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

[Terronium-12]

I recall hearing that QoS was such a mess plot-wise because it was written during a writer's strike, and supposedly Craig himself had to write some of the script!

Oh it absolutely is, though I didn't know Craig wrote some of the script as a result of the writer's strike. The first viewing won't make much, if any, sense because the actual plot is...lost in translation. I think it establishes SPECTRE in this continuity but I honestly can't remember as it's been a while since I've seen QoS (stares at Blu-ray). The ending makes little to no sense and you'll most likely come out confused (as I did) and you won't be able to make sense of it until you ask questions (as I did ) or watch it again.

Come to think of it, do the later movies completely ignore Quantum? I'll honestly have to re-watch everything and see.

 

[Sprite]

So today I’ve rewatched…

The Matrix

However this time in 4K.

First up, I love this film, always have. I’ve owned it on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and now this. So how has this film aged? Pretty well, it changed cinema and quite a lot of peoples lives. Over the years it’s been imitated by other franchises with bits taken here and there. Despite its quite derivative story, they still managed to create an entertaining film which still doesn’t disappoint even on repeated viewings.

Film 9/10

How does the 4K Dolby Vision stack up? Really good, I mean it’s a stunner. All the none special effects shots are tack sharp and a contrast extravaganza but not at the expense of depth of shadows etc. When it gets bright… it gets super bright and this just adds to the whole aesthetic. They did change the green, and for some this maybe a step too far. They have toned down the colours quite a bit and levelled them out for more accurate skin tones, even myself who is colour blind could see the changes made.

Image 9/10

So last up is the Dolby Atmos soundtrack. I know I’m listening via a soundbar and not a dedicated system. Despite this I can hear a difference between the standard surround track and Atmos track. It digs deep and sound rich and full without drowning out the dialogue. Be aware if you pick up this disc, like most Warner Bro discs the Atmos isn’t the auto default and you have to go into the sound options on the menu to select it.

Audio 10/10

Overall this is a super duper transfer and if you’re a fan of the film and have the ability to do the disc justice then it has to be on your list.

 

[05XR8]

the little things 10/10

Denzel(and his daughter), Leto, Malek.

Clever film. Very old school thriller. Good story. Wowzer final scenes/ending.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

A Good Year - It was a good movie if you're looking for something lighthearted and some humor.

 

[05XR8]

Antlers. Has a few known actors in it. Guess they did it as a favour.
Indigenous myth comes to life, in a small mining town. Took to nearly the end to get to the point. 3/10

 

[Saidur_Ali]

So today I’ve rewatched…

View attachment 1098516

The Matrix

However this time in 4K.

First up, I love this film, always have. I’ve owned it on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and now this. So how has this film aged? Pretty well, it changed cinema and quite a lot of peoples lives. Over the years it’s been imitated by other franchises with bits taken here and there. Despite its quite derivative story, they still managed to create an entertaining film which still doesn’t disappoint even on repeated viewings.

Film 9/10

How does the 4K Dolby Vision stack up? Really good, I mean it’s a stunner. All the none special effects shots are tack sharp and a contrast extravaganza but not at the expense of depth of shadows etc. When it gets bright… it gets super bright and this just adds to the whole aesthetic. They did change the green, and for some this maybe a step too far. They have toned down the colours quite a bit and levelled them out for more accurate skin tones, even myself who is colour blind could see the changes made.

Image 9/10

So last up is the Dolby Atmos soundtrack. I know I’m listening via a soundbar and not a dedicated system. Despite this I can hear a difference between the standard surround track and Atmos track. It digs deep and sound rich and full without drowning out the dialogue. Be aware if you pick up this disc, like most Warner Bro discs the Atmos isn’t the auto default and you have to go into the sound options on the menu to select it.

Audio 10/10

Overall this is a super duper transfer and if you’re a fan of the film and have the ability to do the disc justice then it has to be on your list.

Used to have the VHS. My younger brother used to watch it so many times, that every weekend at one point became The Matrix weekend . Highest quality version I've seen it is probably on digital TV so might watch them again before the new one. It's been so long, looking forward to it. It's good to see physical media still being a thing. I don't think I have ever watched a movie on Blu-ray yet somehow.

 

[MIE1992]

Saw that popular Senna documentary that was released in 2010 or so - albeit on Amazon Prime Video rather than Netflix. Very interesting choice to entirely use primary sources, like the constant use of footage/audio from the time. To be frank, even after seeing this documentary, I'm still a bit confused on why Senna is so popular. The guy himself seemed like a slightly reckless womanizer, but also did indeed seem to put his fame to good use in philanthropy. I inferred that his popularity was due to some social-political issues within Brazil in the 1980s, when Senna was perceived to be only good thing about Brazil. (Never mind Fittipaldi and other contributions, like the bossa nova music genre.) It would seem that even Prost has won more GPs than Senna, so I don't understand why Senna is almost a household name compared to Prost. Maybe it was Senna's skills in the rain, which was something I did indeed find myself impressed by, especially that initial race at Monaco where he wasn't even driving for McLaren-Honda yet. Maybe it's more than just total race wins, pole positions, and title wins.

Perhaps it really is about personality, the humanity - much like how it's said that personalities like Jeff Gordon were responsible for NASCAR's peak in popularity in the late 90s/early 00s.

Anyway, I still found it entertaining, especially the historical footage of both the racing and the interviews with Senna. Too bad that the message at the end is now tragically outdated, what with what happened to Jules.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Watched the Suicide Squad, it was bad, not so good CG, terrible acting and scenario. Wasted a bit of time but oh well.

I also saw Mortal Kombat which wasnt too bad actually for once, story was decent, we had fatality and proper lore, I enjoyed that one, it's not a masterpiece but it was entertaining.

 

[MIE1992]

Recently saw the first three Matrix movies for the first time. Not sure if I mentioned seeing the first one ITT previously, but I thought it was the best one, as it's full of iconic shots and lines of dialogue, as well as still being relevant to our times - for better and for worse. Despite the first three movies being called a "trilogy," I would personally consider Reloaded and Revolutions two parts of a longer, singular sequel, as I've read that both were filmed back-to-back and released mere months from each other. While I wouldn't call Reloaded and Revolutions as good as the first one, there's still a lot to like in the sequels, especially in regards to the world-building.

The Matrix: 9.5/10. An icon that retains highly recommendable and relevant, even over 22 years later.
The Matrix Reloaded + The Matrix Revolutions: 8/10, collectively. A nice way to flesh out the world that the first movie was set in.

And before you ask, I do indeed plan to stream Resurrections before it leaves HBO Max.

 

[05XR8]

Recently saw the first three Matrix movies for the first time. Not sure if I mentioned seeing the first one ITT previously, but I thought it was the best one, as it's full of iconic shots and lines of dialogue, as well as still being relevant to our times - for better and for worse. Despite the first three movies being called a "trilogy," I would personally consider Reloaded and Revolutions two parts of a longer, singular sequel, as I've read that both were filmed back-to-back and released mere months from each other. While I wouldn't call Reloaded and Revolutions as good as the first one, there's still a lot to like in the sequels, especially in regards to the world-building.

The Matrix: 9.5/10. An icon that retains highly recommendable and relevant, even over 22 years later.
The Matrix Reloaded + The Matrix Revolutions: 8/10, collectively. A nice way to flesh out the world that the first movie was set in.

And before you ask, I do indeed plan to stream Resurrections before it leaves HBO Max.

If you get the chance, check The Animatrix as well. Shows the visual of what Morpheus explained how the matrix came about.

 

[MIE1992]

If you get the chance, check The Animatrix as well. Shows the visual of what Morpheus explained how the matrix came about.

Yeah, I heard Takeshi Koike worked on part of it, before he directed Redline.

 

[Sprite]

Rewatched Disney - Pixar’s “Soul”

I watched this at release and really enjoyed it. So much so I picked up the 4K Blu-ray.

Film 9/10

This film is fantastic, funny and touching with a great soundtrack and story. It doesn’t hit you in the feels like “Toy Story 4” did or “The Good Dinosaur”. But it’s journey has some great moments and I felt attached to Joe ‘Teach’ Gardner & 22. Of you haven’t seen it yet, highly recommended for Pixar and animation fans.

Image 10/10

This film on 4K is a stunner from start to finish. It’s vivid and colourful when in the spiritual realm yet super natural when on earth. Fine detail is off the scale and Pixar’s animation is second to none.

Images taken by my iPhone so not even close to how good this looks.

 

[fernandito]

Matrix Resurrections.

No further commentary requiered.

 

[05XR8]

Mother/Android - Netflix

Should have a different title. Was watchable.
I Robot meets Children of Men. Kinda.

 

[MIE1992]

Matrix Resurrections.

No further commentary requiered.

I just saw it myself, after seeing the initial trilogy. It felt like there was an unusually large amount of exposition, insofar that even my dad kept falling asleep. Easily the weakest Matrix film of the now-current four. 5/10, tops.

 

[fernandito]

I just saw it myself, after seeing the initial trilogy. It felt like there was an unusually large amount of exposition, insofar that even my dad kept falling asleep. Easily the weakest Matrix film of the now-current four. 5/10, tops.

The film has some cool things (just to watch once) when it comes to the real world, like Io, programs that can manifest in reality, the ally machines, the scene when they try to unplug trinity without killing her (the imagery of the pod and those colour, how they hack her connection, etc), and well that would be all.

Trailers already warned us imo. We kinda knew it wasn't going to be a good movie like the originals when we saw Neo with the duck over the head and stuff like that. I also hate his John Wick look so much in a Matrix movie.

Overall is a very stupid movie. Was Lana trying to mock todays Hollywod or something?, heck, don't use the matrix franchise then for that job, as it obviously fired backwards eventually.

What I will never understand was people's criticism toward the two original sequels back in the two thousands. I actually liked Revolutions much more than the original, and imo people went too far in their criticism wih Reloaded and this one.

Oracle's "trick" on Smith in order to defeat him later (after Neo screwed it up for not entering the source in the arquitect's room) is one of the greatest things I've ever seen in any movie. Neo was connected to the source in the city by that huge machine, and in Realoded she explains that when a program knows it will be deleted it has two options, hidding (like she and the exiled and thousands of other programs do), or return to the source to be deleted. That's what happens with Smith. When Neo, who again is now connected to the source, eventually figures that this Smith is the Oracle indeed, and so allows him to be copied over, then the machines were finally able to delete him (and all copies), for then re-insert Neo's code into the matrix and reload the new version, which was the seventh I think.

Another thing that people didn't get about the Oracle-Smith and why he overpowered Neo. The Oracle was actually the most powerful program in the Matrix, not Neo. However, she was not combat oriented. And when Smith, a combat oriented program copies itself over her, he gains all that power too, not just the ability to foresee stuff, which is where the oracle "tricks" him, by first allowing herself to be copied over so he can gain that power.

One of the greatest deceptive tactics I've ever seen in movies. It was also of great detail how tactfully and with maximum care the machine that carries Neo's body handles it, in clear respect for what he achieved, saving not only all humans connected to the matrix but also the machines.

And what about Sion's siege. Man by that time I was wanting to see it from the beginning, or at least when In reloaded is made clear that the machines were coming. It was great.

Revolutions still is to me one of the greatest movies ever.

 

[05XR8]

Eternals. 👎

 

[JKgo]

Eternals:

Ooookay, so. Eternals, it is.

While watching this, I constantly had this feeling that something's not quite right with it, but couldn't tell what that was. Maybe it was the bloated runtime? Or the half-baked romances? Too many characters and too little room to manoeuvre? Far too many expositions and humour that didn't land?

Actually, it was the combination of all of the above. Don't get me wrong, certain things in this movie were genuinely breathtaking but they were simply not enough to save this film from mediocrity. So much so that I actually couldn't wait to the see the now-infamous Marvel third act shenanigans (the Big Fight against CGI monsters) since that might alleviate the discomfort I felt.

The acting was uneven, the script strangely stilted, and early on in the movie, the editing was so choppy that I thought it was done by an amateur. The costumes looked underwhelming, and the CGI... passable in some places, a bit wonky in others.

Probably one of the weakest Marvel movies I've seen in a long time. And that's including Iron Man 2, Black Widow, Thor 2, etc...

3.5/10

Also, not a movie, but...

Only saw the first episode but it still managed to lose me. The humour was there, John Cena was super-effective as the main lead and... it meandered without direction like nobody's business. I get that it's the first episode and the world building needs to take place, but uh, shouldn't the central mystery be established first to hook the viewers in? Isn't that the job of the first episode of any limited-run TV shows?

I'll try to catch the second episode and see if I want to continue with it.

 

[05XR8]

Eternals:


View attachment 1106958

Ooookay, so. Eternals, it is.

While watching this, I constantly had this feeling that something's not quite right with it, but couldn't tell what that was. Maybe it was the bloated runtime? Or the half-baked romances? Too many characters and too little room to manoeuvre? Far too many expositions and humour that didn't land?

Actually, it was the combination of all of the above. Don't get me wrong, certain things in this movie were genuinely breathtaking but they were simply not enough to save this film from mediocrity. So much so that I actually couldn't wait to the see the now-infamous Marvel third act shenanigans (the Big Fight against CGI monsters) since that might alleviate the discomfort I felt.

The acting was uneven, the script strangely stilted, and early on in the movie, the editing was so choppy that I thought it was done by an amateur. The costumes looked underwhelming, and the CGI... passable in some places, a bit wonky in others.

Probably one of the weakest Marvel movies I've seen in a long time. And that's including Iron Man 2, Black Widow, Thor 2, etc...

3.5/10

Also, not a movie, but...

View attachment 1106960

Only saw the first episode but it still managed to lose me. The humour was there, John Cena was super-effective as the main lead and... it meandered without direction like nobody's business. I get that it's the first episode and the world building needs to take place, but uh, shouldn't the central mystery be established first to hook the viewers in? Isn't that the job of the first episode of any limited-run TV shows?

I'll try to catch the second episode and see if I want to continue with it.

That was my thumbs down for Eternals. The script did not utilise those actors' talent.

Peacemaker, for me, is doing better than Boba Fett.

 

[Sprite]

Dune 2021 - Part 1 UHD Blu-ray
​

Movie 9/10

This will be the second time watching this film. For me it gets better with each watch. The runtime flies by and before you know it the credits are rolling and you’re longing for Part 2. The cast, the script, the direction and photography all too notch. It’s hard to watch this film without comparing it to Lynch’s vision, as despite all it fails at I enjoyed that film too. Both do a good job of being visually striking but Denis just has a more grounded and solidified idea of what should be on screen.

Overall I love this film, so why on a 9? Well it’s Part 1 and it feels like an unfinished story (because it is) but the ending didn’t quite land well for me.

4K Picture 10/10

The image on offer here is outstanding and filmic. Everything visual on offer is impeccable, add to that the Dolby Vision HDR and it’s a beaut. Denis and his DP chose to film digitally and then print out to film and then rescan for the final image. Because of this you don’t get that ultra tack sharp image associated with digital but rather has a smooth but crisp clean look with that edge of film like grain and quality. If you’ve seen Blade Runner 2049 on UHD then you’ll know what you’re in for.

Sound 10/10

Last bit of the puzzle, the sound on offer from this disc is bombastic and delicate. I’m judging it based on the Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Music & Sound effects all offer something quite spectacular all without hindering the voices. Couple this with the visuals and it’s a feast for all your senses.

 

[05XR8]

Gold. aka "Lord of the flies II" 3/10

The fact my wife grabbed the remote and began fast forwarding through most of the movie, says a lot.

From the trailer, I mistook Zak Efron from Jared Leto. Anyway, The amount of flies Efron endured for length of the film, he still won't get an award for this one.
Takes place in the near future and mining is promoted as meane to change ones fortune.

It's nearly Mad Max meets Castaway.

Started off fine and then drifts in the remaining hour, of the one hour thirty minute run time. Last ten minutes is what we suspected after we fast forwarded through most scenes.

Watch at your own risk.

 

[05XR8]

Everything was fine until, this at the end:

 

[MIE1992]

I saw The King's Man last night. While I admittedly thought it was neat how the movie intertwined real-world events with the fictional ones, I still think 1917 was better. 6/10.

 

[JKgo]

Usually, I try to find posters for movies I'm about to review, but not this time.

Saw Rampage, The Purge: Election Year (2016) and Shane Black's The Predator (2018).

Aaaand...

Rampage was probably the best out of the three, but not by much. It's too violent for kids but too immature for adults. Maybe teens might get a kick out of all the... fun nonsense going on in it.

The Purge: Election Year was not good. Felt like I was watching a direct-to-video Blockbuster rental. Set pieces were underwhelming and cheap, acting was a bit ropey besides Frank Grilllo's (he's his usual reliable self) and the overall direction couldn't escape its low budget. It was as if the movie was made by someone people not familiar with how to shoot an action thriller.

As for The Predator, it wasn't as bad as the Internet made it out to be, but it's not that great, either. I admit, there was a couple of moments that made me chuckle - Shane Black's movies usually have a lot of quotable moments, after all - but other than that... The designs of Predators and their ships were cool, so there's that, I guess.

 

[Sprite]

Top Gun - 4K

Film - 8/10

Some excellent film making here with a cheesy love story and some brilliant homoerotic macho nonsense. It’s also a film of its time and has that iconic soundtrack. But what you really want to watch it for are the Jets and fantastic Californian sunsets. However it can be a cheese fest and that can take its toll.

Image - 9/10 - Dolby Vision

4K strikes again with another fine transfer. I don’t know much about the scan but it’s certainly a looker, the hues of sunsets and skies look lovely. There are loads of shots full of detail but quite a few soft ones too, including some really odd ones where characters are stood still so focus should be easy and consistent. The jet scenes don’t look the greatest, however given the difficulties faced filming them it’s understandable.

Sound - 10/10 - Dolby Atmos

Well this disc sounds insane. The rip and roar from the Jets and the sound track are bombastic and satisfying. All this and the vocals are balanced and not drowned out even in the Jet scenes.

 

[Sprite]

Stand By Me - 4K

Film 10/10

I grew up with this film and have bought every physical version released apart from Laserdisc (so thankful I didn’t fall down that rabbit hole). So knowing every line annoys the missus when we watch together. Some of the phrases even crept into my everyday life. If I ever feel down or just having a bad day then this film just set me back on the correct path again.

Image 9/10 - HDR 10

Sony have done a stellar job on this and I’m so happy they haven’t tried to tamper with the grain etc. Despite the films soft look the detail remains and shines through on a regular basis. Colours remain on point and the contrast compared to the DVD & BD are far superior.

Sound 5/10 - Dolby Atmos

I have to admit I was a little disappointed at first, it sounded flat and not particularly different compared to the BD, however after finishing the film I realised it’s less about the poor sound but what can you really add to a standard drama type film in the way of interesting sound… well nothing really, all the additions will be subtle. One thing which did stand out was the campfire scene, the sound from the fire was just crackling left and right and was a very odd sensation.

Overall it’s not a soundtrack that will light up your speakers but does the job admirably.

 

[TB]

@Sprite - I've never seen Stand By Me. Sounds like I should remedy that.

Edit: downloading on Netflix for my next flight. 👍

 

[Sprite]

@Sprite - I've never seen Stand By Me. Sounds like I should remedy that.

Edit: downloading on Netflix for my next flight. 👍

From what I know, it’s the only film Stephen King has been proud of based around one of his books.

It’s in the top of my all time favourite films too.

 

[Sprite]

Robocop - 1987 - Arrow 4K Directors Cut

Dolby Vision HDR & Dolby Atmos

Movie - 9 / 10

If you’ve never seen Robocop from 1987 (not the new really terrible remake) then what rock have you been under? Get yourself to a store and rent the VHS. Packed full of over the top violence and quirky humour but has a lot to say, Robocop is an 80s movie through and through. Practical effects are fantastic and for me trump a hell of a lot of the CGI rubbish of today, some great acting in terms of the cheese but not over doing it, fantastic one liners.

Image - 8 / 10

While the transfer here isn’t going to set your world on fire with its clarity, this is not down to a poor scan or post processing issues, not it’s just due to the film they had to work with. Soft shots all over the place and the scenes from the TV news, shows and advertisements are all horrific and are a product of their low resolution.

Grain haters need not worry either as the grain on show here, while in full force, isn’t over bearing and never takes away from the image. While there are soft shots there are quite a few lovely, sharp and very filmic shots. The brighter scenes certainly benefit in that regard. HDR in Dolby Vision is what makes this release head and shoulders above the regular Blu-ray. Everything is contrast heaven but never too dark and the highlights are spot on. Colours really pop too despite its being a more realistic and dull film.

Sound - 9 / 10

Sound for these discs comes in various flavours. Lossless 2.0, 4.0 DTS-MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos 7.1.

I chose to watch my first play through in Dolby Atmos as that tends to sound the best from the soundbar. Boy was I not disappointed. It’s loud and bombastic but everything is in equal measure so nothing was fighting for audio space. There was one scene (Coke factory) when Robocop is banging on the door trying to break it down and the sound had a weird doppler effect to it. Now I’m not sure if this is inherent across all the audio formats but weird anyway. I have to give it to Arrow & MGM for providing all the various sound formats.

Overall 9 / 10

The special / deluxe edition I picked up is a really nice package and comes with all sorts of tat. But the discs, 1 for Theatrical and 1 for Directors Cut are packed full extras for the super fan to get stuck into.​

 

[Com Fox]

Watched - Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

I really enjoyed myself with this one. First one exceeded my admittedly low expectations so going into this one they were a little bit higher.

This movie does fall into the sequel trap of focusing on lore over the characters for a bit but it does go back to having a funny time with the characters (slightly altered it from the games too but was likely due to time constraints). They tried to reach out to different humour, even crude humour but it was never bad and I laughed at quite a few moments especially the final battle. Likely wasn't intentional but it felt like a mockery of the final battle of The Legend of Korra.

Tails is pretty much the same as the early OG and Adventure games, which is good as Lost World and Forces really did him dirty so I'm glad they went further back for inspiration and was why Tails is my favourite Sonic character in the first place. Knuckles is interesting they combined his massively different personalities from the Games (angry brute who is very serious about his goals) and from Sonic Boom (dumb****, lovable brute. often used for funny jokes). However I because of this, Knuckles becomes the funniest character in the movie and the final bit of the movie was definitely where he was memorable in humour.

Human characters were surprisingly decent here, I figured I would be bored out of my mind when they come on but it fits pretty well and was enjoying myself.

Just like the 1st one, the Movie struggles in having a message to take home. If you ask me, they should stop trying to have a message. You don't need one for a good movie and you can hinder the movie for doing a bad job of it.

Overall, I'd give it an 8.5/10