Rate / Review the Last Film you've seen v.3

[lcbaseball22]

Wow, quite the extensive review...but since when is 85 to 90 an A+?

[Coldwindblows]

Originally Posted by lcbaseball22

Wow, quite the extensive review...but since when is 85 to 90 an A+?

In Ireland, anything from 85+ is an A+ in the marking scheme. I've been studying too much, obviously.
And no way was I giving it over 90, 'cause I never do that.

[Midnightsfire]

Just a couple of notes:

Originally Posted by Coldwindblows

Avengers Assemble:
The acting in this movie, from all camps, was impeccable. I would greatly praise the acting of newcomer Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk/Bruce Banner. His acting really gave a new angle to the Hulk, very far removed from Ed Norton's Hulk in the 2008 movie. I personally preferred Ruffalo's portrayal, and think that his Hulk could really go places, and could probably spawn some spin-offs.

I heard that Ruffalo has been signed for another 6 movies for Disney/Marvel.

Originally Posted by Coldwindblows

However, in Avengers Assemble, he really created Cap as a reserved, solid, all-American hero, a bit lost in the times, but with endless conviction. He used Avengers Assemble as a blank canvas to add skin to the skeleton he'd already created in The First Avenger.

Spoiler: show

I only know of one God, and I'm sure he doesn't dress like that" This one line added a good deal of depth to me.
And then when he hands Fury a ten-dollar bill because of a bet, that was yet another moment in a long string of moments.

Originally Posted by Coldwindblows

Spoiler: show

Hulk and Loki; "PUNY GOD!!!" Oh my God, I nearly cried, it was so funny.

Spoiler: show

My god, that came out as surprisingly fast and brutal. The earlier setup was when the Hulk sucker punches Thor. (My thought then was "What just happened there????...o he's still a little ****** at the earlier fight..ok

Something I thought of earlier; we saw Natasha show us all how formidable she is, until she has to bring in the "big guy." She's terrified of the Hulk. And what went down with Loki, we see what could have been her. Except since she doesn't have Asgardian fortitude, she...would likely have to scraped off the floor with spoon.

[MHPFAN]

The Avengers-- A resounding 10/10!!!

Funny, epic, action-packed, wonderfully acted, and just plain fun! Can't wait to see it again!

[Hysteria]

Originally Posted by lcbaseball22

^ From what I have heard, Battle Royale is a gore fest of kids killing each other with no larger scope or aim beyond glorified violence.

Now this comment is comparing the books but it makes the difference between the two pretty clear-

Totally agree with ccollinsmith, this is completely untrue. The novel is quite political and the movie is a cult classic for a reason. It has a great story. Yes it's very gory, but plenty of good films are. I can see why some people dislike the manga, but I still enjoyed it. Great story all around.

Last movie I saw was House of 1000 Corpses. I thought I'd seen it before, but apparently not. You really have to be into slasher/gore/horror movies to appreciate it IMO. Some great characters, some great one-liners, and a generally well-done horror movie. Especially for one made in this century, most recent horror films I find to be completely unscary and quite lame.

[gertiekeddle]

Salmon Fishing in the Jemen

6,5/10

Fine idea for a story (the title is...), funny humour, likable characters, but, alas, a bit too fast with moral world views and overdone stereotypes for my taste. I've the feeling the film is gorgeous for someone who never saw a similar absurd plot, but I could have done better without the second half of the film, which get's surprisingly simple and forgets about the witty content it consisted of in its first half.

A pity - because there're many levels of this movie which I rate as very good - not least an absolutely brilliant Ewan McGregor. Those who liked the extraordinary acting of youngish Leo DiCaprio in What's eating Gilpert Grape (also directed by Lasse Hallström) might enjoy McGregor in an fully unusual role as well. That alone might be worth to watch Salmon Fishing, and the humour is good too. There are just also soooome length in the second half of the movie. :/

[Yoana]

Babette's Feast (1987) - 8/10

A lovely film, told like a fairy tale, with a pinch of magic and loads of gentle humour.

[Sorafune]

Iron Man 2 - Ok entertainment. Not sure what to think of this one, action was great but some parts were just annoying and I couldn't stand that Hammer guy or whatever his name was.

Captain America - Better than I thought it would be. Thought it was gonna be silly (with a name like that) but really good action and an interesting villain (wish he'd been in it more). Some parts dragged a bit though, like the musical part.

The Incredible Hulk - Pretty boring move, it manage to keep my interest up til the end but it wasn't more.

[ccollinsmith]

I saw The Avengers the other day, but I'd like to wait until I've seen it in 2D before I give a review of it. I enjoyed it, but in IMAX 3D, it was a B. I am hoping that in 2D it will be an A.

I saw Dark Shadows today. I'd give it a B.

For anyone unfamiliar with Dark Shadows, it was a 5-day-a-week supernatural soap opera that ran for a period of 5 years from 1966-1971. It began as a traditional Gothic story but increasingly added supernatural elements during the first year. About 10 months in, the show introduced a vampire as a last-ditch effort to avoid cancellation. The rest is history. Because of actor Jonathan Frid's sympathetic portrayal, Barnabus Collins became THE model for the angst-ridden romantic vampire. There are 1245 episodes.

So, a disclaimer: I am a fan of the original TV show. I have seen every episode except for part of the Phoenix plotline (the second of two long plotlines that preceded Barnabus' first appearance) - and I've seen most episodes more than once. I have absolutely no idea how this movie will go over with people who are unfamiliar with DS.

That said.... my husband and I went to see the film today as a belated "birthday movie," and we both enjoyed it. In fact, he gave it a B+.

DS Plot Elements:    

---

You can tell from the trailers that the main focus is on the "Barnabus arrives in the 20th century" and the perennial "Barnabus vs. Angelique" plots, but the movie also pays tribute (however briefly) to several other plotlines from the show. The film is done pretty much in the spirit of Burton's brilliant Ed Wood biopic - i.e., it's more of a love letter than anything else. It is not slavishly faithful to any of the original plotlines, but it is reasonably faithful to the overall outlines of the show's plots (which were written on the fly over a 5 year period - and which have some serious issues with continuity. Not surprising, given that they didn't have software back then to help daily soap operas keep track of all that). Some of the film's tweaks actually make more sense, in light of some directions the show took (I'm thinking, particularly, of how the film treats Victoria and how it addresses the "Burke Devlin vs. the Collins family" plotline). Other tweaks make you wonder what on earth they were thinking. Fortunately, those tweaks are few.

The 70s:    

---

Overall, the film is respectful of its source material, even as it has a good bit of fun with it. Interrestingly, the film is set in 1972 - a year after the original series went off the air. This gives it a chance to explore 70s culture, and it's even funnier in the film than it is in the trailer. There's an entire montage set to the Carpenters' "Top of the World." There's also a funny payoff to Carolyn's teenage hostility... and some seriously amusing use of Alice Cooper (seriously funny IF you know about Elizabeth's original deep dark secret, that is). In addition to the 70s humor, the film also makes good use of some coloring techniques that mimic early-70s-era film stock (I'm assuming they didn't actually dig up film stock from the period) - particularly for Victoria's arrival at Collinwood.

Acting:    

---

The acting is generally very good. Johnny Depp makes a fine Barnabus. Michelle Pfeiffer makes a fine Elizabeth. And Helena Bonham-Carter totally nails Dr. Julia Hoffman's distinctive voice. That was a bit uncanny actually. I think they miscast/miswrote Roger. Roger should be much more flamboyant and more of a likable rogue. The kids were terrific. I do prefer Lara Parker's Angelique. That woman had me terrified when I was a kid! They played this Angelique more for laughs. Oh, and there was an awesome cameo by Christopher Lee!

I think the movie goes out of control a bit at the finale, but then, the finale is drawing on multiple DS plotlines all in a single sequence. The original series was often brilliant, but it sometimes crashed under the weight of its own conflicting constructions (has anybody EVER been able to draw up a consistent chart of all the time travel and all the journeys into parallel time?). So it's not really outside the spirit of the thing to have some parts of the film go similarly out of control.

Anyway, I just figure that it's best not to take the original series too seriously - no matter how groundbreaking it was.

So yeah, I found the movie fun.

Originally Posted by Wab

It's a very narrow view saying that HG is a rip-off of BR. The whole set-up is a well-used trope in dystopian fiction.

Ah, but I wasn't referring to a "well-used trope." I was referring to a significant number of specific details that match within the game itself. But really, I didn't mention Battle Royale in order to bash The Hunger Games. I mentioned it in order to praise The Hunger Games. I thought it was relevant to my Hunger Games review to point out that I had resisted seeing the film because of the, erm, "similarities" to Battle Royale. But The Hunger Games won me over despite those similarities.

I don't think there's much higher praise than that.

[Midnightsfire]

Dark Shadows
Had some entertaining moments but it was too messy and too incoherent.
Which is a shame. They had plenty of material for a sequel or two, but threw it away for...this.

[Yoana]

Bon Voyage (Dutch film) - 7/10

It's a story about dealing with death and it includes the perspectives of grown-ups and children alike. It also really showcases exactly how different European films are, on general, to Hollywood, from the way the actors look to the pacing and humour.

[Sorafune]

Krull - Not sure what to wright about this movie than that I liked it.

The Avengers - Every part of this movie is amazing, I loved it

[ccollinsmith]

Originally Posted by Midnightsfire

Dark Shadows
Had some entertaining moments but it was too messy and too incoherent.
Which is a shame. They had plenty of material for a sequel or two, but threw it away for...this.

Messy, probably. But incoherent? I thought that it was remarkably coherent for a Burton film. Anyway, I didn't have any trouble following it.

[Yoana]

Carrie (1976) - I don't know how to rate horror films. It did scare me enough to look over my shoulder while brushing my teeth. Is this is a positive point? Anyway, I enjoyed watching it.

[ccollinsmith]

Yes, scary is a positive for horror films. And so is your enjoyment of it.

[Pox Voldius]

The Avengers - 10/10

Three words: O.mi.Joss.
(That was fun. )

Spoiler: show

I'm surprised Whedon only killed off one beloved character this time. (Or did he? )

And the wardrobe choice for Tony Stark's shirt outside of his Iron Man suit. Amusing.

[Midnightsfire]

Battleship

Silly, cliche-ridden, derivitave, with a brain-dead script. I would have done better to have read a book or see the Avengers again.

After seeing this, I take back all the bad things I said/thought about Michael Bay. (well, most of it.)

[Fury]

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides - 9.4/10

A great movie with an awesome mostly new cast. Penelope Cruz better be in the apparent sequels that are being made, because she was a great new addition. The move had everything the previous 3 movies had, humor, action, drama, great characters, and great storyline.

Also, cleric Phillip and the mermaid Syrena have made their way onto my list of favorite on-screen couples. I loved their storyline and relationship. I would be thrilled if they were back as well.

[Midnightsfire]

Too much missing in that film and its predecessors.

The mysterious allure of pirates that I felt was in the first movie.

A character that has yet to reveal that he is more than a swaying, sashaying, swordsman. (He's supposed ot be a pirate)
Script and direction needed to be better.
The preacher/missionary was a throwaway character that became downright annoying. "Scrum" was more fleshed out than the preacher.

[ccollinsmith]

Night of Dark Shadows - 3/10

Released four months after the show went off the air in 1971. It's fun seeing David Selby, Lara Parker, and other cast members on screen for the last time. But the film is inferior to a typical episode of the show. The storyline could have been teased out with some success over a period of weeks or months on daytime television, but in a 90 minute film it just doesn't work. Poor editing is also a significant problem. Set design is pretty good but is not enough to save the film.

Overall, a sad ending for the original Dark Shadows.