Escape to the Movies: The Expendables

[PhiMed]

snip

Jesus that's incredibly rude. Don't get uppity over Bob's comments and then go make assumptions over people who enjoyed Scott Pilgrim. That's the definition of a hypocrite. That being said everyone throws around the word hipster without knowing what it means.

People don't like Scott Pilgrim by going into it with poor expectations and refusing to like it for reasons like casting choice or just inherent prejudices against what they think the movie stands for. That's why it is disappointing when does poorly in the box office, Edgar Wright really made that movie work and is a far better director than Stallone. It is evident he put a great deal of effort to make that movie work and give it a unique feel. To be fair having looked over the books afterwards I'm surprised he was able to turn it into an enjoyable movie.

Stallone has his own little niche but all he does nowadays is remake his old movies or just make homages to his old movies.

I didn't say anything about people who enjoyed Scott Pilgrim. Most of the derogatory statements I made were about it's target audience. The word "hipster" is slang. Considering the fact that it wasn't coined by a think-tank or a scientist, but came to the social consciousness through popular use, it means whatever the majority of people think it means. So, your assertion that "most people" use the word without knowing what it means indicates that you don't understand how slang works.

Statements like yours exemplify my problem with most of the praise of this movie and movies like it, and my main problem with Bob's review. I talked about the marketting campaign, the themes of the movie, and the composition of the audience in the theater. Bob talked about anyone who enjoyed the Expendables. There's a difference. Your accusation of hypocrisy is baseless.

I stated in my post that I enjoyed both movies, and I still got the standard, boiler-plate response to any statement that suggests that people shouldn't be surprised about The Expendables beating out Scott Pilgrim. I'm so tired of hearing the same sorts of statements about movies like this. The condescending, snide combination of "If you don't like it, you didn't understand it," "You aren't able to look past your dislike for a particular actor," and "You lack the proper cultural reference," that you just used do nothing to advance your cause. All it does is make the person you're talking to think you're an undeservedly pretentious prick who can't cite anything actually truly meritorious about the work you're defending, or in this case asserting is objectively superior to another.

Protip: "The director worked really hard" (which is true for the vast majority of movies) and "he really made it work" (which is ENTIRELY your opinion) don't count as merits.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

That 4 screenshots at 03:08

I see Equilibrium and Bourne.
But what are the other two?

Inception and The American (though The American isn't out yet)

 

[Zombie Nixon]

Moviebob in his transformers 2 review: You can make a good movie out of anything

Moviebob in his expendables review: If you think this concept could be cool you're a terrible person

Never change, bob.

 

[theApoc]

I got you to respond, must have pressed some major buttons. Note: I didn't register until I felt like trying out the forums, I'm 100% positive I've been here longer silently.
Ohhh you decided to insult me because I was giving you some friendly advice, you know what's even funnier? I can prove I'm not the negative stereotype "Nerd", while you seem quite anger-prone over the interwebz. Take a chill pill, I didn't insult you once, Movie Bob may have upset you, but you should still remain calm and collected, post why you don't agree instead of "RAWR BLAND OVERUSED INTERNET JOKE X"

What the hell are you talking about? We are posting on a site devoted to video games, debating a "review" of two more or less B movies. So I have some bad news for you pal, on some level we are both nerds with a huge helping of geek thrown in, so if you take that as an insult on this site, you are even more insecure than I thought.

Anyway, setting your lack of a clue aside, Bob analyzed the movie, I made an assessment of Bob, period. No insults, nothing but opinion which as I stated before is just as valid as yours or his. And I would still put money on Bob getting picked on in high school...

So seriously give it a rest.

 

[OldMann]

"BLEEP" YOU BOB!
Get off your high horse and look around @ what you are stepping on....that's right your viewers.
Your insults are childish & petty, someone has a different view than you do. Well they must be a terrorist....time to go to war!
This will be my one & only post on your page and the last review of yours I will ever watch. I hope that I am not alone in saying....Good bye Bob!

 

[Alexadecimal]

Just got back from seeing the Expendables and yeah it totally sucked, guess I should have listened to this review first lol.
I wouldn't have minded an old school action movie, too bad the action just wasn't good, the camera was everywhere but where u wanted it, ah well.

 

[wolfshrimp]

OK so... deep breath before I stick my insignificant oar into the ocean of internet.

To argue with MovieBob is pointless, he has opinion and I respect that. I hover between two camps here- on one side the gaming, intelligent, charming, arts-degree analyst, and on the other extreme sports loving, gun-toting, martial artist and stuntman-in-training.

To be honest, I would never have gone to see Scott Pilgrim... I just didn't dig the concept, even watched Bob's review to see what it was about. The concept seemed to me (being subjective here and NOT insulting anyone) rather cheesy and, for all its bright colours and sequences- dull.

The Expendables looked fun. It was enjoyable. True it had faults- too much shakey-cam in the fight scenes, maybe it didn't wrap all the plot up, yes Jet Li was underused but he had some lines I'm still quoting two weeks after seeing the movie. The bottom line is that I left the cinema with a smile on my face. I liked the fact that it didn't conform to the standard "everybody gets a girl and eats apple pie" ending of most big budget movies. And to be honest, if you've got all these guys in your movie- do you think the most effective marketing method is to have it reviewed in the intellectual papers based on its scenography and peerless soundtrack. F*ck no, you sell a product based on what it does.

I know Bob as a critic looks for "more" in a movie but that's not who movies are made for. Sometimes you don't want to be hit over the head with a message or enjoy the satire a movie makes of an established genre. Sometimes you just want all the pieces to fall into place. This is going to make me sound like a real nob but I'm working with what I know: The sagas and poetic eddas of the Norse people (Vikings to the layman) were simple stories that entertained large groups of people by having unstoppable heroes be unstoppable much in the vein of The Expendables. Now before anyone says "Uuuuh but the Vikings were all muscle-bound thugs" take a look at the complex rhyme schemes and structures they based their entertainment on and piss off.

Movies are an escape from the often depressing, frequently stupid and ever present reality of daily life. The Expendables is fun to some people, just as Scott Pilgrim is fun to others. Just accept we all escape from reality in our different ways and some methods of escapism are more commercially viable than others.

Bob, you let me down this time, but don't worry- it happens.
Everyone else- chill, smile and work together.

Wolfshrimp

PS: Do you think I'll get a reward for bringing up escapism on the Escapist?

 

[II2]

Bob,

If you keep oscillating between nauseating favoritism and an adult baby throwing a tantrum, you make yourself sound like an idiot.

If your last 2 reviews were my introduction to your show, I wouldn't continue watching.

Get your shit together, man.

 

[Nate Corran]

Is it just me or can every sentence in this video begin with, "I cant believe this movie did better than scott pilgrim because (or when)..."?

 

[Odoylerules360]

Fuck you Bob.

Scott Pilgrim is shit.

The only thing it has going for it, is a poorly executed expensive gimmick, one funny joke, and Michael Cera's name.

 

[Normalgamer]

I got you to respond, must have pressed some major buttons. Note: I didn't register until I felt like trying out the forums, I'm 100% positive I've been here longer silently.
Ohhh you decided to insult me because I was giving you some friendly advice, you know what's even funnier? I can prove I'm not the negative stereotype "Nerd", while you seem quite anger-prone over the interwebz. Take a chill pill, I didn't insult you once, Movie Bob may have upset you, but you should still remain calm and collected, post why you don't agree instead of "RAWR BLAND OVERUSED INTERNET JOKE X"

What the hell are you talking about? We are posting on a site devoted to video games, debating a "review" of two more or less B movies. So I have some bad news for you pal, on some level we are both nerds with a huge helping of geek thrown in, so if you take that as an insult on this site, you are even more insecure than I thought.

Anyway, setting your lack of a clue aside, Bob analyzed the movie, I made an assessment of Bob, period. No insults, nothing but opinion which as I stated before is just as valid as yours or his. And I would still put money on Bob getting picked on in high school...

So seriously give it a rest.

Lol, you really think I'm hurt some internet person insulting me rofl, you seem too use to commenting on youtube, so quick to have your manhood hurt.

 

[Caverat]

Eh, not much point in posting this deep in, but whatever. If Bob can have the diarrhea of the mouth that was this review, I can do the same with mine digits.

Bob, in the unlikely event you even read this, what the hell? I go on vacation for a week and that is the review you put up?

Seriously, insulting a group of people like that is utter ignorance of the worst kind.

If you are going to make a blanket statement in such a manner you might as well be accurate.

For example:

"Anyone who complains/protests over the drawing of The Prophet Muhammed is an over-reacting twat-wad, and actually stands in opposition of things like the freedom of expression. Nevermind the fact that in doing so they are giving special protection to a particular faith over other religions, destroying any notion of equality."

Or.

"The only thing to be accomplished by opposing and trying to disrupt the G20 is to help hone the skill of the host nation's riot police. The G20 is progress, and what is objectively best for the world. If by 'objectively' you mean a reasonable, intelligently derived system to help solve the world's issues. Note: Not any of the anarchist veined ideas for society that would steer the world back to the dark ages."

Say things like that, Bob, put the mis-directed fart gas to good use.

 

[Charisma]

I cant believe he called everyone who watches Expendables "sheep"

are gamers really this easily pandered too?

 

[Gaz-2]

Well done Bob. Over 1000 comments. I salute your shit-stirring capabilities, good sir.

 

[theApoc]

Lol, you really think I'm hurt some internet person insulting me rofl, you seem too use to commenting on youtube, so quick to have your manhood hurt.

Heh, you are kind of funny. Let's be friends. Though I would ask that you try to post things that make sense once in a while.

 

[Madpotator]

You and Spoony got some serious heat for not liking The Expendables. Jeez.

 

[DanHibiki]

I cant believe he called everyone who watches Expendables "sheep"

are gamers really this easily pandered too?

remember "video games are not art"?

 

[Ashendarei]

You know, I LIKED this movie. NOT because I thought it was a good movie, or because I thought it was going to advance the movie industry in any way, but simply because it was a FUN, CORNY movie.

Definately worth watching with your buddies, just don't try to take it seriously, because it's totally not.

 

[Ericb]

You and Spoony got some serious heat for not liking The Expendables. Jeez.

What's more interesting is that a lot people who claim to hate them still come back to hate some more. It almost sounds like love, in a disturbed way.

People, if you liked the movie, why exactly do you care so much about what a couple of guys have to say about it? Are you secure of your tastes?

Pff.