[Official] Movie Review Thread

[Westoncreg]

So I went to see Noah on release day and there are three ways to look at this movie and three ratings. So first off I'll say Noah is not biblical at all, like ever. So now that we got that out of the way the rest of the movie was so hum and really didn't stand out that much, the settings were meh, the effects were a tad over done and the characters were cardboard cutouts and really were not deep. So as for rating if you keep to the bible and think this might be a good movie to watch you'll be infuriated by how it actually ends up going against scripture and putting crooked views on things such as sin and God so 2/10 now as a movie going person who couldn't care less the low depth characters and over used effects may put you to sleep after while so 6/10 Now for Transformers fans Michalbay/10

 

[snowmutt]

First off, saw "Noah". Let's just set aside the Biblical story for a minute (The movie makers sure did, so why shouldn't we?) and just deal with this as a disaster movie first. Basically, this is 5% transformers, 20% "Lord of the Rings", 20% Titanic with a mountain top instead of an iceberg, 10% Gladiator, and the rest original. It has amazing visuals, and there ain't a bad acting job to be found. The film does a nice job introducing the backstory to it's characters and the origins of the world without spinning it's wheels. It is intense, and action scenes are fun.

But, it sure takes itself seriously. As well it should, unless you are throwing talking, attacking rocks, one random scene with a magical sword, and a plot point involving how important a shedded snake skin (yes, from THE snake) is passing down family traditions. Considering who the snake was, I guess they are passing down sin.

But, the problems are this is Noah, and you CAN"T seperate it from the story found in three seperate religons. Some of the plot points left off- the sons had wives on the Ark, honest they did- are kicked to the curb to force plot points that would have revealed thenselves anyways. But it made it easier, so leave them. The movie moves at a fantastic pace, up until the Ark is floating, then things just stop and the movie crawls. Noah's transormation onboard the Ark is neither believable nor necessary.

I have heard a lot of people say this is an enviromental movie, I see it as a true "human sin VS. creation" movie. I think that it does a good job there. Problem is, it turns into a drag of a movie and slams fantastic elements randomly and the plot is uneven. It does at least start a conversation, and I will give it a passing grade for that and the excellent cast. But I did feel let down.

6/10

 

[snowmutt]

Now, for the Summer kick-off movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

I am not a big Cap fan. Growing up, I never bought his comics as I thought he was dull as a character. I found the original "First Avenger" movie entertaining, but a tad uneven. I thought he was not given enough to do in "The Avengers" as he seemed to take a back seat to Iron Man, the Hulk, and even Black Widow. So, with that backdrop, allow me to say with conviction:

Best. Marvel. Movie. Yet.

Period, end of story.

Not one wasted scene, not one character of place, enough comic fans nods to make you giggle, and action that was seamless and outright exciting. The opening fight scene with Baltric the Leaper as played by UFC fighter GSP was just a blast!! Black Widow rocked, Fury rolled,Sebastion Stan was amazing as the Winter Soldier, even more so when you consider he had to make he most out of every scene using hisonly his expressions and not dialogue, Frank Grillo was very good and may go under appreciated as the heavy grunt villian who will come to be known as Crossbones, the plot made complete sense, and Anthony Mackie stole every scene he was in. Highly recommend it.

9/10

 

[palandri]

All Is Lost - All Is Lost - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Trailer: All Is Lost (2013) - Movie Trailers - Fandango.com
Here's a film that I didn't hear anything about, but it's a good survival movie. I give it an 8.5/10

 

[juanitoriv]

Dom Hemingway was a pretty good flic. I loved his rants! Didn't care much for the way it ended, seemed too open-ended. 8/10

 

[N_LaRUE]

Yesterday I went to see The Grand Budapest . I was surprised that there were so many stars in the movie and it made it quite interesting. I thought the main stars did an amazing job and it was an overall fun movie.

However, I wasn't overly fond of the ending. So even though it was a unique and fun movie and you can tell the stars enjoyed doing and I liked the classical styling of the movie itself, I have to give it only a 8/10. Worth a watch.

 

[gedzum]

Now, for the Summer kick-off movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

I am not a big Cap fan. Growing up, I never bought his comics as I thought he was dull as a character. I found the original "First Avenger" movie entertaining, but a tad uneven. I thought he was not given enough to do in "The Avengers" as he seemed to take a back seat to Iron Man, the Hulk, and even Black Widow. So, with that backdrop, allow me to say with conviction:

Best. Marvel. Movie. Yet.

Period, end of story.

Not one wasted scene, not one character of place, enough comic fans nods to make you giggle, and action that was seamless and outright exciting. The opening fight scene with Baltric the Leaper as played by UFC fighter GSP was just a blast!! Black Widow rocked, Fury rolled,Sebastion Stan was amazing as the Winter Soldier, even more so when you consider he had to make he most out of every scene using hisonly his expressions and not dialogue, Frank Grillo was very good and may go under appreciated as the heavy grunt villian who will come to be known as Crossbones, the plot made complete sense, and Anthony Mackie stole every scene he was in. Highly recommend it.

9/10

I watched it yesterday and totally agree. The fight sequences were fantastic and many of the action scenes, particularly those heli-carrier parts, had tremendous scale. The Winter Soldier was a very intriguing antagonist. I like the way they integrated his story and origins into the movie (I never read the comics so don't know much). The overall plot was also very compelling and well paced throughout. Definitely agree that this is probably the best Marvel movie at the moment.

 

[palandri]

Something else that I just noticed that is movie related, all the movie rental places by me are now gone. The only place I can rent a DVD or a Blu-Ray is at a Red Box machine at my local grocery store. Digital rental has really taken over which makes my new Blu-Ray player pretty useless now.

 

[snowmutt]

Something else that I just noticed that is movie related, all the movie rental places by me are now gone. The only place I can rent a DVD or a Blu-Ray is at a Red Box machine at my local grocery store. Digital rental has really taken over which makes my new Blu-Ray player pretty useless now.

My Daughter still works at a Family Video store in Champaign. They are it. They only game in town. She says the Family Video is owned by a huge real estate investment corporation, and they have done tons of research as to what businesses do well where. She says they aim for areas with "poorer" demographics for the video store chains, as they are most likely not to own top end units- such as Blue Ray players or recent gaming machines- that can stream, so they will still rent. So, here in IL (where unemployment is still higher and wages are still below the national average) there are Family Video stores sprinkled everywhere. The same for Red Box- they are positioned for easy access for those who only rent movies as they come up with a little extra money.

It really was only a decade ago that there was still a thriving rental market. Here in Danville, we had 3 Family Videos and 1 Blockbuster. The Blockbuster literally closed overnight, and we had one of the last ones in the nation. We still have 2 Family Videos (our unemployment is still double-digits. We are their customers.)

Aren't we seeing the same thing with book stores? Barnes and Nobles is about it.

 

[palandri]

....Aren't we seeing the same thing with book stores? Barnes and Nobles is about it.

You're right. My wife never buys a book anymore, she downloads them on her tablet.

 

[snowmutt]

Okay... just saw "Amazing Spider-Man 2".

The good:

Andrew Garfield is my new favorite actor. He brings a charisma and pure joy to the character of Spider-Man completely lacking in Tobe MacGuire's take on it. Just carried this movie.

Emma Stone- likewise. She just oozes fun and sexier girl-next-door appeal. Her chemistry with Garfield is perfect.

The story is fun.

I loved Jamie Foxx once he was Electro.

The supporting cast (Sally Field as Aunt May particularly) was good.

The Spider-Man comic nods (for those who read them) were fun as all get out.

Now the bad:
-Both the Green Goblin and the Rhino (a completely wasted paul Giamatti) felt unneeded and forced.

-There were some leaps in logic, though not as annoying as the first one still detracted from the movie.

-A few plot points were done to DEATH by the end of the movie.

-Jamie Foxx as annoying and distrasting as his non-Electro persona of Max Dillon.

-Too much "shadowy" stuff. Quit trying so hard when true comic geeks are on to you.

Overall- I give it a 7. I certainly liked it more then most critics.

 

[snowmutt]

Since I am the only one determined to keep this thread open...

Real quick updates on my unimportant opinion on recent movies I have seen:

X-Men, Days of Future Past: It has received mostly good reviews, and while I do not think I liked it as much as everyone else did, I did enjoy it a ton. A nice way to hit the reset button without a complete reboot. I still do not think Bryan Singer can do action scenes that well, as they seemed fairly by-the-numbers. But I liked the story, the acting, and the basic idea. Plus, now I can pretend that gawd-awful "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" movie never happened. That alone gets it a good grade in my geek-world. 7/10.

Godzilla: Ignore the humans. They all have less personality then the monsters. Godzilla needed more screen time- he rocked. But the last 45 minutes were an absolute blast, and were a great nod to Godzilla VS. Everyone movies of the 60's. The first half of the movie: 4/10. The last half: 8/10.

Maleficent: Here is what you need to know: Angelina Jolie is an under rated, amazing actress. She owns this movie from the opening credits on. The effects were fun, the action scenes great. The rest of everyone else? Not so much. The plot? Nice story, but nothing happened that you couldn't have predicted by 15 minutes in. But Maleficent is the name of the movie, and Jolie makes this thing as close to great as one person can. 6/10.

 

[gedzum]

Anyone seen Edge of Tomorrow? It's gotten pretty positive reviews and I'm thinking of checking it out.

 

[QwarkDreams]

Iron Man 2 7/10

Tony Stark thinks he's invincible but his father's past brings out an enemy seeking revenge.
Nice sequel that had lots of potential but I think the final battle was a bit meh...

Iron Man 3 6/10

It seems like Iron Man has found an enemy capable of destroying him when he threatens a terrorist called "the Mandarin".
Very appealing beginning but then the story flattens. IMO the weakest part of the trilogy. I was entertained but most of the time I felt like the movie was stretched. The final battle was ok but the end kinda disappointing.

Sleepy Hollow 9/10

Police constable Ichabod Crane - a man of logic and science - is sent to a small, eery village to investigate the murders of 3 people who have been decapitated.
One of my favorite scary movies. I love it when Johnny Depp and Tim Burton team up.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 8/10

The poor Doctor Parnassus and his circus crew - including his daugther - travel around presenting his magical mirror. Their sad lives take an even worse turn when the mysterious Mr. Nick appears and the crew rescues a man in a white suit from death.
Not what I was expecting and the end was very sad. Still very entertaining.

Kung Fu Panda 9/10

Po the Panda dreams of becoming a Karate master but all his dad wants him to become is his successor as noodle chef. Everything changes when the old master Oogway chooses him to be the dragon warrior.
Plain awesomeness! I've watched it in German and English; Jack Black as the voice of Po the Panda was very fitting but sometimes a bit annoying. One of my favorite animated movies.

Crocodile Dundee I + II 9/10

I - A young reporter from New York travels to Australia to write an article about a man who survived in the wilderness after being attacked by a crocodile - Mick Dundee.

II - Mick now lives in New York where nothing seems to be a threat. Suddenly his girlfriend - the reporter from the first movie - gets kidnapped by a south american druglord.

I can watch them over and over and everytime I get a hankering for a nice cold Fosters^^ Also the second movie packs more action.

Pirates of the Carribbean 3 - At world's end 7/10

Captain Barbossa, Elizabeth Swan and the rest of the crew are trying to bring Jack Sparrow back into the world of the living. Meanwhile Lord Beckett is making plans to get rid of all pirates in the world.

I highly recommend watching at least the second movie before watching this one. I sometimes ended up kinda confused because the different storylines are so dense. Without wanting to spoil I can say that it is still better than the 4th part.

 

[snowmutt]

Anyone seen Edge of Tomorrow? It's gotten pretty positive reviews and I'm thinking of checking it out.

We might see it this week. Heard the same as you- it is really original and a good time.

 

[QwarkDreams]

Summer Wars - (no points; wouldn't be objective)

The world of OZ is regarded as the safest, most connected virtual place and highly important for everyday life. Kenji is a high school student and math genius who helps maintaining the world of OZ during summer. A fellow student - Natsuki - invites him to come with her to her great-grandma's birthday....sounds like fun but suddenly Kenji seems to attract a lot of problems.

One of my favorite animes! It sounds simple at the beginning but problems appear real quick and the feelings are running high. The plot has a nice pace (I really hate it when all the trouble starts in the beginning) but isn't boring at all.

This might not be the best review I've written. Maybe it's because I like the movie so much that I just can't find the right words.
I think the trailer will show you better what I try to express^^

 

[snowmutt]

Okay, here is the usual snowmutt bump for one of my favorite threads:

Expendables 3: A fun start, a slow point in the middle as they introduce the kids, then an over the top end. What you expect from this franchise. I actually thought it was the best of the three. Not great, but fun. Mel Gibson acted everyone out of every scene he was in. 6/10.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Eh. The Turtles they got right. They were amusing and the one liners were fun. The action was good enough. Everything else- not so much. Wait for DVD. 6/10.

Let's be cops: Hands down the worst movie I have seen all year. Considering how little I liked "Noah", those are big words I just typed. Unfunny, moronic, and totally unbelievable. The silence in the theatre was telling. 2/10.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Some plot holes and a wasted cool villian. Other then that- simply the most fun I have had in the movies this summer. A blast, exciting, funny, and a totally fun Marvel movie. 8/10.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I've got a link for you to read concerning the 'Noah' movie. It may clear up some of the misconceptions about it.

Not that it makes it a better movie but it may make it more understandable. I don't plan to watch this movie regardless.

The Secret Gnostic Key to Aronofsky's "Noah" that Everyone Missed - Aleteia

 

[snowmutt]

That is an interesting take on it, LaRue. And IF the movie makers had just come out and said "this is the ancient gnostic version which I find more dramatic", I would have just watched it from a completely different mindset. Of course, they played up the Bible story and even screened it ahead of time for a ton of Church leaders. But, in the end, it was just a movie.

By the way... did you notice this right next to the story?

“Noah”: Human, Judaic, and – Yes – Biblical - Aleteia

Oh.... this is the fun of our Country. Differing opinions even on the same site!! Makes mehappy in a strange sort of way....

 

[Muessig]

Well I just went and saw Lucy. I went into this not knowing really anything about it and I think as a result of that I didn't go into it with any expectations - which I find always helps with a film. I think Scarlet Johansson did a very good job of portraying an engaging and believable character, and while there was only 'some' character development on the whole this was more of a philosophical film than a popcorn film overall. I think it's the kind of film where you've got to see it more than once to really get everything out of it, as its quite fast paced in places.

I'd recommend seeing it but I don't think its a film you'd need to see on the big screen.