Escape to the Movies: The Expendables
- Thread starter MovieBob
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I'm with you on this one. Gah. Fuck...Hurr Durr Derp said:
Okay, Bob, after the masturbation joke in your Salt review... what the hell? I mean do you really intend to be taken as a legitimate reviewer? It takes a real kind of hypocrisy to bash films for selling to the "douchebag demographic" less than a month after making a review that basically amounts to jerking off to Angelina Jolee. Or, even more so, to complain about that kind of pandering while saying DOA has eight reasons to watch.
The reason why I think Scott Pilgrim bombed it? Micheal Cera...Yea! People dont think Cera can pull out of his Geek/Awkward/Nice Kid character and just act in another tone. Whereas Expendables has all those action movie actors that everyone wanted to see a return of from the 80's. Lets face up to facts that people would rather see Stallone compared to "that one kid from Superbad". To be fair if I wasnt a Scott Pilgrim fan I would probably leave the movie alone for Cera alone and see Expendables
Great post but no point in quoting it all.Ian S said:
As for why Pilgrim didn't catch fire at the box office, first, I think you're overstating the appeal of videogames particularly given how that was so much of what the marketing for the movie leaned on. You're quite right in saying that most of the populace probably has been exposed to many of the concepts used to tell the story in Pilgrim, but that doesn't mean they find those concepts appealing. Actually, going by the previews and trailers alone, I don't think it would be out of the question to think that the entire movie is nothing but a constant barrage of videogame tropes; that there is no movie beyond coin drops and life bar enabled fight scenes. As much as this sort of thing potentially appeals to the average gamer, and as much as average gamers know that often real stories and adventures can be found underneath standard videogame trappings, I just don't think it "works" for most people. They may "get it" and laugh at their memories of playing Mario, but it won't get them to think positively of the movie.
Second, I honestly feel that Pilgrim was released on a terrible weekend. It's a movie that already has something of a limited built in audience, made even more so by it's advertising, but they chose to launch it against not 1 but 2 big name movies that were guaranteed to draw audiences regardless of quality. Generally big box office weekend totals don't fluctuate that much and the pie is only so big to begin with. Had they picked a better launch date, there is no question it would have done better. Launch Pilgrim a month later after the summer rush where it could bathe in the positive built in word of mouth glow it would have surely received amongst just back to schoolers and it would have instantly done better. Launch it against one of the stodgy made for an Oscar grab movies that start appearing in the fall, and it would have done better as the perfect counter programming. While never a slam dunk, it's easy to see how the numbers could have been better.
And yeah, you're right about the Cera hate. I don't get it myself but I can't deny I see it and read about it everywhere I go. *shrug*
YES!
Knew it. I wasn't going to see this shit anyway, i knew it was gonna suck. And i'm definatly not going to see it now.
Knew it. I wasn't going to see this shit anyway, i knew it was gonna suck. And i'm definatly not going to see it now.
Thank you so much movie Bob. Thank God I thought I was the only one in the world that didn't like this movie. While I do think you're exaggerating a little how bad it is. I a big dumb explosion filled epic trying to mask it with trying to make it seem deeper than it actually was, and failed miserably.
OMFG< Im glad i didnt watch moviebobs opinion before going to see this, i thought this was a great movie, one of stallone's best in a long while, and having the balls to do it.
the choreography was great, the only time i felt it could have been better was Jet li vs Dolph lungren, a bit too much shaky cam and not enough letting Jet li do his thing, but thats fine, the fight between Stallone and Steve Austin was great, the double team of Jason Statham and Jet li on Gary Daniels was brutally awesome. the fight with Randy coture and Steve austin was great and that loud un terry crews had got a big laugh in the cinema.
The only thing i totally will Back up movie bob on would be his comment this movie is a huge huge success, and will green light another 10-20 brainless action movies that wont be half the worth of this.
But honestly Bob, i really enjoyed it, and will get the dvd I do want to see scott Pilgram still, so i will make the effort soon
Thanks abyway bob, but I already made up my mind, I really like this movie.
the choreography was great, the only time i felt it could have been better was Jet li vs Dolph lungren, a bit too much shaky cam and not enough letting Jet li do his thing, but thats fine, the fight between Stallone and Steve Austin was great, the double team of Jason Statham and Jet li on Gary Daniels was brutally awesome. the fight with Randy coture and Steve austin was great and that loud un terry crews had got a big laugh in the cinema.
The only thing i totally will Back up movie bob on would be his comment this movie is a huge huge success, and will green light another 10-20 brainless action movies that wont be half the worth of this.
But honestly Bob, i really enjoyed it, and will get the dvd
I do want to see scott Pilgram still, so i will make the effort soon Thanks abyway bob, but I already made up my mind, I really like this movie.
Everyone seems to be criticising scott pilgram, and im not sure its called for, I would go see i just wanted to see Expendables first,
I never read the comics but i get the idea
i will go see Scott pilgram cos i think it deserves my money, But movie bob, I love your reviews still!
I never read the comics but i get the idea
i will go see Scott pilgram cos i think it deserves my money, But movie bob, I love your reviews still!
I have not seen either film, and do not plan to until they're both out on Blu-Ray (Just my general policy for movies because the theaters where I live all SUCK).
I found The Expendables to be unoriginal in a way, in all likelihood because I happened to read about the A-Team movie and this in the same magazine at Borders one night. However, I still plan on seeing both of them because they just look like a fun action movie, end of story. I know, and just about everyone who went to see it opening night, KNEW what they were going to get. Sometimes I like to just sit back and watch a vicarious kill-fest or explosive nonsense to cool off from a long day or week. And if you want to have an easy-going, fun ride in the cinema, a film like The Expendables is a sure-thing to the general crowd. We all have our own personal motivations and desires when picking a film, but why does this particular choice damn everyone and anyone to being a complete twit? [sub]At least it's not as pathetic as something from the team behind Meet the Spartans.[/sub]
If you look at a lot of commercials and trailers for movies and base your opinion just on that, hell, you could generalize about every movie with an explosion in it as a reel full of awesome or a vapid mind-stupor. I hold final judgment for myself after seeing The Expendables (and Scott Pilgrim), but who's to say? If I'm in the mood, a good action flick is a good action flick and if I discounted a movie based off of advertising alone, I would never have bothered watching G.I. Joe, Transformers, and all of the other silly but still entertaining action movies out there.
I am quite glad that The Expendables has done well in the box office. I think we all need a good cinematic rinse of masculinity and explosions to wipe off the Robert Patterson smudge the Twilight crowd has left on our shoes. If anything, why does The Expendables deserve so much ire compared to a series that actually makes vampires lame? Talk a about a movie sin.
It sounds like a real shame that Scott Pilgrim Vs the World did not do amazing at the box office, and a part of it is often the film's exposure and advertising. When I first saw the Scott Pilgrim Trailer and heard about the movie, it really did not sink in until a few commercials that this was a movie with a pretty unique concept that is just funny to think about: Seven Evil Exs. The premise alone made me think more of an action-comedy of the likes of Kill Bill or something similar. However, what initially made me more neutral and could have killed off a lot of people's interest was seeing who was in it: Michael Cera. I don't hate him or his movies, but I think that he's been in so many of these samey roles of "Loser gets the girl" with the same damn personality that it's just outright tiresome. Most people are going to go by the ads they see, and while Movie Bob claims that Cera is not the same nice-guy loser role, most people could easily assume that, given every other movie Cera is in, Scott Pilgrim would be no different. Look at the title even, "Scott Pilgrim Versus The World!!!" He's Scott Pilgrim, and againso it's like him vs society and finding acceptance, and getting laid the girl. However, I am glad to have seen Bob's review on the film because that helped me personally because while I still like the fun idea behind it, I'm sick of Michael Cera at this point.
I found The Expendables to be unoriginal in a way, in all likelihood because I happened to read about the A-Team movie and this in the same magazine at Borders one night. However, I still plan on seeing both of them because they just look like a fun action movie, end of story. I know, and just about everyone who went to see it opening night, KNEW what they were going to get. Sometimes I like to just sit back and watch a vicarious kill-fest or explosive nonsense to cool off from a long day or week. And if you want to have an easy-going, fun ride in the cinema, a film like The Expendables is a sure-thing to the general crowd. We all have our own personal motivations and desires when picking a film, but why does this particular choice damn everyone and anyone to being a complete twit? [sub]At least it's not as pathetic as something from the team behind Meet the Spartans.[/sub]
If you look at a lot of commercials and trailers for movies and base your opinion just on that, hell, you could generalize about every movie with an explosion in it as a reel full of awesome or a vapid mind-stupor. I hold final judgment for myself after seeing The Expendables (and Scott Pilgrim), but who's to say? If I'm in the mood, a good action flick is a good action flick and if I discounted a movie based off of advertising alone, I would never have bothered watching G.I. Joe, Transformers, and all of the other silly but still entertaining action movies out there.
I am quite glad that The Expendables has done well in the box office. I think we all need a good cinematic rinse of masculinity and explosions to wipe off the Robert Patterson smudge the Twilight crowd has left on our shoes. If anything, why does The Expendables deserve so much ire compared to a series that actually makes vampires lame? Talk a about a movie sin.
It sounds like a real shame that Scott Pilgrim Vs the World did not do amazing at the box office, and a part of it is often the film's exposure and advertising. When I first saw the Scott Pilgrim Trailer and heard about the movie, it really did not sink in until a few commercials that this was a movie with a pretty unique concept that is just funny to think about: Seven Evil Exs. The premise alone made me think more of an action-comedy of the likes of Kill Bill or something similar. However, what initially made me more neutral and could have killed off a lot of people's interest was seeing who was in it: Michael Cera. I don't hate him or his movies, but I think that he's been in so many of these samey roles of "Loser gets the girl" with the same damn personality that it's just outright tiresome. Most people are going to go by the ads they see, and while Movie Bob claims that Cera is not the same nice-guy loser role, most people could easily assume that, given every other movie Cera is in, Scott Pilgrim would be no different. Look at the title even, "Scott Pilgrim Versus The World!!!" He's Scott Pilgrim, and againso it's like him vs society and finding acceptance, and getting
I have a very large question to all the sheep who have said about "I KNEW IT, I AIN'T SEEING THIS SHIT THANKS MOVIE BOB"
What if Movie Bob said it was great? What if he said "Its cheesey, its obnoxious and stupid...but I love it?"
Would you still say that you called it? That you knew it was amazing without actually seeing it?
You agree with Bob about people who saw it being sheep and yet you act like those people you deride when it comes to critics.
Fuckin' hypocrits.
What if Movie Bob said it was great? What if he said "Its cheesey, its obnoxious and stupid...but I love it?"
Would you still say that you called it? That you knew it was amazing without actually seeing it?
You agree with Bob about people who saw it being sheep and yet you act like those people you deride when it comes to critics.
Fuckin' hypocrits.
More reasons listed:Freebird. said:
-Boring
-Poor fight choreography
-Lack of gore
-Lack of memorable kills or action sequences
-'Actors' who have no business being in acting (Couture/Austin)
This is something that a few people have said already, but I feel bears repeating again and again and again and again until people get it through their skulls. MovieBob isn't saying that mindless crazy explosion filled action movies suck. He's saying that The Expendables is a sucky mindless crazy explosion filled action movie. There's a difference. One need only compare with his review of the A-Team. The A-Team was nothing but mindless crazy explosion filled fun, and it did a good job of it. The Expendables on the other hand, did a lousy job of it, and thus was a lousy movie. Furthermore, just because you happen to like a movie, doesn't mean that the movie is good. Hell, I happened to love the american made Godzilla movie, but you won't see me going around trying to debate how awesome it was, because I'm not going to win that argument. Just because you enjoyed the Expendables, doesn't change the fact that it's a lousy movie, and it's terribleness is not simply because of all the mindless action. It's because the mindless action was poorly done.
Now, mind you, the Expendables probably isn't as bad as MovieBob is saying it is, there's no doubt that at least some of his rage is the result of the fact that a fantastic movie like Scott Pilgrim failed, but hey, he's a critic, his entire job is to tell you what his opinion is. You getting angry at and insulting him for that is just the pot calling the kettle black. Ultimately, anyone bitching about the review is just taking it waaaay too personally.
I saw this on opening weekend and still havent seen Scott Pilgrim. But in all fairness I'm in Scotland and I can't see Scott Pilgrim until Wednesday. I really can't wait for it.
EDIT: I thought the film was alright but nothing special. Kept me entertained but I wouldn't go back for more. Also Jet Li and Terry Crews were criminally underused. More Terry Crews would have made it 100 times better
EDIT: I thought the film was alright but nothing special. Kept me entertained but I wouldn't go back for more. Also Jet Li and Terry Crews were criminally underused. More Terry Crews would have made it 100 times better
Just checked on the early estimates for this weekend and I'm actually almost frightened to watch Bob's video next week. If the early estimates hold up, The Expendables will be beaten this weekend.. by Vampires Suck, the continuation of the absolutely pointless unfunny "parody" series that this time is targeted at one of Bob's most hated series.
