Last Movie You Watched V. 1.0

[Lorena]

Munich - 5/10

I hate movies that confuse me, this one did because too many characters were introduced out of nowhere. That and it was too long.

[molson]

The Reader: 8.5/10

I wasn't expecting much here because The Reader has been sort of universally considered as the "other" movie nominated for best picture (and someone in another thread considered it a "sham" that this was nominated over dark knight). And of course also, there's a billion holocaust movies and hollywood's fascination with that time period is a little tiring.

But I thought it was great. I've read some of the bad reviews and I think they completely miss the point. I think some people are disturbed when any of the participants on the losing side of WWII are treated as anything but robotic, emotionless, killing machines.

I've read some reviews that criticize how we're asked to "feel sorry" for Winslet's character, and I think that completely misses the mark. The character is clearly weak and pathetic and unsympathetic. That kind of portrayal (also seen in Downfall, another solid WW2 movie), destroys our delusion that we're so morally superior to Nazis. That's a delusion that comforts us, but I don't think its accurate. Evil exists within humanity itself, and it can emerge strongly in certain times and places in history. It's not the individual people. There wasn't something in the water in German that created armies of souless dark warriors. They were just normal, flawed people like anyone else. Circumstances plus an extraordinary individual = Nazis. (And I'm not using "extraordinary" in the positive sense there, of course I just mean someone that was completely out of the ordinary in ways that ignited a firestorm in that time and place).

It's a very simple story, but thoughtful and interesting.

And a lot better than Dark Knight....Dark Knight was fun, and maybe I'm just snobby, but something like The Reader just belongs in categories like Best Picture in a way the Dark Knight doesn't. Dark Knight deserves its billions, the Reader deserves its awards and nominations. Both are winners in what they do, its just that the prizes are different.

And also, Kate Winslet is naked a lot.

[ISiddiqui]

Watchmen - 8/10: Never read the book, but I thought this was a very well done movie. Was it long? Yeah, but they needed it to be long to fully explain the world... and it really didn't feel that long. Casting was done very well, especially Rorshack. Very good, some funny parts at times, and good specially effects. I even liked the slow mo ultra violence. Worked better here than in 300.

And the opening credits (to Dylan's "Times Are a Changing") were a great introduction and hilarious.

[Mustang]

Mummy 3 - 'Curse of Some Chinese Emperor Dude' : 4/10 I generally like the first 2 Mummy movies, but this one.. I just couldn't get past the pairing of Fraser with his replacement wife and the son that looked like the same age as him. And then the other girl is trying to kill his son and then falls in love with him 5 minutes later. What the hell? And for good measure, let's throw some Yeti in there... ya, Yeti, that'll help.


Die Hard 4 : 9/10 Typical Die Hard with SPLOSIONS!!! And McClane gets his ass kicked and bloodied earlier in the movie than normal. Although, I love Die Hard so, would be pretty hard to f up this series for me.

[path12]

I'm Not There [3/10]
This movie is supposedly a Bob Dylan biopic, where Bob is portrayed by six different actors representing different "sides" of Dylan or different eras in his life.

I like to consider myself somebody who searches for more than standard blockbuster fare in my movie consumption. I don't need things to make sense right away, of have a linear narrative hook. I like when films take chances and try to do things a little different.

That being said, I gave up after 90 minutes of this film [with 45 still to go]. While certain elements were done with great artistry, overall I felt it was a confusing pastiche that really never attempted to come together in any kind of recognizable structure. Some of the different characterizations of Bob were not abundantly obvious.

Despite some great music, I found myself not really caring enough to try to muddle through the last third of the movie. I give it 3/10 for the great tunes, a good performance by Cate Blanchett and the really ambitious scope, which apparently worked for people who are smarter or more into abstract expressionism than me.

Been awhile since I've seen it but I remember liking but not loving it, I'd be more of a 6/10.

I thought what you found a confusing pastiche was actually a really successful part of the film. Dylan has made himself deliberately obscure and hard to define, and I thought the different characterizations captured those intentional (or unintentional) contradictions very well. And the music really was awesome.

[Butter_of_69]

Frozen River - 9

Melissa Leo and Misty Upham deliver fantastic performances in this different tale that starts out looking like it's going to be a character drama, then turns into a crime drama/suspense thriller and a damn effective one at that. Not many of these types of movies feature 2 female leads, and Leo probably should've won the Oscar for this role (though I haven't seen most of the others, so I'll reserve judgment). Certain aspects of the story are a bit lacking, but I think it's by design. Who are the people being ferried? We never really find out, but mostly because the 2 main characters don't care either... they are a means to an end. HIGHLY recommended.

[DataKing]

RocknRolla (4/10): Guy Ritchie's latest effort, and frankly, a bit of a disappointment. I don't know if it's just that Ritchie's novelty has worn off for me or what, but I could never get into this one. None of the characters ever really endeared themselves to me enough for me to give a shit what happened to them. Overall I'd call it a semi-stinker, although there are a few redeeming moments (the interactions between One Two and Handsome Bob were pretty funny).

Shooter (6.5/10): The plot in this one was nothing original (expert sniper is set up as an assassin in a conspiracy), but the action was decent and enjoyable. Some pretty well-done military scenes in this one. Check it out if that's your sort of thing. I do have to voice one particular complaint though, which is a common one for me with Mark Wahlberg. He mumbles. Alot. I have a hard time understanding him in a lot of the movies he's in, and in this one Danny Glover followed suit. I found the dialogue with both of them especially hard to follow in spots.

[Lorena]

Hitch - 7/10

To me, it seemed some stuff was thrown in there for laughs, but in the end, it was a fun.

[AlexB]

Finally caught Quadrophenia tongiht - cool film! 30 years old, but basically everybody who had even a supporting role has been a stalwart on English TV & film since. 8/10.

[Lorena]

Watchmen - 4/10

I actually clonked during a few scenes. Nothing pulled me and the only 2 characters I remotely cared about were Dr. Manhattan and the masked guy. The Laurie character did just enough just like Jessica Alba did for the Fantastic 4 which was close to nothing. Slow, and when it finally got good, it was pretty close to being over. Even the ending was too long.

[Lorena]

Pineapple Express - 6.5/10

I forgot we saw this last night. It had its moments.

[ISiddiqui]

Oh no! I think I gave it a similar rating, Lorena... what's going on?! ;)

[Lorena]

Oh no! I think I gave it a similar rating, Lorena... what's going on?! ;)

OH noes!!1!!!11!

[Crim]

There Will Be Blood - 4/10

I think I missed the joke somewhere. DDL was compelling simply through his unrelenting intensity. The rest of the movie was meh.

And the soundtrack was horrid. Horridly horrible. It reminded me of Eyes Wide Shut, which had the worst soundtrack of any movie in the history of talking pictures.

[Karlifornia]

There Will Be Blood - 4/10

I think I missed the joke somewhere. DDL was compelling simply through his unrelenting intensity. The rest of the movie was meh.

And the soundtrack was horrid. Horridly horrible. It reminded me of Eyes Wide Shut, which had the worst soundtrack of any movie in the history of talking pictures.

I really liked the soundtrack. It sure was different. I admit I may be biased by knowing it was made by the guitarist of one of my favorite bands of all time.

[Bad-example]

It reminded me of Eyes Wide Shut, which had the worst soundtrack of any movie in the history of talking pictures.

Yes, that is one awful, painful soundtrack.

[DataKing]

The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford (5 / 10): I felt a bit misled by this one. What I thought might be a rather cool western ended up being just a character study of Jesse James and his assassin Robert Ford. The one saving grace to this one was Casey Affleck's performance. The more I see of him on the screen, the more impressed I am with him, and I was riveted by his performance as Ford. Scenes without him, however, were boring. It's pretty obvious to me where the acting talent fell in the Affleck family tree.

[Lorena]

Garden State - 7.5/10

Sweet, quirky characters. Really enjoyed Natalie Portman and Zach Braff basically playing his Scrubs character but very low key and depressed.

[Butter_of_69]

I Love You, Man - 8

Couldn't have been much better. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel had outstanding chemistry. Am def. adding "totes magotes" to my regular lingo.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Watchmen - 8/10

I finally saw it last weekend in iMax glory.

While there are a few things I would have tweaked and few things that didn't quite work, overall I thought it was great. I can't really imagine there being a better film adaptation of the comics. In particular, Rorshach, Dr. Manhattan, the Comedian, and Nite Owl were spot on perfect.

I want to see it again. Badly.

[chinaski]

Seen a bunch of great movies lately, seems like the last 6 months have been filled with great stuff.


Watchmen - 8/10. Ive never read the comic and really had no clue what to expect going in. I assumed there would be a lot more action, what is in there is very well done, but its no way like a Sin City or Dark Knight. The 3 hours cruised by and i was fully engrossed the whole time (accept maybe the Skinamax sex scene, that was dumb). Very good mix of action, social commentary and drama, cant wait to see it again.

Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 9/10. I really expected to not like this movie. I dont know why. Kinda late on seeing it and all ive heard is how awesome it is or how boring it is. Boring seemed most likely, well, I loved it. Im kinda a sucker for romantic movies and this one tore me up. Its just a beautiful story, I loved every second of it.

I Love You Man - 7.5/10. I thought this was a Apatow flick, it easily could have passed as one. Rudd/Segel are pretty damn funny. Theres a lot of talk about how Paul Rudd is coming into his own, but I really think Jason Segel is the guy id put my money on. Hes excellent in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (8/10) and now in this.

Slumdog Millionaire - 10/10. Fully lives up to its oscar hype. Just watched it, blew me away.

Ong-Bak - 7/10. Im no karate film expert, but I have little doubt this has to be one of the best ones ever made. Tony Jaa vs all other karate film stars is like comparing how skateboarders were in the 80's to present day. Does that make sense? I dont think so, all I know is that Tony Jaa is ridiculously better than Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or Jett Lee.

[Neon_Chaos]

Ong-Bak - 7/10. Im no karate film expert, but I have little doubt this has to be one of the best ones ever made. Tony Jaa vs all other karate film stars is like comparing how skateboarders were in the 80's to present day. Does that make sense? I dont think so, all I know is that Tony Jaa is ridiculously better than Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or Jett Lee.

His ridiculous romp through the alleyway with all those stunts was amazing.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Watchmen - 8/10. Ive never read the comic and really had no clue what to expect going in. I assumed there would be a lot more action, what is in there is very well done, but its no way like a Sin City or Dark Knight. The 3 hours cruised by and i was fully engrossed the whole time (accept maybe the Skinamax sex scene, that was dumb). Very good mix of action, social commentary and drama, cant wait to see it again.

I totally agree about the sex scene. Given the length of the movie and everything they had to cut, they really could have shortened that scene by a good 30 seconds and it would have been enough. (Snyder seems to like them for some reason, there was a similar type scene in "300".) Despite the fact that the owl jet "ejaculating" fire was a shot taken directly from a panel in the comic, the film probably could have done without.

[cubboyroy1826]

Agreed with the sex scene in Watchmen and i will add that watching the anatomically correct Dr Manhattan walk around minus loincloth was a bit annoying but when i went back and looked at the comic it was right there as well.

Loved the movie and would give it an 8/10 but suspect watching it a couple more times might actually improve the score especially an extended version.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Agreed with the sex scene in Watchmen and i will add that watching the anatomically correct Dr Manhattan walk around minus loincloth was a bit annoying but when i went back and looked at the comic it was right there as well.

Loved the movie and would give it an 8/10 but suspect watching it a couple more times might actually improve the score especially an extended version.

I barely noticed the anatomically correct Dr. Manhattan. I mean, by the way folks went on and on and on about in reviews and such, I imagined the movie was just going to be a bunch of low angle shots of Dr. Manhattan's crotch and and shots of him gesturing every which way with this hips. It really was a total non-factor.

It is in the comic and it's a nice, if even somewhat important, detail. You'll notice in all of the flashbacks that Dr. Manhattan is wearing clothes of some sort, even when in private. His nakedness is supposed to signal is continued distancing from humanity and the world itself; his "losing touch" if you will.

[cubboyroy1826]

Completely understood but i really ahdn't noticed it in the comic or at least did not remember it. I did go see this at the IMAX so maybe that contributed to it.:)

[rowech]

Blade Runner (5/10) -- I guess I understand why a lot of people like it. You can see some elements of The Terminator in it. Some of the stuff was probably very groundbreaking in the scifi genre. Unfortunately, I just didn't care that much about the movie itself.

[Groundhog]

Blade Runner (5/10) -- I guess I understand why a lot of people like it. You can see some elements of The Terminator in it. Some of the stuff was probably very groundbreaking in the scifi genre. Unfortunately, I just didn't care that much about the movie itself.

I love Sci-Fi, I love Philip K. Dick, I love the book. I don't like this movie. Not at all.

[Neon_Chaos]

Monsters vs. Aliens - 8/10

The movie really made me laugh a lot.

[rowech]

I Love You Man (7/10) -- Enjoyed it but wasn't gaga over it like a lot of other folks have been. Segal is very funny, Rudd is okay but I got tired of his character/antics. The homage to Rush throughout is good too.

[rowech]

Ghost Town (8/10) -- You've seen a movie or movies like this probably dozens of times but it's pretty well done, pretty entertaining, and overall likeable. Pacing is about right, not drawn out at all. Pretty good date type movie in my opinion.

[Chief Rum]

Ghost Town (8/10) -- You've seen a movie or movies like this probably dozens of times but it's pretty well done, pretty entertaining, and overall likeable. Pacing is about right, not drawn out at all. Pretty good date type movie in my opinion.

I liked this one, too. I was probably unduly influenced, because I saw it shortly after coming back from my trip to New York, which I had enjoyed immensely. It was a ton of fun seeing places I myself had just been at (there were spots in the movie where I was thinking, "Man, I was literally standing on that spot just a couple weeks ago...").

But, yeah, it's a solid movie, and the lead grew on me a lot as the movie went by (didn't like him much at the start).

[Taur]

Knowing 7/10 better than Signs, but not much.

And What is up with the black rocks? 5 black rocks under the bed, 1 black rock at the car accident, and the kid is given 1???

[Karlifornia]

I Love You Man- 4/10

Paul Rudd making up slang words for 90 minutes. Segel was funny, though.

[Lorena]

Monsters vs. Aliens - 7.5/10

If this movie wasn't in 3D, I wouldn't have seen it. I was expecting Colbert to be funnier, but he was entertaining as was Seth Rogen's character, he was a riot. The global warming line had me loling... good solid movie.

[Lathum]

I Love You Man (7/10) -- Enjoyed it but wasn't gaga over it like a lot of other folks have been. Segal is very funny, Rudd is okay but I got tired of his character/antics. The homage to Rush throughout is good too.

I've always though Rudd is much better as a supporting guy like he was in Sarah MArshell

[KWhit]

Let the Right One In (9/10)

This was great. A Swedish vampire film that is intelligent, subtle, and thought-provoking. The performances were great and the cinematography beautiful. I really enjoyed it and as time has passed and I have thought about it more, I like it better and better. That's rare. Usually, the more I dwell on a movie the more I pick it apart and remember its flaws, but this just lends itself to examination on a deeper level than almost any movie I've seen in the past couple of years.

Great stuff.

[ISiddiqui]

Adventureland - 7/10: A pretty well done movie from the director of Superbad. It was more amusing than laugh out loud (but there were some definite laugh out loud moments). Kristin Stewart really was amazing as Em. She had the role that could make or break the movie and she totally hit all the right notes. I can see why she was picked for Bella in Twilight, but this movie definitely shows how bad the director of that movie was to make her seem so pedestrian there. Main character was also acted very well by Jesse Eisenburg (who appears to be an up-and-comer based on the number movies he's supposed to be in, as lead in, over this year and the next) and Ryan Reynolds did a very great job as a cool guy cad.

[Swaggs]

Adventureland -- 8.5/10: I had been looking forward to this for awhile and saw it yesterday. I thought it would be a little more slapstick-ish, but it was kind of a more somber, dramady about figuring out what to do after graduating from college (in a "now what?" sense).

I agree with Imran about Stewart -- I've heard of her and seen her in magazines and on talk shows (w/ all the Twilight pub), but this is the first film I have seen her in since Panic Room and she was really impressive. Very expressive, non-verbally in a few of the scenes where she and the male lead were having awkward moments. The male lead, Jesse Eisenberg, was pretty solid in a role that seemed to be in the Michael Cera mold. Lots of solid role players, as well. Martin Starr from Freaks and Geeks was very good and SNLers Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig were hilarious in every scene they appeared in. Reynolds was actually pretty impressive playing a non-Van Wilder-type role, as a more brooding, troubled character.

A very enjoyable film that was worth seeing at the theatre. I have been thinking about it quite a bit since seeing it, which is always good.

[ISiddiqui]

I have to say, based on the fact that everyone was incredible acting wise in the film, including, as you say, Reynolds in a more brooding, troubled character (though the first scene, the "who is he", you see him in is hilarious).

I think that speaks very highly to director Greg Mottola's skill. Following "Superbad" up with this makes me want to see whatever he does next (which is apparently the next Pegg/Frost film... niiiice).

[Swaggs]

I have to say, based on the fact that everyone was incredible acting wise in the film, including, as you say, Reynolds in a more brooding, troubled character (though the first scene, the "who is he", you see him in is hilarious).

I think that speaks very highly to director Greg Mottola's skill. Following "Superbad" up with this makes me want to see whatever he does next (which is apparently the next Pegg/Frost film... niiiice).

Agreed on both counts.

Reynolds still pulled off cool and funny, but there was a lot more depth to his character (in a relatively small amount of screen time) than usual.

[DeToxRox]

Adventureland -- 8.5/10: I had been looking forward to this for awhile and saw it yesterday. I thought it would be a little more slapstick-ish, but it was kind of a more somber, dramady about figuring out what to do after graduating from college (in a "now what?" sense).

I agree with Imran about Stewart -- I've heard of her and seen her in magazines and on talk shows (w/ all the Twilight pub), but this is the first film I have seen her in since Panic Room and she was really impressive. Very expressive, non-verbally in a few of the scenes where she and the male lead were having awkward moments. The male lead, Jesse Eisenberg, was pretty solid in a role that seemed to be in the Michael Cera mold. Lots of solid role players, as well. Martin Starr from Freaks and Geeks was very good and SNLers Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig were hilarious in every scene they appeared in. Reynolds was actually pretty impressive playing a non-Van Wilder-type role, as a more brooding, troubled character.

A very enjoyable film that was worth seeing at the theatre. I have been thinking about it quite a bit since seeing it, which is always good.


Agreed totally with this. Bill Hader was PERFECT in this move too, with his bombastic humor. The moments they did the crazy stuff, he did all of it, and did it great. He'll never be star leading a movie imo, but he will always be an amazing complement in a movie.

[ISiddiqui]

Agreed on both counts.

Reynolds still pulled off cool and funny, but there was a lot more depth to his character (in a relatively small amount of screen time) than usual.

Yep, yep... most of the reviews said this was a film that didn't tred new ground (its fairly cookie cutter when you think about it), but everything was done so well and all the cookie cutter characters had far more depth than the usual type of these kinds of movies.

[rowech]

Adventureland -- (7/10) -- I feel like the movie was probably written for Michael Cerra and he turned it down. Not sure...just felt that way with the way the lead actor played it. I thought it was a good movie but not a great movie. I would much rather watch Dazed and Confused if you compare the two although I can appreciate that a different era will yield a different movie.

[Chief Rum]

Adventureland -- (7/10) -- I feel like the movie was probably written for Michael Cerra and he turned it down. Not sure...just felt that way with the way the lead actor played it. I thought it was a good movie but not a great movie. I would much rather watch Dazed and Confused if you compare the two although I can appreciate that a different era will yield a different movie.

Interesting, because other than there being nostalgic elements and it involving relatively young actors, I don't see those two movies as being very much comparable. They seem to be going for entirely different effects (and, FTR, I enjoyed both).

[ISiddiqui]

As for the Cera comparisons. I think we may have to accept that the somewhat vulnerable leading late teens/early 20s role isn't just for Michael Cera anymore ;).

Saying that, I think that Eisenberg's greater aggressiveness in certain parts of the movie work better with him than, say, Cera, in the role.

[Chief Rum]

Fast and Furious (6/10) This is a tough one for me to separate what I like and what's actually quality. I loved the first movie, never saw the second because Diesel wasn't in it, and avoided #3 because, well, no one was in it (did finally see it a couple months ago on cable, and it was 'meh'). So knowing Diesel and Walker were coming back for #4 was reason enough for me to check it out. Basically, you get what you ask for. Lots of hot rod cars, speed, explosions, beautiful women wearing next to nothing, etc. etc. And the usual cookie cutter villains, bad lines, and plot holes you could drive a ten-second car through. When it comes down to it, I liked the interplay between Walker and Diesel in the first one, and I like it again here. And I like the razzle dazzle stuff. Other than that, pretty forgettable. Anyone who cannot turn off their brain during viewing should not bother.

Adventureland (8/10) I think when I walked out it was a 7, maybe a 7.5. Now, after thinking about it some more, I am leaning toward 8, and it might even climb another .5 by this time tomorrow. Just a solid piece of storytelling with interesting characters well acted with a good script and direction. I was just entering high school in this time period, so I didn't have much in common with college age kids at that time (summer 1987), but I'm not that much separated from them--I remember a bit what it was like at that time, and this movie brings back some nostalgia for me (which only helps). One scene has "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House playing during a 4th of July fireworks show, and that was the first song to which I ever danced with a girl (junior high dance). The "Madonna" look of one of the characters, the cheesy amusement park, even the un-PC reaction to an instance of drunk driving was entirely consistent with the time period--clearly Mottolla remembers that time very well. As said already, some terrific performances all around. I can't think of one significant character that wasn't well acted, and as said, both leads displayed a lot of depth. I wasn't surprised at Reynolds' job--he was very good in last year's "Definitely, Maybe". A month ago, someone responded to me saying that if a movie is still on my mind a day later, it must have been pretty good (something he brought up in response to me saying that about the Watchmen). I don't think that was really true then, because my pondering on the Watchmen was more about meaning and if the message was delivered well. Here, I agree with him--thinking about it a day later gives this one higher marks for me. I definitely recommend it for anyone 35-45 years old.

[Butter_of_69]

Let the Right One In (9/10)

This movie was great, I gave it a 9.5. I thought it had the best ending of any movie I've seen in a couple of years... though apparently there is a controversy around on the internet about the poor quality of the subtitles on the DVD... go to wikipedia to investigate further.

I also give Adventureland an 8.5, as it was so much more well done than the typical period teen movie. It would've been very easy to send the movie way over the top, but it was restrained and realistic (even Hader and Wiig were much more understated than I expected, even when Hader's character was threatening that guy with the bat), though the end felt a bit rushed.

[DataKing]

You people are murdering my Netflix queue...you realize that, right? ;)

Traitor (5 / 10): A very 'meh' performance by Don Cheadle (has he ever done anything that wasn't 'meh'). The story itself was decent, but I'd rather have been left in the dark a little longer about which side Cheadle's character was actually on. He was completely overshadowed by Guy Pearce, and I was quite impressed with the performance by Said Taghmaoui (he plays Cesar, one of the recent set of castaways on Lost).

Wasabi (2 / 10): Someone needs to tell Jean Reno that he is not funny. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

[Alan T]

You people are murdering my Netflix queue...you realize that, right? ;)


Yeah, this thread made my netflix queue a lost cause a long time ago. I completely forget anything about the movies by the time I get them. In fact, I still haven't received one movie that I added after discussions in this thread last August.

[Lorena]

Traitor (5 / 10): A very 'meh' performance by Don Cheadle (has he ever done anything that wasn't 'meh').

I thought he was great in Hotel Rwanda

[finketr]

Sunshine Cleaning (6/10)

I enjoyed it but somewhat predictable... Wife cried a little so I suppose that's good.

[cubboyroy1826]

Seven Pounds 5/10

I only give this a 5 because i am a big Will Smith fan. The movie was much longer than it should have been and was just very meh.

Slumdog Millionaire 8/10

I sat and watched this with my 9 year old son and had to pause it frequently to explain things like why the boys were not living in a house. I had to cover his eyes a couple of times but was also surprised he sat there and watched it the whole time. The movie was very well done and i loved that the way they tied in how learned the answers to each question he was asked. Very good acting and the scenery was amazing. I think many Americans would be shocked to see how other parts of the world live.

[Neon_Chaos]

Fast and Furious - 7/10

Nostalgia, yay!

Dom is a BEAST! Gettting shot in the trapz without flinching was AWESOME. Or sad. Depending on your point of view.

[Taur]

Fast and Furious 10/10

This was the best I could have hoped for in a sequel. Other than the missing cliche big fight seen at the end this movie was a pefect Fast and Furious sequel.

[rowech]

Slumdog Millionaire (10/10) -- It really is that good.

[Pyser]

zohan - 1/10. it really is that bad.

[Schmidty]

Marley and Me - 7.5/10

Quantum of Solace - 6.5/10 (decent, but still very disappointing)

Bedtime Stories - 6.5/10 (would lower, but my kid liked it)

Max Payne - 6.5/10

[rowech]

Doubt (10/10) -- Loved it. Meryl Streep was great. I liked Hoffman. Adams was okay. I have a feeling the play is even better.

[Crim]

Doubt (10/10) -- Loved it. Meryl Streep was great. I liked Hoffman. Adams was okay. I have a feeling the play is even better.

So then, by your scoring system, the play would theoretically be, like, an 11/10?

[Lorena]

So then, by your scoring system, the play would theoretically be, like, an 11/10?

lol

[ISiddiqui]

That one goes to 11.

[Crim]

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.

[Big Fo]

I watched Raging Bull for the first time tonight, I see why it is so highly regarded.

[Karlifornia]

I'm constantly amused by "Crim" posts.

[rowech]

So then, by your scoring system, the play would theoretically be, like, an 11/10?

I guess it would be and you beat me to the Spinal Tap reference.

[Crim]

For those who haven't seen it:

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[Lorena]

The Iron Giant - 7/10

Heartwarming story about a kid's relationship to a robot that falls from space. At first I thought it was an old movie but Jennifer Aniston plays the kid's mom so it couldn't of been old; then Ant mentioned it was made in 1999.. pretty good animation.

[stevew]

Brad Bird is great. Not a bad resume to have The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Iron Giant on it.

We had The Iron Giant on the DVR for like a year, and my 4(now 5) year old would watch it a few times a week. Then I went on vacation, and a CSI Miami HD marathon ate the DVR and deleted a lot of stuff. She was pissed.

Anyways, I'd give it about an 8.5/10, I think it's really well done, and a good story.

Looks like it's airing April 21, 10am, Cartoon network. I'll be setting the DVR, and I'd suggest doing the same.

[Big Fo]

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - pretty damn good

A group of six people make multiple attempts to dine together but something always happens to stop them, sometimes real, sometimes imagined. I liked the characters, especially the ambassador from the Republic of Miranda and the housewife played by Stéphane Audran who is a stunner. It's absurd and satirical, making fun of the French elite, the Catholic church, and the military. Not knowing that the director (Luis Bunuel) was famous or that this had won an Oscar (which I found out later) when browsing through the Netflix site, I'm glad I gave it a shot.

[Chief Rum]

Brad Bird is great. Not a bad resume to have The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Iron Giant on it.

We had The Iron Giant on the DVR for like a year, and my 4(now 5) year old would watch it a few times a week. Then I went on vacation, and a CSI Miami HD marathon ate the DVR and deleted a lot of stuff. She was pissed.

Anyways, I'd give it about an 8.5/10, I think it's really well done, and a good story.

Looks like it's airing April 21, 10am, Cartoon network. I'll be setting the DVR, and I'd suggest doing the same.

Hey, who all wants to start a collection for stevew's daughter's new DVD of The Iron Giant. I figure we can pick this up for Mr. Cheap Dad here for $7.99 at a local discount DVD store. Hey, here's three bucks. We're almost halfway there! :p

[Crim]

Hey, who all wants to start a collection for stevew's daughter's new DVD of The Iron Giant. I figure we can pick this up for Mr. Cheap Dad here for $7.99 at a local discount DVD store. Hey, here's three bucks. We're almost halfway there! :p

lol

[stevew]

I do a lot better with virtual copies than physical ones. Can't scratch them for starters. We've bought maybe 5dvds in the last 3-4 years. Hey, who all wants to start a collection for stevew's daughter's new DVD of The Iron Giant. I figure we can pick this up for Mr. Cheap Dad here for $7.99 at a local discount DVD store. Hey, here's three bucks. We're almost halfway there! :p

[Groundhog]

Brad Bird is great. Not a bad resume to have The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Iron Giant on it.

We had The Iron Giant on the DVR for like a year, and my 4(now 5) year old would watch it a few times a week. Then I went on vacation, and a CSI Miami HD marathon ate the DVR and deleted a lot of stuff. She was pissed.

Anyways, I'd give it about an 8.5/10, I think it's really well done, and a good story.

Looks like it's airing April 21, 10am, Cartoon network. I'll be setting the DVR, and I'd suggest doing the same.

Very solid movie IMO. 8.5/10 is about right.

[Karlifornia]

IRL LOL from Chief Rum's post

[RainMaker]

Let the Right One In (9/10)

This was great. A Swedish vampire film that is intelligent, subtle, and thought-provoking. The performances were great and the cinematography beautiful. I really enjoyed it and as time has passed and I have thought about it more, I like it better and better. That's rare. Usually, the more I dwell on a movie the more I pick it apart and remember its flaws, but this just lends itself to examination on a deeper level than almost any movie I've seen in the past couple of years.

Great stuff.


I agree with you on this one.

Let the Right One In (9/10) - Just a great thought provoking movie. I loved the book and the movie did it justice. I'm not sure how it could have been done any better. There is apparently a U.S. version coming in 2010 (made by the guy who did Cloverfield) and I can guarantee they'll fuck it up.

Bad News Bears Remake (2/10) - Billy Bob Thornton is no Walter Mattheu and the movie just didn't do anything different. Sure they changed a few of the jokes around to make the more modern, but it wasn't enough. The original was great and is miles ahead of the remake. Just don't see why they bothered.

[rowech]

Yes Man (4/10) -- Funny jokes here and there but overall the movie just falls flat. I must admit, I'm not a huge Jim Carey fan, really liking him in Liar, Liar and The Truman Show. Perhaps Jim Cary is just getting too old to act like this???

[DataKing]

Atonement (7 / 10): Not quite the story I was expecting, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The acting was decent, and I have to say that the ending was a bit of a surprise. If you're a fan of movies without the typical "hollywood ending," you may want to check it out.

[rowech]

The Reader (1/10) -- Simply a horrendous movie. I'm sure there are a few folks who will love it but overall it is just pointless. Watch the first half hour if you want to see Kate Winslet constantly naked and then turn it off.

[Crim]

Adventureland - 7/10

Wasn't the comedy that the trailers suggest. Very enjoyable, just wasn't the movie I thought I was going to watch.

[mauchow]

Seven Pounds - 8/10

[ntndeacon]

The Life of Emile Zola--7/10
Was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Paul Mini was ok as the lead. and the fellow playng Alfred Dreyfuss was prtetty good as well.

[Lorena]

Rebel Without a Cause - 5.5/10

I thought James Dean was gonna knock my socks off with his coolness, but I didn't see it. Maybe in another movie? I dunno, just didn't do much for me.

[ISiddiqui]

W. - 7/10: Hey, I actually liked it (though I had a feeling I would). It was a very well done juxtaposition of the Bush Administration's decision to go to war in Iraq and how 43 got there. And then the aftermath of the occupation. Some great acting performances and nice showdowns between Dreyfuss (who played Cheney) and Wright (who played Powell). Brolin was brilliant as George W. Bush. Just brilliant.

Also a nice story of how the always disappointing W. used his parents' (Barbara's as well as George's) lack of respect in him as motivation. It also tends to provide a more sympathetic portrayal of the President than you would expected from an Oliver Stone film, especially in scenes like when he finds out there are no WMDs and his increasing frustration with his staff.

Parts could have been trimmed. Powell and Cheney's amiable conversation with 41 after the Iraq War could have been removed (it was too much into the world of the administration staff and his father than W. himself, IMO). But overall, a good movie which ran a slight bit too long.

[Chief Rum]

Rebel Without a Cause - 5.5/10

I thought James Dean was gonna knock my socks off with his coolness, but I didn't see it. Maybe in another movie? I dunno, just didn't do much for me.

Matter of perspective, I suspect. That movie came out in a much more conservative time, when authority wasn't supposed to be questioned, before the 60s "revolution", before civil rights, before rock 'n roll was establishing a new alternative mindset for teenagers. And we have seen the James Dean type of "rebel" role now re-enacted a ton of times since then, so that it is beyond cliché. At the time this movie came out, this was really setting up a new type of protagonist that hadn't been seen yet.

I had abit of the same "that was it" impression when I saw it.

[Schmidty]

Slumdog Millionaire - 10/10 (It really was that good)

Vinyan - 1/10 (It really was that bad)

The Spirit - 4/10 (Meh. Disappointed)

Mirrors - 6.5/10 (Run-of-the-mill horror)

Australia - ?/? (So far, so bad)

[Butter_of_69]

Synecdoche, New York - Tree

I think I am not exaggerating when I say THIS IS THE WEIRDEST FUCKING MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. The playing with time starts in the first 5 minutes of the movie, and it just sort of warps down a black hole in upon itself from there. I blame it on the fact that not only did Charlie Kaufman write this, but he directed it as well. You definitely need to see this movie more than once to really "get it". Unfortunately, I only had 3 hours, so I watched it once, then watched some of the DVD extras for some further explanation. That helped a lot, actually.

The movie is completely despairing, yet ultimately triumphant. The movie is completely absurdist at times, yet the metaphors are all too identifiable and at some points, painful. There is sex in the movie, but it is never joyful or fun. There is love in the movie, but it is never happy or the relationships easily worked out. There are characters playing other versions of characters who are themselves other versions of characters. There are stages built inside of warehouses inside of other warehouses. There are moments of the movie that encompass years of a character's life, there are other moments that are truly just "moments".

Above all, though, the plot actually makes sense. Despite all of the craziness occurring at the margins, the movie makes complete and total sense at its core. It's just figuring out what all the rest of it means that will occupy most of your time as a movie watcher. You could probably watch this thing 5 times and get something different every time. It is rare that a movie demands so much attention from the viewer, but it is rewarded. Perhaps the most brilliant stroke in the movie is the casting of Emily Watson as a person who is playing a real-life person, who is played by Samantha Morton. In real life, Emily Watson and Samantha Morton look a lot alike. Slap them both in some older age makeup, and it is hard to tell who is who. THEN, slap another guy in there who is playing Philip Seymour Hoffman's character. Hoffman and Morton's character have a long-standing unrequited love. Then the guy playing Hoffman's character seduces Morton's character. THEN, Hoffman's character is seduced by Watson's. It goes on like this, the whole movie, playing with your sense of time and perspective, for 2 hours.

The score? I think this is probably one of the most brilliant movies I have ever seen. But was it one of the most enjoyable? Probably not. I'll probably watch it again some time when it comes on cable or something, just to see what I missed.

Will you like it? It depends. If any of that I described sounds good to you, you're in for a treat. If it sounds like pretentious tedium, skip it. It is both of those, yet neither all within 5 minutes. And that's the brilliance of it.

[DataKing]

Bangkok Dangerous (6 / 10): A mildly-entertaining action flick, with a well-used plotline (a hitman grows tired of bloodshed and finally develops empathy for his fellow human beings). I would have rated this at only a 5, but it gets an extra point for not having a typical Hollywood ending.

[RainMaker]

The Reader (1/10) -- Simply a horrendous movie. I'm sure there are a few folks who will love it but overall it is just pointless. Watch the first half hour if you want to see Kate Winslet constantly naked and then turn it off.

I might be in the minority here, but she doesn't even look that great naked. Sure I'd hit it, but it's not like seeing the Kate Winslet of 10 years ago naked for half the film.

[larrymcg421]

W. - 7/10: Hey, I actually liked it (though I had a feeling I would). It was a very well done juxtaposition of the Bush Administration's decision to go to war in Iraq and how 43 got there. And then the aftermath of the occupation. Some great acting performances and nice showdowns between Dreyfuss (who played Cheney) and Wright (who played Powell). Brolin was brilliant as George W. Bush. Just brilliant.

Also a nice story of how the always disappointing W. used his parents' (Barbara's as well as George's) lack of respect in him as motivation. It also tends to provide a more sympathetic portrayal of the President than you would expected from an Oliver Stone film, especially in scenes like when he finds out there are no WMDs and his increasing frustration with his staff.

Parts could have been trimmed. Powell and Cheney's amiable conversation with 41 after the Iraq War could have been removed (it was too much into the world of the administration staff and his father than W. himself, IMO). But overall, a good movie which ran a slight bit too long.

Pretty much summed up my thoughts on this, too. I loved the Cheney-Powell showdowns. The one big weakness in the movie was Thandie Newton (who I usually like) as Rice. She seemed more interested in imitating Rice in SNL fashion than actually trying to perform her as a 3 dimensional person. Contrast that with Brolin's performance, where he really delves into many different layers of W's persona.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, I got that feeling from Newton as well. Unlike say, Cromwell, who didn't try to attempt 41's manner of speech, but wanted to protray the man, Newton seemed to just want to do an imitation.

[rowech]

I might be in the minority here, but she doesn't even look that great naked. Sure I'd hit it, but it's not like seeing the Kate Winslet of 10 years ago naked for half the film.

She definitely showed her age this go around.

[Tigercat]

I thought the biggest problem with W is that it was a schizo movie, it didn't fully know if it was trying to be satire or something more serious.

I thought the moments of satire and the moments of a serious biopic both worked pretty well, they just didn't work very well mixed together into one film. Not as well as they could have had Stone shown a little more discipline and patience.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

Synecdoche, New York - Tree


I can't wait to see this movie. I *loved* Adaptation.

[ISiddiqui]

I thought the biggest problem with W is that it was a schizo movie, it didn't fully know if it was trying to be satire or something more serious.

I thought the moments of satire and the moments of a serious biopic both worked pretty well, they just didn't work very well mixed together into one film. Not as well as they could have had Stone shown a little more discipline and patience.

I don't think there was really much satire there. It was generally a mostly serious look at the psychological underpinnings of the 43rd President.

[Tigercat]

I don't think there was really much satire there. It was generally a mostly serious look at the psychological underpinnings of the 43rd President.

One example I would give is the acting done on the backdrop of a generally seriously written movie. Almost every actor and actress played their part like a cartoon version of the real thing. Brolin gets a pass or even a good grade, as we can easily suspend belief because many of Bush's mannerisms are almost cartoon-like. I don't blame the actors and actresses, because they did their job with consistency, I blame Stone for not reeling them in more.

Cromwell's Bush was the least ambition acting performance, but it was the best in my mind.

[ISiddiqui]

See, I just don't see that at all. I think Newton was the only one who really went too cartoony. I think Dryfuss and Wright, in particular nailed their characters.

[larrymcg421]

Of course, Dreyfuss already had practice playing pretty much the exact same part in The American President.

[sabotai]

Slumdog Millionaire - 8/10
I have not seen the rest of the Best Picture nominees, but by itself, this was definitely good enough to win Best Picture.

[Lorena]

Traitor - 6/10

Didn't feel as drawn as I thought I'd be.

[RainMaker]

Milk (8 out of 10) - Sean Penn is really a great actor and you don't even realize it's him in the film. He literally becomes Harvey Milk. The movie was good, not great though. If Penn is not in the film, it's probably a 6 out of 10. Went a little long for my liking but was moving.

[JetsIn06]

Repo! The Genetic Opera (10/10)

I could totally see someone giving this a 0/10. But this movie is right up my alley and I thought it was one of the most brilliant things ever. If you haven't heard of it, it's a horror/musical/rock opera.

The premise is that in the future, a company called Geneco gives organ transplants. But if you aren't able to pay your bills for them, a repo man comes and takes them out.

If you like horror or rock opera type stuff, definitely check this out.

[Neon_Chaos]

Off to catch Wolverine tonight. Yay.
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[Butter_of_69]

I've Loved You So Long - 9.5

Really enjoyed this movie. It is almost unbearably depressing and sad at times, but it is also somewhat hopeful at other times to avoid driving viewers off a cliff. Kristin Scott-Thomas is outstanding in this. It is French, so be warned. It avoids melodrama adroitly and is just solid all the way through. Surprised by how much I liked this. Avoid spoilers beforehand if you can, makes it that much better.

[DataKing]

Body of Lies (6 / 10): A decent plot-line in this one, and a halfway-decent twist at the end, but the performances by Leonardo DiCraprio and Russell Crowe were uninspired. I'm completely hit-or-miss with Leonardo. Sometimes he's brilliant (Gangs of New York) and sometimes he is very mediocre.

The Bucket List (8 / 10): A little sappy at times, but overall quite good. Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant. Nicholson and Freeman were their usual brilliant selves.

[cubboyroy1826]

Body of Lies seemed to be just a scatterbrained movie slapped together and sold because it had two very good actors. I agree both Crowe and Decaprio seemed to be going thru the motions but i think the movie itself was just bad which made them look worse than a good script might have. I give Body of Lies 4/10.

On a side note someone needs to tell Crowe to stay away from the buffet table.

[path12]

Marley and Me (incomplete) I couldn't finish the last 10 minutes or so of the movie because I was busy sobbing uncontrollably and hugging my dog. Cute up to then.

Why the fuck anyone would OWN and watch this more than once is beyond me.

[ISiddiqui]

So.... you hated it? ;)

[path12]

So.... you hated it? ;)

I think I'll be able to handle the joys and sorrows of a full life span of my dog just fine in real time. But man, to do the whole arc in an hour and a half? Takes a stronger man than me. ;)

[JetsIn06]

State of Play (7/10)

Pretty fun flick to watch. Not a great movie by any means but well acted and interesting enough plot.

[TheNorm]

Marley and Me (incomplete) I couldn't finish the last 10 minutes or so of the movie because I was busy sobbing uncontrollably and hugging my dog. Cute up to then.

Why the fuck anyone would OWN and watch this more than once is beyond me.

I refuse to watch this movie simply because it looked like it had that "Old Yeller" type ending to me (not specifically, but you get my point). I think I was traumatized by that movie when I was 5 or something.

[Lathum]

yeah, no desire to see what happens at the end.

[Swaggs]

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (7/10) -- I had avoided seeing this one because it did so poorly at the box office, but I thought it was a pretty good comedy. A spoof of the recent music biopics (Ray, Walk the Line) that was an enjoyable trip through the different phases of the rock and roll era. I think it was a good mix of repeating gags (various introductions to new drugs throughout history from Tim Meadows, the "traumatic" loss of smell, relationship with his father) and just plain old ridiculousness (John C. Reilly playing a 14-year old, the death of his brother, his children). Lots of fun cameos, too.

A pretty fun movie -- not one I would buy, but if I caught it again on cable, I'd probably watch it again. Kind of makes me want to see some of the other, more recent, films within this genre that I haven't seen (Step Brothers, Semi-Pro).

[Swaggs]

yeah, no desire to see what happens at the end.

Marley dies.

[Butter_of_69]

Marley and Me (incomplete) I couldn't finish the last 10 minutes or so of the movie because I was busy sobbing uncontrollably and hugging my dog. Cute up to then.

Why the fuck anyone would OWN and watch this more than once is beyond me.

Like a week after that movie came out, I had to put my 11 year old Rottweiler down. My wife and I have sworn off ever watching it, KNOWING that was how it ends. Going through it in real life once was quite enough.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

A pretty fun movie -- not one I would buy, but if I caught it again on cable, I'd probably watch it again. Kind of makes me want to see some of the other, more recent, films within this genre that I haven't seen (Step Brothers, Semi-Pro).

Oof, save yourself the trouble both of those were terrible (and I kind of liked Walk Hard as well).

[Crim]

I loved Step Brothers, but hated Semi-Pro, FWIW.

[Tigercat]

Maybe it is just me, I can cry at all kinds of good movies and I love animals, but I didn't find the end of Marley and Me that sad. Sad, sure, but not epic Old Yeller sad. He was a fairly old dog that had seen a lot of good times, and the family had plenty of time to say goodbye to him. We should all be so lucky with all our pets and loved ones to experience death in the same way.

[RainMaker]

I thought Marley and Me was going to be an easy happy-go-lucky film. No one warned me about this movie and all I can say is why the fuck would you ever make a film like this and not give us some advance notice? As someone who's been in that situation before, it hit close to home and basically destroyed me for the rest of the night.

[sabotai]

The Strangers 5/10 - I think I'm about to give up on American horror movies. They just don't do it for me anymore. This had some good parts, some promise, some potential, but didn't deliver.

It's also hilarious when you look up the "true story" that inspired the film. They'll reach for anything just so that can throw "true story" on the screen. I should penalize it a few more points for that.

The Messengers 2/10 - And this was just awful. A horror movie that flat out sucked.

[ISiddiqui]

I thought Marley and Me was going to be an easy happy-go-lucky film. No one warned me about this movie and all I can say is why the fuck would you ever make a film like this and not give us some advance notice? As someone who's been in that situation before, it hit close to home and basically destroyed me for the rest of the night.

Aroo? I thought everyone knew how this movie ends. I've had no interest in watching it and I knew the ending the week it came out.

[Lorena]

A Cry in the Dark - 6/10

Meryl Streep plays Lindy Chamberlain, a Seventh Day Adventist who is accused of killing her daughter in Australia after a dingo took her baby.

I must admit that when the movie first started, I kept thinking of the Seinfeld episode when Elaine says, "Maybe the dingo ate your baby". Decent movie but it didn't grab me like I thought it would; good performance by Streep though.

[terpkristin]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine 7/10

It's entertaining enough, full of action. But, if you actually stop to think of the story they're trying to tell, you quickly realize that it's full of inconsistencies and has tons of plot holes. If you take it for what it is and DON'T think about the "plot," you probably won't be terribly disappointed.

[JetsIn06]

X-Men: Wolverine (3/10)

Complete letdown for me. I was pretty excited for it, but I did have a gut feeling that I was going to be disappointing. It was worse than I expected.

[RainMaker]

Aroo? I thought everyone knew how this movie ends. I've had no interest in watching it and I knew the ending the week it came out.
With any pet movie I know there is a chance to have a sad ending, but fuck, they dragged it out in excruciating detail.

[Matthean]

Let the Right One In(8.5/9)

Just got done watching it so still taking it in. Probably moves a little higher later on. The directing and music was top notch and really helped a lot. If the subtitled version didn't have the overdubbed voices I should have watched that version instead. Those were annoying as hell.

[Lorena]

Timecrimes - 8.5/10

Was a little slow at first, but once the naked chick shows up, the movie gets better. I recommend watching it with subtitles as the voice over actors were baaaaaaaaaad.

EDIT: Watched it a second time w/ subtitles and it was much more enjoyable. The amount of detail is just awesome, they didn't overlook anything.

[cubboyroy1826]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine 6/10 - I went in with pretty high hopes and came with an Eh feeling. I thought some the CGI was very poorly done. The ction was decent. Being a fan of the Xmen comics there were some major changes that just did not make sense and the super bad guy was just plain bad. As was mentioned previously there were also some plot holes kinda gnawed at me. I went in expecting a lot which probably hurt the score as well.

[Groundhog]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 8.5/10

OK, I was a pretty big Wolverine nut back in the day, but I'd forgotten the basic plot in the Origins storyline. It wasn't until I got home after the movie and re-read them that I noticed the variations in the storylines. Still, I really enjoyed this movie. Great action scenes, decent characters (Gambit needed to be more Cajun!), and fun.

Now I need a sequel with ninja and samurai!

[Lorena]

Ocean's 11 - 8/10

Very enjoyable although it took a bit to set up.

Toxic Avenger - 7/10

A janitor gets pushed by bullies into toxic waste and gets horribly disfigured and becomes a superhero.

Wow was the acting bad, very over the top, but ya can't beat a movie where a guy gets beat with his own arm after it gets ripped off. This movie falls into the "so bad it's good" category.

[Atocep]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine: 4/10 - Was not impressed. Some major changes to the established storyline along with a lot of action movie cliche and a weak plot. The most interesting parts of the movie were the scenes involving Wolverine and Sabertooth. The introduction of Gambit was solid and made him seem like an interesting character, but then he disappears for the most part. Deadpool was wasted as a character. The Agent Zero in this movie was a completely different character than the one in the comics.

Like the 3rd X-Men movie, this one wasn't much more than a bunch of familiar names/characters thrown on the screen with no plot or backstory to tie them together. A complete waste of characters like Agent Zero, Deadpool, Bolt, Wraith, and The Blob. Too many superheroes and too much storyline (even in its butchered state) crammed into two hours.

[terpkristin]

I find it kind of interesting that I usually don't like comic book movies and I think I've rated Wolverine fairly high compared to others here. Granted, I went in with no expectations, because I just don't care about comic book series/characters and really only saw the movie because I was on a date and nothing else was playing.

But, with no expectations for it to be decent, I was at least entertained by the action.

/tk

[DataKing]

Appaloosa (3 / 10): Ed Harris should stay in front of the camera and not behind it, because the job he did as Director on this was horrible. A complete waste of his own acting talents as well as Viggo Mortenson's, the characters felt flat and lifeless. There were also spots in the storyline where significant periods of time passed between scenes, but the transitions were awful and you have no concept of just how much time has passed. A severe disappointment overall.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (5.5 / 10): Moderately entertaining. If you enjoyed the first one, you'll probably like this one as well. Some of the attempts at humor fall flat, mostly because Ron Perlman just can't do comedy (love him in Sons of Anarchy though), but the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, and the fight scene at the end is fun.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Death Proof (2007) - 3/10

"Death Proof" is the second half (the Tarantino half) of the "Grindhouse" film. I still haven't caught the first half, "Planet Terror." This movie just isn't very good. At all. Everything goes on far too long. There are number of classic Tarantino type scenes of people talking around a table with camera moving around them, but, unlike, say, "Reservoir Dogs" or "Pulp Fiction" the dialogue sucks. The stories aren't at all interesting, they don't reveal much in the way of character and just go on and on and on. Too many of the actors also seem to take some sort of Tarantino-esque affectation to their delivery. It's like they watched all the Tarantino movies and decided they had to mimic the physical movements and cadence of speech of past characters. It all seemed incredibly forced and unnatural. Kurt Russel is good as "Stuntman Mike", but the character starts out kind of interesting and just doesn't go anywhere. Even the scenes that are exciting, like when the girl is riding on the top of the car, go on for far too long to the point of tedium.

I like most of Tarantino's stuff. I love "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction". I liked "Jackie Brown" and thoroughly enjoyed the "Kill Bill" flicks. I hope "Inglorious Basterds" is solid. This one, however, just wasn't any good.

[Butter_of_69]

H_B, thanks for validating my opinion. I have a number of friends who have gone on about how good this movie was. I thought it was somewhere around 30 minutes (or more) too long. And the dialogue was just awful. Most of the same complaints that you have here. It's like Tarantino gets a pass and gets to do all these horrifically boring things and it magically becomes interesting just because HE did them. No sir. The movie sucked.

[ISiddiqui]

Add me to the choir. "Death Proof" was horrible beyond words.

[Honolulu_Blue]

H_B, thanks for validating my opinion. I have a number of friends who have gone on about how good this movie was. I thought it was somewhere around 30 minutes (or more) too long. And the dialogue was just awful. Most of the same complaints that you have here. It's like Tarantino gets a pass and gets to do all these horrifically boring things and it magically becomes interesting just because HE did them. No sir. The movie sucked.

Yeah, I think that's exactly why people think this movie is anything but overlong and boring: because Tarantino did it.

I'm a big fan of the guy, but this movie just doesn't work. Where the inane conversations about "Big Macs" in Amsterdam or about foot massages in "Pulp Fiction" were funny and interesting, and all the dialogue in the diner scene at the begining of "Reservoir Dogs" was fantastic, whatever the hell the people were talking about in "Death Proof" was just dull, boring, over acted and went on far too long.

The only reason I kept watching it was becuase I was mildly interested to see how it ended (very poorly) and I really don't get tired of watching Rosario Dawson.

I also don't see the need to make an homage film of what were, originally, quite shitty films.

[DeToxRox]

Yeah, I think that's exactly why people think this movie is anything but overlong and boring: because Tarantino did it.

I'm a big fan of the guy, but this movie just doesn't work. Where the inane conversations about "Big Macs" in Amsterdam or about foot massages in "Pulp Fiction" were funny and interesting, and all the dialogue in the diner scene at the begining of "Reservoir Dogs" was fantastic, whatever the hell the people were talking about in "Death Proof" was just dull, boring, over acted and went on far too long.

The only reason I kept watching it was becuase I was mildly interested to see how it ended (very poorly) and I really don't get tired of watching Rosario Dawson.

I also don't see the need to make an homage film of what were, originally, quite shitty films.

Death Proof was a letdown for me as well. I saw Grindhouse in the theater, and Planet Terror was just awesome. Non stop action. Then you had the excellent trailers they did, and then Death Proof was on last. We were at the Midnight show so it was pushing 2 or 2:30 AM when Death Proof started. It was just too slow. The action scenes were great, but there weren't that many. I think Tarantino's idea was to make a movie that slowed everything down so people didn't get burnt out after PT, but all it did was make people fall asleep.

There was some clever dialogue at times, but nothing worth mentioning. Just not a very good movie.

Thankfully Inglorious Bastards looks amazing.

[larrymcg421]

I actually liked Death Proof more than Planet Terror. Rodriguez kinda cheated by not really doing an honest Grindhouse movie. It was more of a spoof, as the whole thing played like a joke throughout. There was alot of action, but none of it was really exciting. Tarantino actually made a grindhouse film, filled with lingering shots of hot chicks and an exciting car chase conclusion that double backed on itself.

[Lorena]

Add me to the choir. "Death Proof" was horrible beyond words.


+1 a billion times over

Whoa, did we just agree on another movie? What's goin' on here? ;)

[chinaski]

Timecrimes - 8.5/10

Was a little slow at first, but once the naked chick shows up, the movie gets better. I recommend watching it with subtitles as the voice over actors were baaaaaaaaaad.

EDIT: Watched it a second time w/ subtitles and it was much more enjoyable. The amount of detail is just awesome, they didn't overlook anything.

Just saw it today, good stuff. Im going a little lower with it though, Timecrimes - 7/10.

I had a hard time with the time traveling, cant wrap my overly literal mind around the concept I guess. :)

[Lorena]

Just saw it today, good stuff. Im going a little lower with it though, Timecrimes - 7/10.

I had a hard time with the time traveling, cant wrap my overly literal mind around the concept I guess. :)

Yeah neither could I. I originally rated it a 6.5 but after a second viewing, a lot of stuff made more sense. If you watch it a second time, you'll notice little details here and there that were missed the first time around.


Like Hector #3's hand holding on to the wall, the golf cart on the outside, noises here and there... lots of stuff.

[ISiddiqui]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine: 4/10 - Not very good at all. The plot was a mess. Introduced a number of characters, didn't develop them at all, and then dumped them. The biggest new character, Gambit, while played fairly well by Riggins (he's always Riggins), was basically there to blow some shit up and that's it.

Some great unintentional humor as this movie has some of the most obvious scene-chewing parts ever. If it was a parody, it'd be perfect. But I think they were playing it straight. Oh well.

Explosions are always fun. But, all in all, not that good at all.

[RainMaker]

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (7 out of 10) - This is one of the toughest movies to review because there are such contrasting elements to it. The movie automatically gets a decent score simply because just about every technical aspect of it is fantastic. The music, scenery, and makeup. They match each era perfectly and have amazing attention to detail. I thought Brad Pitt was real good as well as the entire supporting cast. My only gripe on the casting side is Cate Blanchett. Just never really dug her role. Actually think Kate Beckinsale or someone would have been better in that role.

Now for the bad, I'll say the whole script. I found out afterwards that the screenplay writer and director never read the short story. They missed one of the most important aspects of it. The fact that Benjamin was wise when he was born. The movie runs long and has a lot of unnecessary scenes (the lightning guy, the guy who asks him to mail his wife the money, etc). The love story also came across kind of weak and I never really felt the strong attraction there (not to mention the creepiness of the child and old man having that connection). The narrative behind it with the dying Mother with her daughter has been played out before (and what was the point of the hurricane?).

It's one of those movies that the studios probably sat down, got a great cast, got great everything else, and just had a shitty screenplay. It felt like a movie that was done just to win an Oscar. Sadly, it could have been good enough to do so with a halfway decent script. I give it a 7 for it's uniqueness and technical brilliance. But this was a huge disappointment for me.

[rowech]

Star Trek (10/10) -- simply fantastic.

[LoneStarGirl]

Seven Pounds 6/10 I had heard great reviews of this movie so I went in with great expectations, but when the movie ended, I thought, really, is that it? The movie was extremely predictable, within the first 2 minutes I told GoldenEagle exactly what happened to make Will Smith act the way he did.
I love Woody Harrelson and Will Smith is pretty cute, but those were the only upsides to the movie.

[LoneStarGirl]

Marley and Me (incomplete) I couldn't finish the last 10 minutes or so of the movie because I was busy sobbing uncontrollably and hugging my dog. Cute up to then.

Why the fuck anyone would OWN and watch this more than once is beyond me.

I felt the exact same way during I AM LEGEND. I'll never watch Marley & Me or I am Legend again

[ISiddiqui]

Star Trek - 8/10: I'm not a trekkie. I only know a bit about the backstory. I know the players, but that's about it really. I really enjoyed this movie. I know it is more of an action movie than most Trek stuff, but for a newbie to the series, it was pretty cool. The acting was really good from Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto and the supporting staff did a decent job as well (Simon Pegg as Scotty was absolutely hilarious). I liked the plot and the time travel seemed to work well, as well as give a bit of leeway to Abrams in writing the Starfleet he wanted to rather than being trapped in by Roddenberry's vision.

[Neon_Chaos]

CRAP.

3 malls and 10 cinemas SOLD OUT for Angels and Demons here in Manila.

Even the 12:30 AM last full show was sold out. THE MOVIE IS AROUND 2:45... people will go home at around 4am just to watch it!

[larrymcg421]

Star Trek (7/10) - I really liked the casting (particularly inspired choice for Scotty) and think they will make a terrific new ensemble. It was good fast paced action and some really funny moments. However, this one didn't quite work for me as much as it did others. Some of the humor was a bit too silly, and I thought the machinations they went through to justify Kirk taking over as captain were a little too contrived. Still enjoyed it, and look forward to the next one.

Slumdog Millionaire (7/10) - Once again, this is a movie I didn't like nearly as much as the reputation it gets. Sure, it's stylish, well acted, and is a great underdog story. Where I think it is less successful is the romance, which I think wouldn't be very compelling at all if not for the structure that Boyle uses. The chemistry just didn't seem to be there either, mainly because the reserved nature of the main character made it seem mor elike he was solving a crime than finding a long lost love.

[ISiddiqui]

The chemistry just didn't seem to be there either

This is more amusing due to the fact that the main leads are now dating apparently :D

[larrymcg421]

This is more amusing due to the fact that the main leads are now dating apparently :D

Sure, but chemistry in real life doesn't necessarily translate to chemistry on screen.

[Lorena]

CRAP.

3 malls and 10 cinemas SOLD OUT for Angels and Demons here in Manila.

Even the 12:30 AM last full show was sold out. THE MOVIE IS AROUND 2:45... people will go home at around 4am just to watch it!

I was really, really looking forward to this movie but Rotten Tomatoes has rated it at 38% (!!!). Sorta sucks the book was pretty damn awesome, doesn't seem like they did it justice.

[ISiddiqui]

Was it "pretty damn awesome" like 'Da Vinci Code'? ;)

[Lorena]

Was it "pretty damn awesome" like 'Da Vinci Code'? ;)

As good as UHF.

In all seriousness, The Da Vinci Code book was very mediocre (the movie was even more) compared to Angels and Demons.

[rowech]

Zach and Miri Make a Porno (6/10) -- Thought it was fairly blah. Very predictable and many of the jokes just didn't bring laughs even though I recognized they were supposed to be jokes.

[Swaggs]

I still can't believe how poor Hanks was in the DaVinci Code. You never expect for him to be the weak link in a movie, but he really drug that one down.

[ISiddiqui]

Doubt - 8/10: Didn't see the play before hand, so it was all new to me. Really well done, with some strong, strong acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Merryl Streep, and Amy Adams. It'll really make you think about assumptions you make and whether or not you've been too harsh in making them.

UHF - 4/10: Was alright I guess, but slapstick that seemed to fail. Mel Brooks just does it so much better. But Victoria Jackson was HOT back then, wow!

[RainMaker]

The Wrestler (9 out of 10) - Lived up to the hype in my book. Rourke was brilliant and the film did the little things so well. Enjoyed how they made it realistic and portrayed this odd world of older wrestlers so well. As someone who has seen this and Milk now, I think the Oscar should have gone to Rourke. Both were amazing in their roles, but there was something about Rourke playing that character that just grabbed me. He is that whole movie.

Slumdog Millionaire (8 out of 10) - I really liked the movie. With that said, I don't think it's Oscar quality. It seems 2008 was filled with a lot of really great movies, but none that stood out as an Oscar winning film. It was a little out there at times but had great acting and directing. Just an all around good movie that any audience would enjoy. I guess the one thing that annoyed me was the "feel good" nature of it. Tried too hard to appease people and could have gone a different direction at the end that would have made it a better movie.

[Chief Rum]

I was really, really looking forward to this movie but Rotten Tomatoes has rated it at 38% (!!!). Sorta sucks the book was pretty damn awesome, doesn't seem like they did it justice.

Lorena, if you loved the book, I recommend ignoring the rating and go check it out. I loved the book, too, a lot more than The Da Vinci Code, and this movie does a much better job of sticking to the book.

The one notable thing they changed that I can recall was a move that improved the movie from the book version, too, strangely enough.

The movie isn't as good as the book, of course (what movie is as good as its source book), but it's fairly good fun, and telling a story you already know you like.

[Logan]

Angels & Demons - 7/10

I thought it was actually well done. We all knew going in that this would make a better movie than DVC due to the fast pacing of the story and it delivered. Agree with CR in that much of the story did stay true, but I think a couple of the deviations went too far. I'll spoiler them for anyone who wants to read the book:

- The biggest, by far, being that they eliminated the reveal that the Camerlengo was the Pope's real son. Yeah it was kind of a stretch in the book that the Pope would have a child through artificial insemination, but it made sense in the context of his appreciation of science and his desire to unite it with religion. More importantly, the Camerlengo's realization that he killed his real father was one of the best parts of the book in my opinion.

- The 4th Cardinal living. Not sure why they went this route...to have a more happy ending?

- I was fine with them making the other scientist not be Vittoria's father, and the antimatter not being a secret between them two. But why make the Illuminati ambigram appear just as a page sent to the Vatican instead of being branded on whatever movie Leonardo was called?

- Speaking of ambigram, not sure why they eliminated the Illuminati diamond. That thing was just friggin cool.

- The best deviation, of course, was not having Langdon plummeting out of that helicopter. Weakest part of the book, and it seemed like something they would add into a movie instead of taking it away. Good job.

[Chief Rum]

Yup, Logan, the last part of your spoiler text is exactly what I was referring to for what they actually improved on from the book.

[Alan T]

Went to see Angels and Demons last night as well. I loved it. Of course I loved Davinci Code too, which you all just got done talking bad about.. so maybe I am not a good judge for you :)

[Chief Rum]

Went to see Angels and Demons last night as well. I loved it. Of course I loved Davinci Code too, which you all just got done talking bad about.. so maybe I am not a good judge for you :)

I liked The Da Vinci Code, both movie and book, to a point, too, Alan. But that story was always just okay with me. A & D was always the premier Brown book, IMO, in terms of excitement and quality story telling.

[Lorena]

I liked The Da Vinci Code, both movie and book, to a point, too, Alan. But that story was always just okay with me. A & D was always the premier Brown book, IMO, in terms of excitement and quality story telling.

Yup, same here. The Da Vinci Code was ok, but Angels and Demons was so fast paced and I couldn't put the book down. Before The Da Vinci Code movie came out, I thought Angels and Demons would make a much better movie because of the pacing.

Anyway, I'll probably end up waiting for it on DVD, gives me a chance to re-read the book.

[Lorena]

The Birds - 5.5/10

I thought it was very slow with not much happening. I thought it'd get better as it went on but was proven wrong.

[Lorena]

Not sure if I rated these but:

Night Watch 7/10 - Russian vampire movie involving a battle between the light and dark. Awesome visual effects, nothing like we've seen here in the states. I think some stuff was lost in translation though, but it's still a pretty decent movie.

Day Watch 8.5/10 - Sequel to Night Watch. I felt this was a much better story. Had the same impressive visual effects, can't wait for the final film in this trilogy!

Star Trek - 8.5/10 - Wow, non-stop action! As a non Trekkie, I really enjoyed this film, but thought I would have enjoyed it more if I knew more about the characters.

[ISiddiqui]

Appaloosa - 8/10: A very well done Western. Blending in pre-"Unforgiven" and after-"Unforgiven" characters (Viggo Mortenson's character appears to be the only pre-"Unforgiven" type though). Nicely plotted (I expect my Westerns to be a bit slower) and very well acted. Harris, Mortenson, Irons and Zellweger all played their parts absolutely perfectly. Harris is just amazing in his role and Irons is always fun as a villian.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian - 7/10

Scoring it based on what it set out to do, it's fine. It doesn't have the fun factor of the original to me, I think that's mostly a function of us already being in on the gimmick. The jokes are good enough, the pacing is quite good (rare that I say a movie seemed shorter than it was), but they really seemed to have too many characters packed into not enough time. Zero character development really. Almost like watching Airplane for the brief appearances, longer than cameos sometimes but nowhere near long enough for anything more than a quick "hey, isn't that ..."

And can I be the next to say that the camera just really really like Amy Adams? Kind of the epitomy of cute on screen or something.

Like I said, nothing wrong with it standing alone as a Saturday afternoon family comedy, but it ain't the original. And any part 3 might be closer to straight to DVD than blockbuster.

[ISiddiqui]

Terminator: Salvation - 6/10: It wasn't a good movie, but it didn't suck either. Maybe that's low expectations when walking into the theater talking, but I kind of like the redemption storyline. And there were plenty of explosions. I liked some of the call backs to earlier movies as well. Though the story was simplistic and not all that great.

On a side note, Anton Yelchin is making some $$ this summer. First as Chekov on Star Trek and then Kyle Reese in Terminator.

[rowech]

The Birds - 5.5/10

I thought it was very slow with not much happening. I thought it'd get better as it went on but was proven wrong.

I always liked this movie but have always felt it wasn't quite the movie folks think it is. If you want the best Hitchcock movie, pick up "North by Northwest"

[Lorena]

Just watched The Birds (63) for the first time, didn't like the ending. Anyone care to elaborate with spoiler tags why it ended the way it did?



My understanding is that it was left open so the viewers can interpret whether or not they made it out alive.

Also, a bit of trivia from wikipedia: The scene in which Hedren is attacked in the attic took a whole week to shoot. Real birds were tied to the actress and hurled at her. One bird actually cut her face just under her eye. The scene was so stressful for the actress that she had a breakdown. She has been quoted as saying that it was "the worst week of [her] life." When the bird crashes into the window of the phone booth, it was not meant to break. Crew members spent an entire day picking glass fragments out of Hedren's face.

[Lorena]

I always liked this movie but have always felt it wasn't quite the movie folks think it is. If you want the best Hitchcock movie, pick up "North by Northwest"

Thanks, definitely gonna check it out.

[panerd]

The Strangers 5/10


It's also hilarious when you look up the "true story" that inspired the film. They'll reach for anything just so that can throw "true story" on the screen. I should penalize it a few more points for that.
.

Yeah, so the director had neighboring empty homes broken into and burglarized in his neighborhood as a kid and that is the inspiration for a story about murderers who terrorize a couple? :lol:

[DataKing]

I always liked this movie but have always felt it wasn't quite the movie folks think it is. If you want the best Hitchcock movie, pick up "North by Northwest"

I personally find Vertigo slightly preferable to North by Northwest, but both are excellent.

[Julio Riddols]

Star Trek (9.0/10)- I didn't think I'd see a movie that would make me feel as happy as the G.I. Joe trailer made me feel sad..

But then the feature played.

All I could think afterwards is that J.J. Abrams should have done both films.

If anyone has yet to see the previews of the G.I. Joe flick, its the most awful looking shit I have ever seen. Doesn't even remind me of G.I. Joe. I could not believe my eyes how retarded it looked, considering the fans of that show are now firmly entrenched in their 20's and 30's and their use of over the top special effects to make the movie seem "cool" was just annoying.

As for my favorite thing about Star Trek? Bones. So well played.

[rowech]

Star Trek (9.0/10)- I didn't think I'd see a movie that would make me feel as happy as the G.I. Joe trailer made me feel sad..

But then the feature played.

All I could think afterwards is that J.J. Abrams should have done both films.

If anyone has yet to see the previews of the G.I. Joe flick, its the most awful looking shit I have ever seen. Doesn't even remind me of G.I. Joe. I could not believe my eyes how retarded it looked, considering the fans of that show are now firmly entrenched in their 20's and 30's and their use of over the top special effects to make the movie seem "cool" was just annoying.

As for my favorite thing about Star Trek? Bones. So well played.

Agreed...it looks like they decided to make GI Joe a bunch of superheroes.

[Neon_Chaos]

Agreed...it looks like they decided to make GI Joe a bunch of superheroes.

But... they were.

Well, immortal at least.

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[Honolulu_Blue]

Star Trek - 8/10

A very entertaining movie. The new cast was excellent, in particular, Bones and Kirk. They just nailed it. A great "re-boot" of the franchise. There were somethings that didn't work. The whole "Scotty in the water tubes" thing was pretty stupid, especially since they just had a similar frantic type scene with Kirk being chased by the various snow monsters.

The one thing I found very silly was the set-up for everything. Perhaps I will discuss that in the Star Trek movie thread with appropriate spoilers tabs and such.

[Sublime 2]

Quantum of Solace - 6.5/10

I watched it over two nights, which may have had something to do with the rating. I was entertained enough. But overall it was a good movie that I probably won't re-watch.

[Atocep]

Up - 8/10

Very good, but not great movie. It moves at a good pace and the characters are well done. Quite a bit of action. Good humor, although I think there's more humor that falls flat with adults in this movie than their other films. It's definitely on par with Pixar's best but after reading some of the reviews I was expecting something amazing so my expectations were probably too high. Still a movie I'd recommend if you're a fan of Pixar's other movies.

[Sublime 2]

Star Trek - 8.5/10

I brought my pops to see this, as he is a big ST fan, and he walked away happy. My only real ST experience is with The Next Generation and I was VERY entertained by this movie. The Spock/Kirk relationship was fun to see, and I liked the Bones & Scotty castings.

[sabotai]

Der Untergang (Downfall) 8.5/10

A great movie about the last days of Hitler and those around him. Read some comments from some critics about how they made Hitler into a bit of a sympathetic character, but I didn't see that at all. The Hitler in the movie is simply a realistic portrayal. He was nice to his followers (including his secretaries). He loved dogs. He was also an unbelievable monster and maniac, and the film captures that very well. (Bruno Ganz is incredible as Hitler) The Hitler in this film is in no way a sympathetic character. The rest of the cast also does a great job. An absolute must see movie, especially for those interested in WWII.

[Tigercat]

[B]Read some comments from some critics about how they made Hitler into a bit of a sympathetic character, but I didn't see that at all.

They made him out to be human, which as far as we know he was. Just because they didn't put horns on his head and have him yell out "kill, kill, KILL!" every 5 seconds, doesn't mean he is a sympathetic character...

Downfall is one of my top movies of the last 5 years, great film. It makes the horrors and existence of Nazi Germany seem more understandable. But there is little sympathy to be had for Hitler or his strongest followers in the film. I think the icing on the cake for showing the Nazi's as villainous was the murder of little children in their sleep. Don't know how any viewer can see an attempt at sympathy around those types of actions.

[Groundhog]

Three Kings - 8/10

Had never seen this before last night. The bottle of Chivas we all polished off while watching it has made my memory a little foggy, but really enjoyed this film.

[stevew]

Killshot-4/10
A total mess, no wonder it didn't release for like 3 years after it was done. As a bit of an Elmore Leonard fan I was somewhat interested. Basically no reason to watch this movie, but if it was on it's just interesting enough to keep you watching.

[stevew]

Der Untergang (Downfall) 8.5/10

A great movie about the last days of Hitler and those around him. Read some comments from some critics about how they made Hitler into a bit of a sympathetic character, but I didn't see that at all. The Hitler in the movie is simply a realistic portrayal. He was nice to his followers (including his secretaries). He loved dogs. He was also an unbelievable monster and maniac, and the film captures that very well. (Bruno Ganz is incredible as Hitler) The Hitler in this film is in no way a sympathetic character. The rest of the cast also does a great job. An absolute must see movie, especially for those interested in WWII.

This is the one that they use to do the various "Hitler is pissed off about X" youtube clips, right?

[sabotai]

This is the one that they use to do the various "Hitler is pissed off about X" youtube clips, right?

Correct.

[RainMaker]

The Hammer (7 out of 10) - Small independent film written and starred by Adam Carolla. About a guy who is 40 who becomes an amateur boxer. If you like his humor and his style of ranting, you'll probably like this film to some degree. I'm not a big fan of comedies these days but have to say this is one of the better ones out there. Lot of subtle jokes and a good date movie that guys will enjoy. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it, but I'd throw it on your Netflix queue. Not a bad way to kill an hour and a half.

[DataKing]

Watched a number of movies over the weekend:

Sweeney Todd (6 / 10): I'm normally not one for musicals, but I figured I'd give this one a look-see because of Tim Burton. Burton is like playing Russian Roulette with movies; sometimes he's brilliant (Edward Scissorhands) and sometimes you're left saying "WTF was that?!?!" (Mars Attacks). I was rather surprised to say that this one was somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed it well enough, and the singing wasn't as much of a distraction as I often find it to be in musicals. And in case anyone was wondering, Alan Rickmann can't sing. At all. Not even a little bit.

Star Trek (8 / 10): I really enjoyed Abrams' take on Star Trek...one of the most "just plain fun" movies I've seen in quite a while. Two things stand out in particular to me; the in-story explanation of how/why this is different than the original series, and the relationship between Spock and Kirk. Going in I was a little concerned about Zachary Quinto. I was worried that I'd look at him and say to myself "Oh look, there's Sylar trying to be Spock," but I had nothing to worry about. From the first raised eyebrow, he had me convinced he was indeed everyone's favorite Vulcan.

The Machine Girl (3 / 10): A mediocre little piece of Japanese hyper-violence. It's a classic story, really. Ami is a happy Japanese schoolgirl, until her little brother is murdered by the son of a Yakuza boss. So she seeks revenge, but gets her arm cut off in the process. Undaunted, she gets a machinegun attached to her stump and proceeds to extract bloody vengeance. And when I say bloody, I do mean bloody. We're talking geysers of blood and mounds of gore here...I'm not exaggerating. The squeamish need not apply.

Equilibrium (8 / 10): Christian Bale may be a whiny b*tch in real life, but they guy sure can act. This was an interesting take on the "dark future" genre, and Bale does a fantastic job of acting like a man trying hard to hide his emotions...a difficult thing to do without coming across as a lifeless automaton. A really good combination of fine acting (props to Sean Bean as well) and some really excellent gun-play choreography...I highly recommend it.

[Mustang]

Fanboys - 7/10 : I wash hoping for Star Wars meets Road Trip, but seems like that they could have done more with the movie and poked more fun at themselves, but there were some parts of the movie that just didn't seem to mesh well. Oh, and those questions there were asking the Star Wars fans are the equivalent of asking someone to spell dog or cat. ;) Oh, and the blue box 12" Luke on Tauntaun wasn't released until 2002....

I'll back away now...

[DataKing]

My Name is Bruce (6.5 / 10): If you're a fan of Bruce Campbell (as I am), I'm positive you'll enjoy this movie. If you don't like Bruce Campbell's stuff, don't bother...you won't get it. The entire premise of the movie is that a small town has trouble with a supernatural creature, so they kidnap Bruce Campbell to help them fight the creature (since that's what he's know for in Army of Darkness, Bubba Hotep, etc). It's cheesy and rather silly, as any Campbell fan would expect, and more than met my suitably low expectations. :D

[thesloppy]

The Machine Girl (3 / 10): A mediocre little piece of Japanese hyper-violence. It's a classic story, really. Ami is a happy Japanese schoolgirl, until her little brother is murdered by the son of a Yakuza boss. So she seeks revenge, but gets her arm cut off in the process. Undaunted, she gets a machinegun attached to her stump and proceeds to extract bloody vengeance. And when I say bloody, I do mean bloody. We're talking geysers of blood and mounds of gore here...I'm not exaggerating. The squeamish need not apply.

'The Machine Girl' is a good time....I mean, it's no 'Tokyo Gore Police', but what is?

[Butter_of_69]

Revolutionary Road - 9

I knew this would probably be a hard film to watch, as it is somewhat about two young twenty-somethings who meet, have kids, and move out to the suburbs and how crap that life is to some people. I thought it would hit close to home. But it didn't really at all, because the two main characters are so messed up in their own ways that it is completely unrelatable to my personal life, even as the circumstances of their life are completely understandable. Sometimes, I do feel like they do, like it would be so great just to pick up and leave your old life behind and actually live a life outside of the typical corporate job stuff and somewhere outside of your comfort zone, because at times the repetitiveness of it all becomes difficult to deal with. But that's the trick, really. How do you deal with it? Where do you get joy? If it's not out of the person or people you love and live your life with, then you are going to have problems. And that's where the problems start in this movie, but hardly where they end. They use a comic sort of device in the movie, in that they have an actual crazy person come in and visit... and he lays out in no uncertain terms what the problems are. A kind of demented Greek chorus. But not truly, in that he is part of the beginning of the chain reaction that begins to bring the character's lives down around them.

A really interesting movie about suburban life and how you choose to live it. Also, great for making you appreciate the completely non-crazy person you have married/shacked up with.

[Schmidty]

Up - 10/10

This was the best Pixar movie to date, and the best movie I've seen this year. I don't cry at movies, but this one had me going a few times. The way I look at it, unless you are emotionally bankrupt, you'll love this film.

[Lathum]

Up - 10/10

This was the best Pixar movie to date, and the best movie I've seen this year. I don't cry at movies, but this one had me going a few times. The way I look at it, unless you are emotionally bankrupt, you'll love this film.

So you're telling me I wont like it?

[Schmidty]

So you're telling me I wont like it?

Yes.

[Lathum]

Going to see Night at the Museum at the Imax in a little bit. It will be my first Imax experience, looking forward to it.

[Lorena]

Up - 10/10

This was the best Pixar movie to date, and the best movie I've seen this year. I don't cry at movies, but this one had me going a few times. The way I look at it, unless you are emotionally bankrupt, you'll love this film.

Aww, that's cute. We're gonna go see it next weekend I'm looking forward to it.

Going to see Night at the Museum at the Imax in a little bit. It will be my first Imax experience, looking forward to it.

Oooh you're gonna love it! I don't know much about Night at the Museum, but for nature type shows, that's the place to see 'em.

[tarcone]

Gran Torino-- 9.5/10

Wow. What a great movie. This is one of Clints best. And that is saying alot. I really got involved with the characters. I really cared for all of the protagonists and hated all the antagonists. I laughed, I cried. And I really laughed at the end. Take that granddaughter:D

[Schmidty]

Gran Torino-- 9.5/10

Wow. What a great movie. This is one of Clints best. And that is saying alot. I really got involved with the characters. I really cared for all of the protagonists and hated all the antagonists. I laughed, I cried. And I really laughed at the end. Take that granddaughter:D

Was it as good as his last one - The Changling?

[Chief Rum]

Up - 10/10

This was the best Pixar movie to date, and the best movie I've seen this year. I don't cry at movies, but this one had me going a few times. The way I look at it, unless you are emotionally bankrupt, you'll love this film.

What if you're morally corrupt? Will you still love it?

[Julio Riddols]

Going to see The Hangover today. Pretty sure im gonna love the shit out of it.


-This space reserved for the number 10-

And just as I suspected. 10/10. Glorious fun.

[Bad-example]

What if you're morally corrupt? Will you still love it?

Yes, Angel fans should like it too. ;)

[Calis]

Going to see The Hangover today. Pretty sure im gonna love the shit out of it.


-This space reserved for the number 10-

I saw this Friday night and really enjoyed it. I'd probably give it an 8.5 or a 9.0.It is definitely good stuff. Zach Galifianakis steals the show as you'd expect. I liked finally seeing him in a genuinely funny movie.

Laughs throughout, and most importantly I didn't think it tried to tack on a forced moral lesson or awakening like a lot of the Apatow-like films have been doing.

There's one specific character that is just too over the top and doesn't fit in well, and you'll immediately know who I'm talking about when you see it. They'd tried a little too hard with him, but he's a small part so it's not a big deal. (No, not talking about Tyson).

Highly recommend it.

[Sublime 2]

Taken - 6.5/10.0

Probably more of a 5, but Liam Neeson made the movie at least watchable for me. Not the kind of movie you dissect, just sit back and watch. It did that well, and I can't complain.

[Chief Rum]

I saw this Friday night and really enjoyed it. I'd probably give it an 8.5 or a 9.0.It is definitely good stuff. Zach Galifianakis steals the show as you'd expect. I liked finally seeing him in a genuinely funny movie.

Laughs throughout, and most importantly I didn't think it tried to tack on a forced moral lesson or awakening like a lot of the Apatow-like films have been doing.

There's one specific character that is just too over the top and doesn't fit in well, and you'll immediately know who I'm talking about when you see it. They'd tried a little too hard with him, but he's a small part so it's not a big deal. (No, not talking about Tyson).

Highly recommend it.

I second this. Very funny. The credits alone are worth going to see, once you have seen the movie (credits wouldn't make sense otherwise).

Calis, is the character you're talking about...

...Leslie Chow?

If so, while I agree, they went way over the top on him, I thought there were good moments with him. Mostly the "trapped in the trunk of the car" moment, which was just completely hilarious.

[Calis]

I second this. Very funny. The credits alone are worth going to see, once you have seen the movie (credits wouldn't make sense otherwise).

Calis, is the character you're talking about...

...Leslie Chow?

If so, while I agree, they went way over the top on him, I thought there were good moments with him. Mostly the "trapped in the trunk of the car" moment, which was just completely hilarious.



Yep Chief, that's the one. Agree with what you said also. The character wasn't terrible by any means either, it just seemed like they decided to throw out everything they could with the character and hope something stuck. I still laughed got a couple laughs even from those scenes so I can't complain much. It was more a nitpick than anything, and I think most of the theatre I was in wouldn't agree with me.

[desmond108]

Land of the Lost 7.5/10
Simply on the basis of the absurd humor of Will Ferrell.

[DataKing]

Cypher (7 / 10): A relatively good techno-thriller which was a pleasant surprise. Lucy Liu was her usual emotional-black-hole self, but Jeremy Northam was quite good, and the movie had a pretty good twist at the end. Nothing earth-shattering here, but some solid entertainment.

Saving Private Ryan (9.5 / 10): I make it a point to watch this movie once a year, every June 6th, and it still gets to me every time. I still find the opening sequence on the beach jarring, even though I've seen it numerous times. A fantastic movie, but not for the faint of heart or easily disturbed. Also one of those movies where I notice something new every time I see it. This time I was really struck by Paul Giamatti's performance given his limited screen time. (Note: As far as I am concerned, Schindler's List is the only Spielberg movie in the last quarter-century worth a perfect 10 score).

The Deer Hunter (8 / 10): I can see why this film was so highly-acclaimed when it first came out, and it still carries quite a bit of emotional content, but I think it's somewhat dated now. It does an admirable job of showing the emotional impact of war both on soldiers as well as loved ones left behind. However, the scenes meant to display the horrors of Vietnam may have been shocking in 1978, but no longer hold the same impact (due in no small part to moves like Saving Private Ryan).

Next on the Netflix queue is...wait for it....Zombie Strippers starring Jenna Jameson. :D Should be fun.

[Bad-example]

The Happening - 2/10 Wow...this one stunk. From Marky Mark's "acting" to the ridiculous menacing shots of trees and grass, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Wahlberg was even worse than usual and the plot was completely laughable. In fact the suicide scenes were actually quite funny. This one should have been a comedy.

[Bad-example]

Cypher (7 / 10): A relatively good techno-thriller which was a pleasant surprise. Lucy Liu was her usual emotional-black-hole self, but Jeremy Northam was quite good, and the movie had a pretty good twist at the end. Nothing earth-shattering here, but some solid entertainment.

Yes, this was an entertaining ride. Recommended.

[Lathum]

Land of the Lost 7.5/10
Simply on the basis of the absurd humor of Will Ferrell.

I'm confused.

Did the absurd humor of Will Ferrell make it better or worse?

I find him VERY hit or miss. Loved Old School, elf and hated Talladegga Nights with a passion.

[Alan T]

The Happening - 2/10 Wow...this one stunk. From Marky Mark's "acting" to the ridiculous menacing shots of trees and grass, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Wahlberg was even worse than usual and the plot was completely laughable. In fact the suicide scenes were actually quite funny. This one should have been a comedy.


The best thing from this movie is the comedy my wife and I have enjoyed since watching it. Just small things make me laugh such as the other day we were throwing a frisbee while our daughter was playing in the backyard and the wind started to blow all of the trees/grass/plants around a good bit. Suddenly she just froze while I was looking at her trying to figure out what was going on. She slowly started walking backwards expressionless and I just started laughing after I finally caught on....

Oh yeah, this movie was not good :)

[Bad-example]

Wall-E (incomplete/10) Couldn't get past the first five minutes. Hey, I am a diabetic! A movie this sickeningly sweet could be fatal.

[rowech]

Deja Vu (7/10) -- Doesn't stand out because it was pretty obvious to me where things were going about halfway through the movie. Nevertheless a pretty good movie in my opinion.

[molson]

12 (8.5/10)

This is the Russian adaptation of 12 Angry Men. Really well done. For some reason I found a lot of it hillarious - some combination of Russian gallow's humor and just the absurdity of these characters, and using the jury system in a Russian culture.

They had to fudge a little Russian law to make this work but the basic facts from the American original work really well here. For example, the case revolves around a knife, which is the weapon of choice and huge part of the culture of Chechnya and the Caucasus (and the defendant is a young Chechnian)

[stevew]

UP 9/10
It's hard to be perfect, but this nearly was. Very entertaining story, and once you get past the baloon house gimmick, it's very easy to get engrossed. The first act was kind of sad, but they handled it appropriately IMO

The Spirit-1/10
Honestly this was like way too LOLBad to even get involved in. I couldn't finish it(fast forwarded to the part where Eva Mendes briefly shows her ass though).

[DataKing]

It's going to be another day or two before I get to the much-anticipated (:lol:) review of Zombie Strippers, but in the meantime...

Street Kings (5 / 10): Somewhere along the lines Keanu Reeves decided to try to be more of a hard-edge actor (this, Constantine, etc) but it just doesn't work. He's still the acting equivalent of a wet blanket. In this one he tries to play the frazzled burned-out cop but it just doesn't work. However, despite that and a rather lackluster performance by Forest Whitaker, I was still moderately entertained. I think partially because I've always been a sucker for burned-out, anti-hero type cop shows, dating all the way back to Miami Vice (the TV show, not that god-awful POS movie they did a few years ago). And Hugh Laurie (the lead in House) was excellent.

[JetsIn06]

UP 9/10
It's hard to be perfect, but this nearly was. Very entertaining story, and once you get past the baloon house gimmick, it's very easy to get engrossed. The first act was kind of sad, but they handled it appropriately IMO


+1. I don't think I reviewed this movie in here, but I give it a 9/10 as well. I liked Wall-E more, but only because I'm a sci-fi nerd. Up was really incredible.

[Pyser]

hangover - 4/10

trailers ruined it. i laughed 3 times. everyone else loves it, so i must be wrong. but i did not like this movie. no sir. not at all.

[samifan24]

House of Games - 9/10

I thoroughly enjoyed David Mamet's 1987 directorial debut. If you like noir, you need to watch this one. That's all I'll say. The less you know about the plot going on, the more you'll like it.

[Tekneek]

Last movie in Cinema : Up. We saw it, as a family, at the first local showing, on opening day. Great flick. Pixar puts out great animation, but the films really win with the quality of the characters.

Last movie watched: streamed My Name Is Bruce from Netflix the other night. It was even better than I thought it would be. Anybody who likes Bruce Campbell, or at least is in touch with his movie legacy, reputation, fan base, etc, should have a good time watching that.

[MrDNA]

Synecdoche, NY - Incomplete/10: I guess I should preface this by saying I am a big Charlie Kaufman fan. I loved Adaptation and Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine is one of my all time favs. That said, I could not get behind this one. The characters were flat, the plot felt stale and the "experimental" elements were tacked on. We turned in off after 45 minutes, so it may have picked up after that. The main relationship in the movie was so bad, my girlfriend and I moped around the house in a funk for the rest of the night. Oh, and she never turns anything off; if she watches 5 minutes of a show she needs to see the end. But she didn't protest when I asked to turn this off. I think that's the most damning thing I could say.

[tarcone]

Was it as good as his last one - The Changling?


This one I have not seen.

[rowech]

Gran Torino (10/10) -- Loved it. Not a bad scene in the movie in my opinion. Thought Eastwood was fantastic. I'm fairly certain this was a big f-u to Spike Lee's criticism about their not being any minorities in Flags of Our Fathers. So Eastwood makes a movie where he is just about the only white character in a sea of minority characters.

[Swaggs]

Land of the Lost (1/10) -- the worst movie I have seen, in a theater, in a long, long time. I really wanted to like it and thought the combination of Will Ferrell plus the nostalgia factor would make me enjoy it, but it was really terrible.

The Hangover (8/10) -- This one was about what I expected it to be: a funny, raunchy, slapstick comedy. Lots of good quotes and some good, memorable scenes. My only complaint was that it got off on a very good trajectory and then, it was almost like the director realized that it was running too long or something, it ended pretty abruptly.

[Fidatelo]

The Hangover (6/5) - Awesome movie. Hilarious. Never stops being funny. Too good to be true. Pantheon Comedy.

[Julio Riddols]

I saw this Friday night and really enjoyed it. I'd probably give it an 8.5 or a 9.0.It is definitely good stuff. Zach Galifianakis steals the show as you'd expect. I liked finally seeing him in a genuinely funny movie.

Laughs throughout, and most importantly I didn't think it tried to tack on a forced moral lesson or awakening like a lot of the Apatow-like films have been doing.

There's one specific character that is just too over the top and doesn't fit in well, and you'll immediately know who I'm talking about when you see it. They'd tried a little too hard with him, but he's a small part so it's not a big deal. (No, not talking about Tyson).

Highly recommend it.

I know exactly who youre talking about. One or two funny lines, everything else he said and did aside from the surprise entrance was kinda weak.

[DataKing]

Zombie Strippers (5 / 10): I actually had a hard time coming up with an overall score for this one. I know you're probably thinking "it's called Zombie Strippers, how hard can it be?" but hear me out. For starters I'll say that nobody in the movie can act worth a lick. That goes without saying (though Robert Englund is pretty funny in spots). The entire premise is silly, but it doesn't take itself too seriously and parts are pretty damn funny (not Shawn of the Dead funny, but pretty good). I guess my biggest issue with the movie is that it's kind of all over the place. One minute it's actually making some interesting points about acceptance and conformity (not the sort of thing I was expecting in a movie like this), and the next minute you have exploding zombie heads. If you like bewbs (who doesn't?) and you like zombies (who doesn't?) I'd say give it a look-see. Just don't expect too much and I think you'll be entertained.

[Schmidty]

Gran Torino (10/10) -- Loved it. Not a bad scene in the movie in my opinion. Thought Eastwood was fantastic. I'm fairly certain this was a big f-u to Spike Lee's criticism about their not being any minorities in Flags of Our Fathers. So Eastwood makes a movie where he is just about the only white character in a sea of minority characters.

I really liked the movie, but the kid that played Thao was one of the worst actors I've seen in a while. Especially the basement scene.

[RainMaker]

7 Pounds (8 out of 10) - Rather predictable once you got the theme of what was happening. Still thought Will Smith was really good in the film and enjoyed watching how things came together. This movie seems to be hit or miss with people but I really liked it. It's not a happy film and does get a little too melodramatic at times, but overall a good film experience.

Land of the Lost (1 out of 10) - Had a date who wanted to see this over some others that were out. This is the one of the worst hunk of shits I've ever seen in my life. I'm ashamed I paid money to see it and wanted to leave halfway through. Will Ferrell has 1, maybe 2 semi-laughable moments. Otherwise the theater was completely dead throughout. This is his Love Guru.

[thesloppy]

Land of the Lost (1 out of 10)

Land of the Lost makes me think there's a need for someone like me (and/or anybody else with a shred of common sense and even the slightest connection to reality) in Hollywood. Just give me an office in the corner of a never-used building, and come see me right after the 'greenlight' stage, but before they begin filming.

MOVIE EXEC: "Hey, we've got it, what do you think about $200 million to remake Land of the Lost, with Will Ferrell!"
ME: "What? Are you fucking retarded?"

[NewIdentity]

What a bunch of cheap bastards you guys are. :)


I came here trying to get a feel on the movie UP, and its 3D effects, but all the reviews here never mention anything about UP being in 3D. I guess everyone here is saving their $2.


Anyone know if the Imax Transformer movie is going to be worth the extra $4? I hear it is 2 hours and 30 minutes, but I wonder how long the regular movie is?

[Big Fo]

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

This documentary is about two guys, one who has held the world record for the early 80s arcade game Donkey Kong and the man who is trying to beat that record. It also goes into detail on competitive gaming and how it started and the history of Twin Galaxies which maintains records on hundreds of games from all eras. The way the two guys are portrayed make you really want to root for the challenger who gets dicked over a few times in the course of the film. I recommend it to anyone who likes video games.

8/10

[BrianD]

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

This documentary is about two guys, one who has held the world record for the early 80s arcade game Donkey Kong and the man who is trying to beat that record. It also goes into detail on competitive gaming and how it started and the history of Twin Galaxies which maintains records on hundreds of games from all eras. The way the two guys are portrayed make you really want to root for the challenger who gets dicked over a few times in the course of the film. I recommend it to anyone who likes video games.

8/10

I saw this recently as well based on some recommendations from this site. I'll echo this ranking. Not many times I actually cheer out loud during a documentary, but I did it a few times here. Very well done.

[terpkristin]

What a bunch of cheap bastards you guys are. :)


I came here trying to get a feel on the movie UP, and its 3D effects, but all the reviews here never mention anything about UP being in 3D. I guess everyone here is saving their $2.


Anyone know if the Imax Transformer movie is going to be worth the extra $4? I hear it is 2 hours and 30 minutes, but I wonder how long the regular movie is?

I haven't seen UP but by and large, movies in 3-D annoy the living bejeezus out of me. And watching them gives me a wicked headache.

/tk

[boberot]

Taken: [4/10]
Man, was this disappointing. Really flimsy "plot."
Get info. Go there & kick ass.
Get info. Go there & kick ass.
Get info. Go there & kick ass.
And the action was nothing special either.

Marley & Me: [2/10]
Beyond the sad ending, this movie is frustrating to watch.
And this was really not "PG family fare."

There is a sexual undertone to it that goes beyond PG. I'm not a prude, but since when does PG include a scene where a woman is obviously stripping naked and jumping into a pool and telling her husband to "come get the rest of your birthday present"?

Other than the benefit of seeing Jennifer Aniston, there is no reason to watch this movie.

[RomaGoth]

I am most assuredly behind the times here, but I recently saw Max Payne. Having played the video game (PC version, then later the xbox version), I found that the movie actually did a good job in following the game's plot and dark theme. "Jackie" (Mila Kunis) did a great job as well.

I liked this movie because it did what it was supposed to do: be dark and somber. To this day, I will never forget the sound of a baby crying as Max Payne is walking through his house.

8.5/10

[RomaGoth]

D'oh, a double post. My bad.

[Fidatelo]

I'm not a prude, but since when does PG include a scene where a woman is obviously stripping naked and jumping into a pool and telling her husband to "come get the rest of your birthday present"?

Seriously? I'm going to go ahead and argue that you are a prude, with the evidence of such prudery quoted above.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Seriously? I'm going to go ahead and argue that you are a prude, with the evidence of such prudery quoted above.

I concur.

[Schmidty]

I haven't seen UP but by and large, movies in 3-D annoy the living bejeezus out of me. And watching them gives me a wicked headache.

/tk

I didn't see it in 3D.

[chinaski]

The Hangover - 9/10. Didnt quite live up to my expectations, but it was still excellent. The credits made me cry I was laughing so hard.

Drag Me To Hell - 7.5/10. Walked away a little underwhelmed. Scared the shit out of my girlfriend, I dont think I jumped even once though. Didnt scare me at all, had more intentional laughs than scares for me. Still a fun movie.

Star Trek - 10/10. Absolutely what a movie should be. Perfect in every way. JJ Abrams knows what the people want, gotta hand it to him.

[DataKing]

Lions for Lambs (6 / 10): Pretty well-written and extremely well-acted, with Robert Redford as his usual brilliant self. There are some really good interchanges between some of the characters, especially the young republican senator (Tom Cruise) and the journalist that is interviewing him (Meryl Streep). Unfortunately the movie gets "preachy" towards the end, and deliberately bends the audience towards a certain point of view, rather than letting us draw our own conclusions. Probably would have warranted an 8/10 if it weren't for that (it's one of my movie pet-peeves).

Wanted (7.5 / 10): Visually stunning (and I'm not just talking about Angelina Jolie) but with some plot holes you could drive Bernie Mac through. I'm all about suspension of disbelief during movies, no problem there, but when plot devices require otherwise reasonable characters to be downright stupid, I have problems. Still, if you're able to check your brain at the door, this one can be a pretty fun ride.

[Fidatelo]

Lions for Lambs (6 / 10): Pretty well-written and extremely well-acted, with Robert Redford as his usual brilliant self. There are some really good interchanges between some of the characters, especially the young republican senator (Tom Cruise) and the journalist that is interviewing him (Meryl Streep). Unfortunately the movie gets "preachy" towards the end, and deliberately bends the audience towards a certain point of view, rather than letting us draw our own conclusions. Probably would have warranted an 8/10 if it weren't for that (it's one of my movie pet-peeves).

Wanted (7.5 / 10): Visually stunning (and I'm not just talking about Angelina Jolie) but with some plot holes you could drive Bernie Mac through. I'm all about suspension of disbelief during movies, no problem there, but when plot devices require otherwise reasonable characters to be downright stupid, I have problems. Still, if you're able to check your brain at the door, this one can be a pretty fun ride.

Coffin sized?

[RainMaker]

Frost/Nixon (7.5 out of 10) - I know this is a critically acclaimed film that I should have liked more. But for some reason I just felt that there were too many boring points and that they left out some important stuff. I'd have much rather seen more emphasis put on the research they uncovered before the 4th interview. Instead it just gets a couple short scenes of him digging through papers. Just seems like there wasn't enough buildup to that the payoff was cheapened.

Other than that, it was really interesting. The portrayal of both Nixon and Frost is near perfect. A really good movie but not great in my book. For some reason, that appears to be what Ron Howard is good at. Never quite has the oomph to make a movie great.

[RainMaker]

Land of the Lost makes me think there's a need for someone like me (and/or anybody else with a shred of common sense and even the slightest connection to reality) in Hollywood. Just give me an office in the corner of a never-used building, and come see me right after the 'greenlight' stage, but before they begin filming.

MOVIE EXEC: "Hey, we've got it, what do you think about $200 million to remake Land of the Lost, with Will Ferrell!"
ME: "What? Are you fucking retarded?"
I don't get Hollywood. Land of the Lost wasn't even a good TV show. Would be like producers green lighting a remake of According to Jim for hundreds of millions in 20 years.

[BrianD]

I don't get Hollywood. Land of the Lost wasn't even a good TV show. Would be like producers green lighting a remake of According to Jim for hundreds of millions in 20 years.

Land of the Lost isn't a goot TV show NOW, but it was pretty cool for kids at the time. Those kids are now adults now, so they were banking on the nostalgia factor. As a serious movie, the setting has potential for those adults. By adding in Will Farrel, they tried to get the kids/young adults as well as the adults. Looks like they got neither.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Land of the Lost isn't a goot TV show NOW, but it was pretty cool for kids at the time. Those kids are now adults now, so they were banking on the nostalgia factor. As a serious movie, the setting has potential for those adults. By adding in Will Farrel, they tried to get the kids/young adults as well as the adults. Looks like they got neither.

I think they were banking a little too hard on the nostalgia factor. I watched the show plenty when I was younger. I loved dinosaurs and all of that stuff, so I liked that show. That said, I have no great nostalgia for that show. It wasn't a huge part of my childhood ot anything.

I think a similar mistake was made with Speed Racer. I don't think there was anywhere near the nostalgia for that show that folks thought there was.