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  1.  

    I think we could definitely have dropped Talia. Dark Knight Rises felt very bloated.

  2.  

    But I wanted the female villain! :(

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 1st 2013
     
    You know, thinking back on it, Bale and Cotillard had very little chemistry.
    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJul 2nd 2013
     

    Hands up, who thought Halle Berry was a better catwoman than Hathaway?

    There again, nobody can beat Pfeiffer’s interpretation.

  3.  

    Hathaway owned as Catwoman.

    Unrelated to batmans, but still related to movies: Just got back from seeing This Is The End with my brother. It was better than I expected and it made me laugh a lot.

  4.  

    There again, nobody can beat Pfeiffer’s interpretation.

    O.O Sarcasm mode, I hope?

  5.  

    I liked Pfeiffer, but she emphasized the cat aspect a lot. I appreciated that Hathaway’s take did not go in that direction- it wouldn’t have worked in Nolan’s version.

    Hathaway owned as Catwoman.

    I know that DC will never go for a Catwoman movie after Halle Berry, but I have to say that a heist movie with Hathaway Catwoman could be tons of fun. (Then again, I think it would be awesome to have a movie in a superhero universe where the main character does not have powers…which is why I think that the SHIELD TV show has potential and I would love to see the Black Widow/Hawkeye movie that will never happen.)

    You know, thinking back on it, Bale and Cotillard had very little chemistry.

    Because it was never built up. It’s kind of a systematic systemic issue. :P

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJul 2nd 2013 edited
     

    O.O Sarcasm mode, I hope?

    Not at all, I thought she was very faithful to the original comic-book version. Obviously that would be entirely the wrong approach for Nolan’s ‘gritty reality’ style, but for the movies that were trying to faithfully represent the comics, she was absolutely perfect.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJul 2nd 2013 edited
     

    a heist movie with Hathaway Catwoman

    Pretty please with tuna on top. I want.

    I thought she was very faithful to the original comic-book version.

    I have to confess I’ve never actually seen Batman Returns, but isn’t Catwoman’s main motivation in that movie “get revenge on evil boss”? And there’s the whole killed-and-brought-back-to-life thing. The portrayal itself might have been comic-booky, but the origin and motivations aren’t very true to the comics (in which she’s pretty much just a classy thief who likes cats and usually would have a good laugh at any attempts to tie her choice of lifestyle to childhood trauma, though it does vary by writer).

    On the other hand, it does feature Catwoman actually being more villainous than stealing stuff, which is nice. Kitty might not be evil, but I really don’t like when she’s portrayed as a goody-two-shoes whose worst offense is lifting a few jewels from the evil rich every once in awhile.

    @sansa – I keep hearing good things about that movie, but I can never get past the fact that Seth Rogen and Burnie Burns are identical twins.

  6.  

    See, I haven’t read any Catwoman comics, so I don’t know if Pfeiffer is true to them or not. But I thought her arc was really weak. Oh look, she’s FRUMPY and has CATS. Wait, she’s dead! No, the cats magically saved her! NOW SHE LOOKS SEXXXY AND IS EVUUUUL. Though IMO her costume is atrocious.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJul 7th 2013
     

    Saw the Shawshank Redemption yesterday. It was good, but I dunno… Everyone seems to love it to death and say it’s one of the “great” movies. Yeah, the acting performances were solid all around (that actually really threw me off with the interviewer at the end, he seemed horrible compared to the rest), but the story was pretty predictable and linear and I didn’t feel like it had any real depth to it. Sure, I felt good at the end, but I wasn’t amazed by it.

  7.  

    Now follow it up by watching The Raid: Redemption.

  8.  

    Oh god, Dave loves that movie with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns.

    I, on the other hand, just saw Whedon’s Much Ado.

    A+, planning to see again. Some awesome physical comedy, good interpretation of the play, and you can tell how much fun everyone was having.

  9.  

    I saw Shawshank yesterday too! Although obviously I don’t remember it very well, as I don’t know what interviewer you’re talking about…

    I quite liked it, especially the score, and the main reason was that it was a movie about a depressing subject that didn’t pull punches, but still managed to be emotionally satisfying at the end in an ‘earn your happy ending’ sort of way. I had no idea what the plot was to begin with, so I was seriously expecting a One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest sort of deal. I think that Tim Robbins’ performance in particular was striking- he’s able to communicate a lot with his eyes. It’s difficult to play a quiet character well, and while Morgan Freeman’s narration went inside his head a bit, there was this palpable sense of isolation around him.

    Some aspects of the plot were definitely predictable, but they didn’t really affect my appreciation. By the end, I wasn’t watching because of the plot, exactly.

    In conclusion, I’m not sure that it’s THE GREATEST FILM EVER, but I think it was very well made in a quiet, straightforward, earnest sort of way that isn’t so common. Therefore, I’m one of the majority, I guess.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJul 7th 2013 edited
     

    Now follow it up by watching The Raid: Redemption.

    Pfffft, that was so last year, sansa. Not much plot, but it was filled with kungfubuttkickingbadassery at least.

    I think that Tim Robbins’ performance in particular was striking- he’s able to communicate a lot with his eyes.

    I agree. I thought he did a great job. The only thing that bothers me about him is that whenever I picture his face I see Tom Hanks instead. >.>

    edit:

    Although obviously I don’t remember it very well, as I don’t know what interviewer you’re talking about…

    I totally blanked out. I meant the parole officer who had Red at the end. I mean, everyone had done such a perfect job in their roles up to that point, but I thought the dialogue in that scene was really cheesy and completely broke the immersion for me. I’m just nitpicking though.

    Again, I enjoyed it and it’s a nice feelgood film that has a “classic” feel to it, but I don’t really consider it a masterpiece or anything like that. And yeah, I agree, the soundtrack was excellent and really gave a weight to the film. The piano sequence when Brooks was walking around town really struck me.

  10.  

    The only thing that bothers me about him is that whenever I picture his face I see Tom Hanks instead.

    For the longest time, I thought Tom Hanks was in Shawshank. hides in shame

    I meant the parole officer who had Red at the end. I mean, everyone had done such a perfect job in their roles up to that point, but I thought the dialogue in that scene was really cheesy and completely broke the immersion for me

    Oh, yeah. I guess he wasn’t as pitch-perfect, but it wasn’t something that unduly bothered me.

  11.  

    Pfffft, that was so last year, sansa. Not much plot, but it was filled with kungfubuttkickingbadassery at least.

    I’d argue there was just the right amount of plot for the kind of movie it was, and it was delivered to the viewer in the most efficient manner I’ve seen in a long time. The goals and the stakes are always made crystal clear, so you never get lost because the movie’s trying to do something that doesn’t benefit it to do. That’s a big reason the action is as awesome as it is.

    I really wish we saw more of that in our big action movies nowadays. A lot of them spend so much effort trying to cleverly bamboozle you that they trip over their own dicks.

  12.  

    I watched Ghost World yesterday. I really liked it. It’s weird, though.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJul 7th 2013
     

    I’d argue there was just the right amount of plot for the kind of movie it was, and it was delivered to the viewer in the most efficient manner I’ve seen in a long time. The goals and the stakes are always made crystal clear, so you never get lost because the movie’s trying to do something that doesn’t benefit it to do. That’s a big reason the action is as awesome as it is.

    Yeah. Is it part of a series or something? That’s the impression I got from it.

  13.  

    It’s not, or wasn’t at the time they made it. They’re making a sequel to it now, which hopefully owns a similar amount.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJul 8th 2013
     

    Saw Pulp Fiction today. Freaking awesome.

  14.  

    I understand your confusion, SWQ. Tom Hanks stars in The Green Mile , another movie set in a prison based on a Stephen King story starring a Magical Negro.

    Serpico stars a young and handsome Al Pacino, an excellent movie. It reminds me of who he used to be. I wish the screenwriter could find other ways to show the character is flawed besides him being a jerk to his girlfriend. This is also a problem in Good Will Hunting , which I also saw again recently. I understand these characters can’t be paragons, but it’s almost lazy to use the women in their lives to show it. Do you understand what I mean?

  15.  

    I saw Dead Poets Society the other day.
    incoherent sobbing

    Also I know the guy Robin Williams’ character was based on. (He taught me basically everything I know about Shakespeare.) They went to the school he taught at and observed him and one other teacher and apparently Robin Williams sat in on a few of his classes. It was weird, ‘cause watching it, I could totally see some of his mannerisms.

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeJul 11th 2013
     
    I saw Brokeback Mountain a few days ago. A bit long, and it didn't have a lot of exciting scenes, but it was very sad and a great story.
  16.  

    I might see ‘Pacific Rim’ tomorrow…leveraged my influence with my dad to get around ‘Man of Steel’ and ‘World War Z’ because a) Guillermo del Toro b) original script c) a pretty diverse cast.

  17.  

    My brother saw it last night and he really liked it, but his rating scale for movies usually starts at a 7. I’m hoping to see it myself sometime in the next week or so.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeJul 12th 2013
     

    Sansa, think about it – it’s a movie from Guillermo del Toro, about guys who pilot giant mechs fighting kaiju monsters. On their own, each of those is good. Together? That’s like a trifecta of awesomeness.

  18.  

    Right, I’m not saying it’s not awesome, because I haven’t seen it. I really hope that it is awesome. I’m just saying I’ve only really gotten my brother’s opinion on it so far, and I always take his opinion with a grain of salt because he’s much more forgiving than I am.

  19.  

    From what I’ve seen, the overall reception has been warm to lukewarm- ‘pretty good, nothing absolutely amazing’, etc. But my dad likes IMAX-3D spectacles, so if that’s what we’re doing I’d rather see ‘Pacific Rim’. :P

    As for other movies I want to see, I will wait until ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ comes on pay-per-view, because I’m not paying for movie tickets for something that I can enjoy equally well at home.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 13th 2013 edited
     
    If it's worth anything to anyone, "Adam Savage loved _Pacific Rim_. Like, holy crap":http://www.tested.com/art/movies/456720-pacific-rim-review/.

    Consequently, I've been getting more and more stoked to see it.
    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJul 13th 2013
     

    Pacific Rim has Idris Elba in it, and that alone should be enough reason for you to see it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeJul 13th 2013
     

    Just got back from Pacific Rim, and it. WAS. AWESOME.

    @SWQ: Are those reviews coming from movie “experts” by any chance? You know, the kind of people who sneer at action/summer blockbuster movies, and praise “deep” “artsy” ones? Because if so, ignore them. They probably heard the concept and went “Oh, how plebeian,” and went on to watch some French film shot in black & white where a bunch of people just sit around a coffee table talking for three hours.

    Sorry, stuff like that tends to set me off.

  20.  

    Sorry, stuff like that tends to set me off.

    Yeah this is totally a thing that happens regularly in real life and not something defensive nerds invent.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 13th 2013
     
    I tend to side with Hitchcock when it comes to the "boring parts" of life in movies.
  21.  

    They probably heard the concept and went “Oh, how plebeian,”

    Hey, there are certain concepts that I find less interesting than others. Pacific Rim had a lot of those elements- mankind as underdogs fighting against a malicious extraterrestrial enemy that threatens to annihilate them, the insubordinate-but-scarred hero, huge fight scenes with cities getting destroyed, the jerk rival etc. etc. Then again, I was probably not the demographic that this movie was intended for. (Also, I was led to believe that Mako Mori would have a lot more kickass moments than she did. She had some, but towards the end, she hardly did anything! That was probably more disappointing to me than most things, because I was really excited about that.)

    This isn’t to say that I didn’t like the movie- I enjoyed it, definitely a lot more than other movies of its type. The visuals were great, and I loved how international it was. I don’t know whether it’s good or bad that I found peripheral elements much more inventive and interesting than the main plotline (DEFEAT ALIENS, SAVE THE WORLD), such as how the kaiju seem to have intelligence of some sort and are evolving, how humans are attempting to scientifically study them, the actual mechanics of building a Jaeger in the first place…

    Actually, that would be one movie where I really think a prequel would be awesome- how do you build these freaking ginormous machines in the first place? How does the mind meld work, and what are the actual implications? (For the record, I think that being melded to somebody who’s dying should have a much greater psychological effect than it seemed to.) Of course, these are tricky questions to answer, but I think it’d be cool to see a movie where researchers and engineers have more than a peripheral role (if they’re good guys) or full out mad scientists (if they’re not). This is probably why I enjoyed the first Iron Man movie so much…but that’s beside the point.

    I don’t regret going to see the movie, though. If I’m voting with my money, then I want to vote for a) Guillermo del Toro b) original genre scripts and c) a diverse, international cast.

    That’s my two cents worth. In other news, the Ender’s Game trailer looks pretty good, but I’m conflicted whether paying for the movie means that I’m supporting Orson Scott Card…which I don’t really want to do. On the other hand, I really liked Ender’s Game...

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 14th 2013
     
    bq. I don’t know whether it’s good or bad that I found peripheral elements much more inventive and interesting than the main plotline.

    What I've heard straight from del Toro himself was that was intentional. He wanted to keep the story simple, the characters human, and the worldbuilding robust.
    •  
      CommentAuthorThea
    • CommentTimeJul 14th 2013
     

    I liked Monsters University more than I expected to, and “The Blur Umbrella“was absolutely sweet.

    However, The Heat may well be the perfect movie. ( Exactly my thing.)

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2013
     

    I liked Pacific Rim, because my only expectations going in were for gigantic robots fighting gigantic monsters. One thing I can say let me down about the actual story (for which I had no expectations whatsoever) was how despite the international army and the Hong Kong setting and the female soldiers, the movie still managed to perpetuate a stereotype of Asian women that gets on my nerves pretty badly.

    Long story short, I couldn’t stand Mako. Even among the slew of uninspired characters, she was exceptionally badly written. Also, no reason was given for why she and Raleigh drifted so well. “Because they’re soulmates” won’t do it for me.

    But still. Giant robots. Giant monsters. Super fun stuff.

  22.  

    Just got back from Pacific Rim and enjoyed it a lot. It also had a lot of flaws/divisive artistic choices and I can see why someone wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

    the movie still managed to perpetuate a stereotype of Asian women that gets on my nerves pretty badly.

    I don’t really agree with this, personally. Her body language was glaringly Japanese, but she’s a Japanese actress. Her and everyone’s favorite social-climbing gangster vizier were probably the only ones who really put on performances with any layers to them, and their relationship was easily the most interesting one in the movie. When I first saw Mako, I expected her to be nerd fapbait and she was, but she ended up being pretty interesting/cool besides. Of course, that made it more frustrating when

    She had some, but towards the end, she hardly did anything!

    happened. It really undermined the core idea of drifting when Jax spends most of the climax giving her orders out-loud. I get that he was the more experienced fighter guy, but turning something that’s supposed to be two beings fusing into a pilot-copilot relationship is just kinda lame, without even getting into the obvious sexist aspects. Jax fighting the Aussie son(did this character even have a name?) demanding he apologize to Mako was pretty cringe-inducing, too. If they had to have that scene, I think it would’ve been a lot more interesting if Mako had been the one fighting him while Jax just watched.

    I wish more of the characters would’ve been fleshed out beyond their basic archetypes, too. As I said earlier, I thought Mako and Stringer worked well, as did Charlie Day and Ron Perlman, but the common thread there were strong performances moreso than any of the movie’s writing or mechanics. Jax felt like a cypher most of the time.

    The other big thing, and this largely applies to a first watch, is that I felt like I was at least two or three scenes ahead of the movie at all times. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with being predictable, but the only thing that really resembled a twist was

    which was also disappointing.

    a) Guillermo del Toro b) original genre scripts and c) a diverse, international cast.

    These are all good reasons, but let’s not lose track of the most unique and important aspect: It was a summer action movie in 2013 that didn’t have a boring, overblown climax that lasted 45 fucking minutes.

    ...

    So yeah, I liked it a lot and I can easily say it was the best movie I’ve seen all summer. That said, I’m not showering it in unqualified praise so as has been established that makes me a pretentious snoblord who only watches black and white French ennui-fests.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2013
     
    bq. I felt like I was at least two or three scenes ahead of the movie at all times.

    Frankly, I can sense that from the trailers, having not yet seen it (tomorrow). Del Toro has said a lot about the movie having heart, having scale, and having a specific artistic identity. Not much has been said about the complexities of the plot. And that, honestly, I might find ok. So many movies have been stuffed to the narrative gills (I'm going to outright call that following in The Dark Knight's footsteps, intentionally or otherwise), that they've been undermined and have drawn out the running time unnecessarily.
    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2013
     

    The more you guys talk about Pacific Rim, the more I want to see it. I’m definitely going to have to put it on my must-watch list now.

  23.  

    Not much has been said about the complexities of the plot. And that, honestly, I might find ok.

    Yeah, I don’t feel like big action movies need a complex plot. In fact, I think most of those that try nowadays end up tripping over themselves. There’s a reason The Raid is my modern action movie gold standard. That said, PR was so stripped down it didn’t give any cover to the foreshadowing bits, and the subsequent payoffs didn’t always have the impact they might have otherwise. Again, this seemed like a conscious artistic choice so I’m not gonna call it wrong, especially considering it’s a net gain for the movie itself, but using it came at a definite cost.

  24.  

    I’m going to get crucified for this, but I’ll go ahead anyway.

    I don’t think Pacific Rim had much heart at all. It wasn’t nearly intimate enough with its characters, who were archetypes. They were mostly there to serve the functions of a plot that was not very interesting on its own.

    But criticisms aside, I’m still pissed that Grown Ups 2 is more popular. :P

  25.  

    I’m going to get crucified for this, but I’ll go ahead anyway.

    Why would you? It’s not inaccurate.

    But criticisms aside, I’m still pissed that Grown Ups 2 is more popular. :P

    Adam Sandler un-canceled the apocalypse.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 16th 2013
     
    Del Toro's heart was in the kaiju and mecha. Unless they held American Idol auditions for the actors that I didn't hear about.
  26.  

    The kaiju were pretty cool, as far as monsters go. There was a palpable sense of intelligent malice about them that I haven’t seen elsewhere.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 16th 2013
     
    FINALLY got to see it and man was it awesome. As always, two viewings for a proper perspective. I don't think anything before it this year can match its scope. It just has that sheer sense of scale and spectacle. I was completely hooked.
    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeJul 20th 2013
     

    Finished Judas Kiss off Netflix – an okay movie. Older characters were flat and boring, with bad actors, younger characters were better with better actors. B movie for a reason, but with editing it would have been really good.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeJul 21st 2013
     
    I'm having a hard time believing 'Grown Ups 2' is getting more box office traction than 'Pacific Rim'. I mean _seriously_.
    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeJul 25th 2013
     

    Just saw R.I.P.D. and… meh. Not nearly as good as I had hoped, but not quite bad enough that I feel insulted for watching it. The one review I saw of it compared it heavily to Men in Black, and the comparison is very apt. Plus, the whole premise kinda reminds me of that old tv series G vs E. Only vaguely, but still.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJul 26th 2013 edited
     

    Just saw The Wolverine.

    (hidden for spoilers)

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJul 27th 2013
     

    So, in short, not the best Marvel movie, but still worth a watch?

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJul 27th 2013
     

    Definitely worth a watch, yeah. It is definitely and without question a Marvel Comic Book Movie™, but still enjoyable despite the flaws.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJul 29th 2013
     

    Kill Bill Vol. 1

    One of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. Tarantino is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJul 29th 2013
     

    Puppet, have you seen Big Fish? Seriously beautiful design and filming.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJul 29th 2013
     

    Kill Bill is an incredibly stylish movie. I’m not a big movie watcher, but it’s got more style than just about any other movie I’ve ever seen.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeAug 1st 2013
     

    Just saw The Wolverine. Here’s some thoughts:

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 1st 2013 edited
     

    •  
      CommentAuthorsansafro187
    • CommentTimeAug 2nd 2013 edited
     

    I just got back from it with my brother. It was okay. The train sequenced owned. I probably would’ve enjoyed seeing Fruitvale Station more, though.

    Just to be pedantic, though: It wasn’t a Marvel movie. It was a movie with a Marvel character in it.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 2nd 2013
     
    I liked it, actually. I'm in the camp that's not very wild about Comic Book Movies(tm) looking like live action comic books, but rather them having a sense of reality about them (go ahead and call me a "Nolanite" or whatever). So, yeah, I liked _The Wolverine_. Plus, Hugh Jackman was in mad, mad shape.

  27.  

    Fruitvale Station

    The first time I heard about that movie, I thought to myself, ‘Hey, isn’t there a BART stop at Fruitvale?’

    Then I found out that was what the movie was actually about.

    •  
      CommentAuthorThea
    • CommentTimeAug 2nd 2013
     

    The local theater has a 3D projector now, so I’m debating whether to go see Man of Steel.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2013
     

    I watched both Kill Bill Vol 2 and _ Reservoir Dogs_ a few days ago.

    Vol 2 was alright, a good, strong movie on its own but also pretty predictable. Stylistically speaking it was completely different from Vol 1, but eh, it’s Tarantino.

    I liked Reservoir Dogs a lot, but throughout the entire thing I felt like it was missing something and I’m still not sure what. I really, really enjoyed it, but I’m not sure if I would call it a great film. Its good, but I felt like it relied too much on references and took too much from other movies to have any real developed depth to it.

    Also, I just realized who Tarantino played in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. He was waaaaaay thinner back then.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSpanman
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2013
     

    I had a weekend in, it was magical and I watched a lot of movies.

    Emperor – Would recommend. After Lost I’m not a fan of Matthew Fox at all, but he was pretty convincing as an apprehensive brigadier general of two minds about the occupation of Japan, so props to him. Same with Tommy Lee Jones as General MacArthur. Japanese history is something I had basically no exposure to during my formative years so I’m pretty much getting the crash course now and it’s pretty great.

    Memoirs of a Geisha – What is this movie even trying to accomplish? I enjoyed it a lot for what it was and for the beautiful visual aspect but was still super puzzled by the apparent reverence for Japanese culture displayed with reverence for the actual Japanese language prominently absent. I guess it’s hard to market a subtitled film to American audiences but it definitely felt wrong for language to never be an issue even when American characters were introduced.

    I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay – A Korean film I would definitely recommend. It’s about a girl in an insane asylum and it had everything at just the right level of unpredictability and great cinematography. Plus, it had Bi Rain in it and that made me happy.

    The Host – Who decided this movie was good enough to put into theaters? The book was even halfway decent, to a point (a masterpiece, if we’re talking in terms of other SMeyer books), but for some reason the film was made much worse than Twilight with a uninteresting script and vapid actors. Every important scene from the book was somehow super downplayed so that there was no reason to become emotionally invested in any aspect of the story. The forced love “triangle” physically hurt me. I didn’t hear a thing about this movie when it came out so I’m assuming (hoping?) that it was a flop and no one will make any more movies based on SMeyer’s books.

  28.  

    Have you enjoyed watching movies with Korean dubbing/subtitles at the cinema, Spanman?

  29.  

    JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.

    PACIFIC RIM YOU GUYS. PACIFIC RIM.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2013 edited
     
    It is _titanic_ awesome, is it not? Well acted, straightforward story, fantastic designs, absolutely _gorgeous_ cinematography. It's the first "this-will-make-you-feel-like-a-gaping-wide-eyed-five-year-old" movie that actually managed to pull that off with me.
  30.  

    I was practically jumping up in my seat! I was shilling it to ALL my coworkers and students today, with an emphasis on SEE IT IN THE THEATER OH MY GOD YOU GUYS.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2013
     

    I watched all 3 of Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies. I’m pretty tired right now, but the short version is that Casino Royale was disappointing (kind of a strange, abrupt ending) and Quantum of Solace was awful (shaky cam, bleh) and Skyfall was gorgeous in terms of cinematography, but it was lacking and felt a bit hollow at certain points.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2013
     
    Honest Trailers did a great "video on Skyfall":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWfg__wKSY.
  31.  

    I felt like Pacific Rim was just… okay.

    On a completely hypocritical note, My Name Is Bruce is a fantastically fun dumb movie to watch if you like Bruce Campbell movies.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 9th 2013
     
    @organiclead:

  32.  

    I think I’m going to go watch Gurren Lagann again.

    This is an appropriate response to literally anything.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2013
     

    Apparently Orlando Bloom is being considered for the next Batman role

    Orlando Bloom, really? He’s The Flash, he’s Martian Manhunter, he’s effing Aquaman. Possibly Green Arrow. He’s NOT Batman material.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2013
     

    Meh. I could see him fitting pretty well into Batman Beyond.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2013 edited
     

    Batman Beyond is a different character entirely. They’re talking about Superman Vs Batman, as in the original Bruce Wayne character. He probably would do a good Terry, but that’s beside the point.

    I think he would be an excellent Wally West, though

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 11th 2013
     
    I don't want them going for a 40+ Batman. If they have to, though, I'm throwing in my vote for Richard Armitage.
  33.  

    Has anyone heard the totally unsubstantiated rumor that Bryan Cranston will be Lex Luthor? If this is true, that will be literally the only reason I see Batman vs. Superman.

  34.  

    Wait, Orlando Blood still has a career?

    @Rocky

    I like movies that are over the top, don’t take themselves too seriously and have lots of fun visuals and dialogue. Having fleshed out characters and themes is also important, but that’s pretty universally liked and even more subjective than the first four. The last few movies I’ve seen that I’ve really liked were Cabin in the Woods, Lo and Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

    Pacific Rim was only okay because it has a lot of opportunities I felt like it missed.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 12th 2013
     

    Wait, Orlando Blood still has a career?

    I’m sorry, it’s just such a perfect gif.

  35.  

    Proofreading, my one weakness.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 12th 2013
     

    Never fear, Organic Man! Your faithful friend, the Spell Checkor, has your back!

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 12th 2013 edited
     
    bq. Pacific Rim was only okay because it has a lot of opportunities I felt like it missed.

    It's funny (and maybe a little startling) how often I'm in disagreement on that sort of basis. I had a disagreement with someone between 'Inception' and 'Avatar', and that person cited the exact same reason you did.



    Still. Best movie I've seen in theaters this year was the limited re-release of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. Best looking action movie ever.
  36.  

    It’s funny (and maybe a little startling) how often I’m in disagreement on that sort of basis. I had a disagreement with someone between ‘Inception’ and ‘Avatar’, and that person cited the exact same reason you did.

    I can respect that. It’s kind of a petty and unfair criticism, but one that still makes or breaks a movie for me.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 12th 2013
     
    bq. Most of what we did see felt like a “walk up and punch it until it’s dead” tactic, at least to me.



    bq. Granted, I don’t like to consider something good just because everything else around it is doing something I don’t like.

    I suppose I could've articulated that point better than I did. While I enjoyed _Pacific Rim_ as a deviation from the current superhero shaky cam norms, I also enjoyed it on its own. The movie had superb pacing, I thought, and I was sold by the atmosphere, attention to detail, and sheer scale ("all of the above seen here, especially the shot at 0:25":http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wh8R6TF6PSs). I seem to have wildly divergent (read: nearly hypocritical) tastes, though. I didn't particularly care for _The Avengers_, and yet I'm having a hard time differentiating it and _Pacific Rim_ on a general, "it's just a fun flick that doesn't take itself seriously" movie.
  37.  

    Apparently we’re just in disagreement on our fun, dumb movies since I loved the Avengers, as flawed, corny and pointless as it was.

    I think there is a slight difference between the two movies though. Avengers is really just a buddy cop superhero movie about watching a bunch of really strong guys beating up both each other and alien invaders. There’s no illusion that anyone’s going to lose, it’s mostly a matter of how they’re going to put aside their differences and work together. It also lacks the “heck yeah humanity” aspect because superheroes aren’t really human (as much as Christopher Nolan tries to pretend otherwise).

    In a way, The Avengers is to Army of Darkness what Pacific Rim is to Independence Day.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2013 edited
     

    On a totally different topic, I am trying very hard to watch Skyfall, but every time another computer scene pops up, I want to rip my hair out and fling things at my computer.

    Why does M keep using the same laptop, which they know is compromised?
    What on earth is up with Silva’s supposed server room? Seriously, man?
    How on earth does code obfuscation magically give you pretty pictures? Obfuscation tends to look more like wild flailing on a keyboard that magically works anyway.
    What does “security through obscurity” even mean in that context? Having pretty pictures of code is hardly obscure.
    What even is a “polymorphic engine”? Yes, some malware can mutate itself, but… not like that.
    How could Bond be of any help at all, anyway? That’s like Q telling Bond how to shoot a gun or pick up chicks. Not his area of expertise.

    Bleargh I am a ranty nerd.

    EDIT: How do you “zoom in” on code?! Why would someone ever use a “key” (aka a password) for incredibly valuable information that’s just 11 characters long, and only alphabetic? Why did the key show up in plaintext anyway? AJASGJKGDFGDSFJSDHF.

    ...OH MY WORD DID THE MI6 SUPERHACKER SERIOUSLY PLUG THE CLEARLY DANGEROUS LAPTOP INTO THEIR NETWORK

    AND THEN ASK OTHER PEOPLE HOW THE BAD GUY GOT INTO THE SYSTEM

    COMPUTERS ARE SO COOL WHY DO MOVIES HAVE TO MAKE THEM SO DUMB

    • CommentAuthorNo One
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2013 edited
     

    ^^I know that feeling. When they still kept on using the compromised laptop, I just screamed at the TV screen because seriously, that goes against common sense. Half of the other things that you mentioned I didn’t pick up (mostly because I’m not studying any courses to do with computers yet) but the other half had me screaming during the movie, much to my friends’ displeasure.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2013
     

    Yeah… it was a fun movie, but when you see stuff that’s so egregiously stupid, it makes it hard to enjoy the rest of the movie.

    • CommentAuthorRocky
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2013
     
    Oh, hey. One very unique thing about 'Pacific Rim' is I originally didn't have any interest in seeing it. Nothing really had me hooked. Not the trailers, not the TV spots, not "giant robots fighting giant monsters" premise.

    The game changers were the clips and the featurettes with Del Toro. Those sold me on the movie.
    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 16th 2013 edited
     

    Elysium.

    Definitely one for the DVD collection, I think.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeAug 16th 2013
     

    I’m pleased to hear a positive review of that. I was interested in it and would like to see it, but I heard some mixed things about it. Mostly that it ends up being somewhat of a dumb action movie—but I like dumb action movies, so I don’t really mind.

    I don’t think much of a lot of Damon’s work

    Not a Bourne fan?

    At any rate, he’s kind of adorable, which makes up for a great deal in my eyes.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeAug 16th 2013 edited
     

    In some ways it is a bit like a dumb action movie, but the motivations and political undercurrents and so on are much more intricate than a standard action flick, and I was able to really sympathise with almost everyone except in a way that made me really think about what was going on and engage with the plot.

    There’s a lot of social commentary going on, but none of it came across as preachy or heavy-handed, it was just a natural part of the setting and backdrop.

    Not a Bourne fan?

    Not really, no. I’m not much of a fan of “dumb action movies”, as you put it, in the first place, and I just never really got into the Bourne series. I suppose I could if I seriously sat down and watched them, but the story and characters just didn’t grab my attention for long enough.

    Really, and it’s probably wrong of me, but I think Dogma sort of ruined Damon for me as an actor. Being a counterpart to Ben Affleck dragged him down.

  38.  

    A Very Potter Senior Year was actually pretty sad.

    EDIT:
    It also features Evanna Lynch (seriously) and a golden pokeball.

    • CommentAuthorSen
    • CommentTimeAug 17th 2013
     

    Enjoyed both Elite Squad 1 and 2 a lot more than I expected to.

    •  
      CommentAuthorAzure
    • CommentTimeAug 22nd 2013
     

    So the trailer for The Book Thief came out today. I have no idea how to feel about this.

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeAug 22nd 2013
     

    @Azure Do you not like it or . . . ? I haven’t read the book although it’s been recommended to me by a friend, and I definitely want to see it now so I can see the movie.

    Going to see City of Bones with a friend (who’s absolutely obsessed with Jace) because I know she loves the books and also one of my favorite Irish actors (Aidan Turner, who plays Luke) is playing in it. It should be a good movie, in terms of movie-making, but I don’t know if I can sit through two hours of Jace’s snide remarks. I think it would be funny if they just had the actors from Harry Potter play their respective characters. That’d be great.

  39.  

    @ The Book Thief

    B-but, what about Death?

    Aidan Turner

    I loved him in Being Human. To bad he isn’t in something better.

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeAug 22nd 2013
     

    @NeuroticPlatypus The friend that recommended me the book was talking about how Death narrated the book. They probably thought that wouldn’t be good for the big screen or something, or that it wouldn’t be as exciting. And it’s from the same studio that made Life of Pi (which I adored, both movie and book), which added a three minute love story to the movie that wasn’t in the book and didn’t make any sense.

    Being Human is probably one of my favorite shows as of now. The UK version, of course. The US version for some reason just didn’t jibe with me.

  40.  

    They probably thought that wouldn’t be good for the big screen or something

    Oh, I’m sure that’s why, but having read the book, I think Death’s narration is kind of integral. I also think that it could have been done in the film (if it even isn’t done, as trailer narration does not necessarily transfer to movie narration). It could still be a decent movie, but it will lose a lot without Death’s role.

    Being Human is probably one of my favorite shows as of now.

    Did you see the finale?

    EDIT:
    This says Death narrates the movie. I feel much better.