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

[CAMAROBOY69]

Battle Los Angeles
Watched this in the theater and it was excellent. Action packed from beginning to end. Reminded me a LOT of Independence Day in a good way.

Faster
This could be one of the worst movies Dwayne Johnson has been in. Not a good movie at all.

 

[Sting]

The Resident
Biggest load of trash I ever paid money to see. I don't recommend it. Basically a film about a guy who pervs on Hillary Swank.

Of Note: I perked up a little when I saw Star Trek DS9's Major Kira in it for a scene, but that was about it.

 

[Northstar]

Pandorum (2009)

Had potential, but fell flat. They really never went in depth explaining anything that was happening so you really were lost most of the movie. There were a few things that they did explain a little, but it was brief and not very in-depth. This really felt like a bad sequel, only it's not a sequel. Another short coming is the characters, they are pretty much emotionless the whole way through*. I realize it's not exactly a story type movie, but at least go into why/how certain things are happening if you go out of your way to make them seem important.

-5/10

*

Spoiler

I would really expect the guy to at least have some emotion upon discovering that the earth blew up along with his wife or that the ship wasn't planned to make a return trip.

 

[D_B_Coop]

I watched From Paris With Love last night and it was one of the worse movies i've ever seen. It has good fighting/shootoff choreography, but that's pretty much all it has going for it.

 

[Diego440]

Der Himmel über Berlin (a.k.a. Wings of Desire) (Wim Wenders, 1987) -- Two angels observe Berlin and though they cannot change the lives of others or let themselves be seen, they can only feel the desire to live and feel. This desire to be a part of mortal life is so big that one of them is willing to sacrifice his immortality for it. Aside from this being a declaration of love to all humanity, the movie also works as a challenge towards the realities of Eastern Germany during the 80s.

The cinematography by Henri Alekan shows the angel's viewpoint in sepia and sometimes black and white, while the human view is in color, which is also a very characteristic thing of overall cinematography of the late 80s. In general, it's an awesome movie that earned Wenders many awards in and out of Europe, made even greater thanks to the flop of the American remake made in 1998 called City of Angels, starring Meg Ryan and Nick Cage. 8.5/10

 

[TheCracker]

Skyline

No, not GT5 the movie.

New York couple go visit successful friend now located in (Long Beach?) L.A. They wake one night to strange blue lights shining through the windows and discover aliens invading Earth, once again. Film is shot entirely within friends penthouse apartment and the block it's situated in, which gives the impression of it being a low-budget production. The special effects are pretty seamless, but that's to be expected these days, even for low-budget stuff.

It's such a derivative film. Take away the bits blatantly stolen from Independence Day, War of the Worlds, District 9 and Cloverfield and you're left with poor acting and dire dialogue writing. Nothing you haven't seen much better before 3/10

 

[Touring Mars]

Skyline

No, not GT5 the movie.

I saw this last night:

Had heard great things about this, and I've always been a fan of Chris Morris. It was about as funny as I had expected, and it is certainly works as a comedy... but that's pretty much where it ends. Some of the humour falls a bit flat, simply because it is just too silly - and as an attempt to be anything more than a slapstick comedy, it didn't do much, if anything, for me. 6/10

 

[TheCracker]

I saw this last night:

Had heard great things about this, and I've always been a fan of Chris Morris. It was about as funny as I had expected, and it is certainly works as a comedy... but that's pretty much where it ends. Some of the humour falls a bit flat, simply because it is just too silly - and as an attempt to be anything more than a slapstick comedy, it didn't do much, if anything, for me. 6/10

Watched it the other week. As a fan of Chris Morris i also expected it to be better. It did have some very funny moments, but for some reason they didn't quite manage to pull it together as a coherent film.

I'd give it maybe a 6.5/10. The extra half point for the familiar locations (filmed in Sheffield) Especially the field where Brother Crow blew up, since i walk my dogs in that very field most days. It's about 200 yards from where i live

 

[BrutherSuperior]

The Book of Eli

-Not exactly a new movie, but if you haven't seen it...you need to. Easily one of the best movies I've seen in years and I'm not big fan of the post apocalyptic stuff. Do yourself a favor and do not read about the movie, look at reviews, or ask anyone about it. Just watch it.

I heard about the movie, didn't remember too much about it (if anything at all), and decided to watch it anyway. Best decision I could have possibly made. If I researched the movie or stumbled across the plot...it would have ruined it.

....

True Grit (remake)

Awesome flick with plenty of action. Borderline dark comedy with outstanding acting sans Matt Damon. I'm not a huge fan of westerns, this one sparked my interest and was worth every penny.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Yes I agree The Book Of Eli was surprisingly good. I watched that recently but not sure if I posted in this thread. It reminded me a lot of the game Fallout 3.

 

[Diego440]

Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, 1981) -- The true story of two British track athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics. One is a devout Scottish missionary who runs for God, the other is a Jewish student at Cambridge who runs for fame and to escape prejudice. Though I'd never before seen the movie, I've always been a fan of the soundtrack by Vangelis, though now that I've seen it, I have to say I found it to be a bit intrusive at times. With that said, it's definitely the type of movie you'd expect to be filled with Oscar nominations, not because it's excellent, but because it has all those cues that traditional Oscar winners have: true story, great acting, glorious climax, personal growth and so much more. Fortunately, it's a very entertaining and educational film that is beautifully told and the direction really conveys the essence of the story. The type of movie that makes me rethink my values the 80s brought to filmdom. 8.5/10

 

[Callum B]

Battle Los Angeles, I don't care what the reviewers said, it was BRILLIANT there were explosions and guns everywhere! And isn't that what really matters in this movie

 

[Crash]

Dust to Glory (2005)

This is a movie about the 2003 Baja 1000 race. It talks a little bit about the history of the race, the allure of it, and the competition in it, from the buggies to trophy trucks to the the motorcycles. At the same time, the movie chronicles the 2003 race. Overall, it was a decent movie, and had good interviews and stories, but it didn't have the overall quality feel and as deep of a story as in Truth in 24.

 

[Diego440]

Sling Blade (Billy Bob Thornton, 1996) -- Karl Childers, a simple man hospitalized since his childhood murder of his mother and her lover, is released to start a new life in a small town. I saw this movie for a film class back when I was in college and thought it was pretty good, but this time I think it's so much better, it's the perfect example of how a movie should be made. Though I've never really liked Thornton much, his writing, acting and directing in this movie are flawless. It's one of the most unconventional hero stories around, who changes the lives of the people around him during his short stay and the movie itself feels so attainable and doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. It's a humble and simple story that really reaches in. 9/10



In the Heat of The Night (Norman Jewison, 1967) -- A black detective is asked to investigate a murder in a racist southern town. The movie is a very well made matching of characters who are competely different, yet are forced to work together, though at the time the topic wasn't softened as much as it is now, where the characters become best friends. Dialogues are awesomely written and the overall mystery of the movie really had me wondering for some time where would it all end. It's equally amazing that this movie was set against classics like Bonnie & Clyde and The Graduate at the Oscars, and yet it prevailed though it's charged with racial slurs and intolerance, though the artistry of it makes it timeless. 8.5/10

 

[Touring Mars]

Happy Go Lucky (Mike Leigh)

Typical 'real-life' story from Mike Leigh, almost as good as 'Life Is Sweet' and very much along similar lines. Probably not to everyone's tastes, as it is a fairly undramatic look at a few weeks in the life of an overly cheerful girl living in London, and learning how to drive... but, there are some great moments of very well observed humour, and poignancy. Performances from Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marsen (as her angry-with-life driving instructor) are both top notch. 8/10

Waltz With Bashir

Brilliant animated film/documentary about the recollections of Israeli troops after the massacres at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon in 1982. The animation is incredible, and the story of how the soldiers retrieve and come to terms with their memories is fascinating - although not without controversy. Some say the film paints the Israelis in a far too positive light, and the film certainly seems to suggest that the Israeli soldiers knew little of what they were involved in - but nevertheless, it's a superb and thought-provoking film on many levels. Certainly not Saturday-night entertainment, but I watched it after a recommendation from a friend, and I wasn't disappointed. 9/10

 

[Lain]

Just watched Evangelion 2.22

Not my first time watching it, but it felt like a whole different experience watching it dubbed. Freaking awesome... they need to hurry and finish the next movie.

 

[poolhaas]

Waltz With Bashir

Brilliant animated film/documentary about the recollections of Israeli troops after the massacres at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon in 1982. The animation is incredible, and the story of how the soldiers retrieve and come to terms with their memories is fascinating - although not without controversy. Some say the film paints the Israelis in a far too positive light, and the film certainly seems to suggest that the Israeli soldiers knew little of what they were involved in - but nevertheless, it's a superb and thought-provoking film on many levels. Certainly not Saturday-night entertainment, but I watched it after a recommendation from a friend, and I wasn't disappointed. 9/10

This movie surprised me, i didn't expect it to be this good.
I watched it a couple of times already, a must see

 

[Omnis]

Just saw Black Swan. It was fantastic.

 

[D_B_Coop]

Yes I agree The Book Of Eli was surprisingly good. I watched that recently but not sure if I posted in this thread. It reminded me a lot of the game Fallout 3.

I thought it was a great movie, but the ending was terrible in my opinion. It's like they got happy the script was almost done with and hurried up to finish.

 

[Diego440]

Vivre Sa Vie: Film en Douze Tableaux (Jean-Luc Godard, 1962) -- Godard once again explores life with quite a fatalistic outcome in this tale of a Parisian woman's descent into prostitution, in a series of 12 "tableaux"-- scenes which are basically unconnected episodes, each presented with a worded introduction. Without a doubt one of my favorite movies by himi, though it lacks the usual jazzy scenes and music so characteristic of other awesome movies by Godard such as A Bout de Soufflé or Pierrot Le Fou, though it's also less political, but it has a softness and depth that are just amazing. The seemingly disparate scenes make the whole movie a great blend of poetry, melodrama, documentary and cinema verité, showing the character to be both faces of the same coin: a sweet, beautiful woman and at the same time ordinary, vulnerable and banal. If you're new to Godard, start with this. 7.5/10



Yi Yi (a.k.a. A One and A Two) (Edward Yang, 2000) -- Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries. NJ is morose: his brother owes him money, his mother is in a coma, his wife suffers a spiritual crisis when she finds her life a blank, his business partners make bad decisions against his advice, and he reconnects with his first love 30 years after he dumped her. His teenage daughter Ting-Ting watches emotions roil in their neighbors' flat and is experiencing the first stirrings of love. The movie seems a bit of a pointless existential drama at times, but it's only because there's so many lives and so many circumstances going on within the movie, that it's hard to see what's it got to do with the bigger picture. Admittedly, for soem time I was a bit skeptical wether I wanted to find out, especially with a runtime of 173 minutes, but the truth is that Yi Yi is a strong and captivating movie that aside from the great acting, it has some very respectable cinematography and some of the camera shots really had me thinking I was watching at some experimental thing. The director's technique of filming a lot through windows and at wide angles gives it an almost voyeuristic feel, but this doesn't alienate the viewer, instead it gives the feeling you're watching real lives unfold, and doing so the movie manages to have a healthy balance of humor, sensitivity and emotion, without being too cliche. Quite an absorbing movie that I enjoyed a lot. 8/10

 

[Diego440]

Week End (Jean-Luc Godard, 1967) -- A supposedly idyllic weekend trip to the countryside turns into a never-ending nightmare of traffic jams, revolution, cannibalism and murder as French bourgeois society starts to collapse under the weight of its own consumer preoccupations. Being a Godard fan, I was ready to lke this movie and honestly, the first 45 minutes were awesome. The very long tracking shots with the innumerable cars and variety of circumstances which the charecters go through had me ready to give this movie at least a 9. But the art-house factor of the movie was too big a burden for it and about 30 minutes from the end it took a dramatic turn into oddity. I guess the message gets too political for a movie that though starts out wuite as a criticism of modern society, the mood of the movie is also quite jovial and it gets too serious. 6/10

 

[MilesPrower32]

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
It was really cool!

 

[Joel]

Inglourious Basterds- Watched it again last night, and it's just a fantastic movie. Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa is a performance for the ages. Every time he's on the screen, you just know it. He's funny, witty, charming, cunning, intelligent, it's just all around an incredible performance and it really brings out the best in the other supporting actors. The beginning of the movie with M. LaPadite, switching to English so the jews under the floor can't understand him, the shoe of Bridget Von Hammersmark, the character is just magnificently done by Waltz. Pitt's performance was also quite good, and I just feel that the acting in the movie on the whole was just magnificent.


The plot was great, perhaps a few scenes drag on a tad too long, but it's a fantastic film. It's really the complete opposite of what the commercials portrayed it as. The commercials made it seem like it was just going to be Pitt and co. "Killin' Naht-sees", but that's actually a relatively small part of the film. I don't know why I like it so much, but there's just something about the film that's really infectious and makes it easy to love.

9.5/10

 

[DK]

^ I'm pretty sure it's the whole premise of Jews killing Nazis that attracts so many (including myself). The tagline is the bait, but the awesome plot and excellent characters just keep you sucked in.

 

[Joel]

^ I'm pretty sure it's the whole premise of Jews killing Nazis that attracts so many (including myself). The tagline is the bait, but the awesome plot and excellent characters just keep you sucked in.

I think for me it was just the entire presentation of the movie. Using modern music and old western music in a film set in WWII Europe creates an interesting atmosphere. I want to reiterate that I think it's Waltz and Pitt's perfomances that really elevate it from being a good film to a really great one.

 

[MercilessOne]

I just saw Return of the Jedi for like the billionth time.

 

[Diego440]

Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus (Jack Perez, 2009) -- I usually like to make longer reviews for the movies that have really moved me. This one is a great example of those kinds of movies, although I guess it's quite obvious a movie that moves me doesn't necessarily have to be good, and this one just isn't. This movie is really something else, mostly because at no point does it seem to attempt to be good.

First off, it comes as no surprise that this movie is made by the producing company called The Asylum, which is basically a crap producer who's primary function is to just make blatant cheap copies of commercial succesive movies in an attempt to feed off them. Because of this, we can see their list of movies made in the last few years with such funny and copycat titles as Transmorphers, Alien vs. Hunter, The Terminators, Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse, Titanic 2 and a spin-off from Sherlock Holmes who's name escapes me, but the trailer made me cringe. Subtlety is undoubtedly not this producers strong point.

What does characterize movies made by The Asylum is the "originality" of their productions, their catastrophy franchises and monsters with amazing special "defects" that go beyond any understandable measure. Their biggest sucess is this jewel called Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, even having a Bluray version of it. Starred by Deborah Gibson (otherwise known as ceeshy 80s Debbie Gibson) and Lorenzo Lamas, who is frankly the only actor for these types of movies, this is the type of movie you'll want to watch with a few friends over and/or a bottle of strong liquor.

The movie jumps straight to a scene where a prehistoric shark and monstrous octopus are unfrozen after a military test that has no reason to exist, nor is it given. It really doesn't matter. So by the 2nd minute of the movie we already have a couple of monsters set loose and by minute 15 the strongest scene comes when the giant shark eats, not a transatlantic ship, not a beachful of tourists, none of that. The shark eats a 747 jumbo jet... in mid flight! It's quite tragic that the producers wished to compensate the presence of such stars of filmdom and by doing so, didn't show us more scenes like this one, which would in turn, make Mega Shark an instant classic. But some moments, like the final pursuit and the fight between the octopus and the shark maintain the same surprise factor.

It's actually surprising that The Asylum never foresaw the success Mega Shark would have, to the point that SyFy went and made a TV series based on this success and also willing to bank on it, with the creation of Sharktopus. I sure hope it's able to maintain the same lever of excellence this movie got. 0/10

 

[35mm]

I just saw The Fighter. What a fantastic movie and what a performance by both Mark Wahlberg and Bale.

Simply loved it.

 

[TheCracker]

Monsters - Low budget sci-fi in a similar mold to District 9. Space probe returning to earth crash lands in rural Mexico. Giant alien lifeforms begin to appear and the US and Mexican military struggle to keep a huge chunk of Mexico under quarantine. A US newspaper photographer, situated in Mexico is ordered by his boss to escort his daughter back to the US. The film documents the couple's struggle to cross the infected zone and get back to home soil. The guerilla style on-the-hop camera work never distracts from the action and the special effects are impressive and largely flawless, belying the ultra low-budget nature of this production. The acting is generally good, but the chemistry between the two main characters, who are an item in real life, is a little bit too familiar for a couple who've supposedly just met. 7.5/10




The Social Network - I was never that bothered about watching this film despite the good reviews it received, but there was an offer on at Blockbusters when i rented the above film, which ment i could choose another to rent for next to nothing.

Jesse Eisenberg plays himself as the founder of Facebook, and apart from some unconvincing and slightly odd face pulling, does a good job of playing the part of a typical socially awkward geek genius. The film covers the story of how Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook and the ups and downs of how it became such a success. For such a potentially dull subject, the story moves along at a pace that never lets you get bored. 8/10

 

[FoolKiller]

The shark eats a 747 jumbo jet... in mid flight! It's quite tragic that the producers wished to compensate the presence of such stars of filmdom and by doing so, didn't show us more scenes like this one, which would in turn, make Mega Shark an instant classic.

Infographic on the physics required to pull this off. http://staubman.com/blog/?p=67

I think what won the writing over for me was that the scientists had to have sex and then in post-coital cuddling/geek talking about how sex works remembered that pheromones can be used to attract animals. Having a scientist just know that would be too easy.