The Blockbuster Oscar Bait Movie Thread

[majestic]

I liked both Alien and Aliens. However after repeatedly seeing both Alien, for me, lost the tension that made it great while Aliens is still a fun action movie at the end of the day. It's a lot like Terminator and Terminator two in that regard - also similar insofar as any sequels after the first are better not talked about.

Just now, injurai said:

I still haven't seen Alien 3 and 4. Nor covenant.

I'm torn between telling you that it's better this way or egging you to check them out purely to admire the train wrecks they are.

[injurai]

I've been actively avoiding them, unlike Prometheus which I didn't have the benefit to avoid. Saw it opening day and other than the cinematography and art direction, it was the equivalent to being served ice cream out of a truck with a broken freezer on a hot summer day.

My curiosity does occasionally tempt me towards the void though.

I agree about Aliens and T2 being dumb fun.

[Hurlshort]

But what about Predator and Predator 2? I think Predator 2 is worth it just because it makes sense as a Lethal Weapon crossover. Danny Glover is too old for this bleep because he killed a Predator on a space ship.

[injurai]

I never saw Predator 2...

[ShadySands]

I saw Predator 2 first and it remains my favorite

6 hours ago, Lexx said:

In some ways I like Alien 3 more than Aliens, because at least it tried to go back to what Alien was about, while Aliens just added more of everything (more aliens, more guns, more action). Lots of popular movies and games did this back then... no matter the original concept, the sequel had to be MORE OF EVERYTHING, capitalized. Another popular example that bugs me till today is the transition from Resident Evil 1 to 2. Same thing, really... more zombies, more weapons, more action, and missing what the original was about.

I think of the Fast and the Furious as a series of movies that goes bigger, harder, faster with each sequel. I mean, they started as relatively low level illegal street racers and thieves and now they're all international superman everythings. 

[injurai]

Fast and the furious is just American Dragon Ball Z.

[Amentep]

I actually liked Alien: Resurrection (aka Alien 4) although, to be fair, it stuffs up the ending. Also I saw it on a double bill with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation which might have adjusted my appreciation for it.

IMO, Alien³ (aka Alien 3) is a messy film, and I think its disjointing how little it is a follow-up to Aliens (aka Alien 2).  If you can get past that, there are a few things to like in the film.

The two Alien vs Predator films are a very mixed bag - the first one is sloppy but feels right, the second one about midway through made me feel like the filmmakers were intentionally aiming to insult my intelligence.

Prometheus is a mess that probably needed a few more passes at the script and Alien: Covenant (Alien 5? 6? 7? 8? Do we count the AVP and Prometheus films?) basically pulls an Alien³ and jettisons the stuff that was worth saving from Prometheus and tells a bad story (sorry, but I just don't care about David and it will never make sense that Shaw would rebuild his body after the events of Prometheus).  There were better films to be made out of these ideas.

I liked the first three Predator films, haven't seen the fourth (aka The Predator).

Terminator and Terminator 2 are both good, but much like Alien and Aliens, I give the edge to the original film.  Terminator 3 isn't very good IMO.  Terminator: Salvation has some good ideas but basically pulls an Alien: Resurrection on the ending. Terminator: Genysis feels like its from an alternate universe.  I enjoyed it but I can see why it may have felt too different for other fans.  Also the trailers spoiled the big twist which probably didn't help things.  Looking forward to the new one.

 

[Hurlshort]

I had no idea there was a fourth Predator. 

[majestic]

1 hour ago, Hurlshot said:

I had no idea there was a fourth Predator. 

That one came out quite recently and was a dumpster fire.

[Gfted1]

Yeah, it was pretty bad. The best part is Olivia Munn.

[Amentep]

Predator, Predator 2, Predators and The Predator for those keeping score at home.

[algroth]

 

[injurai]

I'm intrigued. This better be literally silent cartoon shorts with Thom Yorke doing cerebral comic sound effects and score over top. You can't just drop a definition like that and not deliver.

[injurai]

Oh this is Thom Yorke's album, and PTA is just doing a music video for it... hmmm still neat, far less than I was expecting

[injurai]

mid90s

I adore it

[213374U]

On 6/20/2019 at 3:21 PM, Amentep said:

Prometheus is a mess that probably needed a few more passes at the script and Alien: Covenant (Alien 5? 6? 7? 8? Do we count the AVP and Prometheus films?) basically pulls an Alien³ and jettisons the stuff that was worth saving from Prometheus and tells a bad story (sorry, but I just don't care about David and it will never make sense that Shaw would rebuild his body after the events of Prometheus).  There were better films to be made out of these ideas.

I'm a Fassbender fanboy so I didn't mind that they gave him an even more central role in Covenant. I agree with you about Shaw fixing him though, technical problems aside. David as a literal talking head had interesting potential, and I always liked that scene in Alien in which, after getting beat up with a tire iron, Ash calmly patronizes the crew. I wasn't impressed by what they did to Shaw either.

Watching the movie itself, what bothered me most was that supposedly competent professionals can't seem to stop doing really stupid **** all the time. Alien had none of that and they were just glorified space truckers.

I'm not sure what kind of movie were they even going for in Covenant. I also remain unconvinced that they had any idea how to solve the Engineers in an elegant manner -- an inherited problem. I think Covenant in general suffered from being a movie made for the sake of making a sequel rather than having a strong idea or two of its own, to build on.

Edited June 23, 2019 by 213374U
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Lexx]

The new alien stuff is just all complete garbage. I tried to like it at least in parts, but if I'm honest to myself, then it's all really just.... garbage we really wouldn't have needed.

[InsaneCommander]

This is a good summary. Especially the parts about getting lost with 3D mapping and dipping the finger.

Edit: This one is even better. "An inconsistent biologist that freaks out about a 2000 year old dead body, but falls in love with a clearly dangerous alien snake."

 

Edited June 23, 2019 by InsaneCommander

[Raithe]

[majestic]

 

 

[LadyCrimson]

Hubby's watching The Meg because I said it was funny. Not a comedy, but funny. I don't think he's finding it quite as amusing however.
The Meg was one of those movies I thought I'd watch 20 minutes of and turn off, but it takes itself so seriously yet ... not ... that I laughed through a lot of it and ended up liking it as a mindless stupid summer movie.

It's like a cross between Jaws and The Abyss films with the dialogue, poor plotting and constant cliches of ID4 or something.

[Gfted1]

 

[injurai]

i like what I'm seeing, definitely the holiday movie I'm most looking forward to. And it's not just cause SW has been sucking, jumanji earns this on it's own accord

[Gfted1]

How would you rate the first Dwayne Johnson remake vs the original with Robin Williams. I loved the original.

[injurai]

I see them as very different movies, and partly loved the new one because I went in with no expectations in relation to the old. The characters are super charming in the new one.