Lord of the Movies: The Return of the Review Thread

[Reply #200 on:]

The Muffin Man!?!?

Yay!   
Cool, I'll try drag somebody to see it when it comes out.

[Reply #201 on:]

Stuff I rented tonight:

Knight's Tale

Not bad.  Not especially good, either, but I enjoyed it as it was, a mindless action flick set in medieval times.  The modern soundtrack was unique, if not especially mind-blowing, but all in all, it was a fun bit of fluff.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The special effects were mind-blowing.  Mind-blowingly bad, that is.  I've seen movies from the 70's that have looked better.  The rest of the movie sucked, too.

[Reply #202 on:]

FazeShift: It's been out for some time. Actually, it just passed Finding Nemo[which recently passed Lion King] to become the highest grossing animated film ever.
LXG: [scruffy]Second..[/scruffy] Sucked.

[Reply #203 on:]

Yeah, I can't believe they took the awesome LXG comic and screwed it up so badly in the movie.

Dodgeball

Funny, funny stuff. The whole cast works great here, from the Guy who thinks he's a pirate to Rip Torn as the greatest dodge ball player of all time. The plot is very corny so that drags down the overall score a bit, but there were enough laughs to make it a worthwhile movie.

B

[Reply #204 on:]

Intermission.
Awesome low-budget film from first time director John Crowley, and first time writer Mark O'Rowe.
Colin Farell doesn't manage to steal the show with his uber-stardom and he slides into his scumbag role all too easily, utilising that Castleknock accent well.
I never saw 28 Days Later so it's my first dose of Cillian Murphy, and he was pretty damn good (for a Cork man), Colm Meaney was brilliant as the slightly over-dramatic garda.
The supporting cast were excellent, lots of little cameos from young (and old) Irish actors all over the place, like Thomas the puke cleaner, the drug dealer, the chipshop chat-up guy.

The plot is pretty convoluted at the start but it's still followable and enjoyable with some hilarious bits (like the brown sauce and that little kid on the bike    ), the filming style is cool too, sometimes using digital handheld cameras to get closer to the actors.

Irelands answer to Pulp Fiction, Lock Stock or Snatch, smaller scale but just as awesome.
A+

[Reply #205 on:]

Harry Potter: PoA
I read the book a while ago (2-3 years maybe), and I hadn't seen either of the first two films, but I really enjoyed it. The ending sort of... didn't exist, like a Cube comic. But it was still great. I loved it. B+

And today, I'm seeing The Day After Tomorrow or whatever that one is called.

[Reply #206 on:]

I rented these two movies yesterday day after missing their cinema release...

Master and Commander

One of the best films i have seen this year, i am truely dissapointed that i missed seeing it on the big screen. Master and Commander was strictly historically accurate, yet the plot was immersing and i never felt bored at any point during the film. I was amused that the director felt the need to show that Russel Crowe's character was straight during the island scene early in the film. An excellent portrayal of life on a ship, i'd give this film 9 out of 10.

Big Fish

While i thorougly enjoyed the film, i was slightly dissapointed at the change of quality at different points during the story. Being a fan of Time Burton's films i had high expectations which were for the most point justified. The acting was top notch and i was genuinely touched by the films ending even though at points it was far too sentimental. The surreal plot following Ewan McGregor's character was far stronger than the parts which were used to interlink Edward Bloom's various tales, i believe they should have focused more on previous. Overall a very good film but blemished by some mediocre story telling, ironic due to the films context, i'd give it 8 out of 10.

[Reply #207 on:]

Just got back from Secret Window. I'll just skip the part where I say clever things about the movie and refer to other movies, so here's the conclusion: it's a good movie, I liked it. I particularly enjoyed the ending.

[Reply #208 on:]

 

Cool, I'll try drag somebody to see it when it comes out.

Drag me!!!! You can pay for my popcorn then 

[Reply #209 on:]

Garfield: The Movie

This is really true crapy movie. Nermal wasn't Nermal at all....nor was anyone else. Garfield was kinda like Garfield but the voice kinda really sucked.


The "Hey Momma" song was played over 50 times in this movie and now I have it in my head.... and it wouldn't stop! Does anyone have a gun? D-

[Reply #210 on:]

Actually, Bill Murray[poor Bill.. having to do these movies..] did Garfield's voice, and I'm pretty sure he did it in the original cartoon, too. So I can't speak for the quality of his acting, but at least they stayed true to the show.. Like that means anything.
I LIKED "Hey Mama" until this happened. Why, B.E.P.? Why? [The original version is adult, too, so not only is it all over the movie.. repitition is rarely welcomed in soundtracks.. it's a bastardized and censored version of a pretty good song..]

[Reply #211 on:]

 

Originally posted by EvilLunch:
Actually, Bill Murray[poor Bill.. having to do these movies..] did Garfield's voice, and I'm pretty sure he did it in the original cartoon, too.

Nope.  The late Lorenzo Music did Garfield's voice in the cartoon.  You're probably just confused because Mr. Music also did the voice of Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters cartoon.

[Reply #212 on:]

 

Originally posted by homerjaysimpson:

Garfield was kinda like Garfield but the voice kinda really sucked.

And that was almost the only aspect of the movie that critics praised, and from what I've heard from the trailers, the voice is great. That said, I won't watch this movie.

[Reply #213 on:]

 

Originally posted by Lurrr:
 Drag me!!!! You can pay for my popcorn then   

Wait a second, did you just quote me?
You did!!
I almost didn't pick that up you nitwit!

Here's how I spend my time at PEEL:
*scanning for my name and avatar, scanning for my name and avatar...
Oooh that was an awesome post by me, woo!
...
Oooh someone quoted me, they might be cool, if they're slagging me they're obviously not cool!*
 

So in otherwords, no, I'd rather invite a badger! 

[Reply #214 on:]

 

Originally posted by David A:
 Nope.  The late Lorenzo Music did Garfield's voice in the cartoon.  You're probably just confused because Mr. Music also did the voice of Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters cartoon.

Ohhh. Yes, that would be the reason I was confused.
Huh. It's rather cyclical, then, isn't it!

[Reply #215 on:]

[Vorlon]He is the closed circle.  He is returning to the beginning.[/Vorlon]

Also, they do have similar voices.

[Reply #216 on:]

 

According to Esplatter News:
June 21, 2004 -- Fox is readying a sequel to "28 Days Later,"  according to Variety, but the original director isn't returning. "While the studio would confirm only that a sequel is in the works, sources said the tentative title is '28 Weeks Later' and that the studio is circling Rowan Joffe to write the script. ... [Danny] Boyle is not expected to direct the sequel, though he and screenwriter Alex Garland likely will take producing roles alongside the first pic's producer, Andrew Macdonald."

I think I'm going to cry..

(..or personally bitch-slap each & every one of these hollywood execs)

[Reply #217 on:]

Aw man. And to think I respected that movie.

[Reply #218 on:]

 

Originally posted by EvilLunch:
Aw man. And to think I respected that movie.

Why not still respect it? They made two sequels to The Matrix, but I still think The Matrix is a great movie. They also made Episode 1 and 2 of Star Wars but I still respect the old movies.

"28 Weeks Later"? Brilliant   

[Reply #219 on:]

Supersize me
The guy who ate big macs three times everday was priceless. Not to mention the MC griddle. That thing was crazy. The whole notion of supersizes was unbelieveable.

a+

[Reply #220 on:]

I liked 28 Days Later but I thought it was somewhat of a mess. Every act felt like a different movie. And I'm also not happy with the idea of a sequel. I don't think it's entirely necessary.

[Reply #221 on:]

Supersize me was so great. The art, the 3bigmac a day guy, the vegan girlfriend, the Wesley Willis. It was so great.. It could easily have been a fiction film, the 'storyline' and drama were very enjoyable. AND it was very educational!

[Reply #222 on:]

I wish wesley willis did a track for every movie. That would be great. But ya'know how it is. He's dead now...

[Reply #223 on:]

Supersize Me!
This was a good enough movie with touches of humour in the right moments to make you laugh. However, I felt it was too similar to Bowling for Columbine in that it was a bit of a sop story. The pictures that came in for each new section of the film got creepy after a while and I just didn't like his girlfriend. Maybe it was her voice, I don't know. It also revealed quite a bit about McDonalds in general and the lengths they go to to get customers, even if it was a bit obvious. This film was like real-life media for me, you can't really trust everything he says, particularily with his on-treet interviews. I'd also like to point out that cartoon faces are a lot easier to recognize than photos or portraits.
Overall: B

Shrek 2
Well, I just saw this movie last night and it literally had me in stitches nearly the entire length of the film. The animation was excellent, you could actually see improvements in the characters, especially in movement and expression. Although the animation was great, the best part was the voice-acting. All of the actors obviously got very enthusiastic about it. Though all of the acting was brilliant, a special highlight goes to Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Saunders. John Cleese was great as the King as well, and of course Eddie Murphy is annoyingly funny as lovable Donkey. The jokes were nearly all excellent and the Mission Impossible and Alien parodies were utterly hilarious.
A+

[Reply #224 on:]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
As a devoted fan to the series, I read the book a couple of times this year, so I would be better informed for the movie. Big mistake. The movie and the book were utterly different, and that spoiled the movie for me. I was too annoyed that the Firebolt came out at the end, or the fact that it was the day before school started that Harry came to the Leaky Cauldron when it should have been two weeks before that I couldn't enjoy the special effects or the great acting at all. Plus, the kids looked way too old for the movie, which nagged me the whole time. But, for all those faults, the story moved fluently and I really enjoyed the parts where something strange happened and it was explained when Harry and Hermione went back in time.
B+

The Day After Tommorow
I was skeptical about this one, because it seemed like it was going to be another heavily advertised movie that sucked. And guess what? I was right. Their was no real story to this movie, other than there was a storm coming, blah blah blah. They tried to juice it up with that treck to the library and the wolves, but from the watching point of view, it looked like it was easy to survive in the library, as well as making it to New York. The extremely good special effects and that one line about the tax code saved it from going all the way down.
C+

[Reply #225 on:]

The Corporation

This one's a very interesting Canadian documentary about corporations and their consequences in our society. A lot of intelligent people are interviewed, from corporation's CEOs to Michael Moore. It may be a bit too superficial at times because it tries to cover too much ground in little time, but overall it is very informative.

[Reply #226 on:]

I don't understand how they can look "way too old."  Harry, etc.: 13 years old.  At time of filming, Radcliffe: 14, Grint: 15, Watson: 13.

[Reply #227 on:]

The Day After Tomorrow
I thought it was... dreadful really. So much potential, but so crappy. Nice special effects though, which puts it up a bit. D+

[Reply #228 on:]

Yeah. It was good but its downfall was how it never explained how the dad hiked across a big chunk of the US in 6 days or less.

[Reply #229 on:]

Jersey Girl

The latest Kevin Smith film, and in my opinion one of the most underrated films of this year. Not being a particularly big Kevin Smith fan, and after reading that Jersey Girl was a romantic comedy starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, my first thought was, as you can imagine, Gigli 2. As i read more about it though, i began to see that this was a very personal film (i was also relieved that Jennifer Lopez has only a very brief role), the poor reception is a real shame due to this being Kevin Smith's ode to his own father. The film was touching, but not too sentimental, and the humour, while not being Kevin Smith's usual style was great. The signature amateurishness really lent itself to the film, as did the soundtrack. Even without any blatant references Tarantino style, you can tell that Kevin Smith truly loves movies. Performances from Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and the rest of the cast were excellent. While not being what hardcore Vulgarians might want or expect from a Kevin Smith film, this is worth seeing on it's own merits.

I award this film a resounding 9/10

edit: Hah, beat you to it CJA   

[Reply #230 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
I don't understand how they can look "way too old."  Harry, etc.: 13 years old.  At time of filming, Radcliffe: 14, Grint: 15, Watson: 13.

Exactly, I would imagine the children in the book would look as gawky and adolescent as the actors appeared on screen..
Has anyone seen Fahrenheit 911 yet? I won't be able to until next weekend :/

[Reply #231 on:]

It's Alive!

1974
Dir. by Larry Cohen

Fantastic film. Early low-budget schlock. Its got all the key elements for a great horror film; Induces fear, an original plot (at the time), nice effects, and has a very decent musical score (Bernard Hermann).

A baby which at birth is a monster, kills the medical in the opening scene. A father who still loves the monster-child even though the police are out to kill it.

Rather simple story, but this film induces much fear & tension, that'd it scare even some most nowadays. Very controversial back in the day, and the trailers that were broadcasted on TV - got people talking everywhere.

A-

[Reply #232 on:]

Fahrenheit 911

Very entertaining(Just because I love hearing people's political views), and much of what Moore says is true. The thing I worry about is that people will take a film like this for the whole truth, and won't look at both sides of the story before coming up with a conclusion about the current state of America. I'm personally against the whole Iraqi war thing, but people shouldn't use a documentry such as this to form thier full opinion. The truth is, in politics, always somewhere in the middle. Well enough ranting, as I said eariler, great movie overall. B+

[Reply #233 on:]

I don't think I'm going to watch Supersize Me!. This whole McDonald's thing is getting really old. We already know their food is unhealthy, is there really anything more to say about it? Some guy eats three meals there a day and so what? If I ate a pound of chocolate each day I would get really fat - does that mean I should make a movie about it?

Edit: Forgot the review!

The Day After Tomorrow
The plot was pretty standard stuff really, and it was very unrealistic. But the effects were nice. If you're okay with watching a standard disaster movie, then it's really not that bad. But if you're expecting something new don't watch it!

[Reply #234 on:]

The (original) Ladykillers
It was on Channel 4 today so I had a few peeks, missed some bits but the story was easy to pick up.
Alec Guinness was creepily good as the criminal mastermind, Peter Sellers was cool too, I did laugh out loud a few times even though it's a pretty old film and the humour was mild compared to todays stuff.
The guy who wears all black was cool too, reminds me of Billy Zane a bit.
And I loved the twist at the end, even if it was slightly predictable. 

B.

I'm looking forward to seeing the Coen brothers adaption of it.

[Reply #235 on:]

Shrek 2
Am I the only person who didn't think it was great? It was good... at best. The highlight for me was the start with all those lovely movie references (LOTR, Spiderman etc.). Massive gingerbread man gives it an extra half mark. C+

[Reply #236 on:]

i liked Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban better than Shrek2.

Shark Tale looks like another uninspired movie. The incredibles looks good though from the preveiws.

i find it funny that fans of both Harry Potter  and Lord Of The Rings books get foam at the mouth when the Potter movies stray from the books, but when LOTR does it it's okay. LOTR makes me sleepy, the books and the little parts of the films i have seen.

[Reply #237 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mr.Nintendo:
Jersey Girl

The latest Kevin Smith film, and in my opinion one of the most underrated films of this year. Not being a particularly big Kevin Smith fan, and after reading that Jersey Girl was a romantic comedy starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, my first thought was, as you can imagine, Gigli 2. As i read more about it though, i began to see that this was a very personal film (i was also relieved that Jennifer Lopez has only a very brief role), the poor reception is a real shame due to this being Kevin Smith's ode to his own father. The film was touching, but not too sentimental, and the humour, while not being Kevin Smith's usual style was great. The signature amateurishness really lent itself to the film, as did the soundtrack. Even without any blatant references Tarantino style, you can tell that Kevin Smith truly loves movies. Performances from Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and the rest of the cast were excellent. While not being what hardcore Vulgarians might want or expect from a Kevin Smith film, this is worth seeing on it's own merits.

I award this film a resounding 9/10

edit: Hah, beat you to it CJA   

I pretty much agree with what Ninty said here though I would like to add from an actual View askew fan the film is every thing I was hoping for if not 10 times better. Great performances all round and great singing talents aswell.
Plus exellent cameos from past Kevin Smith players.
Not quite Clerks or Chasing Amy but not a million miles away either. 

9/10

[Reply #238 on:]

 

Originally posted by phoenixie:

I find it funny that fans of both Harry Potter  and Lord Of The Rings books get foam at the mouth when the Potter movies stray from the books, but when LOTR does it it's okay.

That's probably because 12 year old fans of the teenage wizard fail to understand that film and writing are two separate mediums and that the first two HP films (specially the second one) are boring probably because they stick too much to what's in the book.

[Reply #239 on:]

Dodgeball

A movie with some good laughs combined with an equal number of obvious, bad jokes.  The net result is a "meh" type of movie.  I was expecting at least a good, mindless comedy, but the film didn't really deliver even that.  The worst part was Ben Stiller's character.  It's clear he intended to play his character way over the top, but other than the character's "love" of certain foods, I didn't think it was funny.

I'll give the movie a C. 

I'll give the audience I was in the theater with a D-.  There were morons clapping during the movie.  Really, is clapping at any time during any movie a good thing?  It's a movie theater not a concert hall.  The actors can't hear your applause.  There was also someone up front who was determined to get every drop out of their 64 oz. soft drink trough regardless of how loud the slurpping noises were.