Movie opinions thread (what have you seen, what did you think?)

you know teh story?

it looks butt.

tempted to get the original on blu-ray.

Keanu Reeves = Insta-fail

The original's fun though.

All I have to say is that freaking kid is annoying as hell.

$CASHMONEY$ said:

you know teh story?

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Of course. Just curious about the remake, and how good it is.

Ghost Rider

Glad I waited to watch this on Encore instead of the theaters, but the special effects and Eva Mendes were nice to see. Could've used a cameo or 2 from other Marvel actors, though.

I saw Four Christmases while I was up north.

It was funnier than I expected. There was an annoying brat in the movie, but she gets owned by Reese Witherspoon big time. Fun, mindless entertainment. Not the best X-Mas movie, but an okay one.

I'm not sure I can say it's the absolute worst movie I've ever seen, but it's definitely in the top 5. That kid single-handedly ruins the film, turning it into a series of improbably stupid events. The scenes where the kid isn't on film are actually ok and the film has the potential to be mediocre if all the footage with that kid were removed, but unfortunately that's not the case. The only bright moment in the film is the brief appearance by John Cleese, where he steals the show. Do not see this film even if someone pays you.

Jaelus said:

I'm not sure I can say it's the absolute worst movie I've ever seen, but it's definitely in the top 5. That kid single-handedly ruins the film, turning it into a series of improbably stupid events. The scenes where the kid isn't on film are actually ok and the film has the potential to be mediocre if all the footage with that kid were removed, but unfortunately that's not the case. The only bright moment in the film is the brief appearance by John Cleese, where he steals the show. Do not see this film even if someone pays you.

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Wow, so it's like war of the worlds. where it was kinda cool except all those fucking dakota fanning screaming scenes and that "stereotypically emo angst high school boy"... and of course cruise instead of keanu.

So in other words, I'll hate it.

War of the Worlds looks like a best picture winner next to this pile of dog shit. It was about as enjoyable as Jar Jar Binx doing acupuncture on your nut sack.

Saw two movies this weekend, one was excellent, the other very good:

Milk -- I'd been looking forward to this, I hoped it would be good. The trailer was very promising. They timed the LA/NY debut to the 30th anniversary of the assassination. It just so-ended up timing with the Prop 8 battle... The opening batch of LA/NY reviews were tremendous, so I went in with high expectations. Finally saw it on Friday and it met expectations: this is one of the best movies of the year. Sean Penn completely disappears into the role of Harvey Milk; this isn't Jamie Foxx's performance as Ray Charles, this is a man playing a person most people aren't familiar with and making him seem like a completely "3-D" individual. IMO, if Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler ends up as good as he's been touted, this could be the 2-man race for the Best Actor Oscar. I was familiar with Harvey Milk's bio, and this movie does an excellent job of taking a lot of events and condensing them into key scenes that don't in any way feel like you're watching a set of Cliff Notes. They story is surprisingly focused and, while it deals with civil rights, it doesn't try to become too sweeping --Gus Van Sant did a good job of keeping things in check. A definite 5/5, must-see.

J.C.V.D. -- I've been hyping this movie up in my head for weeks since I saw the trailer last month. I mean... Jean Claude Van Damme as Jean Claude Van Damme, a desperate, former-action hero caught in a bank robbery? This movie is closer to Dog Day Afternoon, and it holds nothing back in bringing up his drug problems, his infamous French-language interviews where he started babbling about pseudo-philosophy like being "aware" (mind you, he kept saying he was "aware" in English --here's a parody video that captures that moment), and adapting his family and professional problems into a story set in the present day on a visit to his home town in Belgium. The movie has two incredible long takes: the first is an opening action sequence that is exceptional by any standard; the second is a long-take monologue where JCVD, breaking the 4th wall, basically gives a brutally honest assessment of his own life, its failures, and his aspirations. Those two scenes alone make this worth watching --there's welcome bit of fan service towards the end, but the movie itself goes a surprisingly honest route to the end. I saw it with 8 people from here and work, and I think its safe to say we all liked it. I probably give it a bit more than the others. If you're into Van Damme, its a 5/5 (and you've probably already figured out where its playing or pre-ordered the DVD), but as a movie I felt its a strong 4/5 --excellent if you're familiar with JCVD's earlier work.

I don't think you can go wrong seeing either of the above, or Slum Dog Millionaire which I think stands up with Milk as the two best movies I've seen this year (edging out Dark Knight by a bit).

Saw Punisher: Warzone this weekend. A different animal altogether compared to the first 2. It's the first comic book based movie that I've seen that actually felt like a "comic book"complete with over the top violence and over the top villains. As a whole it's pretty unashamed and unabashed in it's comic book roots. If you'd like to see a fun movie with a good amount of dark and unintentional humor and exploding people then by all means go see Warzone.

Been on a testosterone run lately.

Watched Shaft on Friday night. Believe it or not, this was the first time I watched this flick from beginning to finish --- I'd only caught snatches of it on cable when I was in Uni. Nothing particularly memorable about the plot itself --- rumors of a gang war down in Harlem reaches Vic, the police sergeant of a New York police precinct, so he turns to John Shaft, the black private dick for information. Just because he doesn't abide police handbook regulations, doesn't mean life for John Shaft is a walk in the park either --- police threatens him with jail time or suspension of license, mafia wants his service but often with poison caveats, black militants distrust him because his profession puts him on the side of The Man. But when you retain John Shaft's service, you can trust him to deliver the goods --- and he always gives his women complete satisfaction. Richard Roundtree oozes gigatons of charisma in his role as John Shaft. Movie was entertaining, action packed, and wrapped up with an exciting rescue mission.

Followed that with John Woo's Hard Boiled. I think I'm getting to be a little bit too queasy for inordinate amounts of on screen carnage lately --- I had to pause this movie after an hour to eat something in order to get back to watching the second half. The whole notion of turning Peking Opera sword play into gun play worked spectacularly to deliver exciting, heart-pounding, breathtaking cinematography. "How many hit points do these cops have anyway?" is what I couldn't stop thinking about while watching the action unfold on film. Injuries that do not in any way impair agility or strength: direct shotgun shrapnel to the back; gunshot wound to the right chest; and gunshot wound to the thigh, just to name a few. Good movie, but not sure if I have the stomach for another any time soon.

The Machine Girl - Gory Japanese B-movie cheese. A departure from what I'm use to seeing. 3/5

X Files- I Want to Believe- I admit I am a huge X files fan, I own all the seasons on DVD + The Lone Gunmen. Yes I am a chump. That said I felt this was a fitting end to the series especially to the Mulder and Skully more than friends/romance thing. If you're a fan it's alright if not you will be disappointed.

6/10

X Files- Fight for the Future- A much more friendly film to broader audiences plus it came out when the series was at it's height. Still not great but a little more accessible to the non X phile.

7/10

Slumdog Millionare

Just saw this movie last night, and I must saw that I am extremely impressed. Best movie of 2008 for me thus far. See it. It is really amazing.

It's insanely amazing they managed to capture the images they did. I mean, it was shot in some places where people NEVER shoot movies.

Also, for fun, compare this movie with a budget of 15 million to Starship Troopers 3 with a budget of 20 million.

Joe Strummer: the Future is Unwritten

2/5 stars, there was a whole lot of what but very little why. They could've had more time to go in-depth had the movie not started with an unnecessary and long opening credits/soundtrack scene. I did like when they interspersed footage of Career Opportunities in a stadium and a club, and it sounded so much better in the club. It got the point across but should the director really be making such points, especially when the quality of the good old days is so debatable. In the beginning of the movie he uses footage from clubs and they're playing horribly out of tune

Doubt - Superbly acted and enjoyable period piece

The story can be summarized in one sentence: priest in Catholic grade school/cathedral is accused by principal sister of inappropriate relations with an altar boy. Trick is, this is based in the 60s after Kennedy's death, with the altar boy being the only black student in the private school. Superb acting by all the main principals (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams) along with some strong supporting performances. The shot sequences and camera angles play up nicely to the unfolding story without revealing the actual events. You're left guessing and having doubt about theaccusations and their repercussions through the ending.

I wouldn't recommend this for a date movie or for something that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If is, however, visually appealing and very subtle in its character development so a movie buff will definitely appreciate the buildup. A quiet quality movie that will leave you with a lot of things to think through.

Sincerely,

Mikhail

Saw the Curious Case of Benjamin Button and thoroughly enjoyed it. Acting was top notch, and even though some parts were slower in nature, it never dragged down the movie. It even got a few tears out of me at certain parts of the film.

Good stuff.

SPOILERS:










The scene with the kid getting his eyes "done" really freaked me out. I was having nightmares about it.

Eldios said:

Best movie of 2008 for me thus far.

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Thus far?? You know there is nothing else still coming out this year, right? We're done.

SouthtownKid said:

Thus far?? You know there is nothing else still coming out this year, right? We're done.

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Dude DON'T JUMP THE GUN - couple more days left...

Hmmmm. Actually he probably hasn't seen every movie to come out this year though...

I'm in a reply happy mood.

just got done watching it.
i wouldn't dare call it the best movie of '08...but it's def one of the better.
a refreshing droplet in a sea of mediocrity, that's for sure.

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Merged.