Things I Learned in 2011
- Thread starter MovieBob
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I can see 2012 being the year in which the current superhero movie boom peaks.
The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers both have really high expectations to live up to. The Man of Steel and Spiderman not so much, which may be just as well for them...
Now it's likely that TDKR will do well, though personally I don't see it repeating the phenomenal success of The Dark Knight but even if it does that's the end of Nolanverse Batman, and it's going to be a hard act to follow. The Avengers should be good, but I have my doubts about the other two. The last Superman reboot was bad, and what has been seen of the Spiderman reboot so far isn't confidence inspiring.
The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers both have really high expectations to live up to. The Man of Steel and Spiderman not so much, which may be just as well for them...
Now it's likely that TDKR will do well, though personally I don't see it repeating the phenomenal success of The Dark Knight but even if it does that's the end of Nolanverse Batman, and it's going to be a hard act to follow. The Avengers should be good, but I have my doubts about the other two. The last Superman reboot was bad, and what has been seen of the Spiderman reboot so far isn't confidence inspiring.
Since Bob brought it up:
I kind of need Bob to give a better justification for his tentative acceptance of "Sucker Punch". I simply cannot see what anyone sees in this film. I can get behind the idea of a subversive lesson in modern gender politics, not the my first choice in a movie to go see but an interesting idea. But it is so horribly constructed as to render the idea still-born.
The whole production jumps back and forth through 3 different levels that aren't consistent with each other or even internally. To pick the best example, in the burlesque world we see the main bad-guy assault the doctor and murder a patient. How exactly do these events translate into the "real" world mental hospital? The issue is made worse when, at the end of the movie, the Doctor just calmly calls the cops to have him arrested. What was stopping her before? And doesn't this kind of suggest that the whole movie could have been avoided with one conversation?
The movie really just feels like a bad version of "Chicago" cut with random scenes from "300" and "Shutter Island"
I kind of need Bob to give a better justification for his tentative acceptance of "Sucker Punch". I simply cannot see what anyone sees in this film. I can get behind the idea of a subversive lesson in modern gender politics, not the my first choice in a movie to go see but an interesting idea. But it is so horribly constructed as to render the idea still-born.
The whole production jumps back and forth through 3 different levels that aren't consistent with each other or even internally. To pick the best example, in the burlesque world we see the main bad-guy assault the doctor and murder a patient. How exactly do these events translate into the "real" world mental hospital? The issue is made worse when, at the end of the movie, the Doctor just calmly calls the cops to have him arrested. What was stopping her before? And doesn't this kind of suggest that the whole movie could have been avoided with one conversation?
The movie really just feels like a bad version of "Chicago" cut with random scenes from "300" and "Shutter Island"
Since Bob brought it up:
I kind of need Bob to give a better justification for his tentative acceptance of "Sucker Punch". I simply cannot see what anyone sees in this film. I can get behind the idea of a subversive lesson in modern gender politics, not the my first choice in a movie to go see but an interesting idea. But it is so horribly constructed as to render the idea still-born.
The whole production jumps back and forth through 3 different levels that aren't consistent with each other or even internally. To pick the best example, in the burlesque world we see the main bad-guy assault the doctor and murder a patient. How exactly do these events translate into the "real" world mental hospital? The issue is made worse when, at the end of the movie, the Doctor just calmly calls the cops to have him arrested. What was stopping her before? And doesn't this kind of suggest that the whole movie could have been avoided with one conversation?
The movie really just feels like a bad version of "Chicago" cut with random scenes from "300" and "Shutter Island"
I kind of need Bob to give a better justification for his tentative acceptance of "Sucker Punch". I simply cannot see what anyone sees in this film. I can get behind the idea of a subversive lesson in modern gender politics, not the my first choice in a movie to go see but an interesting idea. But it is so horribly constructed as to render the idea still-born.
The whole production jumps back and forth through 3 different levels that aren't consistent with each other or even internally. To pick the best example, in the burlesque world we see the main bad-guy assault the doctor and murder a patient. How exactly do these events translate into the "real" world mental hospital? The issue is made worse when, at the end of the movie, the Doctor just calmly calls the cops to have him arrested. What was stopping her before? And doesn't this kind of suggest that the whole movie could have been avoided with one conversation?
The movie really just feels like a bad version of "Chicago" cut with random scenes from "300" and "Shutter Island"
As Brad "Cinema Snob" Jones said, Sucker Punch is pretty much Snyder's Heaven's Gate; a self-indulgent ego trip written by an astoundingly talented visual director who SUCKS at writing.
http://thecinemasnob.com/2011/12/30/the-worst-films-of-2011.aspx
There's a REASON that the director-driven blockbuster died: because they're the kind of films that HATE their audience as you can see the director yelling "This is MY dream. MINE MINE MINE MINE!" like a spoiled child. Again, Snyder has a great visual sense, but he is an awful writer who has the most shallow, Bayonetta-esque wish-fulfillment idea of what makes a "strong female character"
http://thecinemasnob.com/2011/12/30/the-worst-films-of-2011.aspx
There's a REASON that the director-driven blockbuster died: because they're the kind of films that HATE their audience as you can see the director yelling "This is MY dream. MINE MINE MINE MINE!" like a spoiled child. Again, Snyder has a great visual sense, but he is an awful writer who has the most shallow, Bayonetta-esque wish-fulfillment idea of what makes a "strong female character"
Bob, I really enjoy your reviews and the intelligence and effort that goes into them, and I feel our views across a lot of movies are very similar; but, every time you say "Watchmen was a really really good movie" I get a little headache. Just saying I think it was bloated and unfocussed and I honestly don't see how you think Snyder's style is anything so spectacular that it makes up for his other flaws. Otherwise I love all your stuff and can't wait for another year of reviews.
-RBA
-RBA
It would appear I'm one of the few people who actually agree with Bob on Zack Snyder and his films...
And funnily enough, I have actually said so dozens of times before(not on the escapist, but various other forums), that Sucker Punch probably wont really get the appreciation it deserves for half a decade or more, when it will be rediscovered by critics and moviegoers alike. Until then, however, it will probably grow a fairly sizeable cult following, one which I will be a part of(in the sense that I absolutely loved the film and will probably watch it again numerous times - not in the sense of actually joining a bona fide cult, mind you).
I honestly don't understand how could people have so blatantly missed the point of the entire film... perhaps it's because they saw the theatrical release and I saw the director's cut?
I haven't really seen the theatrical release version, so I can't know for certain.
Or... stupidity? Or thinking it's a straightforward film that doesn't require much thought?
Y'know it just ocurred to me, that if it was released during fall, it probably would've gotten a better reception.
And hell, if Sucker Punch would've sucked as much people think it did, I'd probably still give it a pass for the visuals alone. 'Cause bloody hell.. that film is downright spectacularly beautiful, and as a photographer(not a professional, my name is NOT Léon) I can appreciate that a lot.
In fact I find visual arts in general very interesting, and understanding them and figuring them out is close to impossible, simply because everything changes based on context, and that makes it fascinating, both in the sense of creating moar visual artses and in the sense of understanding more and more of it, but never fully figuring it out, since that's simply impossible. Perfect for me.
And funnily enough, I have actually said so dozens of times before(not on the escapist, but various other forums), that Sucker Punch probably wont really get the appreciation it deserves for half a decade or more, when it will be rediscovered by critics and moviegoers alike. Until then, however, it will probably grow a fairly sizeable cult following, one which I will be a part of(in the sense that I absolutely loved the film and will probably watch it again numerous times - not in the sense of actually joining a bona fide cult, mind you).
I honestly don't understand how could people have so blatantly missed the point of the entire film... perhaps it's because they saw the theatrical release and I saw the director's cut?
I haven't really seen the theatrical release version, so I can't know for certain.
Or... stupidity? Or thinking it's a straightforward film that doesn't require much thought?
Y'know it just ocurred to me, that if it was released during fall, it probably would've gotten a better reception.
And hell, if Sucker Punch would've sucked as much people think it did, I'd probably still give it a pass for the visuals alone. 'Cause bloody hell.. that film is downright spectacularly beautiful, and as a photographer(not a professional, my name is NOT Léon) I can appreciate that a lot.
In fact I find visual arts in general very interesting, and understanding them and figuring them out is close to impossible, simply because everything changes based on context, and that makes it fascinating, both in the sense of creating moar visual artses and in the sense of understanding more and more of it, but never fully figuring it out, since that's simply impossible. Perfect for me.
Every time I watch that trailer, I get a lovely shiver down my spine. It's easily one of the most exciting things to be a portent of the future that's happened in the past year.
Also, Bob(Bobbus Movius as your species are known to science), Y U NO REVIEW "ARTSY" FILMS?
I.e The Tree of Life or Melancholia, I'd love to hear your opinion on them just for the hell of it. I saw both and consider them magnificent pieces of filmmaking.
In fact those two + Drive + Sucker Punch are my 4 favourite films of 2011.
Also, I've come to a conclusion, that I absolutely must watch Happy Feet and Happy Feet 2. Simply because they feature penguins. PENGUINS! I WANT A PENGUIN!
(And yes, I am somewhat sleep-deprived at the moment)
I.e The Tree of Life or Melancholia, I'd love to hear your opinion on them just for the hell of it. I saw both and consider them magnificent pieces of filmmaking.
In fact those two + Drive + Sucker Punch are my 4 favourite films of 2011.
Also, I've come to a conclusion, that I absolutely must watch Happy Feet and Happy Feet 2. Simply because they feature penguins. PENGUINS! I WANT A PENGUIN!
(And yes, I am somewhat sleep-deprived at the moment)
Sucker Punch... well, it was well directed and rather well acted. I still didn't think, it was a very good movie. It had a great visual design but the script didn't hold up. The dialogue was pretty bad, the characterisation kinda abysmal (and it's the character that should actually carry this kind of movie) and while it tried to have a feminist message it... didn't really work. You may say the fetishistic way the characters were presented was supposed to be ironic and i see how you came to that conclusion, with the clinic being presented as a brothel but i don't think it worked. The movie didn't really subvert the viewers expectation, it just kinda blinked at them, saying "hey, you are quite a bunch of perverts" and then showed them some women dressed like strippers anyway.
It (and Snyder's schoolboy "nuh-uh, you just don't get it!" bullshit dismissals) has been, and not for the betterRTR said:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/furtively-feminist-mostly-misunderstood-case-file,61684/