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

[Fawkesfan1]

Inside Out -- 7/10

It was pretty fun! Liked it ok enough and the ending really made me laugh out loud .

[jordmundt6]

The credits sequence inside a bunch of different heads or Disgust looking at the new console "What's Pu-Ber-Ty?"

[RemusLupinFan]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 9/10

Great movie - can't wait for the next Star Wars film.

[Anhelda]

The Martian--Really enjoyed it, I love movies where science is treated with such respect. Matt Damon does a really good job in what was essentially a solo picture for him, and the rest of the actors also do well in their parts. I haven't read the book to compare it, but as a movie alone, I thought it was well done.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens--I enjoyed it a lot, love Rey and BB-8. Lots of unanswered questions, but I'm comforted by the idea that answers have been planned for later in the trilogy and are therefore forthcoming (I hope). Very happy that the somewhat iffy dialogue in the previous 2 trilogies (really, who talks like that?) has been improved, and the actors do well with their roles. Love to see the old characters, and happy with the new ones so far. Overall, a nice link to the past films with good buildup for the future movies.

Terminator: Genisys--it was fair. I thought Emilia Clarke did a decent job as Sarah, not as impressed with the new Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney). Arnold is just Arnold, nothing revelatory there. The revisions of the timeline were not well explained, and the story doesn't hold up under much scrutiny, but the actors did okay with what they had and the filmmaking was okay.

The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials--I spent a lot of this movie not understanding what was going on. The actors are decent, but some of their objectives and motives are not entirely clear. The first Maze Runner was more coherent, in my opinion. I wonder if this is another movie where only a person who read the books would find things understandable.

Fantastic Four (2015)--let's just say that I'm glad I watched it on an airplane as an in-flight movie. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to pay for it. I spent the majority of the movie wondering when something was going to happen. After the characters get their powers, the movie timeline jumps forward a year, so you never get to see what would probably have been the more interesting period when they learn what they can do and adjust to it. Wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen (that would be Jaws 4), but possibly the worst one I saw this year.

[TWZRD]

I saw Inside Out at the $2 second run cinema about a month or two ago. One of the best things I've seen in a while. Yes, I too liked the closing with the "What's Pu -ber-ty?" Line, which I recall being close to the statement by Joy, "What can happen? After all, she's 12." Am trying to remember the score.
Mom and I are arguing about the cat at the end. She thinks it was Fear that sets the cat running off down the street. Since the dog had long passed by, when I saw the inside cat walking sedately across the console and pressing all those buttons, I thought it was a random cat fit -- not necessarily related to the dog. Opinions?
Second run also had "Jingle All the Way", and old 1996 Arnold Schwarzennegger Christmas product. It was fun - not unforgettable, but fun and sometimes touching with a big budget lovely score. (It was really refreshing to see a plot that was freed from cell phones and web searching gadgets. In those days, if you were going to be late, you couldn't dial someone and explain.)
I'd forgotten that Arnold played so well with kids. It takes a brave fellow to do comedy with children -- you plan on getting upstaged. The slap-stick violence is pretty constant, but didn't annoy me as much as a standard Three Stooges. Sinbad is pretty good in this too, and when A.S. has a vision of his kid drinking cheap hooch from a bag because he didn't get the toy he asked for, it's pretty wonderful. I see this one got lots of bad reviews, but I wouldn't go so far. If you see the tape cheap at the Goodwill, pick it up. Will be worth the $2 and the hour and a half.

[Anhelda]

Originally Posted by TWZRD

Mom and I are arguing about the cat at the end. She thinks it was Fear that sets the cat running off down the street. Since the dog had long passed by, when I saw the inside cat walking sedately across the console and pressing all those buttons, I thought it was a random cat fit -- not necessarily related to the dog. Opinions?

I always took the cat's actions to be what I always call a "kitten freak" which is probably what you mean by a random cat fit--the way a cat can go from sleeping to tearing around the house at full speed in a half a second for no apparent reason. I agree that the dog had nothing to do with it.

[HedwigOwl]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 9/10 Very enjoyable movie, true to the feel of the original film. The dynamics between Han & Chewie were pitch perfect, and the new lead characters, Rey & Finn, are great.

Interstellar - 9/10 I liked this film a lot, thought they did a good job with the writing of the storyline considering

Spoiler: show

the space time elements.

Guardians of the Galaxy - 8/10 Surprisingly the film exceeded my expectations, thought it was really well done.

[Midnightsfire]

I've have little good to say about Guardians of the Galaxy...
But I saw it from a comic-book perspective...

Although I think it's fair to say that Marvel has a problem creating memorable villains. Most of them seem so damnably two-dimensional.

[HedwigOwl]

Originally Posted by Midnightsfire

I've have little good to say about Guardians of the Galaxy...
But I saw it from a comic-book perspective...

Although I think it's fair to say that Marvel has a problem creating memorable villains. Most of them seem so damnably two-dimensional.

Well, they do come from a 2-dimensional world.

[jordmundt6]

On "the cat." It looks like all the cat's other emotions are busy goofing off, so fear just stretches out on the console and hits a few buttons, causing the cat in the real world to go berserk after the possible stressor passes. None of the cat's emotions were really paying attention. This suggests to me that whoever wrote the scene lived near people with cats but wasn't a cat lover or owner.

I think the timeline jump thing in Fantastic 4 is supposed to be deliberate so they don't go over the same ground the original films did. I've been too skittish to actually have a look.

Jai Courtney actually has made a habit of popping up in franchises and sucking the life out of them in the last couple years. He "played" John McClane Jr. in the latest Die Hard sequel which was actually horrendous. He was a major contributor to that. Of course, Henry Cavill had a role as Bruce Willis son in an espionage actioner about 5 years ago and was very pedestrian. So, I was surprised when he actually turned in a watchable performance as Superman.

Speaking of comic book adaptations--I'm really not sure what DC thinks they're doing. They pretty much own animated features and tv series and have a solid hold of the live action tv series market. Marvel has outmuscled them in the film market. It feels like they missed the moment to begin a DC Universe set of films and are now rushing trying to compete. They could crash everything good that they've built in other areas with their attempt to compete directly with The Avengers.

And the casting is bizarre in spots. Amy Adams was a great choice to play Lois, Diane Lane will make an excellent Martha, Laurence Fishburne has the gravitas for a less choleric Perry, and Cavill actually does a decent job as Clark, Kal, and Superman. They've announced Jeremy Irons as Alfred. He's a great choice, but he's a step down from Michael Caine. Ben Afleck has proven he has chops as a director and actor, but he's better casting as George Reeves in Hollywoodland than as Bruce Wayne. Jesse Eisenberg might be interesting as Lex Luthor if he has more than a few good trailer moments, but his portrayal seems more Riddler than Luthor so far.

I just have no idea about Gal Gadot. She looks the part in a few of the clips that are out there, but listening to interviews of her is just...a chore.

For Suicide Squad--Leto's Joker is very much the Joker from that particular story by look and attitude. I don't think he's as dynamic or memorable as Ledger's turn, but I'll just have to get over that. Will Smith could be a good Floyd Lawton. Whether he will be is much more an open question. Margot Robbie looks like she had great fun with Harley, and she might end up owning that film (in a positive sense).

Jason Momoa might look weird as a blond, but he has the physical presence for a role like Curry. Ezra Miller is....an odd choice for Barry Allen. I know he has chops, but this sort of character is not in his wheelhouse. What else have they announced. Chris Pine as Steve Trevor. Okay. That might work, maybe. I really wish I had greater confidence in Gal Gadot going in if she's going to be playing off him.

[Midnightsfire]

Too another look at "The Force Awakens."
Lot of questions that will need to be answered in that next movie.

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

Jesse Eisenberg might be interesting as Lex Luthor if he has more than a few good trailer moments, but his portrayal seems more Riddler than Luthor so far.

I see Eisenberg as the big weakness here. Just seeing him in the trailer made me cringe.

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

For Suicide Squad--Leto's Joker is very much the Joker from that particular story by look and attitude. I don't think he's as dynamic or memorable as Ledger's turn, but I'll just have to get over that. Will Smith could be a good Floyd Lawton. Whether he will be is much more an open question. Margot Robbie looks like she had great fun with Harley, and she might end up owning that film (in a positive sense).

Apparently Margot Robbie either made one hell of an impression...or something else. If I recall she's locked in on her Harley character for another 6 movies I think.
As for Leto...I think everyone still remembers Heath Ledger's portrayal
who was..between the writing directing and acting, too well done, if that's possible. ("I'll show ya a trick. See the pencil? And now it's gone." ...Why am I laughing? Horrifying...and funny...No...wait!) And that horrifying thing about the Joker, that allure...how he can twist a person. Torture and brutality is cheap and easy, and thus easy to provoke hatred. When he spoke to Dent in the Dark Knight he was convincing, not just to Dent, but to everyone in the audience. "Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I'm an agent of chaos..."
That wasn't easy. It slowly provoked terror but I found it mesmerizing too.
And then there's Will Smith as Dead Shot (Floyd Lawton).
And that's what they got; Will Smith. Guarantee at least a dozen AW HELL NAAAAs. what...what? what?

Should have tapped Michael Rowe for DS. (From Arrow series)

[HedwigOwl]

Originally Posted by TWZRD

I saw Inside Out at the $2 second run cinema about a month or two ago. (snip)
Mom and I are arguing about the cat at the end. She thinks it was Fear that sets the cat running off down the street. Since the dog had long passed by, when I saw the inside cat walking sedately across the console and pressing all those buttons, I thought it was a random cat fit -- not necessarily related to the dog. Opinions?

I thought it may have been Disgust, just trying to shake things up out of boredom.

[MmeBergerac]

Macbeth, 8.5/10

This movie got me glued to my seat and unable to blink from the first minute. It is not an easy movie to watch; Shakespeare's text, trimmed to leave the essence, with hardly any flourish, requires attetion; Macbeth's obsessions are treated with a symbolism that needs some mental work; the atmosphere is quite oppressive, and, according to my friends, people who don't previously know the play or at least the story will find it confusing and hard to follow.

On the good side: first-rate acting from Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard; a good script that gives Lord and Lady Macbeth greater complexity without altering Shakespeare's lines; beautiful cinematography and an absorbing story-telling. Great.

[jordmundt6]

Macbeth is on my to-rent list.

HedwigOwl--The thing about the cat is that it's version of Joy, Anger, and Disgust were totally absorbed in something completely away from the console. Fear stretched out to take a nap on the console and pressed several buttons at once. I think the reaction is a Fear thing.

Midnightsfire--I understand your description and opinion of Ledger's performance, but it just is going to stick with everyone because it was that great. Leto sort of has two problems. If he goes for gravitas in the mania, everyone will look at Ledger's performance first. If he embraces the ham in the role, everyone will look at Nicholson's performance from the Burton Batman. He's almost in a no-win situation. Afleck's in a spot as well, but it's a different sort since the range of performance has varied wildly over various incarnations of the Batman character.

However, I don't agree about Deadshot. Rowe did a capable job on Arrow but this character is a slightly different mix with slightly different motivations (sort of like Floyd Lawton from Earth 3 on the TV shows) and you'd have too many problems with TV fans fighting the crossover. Smith could do a good job, but it could be a disaster. Given how much fun Margot has with Harley, I'm hoping that it works out.

[HedwigOwl]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

HedwigOwl--The thing about the cat is that it's version of Joy, Anger, and Disgust were totally absorbed in something completely away from the console. Fear stretched out to take a nap on the console and pressed several buttons at once. I think the reaction is a Fear thing.

Could be. But if I'm remembering correctly, the cat has no reaction to the dog's passing by. I figured it was Disgust, as each emotion acts out of its own nature, and Disgust was disgusted that Fear (and others) weren't paying attention and hit all the buttons, totally freaking out the cat who couldn't process it all at once.

[Midnightsfire]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

Midnightsfire--I understand your description and opinion of Ledger's performance, but it just is going to stick with everyone because it was that great. Leto sort of has two problems. If he goes for gravitas in the mania, everyone will look at Ledger's performance first. If he embraces the ham in the role, everyone will look at Nicholson's performance from the Burton Batman. He's almost in a no-win situation. Afleck's in a spot as well, but it's a different sort since the range of performance has varied wildly over various incarnations of the Batman character.

*nods*
Leto is in a spot...but, he'll just have to stick to the script. They gave him chrome teeth and those awful tattoos..The teeth can be explained (Bat-Girl knocked them out in the comics..and they better mention that) That tats however...*grumble*
I think Affleck is in a better position. Singer took a lot of inspiration and imagery from the comic book "Dark Knight Returns" and it shows. If the writing shows the "myth-type" of the Batman ("Wits over brawn") then I think most will be sold.

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

However, I don't agree about Deadshot.

Anyone but Smith. The guy is falling hard for his own hype these days.

He was originally slated for the upcoming Independence Day sequel. But he wanted $50 million, and he wanted his son in the movie.
----------------------

Saw The 5th Wave today.
It wasn't as bad as some made it out to be. Chloe Moretz is carrying most of the movie, and she's got the chops, but she needed better material. Admittedly I do agree with those that say that the movie as a whole doesn't bring much new, but I was more entertained than not.

[jordmundt6]

I've seen one attempt at adapting Dark Knight Returns and I found it well...awful. He did display brains over muscle which is good, but he carried himself, spoke, and acted like a remorseless soulless killing machine. That's NOT good. A guy like that operating under the color of authority, Clark Kent is right to despise. Now it could be that the adaptation was horrendous or that just that particular book was in some respects a bad characterization of Bruce Wayne/Batman. However, using it as a starting place doesn't fill me with hope for either Afleck's portrayal or the Justice League film franchise as a whole.

[Wab]

The DKR books were pretty grim.

[Midnightsfire]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

I've seen one attempt at adapting Dark Knight Returns and I found it well...awful. He did display brains over muscle which is good, but he carried himself, spoke, and acted like a remorseless soulless killing machine. That's NOT good. A guy like that operating under the color of authority, Clark Kent is right to despise. Now it could be that the adaptation was horrendous or that just that particular book was in some respects a bad characterization of Bruce Wayne/Batman. However, using it as a starting place doesn't fill me with hope for either Afleck's portrayal or the Justice League film franchise as a whole.

I think you missed the point of what was actually going on.

Lot of text:    

---

Bruce Wayne is 55 years old. He was forced to retire from crimefighting by the government (backed and enforced by Superman who was now a government agent), who also forced Oliver (Green Arrow) into surgically amputating his right arm to keep him from ever using a bow effectively. Wonder Woman had returned to her own people. Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) went to the stars. Crime levels were increasing, even as the government became something of a fascist state. (Superheroes were a banned subject in the media, and even mentioning "Superman" the government's not-so-secret weapon was subject to the censor) A nuclear weapon was diverted by Superman where it detonated relatively harmlessly into the desert. However there was a massive electromagnetic pulse that affected most of the country which became anarchy. Except for Gotham City. Where Batman ruthlessly took over the "Mutants" and the "Sons of Batman" and turned them into a non-lethal fighting force that ensured the public safety and the flow and distribution of supplies. As a result it became the safest place in the country. Law and order, not established by the government, but established by Batman. That's an embarrassment to the government that they can't tolerate. Batman did tell Supes that he could have created something stronger than the kryptonite arrow. But he didn't. Because he doesn't kill.

I admit, the myth-type that Batman represents (brains over brawn) was pretty much missed. But I did get a kick out of reading it regardless.

As for Affleck's portrayal, and more so Bryan Singer's inspiration, Bruce Wayne is angry at Superman. And I have to think that the DKR comic book was probably a good reference point to start a fight between the two.

[jordmundt6]

The adaptation I saw didn't include

Spoiler: show

Him taking the former Mutants and Sons of Batman in hand and using them to restore peace and distribute supplies. He was a killing machine who in his bitterness had lost sight of his humanity and the potential humanity of his adversaries and allies. Jason Todd wasn't a protégé or a younger brother, he was a "good soldier." The mutants were animals in everything but name. Things to be cowed and dispersed after an appropriate number of them were killed. And after the Leader was thrashed and his horde scattered, The Joker had reason to perk up. The story does neither character any favors whatsoever. It's an AWFUL starting place for a Justice League.