Movies You've Seen Recently Thread

[algroth]

As I said on the other thread, I feel it looks extremely goofy and kitschy, and to my mind I feel like I'm seeing another Jupiter Ascending in the making. But then again, I have not seen anything of Luc Besson that I've liked, including The Fifth Element. So maybe it's just not my thing.

[Hurlshort]

As I said on the other thread, I feel it looks extremely goofy and kitschy, and to my mind I feel like I'm seeing another Jupiter Ascending in the making. But then again, I have not seen anything of Luc Besson that I've liked, including The Fifth Element. So maybe it's just not my thing.

 

Even The Professional?

[Blarghagh]

Is it just me or do the leads seem like some kind of haughty, pre-packaged action figure people? Is there a plot point about perfect cloned people in it or something?

 

Anyway, saw two weirder titles. About Time, a time travel movie in which the time travel was superfluous and was mostly a painfully saccherine love story. And Hello, My Name Is Doris, a quirky but fun type indie movie about age that would have been meh but was elevated by Sally Field's wonderfully all-in performance.

Edited November 10, 2016 by TrueNeutral

[algroth]

 

As I said on the other thread, I feel it looks extremely goofy and kitschy, and to my mind I feel like I'm seeing another Jupiter Ascending in the making. But then again, I have not seen anything of Luc Besson that I've liked, including The Fifth Element. So maybe it's just not my thing.

 

Even The Professional?

 

Was my first Besson, and was really not into it. I found it very over the top, the aesthetic aged poorly, generally I was irritated by it. Though it, Nikita and AngelA were probably the three I had the least troubles with. Any irritation I felt with this was but the slightest discomfort compared to the absolute migraines I found The Fifth Element and The Messenger to be.

 

With this in mind, it is not that I oppose histrionic styles and what have you. I mentioned earlier that I rate very highly the works of Gilliam and Wojciech Has for example, who are if anything further out there. But their works seem imaginative and closely linked to a history and a theme being touched on in the films, whereas with Besson I just find them ugly facades for empty interiors.

Edited November 10, 2016 by algroth

[Malcador]

[WDeranged]

I really, really hope this won't suck but I'm not optimistic.

 

 

http://youtu.be/PxH45ivUomw

 

Hmm, difficult to tell how hard this is going to suck.  There is potential for non-sucktitude, but all that blatant CG is painful to watch...The Fifth Element had more convincing visuals 20 years ago.

[Chilloutman]

yeah 5th element looked better 20 years ago, and these actors? wtf. that guy looks like he hardly can carry himself. I mean I got it, no more Arnies and Stalones, but cmon, it looks like emo cast for Twilight

[Rosbjerg]

Have you read the comic? Valérian is a pretty weak character actually, he mostly survives on speed and charm (at least he thinks he's charming) - it's a fairly clear example of a feminist comic, where Laureline always comes in to save the day.. For reference:

 

 

It works though, for what it is- as they slowly build a working relationship where both of their strength come into play and they learn to respect their difference, once they put aside 20th societal notions.

 

 

If anything it seems they made him a bit more masculine and capable in the trailer (Mass Effect inspired it seems as well)

 

[Pidesco]

Disregarding his action competence in the comic, I always thought Valérian looked older, experienced, a bit tired and world weary, but still outclassed by Laureline at his job every step of the way.

 

DeHaan comes across as a bit too young.

[Rosbjerg]

True I'd wager he was supposed to be in his late 30s - and resting on his laurels.

[Amentep]

DeHaan is 30; however I think people these days tend to look younger in their 30s than they did in the 60s-70s. 

[Agiel]

The Cubs won the World Series, Pennsylvania helped to elect a possible Manchurian candidate into the White House, and M. Night Shyamalan actually came out with a good movie. Clearly we're in uncharted waters:

 

Edited November 11, 2016 by Agiel

[Raithe]

.. And RIP Robert Vaughn

[Amentep]

Awww man.

 

RIP Robert Vaughn

[Gromnir]

finally saw kingsmen.  weird.  somewhere in the mess were a fun (if familiar) concept. american version with vin diesel has the super spy who is effective 'cause he is anti-establishment.  english spin has its eliza doolittle predictable conform to the organization, going so far as to don the trappings o' a "gentlemen."  contrast.  *shrug* still coulda worked, but samuel l. jackson's lispy villain were a disappointment, and in spite o' a fantastic cast, too many folks phoned in their performances, or existed only to let us see how much kewler were the protagonist than everybody else.  

 

'course the most improbable moment in the movie were the following

 

 

no way does hary hart quote hemingway. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[kirottu]

[algroth]

Ugh, just... No. We'll have to see how the film actually turns out, but that trailer looks as if they're merely upping the action and scale, and dumbing down the ideas and characters. What dialogue there was in it was cringeworthy, and what parallels one can draw between its opening sequence (replete with robot geisha monsters) and the original's make me really dread what I originally had some expectations for with the viral campaign.

 

Edit: So apparently the robotic geishas are a reference to the Stand Alone Complex series? I have yet to see that as I don't watch many series in general. Either way I can't say I've enjoyed this addition in what seems to otherwise be imitating rather strictly the style/events of the original film.

Edited November 13, 2016 by algroth

[Raithe]

Mechanic: Resurrection.

 

Its a fairly standard Jason Statham film, decent action sequences that flow along, although I don't think it's quite as smartly done as The Mechanic. Jessica Alba, Michelle Yeoh and Tommy Lee Jones have fairly minimal supporting roles, but they do what they can with it.  I think they focused more on the being kick-ass and doing action sequences rather than on that whole.. professional, engineering, genius at evaluating planning and setting up the kill methods that were the characters forte in the original. The bad guy is fairly shallow, and serves more as an excuse to pull in Statham's character back from the supposed dead and into taking out targets.

 

If you want your generic popcorn fix its light, daft, and entertaining for what it is.

[algroth]

finally saw kingsmen.  weird.  somewhere in the mess were a fun (if familiar) concept. american version with vin diesel has the super spy who is effective 'cause he is anti-establishment.  english spin has its eliza doolittle predictable conform to the organization, going so far as to don the trappings o' a "gentlemen."  contrast.  *shrug* still coulda worked, but samuel l. jackson's lispy villain were a disappointment, and in spite o' a fantastic cast, too many folks phoned in their performances, or existed only to let us see how much kewler were the protagonist than everybody else.  

 

'course the most improbable moment in the movie were the following

 

 

no way does hary hart quote hemingway. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

I loved that. I feel that on paper I should hate every film Vaughn has made, and simply not get along with his style... And yet I'm always caught off-guard with how creative his films are in the smaller details, the great sense of humour and sheer fun he's able to inject into them, and Kingsman is no different. I had a blast with it.

[Maedhros]

I think you nailed how I feel about 'Stardust', the first film I saw by Matthew Vaughn. I think it's the best "adventure fantasy" film since Princess Bride. You can tell the actors are really enjoying themselves.

[algroth]

I think you nailed how I feel about 'Stardust', the first film I saw by Matthew Vaughn. I think it's the best "adventure fantasy" film since Princess Bride. You can tell the actors are really enjoying themselves.

Absolutely. Really liked that one even as I originally dismissed it as just a romantic fairy tale starring Claire Danes.

[Raithe]

 

I think you nailed how I feel about 'Stardust', the first film I saw by Matthew Vaughn. I think it's the best "adventure fantasy" film since Princess Bride. You can tell the actors are really enjoying themselves.

Absolutely. Really liked that one even as I originally dismissed it as just a romantic fairy tale starring Claire Danes.

 

 

To be fair, it's also a story by Neil Gaiman....

[algroth]

Indeed. I actually did not know Neil Gaiman at the time, however, so that's what it was to me.

Edited November 13, 2016 by algroth

[Drowsy Emperor]

I've seen a ton of trash lately but two good films stood out:

 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - a fine drama-comedy-adventure about an orphaned boy and his unlikely "uncle" as they evade baddies from child-protective services in the New Zealand bush. The formula has been seen before but the script is great.

 

Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers) - a good relationship drama in which couples play a modern version of a truth-or-dare type game that reveals all the many secrets they kept from each other.

[Blarghagh]

I loved Hunt for the Wilderpeople and I really wonder what the guy who made both that and the hilarious mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows is going to do with the next Thor movie, which is apparently an intergalactic buddy movie with the Hulk.