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FF:QLD At The Movies - Reviews & Critical Musings

Discussion in 'Oceania Discussion Boards' started by casual-jedi, Aug 3, 2006.

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  1. morgan-aleghieri

    morgan-aleghieri Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Alright, Sweeney Todd. Neech pretty much summed it up before, although I didn't notice Borat's presence as Borat until later reflection. But then I don't give a damn about Borat, so that might be it.

    Sweeney Todd ended up being a lot better than I expected it to be. There was something about the trailer that just didn't inspire me. The movie was dark, and the designs were gorgeous - the music and singing especially made me want to weep openly at points - the human voice is a powerful instrument indeed. The voice cast in this was quite excellent and feels like a fitting precursor to Repo: The genetic Opera, another gore-filled music extravaganza in a similar vein but possibly an even more awesome voice cast (and of course, I wish that would be released already also).

    The film is of course a very Tim Burton film. Actually now I think of it, the Sweeney Todd character design looks awfully like something I scribbled into the back of an art book years ago. Ominous.

    As said, the film is gory. There is a musical number where Mr Todd spends the entireity of it lulling in customers to rather graphically slit their throats to go in Mrs Lovett's pies. There are some great moments of really black humour, where (for example) Mr Todd and Mrs Lovett are discussing the idea of actually putting people in the pies.

    I for one can't wait to get a hold of the soundtrack, and of course the DVD. Ruddy brilliant.
     
  2. kahli

    kahli Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 1, 2000
    sweeney todd = ok.

     
  3. NeecH

    NeecH Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 14, 2003
    Blasphemy!
     
  4. kahli

    kahli Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 1, 2000
    But it DID sound like captn Jack sings south pacific. Maybe pirates of penzance...
     
  5. kahli

    kahli Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 1, 2000
    cloverfield = tense
     
  6. HappyBob

    HappyBob Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    In the motion picture fillum "Shoot 'Em Up", Clive Owen:

    -Delivers a baby in the middle of a gunfight.
    -Fires bullets with his bare hands.
    -Kills not one, but two men with a carrot.

    In conclusion, you should see the motion picture fillum "Shoot 'Em Up".
     
  7. NeecH

    NeecH Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 14, 2003
    Clive Owen was great in Shoot 'Em Up! I love how he reacts to all those annoying things that people do and others usually just ignore (slurping, changing lanes without indicating, etc). It was one of the silliest and yet, most entertaining and disturbing movies I've ever watched.
     
  8. kahli

    kahli Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 1, 2000
    Juno

    I like this movie even though I thouht I wouldn't. It wasn't great, and my long time crush on jason bateman probably helped, but it was nice enough. And not crap.

    What more could you want?
     
  9. Magnus_Darcrider

    Magnus_Darcrider Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 24, 2005
    In other news, the Cloverfield monster revealed. Gotta say, its a bit underwhelming. I suspect that like Summer Glau, this thing is only dangerous when it's moving.

    Be seeing you,

    Magnus Darcrider
     
  10. casual-jedi

    casual-jedi Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 6, 2002
    Jumper

    [image=http://www.popzara.com/assets/2007/12/11/jumper01.jpg]

    Good Science-Fiction, should have something meaningful to say about the Human condition... Or perhaps draw parallels to some issue of morality that we as humans have grappled with throughout our existence. So it is with a sadness I conclude, that Jumper with all it's aesthetic polish.. Ultimately falls well short of the high watermark set by genre icons like the Matrix, etc. Which to me, is certainly a dreadful waste of it's interesting premise. Indeed, the depth and breadth of what Jumper has to say, seems to consist of.. "Wouldn't it be cool if..." This trilogy(oh yes, you better believe ther'd be sequels), could have been about something... something other than a cynical money-making exercise, camouflaged by layers of eye candy. So as long as we're talking candy.. I suppose Jumper would have to be an Aero bar. Sweet enough to pass the time, but at the core.. just bubbles of nothing. This Jumper, still leaves me cold(Bada-Boom-Tish!).

    3/10.

    PS- To top it off, I don't think Anakin wears a jumper once in the film... I feel jipped.[face_plain]
     
  11. Magnus_Darcrider

    Magnus_Darcrider Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Thanks for saving me the effort CJ.

    There are two problems with Jumper; the first being that none of the characters in this film are likeable. One additional scene could have redeemed this fact regarding the protaganist.

    The second problem being that any exposition is long and drawn out, with any character giving the exposition being highly reluctant and stammering like Hugh Grant in a Merchant Ivory film.

    Not terrible, but probably not worth your time either.

    Be seeing you,

    Magnus Darcrider
     
  12. morgan-aleghieri

    morgan-aleghieri Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Huh - well I guess that helps me choose which movie to see on the morrow then. American Gangster it is.
     
  13. Kahlan72

    Kahlan72 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 27, 2000
    awww. I'm sad that Jumper is crappy.


    Just wanted to say that after a viewing through a childs eyes, that anyone who has never seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang really should. It's so fun and Dick Van Dyke is incredible.

    Have copy, can lend. Actually I have many classic and modern kids movies, obviously, and they are so much more fun than adult movies oftentimes. Completely rewatchable. Happy to loan.

     
  14. morgan-aleghieri

    morgan-aleghieri Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Well, Kym and I ended up seeing Jumper anyway - It wasn't terrible, but it did feel longer than it should have, and like MD said - none of the characters were likeable. My favourite character was the Irish guy, and even he's a bit of an arse for a the majority of the movie. There were some cool moves and special effects bits, but a lot of the movie left me feeling slightly irritable.


    I was looking at Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at JB today K - Every time I see it I keep wanting to pick it up but I can't justify the purchase. Will have to borrow one day as I do recall loving it to bits as a child.
     
  15. morgan-aleghieri

    morgan-aleghieri Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Upon reflection of my somewhat starry-eyed review, I find my self more and more agreeing with Kahli's "Sweeney Todd = Okay."

    As previously mentioned, the design of it is all very pretty, dark and gothy sort of thing, the songs were nice, and whatever, but I find myself unable to muster much caring for the piece. Like the trailer, it just doesn't want to hold my attention - I'd rather watch Sleepy Hollow. Even the soundtrack which I had previously lauded, bores me - I put it on, only to skip to my favourite songs.

    Things I liked about it:
    -- The costumes (Lots o' loverly costumes);
    -- the voicecast for Johanna (Jayne Wisener) - absolutely beautiful voice (and she's cute too!);
    -- Signor Pirelli/Borat (weird, but he's one of my favourite characters - maybe because he's interesting compared to Mr Sweeney "I smoulder with generic rage" Todd).

    One of the things that annoyed me though was the scene where Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin is doing his Judge thing and sentancing a vile criminal sentanced to hang - except the criminal is then revealed to be a small child - a child who's guilt hadn't even been verified: "He was guilty wasn't he?". Alan Rickman does evil well, do we really need a big honking sign attached to him saying, "Look at me, the evillest man in London! I kill children! I'm so evil that Sweeney Todd - a malevolent cutthroat - seems a romancable, brooding, damned hero. Evil!" [face_tired]
     
  16. NeecH

    NeecH Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 14, 2003
    True, Todd was portrayed as a better person in comparison but he was still evil and paid for it by the end.

    The way I see it is, the movie was told from the point of view of Helena Bonham Carter's character and we see Todd and the other characters as she sees them. Right up until she locks the boy in the oven room and then the movie switches to his point of view (Helena Bonham Carter = Good, Sweeney Todd = Evil).
     
  17. morgan-aleghieri

    morgan-aleghieri Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2006
    See, my point there was Alan Rickman doesn't need the "sentancing the child to death" scene for him to come over more evil than Sweeney Todd - he's a good enough actor without the blatent sign-waving.

    I wouldn't necessarily say that Todd was portrayed as a better person, but he was the character the audience is supposed to feel a modicum of sympathy or pity for, even though he's a vengeful villain.

    On the point of Mrs Lovett - I don't really think she was portrayed as good at any point of the movie really. She has her softer sides, and of course is glorified in Toby's eyes, but even then she's not a nice person, and isn't actually portrayed as such... It's hard to say someone is a good person when they think killing people for pie meat is a great idea. Her general nastiness is cemented when she locks him in the oven room and later when her web of lies is revealed - and yet she still has lingering hope before her departure from this mortal coil that everything will be tea and pudding between her and her beloved Mr Todd. The woman is seriously wrong in the head, and that's how she's portrayed. What we see of Toby's perspective is his blind devotion to Mrs Lovett and that he places all blame on Mr Todd.

    Whoops, sorry had a bottle of sugar water at lunch and got over-excited with my typing [face_whistling]
     
  18. GoobaFish

    GoobaFish Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2002
    In the shadow of the Moon.

    4 and ½ stars.

    Over half of the Astronauts who have been to the moon tell their stories, with some of the archived video almost 50 years old, played on a big screen and in some cases in dramatic slow-mo. Also amazing to me was seeing those famous scace/astronaut scenes, with context and explanation. You've all seen the ring of the Apollo rockets as they fall away from the command module, with the curve of earth behind it, but now you know how it felt for the Astronauts, and that the sections separating could be seen on Earth.
    Despite this film providing me amazing insight and understanding, I was aksing more questions throughout, then immediately forgetting the question as I was immersed in the next person's words.

    As much as this is about the Apollo missions and the science of it, there's as much if not more time given to the people themselves, who they were, how they felt, and how they saw then and see today how the world saw and sees them.

    At Dendy.
    Do yourself a favour.
     
  19. CCD

    CCD Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2002
    ^ That looks great.

    The Black Dahlia.

    Normally I don't bother reviewing movies, finding others are far more eloquent than me. In this case, however, in the name of public service, and being incandescent at actaully having paid to watch this movie, I make an exception.

    This is a terrible, terrible movie. Starring Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hillary Swank, based on a novel by James Ellroy and directed by Brian de Palmer, this utter turd flushes any and all pedigree away practically by the opening frame. What follows is a horror show of lazy, cliche, ridiculous, camp and frankly execrable pseudo-noir.

    The basic plot is two police officers (Hartnett and Eckhart) in post-war LA investigate the Black Dahlia murder of Elizabeth Short. Based on that premise alone, it would have been great to see what David Fincher (Zodiac) or Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential) could have made of it. Anyway, the cops both do it with Johansson, one of them dies, the other does Hillary Swank and solves the crime and kills everyone.

    The plot could have been fine but it's the construction that sucks so very very much. You know, Brian, just because it's set in 1946 doesn't mean it has to be all noir, all the time. Heavy, brassy jazz permeates the score constantly. Hartnett does a voice-over narration that is infinately worse than even the hated Blade Runner effort. Everyone smokes constantly while talking in each other faces. All their cop buddies are 50, fat, talk with a gravelly voice and wear a fedora (seriously). It's like De Palmer saw the Maltese Falcon and played Under a Killing Moon and liked it so much he multiplied it by insane.

    There are a few moments in the film that plumb such depths of awfulness that they deserve special mention:

    1) The main characters are at a NYE 1947 party. The shot opens onto a banner that reads "Happy New Year 1947" (thanks, I might not have got it otherwise) and pans down to a dance floor. At the very same moment, the band strikes up with Glenn Miller's In The Mood. In The Fracking Mood!!!!!! You wouldn't know it, but there was more than one song released in the 40's, some of them even by Glen Miller himself. Lazy, cliched and insulting filmaking.

    2) At one point Hartnett is introduced to Swank's family. Here the film goes into first person mode, with each family member looking directly at the camera, and the camera wobbling around the room presumably representing where Harnett is looking. This makes no sense, is very distracting, has no context and seems to be a gimmick thrown in for the hell of it just to see what would happen. I wasn't joking about Under a Killing Moon.

    3) But the worst moment by far (in a movie that is already terrible beyond comprehension), occurs as Hartnett is tracing the dead girl's movements. He goes to a lesbian nightclub and looks around woodenly. There is a show with dancers and a singer at one end of the room. The shot lingers on the show, and the singer is revealed to be none other than k.d. lang! WT*!?!?!?!? It makes NO SENSE. There are only two possible explanations:
    a) it was k.d. lang's grandma, who also happened to be a lesbian singer
    b) k.d. has actually invented a time machine and travels back to the 40's to perform, which de Palmer thought he would re-create for the sake of authenticity.

    At that point The Black Dahlia was confirmed as one of the very worst movies I have ever seen, and possibly ever made. MiraJeff from AICN has an equally devasting critique here if you are interested in some of the finer plot and acting details.

    And this from the man that brought us Scarface. Tragic.

    0/10
     
  20. morgan-aleghieri

    morgan-aleghieri Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Went to see The Spiderwick Chronicles yesterday.

    It wasn't amazing, but I suppose it was watchable enough. The two boys in it of course, were played by the same kid - it was really noticible in the beginning of the movie, but once we'd reached the end, I'd bought into the idea that they were just identical twins.

    My favourite character was Hogsqueal(?). The main characters I found a little trying at times, and there are many opportunities to cry "stupid, stupid humans."

    A lot of the designs were quite nice, though I took issue with the Gryphon. I've seen them done better really (see: Narnia). There's a scene where all three children have to ride somewhere on the back of the gryphon, and it just looks annoying. Unless a Gryphon has some sort of magical charm that keeps its riders from falling off in flight, those kids shouldn't be alive. The Gryphon itself does seem a plot device included purely to get the children from home to impossible to reach plot point B. In fact, until they had to summon the darn thing it hadn't even been mentioned.

    "Oh, by the way - Arthur Spiderwick had a pet Gryphon."
    Oh did he just?

    Sorry, I seem to be becoming more negative in my reviewing.

    Really not a fabulous movie by any standard - but not hateful. I'd probably suggest picking up the books though for the visual design sorts of thing.
     
  21. Kahlan72

    Kahlan72 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 27, 2000
    U2 in 3D:

    I'm a huge fan, as well known, and wasn't sure I wanted to see this, as the concert experience is an amazing thing and went in hoping not to be disappointed by something that didn't quite match up.

    It wasn't a concert experience really, but honestly the sound was better, the visuals were great and the fact that you can see the band close up was great, but I can do that if I watch my concerts on DVD.

    I'm not meaning to sound disappointed because I wasn't. I sang my way through it posibly annoyed my row and got a few moments of tingles. Thank goodness With or Without You was at the end.

    The 3D effect of it all wasn't overwhelming, well not like Beowulf anyway ( a pretty crap movie but gorgeous to watch) and after a while I just felt like I was in a really good spot in the concert audience, watching and listening but without the goose bumps. I do like the goose bumps and I just didn't get them as mch as I wanted. Most of the 3D was to put you in the feel of the audience, but also to feel like you were on stage with them sometimes, and the wizz bang effects of having a band member( or graphics) at the forefront of the screen with the others behind them, basically 2 different shots occupying the same screen time, was intersting.

    So I did enjoy it, but I've read reviews that said you'd enjoy it even if you weren't a fan and I disagree. It's equivalent to watching your U2 dvd at home with better sound and great visuals, but if you're just going for the 3D experience and you don't really like U2, doubt you'll ejoy it.

    I'd go again if it was free :) For now I'll sit at home with my DVD and my surround sound speakers and see if I can't make those hairs on my arms rise.

    If you do like U2 it's worth seeing.



     
  22. HappyBob

    HappyBob Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    RE: The Black Dahlia

    The noir cliches and odd filmmaking techniques CCD pointed out didn't bug me at all, but the rest of the movie did that job admirably. It alternated between dull and grotesque, and as much as I wanted to enjoy it, the end result was just soulless and hollow. A real shame.

    I don't like ending posts on a down note. Here's a picture of a kitten.

    [image=http://www.littlefolkspuzzle.com/catalog/1350-30PCFLOORPUZZLE-KITTEN.JPG]
     
  23. Magnus_Darcrider

    Magnus_Darcrider Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Iron Man

    This was fantastic; not just a great superhero movie, but a great movie. Still not sure if Spider-man 2 still remains the best Marvel superhero film, but it's close.

    Oddly, this film follows the same script structure as Daredevil (which is unpopular but I love, despite it's flaws); intro, longish flashback, all the fights in the final third of the film. Works better here though :p

    All the cast are great; though while Robert Downey, Jr. is getting all the praise, deservedly, Jeff Bridges deserves some kudos too. His Obidiah Stane is both charming and villainous.

    The montage of Tony Stark's life in flashback was really effective for some reason, even if it's just a bunch of photo manipulations :p The one with Bill Gates was cool, and a younger Jeff Bridges looking like Flynn out of Tron. I also loved that to move it a generation along, it was Stark's father who was based on Howard Hughes.

    The armour, in all it's models, was brilliantly realised. The flying scenes were just great. Iron Man's first "mission" was not the kind of thing you normally see in a superhero film, but was done really well.

    The final line before the credits changed the very nature of this film, making it a very different superhero story. How many times has that happened? Only once before, and not done as well as here. And that scene after the credits; the only thing that could have made it better is if there was a blonde guy in a GI uniform with a nametag reading "Rogers" :p BBN hit it on the head when he said it's not the same scene appearing in The Incredible Hulk, but contextually the same scene.

    I got some niggles, but they're *very* minor and slightly more spoilerific than I've already gotten into, so I won't. Looking forward to seeing it again this weekend.

    Be seeing you,

    Magnus Darcrider
     
  24. Luke_Sparkewalker

    Luke_Sparkewalker Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2001
    Agreed.

    It is, as you said, not only a great superhero movie but a great movie. I was surprised how much it worked on alot of levels.

    I'm going to catch it again tonight, might throw a more thoughtful review afterwoods.

    ....and stan lee cameos always make me smile [face_laugh]
     
  25. Magnus_Darcrider

    Magnus_Darcrider Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Once again, Shortpacked! has hit it on the head.

    Be seeing you,

    Magnus Darcrider
     
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