Films I watched this week
Discussion
BIt of a kids movie-a-thon with the hatchling this weekend.
2 of note:
Strange Magic: Thought this would be the usual crappy, over-animated tosh but started watching it and got properly into it. Read about it afterwards and it was directed bu none other than Mr. Spielberg. I read that it took him 5 years just to decide on the score. The sound track is fantastic.
Solid 9/10.
Kung Fu Panda 3: As you'd expect, very well shot, good story and continuation from the others. Enough to keep the kids amused and a great layer of adult humour just over the kids' heads.
7/10
2 of note:
Strange Magic: Thought this would be the usual crappy, over-animated tosh but started watching it and got properly into it. Read about it afterwards and it was directed bu none other than Mr. Spielberg. I read that it took him 5 years just to decide on the score. The sound track is fantastic.
Solid 9/10.
Kung Fu Panda 3: As you'd expect, very well shot, good story and continuation from the others. Enough to keep the kids amused and a great layer of adult humour just over the kids' heads.
7/10
parabolica said:
Master and Commander: FSOTW - this is one of my all time favourite films although I'm not exactly sure why. I like films which are almost entirely set/confined to one location (Margin Call is another fav based on this). 9/10
If ever a film needed a sequel it's this one.
Nik da Greek said:
In other news, I finally got around to watching the third Hobbit film. Yes, I'm that behind. It's taken this long for me to stop be angry after the second one.
I watched the first in the cinema, hoping for a something special. After sitting through that turgid vomit, I never bothered with any others. I did watch the second this weekend when it was on...I had to force myself to sit through it, just in case it had any redeeming merit. It mostly didn't. Didn't make sense for the most part, the graphics of the dragon were decent, but that was the lone solitary note of non-shyte. What makes this a great shame is that PJ has effectively destroyed the prospects of any decent screen adaptation surfacing for probably around 50 years.
I was hopig for something magical like Dark Crystal/Princess Bride/Stardust, instead I got an X-Box 360 game with hammy acting, poor characterisation and nonsensical cack.
Just rewatching the first Thor movie as it's on TV right now. It really does show up the late DC effort for the rushed mess it was. Thor and Loki have more humanity individually than the entire cast of the BvS universe combined. Everyone has a fairly consistent motivation even if it produces actions that seems unpredictable at the time.
I think I'd like to have seen a bit more emotion from Loki when he kills mortal Thor, but love that noone asked for their fate in the whole movie and just sort of fell into becoming arch enemies and don't think I could have asked for more in a superhero movie with superhumans dicing it out in a human world.
5/5 for genre, 4/5 as a film.
Also saw desolation of Smaug. Never bothered with the Hobbit movies. Thought it was straightforward decent enough, though it ended like an episode of a series. A bit too much inverse ninja for my liking with the elves on orcs but decent enough for a go-here-do-this movie. I remember being blown away by the first LoTR movie and wonder if I've just become desensitised to amazing scenery and ancient PG-13 worlds having been smashed in the face with Game of Thrones these past five years.
3/5 maybe?
I think I'd like to have seen a bit more emotion from Loki when he kills mortal Thor, but love that noone asked for their fate in the whole movie and just sort of fell into becoming arch enemies and don't think I could have asked for more in a superhero movie with superhumans dicing it out in a human world.
5/5 for genre, 4/5 as a film.
Also saw desolation of Smaug. Never bothered with the Hobbit movies. Thought it was straightforward decent enough, though it ended like an episode of a series. A bit too much inverse ninja for my liking with the elves on orcs but decent enough for a go-here-do-this movie. I remember being blown away by the first LoTR movie and wonder if I've just become desensitised to amazing scenery and ancient PG-13 worlds having been smashed in the face with Game of Thrones these past five years.
3/5 maybe?
Wow I'm up late. Just saw the last Dredd movie for the first time. I heard it suffered by comparison to the Raid, which I kind of get, but I actually thought the interplay of Dredd and Anderson and the earnest, almost TV-Movie pilot attempt at world setting made it the more enjoyable film despite what it lacked in fight choreography and prodution values. Would appily watch a few more of those.
4/5 as a fan, 3/5 otherwise.
4/5 as a fan, 3/5 otherwise.
glazbagun said:
Also saw desolation of Smaug. Never bothered with the Hobbit movies. Thought it was straightforward decent enough, though it ended like an episode of a series. A bit too much inverse ninja for my liking with the elves on orcs but decent enough for a go-here-do-this movie. I remember being blown away by the first LoTR movie and wonder if I've just become desensitised to amazing scenery and ancient PG-13 worlds having been smashed in the face with Game of Thrones these past five years.
3/5 maybe?
Way too much hokey CGI and not enough story for 3 films is the issue with the Hobbit trilogy IMHO. And the fact that it feels distinctly PG13, where LOTR didn't. 3/5 maybe?
Go back and watch the LOTR trilogy again (preferably extended edition) and you'll see what I mean.
glazbagun said:
Wow I'm up late. Just saw the last Dredd movie for the first time. I heard it suffered by comparison to the Raid, which I kind of get, but I actually thought the interplay of Dredd and Anderson and the earnest, almost TV-Movie pilot attempt at world setting made it the more enjoyable film despite what it lacked in fight choreography and prodution values. Would appily watch a few more of those.
4/5 as a fan, 3/5 otherwise.
The only reason I didn't go to see it at the Cinema was I could only find it in 3D and 3D gives me a headache. I watched it via PPV as soon as I could.4/5 as a fan, 3/5 otherwise.
Mona Lisa: Solid 7/10 for this blast from the past. Great acting from Hoskins and Cathy Tyson and a nostalgic look at London in the mid 80's. Had forgotten that both Robbie Coltrane and Michael Caine had supporting roles. Plot isn't really that brilliant but it's a good film despite that.
Kind Hearts and Coronets: 8/10 Really lovely old film that is well worth watching if you haven't seen it. Dennis Price and Joan Greenwood are both superb, though most people think of Alec Guinness playing 8 or so roles when they think of this one.
Kind Hearts and Coronets: 8/10 Really lovely old film that is well worth watching if you haven't seen it. Dennis Price and Joan Greenwood are both superb, though most people think of Alec Guinness playing 8 or so roles when they think of this one.
easytiger123 said:
Mona Lisa: Solid 7/10 for this blast from the past. Great acting from Hoskins and Cathy Tyson and a nostalgic look at London in the mid 80's. Had forgotten that both Robbie Coltrane and Michael Caine had supporting roles. Plot isn't really that brilliant but it's a good film despite that.
Mona Lisa's very good for '80's period London. There's a few films that are good for that era; Empire State (which is a dreadful film) in particular has some great shots of the Docks in the very early stages of redevelopment in the mid-'80's.
Antony Moxey said:
Watched Everest again last night and it annoyed me even more than the first time round. The main guy is supposed to be an experienced professional climber who's led many expeditions to many peaks around the world. Early on in his briefings he explains how dangerous it is, how he's in charge, how they do exactly what he says and when he says it.
I thought Everest was decent enough as a film but from what I'd read about the mountain, it became increasingly less credible as things clicked into Hollywood mode. Everyone says that above the death zone you are dying. Your body and mind goes into survival mode and there is no spare capacity to do anything other than get up and get down again. That's why people are left to die and rescue or recovery attempts are considered suicidal.This was playing on my mind as the film waltzed into Hollywood heroics. I'm not a climber so don't know how credible the film version of the tale is, but they made this all clear in the film at the beginning so it's clearly not just a layman's view.
It's so frustrating that Hollywood insists on applying its tedious cliche garnish over what is already a remarkable story.
smithyithy said:
Ex Machina - been meaning to watch it for ages, finally managed to Saturday. fantastic film, really impressive. Great acting by the small but talented cast. That ended too.. Oh and Alicia Vikander is lovely. 8.5/10
Yep - saw this masterpiece in the cinema when it was first released. Properly good.Gassing Station | TV, Film, Video Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff