What movie did you just watch, and how was it? (expect some spoilers but try not to post any!)

Forums › Off topic › What movie did you just watch, and how was it? (expect some spoilers but try not to post any!)

1 | ... | 321 | 322 | 323 | 324 | 325 | 326 | 327 | 328 | 329 | 330 | 331 | ... | 434

7770 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7408

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#2749654 26-Jul-2021 08:44

The Hitman's Bodyguard's wife's friend's cousin (or whatever it's supposed to be called).

Watched on Sky Box Office.

Really enjoyed it. It's ridiculous. It's crass. It's exploitative.

Any more and I'll start giving away the thin plot.

8/10

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

FineWine

3115 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2447

Trusted

Nurse (R)

Lifetime subscriber

#2749814 26-Jul-2021 10:18

Blood Red Sky 4/10 - Netflix (2hrs)

A woman with a mysterious illness is forced into action when a group of terrorists attempt to hijack a transatlantic overnight flight.

I went to bed 2/3 into it, I only stayed that long so I could finished the bottle of red, my partner watched till the end.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

networkn

Networkn
32871 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15468

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2749816 26-Jul-2021 10:22

GI Joe - Snake Eyes.

It was OK, some interesting stuff with electric bikes and cars. Bit of a weird plot etc. I guess it was an origins movie. 6/10. Action was a bit up close so couldn't really tell much.

Item

1739 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 726

Subscriber

#2749908 26-Jul-2021 13:23

Gunpowder Milkshake.

Daft fun - "what if John Wick, but with Women" type-scenario.

Entertaining with some good fight choreography and setups, though it would be pretty forgettable except for:

1) Great to see older women kicking arse in films of this type.

2) Passes the Bechdel test multiple times.

Handsomedan

7770 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7408

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#2750369 27-Jul-2021 09:04

Item:

Gunpowder Milkshake.

Daft fun - "what if John Wick, but with Women" type-scenario.

Entertaining with some good fight choreography and setups, though it would be pretty forgettable except for:

1) Great to see older women kicking arse in films of this type.

2) Passes the Bechdel test multiple times.

Bechdel test?

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

Lizard1977

2134 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 628

ID Verified

#2750374 27-Jul-2021 09:28

Bechdel Test

It's a test of how women are represented in fiction, and is commonly determined by whether two women (usually named characters) appear in the film and discuss something other than a man.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

Lizard1977

2134 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 628

ID Verified

#2750380 27-Jul-2021 09:45

Gunpowder Milkshake - 4/10 (Event Cinemas)

While I agree with Item that it passes the Bechdel Test, I was really disappointed with Gunpowder Milkshake. The trailers promised a lot, and I was totally there for the cast, including some great actors such as Michelle Yeoh, Lena Headey, and Karen Gillan. As has been mentioned, the most common comparison was "female John Wick", and I think the producers were aiming for that but it didn't quite hit the mark. In my mind, I think it actually came closer to a pale imitation of the vibe of Drive, starring Ryan Gosling. But again, it didn't really work for me.

First of all - plot. I have no problem with dumb fun, but the plot was virtually non-existent. There is some prologue near the start which establishes Karen Gillan's character Sam, but that never really gets explored as to why she (or her mother, played by Lena Headey) are in the business they are in. We get told, vaguely, that they work(ed) for the Firm (i.e. the mob). Which, okay, I guess. But nothing is ever really explored. Then there is another group, and apparently Sam killed one of that group, and they are pissed off about that. Like I said, dumb plots are fine, but I feel like the writer just fell asleep while writing this and there were 10 pages of "zzzzzzzz" where the plot should be.

Secondly, characters. With a cast like this, the characters should be excellent. You've got Karen Gillan in a leading role, with Lena Headey playing here mother, and a trio of badass women in Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett and Carla Guigino. Their characters barely shift the needle from the time they appear on the screen until the end of the film. So while the Bechdel Test is passed, I feel their characters are so flat as to be almost meaningless. So disappointing to see such talent wasted. Then there are the male characters. Paul Giamatti and Michael Smiley, who both have such great comedy talents, are again so dull and boring. Then there's a trio of Marx Bros-esque bad guys that add completely unncessary slapstick to the film.

A film needs either great plot or characters, preferably both. But even if you lack either of these, you need something else to really have a hook. Maybe that's fight choreography, comedy, or a great soundtrack. Sadly, the film lacks all but one of these. And the one it does have, is still pretty lacklustre.

Comedy - so many of the actors in this film have huge comedy skills, but there is nothing in the script for them to latch on to. Even Paul Giamatti, who often steals scenes, has almost nothing to offer here.

Soundtrack - this is more subjective, but the style of the film (which is kind of a mix of classic architecture in the library, and 80s neon in the bowling alley and the diner) would have suited something retro. Maybe that's what they used, but I didn't recognise much of anything.

Fight choreography - what makes John Wick so enjoyable is that the ultraviolence of the fighting is made almost balletic in its choreography. It's cartoonish, but it's portrayed with an elegance that belies the visceral nature of the violence. I was really hoping to see Gunpowder Milskhake bring their own take on this, but instead it was fairly standard, with over-use of the slow mo to try and impart some kind of artistic merit (and failing, sadly). The only scene that came close to showing so ingenuity is the one in the hospital where Sam and her opponents are "incapacitated." But even that wasn't enough to save it, in my eyes.

So, overall, a really disappointing film. I've been waiting ages for so many films to come out, having been delayed by COVID. I was really excited to see Gunpowder Milkshake, but it ended up falling so far short of my expectations.

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2287
Inactive user

#2751638 29-Jul-2021 08:49

The Lord Of The Rings DVD 10/10

Having not seen these for a while I watched all 3 over 3 nights and they have lost none of their original impact. All 3 are true masterpieces from a master film maker. And the music is simply extraordinary.

Many perfect castings including Frodo, Sam, Gandalf and Aragon.

dafman

4054 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2652

Trusted

#2751670 29-Jul-2021 10:04

SJB:

The Lord Of The Rings DVD 10/10

Having not seen these for a while I watched all 3 over 3 nights and they have lost none of their original impact. All 3 are true masterpieces from a master film maker. And the music is simply extraordinary.

Many perfect castings including Frodo, Sam, Gandalf and Aragon.

Maybe I am in a minority, but I never got LOTR. A lot of wandering around, broken up by periodic battles, but not much else. And limited character development (IMHO).

Technically spectacular, absolutely - but the novelty of this wore off after 9 or so hours.

gehenna

8667 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3883

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2751672 29-Jul-2021 10:08

The new 4k versions are pretty special.

networkn

Networkn
32871 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15468

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2751678 29-Jul-2021 10:14

dafman:

Maybe I am in a minority, but I never got LOTR. A lot of wandering around, broken up by periodic battles, but not much else. And limited character development (IMHO).

Technically spectacular, absolutely - but the novelty of this wore off after 9 or so hours.

I didn't read the books, so I am not sure how the movies compare, but I sort of felt the same way. I think it was a remarkable achievement but I struggled to even follow the story at times.

If if you asked me to detail the plot in any detail at all, I probably couldn't.

I haven't rewatched it since.

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#2751679 29-Jul-2021 10:14

dafman:

Technically spectacular, absolutely - but the novelty of this wore off after 9 or so hours.

You did better than me; for me, it was probably six hours (or was that 16, or did it just feet like that?), ie by the end of the second movie. I certainly couldn't muster the energy or interest to tackle any of the Hobbit movies.

Interesting to note that the same director made a movie like Heavenly Creatures early on in his career; I guess for many that does show an upwards trajectory, just not in my books...

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2287
Inactive user

#2751708 29-Jul-2021 11:13

On first viewing LOTR can be confusing. There are a lot of characters, their names aren't that easy to remember and their relationships sometime difficult to fathom. Reading the book first doesn't really help either.

Funnily enough I've never seen The Hobbit.

networkn

Networkn
32871 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15468

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2751711 29-Jul-2021 11:17

SJB:

On first viewing LOTR can be confusing. There are a lot of characters, their names aren't that easy to remember and their relationships sometime difficult to fathom. Reading the book first doesn't really help either.

Funnily enough I've never seen The Hobbit.

Glad to hear someone else say that. Disliking or at least not being a massive fan of LOTR or Lorde, or whatever, seems to be something you'll likely end up getting into a heated argument about with almost any NZ'r it seems!

ToPGuNZ

Topgunz
399 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 142

Lifetime subscriber

#2751726 29-Jul-2021 11:47

Coincidentally:

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Blu Ray extended versions.

We have been watching these over the last few months with just the last half of Return of the King to go. Kids had not seen them yet so now they are both at an age to watch we set off on the mammoth task. We have been watching each one in two parts which has helped with getting through them.

I found the kids did enjoy them, not sure how much they got lost but we got the odd question through out.

For me they were still a great watch and I am looking forward to the TV series.

1 | ... | 321 | 322 | 323 | 324 | 325 | 326 | 327 | 328 | 329 | 330 | 331 | ... | 434