Escape to the Movies: The Giver - Don't Bother Giving This Movie Your Time

[Grabehn]

Why is the story so simplified in it's message and views, why can't it keep the symbolism of the book?
Teenagers aren't all idiots, We can take that type of abstract thought so please make a movie that does the book justice and help inspire people.

Yeah, but there's not that many, and why bother when "blunt whatever movie plus romance" gives you a lot more money instead.

I wish it was done more like an independent thing rather than big-deal "let's us have another hunger games" thing, the concept sounds pretty good, even when Bob seems to have oversimplified it to an annoying extreme.

 

[Chezza]

I knew that community joke would receive its fair share of comments and criticism. It did get old but I would of quite enjoyed it more if by the third time "the video recognized" its over-use and simply starts to speed up the sound, then skip half of the next one and so fourth. Just for more laughs.

 

[TheSpyIsASpyWDZ]

I have never heard of The Giver. Is it American high school material or something? The idea sound alright so I might give the book a look (unless it's too long).

Community gag was good but done one too many times. Just to throw my 2 cents into the ring...

Eh, more like American Middle School, at least that's when I had to read it. It's not very long of a read.

 

[Barbas]

Boy, that "COMMUNITY" gag got old real quick.

Whoop, lost the page. Yep, it sure did, though. Wish I could say more about the film, but it really doesn't seem all that memorable. I think it just tries too hard to be.

 

[jackpipsam]

The community joke got real old after the second time.
It's funny listening to Bob explain how the film is dull, when his jokes are also dull.

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

Question: What Dragon Quest game was that at the end?

Nthing the Community (Dun! Dun. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!) joke getting old fast as well.

That'd be Dragon Quest Heroes, the next game to join the Dynasty Warriors-like bandwagon. Not that I'm entirely complaining, Hyrule Warriors could be interesting enough, and being able to run arond flogging guys as the Monbarbra sisters would be pretty awesome.

Hopefully Jessica makes it in, always loved her despite the goofy accent in DQ8 and some of her absurd costumes.

O_O To paraphrase the Green Scorpion...

"You have GOT to be kidding me! SquareEnix, I love you! TAKE MY MONEY!"

Actually, it might be fun if we can get some of the more interesting characters as allies, like Fleurette.

"Do it, Blade! Do it like you mean it!"

(She WAS talking about using my super attack...right? *smirks*)

 

[Tim Chuma]

Hasn't What We Do in the Shadows come out yet?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416742/

It says it was released earlier in the year but I am not sure if it means it was screened at a festival?

Unfortunately, it means "screened at festival", which is a shame as it is a brilliant movie.

Hopefully it does well, there are lots of jokes that reward people who are into horror movies or even casual film watchers. I did like the reference to Blade and the making fun of Twilight. It also reminded me of this movie somewhat in that they go to a "undead only" ball and a human comes along as a +1 by accident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkPqiVODzj0

Doesn't Bob do festivals? I would have thought Fantastic Fest or similar would have been in his remit.

 

[dubious_wolf]

Community thing got old.
like really old.

 

[Wolf Hagen]

Bob, I somewhat think you owe us an apology for killing, slashing and raping the corpse of a gag over the course of 5 minutes.

Please for the love of kittens, never dare to do something like that again. <.<

 

[Agent357]

Boy, that "COMMUNITY" gag got old real quick.

ARE YOU SICK OF THIS GAG YET?
YES or NO?

In all seriousness, I'm rather disappointed that this movie seems to not be turning out well, as I enjoyed the book when I was a wee lad

 

[tyriless]

Bob, I've enjoyed your work almost in it's complete entirety since I saw video where you dissed Abrams Trek. That review hit the nail on the head. In addition, it meant a lot to me because everyone I know raved was heaping praise on that film, and I just couldn't stand it. Your review made me feel a little less lonely. From that point on, you've been my go-to critic to watch, and regardless whether I agree with you or not (Lucy was complete and utter s*&^, Bob, my bill for $10.25 is coming in the mail). However, this review was completely unwatchable. Jeeze, man! Did you bother watching it after you made it? Is there an editor that failed to screen this vid before you posted it? We all make mistakes, especially when we are trying to inform and entertain, but this one was the rare and complete dud. I hope this was just an anomaly caused by a lull in the movie season and having to review a film you hate so much.

 

[Fox12]

Uh oh, someone disturbed Bobs socialist sensibilities. It's okay, go read Looking Backward until you fool yourself into feeling better.

Yeah, the film was average, but not great. It did make me want to read the book, since the film had good ideas that were poorly explored and executed.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I have never heard of The Giver. Is it American high school material or something? The idea sound alright so I might give the book a look (unless it's too long).

It must be universal high school material, I read it in an Argentinian high school. I suppose it's a popular, easy way of introducing the idea of dystopia, as well as a stepping stone in the direction of more adult reads like Brave New World and 1984.

 

[MetalMagpie]

I was dyslexic growing up so I didn't read many books, reading mostly manga and comics instead, BUT there was one series I read and indeed still read.

Why the hell have these books not been made into films Hollywood or at least a t.v. series BBC?

These books are soooooo gawdamn good, they have interesting characters, incredible settings, serious themes, it's just... I don't get it. Why are all these bloody films with vague dystopian/utopian settings about a sexy young chosen one so popular? What happened to a main character just being part of the world they inhabited instead of the only sane one in an asylum of twats.

I just, I-GAH!

Another Edge fan!

The Edge Chronicles are the only children's books I've kept my entire collection of. I got rid of pretty much all of my other childhood books as part of the Great Book Purge (sharing a flat with my boyfriend - limited bookshelf space). Some series I kept just the first book from for nostalgia sake. But I couldn't bring myself to get rid of any Edge Chronicles. They're just so good and Chris Riddell is my absolute favourite illustrator.

(Btw, if you also think Chris Riddell is God's gift to the publishing industry, he teamed up with Neil Gaiman for The Graveyard Book which is well worth checking out and very cheap on Kindle.)

*sigh* Now you've got me back to thinking how awesome an Edge film would be and feeling sad that it doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen.

 

[dalek sec]

I have a feeling Bob reused the community joke so much just to pad out the run time, because this film is so boring and stupid there is NOTHING to talk about here.

That's what I'm thinking too, guessing there was nothing to work with with this movie. I'll be honest, it did break the flow of his review a lot but again, I guess he had nothing to work with for the most part. This was a short review, a little less than five minutes worth, is there some kind of standard like reviews have to be atleast a certain time? Just wondering is all.

 

[Veldel]

The review was ruined for me by that constent COMMUNITY gag you played over and over. Its not funny.


OT: I loved the book I want to see the movie still.

 

[Nazmazh]

It's been a long time since I read The Giver in, I think, grade 6, but I do remember the colour reveal worked in the book because, being words on a page, there was no reason to suspect that colours weren't normal. The narrator never gave the reader any reason to suspect that colour was not a thing people were aware of in their world. The fact that the protagonist began perceiving the colour red and that he felt this was notable was one of the first major hints that Community (is that really what it was called? Wow.) was not as perfect and happy as it seemed.

When I heard about this being adapted into a movie, I wondered how they were handling that. Having everything be greyscale before that memory was passed on is about the worst way I thought they might approach it. It causes the reveal to lose all impact. Hell, it removes the fact that it was a "reveal" in the first place.

I guess, to be fair, I don't know if they could have done this sort of thing at all with a visual medium like film.

 

[Kargathia]

Boy, that "COMMUNITY" gag got old real quick.

First time is amusing, second time is funny, third time is getting tiresome. The fourth and beyond made me want to slap someone.

 

[PrimePowerOn]

I loved the Community gag. I'm glad you stuck with it. That's kind of the point of that gag...

When I saw the second, I thought you'd go for 3, but I got more, and every time was a shock. Damn proud.

 

[mechman123]

All i can say is that "GAG" got old fast and That is what made me stop listening to the review, Not the movie being reviewed.