Recently Watched Movie Thread 2017

[nwhoopfan]

I haven't seen it or heard of it, but from a quick look on the internet it does seem to fit in with what I was writing about. And yes, it did get nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. Thanks, I'll have to get around to watching it sometime.

Hey I just watched this again (A Cat in Paris), enjoyed the second viewing. Barely over an hour. The animation is simplistic looking but there is a graceful, ballet like movement to several of the characters that is mesmerizing. The story is interesting too.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Seen several ho hum movies lately that aren't worth writing about, a few I gave up on after 30 minutes or so. A few the last couple weeks I did enjoy. "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" is streaming on Netflix. Interesting historical fiction in post WWII England. I'm a fan of Lily James, I think I've liked her in everything I've seen.

"Basmati Blues" was fun, a bit silly and lighthearted. Half Bollywood and half Hollywood indie rom-com. Brie Larson is usually in fairly heavy and dark movies. It was nice to see her in something different, looked like she had a lot of fun making this. She has a nice singing voice too. She plays a scientist/botanist touring India trying to win over local rice farmers with a new genetically engineered strain of rice. Donald Sutherland plays an evil greedy corporate type totally over the top, looks like he was having fun too. His character isn't quite as dastardly as President Snow from The Hunger Games, but close.

"Entanglement" was an odd movie, but I enjoyed it. Thomas Middledich was straddling the line between annoying and endearing. He plays an oddball misfit struggling emotionally after a divorce and a failed suicide attempt. He has a doting neighbor who is secretly in love with him, but then out of nowhere appears a manic pixie dreamgirl that shakes up his world played by Jess Weixler. I've enjoyed her in several movies, I think she does indies exclusively. You start to wonder if you can believe anything that's happening. It's trippy, but worthwhile to me.

 

[ZooCougar]

The Predator. I usually really like Shane Black films but...

This one really was not worthy of the franchise. It tried to tackle Veteran PTSD, Autism and global warming. It really doesn’t work.

I think Olivia Munn probably regrets being in this one.

 

[Tommyboy]

The Predator. I usually really like Shane Black films but...

This one really was not worthy of the franchise. It tried to tackle Veteran PTSD, Autism and global warming. It really doesn’t work.

I think Olivia Munn probably regrets being in this one.

Yeah I was excited for this one but was completely let down. The only good part is Sterling K. Brown's character.

 

[ZooCougar]

Mission Impossible 6. Really, really good. Maybe the best one yet.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Saw Bohemian Rhapsody over the weekend. Really superbly done, very compelling story and entertaining start to finish. Acting was first rate and some of the casting was impressive (for Brian May in particular). Highly recommended.

 

[superjohn]

Margin Call is really good.

Centurion (2010) - this was a straight to video movie with Michael Fassbender about a Roman centurion vs. some Picts in 2nd or 3rd century Britain. It feels like a subtle ripoff of Apocalypto. Despite that, it is just a well done little movie. Olga Kurylenko is awesome is the main villain. It is on NetFlix now.

Gold (2016) - Mathew McConaughey movie loosely based on the Bre-X scandal of the 90's. This movie is OK, but something is missing. I can't put my finger on the film's problem, but it should have been better with the subject matter and the cast.

Black Mass (2014) - Johnny Depp as Whitey Bulger. This movie is really good. I think Depp-fatigue hurt it at the theaters and with the critics, because I think Depp deserved an Oscar nomination for his portrayal.

I thought Black Mass was a major disappointment, one of the all-time criminal's and all-time crime stories and they somehow found a way to make it boring. Depp was effectively creepy but the makeup was incredibly distracting, they made him up to look more like Dracula than Bulger.

 

[Mano]

A couple big ones that I finally got around to watching:

Solo: A Star Wars Story - Not gonna lie, I was pretty entertained by it. Production values were great. Plot was predictable but ok. If they just called it Semi-Generic Sci-Fi Blockbuster instead of trying to fit it into the Star Wars universe it might of been received a little better. I'm no SW nerd but it just felt shoehorned in I guess.

Avengers: Infinity War - The ending was ruined for me long ago, but it didn't matter, still a great, fun popcorn flick. On par with the first Avengers. My only issue is with that ending, it's all so obviously impermanent, even if I hadn't had it ruined, I don't think it would've stuck with me like it was this big, huge shock. As quickly as Thanos did what he did, it'll likely get reversed just as fast. Sure there will be some sacrifices but there has to be some loss in all of this.

 

[dbmill]

Just watched “The Man Who Invented Christmas”, about Charles Dickens and the creation of his classic, “A Christmas Carol”. While it isn’t going to join my top four Christmas films of all time, it is still a solidly entertaining movie. This film does have fantasy elements that come out when Dickens interacts with various literary characters that he creates, particularly Ebenezer Scrooge, played wonderfully by Christopher Plummer, who is probably the best thing this movie has going for it. Some of the interaction between Dickens and Scrooge is priceless. On the downside, the film takes a little too long in dealing with a bad case of writers block that Dickens has in writing the story. Still, overall it is quite worth seeing. My wife was willing to overlook this caveat of mine about the writers block, she just loved this movie.

 

[the Q]

Justice League was not nearly as bad a critics said.

It was an averageish comic book movie. A Bish grade

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I thought Black Mass was a major disappointment, one of the all-time criminal's and all-time crime stories and they somehow found a way to make it boring. Depp was effectively creepy but the makeup was incredibly distracting, they made him up to look more like Dracula than Bulger.

I thought the movie handled Connolly's descent from FBI agent managing an informant to criminal enabler so well. It was credible that he could convince himself he was a good guy despite the murderous sociopathy that he was protecting. I liked that it did not glamorize Bulger at all either. There was nothing redeeming about him, and anyone that thought they were using him eventually learned that he was using them.

 

[nwhoopfan]

The Equalizer 2 was fairly good. Went in a direction I really did not expect, a bit disappointing really. Can't be specific without spoilers. That was apparently the first sequel that Denzel has appeared in. Not his first time around w/ Antoine Fuqua as a director though, they've collaborated on a bunch of films.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Saw a flick last week, a bit hard to stick with but glad I did in the end--"Feed." Twin siblings, one is killed in a car accident, the survivor understandably has a really hard time coping. Eventually she starts seeing visions of her dead brother. At first it helps her focus and get back on track. But then the apparition becomes obsessive and controlling and not a positive influence. What the movie ultimately ends up being about really snuck up on me, didn't see it coming (again no spoiler). I think it was a very personal movie for the main actress. She wrote and produced it. Those kind of films can be very interesting when someone is so invested in it. I wasn't familiar with her previously--Troian Bellisario (yes, her dad is the famous writer). I was impressed. She's on Pretty Little Liars but I never watched it. Her twin brother was played by Tom Felton, the jerkwad Malfoy kid from the Harry Potter movies. He looks a lot different as an adult.

 

[Mano]

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - So boring and silly. Insane how such a mediocre movie made so much money. Weird thing to complain about, but the wire work during the stunts were super floaty and unrealistic.

Pacific Rim Uprising - Another mindless movie. Would've been at least 5 times better if GDT had been involved. Another weird thing to complain about, the production designers chose so many almost dayglow type colors that the whole movie took on this cheap, B-movie feel. Like I was watching a Jackie Chan HK action movie from the 90's. I understand that that is a very specific reference that probably doesn't make much sense.

Red Sparrow - The reviews were wrong! This was a thoroughly entertaining, twisty thriller that I quite enjoyed. Maybe I'm just a sucker for spy flicks, or boobies, or both, but I thought it was way better than most of the reviews made it out to be.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I think I agree 100% with you on all 3 of those Mano. Jumanji for me was kinda like Jurassic World. It was okay, sort of entertaining, but I'm dumbfounded either one was up into the $400 to $500 million stratosphere domestically. Stupid Americans I guess. Here, take my money, I don't want it! Provide me with mindless mediocre entertainment in return and we're all good.

Also Karen Gillan was by far the best part of Jumanji, although I'm sure she got the least publicity of any of the leads.

 

[Mano]

Justice League was not nearly as bad a critics said.

It was an averageish comic book movie. A Bish grade

Bish please!

 

[Mano]

I think I agree 100% with you on all 3 of those Mano. Jumanji for me was kinda like Jurassic World. It was okay, sort of entertaining, but I'm dumbfounded either one was up into the $400 to $500 million stratosphere domestically. Stupid Americans I guess. Here, take my money, I don't want it! Provide me with mindless mediocre entertainment in return and we're all good.

Also Karen Gillan was by far the best part of Jumanji, although I'm sure she got the least publicity of any of the leads.

Haven’t seen JW yet but yea, it looks like blockbuster schlock. Which is mostly fine when it’s later at night and I’m internetting and not really trying to pay too close attention to something.

 

[the Q]

Bish please!

I think most of the comic books movies are overrated in terms of hype, but I still love them and watch as many as I can.

Man of steel is clearly the best one imo. But I withhold judgment until i see avengers 3.

The talk of WW or BP being award worthy is laughable.

 

[Mano]

I think most of the comic books movies are overrated in terms of hype, but I still love them and watch as many as I can.

Man of steel is clearly the best one imo. But I withhold judgment until i see avengers 3.

The talk of WW or BP being award worthy is laughable.

Oh I agree on the whole. JL wasn’t terrible either. I just wanted to say Bish please in jest.

 

[the Q]

Oh I agree on the whole. JL wasn’t terrible either. I just wanted to say Bish please in jest.

I’m cool with that. I love the comic movie genre. But I admit that basically none of them are award worthy.

But they’re fun and entertaining, which is all I want in a movie.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'm not a parent, but watching "Searching" that has to be every parent's nightmare. John Cho is a single father whose teenage daughter goes missing. He does a deep dive into her social media footprint to try to find some clues to what might have happened to her. The movie unfolds almost entirely on computer and cell phone screens. A different approach. Tense and well constructed. Maybe goes a bit off the rails at the end. Have to suspend disbelief somewhat.

 

[J187Money]

The Mule - Clint was fantastic.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"A Simple Favor," not quite sure what they were going for. Drama, dark comedy, farce? Regardless I enjoyed it. Good performances by Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. Lots of F bombs if you're not into that, be warned.

Kendrick is a super mommy who is befriended by the chic, sophisticated Lively, who's not quite such a super mommy. They quickly become besties over afternoon martinis. Then Lively disappears and mystery and intrigue ensues.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Dog Days could probably be described as formulaic and cliched, but who cares. It was cute and fun. Ensemble comedy, the cast were likable, and the dogs pretty much stole the show. Plus I don't really need a good reason to see a movie with Nina Dobrev.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think most of the comic books movies are overrated in terms of hype, but I still love them and watch as many as I can.

Man of steel is clearly the best one imo. But I withhold judgment until i see avengers 3.

The talk of WW or BP being award worthy is laughable.

Man of Steel is the only good DC movie thus far. But I heard Aquaman had decent reviews.

DC shouldn’t have have tried to copy Marvel/Disney so much. Superman is a big enough character to keep giving him his own movies, he doesn’t need a supporting cast to make a movie good imo.