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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Sept 2, 2021 12:59:01 GMT -5
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Sept 3, 2021 4:55:53 GMT -5
Mortal Kombat (2021). **spoilers below** I actually didn't mind it. Of course, I don't think I've ever played one of the games on which it is based (nor have I ever watched any of the previous films) and I only knew some of the characters names/looks (the most 'well-known' ones, I guess), so maybe not having anything to compare this to made it easier for me to enjoy the film. I was vaguely familiar with most of the characters in this film except one or two of the bad guys and, of course, the new character created just for this film. Speaking of, I've seen almost universal hate for said character (Cole Young), but I understand why they created him - to have a character serve as the audience who weren't familiar with the MK franchise, so we could learn about this universe at the same time he did. Though it's been pointed out that the movie could've used any number of existing characters to be our 'introduction' into this universe, I actually didn't have much of a problem with him (again, not knowing the games in and out probably helped). I thought he was fine. Plus, his family weren't entirely useless like you'd expect, as his kid gave him advice on how to fight the Goro (uppercut!) and his wife even attempted to take on ol' Four Arms with an axe (points for effort). I also liked seeing Aussie actress Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade (she, among others, was one of the characters who I did know about prior to seeing this film). Naturally, there will be those who make the same complaints about her characters as they do about any other female arse-kicker, but I thought she handled the role well and gave as good as she got when it came to verbal sparring with Josh Lawson's Kano (who, unlike Jessica, got to keep his Aussie accent for his role - it was amusing when she mocked his accent by briefly speaking in an imitation of it when in fact Aussie would be how she naturally sounds in r/l). The two of them probably had the most fun dynamic in the film. They traded barbs and engaged in fisticuffs, I was glad that Sonya got to drop a few F-bombs (not that I'm particularly fond of excessive cussing, but so often it seems like the guys get to do plenty of it and the women are left out of it, but here she had almost as much of a 'potty mouth' as Kano...though he was certainly more liberal with the casual swearing than any other character in the movie). I've seen numerous comments about Kano being one of the best/'stand-out' characters in the film, and he did certainly provide the majority of the laughs, but I also enjoyed Sonya finally shutting him up in their final fight together - I may be one of the few who felt that way (though I think they've established in this film there are ways for characters to come back). The beginning of the movie did a decent job of making me care what happened to the character of Hanzo Hasashi (who would return at the end as Scorpion) and his feud with Bi-Han (who would become Sub-Zero). The opening fight scene was quite good. Whilst it was established there was a history between the characters of Sonya and Jax, it feels like the film only skimmed the surface of their dynamic. I didn't realise Jax was going to start of with rather lame robot arms before he eventually got proper ones near the end (I thought his first set looked pretty lacklustre). Two other characters who had to quickly convey their characters' relationship/dynamic were Liu Kang and Kung Lao. I didn't really get what they were to each other until I heard it mentioned somewhere that they were cousins. It's a shame we only got the two of their together in this one film, but they still fared better than Raiden (who felt underused) and at least Kung Lao got to have the stand-out kill of the movie - poor 'beautiful' (in the words of another bad guy) Nitara wasn't 'beautiful' for very long before she met Kung Lao's hat. Speaking of, I got a good laugh out of Kano's various comments about the hat, but it would've been good to see him respect the hat after he saw what it was capable of. I can't say any of the bad guys left much of an impression (except maybe Sub-Zero). The most memorable thing about Nitara was her aforementioned death, Mileena was a character who I couldn't WAIT to see Sonya kick the arse of (so I was glad when she eventually got powers and blasted a hole through her), Kabal seemed like the bad guys needed a Kano type of quippy character...but then Kano himself joined them, which made Kabal kind of redundant (I did know of at least one of Kabal's 'fatalities' - I think that's what it is, anyway - and was wondering if we'd see it...but I guess not. Then again, maybe he'll return?). I can't say I even learned the other bad guys' names (other than that of Goro - while I can understand some of the complaints about the CGI used for this character, I believe this movie didn't have as big a budget as some, so maybe that's why he looked a bit iffy in the effects department), as they were pretty forgettable. I think that, as a whole, this felt like the first 'part'/act of a much bigger three-part film. It introduced the characters, established their dynamics, gave them their powers and set up scores to be settled (should certain characters return later). I don't mind that it tried to 'ground' things (as much as you can in a movie with ice powers, four-armed CGI creatures and a lizard-man) a bit in this first outing, as I think they'll get more 'crazy' and outlandish with stuff should they get more films. All in all, I thought this movie was fairly decent and I'm glad to have seen it so I could learn some things about the MK universe.
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 17:15:09 GMT -5
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 18:59:00 GMT -5
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 19:11:36 GMT -5
I loved the first half... but, then it just turned into a muddled mess. It also had a {SPOILER} dud of a non-ending
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 19:17:57 GMT -5
I loved the first half... but, then it just turned into a muddled mess. It also had a {SPOILER} dud of a non-ending So, not so different from the old one?
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 19:21:02 GMT -5
I loved the first half... but, then it just turned into a muddled mess. It also had a {SPOILER} dud of a non-ending So, not so different from the old one? i don't remember 84 too well, but there were a few of the "same scenes" and now that i look at the banner i posted, i am pretty sure {SPOILER} "it begins" was also the last line of the film
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 19:26:43 GMT -5
So, not so different from the old one? i don't remember 84 too well, but there were a few of the "same scenes" and now that i look at the banner i posted, i am pretty sure {SPOILER} "it begins" was also the last line of the film I think I'll rewatch the old one first, since it at least has David Lynch's utter insanity going for it.
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 19:28:48 GMT -5
i don't remember 84 too well, but there were a few of the "same scenes" and now that i look at the banner i posted, i am pretty sure {SPOILER} "it begins" was also the last line of the film I think I'll rewatch the old one first, since it at least has David Lynch's utter insanity going for it. probbably wouldn't hurt, lol wait til you see the ships, and the pyramids, and the "helicopters" in '21 you will be blown away!
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 19:30:09 GMT -5
I think I'll rewatch the old one first, since it at least has David Lynch's utter insanity going for it. probbably wouldn't hurt, lol wait til you see the ships, and the pyramids, and the "helicopters" in '21 you will be blown away! A visual treat?
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Sept 22, 2021 19:31:07 GMT -5
probbably wouldn't hurt, lol wait til you see the ships, and the pyramids, and the "helicopters" in '21 you will be blown away! A visual treat? for sure, all time classic special effects and production design
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Post by jayman on Sept 28, 2021 23:17:37 GMT -5
I haven’t watched a movie in a long time. I am due for the latest marvel stuff. Waiting for my new glasses to watch on the big tv.
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Oct 5, 2021 18:36:10 GMT -5
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Oct 5, 2021 19:38:54 GMT -5
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Nov 4, 2021 5:25:03 GMT -5
Eternals (2021). Eternal love. Since this movie was first announced, it'd piqued my interest. I personally was holding out hope that this would finally be an MCU film with a group of characters from space who I actually liked and weren’t a bunch of a-holes. An opening crawl not only explains who Eternals are, but Deviants and Celestials too. There’s enough exposition through dialogue to answer any questions one might have whilst watching (such as why these Eternals were ‘Switzerland’ during the battle against Thanos). Complaints about this film being ‘confusing’ because it alternates between past and present must be from those with short attention spans, as it’s quite obvious what time period the movie’s in at any given time thanks to helpful location title cards. Too many characters? I think not. Endgame had 30-something characters and nobody complained. Each of these Eternals has a distinct personality. Salma Hayek gives good wise leader as Ajak, who can heal, but her decision-making causes some conflict with the others. Gemma Chan (who I became a fan of thanks to her nuanced performance in the TV series Humans) has a certain quality about her that makes her the perfect fit for Sersi, whose power is molecular manipulation. She experiences self-doubt, but there’s more to her than she thinks. Long ago she was involved with Richard Madden’s character, Ikaris, who’s kind of like Superman (one unexpected thing in this movie is the shout-outs to the MCU's ‘rival’, DC, with the Superman/Batman mentions) with the flying/eyebeams/super-strength. Over the course of the movie we find out why he left Sersi, and like her character, he’s got more going on than you might expect. Madden’s a natural fit as the ‘leading man’ type and he really brings it when it comes to conveying the conflicted emotions his character feels. Kit Harington plays Dane Whitman, who’s someone Sersi could be happy with until Ikaris’ return throws a spanner in the works. Those wishing to see the two GoT actors reunited onscreen should be happy with the scene where their characters size each other up, but thankfully it never descends into teen drama love triangle angst. After watching the trailers, the one character I wasn’t sure I’d be fond of was the young-in-appearance redheaded girl, Sprite, whose power is creating illusions. Whilst she isn’t too bad for the majority of the movie, she did annoy me towards the end and I was peeved she didn’t face suitable consequences for her actions, instead seemingly being rewarded with something she’d always wanted (her crush on older-looking men/willingness to follow them no matter what makes her seem quite shallow). Turns out my first instincts/gut reaction to her was correct. She’s a brat. They soon seek out the other Eternals because a cataclysmic event called ‘the Emergence’ (involving a Celestial, that’s big enough to dwarf a planet, hatching from the planet Earth...which is bad news for humanity) is imminent. They first find Kingo (whose power is shooting beams similar to Ikaris’ eyebeams...except from his hands) filming Bollywood movies. He provides a bit of light relief from the doom/gloom, but it’s his valet, Karun, who steals their scenes. Gilgamesh (who punches really hard) and Thena (who kicks major arse) next rejoin the group, and there was a nice dynamic between them. Angelina Jolie may surprise some with how much emotion she brings to the role of Thena. She has something happen to her which proves a problem for everyone, but Gilgamesh stands by her, making for a good character relationship. Characters who arrive later include Druig (a mind-controller), Makkari (a speedster) and Phastos (an inventor). Each serves a purpose in the story and the actors do the most with what they’re given. It was nice to have a memorable/epic theme tune in an MCU movie again and the film’s score is quite beautiful, as is the cinematography. There are breathtaking shots throughout, the fights feel visceral, the CGI is as convincing as one can hope for in creating such otherworldly things (those Celestials are quite the sight to behold) and I don’t get complaints about the Eternals' costumes (as I, for one, welcome anything that isn't Thor: Ragnarok-esque/looking like it could be purchased at a discount costume shop). I saw people ragging on the 'basic'/'cheap'-looking Eternals spaceship, but I appreciate the simplicity of their ship wedge. Sci-fi movies seem to want to keep creating more and more outlandish-looking ships and eventually it'll reach the point where they become SO bizarre-looking you'll wonder, "WTF kind of functionality does that have?". There are mid-credits/post-credits scenes to hang around for; the former introducing what seems like a rather important character (whose casting may surprise some) while the latter promises more to come for a certain character/actor who felt a bit underutilized in this film. I’m annoyed at the fact people have been badmouthing this film (some giving it 1/10 star ratings without even having seen it). Yes, the movie’s ‘different’, but that’s not a BAD thing. Some had complained about the MCU being ‘formulaic’, yet when it tries something new/different, they complain about that too. I like the fact that this movie offered something we hadn’t seen before. It was refreshing. Quite a few of the MCU films have been popular with the 'majority' whilst I personally haven't liked them, then there have been a few ones that haven't been that popular that I've actually liked. So, this criticism Eternals is receiving means very little to me. Also, you have to factor in that this movie features some things that will make a certain group of individuals biased against it/rate it far lower than it deserves. I honestly don't know why anyone puts so much faith in one website and its ratings to determine whether a movie is 'successful' or not, when really what EVERYONE should be doing is seeing it for themselves before they judge instead of bandwagon-jumping. I, for one, hope we get to see more of these Eternals and that the negative reviews/haters don't rob us of that.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Nov 11, 2021 9:15:59 GMT -5
No Time to Die (2021). No time for mediocrity...yet here we are. When Daniel Craig was first cast as Bond, he had his doubters, but proved them wrong with his debut in Casino Royale (which remains my favourite Bond film and the best of the Craig era). QoS was not well-received and certainly had its flaws, but I’ve come to appreciate it more over time as a ‘Part 2’ of sorts to CR’s ‘Part 1’. Unlike most, I kind of hated Skyfall, which I know is an ‘unpopular’ opinion…as is me actually *liking* Spectre (which most others seemed to dislike). Despite being pushed back numerous times, I can’t say I was super-excited for this final movie of Craig’s, as the trailers didn’t really ‘wow’ me. After a bloodless (wtf was THAT about?) gun barrel at the beginning, we get backstory on Madeleine Swann from Spectre. As a child she had a drunk mother and then the Phantom of the Opera killed her (again, no blood. Very strange), but young Madeleine was able to handle herself (too bad the Phantom wasn’t so easy to kill, apparently). She fled, fell through ice and was rescued by the guy she just tried to kill. Cut to Bond living a seemingly happy life with adult Madeleine, though she wants to know about Vesper, which leads Bond to visiting her grave that is suddenly desecrated via explosion (no, this isn’t the wrath of Vesper’s ghost being p.o.’d at him for moving on). His memory of her ‘betrayal’ makes him paranoid that perhaps Madeleine’s the same, which leads to him having a long hard think about whether he wants to protect her as their bulletproof car gets shot up. Luckily, Madeleine fares better than Tracy did in OHMSS (which was a surprise to me) and one car chase later he sticks her on a train with no intention of ever seeing her again. We’re then treated to Billie Eilish’s title song for the movie which mightn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I didn’t mind it (at least it was less generic than the overrated ‘Skyfall’ and didn’t feature writhing naked inky octopus ladies à la Spectre’s opening credits). Things slow down a bit as we jump five years ahead and Bond is introduced to his replacement, Nomi, who’s taken over the ‘007’ mantle since Bond retired. Lashana Lynch does what she can with the role, but it’s a pretty generic ‘tough female agent’ type who shares some back-and-forth with Bond and there doesn’t really seem to be that much complexity to her character (though she does come to respect Bond eventually and at least she's less one-dimensional than Billy Magnussen's butt-monkey character, Logan Ash). Things eventually pick up when Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter sets Bond up to meet Paloma, who at first I thought was going to unfortunately go the way of Gemma Arterton’s Agent Fields from QoS, but thankfully that wasn’t the case and she proves herself a valuable asset to Bond. Ana de Armas makes the most of her screentime and you’re left wanting more of her fun, but seriously underutilized, character. Madeleine’s eventually brought back into the story and I wondered why everything in between the beginning and her reintroduction was needed since the story seems to be about her and her connection with this film’s villain, whose name is Lyutsifer Safin. Yes, really (with a name like THAT, what career could he have possibly had besides villain?). While some dismissed the character of Madeleine and Léa Seydoux’s performance in Spectre, I thought she did a good job, and although nobody could EVER top Eva Green’s Vesper, thanks to this film fleshing out Madeleine’s character, Seydoux’s able to bring depth/pathos to the role that has now joined the ranks of Vesper and M as one of the most important women in Bond’s life. If the film had concentrated more on her instead of taking a detour to other things, maybe it wouldn’t have felt so 'scattered'. As for Safin...well, he’s not Dominic Greene levels of forgettable, but he’s not that great either. Rami Malek’s interesting to watch; though I expected a bit more from Bond’s final foe (his lair leaves more of an impression than he does, since it’s classic Bond villain-style). Of course, there’s also the return of Blofeld (who has a more elaborate holding cell than Hannibal Lecter gets), but sadly he’s not much better. The villains’ evil plot for this film is about as farfetched as classic Bond villain plots, the much-talked-about climax of the film may get some noses out of joint, and it did feel a bit contrived how they arrived there, but obviously ‘Bond will return’ in some shape or form, so people losing it over what happens seems rather premature. As for the man himself, Daniel Craig impressed in his debut with CR (a performance, like the film itself, which I feel has never been topped by the ones that followed), and although some people criticized his performance in Spectre as seeming like he was ‘over it’, I felt he seemed more worn-out here (though he does continue to show that he wasn't just the most physical Bond, but was also capable of giving genuinely emotional performances). Characters such as M, Q and Moneypenny don’t get that much to do in this film, and personally I wouldn’t be opposed to all three being recast/rebooted with whatever comes next. I didn’t find any of the action in this movie particularly memorable and definitely ‘felt’ the runtime. For Daniel Craig’s final film, it does feel surprisingly underwhelming. It’s not that anything’s particularly ‘bad’; just more a bit ‘boring’...which is NOT something a Bond film should be, especially when it’s the last one for the Bond actor. While others weren’t happy with how Spectre ended, I didn’t have a problem with it/would’ve been fine with that being Craig's last. This movie provides a more ‘definitive’ end to the story of Craig’s Bond, and I did appreciate the ‘bookends’ of where the film starts with him and where the film ends.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2021 1:03:34 GMT -5
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Outstanding.
Am I right when I say Fellowship is the best one?
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Post by Hauntedknight87 on Dec 11, 2021 16:02:30 GMT -5
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Outstanding. Am I right when I say Fellowship is the best one? Honestly I love all 3 equally. Lotr trilogy had yet to be topped as the best trilogy on film.
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Dec 11, 2021 21:10:58 GMT -5
A Muppet Christmas Carol. Still an unsung classic.
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Dec 11, 2021 21:12:41 GMT -5
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Outstanding. Am I right when I say Fellowship is the best one? Yes, it is. It had the best balance of subtlety, comedy, serious, bombastic actions, quiet intimate moments, and scenery porn.
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Dec 27, 2021 16:02:30 GMT -5
Fantastic.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 2, 2022 18:13:33 GMT -5
Thor (2011). This movie, I like it! Another! *smashes movie on the ground* I'd never read a Thor comic, nor had I been following this movie's progression until a trailer was released, the first of which I didn’t think was great, but the second of which I thought looked promising. To my surprise, this film turned out to be one of my favourite comic book films ever. The story’s interesting without being overly convoluted, starting in an unlikely place as we meet astrophysicist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who works alongside scientists, Darcy (Kat Dennings) and Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), and she makes a memorable first impression as she accidentally hits Thor (Chris Hemsworth) with her car (on more than one occasion). He's been cast out of Asgard for going against the wishes of his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and picking fights with the Frost Giants. Meanwhile, his devious brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is plotting against him (which Odin really should’ve seen coming, as having two sons and telling them that only ‘one’ can be King never ends well). Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth (who did a lot with a little in 2009’s Star Trek) is easily likeable in the role, not only meeting the physical requirements of a god, but also displaying a comedic side and at the same time proving himself capable of selling the more serious/dramatic moments (there were two scenes which stood out to me. The first being his fight with his father just before he’s banished, which felt like a very *real* father/son argument, as Thor clearly realizes he’s gone too far after insulting his dad. The other moment was a particularly emotional one once Thor is delivered some devastating news by his manipulative trickster of a brother whilst being stuck on Earth without his powers. Hemsworth really sells that despite his bravado, Thor is just a son who misses home and cares about his father even when he doesn’t see eye-to-eye with him. It was a very underrated scene, I felt). I, for one, felt Natalie Portman's Jane Foster wasn’t the typical dull 'love interest' role that seems to plague a lot of comic book movies. She’s intelligent and actually has a lighter side than most love interests, thankfully not being dead serious all the time. She's ably supported by Skårsgard (this is the first time I've liked him in a role) and Dennings (who steals every scene she's in as Darcy, bringing some genuinely amusing humour to the film). While it would have been easy for the scenes set on Earth to feel ‘slower’/more ’boring’ than those set in Asgard, it's these three human characters and their interaction with Thor that keeps their scenes interesting/entertaining. There is much humour to be found in the fish-out-of-water situation that Thor finds himself in, the relationship that develops between him and Jane isn't over-done and where we leave the two of them at the end of the film wasn’t quite what I expected. Thor's allies back on Asgard prove interesting as well. His friends (referred to at one point as "Xena, Jackie Chan and Robin Hood". I’d add that the fourth looks like a taller version of Gimli from LotR) aren't just one-dimensional characters. They're actually each unique, bringing something different to the table (I especially enjoyed the moment where they’re reunited with Thor on Earth and wave to him happily, thus showing they’re just your typical best friends albeit with godly powers). The one who made the most impression, though, was Lady Sif played by Jaimie Alexander, who kicks just as much arse as the ‘Warriors Three’ but isn’t just a ‘tough chick’, as she also displays real emotion…especially for Thor, as evidenced by her beaming smile when his powers are fully restored after his self-sacrifice. I found the moment where he looked to have been dealt a fatal blow by a giant metal energy beam-shooting robot called the Destroyer (the noisiest damn thing I've heard at the cinema in a LONG time) emotionally impactful (the music also helped). Anthony Hopkins commands the screen whenever he appears, though spends the latter half out of commission. Loki, meanwhile, I thought was an okay villain. I know he’s got his fanboys/fangirls, but I personally found his character to be the typical jealous brother with daddy issues and I grew tired of shouty moments. His helmet left a bigger impression on me than he did. What the film excels at is the visuals. Asgard is truly a wonder to behold. There's a rainbow bridge, the city looks like a giant golden pipe organ, and the way they travel to Earth is particularly memorable. Then there's the fights Thor gets into. Everything from fearsome battles with Frost Giants on Asgard to rough & tumble fist fights in the mud with burly humans on Earth, taking on the Destroyer (despite all odds against him), and finally his inevitable fight against Loki at the end. The film certainly has no shortage of fight scenes, each one well-done/different from the last. When Thor finally regains his powers and once again wields his mighty hammer, Mjölnir (which Darcy hilariously calls ‘Mew Mew’), aka the BEST. WEAPON. EVER...it's quite the sight to behold. Kenneth Branagh's direction is a large part of what makes this film so good (even if he tends to overuse the ‘Dutch angle’ camera shot). The costumes look great and the movie manages to make them, as well as the Frost Giants, not be laughable in appearance. Apart from the look of the film, what also helps it feel epic is the score. The music adds SO much, being majestic/memorable, and I also liked the rockin' end credits song. Speaking of the end credits, as with previous MCU films, there's an extra post-credits scene. For a film I hadn't given much thought to, it was a delightful surprise to find myself thoroughly enjoying Thor. It's a comic book movie that stands out from a lot that have come before, and is genuinely entertaining on all accounts. I, for one, can't wait to see more of ol' Blondebeard.
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Jan 2, 2022 21:10:36 GMT -5
They don't make them like this anymore. I used to love this movie when I was a kid, but somehow, I had filtered out all the clever writing, the genuine edge but wholesomeness, and completely legit heart of the story from my memory. If you ever wanted to have this idea that Disney movies were ever really much milder and tamer than other movies of their time challenged, this is one that will do it. It feels exactly like any other movie from the 60s just minus the swearing. The characters are all written very human and believable, especially Dean Jones's Jim Douglas, an out-of-luck racecar driver who get gifted with a living, breathing troll of a Volkswagen Beetle. Seeing this again reminded me how much I love Dean Jones. The guy was a charming, genuine talent and the world is poorer for losing him. The rest of the cast was real good, too, especially Buddy Hackett as Tennessee Steinmet, who just stole every scene he's in. And the way the special effects team brought Herbie to life was brilliant. You will believe a bug can live. 8/10.
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Post by President Ackbar mini™ on Jan 3, 2022 13:42:18 GMT -5
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 3, 2022 17:14:38 GMT -5
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Yes, I think it works. I’m not fan of Iron Man, but really enjoyed the movie Thor, so I wasn’t sure what I’d make of this movie. After the opening scene (which made me wonder if I was watching the wrong film), we cut to the 1940s during WW2. It's this change of scenery/time period that gives the film a different sort of tone/flavor, thus making it stand out from the crowd. It's like a good old-fashioned action adventure movie (which should be no surprise given it’s from Joe Johnston, who directed The Rocketeer). Another large part of what makes this film successful is its cast. To any who doubted Chris Evans, he more than proves himself as Steve Rogers. Thanks to impressive computer-aided trickery, we meet Steve as a scrawny "90 pound asthmatic", who has a never-give-up attitude, but sadly nobody takes seriously when he wants to help fight the war. After befriending a kind scientist, Steve gets to be the first test subject in a planned long line of super soldiers. His transformation into the epitome of physical perfection is quite the sight to behold, as we see Scrawny Evans turned into Steamy Evans, who’s a muscle-bound man with enhanced abilities and doesn't have a robotic suit doing all the work for him. What’s important to note, though, is that what makes Steve a hero isn’t the abilities he gains, but who he was before the transformation. It’s just that now he’s finally allowed to be the best that he truly can be in physicality to match his hero’s heart. I really appreciated that he wasn't yet another wise-cracking smart-arse, as a lot of 'heroes' seem to be nowadays, which makes him easily likable, and it's this endearing quality which catches the eye of Agent Peggy Carter, played by the stunning Hayley Atwell, who I have no problem saying is officially my hero. Peggy is the perfect woman, as she's got it all (brains, beauty and badassedness). Atwell plays her to perfection and Peggy is easily my favourite female lead in a comic book movie. There’s a sweet relationship between Peggy and Steve that develops throughout the film and it’s clear that she admires/cares for him not because of the way he (now) looks, but because of who he *is* as a person, his intelligence and selflessness. Evans and Atwell have excellent chemistry/play well off each other and are my favourite comic book movie couple. Other characters in the film include Tommy Lee Jones, as the gruff Colonel Phillips, who’s a bit rough around the edges, but manages to show that he's not entirely without heart. Stanley Tucci is excellent as the doctor who sees the potential in Steve others don’t. A real friendship develops between the two, and it goes a long way to making sure that when Dr. Erskine exits the film, we feel what Steve feels. This isn’t the only important/meaningful friendship in the film, though. Sebastian Stan plays another likable character as Steve's best friend, Bucky, Their dynamic feels very real/believable, as Bucky is one of the few to stand up for Steve. Lastly, Hugo Weaving does some major scenery-chewing in the role of Johann Schmidt. Not everything goes according to plan for the crazy Nazi dude obsessed with becoming a god (when will these bad guys in comic book films learn NOT to experiment on themselves?), and he winds up becoming a disfigured red-skulled villain. I actually liked how the reveal of Red Skull was approached, with only very vague hints to what was lurking underneath the surface early in the film (like when he’s standing in shadow, posing for his portrait, with copious amounts of red paint having been used to indicate something’s not right). Once we do finally see him in his full Red Skull glory, this is when Weaving seems to really cut loose with the role and we're treated to a memorable montage. He’s supported by Toby Jones as Dr. Arnim Zola, the ‘Smithers’ to Weaving’s ‘Mr. Burns’ (there’s even a sequence where Red Skull has an escape ship and Zola's wondering where he's going to sit, to which Red Skull basically replies that he likes to put his feet up. Okay, not exactly the same as that, but I noticed the similarity). The film has several standout action sequences that are imaginative and offer us something different to your typical explosions/gunfire, though one scene that I particularly enjoyed wasn’t action-based at all. Before Captain America’s even gotten a proper costume, he’s stuck in tights with little wings jutting out from the sides of his cowl (all those who complained about the updated Captain America costume need only see this nod to the original version to realise that changes did indeed need to be made), but what makes this scene so memorable is the fact that we’re treated to a performance of the supremely catchy ‘Star-Spangled Man’ whilst Captain America travels around the country to boost morale, promoting war bonds. It’s a delightful surprise/stand-out sequence in the movie. Thankfully, Cap eventually gets upgraded to much more practical star-spangled duds (which I saw described as resembling ‘a tricked-out airman's jumpsuit, complete with a mask which looks to be adapted from a WW2 helmet’ and he also acquires a handy shield which doubles as a kick-arse Frisbee, which he performs some impressive shield-fu with. The only slight negative I found with this film was the ending, which stinks of being merely set-up for The Avengers (of which there is yet more set up for, plus a teaser trailer of, at the end of the film’s credits) instead of the film feeling like it gets its own proper satisfying ending (much like Thor did). Sadly, the blossoming relationship between Steve & Peggy is cruelly cut short (their goodbye scene is emotional/very effective). Aside from the opening and closing scenes, I enjoyed this film immensely and found it to be a rollicking good time with a lot of heart to it, thus making it my favourite MCU film.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 5, 2022 9:19:20 GMT -5
i don't remember 84 too well, but there were a few of the "same scenes" I think I'll rewatch the old one first, since it at least has David Lynch's utter insanity going for it. probbably wouldn't hurt, lol I just watched the 1984 version (which I recorded on TV) for the first time... {Spoiler}
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Jan 5, 2022 17:23:41 GMT -5
I think I'll rewatch the old one first, since it at least has David Lynch's utter insanity going for it. probbably wouldn't hurt, lol I just watched the 1984 version (which I recorded on TV) for the first time... {Spoiler} Not a fan, I take it?
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 5, 2022 18:22:28 GMT -5
I just watched the 1984 version (which I recorded on TV) for the first time... {Spoiler} Not a fan, I take it? I'd heard of this adaptation, but nothing could've prepared me for just how WTF-worthy it actually was. Every scene resulted in me having dozens of questions, and at the top of the list is 'What's the deal with the big space sperm with arms?'.
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Post by Weirdraptor mini™ on Jan 5, 2022 18:56:45 GMT -5
I'd heard of this adaptation, but nothing could've prepared me for just how WTF-worthy it actually was. Every scene resulted in me having dozens of questions, and at the top of the list is 'What's the deal with the big space sperm with arms?'. Fair enough. Honesty, the WTF-ery is why I love it.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 5, 2022 20:43:10 GMT -5
I'd heard of this adaptation, but nothing could've prepared me for just how WTF-worthy it actually was. Every scene resulted in me having dozens of questions, and at the top of the list is 'What's the deal with the big space sperm with arms?'. Fair enough. Honesty, the WTF-ery is why I love it. I understand. After all, the WTF-ery is part of why I love Riverdale. I guess what separates WTF-ery that I like as opposed to WTF-ery that I don't like is that I need to at least be able to understand something about what's going on...and I can't say I really did when watching Dune (1984).
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