Periodic Movie Review

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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby dannydawg » Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:17 am

Ender's Game

An exciting movie based on a novel by the same name. Asa Butterfield was awesome as Ender, very good scenes between him and Graff.
The special effects all look nice, and the battle room is very cool (I just wish they showed more battles)
Unfortunately the battle school characters themselve don't have very much time to develop, and uness you've read the book
you won't quite understand their importance.

Peter & Valentine also have very limited roles, but they are able to serve their purpose well, especially as Ender progressess throught the film, always with
Valentine in Mind.

Overall the movie succeeds because it is able to focus on Ender and his many struggles. The ending of the movie isn't exactly like the book, but that's allright, because they seem to be able to capture the main idea and emotions that are displayed in the book.

Overall I really enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend.

8.5/10

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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby Rootersfriend » Tue Nov 05, 2013 2:50 pm

I am very torn on how I feel about the movie. I know in general books will always be better than the movies they are made after, but this was..I don't know.

If I didn't know the book so well i would have been thoroughly entertained, but I do know it so well...I didn't like how rushed it all was, I know some of that is just the nature of the beast with movies, but you never get the sense that Ender is actually breaking down and suffering at all, a good example is how it never really shows how much the teachers were messing with him with battle schedules, he never seems tired, or anry about his win where he "cheats" and just goes through the enemy's gate. Also it never really explains well why he came back to earth at the lake house, and he and Val were way too happy. She is supposed to be almost scared of him then, exemplified by him crushing a wasp, which doesn't happen....Which is kind of the point of everything. He doesn't seem NEARLY isolated enough throughout the movie, him and bean are like besties from the get go, and he was told far too much about what was going on and why by the teachers. Eros was a planet in the movie, when it specifically tells about how it was a small astroid type thing in teh book, which i get why they did it considering they combined the whole "Ender finding the egg" into his time on eros, instead of finding it on another planet when he sees the signs that formics left him from the mind game. And while that didn happen with how he recognizes the tower on eros, it doesn't make sense because the humans had been on eros for a long long time, and the buggers couldn't have entered his mind and created that for him to find...It also either closes off chances for a sequel by not having Val come to eros, and while she could in theory meet up with him later on, it just means more changes. I could go on but i also realize I'm a stickler for details and picky on my EG stuff haha.

That being said, I thought the casting was great, and how they portrayed the battle room was fantastic! I also loved how they portrayed the formics! It was a little weird that not once in the entire movie was the word "bugger" used though, I'd be curious to hear the reasoning for that. I also love how they made Bonzo, he was perfect for that role, i love the napoleon complex they gave him, such a good twist!

Overall, while I will always love the book waaay more than anything out there, it was an entertaining movie that I feel like captured the overall, general sense of what EG was about, though i feel like it skipped over in a a big way his whole mentally coming of age, hardening, jaded to the world, scary side that I thouht was such a huge part of the book.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby starlooker » Wed Nov 06, 2013 8:45 am

It was a little weird that not once in the entire movie was the word "bugger" used though, I'd be curious to hear the reasoning for that.
"Bugger" is a British slang term for anal sex, used particularly (as I understand it) to describe men having anal sex with one another.

I could be wrong, but I think it's a fair chance that's the reason.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby Rootersfriend » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:17 am

Yeah, I thought about that, just seems wierd. I mean, while yes, that's a British slang word, in this context it is a huge part of the vocabulary of the world in which OSC created. By that logic we should never say the word "fanny pack" either because fanny is the british term for a females reproductive organ...Just seems odd is all.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby starlooker » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:30 am

Seriously, you don't understand why, given the movie's publicity issues re: Card's stance on GLBT issues, they wouldn't want to use a word throughout the film that has a history of being derogatory towards gay men? Particularly using it to mean a creature that is the enemy of human existence as we know it?

Also, I don't know a lot of people who use fanny packs, but lets say there was a movie where they were featured. It would probably be a one off, one time usage in a single movie scene. It might cause some snickering in a British audience, but nothing too crazy. However, with the Formics, it's different. The entire movie is based on our fight with them, and you'd have to use the word multiple times, in multiple scenes. It would be a major distraction.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby Rootersfriend » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:40 am

No, you're absolutely right, and I do totally get it, just was one of those things that stuck out to me is all. Also I tend to be very much in the relm of "we (being the human race) are so frickin' stupid and trivial and will raise the biggest stink about such stupid things." I just hate how accross the board we are ruining things just for the sake of wanting to hear our own voice. (I include myself in this as well, we all do it and I think it's so dumb.) Pretty soon nothing will be PC and we'll live in a world where no one can ever say or do anything for fear of offending everyone else. I say look, if you want to be offended that's your right, but look at the context of things before you get all in a tizzy.
No one had a problem with the word being printed in the book before, so why is it any different? Again, you're totally right, I just think it's silly.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby Mich » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:47 am

I finally saw Frozen and everyone was right and I loved it and I'm listening to the soundtrack and I always feel like an idiot when I fall in love with a movie but I'm pretty sure this one is for real.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby Dr. Mobius » Fri Dec 18, 2015 5:32 pm

So it looks like I'll have to wait until monday since we didn't preorder tickets and the saturday IMAX times are sold out (or near enough we can't get four seats together) and we'll be busy all day sunday with family Christmas stuff.

Also, http://www.lunarbaboon.com/comics/force.html
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby neo-dragon » Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:01 pm

I won't spoil anything, but I was general quite pleased with The Force Awakens.

Its biggest flaw in my opinion is that they played it a bit too safe. In a lot of ways it's almost a remake of A New Hope. Even the big surprises felt a bit predictable to anyone who knows the series well. Say what you will about the prequels, but at least they told a very different story and showed us a different side to the Star Wars universe. Even the soundtrack feels by-the-numbers. There's no epic iconic track for this film, like the Imperial March in Empire, or Duel of the Fates in Phantom Menace.

Okay, I'll mention one spoilery criticism: Not enough Luke! Or jedi in general. I understand that this will likely be remedied in the next two films, but the jedi have always been my favourite thing about Star Wars, and one of the things that I loved about the now discarded Expanded Universe is that after Return of the Jedi, Luke founded a New Jedi Order. In TFA he tried to do just that, but apparently gave up and ran away after one apprentice went bad. The galaxy needs jedi and Luke was supposed to pass on what he'd learned. Plus, I really just want to see him in action as a full fledged jedi master! This film gave us one lightsaber duel and it was between an injured Vader wannabe and a girl who somehow managed to hold her own against him with literally zero jedi training. Apparently being a jedi isn't that hard. If you have the Force, you can teach yourself mind control, telekinesis, and lightsaber combat literally as you're doing them. Rey already has more jedi skill than Luke had for half of the original trilogy

Still, all things considered, I was definitely not disappointed, and I think that most fans will also be pleased. No more wooden acting, bad dialogue, and overused soulless cgi. For what it's worth, I'm one of those fans who actually appreciates and often defends the prequels, but TFA feels like the first real Star Wars movie since the originals.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby Dr. Mobius » Tue Dec 22, 2015 5:35 pm

I can't decide if I would rather Rey be an amnesiac Skywalker who escaped the slaughter or a complete unknown who is naturally gifted in the Force. Being Luke's daughter and former padawan would explain the ease with which she can do things that took Luke years to master, and I seriously doubt Luke's pained expression was solely for seeing his/his father's lost saber, but I am nonetheless a little annoyed how this series is a family affair and would love to see some new blood. Of course, on the flip side if she IS a Skywalker, why doesn't Leia, Han, Chewie or the droids recognize her? You'd think someone would remember something unless Luke went full Hermione on his whole extended family.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby neo-dragon » Tue Dec 22, 2015 6:52 pm

A popular theory is that she is Obi-wan's granddaughter. That still doesn't explain how she picked up all those jedi skills with no training though. I'd be fine with her being Luke's daughter, so long as they explain it in a way that makes sense. Each trilogy in the Star Wars saga is meant to be about a different generation of the Skywalker family, but that's why they are also doing other movies like next year's "Rogue One" to tell some non-Skywalker stories on screen.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby Dr. Mobius » Tue Dec 22, 2015 8:27 pm

We already have one confirmed Skywalker for this generation, I'm not sure we need a second. Speaking of which, I'm annoyed they revealed his identity (and his face!) as early as they did. It's obvious he was one of them, but I would have preferred if they left his exact parentage unknown until that shout at the end. Though, that also reinforces my earlier point, they know who he is so why don't they recognize her, if she is anyone to be recognized. I don't like the Obi-wan theory. I'm not as familiar with the EU as you likely are, but I always assumed Jedi from the Old Republic era were celibate warrior-priests to avoid emotional entanglements like what happened to Anakin. Plus, if Old Ben had his own Force-sensitive child(ren), why would he declare Luke to be their last hope? (Nevermind that his prior knowledge of Leia from the prequels already invalidates that claim.)
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby neo-dragon » Tue Dec 22, 2015 11:24 pm

We already have one confirmed Skywalker for this generation, I'm not sure we need a second. Speaking of which, I'm annoyed they revealed his identity (and his face!) as early as they did. It's obvious he was one of them, but I would have preferred if they left his exact parentage unknown until that shout at the end. Though, that also reinforces my earlier point, they know who he is so why don't they recognize her, if she is anyone to be recognized. I don't like the Obi-wan theory. I'm not as familiar with the EU as you likely are, but I always assumed Jedi from the Old Republic era were celibate warrior-priests to avoid emotional entanglements like what happened to Anakin. Plus, if Old Ben had his own Force-sensitive child(ren), why would he declare Luke to be their last hope? (Nevermind that his prior knowledge of Leia from the prequels already invalidates that claim.)
I actually like how casually they revealed Kylo's identity rather than trying to emulate the "I am your father" moment from Empire. That's one of the most iconic moments in film history, and I think it would have felt like a cheap imitation to do another dramatic parentage reveal.

Regarding the possibility of her being Obi-Wan's descendent, I think George Lucas himself once said that the Jedi were forbidden to marry or form familial attachments, but they were not expressly forbidden from having sex. It's not impossible that Kenobi could have been intimate with someone and not known that he had fathered a child. Luke might have discovered Rey and her family while searching for Jedi candidates.
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Re: Periodic Movie Review

Postby buckshot » Tue Dec 22, 2015 11:57 pm

My future son in law tells me they find the Falcon in a scrap yard and don't even show it getting restored "reborn" or anything sad! I can easily visualize the Falcon sitting at the end of a row baking in the desert sun in the aircraft graveyard waiting to get in the sky or space again. Glad she got her chance, whats it been 35 years since I seen her the first time?


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