I Don't Read the Reviews, The Reviews Read Me!

[Reply #720 on:]

I liked Valkyrie better than I thought I would. It's like a very poor man's Downfall.

8.3/10

[Reply #721 on:]

Are you trying to say you want to borrow some money?

Touch of Evil
This is the fourth movie directed by Orson Welles I've seen, and the only one that I'd actually watch again or recommend as anything more than a historical curiosity. What really impressed me was how casually all of the camera techniques were used! Any other movie would linger over what they'd just done with the opening scene and let the audience stew on it, but it's like the editor just shrugged and said, "yeah,  what's just happened is pretty good, but wait 'til you see what we do next, it makes it look like Wil Anderson's standup act no but seriously it's pretty cool"

A

Strangers on a Train
I always preferred the Hitchcock movie where the audience is in on what's happening. They seem to have a wry sense of humour that really fits in with the tone of his movies. I guess I'm trying to say I liked it?

Apparently that part where the old guy who looks like an adult Dobby crawls under and through the carousel was completely real! Robert Walker was a particularly freaky guy - I swear he was Robert Vaugh in at least a few scenes.

B+

[Reply #722 on:]

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (aka Ice Age 3)

As could be expected this movie suffered a bit from having too many 'main' characters (The 'original' three: Manny, Sid, and Diago plus the three who joined them in the second movie: Elle, Crash, and Eddy.) Also the story was fairly simple and made up of some rather clichéd elements.

But for all that I though Blue Sky did quite a good job with what they had (or perhaps, what they limited themselves to) and it seemed to fit together and flow fairly well. Not great but not bad either.

I'd give it a B–.

Note: I gather I'm one of a decided minority who preferred the second Ice Age movie to the first. This one goes fits somewhere inbetween.

[Reply #723 on:]

The Hangover
Ahaha, haha, ha.
Zach Galifianakis is hilarious, and the Chinese guy.
Great comedy.

A

[Reply #724 on:]

To Die For (1995)

A dark comedy about celebrity

Nicole Kidman does a great job playing Suzanne Stone a girl who will do just about anything to become a big time TV personality, possibly including involvement in the murder of her husband. The film is told in flash back with herself and family members telling us how she and her husband met and how she set about working at the local television station. She is only employed as the weather girl but persuades her boss to let her work on her own project interviewing teens at the local high school about what their lives are like. Things start to go out of control when she enters into a relationship with one of them and learns that another has access to a gun. Her marriage isn't going according to plan either; Larry the man she fell for was a drummer in a local band but after they married he sold his drums and started working in his father's Italian restaurant, not the sort of profession for the spouse of a celebrity on their way to the top as far as Suzanne is concerned.

As well as Nicole Kidman performing well in the lead role Matt Dillon is good in the smaller role of her husband. I wasn't so sure about Joaquin Phoenix as her teenage lover Jimmy, it wasn't that his acting was at fault, he just didn't look young enough to be sixteen. While the film is a comedy it isn't full of laugh out loud moments nor should one expect witty one liners, the humour is fairly dark, such as when one character says that he will be in jail for the rest of his life plus thirty years... if he lives that long. Director Gus Van Sant has done an interesting job combined straight to camera comments from all the main characters looking back at the events and the more conventional showing of the events themselves. I'm not sure that I'd recommend buying this unless it is in the bargain bin but it would be worth watching on TV.

7/10

[Reply #725 on:]

The Hurt Locker
Bomb squad guys in Iraq with Jeremy Renner, who I think is cool, he's in some other stuff these days. All about the pressure and adrenaline and insanity of the whole situation, it's pretty good.
Guest stars Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes and Evangeline Lilly too.

B

[Reply #726 on:]

One-Sentence Reviews

Sex Drive
A joke that’s marginally-amusing the first time tends to be less so the twentieth.

Dirty Harry
It hasn’t aged well, and the villain is kind of a joke, but it’s still the must-see daddy of all modern cop movies.

Gran Torino
I love the man – even at two-hundred years of age, you just don’t mess with Clint!

Natural Born Killers
They call it a masterpiece; I call it overblown, overwrought, overlong, and overkill.

Outpost
Old Nazis never die; they just turn into bloodthirsty mutant unified field zombies.

Dungeons & Dragons: The Elemental Might
If the first ten minutes are anything to go by, this could be one of the most poorly-acted films ever made (I couldn’t bear to watch any more than that).

Waterworld
How in the hell did they have gunpowder for their weapons without access to sulphur or cordite?

Blade
Is it just me, or do Vampires sometimes seem even easier to kill than humans?

Blade 2
Way to retcon the miraculous survival of a dead character from the first film and then have him do absolutely nothing.

The World is Not Enough
Villain fails because weapons-grade plutonium does not work that way, and a meltdown could be much more easily attained by simply removing the reactor’s control rods.

From Hell
Censors tried to have it renamed ‘From Heck’, but Alan Moore ate their hearts.

The Brothers Grimm
It’s an occasionally confusing hodgepodge, but in all a delightfully offbeat comedy-fantasy-thingy.

[Reply #727 on:]

Natural Born Killers
They call it a masterpiece; I call it overblown, overwrought, overlong, and overkill.

Yes. Yes!

[Reply #728 on:]

-Maz's overseas movie viewing experiences so far--
Coraline
I saw this on the connecting flight from Brisbane to Christchurch, so I was literally over sea. They had funky personal portable little tv thingies on the plane. Annoying because we were right at the front so I didn't have a tray to pull down in front of me and had to hold it. Regardless, I enjoyed the movie. It made time go by faster and made up for darkness outside giving no interesting view of the ocean or clouds outside. I want a talking cat. I think I would have found this movie more interesting if I were about 10 years younger, back when I hated my mum.

I Could Never Be Your Woman
I saw this at 5am one morning on the movie channel. I'd slept on the couch in the other room because somebody was snoring. This movie had the same director as Clueless. And it had Paul Rudd geek dancing which makes any film great. It was also one of those movies where you could see yourself as the single parent because the kid shares your sense of humour, whereas you know that in real life if you had any kids they'd probably try to kill you while you slept.

Surf's Up
Meh. It had some good bits. Don't remember much of it, only watched it 2 days ago.

Little Miss Sunshine
Gorgeous. Just Gorgeous.

[Reply #729 on:]

I Could Never Be Your Woman

I remember that song…

duh duh d-duh duh d-duh duh d-duh...

[Reply #730 on:]

Dirty Harry 1971

Dirty Harry is probably tied with The Man with No Name for the title of "Most Iconic Clint Eastwood Character". Watching it again it is hard to believe that this film is almost forty years old it is as gritty and thrilling as it ever was.

Show spoiler

When the city of San Francisco is being held hostage by a sniper Inspector Harry Callahan is put in the case. We learn that he is clearly a no nonsense police officer early on when he prevents a group of bank robbers from escaping; dispatching most of them with his trademark Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum. Along with his new partner Harry positions himself on a rooftop waiting for the sniper to make his move unfortunately he escapes a in a change of modus operandi he kidnaps a fourteen year old girl and announces that he has buried her with limited oxygen and if the city doesn't give him $200,000 dollars he will let her die. Harry is given the task of delivering the cash but when he gets there the killer attacks him and announces that he will let her die anyway. Lucky not to be killed Harry follows a lead that takes him to where the killer lives here he catches the killer and forces him to say where the girl is, unfortunately the killer can't be changed due to Harry's unconventional and illegal methods. This leads to him hijacking a school bus and confronting Harry once more.

This is one of the great cop movies; the plot isn't overly convoluted, the action isn't over the top... no exploding helicopters and it isn't full of one liners we frequently get in such films these days. Clint Eastwood is great in the title role, a part he was born to play and Andrew Robinson does well as his psychotic nemesis, I was amazed to read here that it was his first film role.

This film is a must see for any fan of cop films or of Clint Eastwood. It has been said that the lack of political correctness dates this film although it was criticised for being illiberal when it was released and there is little difference between Harry torturing a murder suspect in this and Jack Bauer torturing a terrorist suspect in 24, not that I would advocate such behaviour outside the world of fiction.

9/10

[Reply #731 on:]

not that I would advocate such behaviour outside the world of fiction.

*Slyly conceals bloody pair of pliers*

[Reply #732 on:]

Dirty Harry was on last night here too, z0mg.

Also, Magnum Force a few days ago for some raisin... wrong order chumps!

[Reply #733 on:]

Wa-hait, this is the first time you guys have seen Dirty Harry?

I gotsta know.

[Reply #734 on:]

I've seen it loads of times, I first saw in the eighties. I hadn't seen it for a while though as my original copy was on Betamax and my Beta player died a few years ago.

[Reply #735 on:]

No, I've seen it hundreds of times, this is just the first time I reviewed it. And by 'reviewed', I mean 'typed a single perfunctory sentence that reveals nothing at all about the film or my feelings toward it'.

[Reply #736 on:]

I've never seen Dirty Harry.

[Reply #737 on:]

2010 - It's still quite good.
Jumanji - Classic, I love it. My favourite moment is when the cop is riding away on the door and he sees the aligator.
Days of Heaven - Beautiful, but the story isn't as interesting as other Terrance Malick movies.
Die Hard 2 - Good action movie, competant sequel.
Grave of the Fireflies - It was very good and sweet, but it didn't make me cry.
Beavis and Butthead Do America - I've seen this like 5 times, funny.
Soldier - Great 80's sci fi. An example of never trust imdb ratings.
The Invasion - Forgettable, something with Nicole Kidman? Watch the other/better Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Or the porn variant, Invasion of the Snatches.
War of the Worlds - I was bored and needed a light movie I've seen before, this isn't very good though. Very unlikable and annoying characters.
Brazil DC - I liked it but...the story could be more..eh...dramatic? It just seemed all very kind of...fluffy throughout. Like it was just waiting to really get going.
Mystery Alaska - My favourite hockey movie.

[Reply #738 on:]

Soldier - Great 80's sci fi.

If you're referring to the one starring Kurt Russell, it was made in 1998.

[Reply #739 on:]

Oh wow, I was. Totally didn't know that. Shame on me.

[Reply #740 on:]

Not a bad movie. Effects were rather laughable though, even for a straight-to-video thing. Which it wasn't, but it felt like one.

[Reply #741 on:]

I saw Public Enemies for the midnight screening last Tuesday night. Z0mgs. Johnny Depp was very good and balanced out my general meh attitude towards Christian Bale. Billy Crudup as Hoover was great too, the role was pushed way too much off screen and should've had more time to shine. Of the films released this year, this has a lot of chances for some Oscars. I'll give it a A-. Great fun. Although the two are non-comparable, I'd say enjoyed Up more though and find it more worthy of Best Picture at this point. With the 10 spots, however, both'll be nominated.

[Reply #742 on:]

I just got back from Public Enemies. I thought it was pretty boring for a lot of it. I just didn't really care, and I was nodding off. Although towards the end I was pretty alert. Not bad, not that good either. And Christian Bale is a boring actor.
At least we'll always have Heat.

6.5/10

[Reply #743 on:]

The Public Enemy

This is a classic gangster film which is surprisingly hard hitting for its age, it amazing to think that this film is nearly eighty years old and that prohibition was still in force when it was made.

James Cagney did a great job portraying Tom Powers as he rises from being a petty criminal to being a mid-level mobster. Even though the character has few if any redeeming features Cagney manages to make us care about what is happening to him. Along with childhood friend he takes a job for local gangster "Putty Nose" things go wrong on their first job however when the police turn up and kill another of the gang. One cop chases after Tom and Matt down an alley and they kill him demonstrating how far they have come from their early days.

As their first boss has fled they start working for Paddy Ryan who has seen the money making opportunities that the prohibition of alcohol have brought. Soon the boys are forcing the speakeasies to sell their beer and only their beer. Initially things go well for them, they have plenty of money, beautiful girl friends and smart clothes but when the mob's hard man Nails Nathan is killed in a freak riding accident a rival gang see it as an opportunity to take over. They are instructed to lay low for a while but Tom can't do that leading to tragic consequences.

The violence is never graphic although it can still be fairly hard hitting such as when Tommy goes into the stable of the horse which had killed Nails and two shots ring out and the films most famous scene where he pushes half a grapefruit into his girl friend's face. The acting is all pretty good, especially from Cagney in the role that would make him a star.

This film deserves its classic status and should be seen by anybody who likes classic film in general or gangster films in general.

10/10

[Reply #744 on:]

I saw Public Enemies for the midnight screening last Tuesday night. Z0mgs. Johnny Depp was very good and balanced out my general meh attitude towards Christian Bale. Billy Crudup as Hoover was great too, the role was pushed way too much off screen and should've had more time to shine.

Also saw that the other day too, Depp was fine as John Dillinger, and Bale as the other bloke....  Thought both Hoover and Mariane Cottilliard's character were underused, but it's only a minor thing, the plusses far outweigh the minuses.

Also the tommy-gun sequences were LOUD!

8.5/10

[Reply #745 on:]

Yeah Melllvar, that's what I thought, the gunfire was so loud it hurt my ears. I assumed it was just my theater, but maybe not.

[Reply #746 on:]

If it doesn't hurt you ears then it isn't loud enough. Have you ever actually heard one of those things.

[Reply #747 on:]

Of course not?

[Reply #748 on:]

If you remember the bank robbery scene in "Heat", then the tommy-gun loudness is supposed to be there, a Michael Mann staple...  I think.

Made for a visceral quality to the gun sequences...

[Reply #749 on:]

Bruno

Meeeh. Relied heavily on shock value, and didn't even approach Borat in terms of wit. It was funny in parts, but the most hilarious thing that arose from it was some misguided parent bringing their 3 year old children to the film.

[Reply #750 on:]

My auntie took my 10 year old cousin to see that.

[Reply #751 on:]

Mission Impossible II

Fans of the original Mission Impossible film may be a disappointed in this as there is a dramatic change in style which goes along with switching director from Brian De Palma to Hong Kong action supremo John Woo. Personally I loved this film and found it to be the most enjoyable of the three Mission Impossible films.

Here the plot is far less convoluted, we know from the start who the bad guy is and we know what he is trying to do we just have to sit back and watch the action as our hero sets out to stop him. Sean Ambrose is a former member of the Mission Impossible team who has destroyed a plane carrying a scientist who had requested help from the Mission Impossible team, in order to find out why Ethan Hunt must recruit Nyah, Ambrose's beautiful former girl friend, and persuade her to go undercover to discover exactly what he is up to. It turns out that Ambrose is planning to hold a company to ransom using an artificial deadly disease to which he has stolen the cure to. Not that the company were that honourable, they had created the disease in order to create a demand for the cure.

The action is impressive from start to finish, as one would expect from a John Woo film it is all perfectly choreographed, sure it isn't exactly believable but it is a lot of fun. Cruise is on form as our hero Ethan Hunt and Dougray Scott was suitably menacing as the villainous Ambrose, I also enjoyed Thandie Newton's performance as Nyah. If you are a fan of action films that don't require too much thought then I strongly recommend this one.

9/10

[Reply #752 on:]

Bruno

I wasted two hours of my life watching meat spin and a peter talking and I want them back!

[Reply #753 on:]

Haha, Brüno
While it was not as good as Borat, my face was slightly stretched from laughing, a good gauge of the lulz.
Sacha Baron Cohen is really great at showing the prejudices of the Deep South, USA and the Middle East (he's brave and/or crazy), the shot of the wrestling jock crying in shock at two guys making out was worth the admission.
Yay 30ft meatspin! I knew that was coming.

I hope he has some more ideas, but I don't think he has any more characters.

B+

Chi bi (Red Cliff) Part II
Epic naval battle conclusion!
We left our heroes waiting for evil Prime Minister Cao Cao to attack with his huge naval fleet at Red Cliff fortress the last time, luck they have a great strategist and some cunning tricks to save the day.
The CGI is a bit dodgy in some of the larger naval scenes, but the land battle at the end is excellent.
Not as good as Hero though

B

[Reply #754 on:]

Nope, Cohen has no more characters. Wonder what he'll do next. Actually, it'll make the new movie funnier because he'll more easily infiltrate these places because he won't be recognizable.

[Reply #755 on:]

Well, he could still do a similar movie with Ali G. I hope he does, 'cause the Ali G movie sucked tea and crumpets.

[Reply #756 on:]

I didn't mind Ali G Indahouse too much, but it was nowhere near as hilarious as Borat was. Hopefully he does go with another mockumentary this time with Ali G because he's a terrific character. A scripted Borat movie focusing on his life in Kazakhstan would be interesting, but it's too soon.

When Harry Potter 6 comes out, will spoiler tags be required? I mean, we'd only be spoiling to people too lazy to read in the past 4 years.


On new thread title: "It Stinks!" or "Your movie is bad and you should feel bad!"/"Your review is bad and you should feel bad!" ?

[Reply #757 on:]

Transformers 2

The cinematic equivilant of watching a firework display...

For a movie about giant robots fighting, it was pretty good, and just a notch underneath the original.  However I had one or two issues with other stuff in it.

Firstly, why did I feel whenever Megan Fox was on-screen that Michael Bay pointed the camera at her like a leering and rather perveted Uncle... and after a while I felt rather uncomfortable, and wanted to slap her agent.

Secondly, the plot, whatever it was, made absolutely no sense....  I still cannot remember what it was about, exactly.

Thirdly, cut the movie down to under 2 hours please.

And finally, if this is a toy franchise, then why is this movie a 12a?  Cut out all the gratuitous leering at Megan Fox, and sex references, as well as toning down some of the violence and you'd have a perfect piece of eye popping popcorn fodder that kids of any age can enjoy.   Even then I'm sure I'd still like it.

6/10

New thread title:  "Hello To Jason Issacs....  The movie reviews thread"

Anyone who listens to Kermodes Podcast would get that reference.

[Reply #758 on:]

New thread title:  "Hello To Jason Issacs....  The movie reviews thread"

Anyone who listens to Kermodes Podcast would get that reference.

Brilliant idea

[Reply #759 on:]

Ebert would turn in his grave, if he were dead...