The Film Review thread ***possible spoilers***

greg66_tri_v2.0

Time for a film review thread, methinks. Blockbuster, foreign language, arthouse, romcom, comedy, take your pick. Find a film, write a review. Avoid spoilers if at all possible, but if you can't do so to write the review, hey ho. Just try to mark where they are.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

I've never completely warmed to the Batman franchise. The Keaton/Kilmer/Cooney films did nothing for me, although they did sterling service in lifting Batman from the camp kitsch Adam West days to the current Dark Knight incarnation.

I had enjoyed Batman Begins a bit, and The Dark Knight a lot, but had not been wowed by either. I went into this film fairly confident that I knew what its tone would be, and curious as to how the trilogy would be closed.

Overall, I found the film a curious mixture. It has a slightly disjointed feel to it, almost as if it would have benefitted from being twice as long. At times you feel like you're watching a reel of highlights. Christian Bale reprises his role without adding anything to it: he is highly talented and yet I have never felt that he has been able to give his best in this series. Anne Hathaway is unconvincing, IMO. She brings no "edge" to Catwoman; you sense she cannot repress her inherent "niceness", and so never really delivers the duality that the character needs.

Tom Hardy is quite possibly the real star as Bane. He brings a vicious physicality and cold brutality to the role which is genuinely chilling. However, the mask he wears detracts significantly from his ability to deliver a properly top drawer performance.

The plot itself runs nicely on from Batman Begins. And there lies the paradox. There is no consistent story arc across the three films: there is an arc that starts with BB and ends with Rises. It has no middle though. Instead the middle film is a stand alone effort that tells an unconnected story, and which, with hindsight, looks like a vehicle for the Joker. You end up with a trilogy where the middle film is the best and strongest, and stands entirely apart from the first and third films. It would have been nice, I think, to have seen The Dark Knight woven into the story arc across the three films.

Score: a solid 7 out of 10.

greg66_tri_v2.0

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

I watched this at the beginning of the summer. I deliberately read nothing about it before seeing it. I worked out from the trailers that it was selling itself as a typical American teen slaughter fest with an atypical twist. What the twist was, I didn't want to know.

I came out of the cinema firmly of the view that it was one of the most enjoyable films I had seen in a long time.

It's a mixture of the typical teen US slaughter fest, Buffy, Westworld, The Truman Show. And although that sounds an unlikely recipe for success, it works. None of the cannon fodder cast members are the stars; the real stars are Bradley Whitford (Josh, from the West Wing, pretty much replaying that part in much blacker circumstances) and Richard Jenkins (I can only assume Alan Alda didn't want the part). They manage to be funny, likeable, and unbelievably callous and bloodthirsty all at the same time. The telephone call with Mordecai is a work of genius.

There are hints as to where the story is headed, but if you're familiar with Joss Whedon and Buffy you'll have a head start in any guessing games. Given the basic premise, there were only ever two ways to finish the story, and I thought the one chosen was well worked.

Score: an easy 9 out of 10.

UndercoverElephant

I completely and wholeheartedly disagree with your point that the latest Batman "would have benefitted (sp.) from being twice as long". I would have been much happier if it was half as long.

God-awful, dreary film where very little seems to happen in a plot spread so thin that if it were butter, even Gillian McKeith would have to approve.

4/10

walkingbootweather

TITANIC

Went down quite well.

clarkey cat

THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE

Excellent comedy drama. Really picks at the threads of the human condition and what 'friendship' means in the 21st century. I'd recommend this film to anyone.

9/10

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hottie_and_the_nottie/

rjsterry

I'm still reeling from the revelation that Greg66 has a working knowledge of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. :shock:

rick_chasey

rjsterry wrote:

I'm still reeling from the revelation that Greg66 has a working knowledge of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. :shock:

Probably picks it up inbetween while he's busy with the tissues*









* this may not be true

notsoblue

Ted

I'm a big fan of Seth Macfarlane and this was everything I expected and more. I can't remember the last time I watched a film that had that many laugh out loud in the cinema moments.

If you're not a fan of Family Guy, you probably won't like it.

9/10

rick_chasey

notsoblue wrote:

Ted

I'm a big fan of Seth Macfarlane and this was everything I expected and more. I can't remember the last time I watched a film that had that many laugh out loud in the cinema moments.

If you're not a fan of Family Guy, you probably won't like it.

9/10

OO I might watch that now.

notsoblue

Rick Chasey wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Ted

I'm a big fan of Seth Macfarlane and this was everything I expected and more. I can't remember the last time I watched a film that had that many laugh out loud in the cinema moments.

If you're not a fan of Family Guy, you probably won't like it.

9/10

OO I might watch that now.

The dialogue, the story, the score....its all brilliant. And this is even with it starring Mark Wahlberg.

Koncordski

Try not to watch the trailers, some of the best gags are in there. But yeah, you like family guy, you'll enjoy it. Otherwise avoid, you won't get the humour.

rick_chasey

The Bourne legacy:

I'm keen on the other Bourne films, so I was likely to enjoy this one.

It was good fun - but nowhere near as good as the other Bourne films.

Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz are both quality actors and it shows through the film, though you feel they never really get the chance to show how good they are. Despite that, there's good chemistry, and I fancy the pants off her which helps a lot.

The plot is weak - you spend the first 20 minutes or so working out how they're going to do Bourne without Bourne and once you work it out it's met with a wry grin and a little eye rolling.

The same can be said for the action. Proper Bourne action, just a little less well done, but still very enjoyable. A few :roll: moments, and one or two action film cliches, but not enough to ruin the experience. Plenty of grins and excitement to be had.

Ultimately though you feel it's a Bourne by numbers film once you get how they've arranged it sans Bourne. Tense close combat fighting with shaky cameras and cool 'real life' improvisation, chases through cities with an entire police force with the inevitable super-bad-guy in tow too.

I won't give away the ending, but it's rubbish and abrupt - and that ultimately reflects that the plot is only there to trivially allow for Bourne-on-the-run style action to occur.

7/10. Fun, but only if you don't take it too seriously.

twist83

Commenting on films above.

TED

Agree with the comments above one of the best comedy films in ages. Some brilliant inclusions of old school programs (Will not spoil it!). As above if you love Family Guy you will love this. It is Peter Griffin in a Teddy. Also added Bonus Mila Kunis!!!!

BOURNE

I enjoyed this but as above I was sat there waiting for Jason Bourne to appear. Felt very amateur compared to the Bourne Trilogy. Not gritty enough and the plot just didnt really develop. It showed potential but fizzled and flopped. The ending was just complete rubbish!!! However it wasnt a bad film.

BATMAN

I loved it. I have loved all the Christian Bale Batman's. This one was not as good as Dark Knight I felt however it did not feel like you were sat there for 3 hours. I thought the plot flowed well and kept your attention.
Without a doubt Bane was the star of the show, although I think this was always going to be the case as he was the focal point with Batman being so weak. I personally think the Facemask made for a better performance. He was limited with facial expressions but more than made up for it with physical stature and pure violence/brutality which is what Bane is all about.

While Hathaway (spelling?) looked awesome in that suit I just dont feel she was a good enough Cat Woman... I actually preferred Michelle Pfeiffern as she was more seductive which is what cat woman should be.

I also really liked Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a would be Robin, however I think he is an excellent actor.


Going to see the expendables tonight....

DrLex

Rick Chasey wrote:

The Bourne legacy:
[...]

7/10. Fun, but only if you don't take it too seriously.

Thanks - might watch it now, as thought it might be like going to watch a Bond and then finding it starred 006.

Oh, and Batman TDKR? Nolan's Bane of Contention.

vermin

This is probably not a particularly cool admission, but...

I enjoyed 21 Jump Street recently. Laughed quite a lot.

Surprised and disappointed in myself.

il_principe

I was disappointed by the Bourne Legacy. Tedious opening 20 minutes that added little to the plot (and required too much suspension of belief) and an irritating performance from Ed Norton. However, they've left the door open for a sequel and seeing Renner's character taking the fight to the 'man' should be more enjoyable. Renner and Weisz did well with a fairly poor script, but I'd happily watch her in anything.

Batman - fricking awesome. Yeah, a little long, but stellar performances. Nolan is the best action director working at the moment, sad to see this franchise come to an end. Tom Hardy is always watchable as well. The comic book movies all comic book movies should aspire to.

I'm an unashamed fan of big, noisy Hollywood films, it's what the cinema was invented for, everything else can be enjoyed at home (the wife is getting me into Turkish films), but Batman in the iMax is required viewing.

So what are people looking forward to in the coming months? Skyfall is top of my list, along with Lawless, End of Watch, Argo, Taken 2 and The Looper.

greg66_tri_v2.0

MY COUSIN VINNY

I'll keep this short. Watched it again this week for the umpteenth time. Just brilliant. Tons of belly laughs, and everything you need to know about being a good trial lawyer. The eve of trial scene on the deck with the catsuit cracks me up every time.

A well deserved 9.5/10.

andyrr

Was really disappointed at 'Dark Knight.
Just pretty slow and lack of a good film with some big scenes but that type of film just doesn't do enough for me.
Bane - wears a mask and is strong - not really world-dominating kinda-guy from my POV.
Not a massive Batman fan but as I recall I've enjoyed most of the recent films in the franchise but this one, for me, was pretty poor and I went in to the cinema fully expecting, from the various bits I'd read, to be wowed.
4/10 for me.

madtam

Il Principe wrote:

but I'd happily watch her in anything.

I have a feeling you really mean "I'd happily watch her in nothing"

notsoblue

vermin wrote:

This is probably not a particularly cool admission, but...

I enjoyed 21 Jump Street recently. Laughed quite a lot.

Surprised and disappointed in myself.

I actually thought the first half of that wasn't too bad. I was totally uninterested in the last 45 mins though.

greg66_tri_v2.0

madtam wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

but I'd happily watch her in anything.

I have a feeling you really mean "I'd happily watch her in nothing"

Or "anything in her"?

vermin

Lawless.

Disappointing. Much of the dialogue is in such a thick, impenetrable southern US drawl that one is left wishing for sub-titles. There may have been some interesting quips in there but I'm damned if I could understand what any of the characters were saying. The plot was weak and the ending frustratingly clumsy.

Not recommended.

DonDaddyD

Greg66 wrote:

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Score: a solid 7 out of 10.

8/10 as an action film. 3/10 as a Batman Film.
It wasn't Batman. Apart from having his back broken Batman has never anything but at his physical peak. The 'Bat plane' looked like something the Blue Beetle would fly. That new guy 'Robin' should have been (i) Dick Grayson, (ii) Jason Todd or (iii) Timothy Drake. Bruce Wayne would never stop being Bruce Wayne and Selena Kyle has and will always be a booty call. She ain't the type of girl you settle down with.

It was a great film but it wasn't Batman. Just like Heath Ledger was amazing but he wasn't 'The Joker'.

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Score: a solid 7 out of 10.

8/10 as an action film. 3/10 as a Batman Film.
It wasn't Batman. Apart from having his back broken Batman has never anything but at his physical peak. The 'Bat plane' looked like something the Blue Beetle would fly. That new guy 'Robin' should have been (i) Dick Grayson, (ii) Jason Todd or (iii) Timothy Drake. Bruce Wayne would never stop being Bruce Wayne and Selena Kyle has and will always be a booty call. She ain't the type of girl you settle down with.

It was a great film but it wasn't Batman. Just like Heath Ledger was amazing but he wasn't 'The Joker'.

And this is why Nolan's trilogy is so damn good.

DonDaddyD

Il Principe wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Score: a solid 7 out of 10.

8/10 as an action film. 3/10 as a Batman Film.
It wasn't Batman. Apart from having his back broken Batman has never anything but at his physical peak. The 'Bat plane' looked like something the Blue Beetle would fly. That new guy 'Robin' should have been (i) Dick Grayson, (ii) Jason Todd or (iii) Timothy Drake. Bruce Wayne would never stop being Bruce Wayne and Selena Kyle has and will always be a booty call. She ain't the type of girl you settle down with.

It was a great film but it wasn't Batman. Just like Heath Ledger was amazing but he wasn't 'The Joker'.

And this is why Nolan's trilogy is so damn good.

You know, you have a point. But what I liked about Avengers was that it was literally like opening a comic book. But then I suppose that that style isn't as accessible to the none comic book fan like Batman was.

Point well made.

EKE_38BPM

The Hunger Games (I know it came out a while ago, but I only watched it last night).

I devoured the three books a few months ago and Mrs EKE finished them on holiday last week, so we decided to watch the film to compare it to the book.

It wasn't rubbish, but it felt small and cheap. CGI should allow film makers to get closer to what is described in the book and what the reader imagines but the film doesn't live up to the descriptions (Katniss' "Girl on Fire" dress is more of a damp squib than an inferno, The Capitol isn't as flash as the despription), District 12 looks tiny (more like a village than a city/state).

As with most films made from books, the story has been played around with e.g. that is not how Katniss got the Mockingjay pin, the relationship between Katniss and Peta just kind of 'happens' (it is barely explained), the training scenes should have been done as a montage (like in Team America).
The acting was OK, but the story was rushed so there wasn't much back story or character development.

Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read the book(s), but as I had, I expected better as the books were fun (not great literature, but a good unputdownable read).

6/10 I expect the other books will be imortalised on celluloid unlike the His Dark Materials trilogy of books, which I loved, but the film was rubbish and the second and third films drowned without trace.

UndercoverElephant

Saw The Hunger Games on a plane a few weeks back. I agree with most of what you say, even though I haven't read the book.

A decent film, I thought. In the style of The Running Man, but with kids. It seemed strange that there was such a division of wealth between the big city and the districts, and yet it never really got into why, or how people felt about it. In fact, I watched the whole film and never really got an impression of what anyone felt about anything. You even managed to get that from Arnie, occasionally.

Again, it could be that the film spread thinly in order to fit into a bite-sized chunk for the cinema, but yes, it was all too rushed.

6/10, but I hear that the book had enough to make a much better film.

DrLex

Lawless

Needed more Gary Oldman.

Davdandy

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Saw The Hunger Games on a plane a few weeks back. I agree with most of what you say, even though I haven't read the book.

A decent film, I thought. In the style of The Running Man, but with kids. It seemed strange that there was such a division of wealth between the big city and the districts, and yet it never really got into why, or how people felt about it. In fact, I watched the whole film and never really got an impression of what anyone felt about anything. You even managed to get that from Arnie, occasionally.

Again, it could be that the film spread thinly in order to fit into a bite-sized chunk for the cinema, but yes, it was all too rushed.

6/10, but I hear that the book had enough to make a much better film.

I also saw the Hunger Games this weekend and although it was ok, it wasnt great.

The movie to watch is Battle Royale which the Hunger Games has aped.Battle Royale beats the Hunger Games into a pulp and keeps on beating.

godders1

Davdandy wrote:

Battle Royale beats the Hunger Games into a pulp and keeps on beating.

Yes, with a saucepan lid.

Davdandy

Godders1 wrote:

Davdandy wrote:

Battle Royale beats the Hunger Games into a pulp and keeps on beating.

Yes, with a saucepan lid.

And a pair of binoculars.