Amph What was the last movie you saw?

Watched most of SW: RoTS on one of the Sky movie channels earlier. (I came in late - didn't know it was on.)

 

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Cold War allegory and mini-mystery were great choices for TOS crew's final mission, but the execution never quite fully delivers on the potential. Both plots, while intriguing, take the easy way out. Still, while it doesn't reach its full promise as the crew's final, galaxy changing mission, it provides plenty of entertainment.

The allegorical Cold War resentment is deeply rooted in the characters (Kirk's is especially strong and well founded) but goes perhaps too far. Casual racist sentiment abounds in our supposedly "enlightened" Star Trek future; random crew claiming Klingons smell bad and are incapable of speech, to Chekov making a Guess Who's Coming to Dinner reference (which was intended for Nichelle, along with another line about interracial marriage, both of which she refused to say). The film is well aware of it, with one of the Klingons taking offense and retorting by pointing out the supposed racism in the "inalienable human rights" of the Federation. Oh, and because I couldn't let it go unmentioned, Kirk hilariously identifies Chang's need for "breathing room" with "Earth, Hitler, 1938" in a show stopping Godwin. It gets pretty ugly, and is cut off prematurely with an assassination before any resentment or prejudice can truly be grappled with. Still, I appreciate it, even if it doesn't mesh with the setting.

The whodunit was set up well (with several hints in the beginning) and was captivating for a while, with Spock as Sherlock Holmes and the ship representing a locked setting; nothing and no one can get in or out. Instead of tracking down the mystery fully, the film aborts and has the guilty party out herself in an extremely obvious set up, literally announced over the ship's intercom. Still, it was fun while it lasted.

The music is suitably foreboding and the effects much more competent than the previous three films. The purple globs of blood floating through weightlessness still hold up and give the assassination sequence the sorrowful gore that is called for. And I love the bridge sets.

The acting is uneven. Per usual, Shat delivers the melodrama but is uninterested in anything more subtle. Nimoy is his usual reliable self. Kelley and Koenig checked out entirely. George Takei seemed to absolutely revel in the chance to finally play Captain, and brings needed charisma to the screen. I've always been so impressed by his performance that I've always had interest in a series with Sulu as Captain of the Excelsior. Christopher Plummer also brings badly needed energy as the Shakespeare quoting villain. I didn't care for Cattrall's performance as Valeris, who took Saavik's place. Cattrall seems to have no idea she's playing a Vulcan and doesn't bother to subdue her emotions even slightly.

The climax repeats the assassination plot, lacks tension and vigor and is totally cliche, including a cringe-worthy slow clap after a weak speech and unearned reconciliation. I found it disappointing, even cringe-worthy, that the TOS crew decides to take the ship for one last joy ride instead of accepting their retirement with resigned dignity. It was a chance to show some maturity, but who wants that? Gotta tell bosses to "go to hell" and take off on yet another last adventure, even though they just finished one, including a Peter Pan reference because Kirk is the boy who won't grow up. I found it childish and sad more than anything, especially in a movie where Nimoy breaks the fourth wall a bit by quipping on them outliving their usefulness. It takes healthy fantasy to unhealthy escapism, running away from reality.

A great premise for a final mission isn't executed well enough to become a true classic; despite its flaws it's still a fun send off for TOS crew. I give it a warp factor of 4.2 out of 5.

Continuing the tedious God count: Bones once again says "My God, man" and Kirk says "for heaven's sake" and "God, what happened here?" Someone forgot to tell Kelley and Shat that you can't say God in Star Trek.

 

'Spider-Man: Homecoming'

I thought it had it's moments but the Marvel fan service still got on my nerves a little bit. At the very least it is a different approach to the character. It's funny and light which is a vast improvement on the Nolan-esqe Garfield films and the 9/11 residue on the Raimi films. Holland is probably the most effective Peter Parker as he has an identity outside of being Spider-Man. We actually believe he is struggling with adolescence because he doesn't over punctuate everything with angst. I really liked the female characters too. Laura Harrier and Zendaya are both very funny and have personality outside of being Peter's object of affection and something for Spider-Man to save. Holland also doesn't come across as a Norman Bates esqe stalker in his interaction with them like Garfield and Maguire did.

Keaton is also pretty awesome as he is in everything. The character is a lot more fleshed out than a lot of the Marvel villains. He's angry but his backstory actually is kind of clever and is a nice mirror to the story of Spider-Man in that they are both blue collar heroes and villains. I wish he and Tony Stark shared a scene together because it would be interesting to see this type of villain interact with Robert Downey Jr's loud obnoxious characterization of Tony Stark.

The Marvel fan service is what kills this movie. Robert Downey Jr is phoning it in for a paycheck in the most obvious fashion possible.

 

CT-867-5309, one of the ideas that was pitched as the Voyager follow-up called was Star Trek: Excelsior and would have focused on Sulu.

 

The Founder



In a word: Dastardly

Dastardly is how I would describe the titled character of The Founder, as his persistence in achieving his goals are not of a person with the qualities of loyalty, high moral character and compassion. Suffice it to say, it's not a feel good movie. It's not a movie about an underdog or a person struggling with failure and adversity before reaching the promise land.

That being said, I knew the story of Ray Kroc, "The Founder" of McDonald's as I worked in a franchise restaurant and I remember during my orientation watching a video on the history of McDonald's and Ray Kroc. And this movie fleshed out that orientation video that I watched around 30 years ago.

I actually thought the movie was well done and didn't pull any punches in portraying Ray Kroc. Moreover, Michael Keaton gives a wonderful performance as Kroc as he's able to portray the unrelenting desire to achieve his goals and anyone that gets in his way just ends up being road kill.

Again, not a heart warming tale of human achievement, but rather the dark side of it. Therefore, enjoyment of the film will vary.

 

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - Plot; Based on the story of Desmond Doss, who volunteered for the U.S. Army during World War II despite his personal objections to violence and his refusal to kill or carry a weapon into combat.

Like an actual soldier, Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge hones its craft early on, but it earns its stripes in combat. The first half is important, setting up the circumstances that make us care when the bullets begin to fly, but in truth it's stuff that could've been directed by anyone. It's the second half that could only have been directed by Mel Gibson. Whatever the man's missteps and personal foibles over the years, he's proven himself to be a compelling filmmaker, and never more so than here. Putting us right in the thick of battle, Gibson makes you feel every explosion, hit and near-hit. It's visceral in the best sense of the word. He tiptoes the line between unflinching and excess at times, but never crosses it. What he accomplishes here with a $40 million dollar budget is nothing short of remarkable.

The cast is every bit the director's equal, with fine supporting performances from Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Vince Vaughn, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths and a powerhouse turn from Andrew Garfield, absolutely earning his Oscar nomination as Desmond Doss.

War films can be cliché, and there's certainly some of that here, but keeping the compass true north is that the heroics of Desmond Doss need no embellishment. Without carrying a weapon, he stumbled back time and time again into the thick of battle to rescue 75 men. It's the sort of thing that would be eye rolling to even the least cynical person if it weren't completely true. I'm pleased to say Gibson and company have given Doss a film worthy of his actions. - 8/10

 

Dunkirk (2017)

Just seen Dunkirk for the second time, the first time I've ever watched a movie twice in the cinema. And I'm tempted to see it again. It was absolutely fantastic, the best of the extremely limited number of films I've seen. I noticed the timeline a bit better this time but that didn't really effect my enjoyment. I've seen people complain about the lack of plot and characters, but they're wide of the mark. This a was a film that felt right, and it was utterly riveting all the way through. Heck, I even forgot to blink at times. The music was very good, and sometimes touched great, and the sound mix and cinematography was amazing, made better by being on film. The shots of characters faces managed to portray emotion like no dialogue could. It wasn't dealing with happy or even emotional subject matter, nor did it have deep characters, yet still managed to tug at my emotions. War isn't fought by characters, and it felt more real than many a 'gritty', 'realistic' film. Again, it was just the feeling. And it went by so fast, the first time around I though we must be about forty minutes in and we were two-thirds through, yet the ending stretched out in a way that emphasised the impact of the story rather than halting the momentum as so many films do.
It was so short for a modern action-driven film yet kept an electric tension all the way through, with enough little moments to let me connect with the characters, while the combination of music, story, and visuals at the end really drove it home.
I'm really just dribbling here with my limited descriptive vocabulary that can't really express why this film, about a very grim historical event, connected so well with me. I'm one of those people who gets a chill when hearing or watching something with a uniquely personal greatness, and I got it more times than I can count.
Thank you Christopher Nolan for this little masterpiece.

10/10

My only minor quibble was with the choice of aircraft. The Hawker Hurricane and the men who flew them, who accounted for the majority of Britain's kills in that part of the war, are simply never, ever going to get their due, simply for flying a slower, less attractive aeroplane.

 

Dunkirk (2017)

Just seen Dunkirk for the second time, the first time I've ever watched a movie twice in the cinema. And I'm tempted to see it again. It was absolutely fantastic, the best of the extremely limited number of films I've seen. I noticed the timeline a bit better this time but that didn't really effect my enjoyment. I've seen people complain about the lack of plot and characters, but they're wide of the mark. This a was a film that felt right, and it was utterly riveting all the way through. Heck, I even forgot to blink at times. The music was very good, and sometimes touched great, and the sound mix and cinematography was amazing, made better by being on film. The shots of characters faces managed to portray emotion like no dialogue could. It wasn't dealing with happy or even emotional subject matter, nor did it have deep characters, yet still managed to tug at my emotions. War isn't fought by characters, and it felt more real than many a 'gritty', 'realistic' film. Again, it was just the feeling. And it went by so fast, the first time around I though we must be about forty minutes in and we were two-thirds through, yet the ending stretched out in a way that emphasised the impact of the story rather than halting the momentum as so many films do.
It was so short for a modern action-driven film yet kept an electric tension all the way through, with enough little moments to let me connect with the characters, while the combination of music, story, and visuals at the end really drove it home.
It was also great from the perspective of someone who used to read religiously about the war, to see a non melodramatic, if not entirely accurate, depiction of historical events, and the aeroplanes! Just fantastic for a big plane lover. It was such a blessing on the history front.
I'm really just dribbling here with my limited descriptive vocabulary that can't really express why this film, about a very grim historical event, connected so well with me. I'm one of those people who gets a chill when hearing or watching something with a uniquely personal greatness, and I got it more times than I can count.
Thank you Christopher Nolan for this little masterpiece.

10/10

My only minor quibble was with the choice of aircraft. The Hawker Hurricane and the men who flew them, who accounted for the majority of Britain's kills in that part of the war, are simply never, ever going to get their due, simply for flying a slower, less attractive aeroplane.

 

KaleeshEyes, the Hurricane bore the brunt of the action during the Battle of France because the RAF feared most of them would be lost when France was overrun by Germany. The choice to hold back the Spitfires to defend Britain was a controversial decision. But when the Luftwaffe was pounding the beaches at Dunkirk, that's when the RAF decided to commit the Spitfires and they got their baptism of fire there.

And as a practical point, there are just a whole lot more flyable Spitfires than Hurricanes today, so it's much easier to hire them for a film.

 

War of the Planet of the Apes.

Was nowhere near as bad as some reviews I'd read.

Enjoyable overall,good round out to the series.

8/10

 

Thanks Sarge, I did suspect that, especially that there's a whole lot more well preserved Spitfires, but it's sadly been a while since I've had time to look these things over. University seems to have swallowed my life at the moment.

Edit: How the **** did I double post above? The first hadn't appeared on my screen when I edited what turned out to be the second at 8:36
How embarrassing

 

It's a board issue, their working on it.

 

Currently watching Sausage Party on one of the movie channels. Definitely not one for the kids or those who don't like rude language. Funny though!

 

Escape from New York (1981) - Every so often, I revisit my all time favorite movie. A DCP print played in NYC recently, but I passed because I want to see a 35mm print (if they still exist.) Brilliant political SF satire that also rips on NYC as WWIII War Hero turned criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is forcibly coerced into rescuing the President of the United States after a terrorist crashes Air Force One into the prison formerly known Manhattan island. The President is taken hostage by the inmates and Snake has under 24 hours to retrieve him and the briefcase he was carrying lest all hope of stopping World War fades away.

Part homage to Sergio Leone (note the Lee Van Cleef casting and Kurt playing Snake like Eastwood) and many an exploitation movie of the 70s, this flick never ceases to entertain me, almost 35 years after I first saw it. I love Snake, the cast, the script, the NY humor, the music, the pacing, everything. For me, it's a perfect movie. If I had to choose one John Carpenter movie to own, it would be Escape From New York. It's one of those movies where I quote dialog verbatim in character.

 

The Edge of Seventeen

Forget the fact that its a very good coming of age story. I just became a Hailee Steinfeld fan, hardcore. Her performance is fantastic. The movie is worth watching just for he acting. This kid is going places.

 

Rewatched Labyrinth yet again.
The 30th Anniversary Edition blu ray looks wonderful. I noticed several subtle details I had missed previously.
Also, the special features are great.

 

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Oh boy... Just don't go and see it. I thought I'd give it a chance, but it just wasn't very good. The visuals were stunning, yes. But everything else fell flat. Very, very flat. The lead actor had less emotion than a piece of chalk. The plot... Oh wait, there was no plot. It just didn't make sense at times either. Usually I can just look past silly little things, but this had too many of them. The director had a great idea, but executed it very poorly and the end product wasn't what it could've been. About half way though I just wanted it to end, as I'd lost all interest. I didn't laugh or smile once. I'm going to give this a generous 6/10, only because there was some interesting stuff early on in the film.

 

You do know that there is a crossover comic between Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China, right? If not it might be of interest for you

 

Thanks, I read it. Started out interesting, but lost steam for me. I felt these two worlds probably should not cross again. I tried because I like Greg Pak and I would be glad to read an Escape or BTILC comic he would write; just not the two characters together again.

 

Currently watching SW: Rogue One. It premieres this week on Sky Movies.

 

The Girl with All the Gifts Probably the closest thing we'll get to 28 Months Later. It's very similar in tone and presentation... and it takes place in England. I was enjoying it up until the end, which I would compare to another well-known "zombie" apocalypse story. I thought the ending was stupid and sent a muddled message.

Spoiler

That is, the ending is very I Am Legend. The original, I mean. I don't like it. The fungal-infected kids are savages and have diseased minds. They're a clear downgrade from humanity as it was before and killing off the rest wasn't that stupid kid's decision to make. She could have just run away to avoid being killed by Glenn Close.

 

Twister and Princess & the Frog.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

That's an....interesting double feature.

 

Sigh, I still want the mash up, Twister with the Princess and the Frog. Hope you enjoyed both.

Tron Legacy (2010) - Has it really been 7 years already?!? I like the original Tron (and still think the light cycles are extremely cool.) I dig Jeff Bridges, and yet, I had no desire to see this despite those factual tidbits. I didn't want to see a now older hero be forced into action after so many years of doing little but navel gazing and it just looked boring despite the shiny, new and beautifully realized Tron world (made for today's C.G.I.).

Basically, Sam Flynn, the son of celebrated and long missing game designer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is zapped into the world of Tron and goes in search of his father only to have to face his father's lethargy and many creations, including Clu (also Bridges). Clu wants to bring all of his followers into the real world and take over Earth.

My biggest issue is that I couldn't care less about Kevin Flynn and his "I-want-to-be-Zen-mode all the time" or his son Sam.

Now I did enjoy Oliva Wilde's program, thought inserting Daft Punk in the movie as club DJs was genius and absolutely loved Michael Sheen's shady Zeus (I wish he'd do more genre movies, he's just terrific in every one he's appeared in - yes, even Twilight imo.) The C.G.I. was beautifully realized and made you feel like you were in video game world (and I dug the nods to the original movies' grid animated architecture when characters were injured or killed. The fight choreography felt appropriately video game clunky in spots, a nice touch.

For me, I think this would have been more engaging had these two and other programs rebelled against Clu instead of father and son (I won't mention how awful the de aging was on JB, um, oops.) Would it have had resonance because another Flynn family member was not involved? In this case, probably. There was zero chemistry between Bridges and Garrett Hedlund. I felt that Jeff seemed like he was phoning it in as the elder incarnation of Flynn (he did seem to have a little fun as Clu.) And after Zeus went bye-bye, I just lost interest though. I never quite felt the stakes were there and with that crucial bit of zero chemistry between the lead heroes (despite the son not seeing his father for most of his life); well,

Oh well. I still would like a light cycle as transport though.