What movies have you seen lately? Now with reviews!Movies

[Public'sTwin]

I agree with The Hangover and District 9, and I haven't seen the other two, though I have Up at home in line and I'll have IBs soon enough.

I think you'll thoroughly enjoy Up. And while Inglourious Basterds may not be Tarantino's finest—walking a fine line between pop-art and grindhouse—it's still generally better than most films out there. It doesn't hold a light to Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, or Deathproof; but, taken on its' own, is a decent flick. Christoph Waltz's performance is especially tantalizing, and The Bear Jew has become somewhat of a meme.

 

[Diego440]

I'll give it a shot, though I didn't like Deathproof or Pulp Fiction.... I'm odd like that

 

[Speedy Samurai]

In a b-movie sort of way, or awesome awesome?

I only ask because those two movies convinced me Hollywood doesn't read scripts.

You're wrong, Diego. They read one and then if the project succeeds they don't read any more but keep recycling that one.

 

[Diego440]

oh... isn't that what I said?

 

[mPWRD]

Zombieland (2009)

This movie makes you want to live a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested wasteland. The acting is excellent - each of the characters (all 4 of them) is brilliantly portrayed. The action is well-paced, not too fast, not overly suspenseful. It isn't that scary, seeing as the zombies are more comical than creepy. Woody Harrelson steals the show as Twinkie-loving gunslinger Tallahassee (I can never take a Twinkie seriously anymore), and Jesse Eisenberg plays a convincing protagonist.

And remember... double tap. Always.

 

[a6m5]

I prefer stopping power..... what?

I really want to see this now. Ever since Romero's Dawn & Day of the Dead, I got this thing for apocalyptic zombie flicks. :tup:

 

[Diego440]

Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008) -- Wow. I really didn't expect this movie to be what it is. I first read the plot: The last six weeks of the life of the Irish republican hunger striker Bobby Sands. But the movie is so much more than that. First of all, the last 6 weeks of Bobby Sands take place during the last 30 minutes of the movie. The first 45 minutes are about the harsh reality of the IRA prisoners during the 'blanket' and 'no-wash' period in the late 70s and early 80s, to the point where I felt sick to my stomach from the abuses and attrocities the inmates had to endure, and the movie makes no effort to disguise them to be more acceptable... this is intense! Acting by Michael Fassbender (as Bobby Sands) is very impressive and the movie might very well be among the best I've seen. What is equally impressive is that it's the first movie by director Steve McQueen (no relation to Bullitt's Steve McQueen). Despite the movie being in a very closed and almost unintelligible Irish, there's very little talking, so there's little chance to get lost with it. In fact, the first proper dialogue comes at the 45-minute mark, lasts for about 20 minutes and that's it.

Score comes as no surprise since it really is that good, though you might want to avoid it if you're easily sickened. 10/10

 

[mPWRD]

I prefer stopping power..... what?

I really want to see this now. Ever since Romero's Dawn & Day of the Dead, I got this thing for apocalyptic zombie flicks. :tup:

Yeah, you have to watch the movie to get the double tap reference.

 

[GaryyC]

Just watched Paranormal Activity. It scared the living crap outta me. For such a low budget movie, the acting was well done, the scenes were believable and it just totally creeped the hell out of me . I wont be sleeping tonight. I'm sooo paranoid at the moment, noticing the smallest of sounds and just worrying about it.

 

[livemusic]

We watched The Time Traveller's Wife last night on the movie theatre. It's an original romance, telling the story of Henry DeTamble, a man who time travels involuntarily every now and then, and his relationship with Clare Abshire, played by the beautiful Rachel McAdams.

At the start I thought I wouldn't like the movie but it got much better as it developed. I agree with a review on IMDb which says this movie is what Benjamin Button should have been like.

It gets an 8 out of 10 from me.

 

[LSX]

Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

The little Sabertooth Squirrel is so dumb I can't help but to laugh at it. I know it's a kids movie, but I can't not watch Ice Age...

Pretty good movie, story line was, well I don't really care for the story, mostly just the crazy Squirrel trying to get the acorn, the sloth, opossums and the weasel are very funny characters as well. I thought the first Ice Age was better, but this one is still very funny, if anyone's into Ice Age, check it out.

 

[Diego440]

Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes, 2008) -- A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Based on a novel by Richard Yates. It's basically a typical drama trip that didn't offer (for me) a lot of groundbreaking thoughts. Acting is superb, but for a moment it reminded me of Sam Mendes' previous films (like American Beauty, which I love), and I guess I kept expecting something important to happen, but when it finally did I was left with an overall 'meh' feeling. So, it's a good, enjoyable movie, but nothing to have you talking about later. 6/10

 

[Diego440]

Nothing But the Truth (Rod Lurie, 2008) -- One of those political-type thrillers about conspiracies and cover-ups set in Washington, where a female reporter faces a possible jail sentence for outing a CIA agent and refusing to reveal her source. Though not based directly on an event, it's based on events journalists have gone through at some point or another. Worth the watch though don't expect to come out of it feeling good or bad. There's a really funny line in it I had to write down:

sometimes a mistake is wearing white after labor day, and sometimes a mistake is invading Russia in winter

Still, kind of forgettable movie... or rather, another drop in an endless sea of conspiracy/cover-up movies. 7/10

Les Invasions Barbares (a.k.a. The Barbarian Invasions) (Denys Arcand, 2003) -- And I thought the only good Canadian filmmaker was Atom Egoyan. This movie won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2003 and I'd like to think it would've been a top contender if they allowed international films, to the point it was nominated for best movie in the Cannes Film Festival of that year. Despite the setting being a tad depressing: During his final days, a dying man is reunited with old friends, former lovers, his ex-wife, and his estranged son; the movie is really about crime, drama, comedy and romance... it's an all-around movie! It touches so many aspects of life, like love, death, sex, fidelity, family, ambition, religion, loyalty, forgiveness, and redemption. I'd have to recommend it only to people who have a taste for indie and/or foreign films, since it's in French-Canadian and... I dunno, it has a very European aura around it, which I think isn't what you'd expect from a movie of this type. It's probably one of those movies I'll want to watch many times. 9/10

 

[Touring Mars]

Nice review of "Hunger", Diego... very interested to see it earn your top ranking. Will definitely have to add it to my queue...

This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner, 1984)

The quintessential "rockumentary", if you don't find this film funny, you should see a doctor immediately. There are many belly-laugh funny moments in this film, but also many more subtle jokes and painfully accurate observations which both mock and pay homage to the rock and roll lifestyle simulatenously. Perhaps only The Rutles come close to pulling off a similar feat (although musically, The Rutles are a league above "Spinal Tap"!). As with any good comedy, the rewatch value is immensely high - for what it lacks as a piece of art, it more than makes up for as a brilliant piece of entertainment. 9/10

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, 2006)

Better than I thought it was going to be, but it still left me wondering what the point of the film was. Nothing earth-shatteringly interesting, and a typically implausible fight at the end that is about as predictable as it possibly could have been. We find Rocky as a wistful and "deeper" character since the death of his wife, who later inspires him (from beyond the grave!) to find that little bit extra energy in the fight (shock, horror). "The Wrestler" (2008) explored similar themes and there were definite echoes of this film in there, but for me "The Wrestler" is a far, far superior film in almost every regard. I wouldn't say this was bad, though - just not that good. 6/10

 

[Diego440]

Nice review of "Hunger", Diego... very interested to see it earn your top ranking. Will definitely have to add it to my queue...

Ah, thanks... I was curious as to if anyone had read it.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Ah, thanks... I was curious as to if anyone had read it.

I'm interested in the movie, but I think I'll save my stomach.

 

[Danny]

Hard Candy, 2006.

I've wanted to see this for a long while after hearing good reviews. As an independent film it was always destined to be out of the limelight, but in all honesty, that's a crying shame. Ellen Page put on a flawless performance as usual as the psychotic 'Hayley', a young teenage girl. Patrick Wilson also convinces in his role of a thirty-something paedophile with denial issues. Despite a cheap-feeling cameo from Sandra Oh, this is without a doubt one of the best films I have ever seen. For a relatively minute budget, this provides tension and provokes thought like little else. I cannot recommend this enough.

10/10

 

[Diego440]

Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2007) -- No, no, no, no, no. Boring, predictable and in no way scarier than Blair Witch. I could've thought at some point that it may've been real had I not read an article announcing Paranormal Activity II before it. I can see how it can be fun as a movie theatre experience but the shaky hand-held quality would probably annoy you first. 2/10

 

[a6m5]

Aww, come on. They put in little more effort than 2 out of 10! The Barbarian Invasions was so good, I actually own a copy on DVD.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Battle for Terra - I usually don't do animation, especially of the Pixar-style. I decided to rent this one after finding out that 'we' actually are the invaders from outer space in this one.

Overall, this is kid's movie. Very, very predictable, overly simplistic, and everything is tidied up at the end. With the movie not even hour and a half long, they also don't get too deep into the history of either civilizations, or any of the characters involved. All these things, for me, they made a pretty nice light entertainment for me on a weeknight, right before heading out for some basketball.

If you feel up for a kiddie-lite sci-fi flick, I think this is a pretty good one. I enjoyed it. "B+"

 

[TB]

If you feel up for a kiddie-lite sci-fi flick, I think this is a pretty good one.

Correction. Neither one of my kids (or my wife or myself) liked Battle for Terra. That's likely my fault as they've been watching Star Wars IV-VI for the last 2 years.

I attempted to watch Evil Alien Conquerors last night but could only stomach about the first 10 minutes so I can't even give it a proper review. As I have never turned off a movie so quickly in my life - 0/10

Edit: I might possibly have EAC beaten with tonight's offering - Game Box 1.0!

Cover me. I'm going in.

 

[Diego440]

That's the thing, I think it didn't look like they made much of an effort.

-----------------------

XXY (Lucía Puenzo, 2007) -- This is the story of a 15-year-old hermaphrodite. She lives with her parents, who have to cope with the challenges of her medical condition. Though the movie tends to push the envelope (by having the 15-year-old actually be a 19-year-old who looks young), it just comes out as an envelope-pushing, mind-boggling movie and little else. It doens't go about questioning what should or shouldn't be moral, but doesn't let the audience decide or even question it either. At many parts the point seems to be to let the girl decide what she wants to be, but the result is even more wtf-ing. I think the story just got stuck in too many parts to make it believeable or have and sort of conclusion. 4/10

 

[TB]

Not surprisingly Gamebox 1.0 was... lame. Charlie is a video game tester. His girlfriend is shot by a cop. Charlie receives a virtual reality game system in the mail. The girlfriend is in the game as a love interest. Cop is the big bad guy. He supposed to bring a briefcase to some Professor that you never see. On the extreme off chance that anyone watches this movie, I won't give the ending away, but if this actually was a video game, on your second time through you'd be able to beat it faster than Super Mario Brothers.

Essentially it was a mishmash of TRON, The Matrix, and DOOM, but only the bad parts. The graphics looked like they came from 1982, and I would have thought the movie was as well except that there were so many XBOX's around I started to think it was a commercial. If you get hurt in the game, you get hurt for real? Gun cam? Either of those sound familiar?

I certainly hope that the 1.0 doesn't mean that they are intending to make a 2.0, or god forbid a 1.1.

Rating: 4/10 - Watchable, but not re-watchable or re-commended.

I should have just used the hour and a half and watched 2 episodes of Stargate Atlantis instead.

This ends the Lame Movie of the Week Report. Now back to you're previously schedules not complete crap movie. Good night.

 

[Joey D]

Wow someone actually watched Gamebox 1.0? Now I've heard of this movie but never had the desire to watch it because I figure it would be awful. I mean how awesome can something be when the main actors are some guy from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and that Topanga chick from Boy Meets World?

It might be one of those things though that it's so bad it's good in it's own awful way. Maybe I'll NetFlix it or something.

 

[TB]

The only reason I watched it is because it's on Hulu. I'm fairly confident that if I had seen it in the video store I would have just kept walking.

But if I had done that, who would warn you to steer clear of it?

It might be one of those things though that it's so bad it's good in it's own awful way.

Unfortunately it's not that bad, so no crazy drinking games.

 

[Joey D]

Oh that's disappointing. Horrible awesome movies are such a rare thing these days, they tend just to be bad enough to suck more than my Dyson.

 

[FoolKiller]

Revolutionary Road

So, it's a good, enjoyable movie, but nothing to have you talking about later. 6/10

Good movie, no story. I just couldn't bring myself to care.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, 2006)

Better than I thought it was going to be, but it still left me wondering what the point of the film was.

To re-start Stallone's career. One day Hollywood will realize that great old franchises can only make decent movies later on.



For my part: Netflix is now on my PS3, so expect a lot more of this kind of stuff.

Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus (1/10 for quality, 11/10 for unintentional hilarity)

I know, your initial reaction is that this has blockbuster written all over it. You see the title and talents from the likes of Deborah Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas and you think it is getting an Oscar. At a minimum it is getting a special effects award. I mean, if a hack like Return of the King can win then this is a shoe in. But unfortunately I am here to tell you that I have seen better on Sci-Fi SyFy's Saturday creature features.

But don't let that turn you away. The shark swims faster than a jetliner, and in fact snags one out of the air. For no reason whatsoever it later bites through the Golden Gate Bridge. During the fight scenes between the two creatures you see where budget cuts some in, particularly as it become painfully obvious the same effects shot was used repeatedly, just from different angles each time. Most noticeably was when it was just a horizontal flip of the scene. But most effects images of the two were very brief, out of focus, or even only partially on screen.

As for the acting: I am sure the script's quality didn't help any, but the lead actors go from awkward first kiss to crazy sex in the supply closet in about 10 seconds. But it plays an important part in the story. It is in that post-coital moment when they discuss how pheromones work and realize they can use that against the creatures to lure them. Two scientists...had to have sex...to realize that pheromones can be used to lure wild creatures. My uncle is a hunter and he could have told them that quicker than they had sex. But everything ignores that these are two previously thought to be extinct creatures, so I have no clue where they got the pheromones, or why it glowed like the ooze from TMNT.

Pretty much, if you want to have fun and laugh at a film, this is great, especially if you don't have to pay anything extra.

National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets (5/10)

Um, it was fun, but there isn't much else to say. Jon Voigt has been mailing in his performances for a long time now and Nicolas Cage is that actor that tries to be serious but you want to laugh at him all the time.

To sum up real quick, Ben Gates is presented with evidence from John Wilkes Booth's diary that implicates his great grandfather in Lincoln's assassination. So, a quest to clear his name ensues, and somehow leads them to the fabled city of gold. And in a way I still don't quite get, finding this city of gold clears his family's name. It confirms the main part of the story that was passed down through his family, but how they managed to prove that their story was more accurate than the one that accuses his great grandfather I have no clue. As a conspirator it seems he would have known about the treasure just as easily.

Anyway, popcorn flick with a mediocre story.

 

[Eric Demory]

We always watched the National Treasures at my school. Sucked. 2/10 for each.

EDIT: Because Disney can't make a good action movie. And can't believe they bought Marvel. Those idiots!

 

[Diego440]

EDIT: Because Disney can't make a good action movie.

I dunno man... The Rocketeer was pretty cool. As was Never Cry Wolf.

Now I really want to watch the mega shark one!

 

[FoolKiller]

EDIT: Because Disney can't make a good action movie. And can't believe they bought Marvel. Those idiots!

Careful, you may tread on some Pirates fans, or have someone point out that Disney owns other studios that do put out some very good films. Unfortunately most of those are too mature for someone your age, according to the MPAA.

Disney rarely puts out films rated above PG under the Disney label, so of course their action fair will suffer. Pirates only got a PG-13 after Bruckheimer told them he could make them money or have a bomb, and the decision rested on whether they were willing to accept a PG-13 on the Disney name.

And I am sure some of their animated films could be considered action films if they weren't immediately categorized as family.


Should I also point out that they also own ABC, which has had quite a few good action shows over the years?

 

[Diego440]

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008) -- Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb. Although it's a riveting, action and suspense packed movie, it's actually little more than a series of continuous sequences about this bomb-squad doing their job. There's little in the way of character development and in the end, it's just ANOTHER WAR MOVIE. This doesn't mean it's bad, but it also doesn't guarantee greatness. Never a dull moment, this mvie has this group of three squad members going from one suspensful bomb deactivation to the next, in which everyone is a possible enemy. There's some intense urban battles and sniper moments.

However, I'm reading the reviews and there's an obvious trend on US critics praising it, while non-US critics play it down as an average movie. Seriously. IMDb's US voters give it a 8.5 (enough to make it to the Top 250), but non-US voters don't rate it higher than a 7.5, making it to be nothing groundbreaking.

I try to keep my reviews as objective as possible regarding all kinds of movies unless they really are too bad. I liked this movie, but I think it was overhyped and overrated and at least 30 minutes too long. It's entertaining, but I consider it to be (as I said before) another war movie... fun, action packed ad with a bit of a message, but little more than that. 7/10