The Movie Thread

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Gavin
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Gavin »

ZedLeg wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2020 10:39 am
Gavin wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2020 10:21 am Whit? You oan drugs? Last Jedi is pitiful. :D

Disjointed and I hate people criticising kids fantasy films (which is what SW is) but even I thought it could have been a whole lot better!
Force awakens is pretty good but the last one is a mess that completely ruins the character arcs of Rey and Kylo so they could have the emperor in it. The Last Jedi is the only one that feels like a new Star Wars movie. All just my opinion though.

Rev is correct in that Rogue One is the best Star Wars overall though.
Shoehornng in the Emperor was clumsy at best, I agree, but as a spectacle ROS work well enough. I suspect the final trilogy suffered from all the chopping and changing of Directors and writers etc and a few of the actors heavily criticised the cutting of scenes.

I agree Rogue One is the best, although I enjoy Revenge of The Sith every time i watch it too.

Given the scope for new material (see The Mandalorian) I am just delighted that is the end of the Skywalker saga and look forward to branching out.

I would have loved either a Trilogy or TV series of Karen Traviss' Clone series as that was brilliant. A lot of the EU stuff was bad fan fiction but there were a lot of gems in there too and even with the huge "non canon" axe wielded by Disney, there are many many characters that could be focused on.
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Ascender
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Ascender »

Attack of the Clones

Hmm, this isn’t getting any better is it? And there’s not even Darth Maul now.

So, what’s good about it? I mean, I like the design of quite a lot of the characters. I quite liked the Jango v Obi Wan fight at the original time of release “Wow, there’s watery planets in Star Wars and it even rains”, but the latest three movies have done that much better. They tease a big fight with lots of Jedis which is ultimately disappointing.

The dialogue really is awful though. Again. The plot is a mess. Again. The special effects are anything but - some of them are really janky, bargain basement fare. More talk about senates and voting. The West Wing made that sort of stuff really entertaining. But Lucas is not Aaron Sorkin.

The opening chase scene really is straight out of a video game. And not a very good one at that. You’ve always got to admire directors who manage to make something visually stunning on a limited budget. So its only right to pillory those who literally have no upper budget and fail miserably. This is the second movie of three, which just goes to show it was one big old vanity project for Lucas.

This is the middle one in the trilogy, the one which lays out why Anakin turns to the dark side and the start of that journey. So it seems strange that they had this one job and then proceed to make a pigs ear of it. I have genuinely no idea why all that love story stuff with Padme is in there. Well, I know its in there because she’s going to die and he’ll get all cross, but its just so badly done, I couldn’t give any less of a fvck about the pair of them.

Actually, the limited Tatooine stuff is kind of ok, but even then, the emotional side of the story has zero depth whatsoever and is paint-by-numbers stuff. Movies are supposed to be all about “show, don’t tell”, but Lucas just doesn’t seem to be able to show any subtlety or even giving his audience the benefit of the doubt that they might have some intelligence and be able to figure out character motivations and actions without him spelling everything out for them.

Its another ⭐️ ⭐️ and I kind of think that’s being generous.
Cheers,

Mike.
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NotoriousREV
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by NotoriousREV »

Ascender wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2020 10:09 am I know this is 20 year-old tech
There’s no way that’s right.

*Checks IMDB*

Fuck.
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Ascender
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Ascender »

Revenge of the Sith

And we’re back! This feels much more like the Star Wars of my childhood. The first 30 minutes are a cracking space battle which feels like it could have been lifted from any of the original trilogy and the time flies-by. The CGI quality has been ratcheted up a few levels and the same can be said of the acting - Portman in particular, but even Hayden Christiansen is passable.

McGregor continues to be good value for money and while the dialogue is still pretty honking, its not as noticeably bad as in the first two. Maybe that’s because everything is just a bit better so it doesn’t stand out as much.

There’s still some really bizarre Lucas-traits on show when it comes to the insistence on characters making really strange decisions in fights which I’m guessing he thought was goofy... and some of the sequences went on for too long, but honestly, that’s me nit-picking.

Oh, one thing which isn’t great but I jut went with is the whole Anakin going bad thing. I think they did the best they could with it in the time given, but they should have done a much better job of setting it up in the second movie. They dropped the ball there and weren’t left with much to work with in this one. As my Nan used to say. “You can only piss with the cock you’ve got.”

I really enjoyed this movie. Its maybe benefited from the fact that the first two really were absolute horse shit, but even if I try and blank the memory of them out, its pretty damn good. Everyone has upped their game and from the off, Lucas seems to be in much more comfortable territory - possibly because its clearly a bit of a bridging movie to the classic trilogy, so everything from the Clone Troopers to the introduction of the Wookiee’s is just stuff he’s much better at doing.

I think this is somewhere between a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ And a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Star Wars movie. 3 feels harsh, but 4 feels generous given a couple of those to come.

Rogue One time...
Cheers,

Mike.
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Ascender
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Ascender »

Rogue One

How bloody good is this film? I’ve not seen it since opening weekend in the cinema, but it’s not just a great Star Wars movie, it’s a great movie full stop. This is what they should be doing with the franchise now - and I guess The Mandalorian is in the same sort of style. Rogue One is like a 70s war movie and The Mandalorian is like a great western.

I’ll even forgive the slightly dodgy/uncanny valley of the two actors - it’s far less jarring now than when I saw it first. Everything in the movie makes sense, the cinematography is great, the humour is well judged and there’s just enough fan service touches too.

I think in Star Wars terms, this is a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ movie.
Cheers,

Mike.
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Broccers
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Broccers »

Some good tips there - haven't really watched the later star wars films - the jar jar binks thing put me off.
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DeskJockey
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by DeskJockey »

Been making good use of the Disney+ subscription!

Avengers: Infinity War
Well that was a bit dark, wasn't it? Good though, felt like a proper movie with depth to it, not just genre fodder.

Avengers: Endgame
That was a bit disappointing, felt flat after the build-up from IW. Attempts at humour were just that, and it didn't keep the momentum up. Good outcome though.

Don't like what they've done with Hulk. He's a bit of a wet blanket.

Captain Marvel
Quite a bit meh. Establishes a bridge to IW, but not a great piece of cinema. Awesome soundtrack though, and full of 90s stuff.
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Jobbo
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Jobbo »

Hustlers
J-Lo expected an Oscar nomination for this film. She’s deluded. Don’t bother.
Peterlplp
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Peterlplp »

Jobbo wrote: Sun Apr 05, 2020 8:18 am Hustlers
J-Lo expected an Oscar nomination for this film. She’s deluded. Don’t bother.


Yep, it was so well reviewed at the time that I went to it in a theatre. Major disappointment and the J-Lo bits were the worst - her parts were like she had her own lighting and makeup like a glowing jesus in a painting.

Try Support the Girls or Tangerine if you want a good recent prossy/stripper movie.
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Ascender
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Ascender »

Zombieland 2
I really liked the first movie but thought the trailer for this one was utter toss. But, it was actually ok, enough laughs and nice callbacks to the original that I quite enjoyed it. Maybe that’s due to low expectations, but Emma Stone & Woody H are always good value. A solid 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️ out of 5

The Hateful Eight
No idea how I missed this one - I think we bought it on release and somehow forgot to watch it. It doesn’t seem to get much love, but it’s a nice twist on the whodunnit, set in the Wild West. Samuel L and Walt Goggins steal the show. Four sweary cowboys out of 5.
Cheers,

Mike.
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Richard
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Richard »

I’m watching Contagion

Dave kept this quiet

Image

Image
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Maurice
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Maurice »

Contagiown3d.
RobYob
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by RobYob »

Onward was great, great animation, great story, great tripping of the fantasy tropes. Haven't been this delighted at the difference between expectations from the trailer and the actuall movie since Zootopia. Nine happy smiling dragons out of ten.

Jumanji the next level same stupid fun as the first, possibly a bit better with the ensemble flicking between personas very well.

Dolittle expectations were low, it was just about acceptable entertainment. RDJ was very awkward but it had its moments.

Cats wooooooaaaaaahboy what the fuck were they all thinking? I love musicals and actually didn't mind the animation conceit but the actual performances were bloody awful. Apart from the pretty decent Taylor Swift camo which is going to be in the spankbank of furries for decades to come.
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Ascender
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Ascender »

More digital-only bargains....

Cats - Picked it up for a few $ but I couldn’t make it through the first 10 minutes. So many questions, so much confusion. My daughter can’t wait to see it though so I’m leaving her and Mrs Mike to it.

Richard Jewell- Really good movie from Clint Eastwood but utterly depressing at how he was treated by the press and authorities. Not sure why it hit me so hard - its a relatively recent event in history which I never knew anything about.

Underwater - Bad things happen to a bunch of people who are drilling underwater. I thought this was much more enjoyable than a few of the reviews I’ve read made it out to be. Decent effects, good sense of tension, good length so doesn’t outstay its welcome and while it treads some very familiar tropes, I thought it was very well done.

Next up is Motherless Brooklyn and the final three movies of Star Wars.
Cheers,

Mike.
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Simon
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Simon »

Midnight Run is currently on Netflix, if 1980's films starring De Niro are your thing.

It's f'ing fantastic IMO. Must've watched it 20 times before.
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McSwede
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by McSwede »

Simon wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 1:18 pm Midnight Run is currently on Netflix, if 1980's films starring De Niro are your thing.

It's f'ing fantastic IMO. Must've watched it 20 times before.
It's a belter.
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dinny_g
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by dinny_g »

We caught up on a few of the recent Music Biopic's

Rocketman - probably the best of these three IMO. Great music, the "numbers" sequences were well woven into the story. Great portrayal of Elton by Taron Egerton.

Bohemian Rhapsody - you can see Remi Malik won the Oscar - Brilliantly played. The Live Aid section (while brilliant) is only slightly let down by the weird colours they used in the Crowd Animations - It looked like most of the people in the crowd were wearing white or Light blue only. I remember the day as a lot more colourful. However, the presence of Peter Beale throughout made it feel like a Lifetime move to me.

Yesterday - enjoyed it ever more than I thought (Mainly because Tamwar was playing Tamwar ;) ). Great idea, Ed Sheeran doesn't stick out and Kate McKinnon gets some of the funniest lines in years.

Edit - and Robert Carlisle does a brilliant John Lennon - apparently Danny Boyle didn't allow the main actor to see Carlisle in character until they filmed the sceen where they meet to capture a real reaction.
JLv3.0 wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:26 pm I say this rarely Dave, but listen to Dinny because he's right.
Rich B wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 1:57 pm but Dinny was right…
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by Swervin_Mervin »

dinny_g wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:47 pm We caught up on a few of the recent Music Biopic's

Rocketman - probably the best of these three IMO. Great music, the "numbers" sequences were well woven into the story. Great portrayal of Elton by Taron Egerton.

Bohemian Rhapsody - you can see Remi Malik won the Oscar - Brilliantly played. The Live Aid section (while brilliant) is only slightly let down by the weird colours they used in the Crowd Animations - It looked like most of the people in the crowd were wearing white or Light blue only. I remember the day as a lot more colourful. However, the presence of Peter Beale throughout made it feel like a Lifetime move to me.

Yesterday - enjoyed it ever more than I thought (Mainly because Tamwar was playing Tamwar ;) ). Great idea, Ed Sheeran doesn't stick out and Kate McKinnon gets some of the funniest lines in years.

Edit - and Robert Carlisle does a brilliant John Lennon - apparently Danny Boyle didn't allow the main actor to see Carlisle in character until they filmed the sceen where they meet to capture a real reaction.
If you wanted to torture me I reckon that lineup of movies would be a good place to start :lol:
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NotoriousREV
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by NotoriousREV »

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 5:45 pm
dinny_g wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:47 pm We caught up on a few of the recent Music Biopic's

Rocketman - probably the best of these three IMO. Great music, the "numbers" sequences were well woven into the story. Great portrayal of Elton by Taron Egerton.

Bohemian Rhapsody - you can see Remi Malik won the Oscar - Brilliantly played. The Live Aid section (while brilliant) is only slightly let down by the weird colours they used in the Crowd Animations - It looked like most of the people in the crowd were wearing white or Light blue only. I remember the day as a lot more colourful. However, the presence of Peter Beale throughout made it feel like a Lifetime move to me.

Yesterday - enjoyed it ever more than I thought (Mainly because Tamwar was playing Tamwar ;) ). Great idea, Ed Sheeran doesn't stick out and Kate McKinnon gets some of the funniest lines in years.

Edit - and Robert Carlisle does a brilliant John Lennon - apparently Danny Boyle didn't allow the main actor to see Carlisle in character until they filmed the sceen where they meet to capture a real reaction.
If you wanted to torture me I reckon that lineup of movies would be a good place to start :lol:
I enjoyed all 3 of those, although Yesterday’s storyline doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny whatsoever so just relax and go with it.
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McSwede
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Re: The Movie Thread

Post by McSwede »

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 5:45 pm
dinny_g wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:47 pm We caught up on a few of the recent Music Biopic's

Rocketman - probably the best of these three IMO. Great music, the "numbers" sequences were well woven into the story. Great portrayal of Elton by Taron Egerton.

Bohemian Rhapsody - you can see Remi Malik won the Oscar - Brilliantly played. The Live Aid section (while brilliant) is only slightly let down by the weird colours they used in the Crowd Animations - It looked like most of the people in the crowd were wearing white or Light blue only. I remember the day as a lot more colourful. However, the presence of Peter Beale throughout made it feel like a Lifetime move to me.

Yesterday - enjoyed it ever more than I thought (Mainly because Tamwar was playing Tamwar ;) ). Great idea, Ed Sheeran doesn't stick out and Kate McKinnon gets some of the funniest lines in years.

Edit - and Robert Carlisle does a brilliant John Lennon - apparently Danny Boyle didn't allow the main actor to see Carlisle in character until they filmed the sceen where they meet to capture a real reaction.
If you wanted to torture me I reckon that lineup of movies would be a good place to start :lol:
2nd'd

Yesterday in particular looks bloody awful 🤣
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