Periodic Movie Review

[locke]

Prince of Persia

It's more coherent than Robin Hood with better acting, story and effects.

that said it's dead stupid half the time, and actually kind of cool the other half. fun parkour, and supporting cast. The whole macguffin drama of the royal family and the king father and uncle and two real brothers and one orphan brothers and they're all killing each other for the throne, except they're not cause they all love each other and only one person is killing everyone was just dead boring and I did not give a s***.

A live action version of Aladdin would have been better. The points where the story basically echoes the disney movie were the best parts of the movies. as well as the assassins-with-a-H

the movie has a serious problem with you caring about anything because you know its going to end with turning back time to undo all the bad things that happen.

[CezeN]

Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen:

I don't know what to say, the action was slightly good, but the plot was a horrible mess.

I just can't concieve of the idea that if you touch a piece of metal or whatever with that artifact, it gives them the ability to make missles and shoot lasers.
I mean, missiles don't f****** magically appear. Like all technology, they are made of different materials. You touch a piece of iron or a computer, and suddenly it has the chemicals and energy necessary to fire missiles?

And what was with those two ghetto, vulgar Transformers?
Nice, what I percieve to be, fail attempt at appealing to the ghetto audience.

Furthermore, a robot... that can... transform into a human?
That makes no f****** sense, at all.
How would Shia Lebouf(sp) stick his tongue down a robot's throat and not feel it's metallic tongue? It's not even concievable that her metal just mysteriously feels like human flesh. How does he not feel her weight, the weight of metal, when she's lying on him?
No Fridge Logic can explain that without seeming foolish.

However, Megan Fox is still hawt, so her and the action made the movie kind of worthwhile.

[mr_thebrain]

dude. it's a movie about transforming robots from outer space and its based on a 1980s cartoon which sole purpose for existing was to sell a line of toys to children.

a suspension of disbelief is required for even thinking about the movie.

[jotabe]

*cries at CeneZ's lack of old-time nerdiness*

I remember reading in the Q&A of one of the earliest issues of Transformers (Spanish version) that the transformers could bend and fold not only in the ordinary 3D space, but also in the additional spatial dimensions, which would explain where the extra mass/size/weaponry goes to.

Plus, transformers use "energon" cubes as fuel. It's basically pure energy in cubic containers.
Somehow.

[Rei]

I started watching The History Boys with a friend this evening. We didn't have time to finish it yet, but so far it is quite the film. It brings to mind Dead Poets, but in a more heart-wrenching way.

[locke]

Micmacs is the best movie of 2010 so far. All the quirky absurdity of Amelie turned to eleven strung together in a fabulous almost nonsensical comedy. it's a little bit Pushing Daisies, by way of Charlie Chaplin. It is very funny, but more of the humor you'd find from the silent comedians or from Looney Tunes.

Great movie.

[elfprince13]

I watched Splice last night with Courtney, and I definitely recommend it to the rest of you. Definitely not your standard horror film. For probably the first 90% of the movie it was more touching than disturbing, though there was still a definite element of suspense. The next 9% was relatively standard monster movie stuff, but appropriately brief, and the very last scene was just really shocking on a human level.


It was, if you will, a backwards monster movie. The focus of the movie was on the ethical implications of genetic engineering and Dren was a plot device to explore that theme more dramatically. Most horror/monster movies that feature genetic engineering use the genetic engineering as a plot device to explain the existence of the monster.

[mr_thebrain]

I won't be popular for this but i loved edge of darkness.

I'm more than happy to see mel gibson back on the screen. and he kicked some butt on this one. although i'm sure it's going to be considered a b movie or something, i managed to enjoy the crap out of it. it had it's brutal moments but it had less of them than taken did, and still managed to make me feel good about wanted people to freaking die!~

uh anywho, if you can get past the whole drunken jew bashing debacle i recommend giving it a good sit down-watch.


also, i'm not sure why people have so much issue with alice in wonderland i watched it the other night and found it enjoyable and pretty. not my favorite movie perhaps, but i'll still be getting it on blue ray when it goes on sale.


ok that's all i have to say right now.

[elfprince13]

also, i'm not sure why people have so much issue with alice in wonderland i watched it the other night and found it enjoyable and pretty. not my favorite movie perhaps, but i'll still be getting it on blue ray when it goes on sale.

Perhaps because it didn't actually resemble Alice in Wonderland as far as plot is concerned?

[Janus%TheDoorman]

I got on a kick for action movies from the 60s and early 70s a couple of weeks ago, in no particular order:

Bullit:
The cop movie that set the standard for all cop movies since. This was an interesting watch, especially since it has quite a few breaks from the movies it influenced in the decades that came after as far as its take on the cowboy cop character and the ramifications of his actions. Don't watch it if you're looking for a great action movie, though. The sequences were great in their time, but the techniques used to convey drama and intensity in film-making have improved since then, especially in the "legendary" car chase sequence.

Lawrence of Arabia:
A great film on all levels. Lawrence is a complete and utter badass without ever being cheesy about it. Seeing Old Ben Kenobi playing an arab prince was funny. Definitely some homoerotic overtones, though, which actually help to round out Lawrence's character.

A Fistful of Dollars; For a Few Dollars More; and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
Fistful is a great action movie with a solid plot that I think stacks up with, and could teach a lot of modern action movies how to do it right.

For a Few Dollar More was... not as good. Not terrible, but definitely not as good. Maybe I was taking it too seriously. If it was intentionally parodying the sensational nature of spaghetti westerns, then it did a great job.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly rightly deserves the acclaim it gets as one of the best films of all time. If you didn't already, this will make you want to have Clint Eastwood's children. Whether or not you're physically capable of such.

The Green Berets:
If you want to be lectured to about why the Vietnam War was a good idea and have your heartstrings pulled at rather obviously, but also somewhat effectively, by a cute little asian kid, go ahead and watch this. If not... eh. Doesn't hold a candle to Apocalypse Now as a war film.

The Magnificent Seven:
Seven Samurai has been remade a load of different times, a load of different ways, but if you've never seen any of them, this is the one to watch. A real all-star cast (Though none of them were all-stars at the time) deliver stellar performances throughout the film.

[mr_thebrain]

Perhaps because it didn't actually resemble Alice in Wonderland as far as plot is concerned?

I actually appreciated that. we've seen that movie, we've read that story. it's a good story. but so is this one. they could have called it alice in wonderland 2 but without a remake of the original story first that would have seemed weird.

[jotabe]

For a Few Dollar More was... not as good. Not terrible, but definitely not as good. Maybe I was taking it too seriously. If it was intentionally parodying the sensational nature of spaghetti westerns, then it did a great job.

[nerdrage]
[\nerdrage]

sorry about that XD but really, for me "for a few dollars more" is maybe the best movie of the history of cinema. It's basically like a ballet-western. The way music drives the story, the way actors can act without words... the final duel...
it's just sublime.

Beauty in motion.

[Young Val]

also, i'm not sure why people have so much issue with alice in wonderland i watched it the other night and found it enjoyable and pretty. not my favorite movie perhaps, but i'll still be getting it on blue ray when it goes on sale.

Count me among those severely disappointed in Alice in Wonderland. The plot bothered me not only because it resembled only the barest bones of the source material (Just make it a freaking sequel. That immediately solves the problem. Thank you) but also because in and of itself it was kind of terrible. It meandered and skipped and made no sense. I love Johnny Depp when he is creating new characters--not doing lame imitations of characters he's created previously. YAWN. All in all i felt it had the potential to be so much more and just fell completely short of the mark. Bah. I'm still bitter.

[Janus%TheDoorman]

sorry about that XD but really, for me "for a few dollars more" is maybe the best movie of the history of cinema. It's basically like a ballet-western. The way music drives the story, the way actors can act without words... the final duel...
it's just sublime.

Beauty in motion.

I just thought the movie had waaaaay to much cheese. Like on the West Wing when Leo has his big block of cheese day? They had a big block of cheese on every scene in the movie.

The final duel pales in comparison to the one in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and doesn't have The Man With No Name pulling off some amazing ploy like he did in GBU or Fistful.

The music and sound direction in general was the cheesiest part of the movie. Does EVERY shot need a richochet sound effect?

This scene.

I can't find a video of it, but the eye-duel between Mortimer and Indio's wanted poster had me laughing after about the tenth zoom in.

[jotabe]

Oh well, your mileage may vary.
What is cheese for you it's powerful acting for me lol

[Gravity Defier]

Whip It - It started out slow and a touch awkward but got better the further along it went. It was fun and funny, had a great soundtrack, and had some beautiful shots (pool scene in particular). It far exceeded my expectations.

[Rei]

We just watched the 1967 Casino Royale. I had not laughed that hard in a long time. It is a spoof of James Bond starring David Niven, Ursula Andress, and Peter Sellers. It's an absolutely hilarious and occasionally trippy film and certainly worth watching.

Between this and Pink Panther I'm falling rather in love with David Niven.

[locke]

Whip It - It started out slow and a touch awkward but got better the further along it went. It was fun and funny, had a great soundtrack, and had some beautiful shots (pool scene in particular). It far exceeded my expectations.

I knew you'd like that movie, it's terrific and underrated.

The new Karate Kid movie is every bit as good as the first movie and actually quite a bit better, especially on the performance level. Jackie Chan is better than Pat Morito and Jaden Smith is WAY superior an actor to Ralph Maccio

First, this is a director who LOVES his eighties films. I spotted at least two references to other films, and I felt like there were many more.

Second, it stays faithful to the original in countless wonderful ways, it's got a similar sense of rhythm and magic to it. They really focus on the characters and developing the story. They also deepen it in subtle but effective ways.

Third, the film is balls-to-the-walls entertaining and just an absolute blast to watch. If you've ever wondered what it might have been like to experience Rocky or the original Karate Kid in theatres where the audience is libel to bust out cheering at the climatic event, well, here you go. This is The Best Damn Sports Movie since Bull Durham, Field of Dreams or a League of Their Own. FANTASTIC training sequences, btw.

Fourth, absolutely great cinematography, superb compositions, lovely, subtle carefully shaped lighting and yeah, they have a few glamour shots too. The best photographed movie I've seen this year, real care and quality went into making this movie.

Fifth, damn, Jaden Smith is so much like his dad. He pulls some reaction shots, and just has ways of smiling and acting that are a bit spooky sometimes because it reminds you of Will. But he doesn't mug at all, no Fresh Prince stuff. also, kids going to be very happy in high school, goddamn little lady killer. :-p

Sixth, The music cue, oh my god, you know the music cue that happens in the final fight in Karate Kid (original). They've got a music cue just like that. Sent shivers down my spine, got me thrilled and keyed up for the coming scene and just worked exactly like the original worked.

Seventh, I think this film is probably more representative of martial arts than the original, though they've still got the mean Kung Fu teacher and his cadre of students.

So yeah, go out and see this movie, it's the best thing I've seen in 2010.

[Mich]

This is The Best Damn Sports Movie since ... Field of Dreams.

I am so skeptical right now you can't imagine, but your review has changed me from "somewhat morbid interest" to "I've heard it's good, we should see it."

The question is, does Johnny sweep the leg?

[Eaquae Legit]

Casino Royale (1967)

This movie was silly and implausible and very, very funny. It was a bit hard to follow at times, but a great spoof on James Bond with a great cast and a Monty Python-esque finale. Some fantastic one-liners delivered deadpan (just the kind of humour I like!) which would go over the heads of kids, but are hilarious for adults. It was surprisingly racy, and I especially loved the tailor at the James Bond School.

As an intro to James Bond (yes, I've never seen a single Bond film, unless you count this one), it was awesome.

[Luet]

I saw Karate Kid today and loved it. Yes, more than the original. To me, the original is a "classic" but the new one is just a better actual movie.

[Mich]

(yes, I've never seen a single Bond film, unless you count this one)

/mock surprise and sadness

Seriously, girl, you need to get with the program. I suggest starting off with classic Connery, tasting a few Moore, a good Dalton, rounding out the two best Brosnan, then the Lazenby (as a goodbye to the Bonds of yore) and finally the real Casino Royale

[CezeN]

The Book Of Eli:

Amazing movie. Great possbilitiy it will be one of my favorites of 2010.
Great plot. Good fight scenes. Inspirational character. Nice twist at the end.

What can I say, the faith that the Eli had was simply amazing.

[locke]

Dawn Treader trailer

[Petrie]

Run, Fat Boy, Run.


It seems silly posting about this after having told so many people off the board but then I realized "so many" people was maybe 3.


This movie is technically a romantic comedy but I think it is misleading to put the emphasis on the romantic aspect, even given the plot: a man abandons his pregnant fiancee at the altar and spends the next 5 or so years trying to win her back.

This movie is genuinely funny and spends a good deal of time following around the male characters, namely the jerk who ran off (who may or may not have had noble reasons for his dick decisions), his landlord, his best friend, and occasionally, his rival. Unlike the only other British comedy I've watched (Death at a Funeral -dark comedy and awkward more than funny), that I'm aware of and able to recall, I would actually recommend this one.




Where the Wild Things Are

I don't have much to say about this one; anything I could say in praise would do it an injustice. The music was spot on, the acting was great overall, the look was beautiful. One scene towards the end tore me apart. Good stuff.

[Luet]

Run, Fat Boy, Run.

I love Simon Pegg. We own the edited versions of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and we watch them often. Much different than Fat Boy, but still very funny.

[Eaquae Legit]

Is anybody else looking forward to The Sorcerer's Apprentice?

I find Nicholas Cage irritating when he tries to be serious, but from the previews, The Sorcerer's Apprentice has him gnawing at the scenery in a way that would make Timothy Dalton proud. And I can work with that. If he's just hamming/nerding it up, the movie could be a hilarious B-rated ride.

[locke]

I think it looks fun.

I saw Despicable Me. It was delightful and entertaining and very very funny. It's more of a Looney Tunes sensibility and it is a cartoon logic in the way that Pixar and Dreamworks are not cartoon logic (eg, someone can get to the moon quickly, or be blown up by lots of weapons and only look burnt to a crisp, but not at all dead.

The three supporting girls are awesome, you haven't seen them in the trailers, but they are the heart of the movie.

And the minions are definitely awesome, except when they're overused, but in general all sorts of awesome.

[Eaquae Legit]

I want to see that one too! I really love Steve Carrell, so when he's involved I'm automatically a little bit interested. I'm glad to get a review, though, since trailers really don't show much.

And on the topic of Steve Carrell, yesterday I saw a trailer on tv that made me go - Dinner for Shmucks. One of my favourite foreign films is Diner de cons, and I would be totally appalled at the idea of a Hollywood remake, but with Carrell in the role of Pignon, it has potential to not be a complete travesty.

I'd really recommend anyone who is interested in Shmucks to look up the original - it's a real treat!

[BonitoDeMadrid]

Toy Story 3 was the best movie I've seen in a very, very long time. A perfect blend of hilarious comedy and emotional- but not too emotional - drama and action. At some points during the film, I was on the verge of tears (especially as a college student-to-be, like Andy).

Also: Andy goes to college at 17. I thought people go to college at 18...when has that changed?

[ender1]

Also: Andy goes to college at 17. I thought people go to college at 18...when has that changed?

Depends on when you were born in the year. I was born in February so I was 18 when I graduated. If someones birthday was in October of that year then they would go to college as a 17 year old.

[Syphon the Sun]

It also depends on the school district. When I was starting kindergarten, my birthday was too late (early September) to start at the public school because they set the cutoff date in early August. So my parents just enrolled me in a private school, given that they didn't have such a cutoff. I transferred to public school in 5th grade, but at that point, they couldn't really tell me my birthday was too late.

All this to say: I was 17 when I started college full-time.

[ender1]

It also depends on the school district. When I was starting kindergarten, my birthday was too late (early September) to start at the public school because they set the cutoff date in early August.

My district also had a cutoff although I'm unsure it it was August or September. It didn't apply to me so I am out of the loop on it.

[Luet]

I am watching the weirdest movie ever. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. It's like it is it's own MST3K version of itself.

[Graff^]

It also depends on the school district. When I was starting kindergarten, my birthday was too late (early September) to start at the public school because they set the cutoff date in early August.

My district also had a cutoff although I'm unsure it it was August or September. It didn't apply to me so I am out of the loop on it.

I got the cutoff for my school. I could have decided to be in a grade younger. But I was mature and smart enough!