Machete vs. The Expendables

[DiscoAtThePanic]

Bob, maybe you cannot convince other people to think like you and you should stop trying? If you had not come out and attacked the fans of the Expendables instead of just saying you did not like the movie, maybe the whole mess never would have gotten so out of hand. Maybe you might not have to keep discussing the movie if you stopped trying to get the last word. Someone is always going to answer any point you try to make about it, so you will never get the last word. I think there IS some truth to the accusation you attacked the Expendables because of Scott Pilgrim. The fact is Scott Pilgrim failed because of Scott Pilgrim, not because another movie killed it. Let the people like what they like and do not try to tell them they are wrong Like what YOU like and tell us WHY. When you try to make it a battle, you will lose because there will always be more people that are not you than there are people that are you. Like they say, when it's you against the world, bet on the world.
Very Demotivational [http://verydemotivational.com/2010/03/19/demotivational-posters-and-the-world/]

I think he's avoiding explaining why because he did say why.


It's... not that tough. I'm actually quite confused each time I see someone posting "Explain to us why you didn't like the expendables instead of attacking us!"

Because... Quite honestly, if you can get over the fact that he's attacking the fans, why he didn't like the movie is pretty clear, especially now after this article and his triad of revies of Machete, Scott Pilgrim and The Expendables.

Also, the whole deal about telling people they're wrong? Sometimes, sometimes (let me stress this again. Sometimes.) it's a good idea. In this day and age of information where the idea that all opinions are right being reinforced despite it's many flaws and it's troubles it brings us as a society and in politics... It wouldn't be bad to drive people into the proper path, even if we gotta do it with a freaking hammer to their heads.

People aren't always fully aware of what's best for them, or of the consequences of their actions. Not many people see beyond their immediate profit, and even then, some misjudge exactly what is a profit for them. Now, ignorance is bliss, but even in ignorance you can suffer and many people suffer ignorantly (See the US. If you don't know what I'm talking about... well. Um... don't bother replying or reading my post?).

Of course, there are certain compromises to values and ideals going on at work here. It's like the fine line between dictatorship and democracy... Actually, it's finding a third path. One were the ideals of democracy are upheld, but with a dictatorial touch of sort, where the ones qualified for the tasks would be counted in. (of course, I think my ideas here are moving more towards politics here then personal opinions, but can still be applied on various subjects. Though the answer, as always, tends to be, educate the masses and they will grow and learn, to which case, they will then become fitting for what was stated prior to this little add-on.)

PS. It's 2:15AM, anyone else here mentally tired yet for some reason can't seem to fall asleep?

That makes no sense. Liking a movie that is simple entertainment that does not try to be anything else is niether dumb nor bad for you. Your Anti-American posturing and ridiculous "Middle ground between democracy and dictatorship" mental clevland steamer has nothing to do with Bob calling people stupid for not liking the movies he likes.

 

[DiscoAtThePanic]

Question, why did so many people give a shit when MovieBob blasted the Expendables and ridiculed those who saw it, yet when he did the almost EXACT thing for Transformers 2, no one said a word.

You know, Expendables is the kind of movie you'll forget about as time passes. The real difference between it and Machete is that Machete will be the movie that you talk about 6 months from now.

This. He's reviewed a lot of terrible movies this way. Eclipse received just as much hate.

He explained, very well, that his biggest problem with the Twilight movies was the Mormon abstinance and marriage views put forth in the movie, beyond just how bad the movies were, and I do not remember him directly calling the fans idiots. He attacked the people who enjoyed the Expendables as idiots, even though he defended the people who enjoyed GI Joe for likeing a movie that was just pure entertainment. Your arguments make no sense.

 

[bicepfetishist1]

Argghhh MovieBob! The only thing baffling about the Expendables success is your baffling in ability to understand it's appeal...That's not the same thing as liking it btw. You don't have to LIKE Twilight to understand why other people (/girls) do. Movie reviewers are supposed to have OBJECTIVELY and an OVERVIEW of the movie industry. Bob has neither.

The Expendables vs Scott Pilgrim now the Expendables vs Machete can't you evaluate a movie in it's own right on it's own merits? On how effectively it's doing what it's TRYING to do?

Also the Machete was far more lame OTT and just plain silly than the kind of semi-reality rooted hard edged action and chaos the Expendables shoots for and achieves in most people's eyes. Lots of people like the Expendables for EXACTLY the reasons you hate it BOB. And that still doesn't make them idiots!

You hate MMA style fighting on screen? Good for you. Me and half of the Escapist loved it by all accounts. Fyi it's the same shaky cam style that's in Borne (which you hold up as an example of improved post 1980s action btw). Consistency Bob...you suck at it.

Depth? Seriously? Depth! You think anyone is seeing either of those movies to learn something about the world they didn't already know? Holy Cow Bob it just gets better and better. Wait racism=bad, Latinos = Good. You needed to see Machete to figure that out did you? And while we're on the subject of depth where the hell was it in G.I Joe Rise of Cobra and Pirhana 3D? Good ol Consistency Bob...

So in summary you wanted the ensemble action movie of the century to be a Robert Rodriguez vanity project inspired by anti-Latino racism topical US boarder issues and featuring Jessica Alba doing Wi Fi high kicks? And anyone who disagrees with this can suck an egg? Okay Bob whatever you say...

MovieBob vs the World...continues.LOL

 

[PeterDawson]

Okay, seriously, I am glad this is the last anti-Expendables rant for a while (so he claims), because I'm still not seeing anything new. I should add before I go any further that I do think Machete was the better film. That point stands, no question.

First up, he called it bafflingly-popular again. Movies with fan-followed casts usually do well unless they really sucked. Stallone, Willis, Statham, Li, Rourke, those five alone in a movie together can probably guarantee you a couple dozen million. If nothing else, the film did deliver a cast of awesomeness, even though it didn't live up to the potential it had. It sure as hell didn't suck either.

Other thing I'm flat out calling him on is the claim of a lack of depth. I mean, its certainly not as deep as some films, but its still better than a good chunk of the films from its genre. Rourke's scenes combined with the views of the more prominent cast members really offers a good look at what happens to mercs when they want to get out of the job. It's got some depth, easily. This isn't Transformers 2 where we have inconsitent drivel about destiny that somehow lets a guy cheat death. In spite of the cartoonish violence that crops up its decently grounded, which really helps the impact. If anything the fact that it doesn't fully embrace either the cartoonish-ness or the depth is its big flaw, aside from having Couture show us his non-acting and the piss-poor camera work present in many scenes. In the end though its quite satisfying. Really my big problem is how to compare it to the A-Team. It was certainly more interesting than the Losers, but the A-Team? Both ride on nostalgia and while having entertaining scenes don't quite give us what we'd really, really like to see. A-Team did give us that cool tank bit though. Toss-up.

 

[Someperson307]

Machete wasn't all that good. It got really boring towards the end. But I loved it when Machete performed a triple-decapitation at the beginning.