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

Tarma

Old Man
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The Evil That Men Do - run of the mill thriller starring Charles Bronson as a retired hit man who, obviously, comes out of retirement to do one last job. The task is to avenge the death of a friend, killed at the hands of a sadistic torturer for hire who is holed up in Mexico with his goons.
On the plus side this is well paced and the acting isn't bad, although the main villain is pretty meh in terms of character - they could have really done with someone who likes chewing scenery for this role.
Overall, a much forgotten film, and probably rightly so, perhaps most notable for the fact that it's not a Cannon film, from a time when that's pretty much all Bronson was doing.
 

The Chief

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Harlem Nights - Can’t believe I hadn’t seen this one, found it searching through Eddie Murphy’s imdb. Really good flick, but let’s be honest, Eddie’s early stuff was all pretty solid. I really liked the atmosphere and it’s cool to see Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy together on screen. Will watch again.

Blues Brothers - Hadn’t seen this one either, but for good reason, it wasn’t very good. Goofy premise, guy gets out of jail and sets upon quest to reform band. It was a long one, around 2-1/2 hours and there were a couple scenes in the middle setup like a musical with people singing and dancing in the streets, almost turned it off there. Belushi and Aykroyd and legends, this one just wasn’t my jam.
 

terry.330

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Blues Brothers - Hadn’t seen this one either, but for good reason, it wasn’t very good. Goofy premise, guy gets out of jail and sets upon quest to reform band. It was a long one, around 2-1/2 hours and there were a couple scenes in the middle setup like a musical with people singing and dancing in the streets, almost turned it off there. Belushi and Aykroyd and legends, this one just wasn’t my jam.
I don’t even…
 

The Chief

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I don’t even…
I know it’s a popular favorite which is why I gave it a shot, it’s just not my favorite. I can’t stand musicals, and it had some scenes that checked that box. Will not be watching again, confirmed.
 

terry.330

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Night of the Creeps- Not quite on the same level as Return of the Living Dead or The Blob but still ranks pretty high as far as 80’s horror goes. It‘s got it all; zombies, aliens, slugs, bad fashion, titties, a flamethrower and even Dick Miller. Plus we get Tom Atkins as cartoonish burnt out detective straight from a pulp novel and every line out of his mouth is instantly quotable. You gotta love it.

It’s just a very fun and creative little movie. I mean where else are you going to see a bus load of douchebag frat guys get turned into slug filled zombies then get shot in the face with a shotgun and roasted by a hot chick with a flamethrower?
 

SouthtownKid

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I know it’s a popular favorite which is why I gave it a shot, it’s just not my favorite. I can’t stand musicals, and it had some scenes that checked that box. Will not be watching again, confirmed.
Nothing proves the existence of souls better than witnessing the complete absence of one in a person.
 
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terry.330

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The Hitcher- One of the best thrillers of its era that unfortunately didn’t get the recognition it deserved until years later. This was my first time watching it properly (not on cable or VHS) and I have to say that I was surprised at just how good it looks. It’s incredibly well shot and edited. Of course it’s best known for Rutger Hauer’s performance as the titular Hitcher and it’s one of his best. C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Liegh are also both really great as well. I was also surprised by the amount of action, there are some really impressive car stunts and chases. It’s just a really tight solid movie overall with an amazing sense of tension, it definitely deserves the cult status it has gained over the years.
 
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Taiso

Outside of Causality
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A couple of quick reviews:

Homestead-This is the recent Angel Studios movie about the fall of society and how people gather at a compound in the Colorado Rockies to try and survive. The movie starts fantastic and for about 3/4 of the production it's actually very compelling. But where it falls off the rails is in the overt Christian messaging, which is to be expected since it's an Angel Studios production but at the same time it was way more subtle in Sound of Freedom. Christian media has a problem where it becomes very patronizing to those already in the fold and very pedantic to those that are not. There is a scene where the homeschooled daughter of the compound's owner prays for a young man that shot someone encroaching on the compound's territory and not knowing what to do about it.

The movie is very good at the logistics of organizing a large scale prepping operation like this. Everyone is going to want in, everyone is going to want to control it and there are so very few people that you can trust in those circumstances. Hell, there are very few people you can trust even in the best of times.

The film's solution to all of these problems is patently dishonest. And as a Christian, even I can see that the 'welcome everyone in and a miracle can happen' creative decision is brain dead. From a secular standpoint, the better conclusion would be one where shit goes sideways. From a Christian perspective, I just feel that the outcome needs to bit more rigorous, I guess.

I give it a 2.5 out of 5. The first 3/4 of the movie is an easy 4 but it falls into the emotional tropes that so many Christian films can't help but stumble into.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep-An animated film adapting one of Sapkowski's stories from the novels, this film is a pretty solid adaptation of the novella but plagued by the technical issues typical of western animation productions. It just doesn't look very good and the animation is that standard 'western anime' tripe that people have gaslit themselves into thinking is good. I'd put this well below Castlevania: Nocturne's standards on its technical prowess, and that's not even a very high bar to reach.

The good things are that the voice performances are pretty stellar. Joey Batey, who plays Jaskier (Dandelion) in the live action show reprises his role here an he's vastly preferable to the stiff that plays him in the video games. Doug Cockle comes back from the video game series to reprise the role of the protagonist Geralt and he actually infuses the role with more life than in the games. This Geralt SOUNDS like the video game version but it's infused with a bit more charm and charisma than I was expecting. I'm glad for the performance sounding a bit more lively. Anya Chalotra returns as Yennefer in a few flashback sequences and despite having less than 20 lines of dialogue she reprises the essence of the character well enough. Christina Wren does a good job as Essie Daven, Jaskier's childhood friend and Geralt's love interest in this story, but sometimes I'm not sure she knows how to read for an animated production. The voice is sweet and pleasant to listen to but sometimes her words run together and she could have used a bit better direction.

There is one cringey scene in the film that is a callback to Ursula's musical number with Ariel from Disney's animated The LIttle Mermaid. I understand that a lot of The Witcher's plotlines are lifted from old fairy tales and presented as a sort of 'true' version of those fanciful efforts. That is the grist for many of Geralt's short story adventures, in fact. But it was the one moment in the whole movie where I was taken completely out of the narrative. It doesn't ruin the movie but it is definitely a dark spot on what is an otherwise interesting story in the traditions of the best of speculative fiction. Sapkowski has always used his Geralt stories as commentaries on the human condition and, much like Star Trek, compels you to ask questions rather than make judgements.

Some of the action ius very nice and wildly imaginative but I have a hard time believing that Geralt is parkour fighting, running off of walls, up kraken tentacles, being flung 80 feet in the air, twirling, landing on his feet and continuing the dance of death. Nightmare of the Wolf, the animation staring Geralt's teacher, a youthful Vesemir, is similarly incredulous. I get it: it's animation. Normal fightinjg might seem a tad quaint or boring by comparison. But when you throw verisimilitude out the window, then you unanchor the audience from any understanding of the world these characters exist in. I compare it to Solid Snake's superheroics in The Twin Snakes: fun to watch but ultimately stupid and silly.

3.75 out of 5. It's not the film I'd hoped it would but it IS the one I expected so I'm not let down. At least Geralt is the coolest one in his own story this time around, doing all the coolest shit and being the biggest badass. And really, when a western production delivers on that promise, one should be grateful.
 

fake

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Moonstruck

Probably one of the most subtle romantic comedies I've seen. A boring guy proposes to his ambivalent girlfriend, but then has to go to Italy to be with his dying mother. In the meantime, she meets the guy's brother, who is much more interesting (and ridiculous) and falls for him instead. The plot is barebones but the characters are very memorable. Growing up Italian, the parents and grandparents really got my blood pressure up there. I never cracked up, but I laughed a lot at the deadpan jokes and mannerisms. Nicholas Cage steals the show with his guido Shakespeare backstory and prosthetic hand. The Criterion extras are decent. Cher tells a lot of funny stories about the production, accidentally lighting herself on fire, and all the fighting among the cast.
 

terry.330

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Bullet in the Head- John Woo’s action drama war epic, part The Deer Hunter, part Scarface and part The Outsiders. But with Woo’s signature HK action styling and over the top violence, it’s an interesting mix to say the least. Unfortunately the movie has been hacked to hell and it shows. The initial cut was close to 3 hours which the studio ordered edited down twice. There are some pretty noticeable continuity issues and odd pacing. The Blu-ray does at least include the alternate ending and I know there’s another version available that does have some more scenes reinserted.

It’s not a great movie but it is a hell of a movie. It’s absolutely jam packed with action, set pieces, melodrama and it’s quite large in scope. The acting is pretty good with the main cast all being heavy hitters in the HK cinema world. It’s a very chaotic feeling movie and it does a great job of convey the insanity the characters go through.

I think it’s easily Woo’s most interesting film. It’s not as cool or slick as his stuff with Chow Yun Fat but it’s a very different type of story than that stuff. Recommend.
 

Tarma

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Men of War - 1994 action film starring Dolph Lundgren. I went into this with pretty low expectations, but came out pleasantly entertained.
Lundgren is a mercenary hired to "persuade" a small island tribe in the South China Sea to allow a mining company to come in and basically strip the place.
On his way to the island Lundgren and his team run into an old adversary, setting up the rivalry which plays out at the film's conclusion.
When Dolph and his men finally reach their destination they are slowly charmed by the island and its inhabitants and decide to defend it rather than destroy it.

The first hour is quite bereft of any action whatsoever, and mainly centers around Dolph's relationship with the island people. The final act is pretty action packed as Lundgren's "rebels" face off against a small platoon of mercs hired by the evil corporation and led by Dolph's nemesis Keefer (played with gusto by JAG's Trevor Goddard).

Anyway, pretty entertaining overall, nobody seems to be taking things too seriously, although some of the supporting cast are a little wooden. The direction is ok, the pacing is good - despite the lack of action in the first hour, that doesn't weight the film down at all. I think most Lundgren fans will like it, but if you're expecting wall to wall explosions and gun battles, you're going to be left feeling a little short changed.
 

famicommander

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@famicommander I need some predictions on how hard Captain America 4 is going to bomb
It's gonna have a middling performance it seems like. Probably a little better than Ant-Man 3 in terms of gross, but at half the cost to produce.

So compared to Civil War or Winter Soldier? Big disappointment. But nowhere near a complete tank like The Marvels or Eternals. It's still gonna make a shitload of money.
 

Tarma

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American Ninja - very silly, but entertaining, action romp starring Michael Dudikoff in the title role, supported by the always awesome Steve James.
Basically, Dudikoff is a recent recruit to a US army outpost in the Philippines, but suffers from amnesia, so doesn't remember how he knows his ninja skills. Corrupt army base commanders are allowing weapons to be hijacked by a local crime outfit to be sold on to... well, I assume terrorists, but that's never really explored. The crime gang has an army of ninjas who the regular US troops can't defeat, so Dudikoff comes in and saves the day.

The pace is brisk, and there's plenty of action, and Dudikoff, a man with no martial arts background, handles himself well. Being a Cannon film, American Ninja was shot on a shoestring budget, and that shows up in the effects - despite lots of people getting stabbed or slit with a katana, there is little to no blood, and even when you see the blades, they have no blood on them. Lots of people get shot, and again, no blood. I'm no gore hound, but I'd have expected a little more viscerally, instead of A-Team levels of death.

Still, the only thing I didn't like about this flick was the score - it's very melodramatic and classically scored, it really doesn't fit... or perhaps would if it was an early 70s film. Really could have done with a solid synth track like The Delta Force. Perhaps another budgetary issue.

Anyway, another great piece of action cheese from the mid-80s.
 

terry.330

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War Games- A movie I find myself rewatching every few years. There’s just something about it, it’s such a time capsule. Obviously it’s not a very realistic movie but it does a pretty good job of staying grounded. Especially in a time before the average person knew what computers could do or how they worked. Certainly more realistic than most of what we’d get a decade later with stuff like Hackers and Lawnmower Man.

It’s more than that stuff though, it has a nice relatable teen POV without being pandering or stupid. Which is pretty hard to pull off. The great cast also goes a long way in helping support the material. It’s quite well made too, very tight with excellent pacing.

So yeah, it still holds up and all the retro tech stuff is just kind of the cherry on top.
 

jro

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I am so half-heartedly looking forward to Daredevil and then I remember how terrible the MCU has been since Endgame and I end up at probably not. If Blade was actually still coming out this year, maybe, but at this point I think the Gunn-DC-verse Superman and Peacemaker season 2 are going to kick MCU in the balls. Hopefully.
 

Tarma

Old Man
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Equilibrium - Kurt Wimmer's 2002 Brazil with guns. Christian Bale stars as John Preston - an enforcer of the law in a post-WW3 totalitarian society where people take a drug once a day that quashes all feelings of emotion. No arts are allowed, so books, music, paintings etc are all banned.
After killing his partner, who broke the rule by reading poetry, Preston forgets to take his drug and slowly begins to appreciate the feelings of emotion and defects to the rebels - a group railing against the oppression.

Despite some very well choreographed fight scenes that show off Preston's "Matrix" like abilities, this is a rather soulless affair, with the film spending far too long on Bale grimacing into the camera. The supporting cast of Sean Bean, Emily Watson and William Fichtner are wasted, as is the great Sean Pertwee, relegated to a literal background cameo. Taye Diggs is second billed, and doesn't have a lot to do other than show us his pearly whites every now and then... Really something when you've got all those great actors, and they're second fiddle to Taye Diggs.

It's worth a watch, but I won't be coming back for seconds.
 
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terry.330

Classic. Haven't Played It Yet.
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Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead- The classic 1991 family comedy starring Christina Applegate. Made back when family friendly had a pretty broad definition, as this would definitely not fly today. Lots of sexual innuendos, stoner humor, misogyny, children swearing and Applegate casually smoking the entire movie. It was definitely a different time.

It’s a fun little movie, it kind of falls into the same odd group as stuff like Captain Ron and Adventures In Babysitting. Great cast, Applegate really carries the movie and the supporting cast all do a great job as well. It’s not a fancy movie visually but it gets the job done. Of course there are a couple cheesy montages set to bad pop songs for good measure.

I forgot just how early 90’s it is though, holy shit. The fashion is insane, that 88-92 period was wild and often truly atrocious. My sister worked at a moderately high end clothing store at the time and I have vivid memories of going to the mall and seeing it all.

Anyways it’s lightweight nostalgic fun with a great cast and adult enough that you probably won’t feel silly watching it. Not appropriate for small children though.
 

LoneSage

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That movie was on heavy rotation on a lazy Sunday afternoon when I was 6, 7 years old. Would like to revisit it now.
 
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