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Movies You Watched Recently And Felt Strongly About


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I travel a lot and I love watching movies in general and even though I only get a tiny screen in cattle class, it still beats paying through my nose at Reading.

This is a trial post, since I am not sure which forum suits movie reviews best...

I won't try and comment on the PQ or AQ since it was through a puny airline headset.

Legend:

I can see potential for surround effects and demo material, but the plot was quite lame and the ending was as controversial as the press said. Actually no, it was quite zzz....

Plot - paper thin, and wooden acting for someone who is capable of more -- 2.5 / 5

Action - a little but I guess it wasn't the main thing -- 3/5

Chick factor - looow -- 1 /5

Rent buy or forget it -- worth a rent since I saw Omega Man

There will be blood:

This was supposed to be a wonderful show of acting, but somehow it didn't hit the spot at all. Not slick enough....

Plot - its about an oilman -- 2.5/5

Action - huh? -- 1/5

Chick factor -- 0

Rent buy or forget it - rent once for the hype and laugh over it

No country for old men:

Again didn't do it, the whole evil man was only good to show Javiar's acting which was good, and Josh Brolin put in a credible performance too, but the plot was too twist and dark for me.

Plot -- 3.5/5

Action -- 3/5

Chick factor -- 0

Rent - maybe

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Golden Compass

This comes straight from the studio's cookbook on how to milk success from a formula-

Take a few famous stars, get another book with a medieval, LOTR / Narnia type story line, mix in lots of CGI creatures, add cute new faces and some fight scenes and stir.

Sadly it doesn't always turn out well and this is a prime example. Religious crap not withstanding (I think a simple non-reference to deamons would have done them lots of good), it isn't a good plot and you cannot rescue it with megastars and CGI.

Plot - confusing, and the girl can be quite irritating -- 2/5

Action - action kunkies may like it, but LOTR has it beaten hands down - 2.5/5

Chick Factor -- huh obasan maybe but Nicole Kidman is no longer a chick, hire a real chick to pull in the testosterone crowd... 2/5

I would stay away, not even a rental

Juno

AH FINALLLY I stayed awake, watched this and wanted to do it again to appreciate the little nuances.

Teenage pregnancy is well handled, niether endorsing or condemning it here. Ellen Page is a real star, but everyone chips in to make this a hit.

Plot - pretty decent 4/5

Action - zip

Chick Factor - She is a cutie daughter kind of girl but not hot -- 3/5

I would rent it at least, but its not worth USD 28 for the BR disc, although the soundtrack is worth getting.

Jumper

Another movie of little value or entertainment I saw on the way home...

"darth vader" out of his role is pretty good as a spoilt brat with the ability to jump space, like the guy with the tail from X men. But that chap has much more character and charisma.

Here I actually wished the jumper would get caught. His British friend's accent sound more like a fake pretending to have studied in Oxford too. Obviously he steals and doesn't use it for good, and Samuel Jackson looks like he sleep-walked through a role he had to do to pay the bills. And he looks like a fish out of the water without muttering M...F... every few seconds or having snakes coming out of his pants.

Plot -- zzz 1.5/5 even though the concept could have been pretty good

Action -- 2.5 / 5 again potential wasted

Chick factor - not bad, but just eye candy and no character development 3/5

Rent buy or forget it -- forget it

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Beowolf

This movie caused much less excitement and fracas than the new bro here...

The idea was interesting, and the use of CGI in a cartoon like fashion like Sky Commander and Captain Tomorrow was novel, but again I was never fully absorbed, although I did finish the movie.

Plot : simple and pretty straight forward, yet it didn't leave much impression on me, in a way say LOTR or even Princess Bride did. A tall order you may say, but they came first and will always be a benchmark as is Willow and Lady Hawke. 3/5

Action: the CGI didn't gel enough to impress and even on a 12" monitor on a plane, the CGI looked plastic 3/5

Chick Factor: A Jolie was alright but the younger maiden and the queen were IMO finer in comparison. 3.5/5

Rent or buy: If I hadn't seen it, I might rent it.

Overall 3.5/5

Movie Reviews on the way to Berlin

Smooth long flight, so there is time to check out the recent show and so more reviews on recent productions written. Sadly more misses than hits.

Empress and the Warriors (Donnie Yen, Kelly Chen and Leon Lai)

Firstly, Leon has put on weight! Secondly you see how HKG productions work, one successful periodic drama / action flick leads to plenty of copies. There is little original work coming out.

And when they do it, there is scant regard on historical accuracy and much less attention to detail on the props. Jousting on horses? The armour is Yan / Zhao? And the type of Chinese characters…

IF they make it up with a good story line or action, well I guess that’s better, but Donnie has no one to spar with and there is plenty of slow motion action, blood but little chance for him to display his awesome skills.

Snooze job…

Plot: classic tale of deceit, ambition, lifted from Gladiator and too many other movies. – 2.5/5

Action: Leon Lai and Kelly Chen have no street cred for action and it shows. – 2.5/5

Chick Factor: Kelly is still eye candy but she is not alone in the HKG movie scene, she faces competition from Gillian Chung and many other younger people these days. – 3.5/5

Rent / buy/ forget it: save this to rent on a day when nothing else is available at the local video store, or if you need sleeping pills.

Fool’s Gold

The recipe for this Dirk Pitt style / Indiana Jones type adventure is to take Matthew Mc C out of Sahara, throw in his love interest Kate Hudson from 30 days to lose a Man and add a poorer sidekick – same guy who lost his hearing in Black Hawk Down and was eaten up by Aliens in AVP I, then mix with a sometimes successful director.

Plot: cut and paste treasure hunt story which has the hero, which seems to be the only bright spark, sleep walking through a movie which doesn’t add anything new to the genre. That squeaky ditsy girl really doesn’t add anything positive. And Donald Sutherland probably took the job just to get his paycheck with a partially existent accent. Even our local fake English sound more convincing. 2.5/5

Action: some decent scenes here, but nothing inspiring. – 3/5

Chick Factor: Kate Hudson is a younger Goldie Hawn and she does bring some sparkle, but the chemistry to the two main actors is akin to re-using an old tissue paper to blot the nose. 3/5

Rent / buy/ forget it: save this to rent on a day when nothing else is available at the local video store.

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good idea pete

juno, watched it on a plane and loved it. love its quirkiness, storyline the actors, charecters and setting. when got back to oz took my wife to see it and she loved it too. we have a bub due though so that could be the connection

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More flights and more movies....

Vantage point:

This was quite a twist on the who-dun-it genre, with some 24 Jack Bauer stuff throw in...

The main issue I had was there were too many playbacks and instead of six, 4 might be enough, or make them shorter.

Plot - editing was tight, and finding out the conclusion and do the good guys win was quite exciting - 4/5

Action - quite a few booms, but I think the gem will be how the sound engineers work in the atmosphere, and ambient noises rather than mere explosions. 3.5/5

Chick factor - low, didn't see much babe appeal 2/5

Rent, buy or Forget it - A definite rent, and if you don't mind repeats where you know the plot, you can buy it. Beside it will take more than one sitting to understand the nuances of the plot.

Edited by petetherock
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Definitely, Maybe

This is a quite a twist on the romance bit and leads you through a few twists and turns the protagonist's life. I half wanted to dislike it for the amorous and almost free-love nature of the sleeping about bit, with scant regard for the institution of marriage, but this is reflective of America and perhaps other societies too. The lead actors and even the daugther Maya, do very well, with good synergy to weave a story that is part fiction and all life. Clever flashbacks and painting it as a story remind me of the technique employed in Princess Bride, but this is more dark and it isn't an action movie.

Plot: good chick flick I guess, but it will definitely lead to lots of discussion if you bring your partner, or you can quietly watch it on a plane and deny all knowledge of it if you are the red-neck bloke.. or feel free to share your thoughts with another lady --- 4/5

Action - zip

Chick Factor - plenty of eye candy. Isla Fisher is a mix of innocent sweet and overpowering sensuality -- 4/5

Rent or Buy or forget it: depends on your stand on morals, and whether you have objections to romantic flicks, but worth a rent at least. 4/5

http://www.canmag.com/images/front/movies2...aybeposter1.jpg

Great theme song too:

Edited by petetherock
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I like the categories that www.moviesforguys.com use. :P

below is their review of Rambo.

Gun Play

Automatic weapons of all shapes and sizes, and they know how to use them.

Blood & Gore

Lots of splatter as bodies explode.

Car Chases

The chases are on foot thru the jungle.

T&A

Bare boobies but they're brutalized, major buzz kill.

Chuckles

Pretty gruesome and intense, no humor at all that I recall.

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I don't think I can change the thread...

At least some people here read this and like it...

I won a radio talk show contest once, give me 15 sec of any movie I have seen (or not sometimes) I can tell you what it is...

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Chronicles of Narnia – Prince of Caspian

Many sequels have proved to be inferior to the original show, so will it be the same for this?

Actually, sometimes, it all pans out, as the second show does not have the burden of having to introduce the characters and leap straight into the plot and action. This time, it worked for me, i am glad to say, that the sequel was more pleasing and less heavy on the drama, which in this action flick is actually preferred.

If I wanted heavy going fare, I would have stuck to Juno or other such shows and here, there is enough substance in the plot to keep things going and plenty of the action to keep fans like me happy. It does help that the source, from a book by C S Lewis was well written and provides such rich material.

Plot: not bad, editing was quite tight as well and allowed for a swift transition from the dark dreary days of WW II to a magical brightly lit fantasy world of Narnia. Even the appearance of a torchlight out of Edward’s bag doesn’t seem incongruous and Lucy is ever so sweet, indeed the innocence of childhood is to be envied. 3.5/5

Action: yes plenty with battle scenes to rival LOTR, although an initial river scene looks too much like Lord TR again and even the actual river seems to be the same one! Surround effects are surprisingly subtle and bass is lighter than you would expect for a 2008 action flick. Not bad, but with Ironman and perhaps Transformers setting such a high standard, the rest have a lot of ground to make up. 4/5

Chick Factor: well our lovely maiden has grown up and has the right curves and demure in good proportions to be quite agreeable and yet convey the right amount of coquettish nature. Reminds me of a lovely Physio in Westmead, spunk, energy and beauty, all in one person, but that’s another story. 4/5

Rent/ buy or forget it

I bought a cheapo R 6 Chinese disc for the first show and have no intention of upgrading that, but for this episode, i will get the Blu Ray for keepers. Also look out for a nice theme song at the end which was quite a nice tune.

Overall 4/5

Edited by petetherock
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Into the Wild

Very interesting true story. Bit of a waste of an intelligent young man's short life.

Screenplay and Directed by Sean Penn.

The fact that it was a real story brought home with the photo at the end of the film found in his camera.

I though Hal Holbrook was very good in it too.

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Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of Crystal Skull

So how is one of the most awaited sequels in history?

Perhaps its greatest weakness is how much is resting on its shoulders, with the giants in action film-making partnering with one of their most bankable stars in the past and another a new rising star.

Ok, lets get it over with, I give it 3.5 / 5

If they left out the Space / ET bit, it would have faired a little better, Spielberg seemed to be getting confused with his Close Encouters movie and for such a big production, there seems to be bits recycled from some other sets... Tomb Raider, Lost Ark etc.

The saving grace is an excellant chemistry between all the actors. Shia goes line for line with the veteren. For a oldie chick, she does well too and we can see that a movie with little gore, sex and nudity can fair pretty well too. I appreciate the no bad language style and even the horror is implied rather than zoomed in and there is less focus on the violence and the movie keep going reasonable evenly.

However the effects and use of surrounds was quite spare for a movie in 2008. And the bass, although far more prominent than the older ones. didn't have the same impact as Iron Man, a recent production and far removed from Transformers or Die Hard 4.

So the break down:

Plot: on its own, its is pretty good, but when placed against the 3 previous ones, it just managed to pip the 'pure dumb fun' of the Mummy series and other copies. Cate B doesn't look diabolical enough and has a certain dumb blond factor esp with her accent. 3/5

Action: This is the highlight and the chase through the forest was quite smooth and nicely done 4/5

Chick factor: two old dames don't quite match one Megan Fox in Transformers although the spunk factor and glint in the eye is better than babe pouting. 2.5 /5

As a Indy Fan, I will get the complete Blu Ray series. Its just a simple matter of nostalgia. I grew up on this and will continue to have late nights enjoying the whole clean action, romance, humor and adventure them that Harrison Ford, Lucas and Spielberg begun more than 20 years ago.

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Best I've watched lately have been No Country for Old Men (smouldering), Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (nail biting stuff), Michael Clayton (brilliant) Gond Baby Gone (harrowing), Death at a Funeral (classic British farce) and Superbad. Superbad is probably the funniest film I've seen in ages.

One of the 'must see' films of recent time is In the Shadow of the Moon which is a moon landing doco. It features interviews with the Apollo astronaughts (with one notable exception) and the most incredible footage. I thought I new a bit about these events but I realised, while watching this, I knew nothing about the men themselves and what they were like. This movie filled a lot of gaps for me and it's great seeing the subject treated as well as it is in this film.

Notables are I Am Legend (better than I'd expected) and Dan in Real Life. Steve Carrell in DiRL is hilarious without playing his usual schtick but this is sentimental stuff and pretty saccharine at times. I liked Cloverfield enough to watch it right through without giving in to the debilitating nausea - but not enough to go through it again.

Run Fat Boy Run was disappointing after Shaun of the Dead and The Fuzz - a few laughs (the biatch fight) but no enough and far to sweet).

Southland Tales is one I can't stop thinking about it. I enjoyed it but I have no idea why - it's bizzare and so convoluted I was concerned it would disappear up it's own ar$e at times.

The worst (by far) is War (aka Rogue Assassin). This is a turd.

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For the Love of the Game

Its been a while, but this one caught me by surprise on how much feel good factor I could get out of a Kevin Costner movie.

Its quite by the book, throw in a baseball game (Costner's third movie on this), add the human factor and some romance, and pile on the perfect game and you have the recipe for a nice movie.

Plot: its simple, using flashbacks to good effect, with a decent supporting cast working well together, and decent chemistry between the actors. Kelly Preston still looks fine and gives a good account of herself. 4/5

Action: this mainly a talkie, and the baseball scenes add some excitement, but its no Die Hard 3/5

Chick Factor: grand dame Kelly Preston is fine wine and I would be happy to seen on a date with her 3.5 / 5

Rent Buy or forget it: I went ahead and got the HD DVD of this show, enough said.

Made before Spiderman, Sam Raimi proves to be a diverse talent producing such efforts in between the bubble gum comic book productions. 4/5

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I'd like to recommend Dead Mans Shoe's

It's been out a while ,but still a fantastic movie.

It's a british film about an older brother looking out for his younger brother,simply put.

It's a deep powerful film that has stuck in my mind.

10/10

If anyone has seen it ,what's your opinion?

neuty

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National Treasure II - Books of Secrets

Most of the time folks tell you the sequel is worse than the first. There are some exceptions, eg Spiderman II, Godfather etc

But as a rule don't expect much, and with this spirit I went to see this movie tonight.

Know that this is a light-hearted, PG remix in the vein of Indian Jones, san blood, sex and gore, all good for the family.

It manages to combine a good dose of action with humor, and some love interest as well. The sidekick is well used, and the co-stars do their job well. The editing is tight and the plot moves along, even if there are some holes in logic and plot.

As for the video and sound quality, I saw this at Vivo city and the picture quality was pretty good although having seen hi def, a large screen can actually be worse.

For a new production, there is ample use of the surround channels, esp certain scenes where a sound revolves around your head, and there a generous use of mid-bass (the thump in the chest sort) although genuine deep bass isn't really part of the plot. There are enough explosions, and car crashes to keep the subwoofer busy.

So my verdict:

Plot : 3/5

Video: 3/5

Sound: 3.5/5

Babe factor (only one real babe Diane Kruger and she has not done a lot of work ) - 3.5 /5

Should you watch this?

Yes, and you can bring a family or a lady

Should you buy a hi def disc of this?

Worth considering either as a rental or a keeper

3.5 out of 5

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The Condemned

MTV meets WWF meets Survivor meets Lost, throw in a few muscle men, a couple of eye candy sorts and add the WWF sanctioned hero. Mix in lots of action, explosions and killing. Add gore and blood generously. Stir in up in close quarter filming, high definition filming and decent sound engineering. Viola! A hit!

Plot: actually it works better than a few other similar WWF efforts. This is still better than Marine and the idea of a longer ranger fighting off the bad guys and surviving til the end to return to the weeping obligatory chick seems almost believable. Of course the SAS chappie loses to the ex Delta Force guy, and the bad buy get its in the end. Jerry Bruckheimer couldn't do better. 3.5/5

Action: heaps of it, and the DD EX soundtrack or lossless Blu Ray is of reference quality. 4/5

Chick factor: ok there is a bit of eye candy, but somehow the gore makes looking at the ladies difficult 3.5/5

I would say this is a decent rental at least and if you don't mind the gore, the explosions are good for a demo.

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