Last movie you watched

[Hubbs]

War of the Dead (LT, USA, IT, 2011)

Sooooo I don't think I need to explain in too much detail what this is all about do I? Well just quickly...evil Nazi's experiment on captured soldiers during WWII to turn dead soldiers into living ones again (original huh). Some time later a platoon of elite Finnish and US troops (why elite?) are looking for a secret bunker in the same area all the nasty experiments happened (convenient huh). It turns out they find the bunker where all the nasty experiments happened and low and behold we have all out zombie fisticuffs.

So not the most original plot ever devised, in fact its so unoriginal its completely ridiculous that anyone even suggested making it. I can't compare it to famous zombie fetishist Romero, this film is more intone with more recent zombie films where the action is very action packed. The zombies are fast running, leaping, fighting, airborne, tree climbing and quiet intelligent for the living dead, they're almost like aliens out of Jim Cameron's flick.

You could actually say this film has hints of 'Aliens' in it. The score, the way it progresses, the gloomy dimly lit locations, how the zombies pop up out of any crack or crevice and obviously coupled with the military aspect. The problem is the film is just too predictable and dull, there isn't really any tension because you know what's gonna happen...just about. What's really dumb (apart from the sequence where zombies attack from the treetops) is the platoon is pretty much wiped out after about 30mins into the film leaving about four men and very little 'goodie killing'. They killed almost all the good guys way too quickly but still manage to get a helpless woman involved, can't do without that.

The WWII aspect is your typical gruff stuff with butch US troops thinking bullet wounds are merely flesh wounds you just walk off and the Finnish troops being errr...not so butch. The plot isn't really explained too well, all we know is the Nazi's have been experimenting on soldiers 'Wolfenstein' wise and that's it. I guess we don't need anymore, dunno what that little metal clockwork gadget was suppose to be, like something from a Del Toro film. Another big mistake was not really exploring any of the characters, there are lots of troops but they're all faceless bullet fodder I'm afraid, you won't care about any of them.

On the plus side the film looks really good it has to be said. You would think this is a major Hollywood action film with the excellently lit sets and locations, great camera work, good score and well choreographed action sequences, hardly a B-movie in any sense.

If you like a constant stream of zombies attacking a tiny group of people that are winning consistently never running out of ammo then this could be for you. Not much room to be breathe as the film whips along pretty fast, not much gore or blood either surprisingly. Its almost a good film but they go over the top with silly moments (these are zombies not vampires or werewolves), also the uber baddie zombie seems way too clever.

Tries a bit too hard to be a cool action flick also, too many laugh out loud moments with close ups on hero faces as they try for cool memorable lines...'I ain't dead yet'. Apart from all that its not too bad but you've basically seen it all already in another film.

[beckmen]

Spider-Man 2.1b: The b stands for my fanedit. I shaved off like 13 minutes. Mainly the Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head montage and other unnecessary bits. I also re-ordered the ending so the final scene is Harry finding daddy's secret room, for a darker ending instead of ending with essentially the same scene as the first (and IIRC, third) film. Even with my edits, the movie is still a tad flabby...but it's an OK flick. I still don't really like McGuire as Spidey/Parker. I think Garfield will do a better job, even though I barely give a shit about Spider-man anyway now that there are legitimately great comic book movies out there now.

[Sebastian]

The Taking of Pelham 123. Not the original.

What a shit film. Tony Scott really haven't done anything worth watching since The Hunger?

[beckmen]

Man on Fire was the last one I think I liked. But then he got addicted to that lame-ass stylistic BS and starting picking weak scripts.

[Hubbs]

Men in Black 3

I liked the original MIB film for its pure originality, imagination, quirky effects and the fact Sonnenfeld directed. This gave the film a nice kooky fun feeling just like he achieved with 'The Addams Family'. The second film didn't really seem up to much, more of a rehash of the first, bit of a sell out.

I was worried this third film would just be another rehash but in a nice huge surprise its pretty neat. The plot revolves around time travel which can be problematic for a film but its handled well and at no time did I feel confused.

The real meat of the film is of course the effects and alien imagination on hand, think of the whole film as a Mos Eisley space cantina sequence. This has always been the best parts in the MIB franchise, seeing who is an alien or what seemingly dull average setup could be an alien ship/base/weapon/creature etc...As with the previous films effects range from being really good wet n slimy concepts with the aliens, some great mask/makeup work mixed with cgi. But then the action sequences tend to look rather fake and hokey, its pretty obvious and never seems to look any good really, way obvious bluescreen work.

Of course the film is pretty much a live action cartoon so one can't quibble but it does still look really fake throughout. That aside I do love the in-jokes and little touches such as revealing famous figures to be either aliens or working for the MIB, its been done but it still works and gives that nice undercover secretive atmosphere that surrounds the whole (real) Men in Black mystery.
A nice bonus of course with this new film is all the little jokes about the vast differences in technology between 69 and the present day. Some fun pokes at obvious changes in tech sizes and battery usage, I also liked how the aliens in the MIB HQ seemed to be dressed circa 1969 (60's in general). In other words they all look like aliens from cheesy B-movies of the time, well I presume that was the idea hehe.

To be fair its only down to Brolin as a young 'Agent K' that makes it work so well. I think its safe to say without him it would have been business as usual from Hollywood and another factory line sequel. Although I must also give credit to the design and creation of 'Boris' who is certainly a pleasing baddie and quite formidable for once.
Played really well by Jemaine Clement I must give kudos to the whole idea, the character is actually quite eerie with his gnashing jaws, 'Tusken Raider' like eye sockets and creepy crawly servants, its a shame we don't see more of his real features. I loved how he was well spoken also, sounded like Tim Curry...he could of played the part also methinks.

Must also say, I hated the casting of Emma Thompson, she totally did not fit in this role one bit. The younger actress used to be her younger self was a complete balls up, no way she looked anything like a younger Thompson...but I nitpick.

The film isn't gonna blow you away by any means. Its solid fun and has done well to breathe new life into the franchise but its still somewhat of a cookie cutter blockbuster. I think this third bookmarks the franchise nicely and there is no need to milk it further. Unfortunately there are talks of a fourth which you know will spoil everything, Hollywood just doesn't know when to quit and end on a high, gotta bleed every last dime until its derided and dry.

On a final thought for you...Nicole Scherzinger, oh my god is she hot!! damn hot!! scorching!!! why couldn't she have been more involved in her black latex/pvc outfit!?. Oh the disappointment of that, talk about teasing you geez.

[beckmen]

Robocop: Probably the first time I have watched this movie in a little over a decade. I have watched the sequel, documentaries, commentaries, etc...but never sat down and watched the entire movie all the way through since I bought the Criterion Collection DVD way back when. Anyway, the movie still rules. It's funny, it's bad-ass, there some really neato make-up, stop-motion, pyrotechnic and miniature effects and the cast is pretty damned strong. Like I really want a Clarence Boddicker action figure. A.

[Hubbs]

^ I have the Criterion edition wonder if its worth anything.

[Hubbs]

Wrath of the Titans

Colour me amazed! what in the name of Greek buggery has happened here?! The first film was a complete and utter abomination which brought shame upon Hollywood, it wasn't good enough to buff the boots of the original. I still don't think anyone knows what Harryhausen thought of it.

So I didn't have high hopes for this sequel, which I think is understandable. But to my amazement this franchise has done a complete U-turn and actually come up with a semi decent film, well at least in looks anyway.

Bottom line this is a monster mash of epic proportions, its takes the concept of the original Harryhausen masterpiece and expands it ten fold with dazzling imagery. This is really what they should have done with the first remake instead of making crap up, but what I really can't get my head around is why this sequel looks SO MUCH BETTER than the first!. The last film had the Kraken which did look damn fine, but even that doesn't come close to anything in this sequel.

All the monsters here look terrific, yes there is a time lapse between films of course but the divide between quality here is huge!!. What can I say about 'Kronos'...a colossus of an effect, eye popping! I haven't been so impressed by a cgi effect since gods knows when, I can't remember. He just looked stunning, stunningly real, as if they actually did awaken a real god from the fiery depths of the underworld, colour me stunned!. The only creature I didn't like was the Minotaur which looked like a naff character from 'Mortal Kombat' ('Motaro' without his horse back end).

To be brutally honest the film is kept alive by the effects, the rest of the film is filled with pitiful acting and some of the most bizarre collection of accents for ancient Greece ever. The hero has an Aussie accent, Bill Nighy for some reason uses a Yorkshire accent (Northern England), how on earth they came to that decision I don't know. Finally you have 'Agenor' who is said to be a thief so of course they give him a London cockney accent! why?? what are they implying?.

Yes the film is basic pantomime but so was the original classic. The cast list isn't quite as impressive as the classic but it suffices and everybody does their bit to try for that grandiose epic taste. The whole film does look really really good with lovely locations, great costumes, beautiful vista's and a solid score.

In short I think they have finally captured the classic fun adventurous look of ancient Greek mythology just as they did all those years ago with classic films like 'Jason and the Argonauts'. Yes this sequel does follow pretty much the same pattern as the first, ending with a big monster to battle in the exact same way with virtually the same outcome, but because it all looks so crisp you really don't mind or notice too much.

This new film gives you exactly what we wanted all along and what the classic did perfectly...well created mythological monsters. For once the cgi does do the trick as it should and could if used properly. Ignore the first film this is what you've been waiting for, hopefully the third will continue the goodness.

[NERMAL]

Prometheus.

"How do flame throwers work in a high carbon dioxide atmosphere with very little oxygen?"

This was one of the questions pulling me out of the moment during a reasonable foray into SciFi story telling. I mainly enjoyed it. Looked nice. Some ok performances.

However.

I couldn't help shake the feeling that Paul WS Anderson was sitting on Ridley's shoulder in a little red suit while holding a tiny pitchfork whispering a litany of stupidity into the director's ear. Things like:"Dumb it down. People are not that smart" and "Put some pretty looking-and unexplainable-tech in here that will never look consistant with the future movies. Kids love that shiny shit" and "Sure it's believable that the captain's gonna abandon his post, and the overwatch of two of his extravehicular crew, just so he can join the 3,47x10^14 mile high club..."

That stuff spoilt it for me. I liked the designs. I liked the engineers. I could stomach the premise. I could even tolerate the blatant rip offs of other films^*. I can't tolerate the Flash Gordon attitude the crew had to exploring someplace so far from home without a care or consideration to safety. I can't believe they would just arrive, planet fall, land, and go traipsing off into the unknown all within 5 minutes and without a care in the world. Suffice to say I had more than my fair share of "Yeah, right..." moments.

This would have been a good film if it wasn't an 'Alien' film, or even set in the 'Alien' universe.

^*

Evolution, Galaxy of Terror (yeah. Ironic that one)

[beckmen]

Prometheus does seem like the kind of movie where the more you deconstruct it, the more apparent it becomes that it's inferior.I have yet to see it again, but hopefully I will just be able to be "Ahhh, it's pretty." and just enjoy it without criticizing every line of dialogue, every character's actions, etc.

[deezelboy]

"How do flame throwers work in a high carbon dioxide atmosphere with very little oxygen?"

Not well, but it's averted in Prometheus. LV22-3 had something like 23% oxygen, but 3% carbon dioxide. You can have fires, but it's not a good idea to breathe the stuff.

I can't tolerate the Flash Gordon attitude the crew had to exploring someplace so far from home without a care or consideration to safety. I can't believe they would just arrive, planet fall, land, and go traipsing off into the unknown all within 5 minutes and without a care in the world. Suffice to say I had more than my fair share of "Yeah, right..." moments.

Yeah, it's right from the start as well. 'Let's just fly over the planetoid's surface and see what we can find, because who believes in orbital surveys?' From there it seems to be an exercise in just how unscientific a scientific team can actually be.

[NERMAL]

I wanted to like it. Honestly I did...

"Awww, look how cute this giant tape worm is menacingly waving and hissing like a cobra..."

"Hey, the agro geologist (or at least his helmut) has just turned up on our doorstep. Lets open up even though the other guy he was with got infested with giant tapeworms..."

"We got these armored suits that even Tony Stark would be proud of hanging up over here, but you know what? Lets wear the neoprene because it looks sexy..."

"I've just given birth to a squid, but instead of drawing everyone's attention to it, I'll listen to the old fart wax lyrical on the meaning of life..."

"There's a woman infected with an alien parasite running around the ship about to pop, but I reckon the boss's foot massage is the higher priority..."

[Hubbs]

Catch .44 (2011)

Odd title but familiar film with Willis taking part in another Tarantino-esq outing that does leave you feeling somewhat disappointed.

When I say Tarantino-esq I mean the plot is basically cut up and all over the show. We start at the end and work backwards with flashbacks aplenty to find out what happens. Thing is we never really discover the whole point behind most of it (only some characters) and frankly I didn't much care either.

The plot revolves around a trio of women (terrible casting and boring performances) whom I'm guessing are suppose to be sexy drug dealing associates of Willis (epic fail there). They are to wait in a diner and pick up a shipment but they are setup and everything goes tits up (yawn!). The problem is these characters aren't developed in any way and don't last too long either, so you aren't given the chance to like them and simply aren't bothered when the shit hits the fan.

The other characters are a mixed bunch that include Willis who is badly miscast as a drug dealing kingpin, Whitaker as a associate of Willis, acts well as usual but has this really annoying Spanish accent (I think it was Spanish) and Dourif in a cameo really. He isn't really important in any way, no point him even being there.

The setup and shootout that happens at the start (which is the end) is the best part. When you see it you wanna know what happens next but instead you are fed about 1h 20mins of flashbacks showing what happened before and how it all led up to the shootout, which isn't very interesting. So in short the finale stand off is the best bit where as the rest of the film is uninspired and dull with drab acting.

[beckmen]

Wanderlust: Funnier than I expected, and a strong cast. It's decent. B-.

[PredBabe]

I wanted to like it. Honestly I did...

"Awww, look how cute this giant tape worm is menacingly waving and hissing like a cobra..."

Ugh I hate that scene in the movie. Absolutely stupid how the biologist was acting.

Took my dad to go see Prometheus again the other day and did find myself enjoying it more the second time around. Still speckled with flaws and bad decisions but after reading up on some theories online and catching some missed details it was much better. I kind of warmed up to the Engineer design but I do think it was still a missed opportunity for a creature design much more intricate and unique.