What Did You Watch Today?

[Timmoru Suzuki]

The other Boleyn Girl 6.5/10 (sod it, we'll call it 7/10)

The other Boleyn girl, starring Natalie Portman AND Scarlett Johansson is a decent enough period drama, which does a good job of telling a 'then he did this, then they did that' story, but it doesn't do too good a job of explaining characters motivations. There's too much telling rather than showing going on.

Also, every minor character is under-developed to hell. Both Anne and Mary Boleyn's first husands, Mary's later partner, their own brother and his wife all have about two scenes and as many lines in the whole film, and yet we're meant to care when the relationships fail/when something happens to them/when they get together? We're meant to buy that they care deeply about these people? Err, no. They nearly all have LITERALLY this contribution to the film:

"Lets get married."

Scenes later

"I hate you. Our marriage is over."

Really. I know the film is about the sisters relationship with Henry, and these people can;t be cut entirely, but SOME more insight into their relationships would be good, as they are literally brought up and forgotten with no further mention and no further thought.

Ramble section: They dont even need more scenes per-se. One of the better performances in the film comes from Ana Torrent as Katherine of Aragon. She is only in about four films, but she has LINES to say in those scenes, some actual CHARACTER for the actress to get her teeth into, and her character is actually one who's feelings and motivations are better explained.

So, the former husbands, lovers, BROTHER don't evem need to be in the film more, they just need to do more while they are there. :End ramble section.

However, the dialogue is perfectly fine, and the performances ARE good, so if you like period drama's, if you want a brief over-view of a period of British history, or if you just want to get off on seeing Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson on a cinema screen. TOGTHER. AT THE SAME TIME. Then you'll do worse then to check it out.

PS - I have a feeling it'd have been better suited to a 2/3 part TV mini-series (of course they wouldn't have got Portman or Johansson for that)

[Boogey131]

Funny you should mention it, I JUST saw Daredevil yesterday (Director's Cut). The extra stuff they included (mostly him defending Coolio's character) was pretty neat. I must agree, that Favreau's character was great. I never read the comics, but is the story as week in there as it was in the movie? I concur on the score of 6/10. Was it me, or were some of those special effects just awful?

The effects certainly are a little dated but back then(It just shows how far visual effects have come now that we can look back a few years ago as "back then") I think they were less sub-standard. As far as the comic goes, I guess it would depend on when you read it, like all long running series there's going to be parts you like parts you dont and in most cases a lack of consistency. I think some of the more cheesy/cliche elements of the story were more down to things working well in a comic book created in the 60's that don't carry too well over to the big screen in the 2000's. My own experiences with the comic though have been a lot better than the story found here.

Looking at the writers/directors track record, I'm damn certain they could have done a better adaptation. Who knows, if Hulk is successful maybe we'll see a reboot or a sequel.

The Mist

A Psycholocigcal/horror/survivor movie adapted from a Stephen King short(or novela I guess) about Mist that befalls a small town, and the group of survivors within a supermarket going through all the emotions you tend to find in a Stephen King movie adaptation. I can't say this was a great movie, but I did enjoy watching it, I think the supporting characters are very...charactery if that makes sense. The whole way through, I knew I was watching a movie and I think for a movie like this one, the goal is to make you forget an make you feel part of the experience. I have to say without giving anythign away, the ending was something I liked, it will stick in my mind for a while, I was glad it didn't end in your typical hollywood fashion. I don't really know what else to add, I pretty much summed it up in the second sentence, not a great movie, but one I enjoyed watching. 7/10

Edited March 26, 2008 by Boogey131

[CQI13]

Wasn't there a Hulk movie already with Eric Bana?

Tonight I saw City of Angels (the one with Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage). I enjoyed it, even if some of the same themes were explored in Meet Joe Black (one of my favorite movies of all time). The ending was kind of sad, but it made sense in the framework of the story. Is this a remake of another movie by any chance? I think I've seen clips of another movie by the same name but it was black & white.

[livid]

Wasn't there a Hulk movie already with Eric Bana?

Yeah, but they decided to re-do it since that one was pretty much horrible.

But for the most part, I think it's more of the fact that it's all leading up to the eventual Avengers movie, so they can have the same stars in that movie after they make individual movies for each character.

[GRIFT]

As it just so happens I watched both Ultimate Avengers movies today, and enjoyed them thoroughly. I believe the plan is, as Auto said, to make an Avenger's film with all of the actors from their respective individual franchises reprising their roles. Jon Favereau (ace director currently helming Iron Man) has thrown his hat into the ring for a chance to direct the mega-picture.

[ROC]

I found "Beezleboss" somewhere, which led to me watching this...

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny - 5/10

I thought the beginning part with Meat Loaf was fantastic and that this would be a great parody of rock operas like Tommy. Towards the end, though, it felt very slipshod. Most of the jokes fall flat, though, a few work. But worst of all, there seems to be a lot of filler scenes. The segments feel like they would've been in better place on the old HBO show as opposed to a film. Just a bit too disappointing.

[CQI13]

Final Destination

I found the movie to be entertaining, but certainly not very subtle. The way they come up with the theory, the mortician who is fairly creepy never to be seen again, and the convoluted nature of some of the deaths were pretty funny, but again, they have the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face.

Such as:

Spoiler: Click here to view

The teacher whose cup with vodka cracks and drips from the kitchen to the living and while she's holding it over the monitor leaks in it (causing it to explode and shatter a piece into her throat. Then a spark lights the trail of vodka until the stove explodes. If that wasn't enough, the towel she was reaching for she had originally put on the knife rack, so when she pulls it down the knives land on her...a bit over the top, no?

In any case, I got the three movies (Final Destination 1-3) used at Gamestop, so I plan on watching the other two to see if they are as enteertaining.

[Gongsun Zan]

Resident Evil: Extinction 6/10

I know hollywood has a hard-on for Alice, but now they're making her psychic as well? ..ack.

[Gongsun Zan]

Day of the Dead (2008 Remake) 5/10

Dawn of the Dead was how you do a good zombie remake. This wasn't.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Son of Rambow 7.5/10

Vantage Point 7/10

[CQI13]

Cheaper by the Dozen (Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt)

Very funny movie, didn't think it would be. Very enjoyable. Say 7 perhaps?

[GRIFT]

State of Grace

7/10

This one sadly gets overlooked a lot because it came out at the same time as Goodfellas (arguably the greatest mob movie ever made.) Gary Oldman in one of his finest roles, Ed Harris playing the type of role that made him famous, and Sean Penn playing the conflicted man undercover, but ironically a man more loyal to the organization and his family than the head of the operation. Also a smaller but important role for John C. Reilly and also the chick from Princess Bride's tits.

Oh, yeah did I mention it is the Irish mob vs the Italian mob with a violent crescendo in the middle of a St. Patty's day parade? Yeah, this movie kicks ass.

[Future-Shock]

So I finally watched Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith....

Oh my god, the script was terrible and plot holes galore....I give it a 5/10 thought because I was at least somewhat amused at certain things...althought I probably only watched to finish the series.

[stokeriño]

Die Hard

I love me some Die Hard.

How often can I sit through a 2 hour movie and not get bored/feel time drag these days? 10/10 for that if nothing else.

[CQI13]

I saw P2 (Wes Bentley, Rachel Nichols) yesterday. Very cool movie. I remember seeing a preview for it, and wanting to see it, but didn't notice it coming out in theatres. Without giving too much away (you can see this on the back of the box) a young woman is trapped in a parking garage on Christmas eve and a psychopath is trying to kill her. I quite enjoy these movies that take place in limited settings (i.e. Phone Booth, Red Eye). I'd compare it to both of those, just more action (it's a little longer as well (about 90 mins, the other two were about 75-80 mins). Of note: Rachel Nichols' breasts seem to get bigger as the movie progresses.

3 out of 5

Edited April 10, 2008 by CQI13

[Pesci]

21

Great film. It's supposed to be shit but it's not. Loved it. Full of cliches and predictable a lot of the time, but that doesn't make a film shit by default, it's the way it's executed. Just think of every Hugh Grant film ever. Full of cliches, but immense, because Hugh Grant's immense . Anyway, this film has nothing to do with Hugh Grant and you probably won't be bored when you go to see it, unless you're up your own arse or something. About 7.5/10, which becomes an 8 if we're rounding up I guess. The first half was probably averaging around a 9 or 10 for me, because I enjoyed it that much, but yeah, the second half did have its minus points. Relatively small ones though.

[Jimmy]

Agreed with Pesci, I really enjoyed 21. I thought it was really well done and I think it was acted very well. I still love Kevin Spacey. A solid 8/10 from me to. VEry worth watching.

[brenchill]

Juno [2007]- 7/10 or ***

Directed by Jason Reitman

Beowulf [2007]- 5/10 or **

Directed byRobert Zemeckis

Edited April 19, 2008 by brenchill

[GRIFT]

I finally got around to watching Mean Streets. 8/10

Deniro and Harvey light up the screen like only they can. Talk about to actors who had "IT" from start to finish.

[tristy]

I bought Southland Tales on an impulse, midnight trip to Wal-Mart, along with the Extended Cut of Walk The Line.

I don't even know what to think after watching Southland Tales. It's ALOT like Donnie Darko, in the vein that I'll have to rewatch it to grasp it completely.