Who knows.

Meanwhile the police are investigating the bank robbery, and find out how the guy committed it. I won't get into too much detail, but this part was actually well done. It's just the next bit where the movie completely jumps off the rails, and turns from "psychological thriller" to "Plot inspired by 14 year olds who got into the weed." Because DAVID HYDE PIERCE IS A POLICE DETECTIVE, and is supposed to investigate the case of the robbed bank, and WHAT THE FUCK, I can't even describe this anymore.

Hack off the movie right after the guy discovers that he's not dead after all, and you have a pretty good film that I would recommend. Afterward.... just.... what the fuck. Why? Why would you do that to a perfectly good plot?

metroid composite · « **Reply #1443 on:** October 22, 2011, 05:13:57 PM »

Gun Hill Road

A movie about a latino man who gets out of jail only to find that his son is becoming his daughter.

I feel like the director was trying to make 100% of the scenes in this movie mildly uncomfortable to watch. For me, the director succeeded on about 70% of scenes (illegal stuff, some very awkward sex/relationship scenes). I am also clearly not up-to-date when it comes to teenage ghetto slang, so feel like I just didn't understand some scenes. And in the end, the message of the movie is...what? (mild SPOILERS I guess) If you don't like your dad, wait till he winds up back in prison--problem solved? How very deep! </sarcasm>

Granted, it's not like the movie is offensive. It's fine in that respect. But I don't really feel I'd recommend it.

metroid composite · « **Reply #1444 on:** October 22, 2011, 05:21:29 PM »

Quote from: Cmdr_King on October 04, 2011, 11:40:05 PM

The movie itself though... y'know, animated movies have changed a lot over time. Pixar's dominance, and the influence of Dreamworks, changed the landscape a lot from the 90s Disney era. I don't think you could even make Lion King now, not with the care, detail, and fluidity of it. But that's not what stood out to me.
I feel like we really lost something in the past 10 years, a willingness to evoke genuine emotion. I'm comparing Toy Story 3, the closest of the pixar movies to Lion King in tone, and there is more than a little gap. Look at the incinerator scene, then look at the wildebeest stampede? Yeah. Maybe I'm overreading here, but Lion King went balls out selling that scene, musically, in the animation, in the ebb and flow of tragedy and fear and hope. It's like... you have to downplay everything now, that there's something wrong with trying to build up emotions and it's better to throttle them back to a whisper.

To be fair, look at the scenes in the Lion King compared to the scenes in...any other Disney movie at the time. If you want individual scenes that pull at your heartstrings, then Lion King stands head and shoulders above most of its contemporaries. (It's worse in some other ways, but...yeah).

And for the record, when Disney fired all their old animators, Pixar hired them. So...it's not like the know-how is lost.

Captain K. · « **Reply #1445 on:** October 22, 2011, 06:01:57 PM »

http://www.girlswithslingshots.com/comic/gws-1258/

Fenrir · « **Reply #1446 on:** October 22, 2011, 11:58:22 PM »

Johnny English Reborn: Hilarious. Haters gonna hate.
I think I've enjoyed it more than every movie I've seen since True Grit >_>

Shale · « **Reply #1447 on:** October 23, 2011, 01:57:48 AM »

Thor: Pretty great. Branagh's chops really show through, and he has a surprisingly good touch for the broader comedy moments as well. Script-wise and acting-wise, they nailed pretty much all the characters, although Hogun looks little to nothing like Charles Bronson. The only complaint I have is with Loki, and that's a matter of personal preference; his trickster side was there, but I love seeing it take center stage, instead of getting back-burnered for outright betrayal pretty much from the get-go. Even so, the fact that Loki's going to be a big deal in Avengers has me more hyped for that movie, so yay.

The visuals were the standout, though, because damn. Asgard looked absolutely amazing. Wish I'd seen it in theaters just for the wide-angle scenes.

Anthony Edward Stark · « **Reply #1448 on:** November 03, 2011, 05:10:22 AM »

They were fucking incredible FYI.

superaielman · « **Reply #1449 on:** November 18, 2011, 09:20:45 PM »

Ghostbusters: Saw this at the minimeet a couple of weeks back. I seriously remembered next to nothing from this movie, so it was new to me. Amazingly well written (Bill Murray in particular stole the show) and the humor has aged very well. Groundhog day is better, but this is a close second for Murray's best film that I've seen.

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Author Topic: Movies (Read 281786 times)

Idun