Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched

[happyninja42]

Creed

It's about creating your own identity... by harvesting Rocky's? And making your own path... by following dad's? I don't know what these people are on about. Muddled message aside it's great to see Rocky back and the dynamic between him and Adonis is a lot of fun. Good movie and the 130 minutes whisk by in a flash but its attempts at coming up with hot takes are confusing and pretty misguided. And retroactively making it so Apollo had a child out of wedlock who then gets adopted by Apollo's widow feels like a very roundabout, contrived way to get to square one of the plot. If they'd made this movie 15 years ago then that would just be his kid.

Eh, I honestly don't have an issue with the idea of a famous boxer from back in the 80s having an illegitimate child, or several to be honest. Celebrity status and random sex are kind of staples of life, from any walk of fame really. So that part I was fine with. And, I didn't really have an issue with the idea that his wife took him in. I guess because I've seen stuff my own extended family have done, despite falling out marital wise. Like how my aunt, despite having been divorced from my uncle for over a decade, took him in and let him live with her, when he was on the verge of being homeless due to alcoholism. And her reason was "I'm not going to let the father of my children, live on the streets, no matter how much we don't get along." So her rationale of "I'm not going to leave the biological child of my husband to the foster care system, even if he's not my biological child, and simply highlights my husband's failings" is totally believable for me. I mean, it's not Adonis' fault who his parent was.

While I really enjoyed that film, I did find it strange that he tried to play the "hard life" card, when the whole "secret boxer life" was literally a weekend vacation thing for him, from his REALLY rich lifestyle and coushy job. But I did love how they shot down his "I'm the best! Nobody can take me!!" *gets knocked the fuck out by a middle weight with actual training who just runs a gym now* xD "Oh, shit I guess I need to train, I'm not magically the greatest due to my dad."

I also had a REALLY big problem with his opponent, given what he was arrested for. I wish I could remember the details of it, but the whole idea that he was just sort of allowed to go fight, despite a weapons violation to parole and whatnot, I was just like "um...no? Fuck no. You're kidding me, his ass would be in prison, right now."

The movie had some problems, but I really enjoyed Michael's performance, and I really enjoyed his chemistry with Tessa Thompson.

To sum up, I hate sports movies with a pretty strong passion, as I think they lionize aspects of human nature that I think are ultimately harmful in the long run. But I really enjoyed Creed. It's got some lumpy bits, but it was still a good movie to me. Helps it's a Legacy story, and I'm a sucker for those, but still, solidly done.

 

[BrawlMan]

The Thieves - Korean movie, basically Ocean's 11, but with a huge tonal shift towards the end. Two groups of Chinese and Korean master thieves rob a casino for half a movie, then have insane gun fights and butt clenching stunts for the other half.

It wasn't bad, I enjoyed it quite a bit, but goddamn the subtitles needed work on this one. It was a very slick movie with lots twists and turns, but you could easily miss out on them due to the translations. I've been watching more Korean-made media recently (okay so like two movies), and I have to say, they make good stuff.

I recommend City of Violence, if you're interested.

​

 

[Ezekiel]

I find it weird that every Korean movie is either ultra violent or has that super happy, mushy Kpop style. I watched Parasite and Secret Sunshine recently, without knowing anything about them (because I watch almost all movies blind), and wondered to myself as I watched if these were actually movies without that type of graphic, cruel violence (because they didn't seem that way at first). But as I kept watching, I went, "Oh." Good movies, but still. I just find it amusing that the Koreans have that obsession. It would suck if all English language movies were like that.

 

[Samtemdo8]

Titan A.E, the last film by Don Bluth, Disney technically now owns this one since it was owned by FOX. Akima is now a Disney Princess:

Spielberg's Hook, this movie still makes me cry at points, and I think it was by far the one that tackled Spielberg's favorite theme of asshole/absent fathers the best.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Eh, I honestly don't have an issue with the idea of a famous boxer from back in the 80s having an illegitimate child, or several to be honest. Celebrity status and random sex are kind of staples of life, from any walk of fame really. So that part I was fine with. And, I didn't really have an issue with the idea that his wife took him in. I guess because I've seen stuff my own extended family have done, despite falling out marital wise. Like how my aunt, despite having been divorced from my uncle for over a decade, took him in and let him live with her, when he was on the verge of being homeless due to alcoholism. And her reason was "I'm not going to let the father of my children, live on the streets, no matter how much we don't get along." So her rationale of "I'm not going to leave the biological child of my husband to the foster care system, even if he's not my biological child, and simply highlights my husband's failings" is totally believable for me. I mean, it's not Adonis' fault who his parent was.

Nothing against extended families, Adonis' background just felt contrived out of plot necessity. Clearly the writers wanted a story with Apollo's widow and her son, but the dates just didn't sync for a movie set in 2015. And I agree that Adonis' motivation is fickle at best, beginning with why quit his job and suddenly become a boxer at 30. You'd think, obvious peak physique aside, this is something you'd train for your whole life. You don't just train with Rocky Balboa for 6 weeks and then take the world champion at 30+ years of age.

And now for my final trick: Creed II

The weaker Creed movie. Just as Creed is a retread of the first Rocky, Creed II follows Rocky IV beat for beat (midpoint loss, wilderness training, final win in Moscow) while throwing plot elements from other movies like the marriage & childbirth complication arc from Rocky II, and the whole thing about travelling to reconnect with your origins for the second fight of Rocky III. This is also the third movie to have Rocky try reconnect with an inexplicably angry Rocky Jr., and I've had it with that ungrateful twat.

Following my own theory that every other Rocky movie is just a repeat of the last one, the Creed movies might as well be a single (edited) movie. There's no reason Drago Jr. shouldn't be the final boss of the first Creed movie, for example. And we can halve the scenes of Rocky talking to his wife's gravestone (three movies now) or sex scenes with Tessa Thompson's character, because how many times will we watch confusing closeups of people undressing to mushy hip hop while the screen fades to black. Etc.

I do like the series overall. For a 44 year old franchise with movies sometimes 16 years apart, it's amazing the level of care and detail that goes into keeping a consistent lore, developing characters and a cohesive ongoing story. At least every movie introduces something that stays in every other sequel, like Rocky's brain trauma since 5 or having him man a restaurant since 6. And of course a growing cast of dead characters that loom large over the survivors. So it's all very interesting and engaging, even if the second half of every movie becomes routine.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Ok, started watching Spiderman: Homecoming again, only that was awful so stopped after a few minutes.

Then watched Xtinction: Predator X, which is about an evil scientist cloning a giant extinct aquatic reptile and letting it loose in a swamp and throwing people at it for reasons. Mostly it's about creepy redneck types catching people to throw at it and being creepy rednecks like in a slasher film.

Not by any means a great film, but I'd take it over Spiderman: Homecoming anyday.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I watched the Netflix movie Over the Moon, which was kind of a bunch of nothing. It was animated quite well, and I fucking adore the character designs, which, it's Glen Keane, so how could I not. The songs were nothing special and the story had one or two interesting bits. There was one moment toward the end - the 'all is lost' moment I guess you would call it - which did actually kinda get me. But overall this was nothing special (apart from the character designs).

Also, the moon godess in her table tennis outfit gave me major Bayonetta vibes. Like damn dem legs!

 

[BrawlMan]

Decided to re-watch Man of Steel after a long while, and all I have to say is....why did "people" hates this again? And by people, I don't mean the majority of the casual film going audience. I mean most of the "professional" film critics, hardcore Superman fans that "get" Superman, Christopher Reeves fanatics, hardcore MCU fanatics, and loudmouth-know-nothing-know-it-all YouTube/Internet critics that are not as smart as they think they are and go out of their way to insult others for daring to love something they don't. Rant done.

I still loves this film and I find it the best live-action Superman film ever made. I say this and I like the first two Chris Reeve films. While the pacing is a little slow, yet nowhere near as bad as the pacing in Batman Begins, I was never bored. There is build up and the film moves a great pace overall. Nothing feels rushed, padded, or bloated. Everyone does an excellent job acting their part and coloring in the film is great. I complained about the coloring being muted, but like I realized in a previous post, the coloring ain't that muted overall. There is plenty of color. Then you have beautiful scenery, well done action that has still not been matched in terms of super powered, God level beings slugging at each other. It's like looking at a live-action DBZ, but good. Editing is a good overall, but I noticed a little bit of shaky-cam in the beginning when Jor-El and Zod fight, but that is only the worst it ever gets. Love, care, and planning was definitely a must for this film.

My parents loves this film, who are big fans of all of the Chris Reeve films (They do hate Superman Returns BTW. My dad forgot it even exists.), then Zack Snyder did something right. I will always highly recommend Man of Steel and maintains my high rating of an S Rank.

 

[happyninja42]

Decided to re-watch Man of Steel after a long while, and all I have to say is....why did "people" hates this again? And by people, I don't mean the majority of the casual film going audience. I mean the most "professional" film critics, hardcore Superman fans that "get" Superman, Christopher Reeves fanatics, hardcore MCU fanatics, and loudmouth-know-nothing-know-it-all YouTube/Internet critics that are not as smart as they think they are and go out of their way to insult others for daring to love something they don't. Rant done.

I still loves this film and I find it the best live-action Superman film ever made. I say this and I like the first two Chris Reeve films. While the pacing is a little, and nowhere as bad as the pacing in Batman Begins, I was never bored. There is build up and the film moves a great pace overall. Nothing feels rushed, padded, or bloated. Everyone does an excellent job acting their part and coloring in the film is great. I complained about the coloring being muted, but like I realized in a previous post, the coloring ain't that muted overall. There is plenty of color. Then you have beautiful scenery, well done action that has still not been matched in terms of super powered, God level beings slugging at each other. It's like looking at a live-action DBZ, but good. Editing is a good overall, but I noticed a little bit of shaky-can in the beginning when Jor-El and Zod fight, but that is only the worst it ever gets. Love, care, and planning was definitely a must for this film.

My parents loves this film, who are big fans of all of the Chris Reeve films (They do hate Superman Returns BTW. My dad forgot it even exists.), then Zack Snyder did something right. I will always highly recommend Man of Steel and maintains my high rating of an S Rank.

For me it was a lot of little things, that just added up to me not enjoying the film. Things like how Pa Kent does his whole evaporating into the tornado scene, was just comical to me, and not tragic at all. And I mean that literally, the way it was shot, I laughed when I saw it in the theater. The way that Clark blows up an entire ship full of proto-Kryptonians without really being upset about it, committing genocide, but when he snaps the neck of Zod he's suddenly all grief stricken about taking a life. The scene in the church with Clark sitting in front of that mural of jesus, I mean there is subtlety, and then there's...whatever that was....blunt force trauma obvious I guess. The way the Kyptonians not only develop their superpowers within seconds of getting a lungful of earth air, despite it taking years for Clark to manifest those effects, but mastering them in seconds.

I'm sure there are other things I could bring up that made me dislike it, but I've forgotten most of that film, and have no real desire to see it again, simply to see what I disliked. I won't say I hate it, because frankly very few things of fiction illicit that level of reaction from me, but I didn't have a fun time watching it. The parts I enjoyed (and there were some), were outweighed by the parts I didn't. That's basically my metric for "good/bad" entertainment these days.

 

[BrawlMan]

For me it was a lot of little things, that just added up to me not enjoying the film. Things like how Pa Kent does his whole evaporating into the tornado scene, was just comical to me, and not tragic at all. And I mean that literally, the way it was shot, I laughed when I saw it in the theater. The way that Clark blows up an entire ship full of proto-Kryptonians without really being upset about it, committing genocide, but when he snaps the neck of Zod he's suddenly all grief stricken about taking a life. The scene in the church with Clark sitting in front of that mural of jesus, I mean there is subtlety, and then there's...whatever that was....blunt force trauma obvious I guess

I understand the tornado scene, except I did not laugh. My reaction was this. My parents and brother on the other hand felt sad when seeing it in theaters at that scene. As far as the ship scene, time was of the essence and it is clear that Clark was still inexperienced and in a rush just trying to stop Zod from causing more damage and destruction. The neck-snapping scene I am willing to defend with my dying breath. That was realization setting and finalizing itself at what happened. Zod was an asshole, but it is uspetting when you find out your the last of your kind. The Jesus metaphor I get, but I actually like the church scene. Clark is confused, troubled, and is figuring out how to do the right thing, which he does. I know people rip on this scene, but I don't find it bad. It makes Clark feel more "human", I guess. The Kryptonians developing their powers faster, while odd, does makes sense when you're remember that they are bred super soldiers. Zod is really the only one to adapt the most and quickest. He's the only other Kryptonian, aside from Supes, that is able to fly and do eye beams. Faura for example still wears atmmospheric mask whenever she's on Earth. The rest either can jump high or far, and run fast. Besides, yellow sun makes Kryptonians stronger.

I'm sure there are other things I could bring up that made me dislike it, but I've forgotten most of that film, and have no real desire to see it again, simply to see what I disliked. I won't say I hate it, because frankly very few things of fiction illicit that level of reaction from me, but I didn't have a fun time watching it. The parts I enjoyed (and there were some), were outweighed by the parts I didn't. That's basically my metric for "good/bad" entertainment these days.

No problem. At least you bother to get your point across without coming like a downer or insulting others.

​

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Children of the Corn II: The Final Chapter

It's the same movie again. The pagan god from the first movie is back for no adequately explained reason, and the children have a new spiritual leader in the town next over (also for no adequately explained reason). Try as they might, corn still isn't particularly scary, even if it is now literally killing people. The sequel is sillier, gorier and takes a few embarrassing stabs at comedy, but overall found it more entertaining than the first one, which is mostly just boring.

 

[gorfias]

Rewatched True Lies for the first time in years this year. Kind of tempted to now watch it again, because a Spanish company released it on Blu-ray. As a bootleg of some HD cable presentation, it doesn't look as good as an official new scan would, but it's still far better than the DVD I had to watch because of James Cameron's disinterest and the rights issues now with Fox and Disney, who barely care about restoring anything they can't put on Disney Plus.

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I don't speak French! Doubt I'll ever watch the original

Watched this on Netflix with the missus. I had a friend over in Thailand when it happened. Lucky for him he was on the opposite side of the nation.
Seems improbable... except it actually happened.
Bit slow at parts. There's only so much to tell in this story. But worth watching. And has 16 year old Spiderman in it. 7/10.

 

[Samtemdo8]

The Death of Stalin.

Was kinda surprised at how the comedy angle did not tonally clash with the true dread that is life in the Soviet Union under Stalin

 

[Hawki]

The Death of Stalin.

Was kinda surprised at how the comedy angle did not tonally clash with the true dread that is life in the Soviet Union under Stalin

Because I can.

 

[happyninja42]

As far as the ship scene, time was of the essence and it is clear that Clark was still inexperienced and in a rush just trying to stop Zod from causing more damage and destruction. The neck-snapping scene I am willing to defend with my dying breath. That was realization setting and finalizing itself at what happened. Zod was an asshole, but it is uspetting when you find out your the last of your kind.

I actually don't have an issue with the neck snapping scene, specifically for the point about Zod being the last Kryptonian at that point. My issue, is that the reason he's the last is because Clark just casually killed what is effectively a pre-natal nursery ship, dooming an entire species to death, and then snaps this one dudes neck. It just felt tonally at odds in some ways. Specifically for me at least, it's how nobody seems to actually mind him killing an entire ship of innocent embryos or whatever, but they lose their shit about him snapping that one dudes neck. I agree that the scream of emotion makes more sense if you look at it from the angle of Clark being upset that he is now truly the last Kryptonian. But it's mitigated on my empathy meter significantly due to the burning crucibles of pre-Kryptonians.

The Jesus metaphor I get, but I actually like the church scene. Clark is confused, troubled, and is figuring out how to do the right thing, which he does. I know people rip on this scene, but I don't find it bad. It makes Clark feel more "human", I guess.

I don't have an issue with the scene as a concept, the trope of "hero goes to talk to churchy dude for guidance before climactic fight" is about as old as...well...Superman really. And it's hardly the first comparison to jesus that has been made, though I personally feel moses is a more apt comparison. My issue is the literal framing of the scene, it's just so heavy handed and blatant. Yes, we get it, you are comparing him to jesus, do you have to painfully frame the mural behind his head for a ridiculously long amount of screen time? Yes? You do? *sighs*

 

[Xprimentyl]

The Contract: I saw it / I hadn’t previously

Stumbled across this 2006 film starring Morgan Freeman and John Cusack and wondered how I’d never seen or heard of it before. Then I watched it, and it was like “oh, that’s why.” Utterly forgettable movie filled to the brim with contrivances; everything happens for its own sake and nothing develops beyond “a thing that’s happening.” Freeman is a likeable monster (because who’d ever cast him as an ACTUAL one) while Cusack takes the award for "worst father of the year" performing a citizen’s arrest of a dangerous criminal being pursued by equally dangerous criminals in the middle of the woods while his teenage son tags along. This movie is just dumb. It almost feels like whoever wrote it had grander ideas, but about halfway through, was told “ya got 90 minutes,” and just kinda lost interest in their own work.

 

[Ezekiel]

Hour of the Wolf (Bergman, 1968)

It's fine. Psychological horror with recurring Bergman themes. Couldn't really relate to it.

I think I'd like some of Bergman's lesser known movies more if he didn't cast the same actors in every one of them. The German cast made From the Life of the Marionettes feel a bit more unique. Some start to feel so similar after you've watched twenty-five of them. I do still respect him and am easy to please, as my scores so far show.

Sawdust and Tinsel - 8/10
Smiles of a Summer Night - 8/10
The Seventh Seal (x2) - 10/10 (Wanna watch this a third time to be sure. Not in the near future, though.)
The Virgin Spring - 8/10
Through a Glass Darkly - 9/10
The Silence - 9/10
Persona (x3) - 9/10
Shame - 8/10
The Passion of Anna - 8/10
Cries and Whispers - 9/10
Autumn Sonata - 9/10
From the Life of the Marionettes - 8/10
Fanny and Alexander (TV series) - 9/10
Fanny and Alexander (Film) - 8/10
Dreams - 8/10
After the Rehearsal - 8/10
Wild Strawberries (x2) - 9/10
Thirst - 6/10
To Joy - 9/10
Summer Interlude - 7/10
The Magic Flute - 8/10
The Magician - 7/10
Brink of Life - 8/10
Waiting Women - 8/10
A Lesson in Love - 7/10
Summer with Monika - 8/10
Winter Light - 8/10
Scenes from a Marriage (TV series) - 9/10
Hour of the Wolf - 6/10 (Maybe a 7 on a different day.)

 

[Samtemdo8]

There Will Be Blood.....


Excellent Film.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Molly's Game

Smug, overwritten, here's-a-paragraph-from-Wikipedia Aaron Sorkin script. If brevity is the soul of wit, Sorkin has neither.
On the plus side it stars Jessica Chastain in a dazzling array of low-cut tops and dresses (designed to funnel high-rollers at the poker table), so the Sorkin faded into white noise more often than not. I liked the Henry Hill parts with Molly chronicling her pseudo-criminal career and doing VO over games. The present parts with the lawyer, not so much.

 

[Ezekiel]

There Will Be Blood.....


Excellent Film.

I just watched The Age of Innocence, with a 14 year younger Day-Lewis. This is supposed to be him around the age in There Will Be Blood.



Looks NOTHING like him. Could have been worse, though.



Can't think of a movie in which ageing makeup actually convinced me.