Discuss and Rate the Last Film You Watched

[Piscian]

Dr Strange 2

Finally got out to see it yesterday "meh". I have to sort of parrot what I'd heard from other reviews. It's a bit of a mess of good ideas, but never really comes together as anything "great". If I had to call out my biggest disappoint - for a movie called "In the Multiverse of madness" this didn't do much with that idea. The trailer hints it with them falling through the multiverse, but thats about the extent of it. The movie feels surprisingly small in scope and relatively straight forward. There were other things that bothered me, but I dont want to get to spoilerly. Some of the character logic and motivation didn't really work for me.

I'll say something that would surprise some. It was "too much" Sam raimi. You know how Sam Raimi is known for hyper active camera work, snap cuting to close ups and what not? Its almost nonstop here. You remember the scene of Spider-Man 2 in the hospital with the crazy arms flying around? That kind of camera work happens over and over here and it kind of loses its magic after the 3rd or 4th time. Theres a part where the characters are supposed to be running away from a monster and manage to stop it briefly, the problem is they are also supposed to be going somewhere and they already know stopping it is temporary, but instead time slows down and they stand there for a minute or to Sam can reenact the pit jump scare from Army Of Darkness and as the audience you're like "uum why are you just standing there?". It does a toooon of Evil Dead and even Dark Man references. I even surprise myself to say this, I literally have an Evil Dead tattoo, but its just sort of distracting. The movie isn't a horror movie or even horror themed. Its still very clearly a generic Marvel Superhero movie through and through, it just has heavy headed Sam Raimi Evil Dead horror stuff thrown every couple scenes. Its like imagine Iron Man 2, but occasionally skeletons pop out of no where and theres an occasional jump scare. rather than being rewarding it just feels forced.

Ultimately I'm sad to say Everything, Everywhere, at once was much more like what I wanted out of marvels first big multiverse movie. I can see myself softening on it after seeing it again at home, but I just didn't feel rewarded for humping my ass to the theater.


Dual (2022)

Karen Gillian plays sarah, who finds out she has a terminal illness and agrees to get replaced by a clone, only to find out shes not dying and must fight her clone in ritual combat as only one can live. Massive disappointment. If you didn't like "Art of Self-defense" you're gonna hate this. Despite the awesome premise, this is written and acted in the style of those wes anderson films where everyone talks like robots and you're supposed to laugh at it being awkward and quirky. The problem is unlike even "Art of Self-Defense" theres no twists, absurdist or quirky humor here. Its just drab and tiresome. It's not "fun" or engaging. To top it off theres no payoff. So you're sticking it out for nothing. Can not recommend avoiding this one enough.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Sea Fever
An Irish independent horror about a small group of peoples, mostly family, on a fishing trip with a redheaded scientist student lady who is trying to mingle with the daywalkers for once, then coming across a strange new form of life out upon the ocean sea. It's got some nice practical effects alongside sparing use of CGI, the acting is alright, and is mostly above average with only the odd hokey moment or two. I think where it misses the mark here is the lack of any effective soundtrack/score. It could've really been elevated to unforgettable with a distinctive moody ambience, as all the best horrors have done so before. In fact, I'm willing to die on the hill of saying the soundtrack is one of the most important factors of effective horror: the soundscape is key to unease and tension. That aside, there's an element of anti-redhead sentiment presented from the crew as part of their superstition that it's bad luck and all, which as a bit of redhead myself, it's unexpectedly personal. However, despite the family being shown as silly superstitious fisher-peeps throughout, without spoiling, it's noticeable that the trouble only truly ends when the redhead is out of the way of the crew. Don't think I don't see what you're doing!

Halloween Kills
Ok, maybe this belongs in the hot takes thread, but no matter how popular and beloved this franchise is, no matter how 'classy' the previous entry managed to be, I find it impossible to overstate how the main antagonist is just sóooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fucking boring! I'm ten minutes into this and already tired, finding it difficult to maintain attention towards his normie unimaginative shit. The only way they have been able to make any of these mildly engaging is pumping up the quirky human factor. Before they're all unimaginatively stabbed yet again. Then rob zombie bumbles along to make an even shitter version, so at least it's not... Alright, it's not that shit, it can be sometimes entertaining when the people are being people. And the score is... recognisable. But by Christ on a decennial-ended spinning dildo, I don't get the fascination with mister shuffly stabs. Can we not put a funny hat on him? Some strobe lights? Anything??

 

[Casual Shinji]

I just saw The Batman, and Christ is this one long-ass movie. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but the Nolan movies are better- ..well okay, not Rises obviously, but the first two... yeah. And I don't even really like those movies.

This movie should've picked a lane, not try to make a Batman/Catwoman/Thomas Wayne's sordid past movie. Maybe it could've worked, but as is it feels like at least two movies crammed in one. The chemistry between Batman and Selina also leaves something to be desired. I just didn't feel much attraction of any kind with these two. Whenever there's a scene of supposed sexual tension between them it felt weird, like I was missing out on something. Both Pattinson and Kravitz are fine in their roles though.

The whole corruption angle of the story feels like a major cop-out though (no pun intended). The kind that I thought we'd left behind us, but apparently not. The movie starts off with showing us corrupt officials and police officers, but then later it's revealed that they were all simply bought by a crime boss. It's the movie's way of having its cake and eating it too. 'Look, we're showing how the people we trust to lead and protect us are corrupt... but only because a crime boss is pulling their strings - it's not like the system and the police itself is wrong in any way.' There's even a scene expressly to say 'we love cops'. Fucking lame, movie.

And God, that third act was stupid. You're telling me that the ritzy part of Gotham has a bunch of walls just keeping out the fucking ocean, walls that can apparently be blown up with relative ease? Really!?

Anyway, I guess it was nicely shot and scored.

 

[MrCalavera]

All the money in the world

A dramatization of real life kidnapping of John Paul Getty III - grandson of the billionaire oil mogul.

Of all historical dramas set in XXc. Italy and directed by Ridley Scott, this is certainly the one i don't regret watching - not a masterpiece by any means, but still triumphs Scott's recent House of Gucci in most areas.
Both movies are about awful, rich people, but for one ATMITW tries to say something about them, instead merely portraying them.

It's an alright crime thriller otherwise - I give it 7 on the Ridley Scott scale

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

The Kings Man
Two words: Sexy Hitler.

Ok, maybe an end credits scene destined for memes shouldn't taint a whole film, even if I did see the clip beforehand and even if it did accurately prepare me for the main event. But it's all I could think about going in and coming out. In that sense I suppose I was sufficiently vaccinated to maintain a low level of engagement and perhaps even "fun" at times. We can almost pretend he never happened at all!

However, one searing question surrounds this and the previous movie like a chip pan fire that's been allowed to spread, getting all high and mighty on ideas way above its station....what happened to the stylish action scene direction of the first film? That gave it a distinct identity, along with one of the best action scenes in modern, erm, action with the church fight set to the solo of Free Bird. Yet the sequels (prequel, bleh) just threw it away for more standard action, though admittedly still better directed than the marvel movies at least, and there was a 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' moment near the end with some inventive camera work during a sword fight, but it was confusingly brief. Come on now, don't tease us like that! Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes sequel managed to bring along the first's unique take on action while even playing with the established expectations too, so this series has no excuse for dragging its heels.

Still, Sexy Hitler!

 

[Terminal Blue]

Similar to The Green Knight theres not much story here. The film is a very straight forward tale of viking revenge, based on an old Norse tale that shares similarities with Hamlet.

I finally got round to seeing it. I absolutely love Robert Eggers, he has made two of my favourite films of all time and I feel like this was a step down, but not a huge step down.

For some reason we've been getting a lot of viking-themed media lately and it is, to put it bluntly, excessively revisionist and romanticized, in a way that I think is rather dangerous given who else tends to be really into romanticized ideas of norse history. Probably the thing I most appreciate about this film is that it doesn't really indulge the idea that the norse were prototypical modern people who can be easily translated into relatable metaphors or modern morality. I also really appreciate the explicit focus it gives to those parts of the viking age that tend to be conveniently brushed aside, like slavery, human sacrifice and concubinage. It feels like quite a pointed criticism of the tactical avoidance of these subjects in most media portrayals of norse people.

And to me that's really what set it apart from the Green Knight, which I also very much saw the resemblance to. The Green Knight is a very obvious metaphor with a very obvious intended perspective, but one that becomes quite weird and uncomfortable when you actually take it seriously. The Northman trusts you to go into this morally alien setting and make up your own mind about how you feel about it, which is both smarter and way less annoying.

Really, my only criticism is with Anya Taylor Joy's character. She's such a generic love interest that she kind of seems out of place in this film where all the other characters are given a degree of psychological complexity. But even then I have to admit that if it were any other director, I would just accept it and move on.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Eon's first attempt at replacing Bond. Connery was done after 5 movies and wanted out; the best the producers could come up with was George Lazenby, a generically handsome dude best known for peddling chocolate bars on Australian TV. The movie is self-conscious about it too - instead of opening on Bond as usual we go through scenes with M, Q and Moneypenny, still played by the same actors as ever (minus Q in Dr. No), all discussing a myteriously absent Bond. Once Lazenby finally appears on camera (he's built up from the back and in profile for a few tense minutes) he breaks the 4th wall - holy shit - and jokingly mentions "the other fellow" while looking at the camera. Cut to an opening montage where, for the very first time, we see snippets from the other movies, Greatest Hits style.

You don't see this sort of celebratory self-regard in any of the earlier movies. I think this was a decision from the producers to sort of ease the transition from one actor to another one by having the iconography of the series overtake the character. So before we even concern ourselves with the new Bond we're assured by the appearence of series maintays M, Q and Moneypenny, and once Lazenby is introduced we quickly fall back into the iconic moments of the film series that coincidentally don't feature Connery-Bond at all, instead focusing on the girls, the gadgets and the villains. Early on we even get a scene with Bond melancholically cleaning his desk, toying with the trinkets he's picked up from his previous adventures: Honey Rider's knife (we even hear her singing), Grant's wristwatch with the fiber wire and the breather from Thunderball. Throw in a gold ingot an a shuriken and he'd have the full set. It's almost as if we don't need this Connery fellow.

All of this to say that the movie isn't very good, at least the first half. For the most part it's about 007 taking a holiday and romancing a lady who seems to be escaping trouble every step of the way, played by Diana Rigg. The father eventually comes into the picture and there's this horrid 1940s screwball style plot where dad desperately wants to marry his daughter to Bond so she can "settle down" and will even pay Bond a million bucks for the trouble. Obviously Bond and Tracy get over the horrible setup and fall "for realsies" over a dreamy montage that is a poor substitute for building their dynamic.

Eventually Bond makes it to Blofeld's hideout atop the Swiss alps and this is were the movie goes insane. On Her Majesty's Secret Service essentially becomes a nightmare. Bond is surrounded by a harem of bimbos but unable to put the moves on anyone while disguised; the camera lingers on the women and the food while fading from one to the other while expressing barely contained sexual frustration. Blofeld brainwashes them at night with a disco-like strobe and has them playing curling in the morning. Once Bond is close to sexual gratification he gets ambushed and trapped and we begin a cycle of Bond repeatedly failing to escape increasingly surreal predicaments while constantly being chased and every respite being cut short with more relentless chasing. He's going down a mountain for something like 40 minutes and never seems to get nearer the base, or gain on his enemies, or lose anyone no matter through how many crowds he tries to escape (another nightmare hallmark: people around you being cheerily unaware of something terribly wrong). For the first time ever Bond is markedly scared, tired, alone, undersexed and unable to land a single victory. Even the infamous final scene of the movie feels like a final fuck you from a nightmare that you can't ever quite escape.

So Lazenby isn't a very good actor, but I posit he's the right Bond for this particular Bond movie. In a movie about Bond constantly being emasculated and ineffective I don't think I'd buy Connery. Lazenby has the right pathetic, harmless presence of some poor bastard who's out of his element and constantly being punished for it.

Only thing I'd change about the ending of the movie: Blofeld's fakeout death is so visually striking I wish he'd actually died there. Don't even show his head on close-up, just let the hanged man's feet dangle for a couple of seconds. Leave the final drive-by to Irma Bunt on her own - the audience has already forgotten about her by then and the tragedy is more poignant if it comes from a loose end rather than just, you know, the big bad in a neck brace.

Also I think this is probably the moodiest, most atmospheric Bond movie so far. Bond certainly never looked this cool.

 

[Hawki]

Snip

So, er, does that mean Diamonds Are Forever is next?

If so, you have my sympathy.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

The Kings Man

However, one searing question surrounds this and the previous movie like a chip pan fire that's been allowed to spread, getting all high and mighty on ideas way above its station....what happened to the stylish action scene direction of the first film?

I thought the no man's land scene was pretty good. Beyond that, meh. I guess sometimes having a lower budget forces you to be creative, because even Kingsman 2 couldn't really live up to my expectations for action scenes.

 

[thebobmaster]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service
SNIP

For me, the best part about OHMSS was Telly Salavas as Blofeld. While Donald Pleasance is the proto -Blofeld, and the one that everyone thinks of when they picture Blofeld (at least, I hope so), Salavas is the one who I feel does the best job of feeling like an anti-Bond. He's much more suave than the other Blofeld's, and I actually found it kind of refreshing how low-key his evil plan was. Conquer the world? Tried that, didn't work, let me just try for amnesty.

The rest of the movie, as you said, fairly boring. It didn't need to be as long as it is, and George Lazenby...well, you can tell he was fairly new to this whole "acting" thing, other than the last scene where I think he actually pulled off the emotions pretty well.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Memory: Meh / Great

Liam Neeson doing more "Liam Neson" as an assassin with early-onset dementia who tracks down and kills people running a sex trafficking ring. If you've seen any Liam Neeson film from the past two decades, you've seen this one.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Dunno, IMHO, the best bit (only really good bit) is when he's totally defeated and holding his head in his heads then sees someone's boots as they stand in front of him looking at him, and somehow it's Tracy.

EDIT: Of OHMSS, not of more Liam Neeson. And Liam Neeson voices Aslan in the Narnia films, which seems a little out of character for him.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

I thought the no man's land scene was pretty good. Beyond that, meh. I guess sometimes having a lower budget forces you to be creative, because even Kingsman 2 couldn't really live up to my expectations for action scenes.

Yeah that was a nicely directed bit. And, while it might be my own vertigo to blame, I found the plane jump scene going wrong quite gripping also. Interesting that you bring up budget, cause I was wondering how much cost and effort went into the camera work in the first film compared to relying on CGI, how it all tallies up together, and whether it was just quicker to go for the latter to hit deadlines or not.

 

[McElroy]

And Liam Neeson voices Aslan in the Narnia films, which seems a little out of character for him.

Qui-Gon voising Aslan seems perfectly in character.

If you've seen any Liam Neeson film from the past two decades, you've seen this one.

Y'know it has "only" been 14 years since Taken.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Y'know it has "only" been 14 years since Taken.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Yeah that was a nicely directed bit. And, while it might be my own vertigo to blame, I found the plane jump scene going wrong quite gripping also. Interesting that you bring up budget, cause I was wondering how much cost and effort went into the camera work in the first film compared to relying on CGI, how it all tallies up together, and whether it was just quicker to go for the latter to hit deadlines or not.

I looked up the budgets, guess my assumptions were wrong. The first two movies had basically the same budget (and performed roughly the same too). The third had a similar budget, but wayyyyy underperformed. That's... interesting. Guess Matthew Vaughn is just a very inconsistent writer/director.

 

[Piscian]

I looked up the budgets, guess my assumptions were wrong. The first two movies had basically the same budget (and performed roughly the same too). The third had a similar budget, but wayyyyy underperformed. That's... interesting. Guess Matthew Vaughn is just a very inconsistent writer/director.

A gimmick can only get you so far.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

So, er, does that mean Diamonds Are Forever is next?

Ayup

For me, the best part about OHMSS was Telly Salavas as Blofeld. While Donald Pleasance is the proto -Blofeld, and the one that everyone thinks of when they picture Blofeld (at least, I hope so), Salavas is the one who I feel does the best job of feeling like an anti-Bond. He's much more suave than the other Blofeld's, and I actually found it kind of refreshing how low-key his evil plan was. Conquer the world? Tried that, didn't work, let me just try for amnesty.

The rest of the movie, as you said, fairly boring. It didn't need to be as long as it is, and George Lazenby...well, you can tell he was fairly new to this whole "acting" thing, other than the last scene where I think he actually pulled off the emotions pretty well.

I like Savalas in general, there's always something a little bit creepy yet suave about him (whether he's playing a good guy or a bad guy). Of the three main Blofelds his feels the most like a proper character, and it helps that he recurs throughout the movie instead of showing up at the end like Pleasence, who is properly weird and eccentric but not much of a character. I'll say you can't beat the classic Donald Pleasence look though. Telly Savalas as Blofeld just looks like... Telly Savalas.

 

[Trunkage]

So... watched the James Gunn Suicide Squad. I have a hard time trying to pick which is better, this or the old one

That's not a compliment.

I dont know why anyone was in this movie other than Ratcatcher. Everyone was like the Joker from the original - pointless to the point of nausea. What a waste

Anyway, also watch Peacemaker. Much better. Characters actually did stuff. I dont know how this Peacemaker is related to the one in Suicide Squad, but that's probably for the best

 

[Thaluikhain]

So... watched the James Gunn Suicide Squad. I have a hard time trying to pick which is better, this or the old one

That's not a compliment.

I dont know why anyone was in this movie other than Ratcatcher. Everyone was like the Joker from the original - pointless to the point of nausea.

I particularly liked the shocking reveal that the US had been up to bad stuff in South America, and had been supporting a dictatorship. And that if this got out people would totally care.