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Post by The Spelunker! on Mar 17, 2019 21:15:57 GMT -5
21) Let The Bullets Fly
Watched Let The Bullets Fly, the top grossing Chinese movie ever at it's time of release. Really fun crime drama/comedy. Stars Wen Jiang (Baze Malbus of Rogue One) and Chow Yun Fat as rival criminals vying for control of a town. Their game of spy versus spy is a delight, and Chow Yun Fat is just wonderfully fun as the bad guy of the film, with comedic chops I did not expect. Managed to get me invested deeply in their plight, and the movie was unafraid to do things that would normally feel like a climax early for drama. Would recommend for someone looking to enjoy a foreign vision of what a blockbuster is.
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Post by burdette25159 on Mar 17, 2019 22:05:21 GMT -5
39: Alien3 (Theatrical Version) ***1/2
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Mar 18, 2019 19:27:48 GMT -5
#76 Triple Frontier3/6/19 | Director: J.C. Chandor | Rotten Tomatoes: 72% | Runtime: 125 minutes | Platform: NetflixThe Plot: A group of former Special Ops soldiers plan a heist to rob millions from a South American crime boss. Strengths: The whole idea behind this movie was a good one. I’m always down for a heist movie and this one executes the set pieces of it well. The big helicopter scene, chase through the jungle, and actual heist in the house are all scenes that are well done and full of tension. The cast is stellar. Ben Affleck (Tom Davis) does some of his best work, Oscar Isaac (Santiago Garcia) is great, and Charlie Hunnam (William Miller) might be the show stealer. Pedro Pascal (Francisco Morales) and Garrett Hedlund (Ben Miller) are also solid. They all make dialogue that isn’t good work and they do their best with the dull characters they’re given. Weaknesses: It’s hard to take a movie seriously about special operatives who are really bad at it. These guys should be the best of the best. They get through the heist itself well, until they get a bit greedy. I like the idea that greed costs them, but literally every other part of their plan goes incredibly poorly. You’re left wondering how these guys ever got anything done. They make plenty of dumb decisions that are hard to get behind. The movie goes from fun heist flick to nonstop barrage of unfortunate events. And in the end, the characters give their money to the family of the one guy who cost them everything. It doesn’t make much sense. Overall: The first true disappointment of 2019. With a talented director and top notch cast, this could’ve been phenomenal. Instead, it falls apart after the heist and stumbles to the finish line. [**½]
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El Pollo Guerrera
Grimlock
His name has chicken in it, and he is good at makin' .gifs, so that's cool.
Status: Runner
Posts: 14,721
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Post by El Pollo Guerrera on Mar 19, 2019 2:42:04 GMT -5
My list so far... {Spoiler}
1) 2019-01-06 "Laser Mission" - 1989 2) 2019-01-13 "Kung Fu For Sale" (Gong Fu Da Pai Mai) - 1979 3) 2019-01-13 "Kung Fu: The Punch of Death" (Fang Shi Yu) - 1972 4) 2019-01-20 "Halloween" - 2018 5) 2019-01-27 "Missing In Action" - 1984 6) 2019-01-27 "Missing In Action 2: The Beginning" - 1985 7) 2019-02-03 "Braddock: Missing In Action 3" - 1988 8) 2019-02-10 "The Born Losers" - 1967 9) 2019-02-10 "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" - 1988 10) 2019-02-17 "Suspiria" - 2018 11) 2019-02-24 "The Night Stalker" - 1972 12) 2019-02-24 "The Night Strangler" - 1973 13) 2019-03-03 "Silent Rage" - 1982 14) 2019-03-03 "Boss" - 1975 15) 2019-03-10 "Gods of Egypt" - 2016
16) 2019-03-17 "Atlas Shrugged Part 1" - 2011 Based on the controversial novel by Ayn Rand, the first of a trilogy. Review... {Spoiler}
Story: Dagny Taggart is trying to save her family railroad business by using a new, cheaper, stronger steel supplied by Reardon Steel to rebuild the railroad. Hank Reardon is fighting against government regulations, because the new steel would hurt other steel manufacturers that can't compete against it. Government regulations also try to stop monopolies from forming, which also impedes Taggart's railway project. In the middle of this, many high-level CEOs and leaders of industry start disappearing, all vanishing after meeting with a shadowy man in a trenchcoat...
OK, so I had a few problems with the whole set of ideas that make up the framework of the movie, which I guess are also from the novel (I haven't read it so I can't say)...
1) the government regulations don't seem to be there because of 'extreme socialism' but because the officials are working to protect other interests, namely other businesses that are paying them under the table... so the movie makes it look like the real enemy is government corruption?
2) one of the lobbying businessmen is Taggart's own brother, who just seems to be stopping her from succeeding so that his business plan can go ahead?
3) the brother's 'plan' involves an investment in Mexican ore mining... which turns out to be not just a bad investment but a complete scam that conned several businesses out of billions (BILLIONS!) of dollars... yet he's pushing ahead with this plan?
4) the guy who ran the Mexican mining scam is a rich playboy (and Dagny's ex-lover) who basically admitted it was all a scam... and yet he's still walking around town, talking to other business? No kind of legal repercussions seem to be taking place? This SOB hasn't been arrested for FRAUD?
5) in this future, railway transport is the only way to get oil from the refineries to the public, but the railways they're using haven't been maintained for the last hundred years... why would you rely on a system that hasn't been maintained like that? And where the hell did the pipelines go?
6) the story implies that only the rich, educated, upper-crust people of society are able to take control and manage the US back to prosperity... but the two main characters (Dagny and Reardon) are surrounded by rich, educated, upper-crust people of society that are happy to stab each other in the back for a couple of dollars, to live off of the success of others, and are willing to let the world go down the tubes as long as they live the high life now? How can you trust the big money people when they're the ones ruining it all?
7) there doesn't seem to be any regard for 'the public'. The movie ends with an oil executive disappearing after destroying his oil refinery in a massive fire... what about the people that worked there? They had jobs that are just gone, and it's because one guy with a grudge flushed it.
Now, with all that, what about the movie itself? It's actually pretty flat, almost monotone. The main characters don't to seem to have any ability to show emotion. The dialogue feels like it was written by computer and not by people who actually, y'know, talk to each other. Everything that should be big and bright and colorful just seems grey or beige. Even the successful run of the railway, a point of success for all involved, just looks flat. There's no passion.
One point did make me laugh... a scene where a 'government official' says to Reardon "Why is it so important for you to struggle for year after year, squeezing out meager gains rather than accept a fortune for Rearden Metal?" This is after you get a good look at Reardon's mansion, his office building, and his businesses... there's no way you could call what he makes 'meager'.
OK, I can't recommend this except as an example on how not to make a movie, but I am going to watch the other two so I can see how this mess ends.
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agent817
Fry's dog Seymour
Doesn't Know Whose Ring It Is
Posts: 21,168
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Post by agent817 on Mar 19, 2019 7:44:39 GMT -5
32. Adventureland. 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this movie. Sure, I remember how it was advertised back in the day, but I found something even better than how it was advertised. It had a good story, a good soundtrack, good chemistry between Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, and I also thought Bill Hader was funny in some parts.
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Mar 19, 2019 8:36:29 GMT -5
36. Cabin in the Woods. I could’ve sworn this was a remake, but apparently it is not. I’m not sure what to make of this one. It’s very strange and puts a new spin on horror. Once it did get going I wasn’t too high on the “reality horror” thing. The final act was more funny than scary. It’s heart was in the right place but it was ultimately “too Hollywood” for my liking.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Mar 19, 2019 20:52:11 GMT -5
#77 Rough Night6/16/17 | Director: Lucia Aniello | Rotten Tomatoes: 44% | Runtime: 101 minutes | Platform: DVDThe Plot: A bachelorette party goes awry when a male stripper is accidentally killed. Strengths: This movie understands what it is. It doesn’t try to be anything more than a fun, sometimes raunchy, story about a group of girlfriends. It succeeds in that vein. I think the cast is a highly enjoyable. Scarlett Johansson (Jessica Thayer) brings the comedic chops she established during her many SNL hosting gigs, while SNL star Kate McKinnon (Pippa) kind of steals the show as the weird foreign girl of the team. Zoe Kravitz (Blair) and Ilana Glazer (Frankie) are both very good, while Jillian Bell (Alice) is fine. The random side characters are all played by funny people like Ty Burrell (Pietro), Bo Burhman (Tobey) and Eric Andre (Jake), to name a few. I like how Jessica and Alice get strong arcs, while even Frankie and Blair grow by the end of the movie. It’s a lot for a movie like this to juggle. There are plenty of fun gags throughout that make the movie move along nicely and something is there to always keep you smiling. Weaknesses: The raunchy girl comedy isn’t a new concept and it has been executed better in the past. There are moments where the movie goes a bit overboard and it’s clear that they’re trying too hard to go that extra mile. I wasn’t much of a fan of Demi Moore (Lea) in her role. The character could’ve worked better if someone funnier played her. Things get a bit too hard to believe by the final act, including a moment where someone who has never fired a gun hits someone in the leg with a shot while handcuffed. Overall: It’s not some groundbreaking comedy, but it is one that plays to its strengths. The cast is very talented and do more than enough to elevate this into an enjoyable film. [***]
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Mar 20, 2019 9:09:42 GMT -5
37. Event Hoizon. At first I thought this movie was from 2012 and I was going to say “Jesus, these special effects are horrid”. Then I found out it was from 1997 and everything was made sense. I know it was the best they could do in 1997 but bad CGI kills movies for me. It didn’t help that it was a really dated, boring movie. The concept was good but the execution did nothing for me. The Hell scenes were awesome but they were cut too quick for me to appreciate them.
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Post by burdette25159 on Mar 20, 2019 11:15:00 GMT -5
40 Alien3 (Special edition) ***9/10
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Post by I'm Team Bayley and Indi on Mar 20, 2019 18:07:38 GMT -5
Not been watching too many films lately but just finished watching The Fight at the cinema, a British drama directed by, wrote by and Starring Jessica Hynes, usually she is known for comedy but she as done a fantastic job here.
Met her after the screening too and fanboy outed on her
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BlackoutCreature
Grimlock
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Mar 20, 2019 18:49:45 GMT -5
19. Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost (1999) 20. Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000) 21. Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase (2001) 22. Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017)
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Mar 20, 2019 19:52:14 GMT -5
#78 and #79 How to Train Your Dragon3/26/10 | Directors: Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois | Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | Runtime: 98 minutes | Platform: DVDThe Plot: A Viking teenager befriends a dragon against the wishes of his entire community, who view them as the enemy. Strengths: There’s a lot to like here. First off, the animation is dazzling. It’s among the best I’ve seen from a DreamWorks film. From the character design to the action sequences, it all looks great. Speaking of those action sequences, they’re very well done. They’re exciting and keep you on the edge of your seat. Toothless doesn’t speak, yet is a sympathetic character. You feel for him in every scene. The voice cast is strong. Jay Baruchel (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III) has the perfect voice for what the character is supposed to be. America Ferrera (Astrid Hofferson), Gerard Butler (Stoick the Vast), Craig Ferguson (Gobber the Belch), Jonah Hill (Snotflout Jorgenson) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs Ingerman) all do a very good job. I also appreciated the creativity used to design the dragons. They crafted many different styles and they all feel unique. It adds a lot to the visuals. I felt the script allowed for the protagonist and a few other characters to grow. Weaknesses: I wasn’t too interested in the movie’s main romance. It felt shoehorned in and honestly wasn’t needed. It never felt earned either, as they basically didn’t talk at all until the one key scene on the dragon. The story isn’t all that original and follows a fair amount of clichés. The third act isn’t as engaging as I wanted. Overall: One of the best movies of a loaded 2010 thanks to fantastic animation, solid characters, and a touching story. A standout animated film. [****] Spider-Man: Homecoming7/7/17 | Director: Jon Watts | Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | Runtime: 133 minutes | Platform: Blu-RayThe Plot: Desperate to prove himself worthy of being an Avenger, Peter Parker goes after a villain in the skies of New York City. Strengths: Tobey Maguire was okay and Andrew Garfield was an improvement, but Tom Holland is the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man to date. He nails the boyish charm, while also being the right amount of witty and vulnerable. It helps that he has a great antagonist. Phase Three has featured some strong villains, like Hela and Ego, but Michael Keton (Adrian Toomes/Vulture) might be the best. The performance is great and the character is complex, as you can kind of see where he’s coming from. That’s typically the mark of a great villain. I appreciated how this movie avoided the typical, overdone origin story of Spider-Man and dropped us right in the action. Adding things like a best friend in Ned (Jacob Batalon), Happy (Jon Favreau) and Iron Man (Robert Downy Jr.) was a stroke of genius. Peter’s dynamic with all three was very strong. There’s also the fantastic twist of Vulture being the father of Peter’s love interest, Liz (Laura Harrier), which I didn’t see coming at all. You also can’t help but smile at the appearances of Aaron Davis (Donald Glover) and Mac Gargan (Michael Mando), as well as the great work by Marisa Tomei (Aunt May.) Weaknesses: Some of the moments in the movie feel a bit forced. Spider-Man’s suit having an “instant kill” mode didn’t work for me. I get that it was a small joke, but logically, why would Tony Stark install that? There was also the glaring mistake of the timeline at the start of the film. As good as Stark was a pseudo father figure for Peter, his attitude felt like a weird change after the events of the prior MCU flicks. He kind of reverts back to his cocky, playboy role from early Iron Man stuff. I didn’t love the fight scenes in this film, as they didn’t live up to some of what we’ve seen from previous MCU stuff. Overall: It has a lot of competition, but I think this is the best Spider-Man movie ever. And I say that understanding how great Spider-Man 2 is. With a very strong villain and great performances from the lead and supporting cast, this really works. The movie does a good job of building future installments and fitting into the MCU. [****½]
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Post by edgestar on Mar 20, 2019 20:19:04 GMT -5
Alita: Battle Angel
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LexExpress
Team Rocket
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Post by LexExpress on Mar 21, 2019 18:09:46 GMT -5
31. Leaving Neverland (2019) - 5/10 32. Kronk's New Groove (2005) - 6/10 33. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - 5/10 34. Serenity (2019) - 2/10 35. Two Night Stand (2014) - 6/10
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Post by 'Foretold' Joker on Mar 22, 2019 4:02:57 GMT -5
14. Die Hard with a Vengeance - Always good!
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Mar 22, 2019 7:44:10 GMT -5
38. Space Jam. This movie was terrible. Michael Jordan was good but the cartoon characters were all horrible.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Mar 22, 2019 15:11:06 GMT -5
#80 X-Men: First Class6/3/11 | Director: Matthew Vaughn | Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | Runtime: 132 minutes | Platform: Blu-RayThe Plot: The origin story of the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants as they face off against a mutant attempting to start another World War. Strengths: Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan are big shoes to fill in this franchise. Luckily, James McAvoy (Charles Xavier/Professor X) and Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto) are both more than up to the task. They manage to do one of the most difficult things possible. They give performances that show off just enough of their predecessors, while also injecting their own take on it. What made this truly work was their chemistry. Each scene they share ranks among the best in the film. The supporting cast I littered with strong work from the likes of Zoe Kravitz (Angel Salvadore), Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy), and Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert). Kevin Bacon (Sebastian Shaw) gives one of the more underrated villain performances in a superhero movie. His character has a generic plan, but he brings enough charisma to make the role work. Jennifer Lawrence (Raven Darkholme/Mystique) is better here than in any other X-Men movie. The movie does well to utilize the powers of each character, especially during the climactic battle. I really dug the way the relationships were played throughout. There are some complex feelings going around when it comes to Raven and each of them makes sense. You get the right amount of humor and heart told throughout the story. Weaknesses: I didn’t care much for the performance of January Jones (Emma Frost). She’s kind of just there and stands out when most others are doing so well. A lot of the characters get cool powers, but no kind of development. It’s easy to forget who was in the movie by the end of it other than the main cast members. Azazel (Jason Flemyng), Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till), and Sean Cassidy/Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones) are among those who are forgettable. Cut some of those characters down and things would be tighter. Overall: The best X-Men movie that I can recall (other than Logan). It works as a fantastic prequel thanks to the chemistry among the main cast members. I could watch McAvoy and Fassbender interact for hours. [****½]
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BlackoutCreature
Grimlock
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Mar 22, 2019 16:05:07 GMT -5
21. Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase (2001) 22. Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017) 23. The Terminator (1984)
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agent817
Fry's dog Seymour
Doesn't Know Whose Ring It Is
Posts: 21,168
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Post by agent817 on Mar 22, 2019 19:00:36 GMT -5
33. Us 4 stars
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BlackoutCreature
Grimlock
The Ultimate Popcorntunist!
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Post by BlackoutCreature on Mar 22, 2019 23:23:14 GMT -5
22. Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017) 23. The Terminator (1984) 24. Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)
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