Mini Movie Reviews 2 - The Reviewening

[Tymell]

Thats what it is on the wikipedia page for the film and book, although I don't see how Teddy is a nickname for Edward?

Haven't seen the film nor read your spoilered bits, so I might be misreading this entirely, but Teddy could be a nickname for Edward. Edward - Ed - Ted - Teddy.

[freddythebig]

Perhaps it is because of my age, I am 48, but I have always known Ted to be a short form for Edward.

http://www.behindthename.com/name/ted

[Brother_Chaplian Raimo]

Or, of course, Theodore.

[Kiro]

Superbad
Three dorky high school kids embark on a mission to, get booze, go to a 'cool kids' party, and get with the girls they want. Starring Seth Rogan....make of that what you will.
I put this on expecting it to be a crapfest, but it's actually one of the best films I've seen all year. The interaction between the teens is brilliant, it really does seem like they're childhood friends. I don't know what to make of Seth Rogan yet, some people love him, some people hate him. Me, I've only seen him in this and The 40-Year Old Virgin, and in this he seemed quite content to take a backseat.
Highlights, for me, include:
1. Two of the friends winding up at an adults' party. I genuinely felt as threatened as they did. The situation they were in made them seem powerless, like...children. Bravo!
2. Michael Cera's hopeless romanticism, bordering on the cringeworthy. We've all been there!
3. The cops; they seemed unhinged in a believeable (with a slight stretch) way.

Verdict: buy it

Harry Brown
At the risk of sounding like a cynic, when I first saw it advertised I immediately thought 'British Gran Turino' and the film, for me, really failed to even accomplish that. Michael Caine is an aging pensioner who decides to make a stand against the local 'landan yoofs' when his friend has an unfortunate run in with them. Cue bumbling cops, viciously clueless gangstas and a string of lucky coincidences for our 'Arry.
I wanted to like the movie, I tried, but in the end, it was simply...sufficient. Michael Caine is 5-10 years too old for the role. He looks more 'frail old man' than 'crazily dangerous old man' that Eastwood managed to pull off in Gran Turino.
The movie can't seem to decide on whether or Harry Brown is an underestimated, veteran killer, or a doddering old man who is in the right place at the right time. The end result is a jumbling mixture of the two, as scenes juxtaposed together strain credulity. One cringeworthy thing that springs to mind right away are the blood spurts in the film, there are a lot of them. They're also terribly, terribly, fake looking cgi. Someone gets knifed in the stomach? Geyser of blood. Someone gets shot in the face? Blood spray everywhere. Someone gets poked in the ribs? Yep, fountains of blood.
Somewhat grim finale that feels all together too rushed and leaves you wondering about characters' motivations.

Overall: borrow it off someone who's rented it, otherwise, pass

[freddythebig]

Maybe its a UK thing but I have never personally known anyone named Theodore.

Edwards, also known as Ted, I know of a few including a couple in my family.

I have of course heard of famous Theodores including of course Teddy Roosevelt....and with him in mind to bring this back on topic;

'The Wind and the Lion'

I saw this on cable the other day, a good old fashioned adventure film from the mid seventies I believe. The story is about an American woman and her children that are kidnapped at the turn of the century by a Morrocan Berber chief, and the diplomatic incident around it.

Watch it on a Sunday afternoon.

[TheBigBadWolf]

I taped a film off sky movies today, "Revolution", its from the makers of BFG, will post a review tomorrow, I think its about some disgruntled colonists and sci fi politics.

[The Dude]

Saw Alice in Wonderland last night. Was rather disappointed. It was neither Alice in Wonderland, nor Through the Looking Glass, but seemed mostly a mish-mash based on the Jaberwocky poem in Looking Glass. That said it was reasonably well done (Anne Hathaway cracked me up). I just wish I hadn't been forced to see it in 3D (only two 2D sessions a day during the day ).

Rent it

[Killmaimburn]

I'm still unsure about why the 2d was meant to be superior.
I was told to see it in 2d because the colours were messed up in the 3d..But in 2d the colours were faded/aged/worn (as I had been told the 3d version was).I thought it was a deliberate thing to show the deterioration of the kingdom.
Did the 3d version just staple on 12 extra layers of foreground making it look cheap or something..whats the real beef?

[Earthbeard]

I'm still unsure about why the 2d was meant to be superior.
I was told to see it in 2d because the colours were messed up in the 3d..But in 2d the colours were faded/aged/worn (as I had been told the 3d version was).I thought it was a deliberate thing to show the deterioration of the kingdom.
Did the 3d version just staple on 12 extra layers of foreground making it look cheap or something..whats the real beef?

Pretty much. It was made as a 2d film, then disney jumped on the bandwagon and made them release it as 3d, really didn't seem worth it to me or my partner who loved the film.

The best use of the 3d tech was the growing flowers/shrooms border on the end credits : /

This whole 3d thing is perplexing and I hope the fad dies soon.

[Condottiere]

Not if TV manufacturers have anything to say about it; they need more 3D content to push their LCD sets which are 3D compatible.

[The Dude]

The best use of the 3d tech was the growing flowers/shrooms border on the end credits : /

Is it just me, or was that mushroom strangely... filthy

[sigur]

Finally got my dvds from play.com a few days ago. Fulltime Killer, A Scanner Darkly and Screamers. I think I wrote something about A Scanner Darkly earlier in this thread and definately wrote about Fulltime Killer. Really looking forward to watching Screamers again. I have very fond memories of that film but it's been years since late night tv blessed me with that one.

[Nocculum]

Kick-Ass

Film of the year, and it's only March.

End of.

WATCH IT!

[Earthbeard]

Is it just me, or was that mushroom strangely... filthy

It certainly was

[Marsekay]

Finally got my dvds from play.com a few days ago. Fulltime Killer, A Scanner Darkly and Screamers. I think I wrote something about A Scanner Darkly earlier in this thread and definately wrote about Fulltime Killer. Really looking forward to watching Screamers again. I have very fond memories of that film but it's been years since late night tv blessed me with that one.

i like screamers, however the sequel was nicht so gut. not even lance henriksen saved that one.

[Burnthem]

Loved Screamers too, bought the DVD maybe a year ago, didn't dissapoint!

[Morden279]

'The Wind and the Lion'

I saw this on cable the other day, a good old fashioned adventure film from the mid seventies I believe. The story is about an American woman and her children that are kidnapped at the turn of the century by a Morrocan Berber chief, and the diplomatic incident around it.

Watch it on a Sunday afternoon.

One of my favorite films - a superb example of John Milius balls-out action with a period twist. It's worth watching just for the portion which features the USMC shore party storming the palace.

Oh, watching the the Men in Pointy Hats getting a drubbing is also always good fun.

PS: Land of the Lost is Hilarious. I know Will Ferrell is an acquired taste, but I can't help but love him.

[Killmaimburn]

i like screamers, however the sequel was nicht so gut. not even lance henriksen saved that one.

There was a sequel? Unnessecary..Now I have to go through that whole do I watch it and risk a starship troopers 2 (tarnishing the first) or figure meh its better than strictly come actors being serious on ice being lowered into acid.(light entertainment is weak)

All bishops look like him, in alien 3 in trying to make a deal one of the leftover goody/baddies hits him.. his blood is the white sap of the androids= he is a bishop..Not the king, the deal is false.. she backs away she jumps.

Actually, AvP2010 (game) has something to say about this. It's non-canon, and silly... but it still has a voice!

That is fairly awesome.. (small game, completed it this afternoon whilst I had some time) I wonder if it will have any bearing on the upcoming predators film as a lot of bits struck close to the silly rodriguex setup.

1) Bishop downloaded his memory before AVP film, and has since lived on constantly respawned after the last dies (kind of like the anime aeon flux)
2) the predators used to have combat pits where they fought against other species
3) Like Rodriguez- multi caste predators, young bloods, warriors elites,and up and up etc (I think the Rodriguez script refers to drones, elites, black and king)
4)There was a massive anticlimax- no big reveal about the relationship between aliens and predators (other than that millenia ago some predators caught the first queen and thought it was kind of cool so made a hologram of it).. game is almost one of those set piece X men 1 etc all the pieces introduced game ends with all the players flying off to the xeno homeworld (discovered in the predators ancient pyramid)

[firestorm40k]

Kick Ass: hugely entertaining. Does a better job of satirizing/deconstructing comic books and super heroes than the 'Watchmen' movie did (but not the graphic novel... ).

It has a couple of moments that manage to be surprising, if not shocking even.

Not perfect -

unneccessary teen romance sub-plot that is resolved in a way that seems to fit awkwardly with the brutal, realistic beatings the character's other 'fantasies' take

but mostly this film works splendidly. Nicholas Cage is the best he's been in any film for about 15 years.

And Hit Girl rules. She alone deserves a sequel.

Verdict: if you like action films, if you like comics, if you like super-hero movies, if you just like an entertaining romp, if you like films that have a bit of satirical commentary to them, then you should definitely Watch it.

I think I've covered everyone on here?

[Kiro]

That is fairly awesome.. (small game, completed it this afternoon whilst I had some time) I wonder if it will have any bearing on the upcoming predators film as a lot of bits struck close to the silly rodriguex setup.

1) Bishop downloaded his memory before AVP film, and has since lived on constantly respawned after the last dies (kind of like the anime aeon flux)
2) the predators used to have combat pits where they fought against other species
3) Like Rodriguez- multi caste predators, young bloods, warriors elites,and up and up etc (I think the Rodriguez script refers to drones, elites, black and king)
4)There was a massive anticlimax- no big reveal about the relationship between aliens and predators (other than that millenia ago some predators caught the first queen and thought it was kind of cool so made a hologram of it).. game is almost one of those set piece X men 1 etc all the pieces introduced game ends with all the players flying off to the xeno homeworld (discovered in the predators ancient pyramid)

Actually I doubt it'll much, if any, effect on the film, as RR pretty much said he's ignoring everything after the original Predator movie.

As to your spoilers on the AvP game

1. Where did you get this information from? I've played all three campaigns, and aside from collecting the marine logs, I'm pretty sure I know the full story, and I can't remember any reference to what you're talking about.
3. It's not a caste system as much as a class system (if it's even official). Predators aren't fixed in their class; they can move from Youngblood to Elite, and presumably can be disgraced. The Predator player character makes such a move.
4. It kind of sheds some light on their relationship; if we use the Predator speaking to you through your biomask as an average, than the Predators regard the aliens as their most dangerous 'enemy' (not prey), whereas previously there was no established ranking system, other than aliens being recognised as formidable prey and more dangerous than humans.