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 | ... | 397 | 398 | 399 | 400 | 401 | 402 | 403 | 404 | 405 | 406 | 407 | ... | 422

3885 posts

Uber Geek

#3192470 8-Feb-2024 15:44

SJB:

Bullet Train - 4K BluRay - 5/10

Brad Pitt stars in a Japanese gangster movie that is a cross between Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritche that just doesn't work for me. The dialogue is a pale imitation of both directors work.

Even 4K BluRay can't save it.

I loved it! Must be on the 4th or 5th watch I think by now. Thought it was great fun and very well done.

Watched Lift (Netflix) as a break from TV series and hoping for something that was easy to watch and I didn't have to follow to closely. Kevin Hart playing his usual role as himself, the rest was pretty forgettable. Terrible acting, terrible CGI, completely ridiculous from go to whoa. Lots of laughs, but only because of how stupid it was. 2/10 at best.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Lizard1977

2060 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#3192473 8-Feb-2024 15:55

Giving an alternative perspective...

Wonka - 7.5/10 (Event Cinemas, Palmerston North

After dithering for almost a year on whether I should show my kids the "original" 1971 Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I bit the bullet and showed them late last year. My ex-wife and I had discussed whether it was too scary for young kids (in particular, the riverboat scene, where Gene Wilder looks like he's really living up to his name). In the end, we decided to not be so precious, and I showed my kids the original one Saturday night. They absolutely loved it, every single bit. My eldest declared it her favourite film ever (ahead of Star Wars), and asked to watch it again the following week. We've since watched it twice more on rainy days. So when the kids saw that there was a new "prequel" film coming out, they were excited to see it.

We went to see it last weekend, at what seems like one of the last screenings. The cinema was mostly empty, which meant they had lots of space to dance around up at the front before the movie started. But once the movie began, they were completely engrossed. As with the original film, they loved this one - with my youngest declaring it better than the 1971 film.

It was delightful to watch this film and see the joyous reaction from my kids. Too often as an adult I feel I can be over-critical of movies, so it's nice to see them with kids who feel less obliged to look for the flaws, and instead see the joy. But even putting aside that aspect, I really enjoyed this film too. Timothee Chalamet did a great job of portraying the innocence of Wonka (and even channels Gene Wilder's mischief in a way that feels honouring, rather than imitating), and he really drives the film. It's not saccharine sweet, like it so easily could be, but it does try to reflect the magic and wonder that underpins Roald Dahl's original story (which was inspired by his childhood experiences of Cadbury's chocolate, I think). The supporting cast are good, especially Olivia Colman who is fantastic in anything she does. I felt like the film was a modern interpretation of some of the older child-oriented musicals (like the 1971 original, and also Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) - characters aren't super-deep, but there is a sincerity there which carries them forward. The musical numbers aren't the strongest, but then many of the songs from the older films are equally hit and miss. But that being said, there isn't anything which I felt let the film down, or ruined the experience. It won't win any awards, but that shouldn't be our test. Instead, how about asking if it entertains? On that score, my kids would certainly say so, and their dad would have to agree.

Handsomedan

7281 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3192878 9-Feb-2024 14:07

Well. @Lizard1977 's review of Wonka has well and truly put my recent movie choices into stark relief.

I decided to go with some mindless fun and watched Transformers - Rise of the Beasts on Neon.

I really wish I hadn't.

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...

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#3193248 10-Feb-2024 14:04

OK, I'm going to revise my previous score of Wonka up to 4/10 in light of some very pertinent new information...

I just watched Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and it really demonstrated just how much worse a movie can be. This get's a thoroughly deserved 1/10 for not having a single redeeming aspect in the entire movie. One of the worst things I've ever seen in my life. I can't fathom how over USD200,000,000 was spent making a movie that is so aggressively unenjoyable. On my deathbed I'll look back at my life and ponder my biggest regrets, and watching this movie will probably be in the top five.

Movieman

3320 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3193819 11-Feb-2024 12:00

Lizard1977:

Giving an alternative perspective...

Wonka - 7.5/10 (Event Cinemas, Palmerston North

After dithering for almost a year on whether I should show my kids the "original" 1971 Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I bit the bullet and showed them late last year. My ex-wife and I had discussed whether it was too scary for young kids (in particular, the riverboat scene, where Gene Wilder looks like he's really living up to his name). In the end, we decided to not be so precious, and I showed my kids the original one Saturday night. They absolutely loved it, every single bit. My eldest declared it her favourite film ever (ahead of Star Wars), and asked to watch it again the following week. We've since watched it twice more on rainy days. So when the kids saw that there was a new "prequel" film coming out, they were excited to see it.

We went to see it last weekend, at what seems like one of the last screenings. The cinema was mostly empty, which meant they had lots of space to dance around up at the front before the movie started. But once the movie began, they were completely engrossed. As with the original film, they loved this one - with my youngest declaring it better than the 1971 film.

It was delightful to watch this film and see the joyous reaction from my kids. Too often as an adult I feel I can be over-critical of movies, so it's nice to see them with kids who feel less obliged to look for the flaws, and instead see the joy. But even putting aside that aspect, I really enjoyed this film too. Timothee Chalamet did a great job of portraying the innocence of Wonka (and even channels Gene Wilder's mischief in a way that feels honouring, rather than imitating), and he really drives the film. It's not saccharine sweet, like it so easily could be, but it does try to reflect the magic and wonder that underpins Roald Dahl's original story (which was inspired by his childhood experiences of Cadbury's chocolate, I think). The supporting cast are good, especially Olivia Colman who is fantastic in anything she does. I felt like the film was a modern interpretation of some of the older child-oriented musicals (like the 1971 original, and also Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) - characters aren't super-deep, but there is a sincerity there which carries them forward. The musical numbers aren't the strongest, but then many of the songs from the older films are equally hit and miss. But that being said, there isn't anything which I felt let the film down, or ruined the experience. It won't win any awards, but that shouldn't be our test. Instead, how about asking if it entertains? On that score, my kids would certainly say so, and their dad would have to agree.

Watched this last night. I enjoyed it, but I don't think that people of my age (Superannuitants) are the audience that it is aimed at. I can see how children would love it and I really like Timothee Chalomet's take on Wonka. It just seems to lack the magic of the Gene Wilder adaptation. Still, I'll give it a steady 6/10

MAN CAVE: 2019 Panasonic GZ1000 65" OLED TV - Panasonic DP-UB 820 4K Blu-ray Player - PlayStation 5 Console - Yamaha Aventage RX-A1080 Receiver - Dolby Atmos / DTS:X 5.1.2 Surround Speaker System - Apple TV 4K 32gb (2nd Gen) - LIVING ROOM: 2021 Sony 75” X95J LCD TV - Apple TV 4K 32gb (1st Gen) TECH: iPhone 15 Plus, iPad Gen. 10

logo

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#3193917 11-Feb-2024 15:14

The Marvels (Disney Plus) - I think the days of superhero movies dominating are over. I wasn't a fan of Ms Marvel (don't think I even finished it) but Iman Vanelli was the best in the movie - which is saying a lot. Poor Samuel L Jackson reduced to comic relief. They also watered down the abilities of Captain Marvel which makes no sense.

Rebel Moon (Netflix) - this is bad. Just bad. Charlie Hunnam's Belfast accent and it just gets worse. Not that his accent is that bad it's just out of place in the movie. Somehow the late great Sean Connery got away with his scottish accent in everything (russian submarine commander, immortal egyptian from Spain) but that's his natural accent and he really can't do anything else unlike Hunnam who deliberately chose to speak with a Belfast accent. Rest of the movie is completely forgettable.

Someone give me something worth watching please or I'll go back to watching my 10 minute movie recaps on youtube.

Actually am looking forward to The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Guy Ritchie, Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson.

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#3194207 12-Feb-2024 10:09

I watched a few movies in the weekend to try to get Aquaman 2 out of my head.

Pig - Small scale well made little movie, with a very unstated performance from Nicholas Cage. 7.5/10

Mindcage - Poorly made, full of plot holes, and you could predict the "twist" ending before the movie was even halfway through. Martin Lawrence was laughable attempting to do a dramatic role, and they clearly only had John Malkovich on set for a day and a half. Overall a bunch of stolen elements from much better films haphazardly thrown together. Still better than Aquaman 2 though. 2/10

Replicas - I was expecting a scifi action/thriller (which it became out of the blue in the last 15 minutes), but most of it was an attempt at a more thoughtful and philosophical film. Too bad it failed so miserably at that. Plot holes and non-sensical character decisions abound in this one. Given the themes and style they were going for for the majority of the movie I think Reeves was miscast; but honestly that's the least of the movies issues. Also still better than Aquaman 2. 2.5/10

Killers of the Flower Moon - Well made, well shot, well acted. But I don't think the near 3.5 hour runtime was necessary to tell the story - it could have easily been trimmed by at least 45 minutes. I want to give this a higher score as (other than the length) I can't fault a lot. But it's just not something I'd ever watch again, and the length just weighed it down too much. 6.5/10

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

Handsomedan

7281 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3194219 12-Feb-2024 10:22

Paul1977:

Killers of the Flower Moon - Well made, well shot, well acted. But I don't think the near 3.5 hour runtime was necessary to tell the story - it could have easily been trimmed by at least 45 minutes. I want to give this a higher score as (other than the length) I can't fault a lot. But it's just not something I'd ever watch again, and the length just weighed it down too much. 6.5/10

I've also read that this is good, but overly long.

More importantly though, how did it compare to Aquaman 2?

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...

xpd

Geek @ Coastguard NZ
13765 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3194223 12-Feb-2024 10:31

Star Wars : Solo - 5/10 - Finally got round to watching it. As usual, great FX etc, story wise, typical origin style.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

LinkTree

Lizard1977

2060 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#3194225 12-Feb-2024 10:36

Movieman:

Lizard1977:

Giving an alternative perspective...

Wonka - 7.5/10 (Event Cinemas, Palmerston North

...snip...

Watched this last night. I enjoyed it, but I don't think that people of my age (Superannuitants) are the audience that it is aimed at. I can see how children would love it and I really like Timothee Chalomet's take on Wonka. It just seems to lack the magic of the Gene Wilder adaptation. Still, I'll give it a steady 6/10

I wouldn't disagree with you on that point. The film is definitely aimed more at children than older audiences. I thought I was old, but maybe I'm just immature 🤣

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#3194232 12-Feb-2024 10:44

Handsomedan:

I've also read that this is good, but overly long.

More importantly though, how did it compare to Aquaman 2?

Well, I didn't feel the need to binge four other movies after it in an attempt to purge it from my memory. So better.

Lizard1977

2060 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#3194234 12-Feb-2024 10:46

Handsomedan:

Well. @Lizard1977 's review of Wonka has well and truly put my recent movie choices into stark relief.

I decided to go with some mindless fun and watched Transformers - Rise of the Beasts on Neon.

I really wish I hadn't.

Now I feel like I need to watch Rise of the Beasts. I haven't bothered with a Transformers film since the third Bay film (Dark Side of the Moon? Maybe I'm getting it confused with a Pink Floyd album...), though I did watch (and enjoy, Bumblebee). But I suspect my thing might be liking "bad" films (for the record, I enjoyed the trippy wonder that is the film adaptation of Cats, and one of my favourite films ever is the gloriously strange Xanadu). So I feel like I should watch this latest Transformers travesty and decide if it's "bad" or just plain terrible. Will probably add Rebel Moon to that list to really punish myself.

Speaking of "bad" movies, I introduced my partner to David Lynch's Dune (1984) last weekend. She had never read the books so I gave her the first novel to read (which she enjoyed, though I think she's still recovering and hasn't shown any interest in reading the books that come after). This is part of a master plan that involves watching Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part 1 before Part 2 comes out soon.

It's one of those films that is (arguably) a terrible adaptation of the source material, but definitely entertaining - possibly just as a horror show, especially the Harkonnens. My partner started many sentences with "What the...?" and I just shushed her and told her that it doesn't really make sense (Christopher Nolan has a similar view about Tenet). Despite that, I still enjoy it for the mad visuals, the over-the-top interpretation, and the bizarrely unwatchable sight of an oiled-up Sting in a nappy.

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#3194275 12-Feb-2024 11:57

Lizard1977:

Now I feel like I need to watch Rise of the Beasts...

It's pretty dumb, but better than Aquaman 2.

Lizard1977

2060 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#3194287 12-Feb-2024 12:10

Paul1977:

Lizard1977:

Now I feel like I need to watch Rise of the Beasts...

It's pretty dumb, but better than Aquaman 2.

Haven't seen Aquaman 2. Will add it to my "bad" list 🤣

Paul1977

5039 posts

Uber Geek

#3194302 12-Feb-2024 12:48

Lizard1977:

Haven't seen Aquaman 2. Will add it to my "bad" list 🤣

Don't. It's not "so bad it's good". It's just awful.

1 | ... | 397 | 398 | 399 | 400 | 401 | 402 | 403 | 404 | 405 | 406 | 407 | ... | 422