Recently Watched Movies 2021

[nelsonmuntz]

Bardem was born to okay Stillgar.

Zendaya is terrible. She literally couldn’t act to save her life. Her value is 100% based on her looks.

Sean Young is crazy, but she had some great roles in No Way Out, Bladerunner and Dune. She was like the Zendaya of her time. Except she actually was talented.

The problem with the original Dune was the Producers and that Directors. The movie was butchered and while it had some goodness it also did some stupid stuff, like the rain at the end.

Sean Young was occasionally good playing crazy, but it was hard to tell if she was really acting or was just crazy.

I thought Zendaya was OK in Dune. I don't watch superhero movies, so I didn't see her in Spiderman. I really just hated Euphoria, but that was because the show is idiotic and exploitive, not because of Zendaya. I liked what I saw of her in the short amount of screen time she got in Dune 2021. She has charisma.

The more I think about it, Ferguson just sucks in the role of Lady Jessica, who is going to be hugely important for the whole franchise. That was a big casting mistake. I know they won't do it, but they should recast Lady Jessica for Part 2 and beyond.

My issues with the first movie are: 1) the special effects technology just did not exist yet to do the movie justice, and 2) there were clearly some production problems that made some of the scenes look really cheap. Add David Lynch's weirdness to the mix, and the movie just had too many mistakes despite doing a lot right.

 

[Dove]

"costumes" not coconuts. The troupe loaded it with fairly accurate details of the middle ages to enhance the obviously funny bits. From the general filth and squalor, to instruments and costumes, it's closer than many other such movies. Illuminating Joan: Visuals, Sources, and Commentary : Monty Python and the Holy Grail--Funny but Accurate (joanlapucelle.blogspot.com)

@Dove do you find that people have an unexplainable desire to bring you shrubbery?

Not really. But...every spring when I go to Van Wilgen's Garden Center I gravitate to the shrubbery. I often demand, "Take me to your shrubbery!!"

 

[HuskyHawk]

So @dbmill I watched The Green Knight last night. My wife didn't like it. This movie is based on a medieval poem, and well, it feels like it at times. Just as scholars evidently don't quite understand the poem, so is the story. The casting is mixed. Sean Harris is great as the King. Alicia Vikander is her usually adorable self in two roles. Dev Patel, the acting is fine, but it's an odd choice of role to employ cross-cultural casting. Joel Edgarton has a nice role, and I think it's a nod to him playing Gawain in the Clive Owen King Arthur movie. Overall the pace is a bit slow but I do think it gives you the somewhat bewildered perspective of an ancient poem, rather than a modern screenplay. I didn't love it or hate it, I appreciated it as an attempt to take a different approach. Filmed in Ireland, with some CGI thrown in, it has some great visuals at times.

 

[Deadrody]

Finally saw "Cruella." Decent, didn't like it as much as I thought I might. Took quite a while to get into the heart of the story. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson were both good. I always like Mark Strong, although he wasn't given a whole lot to do.


The movie used a ton of songs. First half of the movie, just about every scene used a rock song from the 60s or 70s. I found it really distracting. Some of them didn't fit IMO. But it was just such overkill. Seemed like an extended music video and took me out of the storytelling.

I'm assuming there will be a sequel. Interesting enough origin story, but doesn't really explain how Cruella became what we know her as. Unless Disney is scrapping that entirely. Kinda like Maleficient. Actually the misunderstood heroine, not a monster.

Had much the same reaction. Not as good as I was expecting based on what I had read.
Noticed the music thing myself, though I just chalked it up to Disney flexing their $$$ muscles and not caring what it cost to license any song they want.

 

[Deadrody]

So @dbmill I watched The Green Knight last night. My wife didn't like it. This movie is based on a medieval poem, and well, it feels like it at times. Just as scholars evidently don't quite understand the poem, so is the story. The casting is mixed. Sean Harris is great as the King. Alicia Vikander is her usually adorable self in two roles. Dev Patel, the acting is fine, but it's an odd choice of role to employ cross-cultural casting. Joel Edgarton has a nice role, and I think it's a nod to him playing Gawain in the Clive Owen King Arthur movie. Overall the pace is a bit slow but I do think it gives you the somewhat bewildered perspective of an ancient poem, rather than a modern screenplay. I didn't love it or hate it, I appreciated it as an attempt to take a different approach. Filmed in Ireland, with some CGI thrown in, it has some great visuals at times.

I liked it, but if I had to review it one sentence, I'd say, good, but not much happens, overall. Kind of meandering story, so you're right, does fit with "based on a poem"

 

[Deadrody]

On a related note, but not a movie, itself, anyone else checked out the Netflix series, "The Movies that Made Us" ?

We've watched a few so far - Die Hard, Dirty Dancing, and Home Alone. Fascinating look at really classic movies and how they go made. So far, all three were fraught with all kinds of problems that really defy their place as classics.

Partly what made me think of the issue with the music in Cruella. They had all kinds of trouble licensing music for Dirty Dancing, to the point they shot some dance scenes with a metronome because they didn't know what music would be in the scene at the time.

 

[Dove]

Ant-Man (2015)- Never was interested. Maybe because of Paul Rudd.

I liked it a lot! Very entertaining.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Boss Level" was decent, but didn't quite live up to what I was hoping for based on the trailer. With time loop movies, you have to be careful you don't get stuck in the loop too long, need to move the plot forward. This one dragged somewhat for me, could've trimmed a little bit of running time off of it.

 

[ZooCougar]

Sean Young was occasionally good playing crazy, but it was hard to tell if she was really acting or was just crazy.

I thought Zendaya was OK in Dune. I don't watch superhero movies, so I didn't see her in Spiderman. I really just hated Euphoria, but that was because the show is idiotic and exploitive, not because of Zendaya. I liked what I saw of her in the short amount of screen time she got in Dune 2021. She has charisma.

The more I think about it, Ferguson just sucks in the role of Lady Jessica, who is going to be hugely important for the whole franchise. That was a big casting mistake. I know they won't do it, but they should recast Lady Jessica for Part 2 and beyond.

My issues with the first movie are: 1) the special effects technology just did not exist yet to do the movie justice, and 2) there were clearly some production problems that made some of the scenes look really cheap. Add David Lynch's weirdness to the mix, and the movie just had too many mistakes despite doing a lot right.

Zendaya is not a good actress. She is a name. If she weighed 25 more lbs she’d be working at Hot Topic right now.

 

[Palatine]

Ant-Man (2015)- Never was interested. Maybe because of Paul Rudd.

I liked it a lot! Very entertaining.

Surprising good movie. If you have never seen it.Try this taste.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Last Night in SoHo. (2021). So my wife wanted to see this. I didn’t know anything about it. I think that’s best so I won’t share much here. Stars Anna Taylor Joy and Thomasin McKenzie, who is really the main lead. Diana Rigg and Matt Smith have juicy roles as well, and Ms. Rigg‘s is rather fitting. I knew Ms. McKenzie was the girl in JoJo Rabbit, and evidently she turned into a knockout. She’s a terrific actress too, should be the next Jennifer Lawrence.

It’s a psychological thriller of sorts and it’s amazing. Possibly the best movie I’ve seen this year. Once its gets going it just picks up speed and the tension is high. For anyone photo or motion sensitive, there are flashing lights and my wife got sick (she still loved it).

 

[Bomber36]

On the sports side of things…great documentary on the 86 Mets. 4 episodes on ESPN+. Great memories for Mets fans and a must view.

 

[Bomber36]

"The Suicide Squad" is so weird. Don't even have words for it. Entertaining I guess. You can tell Margot Robbie is having a ton of fun playing Harley Quinn, as always. I enjoyed the performances of a few of the other actors. But just so stinking weird.

Somebody really needs to do something about Waller. She's one of the worst characters ever.

Enjoyable and worth a watch in my opinion.

 

[ZooCougar]

On the sports side of things…great documentary on the 86 Mets. 4 episodes on ESPN+. Great memories for Mets fans and a must view.

That team is probably the only thing I ever like about baseball. I went to NLCS game where Dykstra hit the home run to end the game.

 

[Waquoit]

We saw The French Dispatch tonight. The visuals were great but I thought it was kind of boring. Perhaps I will be rewarded in subsequent viewings.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Watched "Creep" with Mark Duplass, such an unsettling movie. He did a great job

 

[Mano]

Black Widow - The formula is getting stale Marvel. It's all competently made with high production values and quality CGI/stuntwork/FX but it's so well worn now. Still worth a watch but the MCU magic is fading...

Event Horizon - Slipped through the cracks all these years. Wanted to see if it was deserving of it's cult status. Great production design and a decent cast made up for a few hokey makeup jobs and hammy acting in spots. I read the studio had to dial back some of the gore and filth Anderson had wanted to include, it seems tame by today's standards really, I wish it had leaned into it a bit more to be honest.

Free Guy - A fun action flick and the type of role that Ryan Reynolds is perfect for. Lil Rey Howery was great as the sidekick friend too. A bunch of fun nods and easter eggs for anyone that might call themselves a gamer too. Best "video game" movie ever?

Dune - Probably my most anticipated movie of the last 3 years (since I first heard Villeneuve would be tackling it) and... it totally frickin delivered!! Can't wait for part 2. Saw it in IMAX and it was absolutely stunning. Villeneuve further cemented his status as my favorite working director. He crafted a beautiful world with so many incredible fine details that I'm going to enjoy rewatching this over and over.

F9 - Someone needs to inject some grittiness into this franchise because it is such cheese at this point. I'm only watching for the over the top stunts but its otherwise some corny arse stuff.

Old - Had some good momentum going as things started to get that runaway locomotive feel to the proceedings but it petered out with a poor climax. Shyamalan needs to stop casting himself. He's forever going to be a director that will have a lousy batting average. 3 duds for every good to great one.

The Addams Family 2 - The first was surprisingly decent, this... not so much. The writers clearly had no idea where to take the titular family so they made a road trip film. Boring.

 

[Dove]

The Bar (2017) - What a goofy movie. Set in Madrid, a cafe full of people suddenly are "trapped" and social issues cause for some whack situations. Very strange. Subtitles.

A Quiet Place 2 (2021) - What is it about Cillian Murphy? He draws you in all the time. Here he places an uncle to Emily Blunts kids. It takes the whole movie to get the ear piece from a basement to a broadcast station. Just in time to think "A Quiet Place 3?"

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Bar (2017) - What a goofy movie. Set in Madrid, a cafe full of people suddenly are "trapped" and social issues cause for some whack situations. Very strange. Subtitles.

A Quiet Place 2 (2021) - What is it about Cillian Murphy? He draws you in all the time. Here he places an uncle to Emily Blunts kids. It takes the whole movie to get the ear piece from a basement to a broadcast station. Just in time to think "A Quiet Place 3?"

I didn't know he was in it. My wife wasn't sure she'd want to see it, but if he's in it, she probably will.

 

[Dove]

I didn't know he was in it. My wife wasn't sure she'd want to see it, but if he's in it, she probably will.

Couldn't mistake his eyes. He has a beard and is doing an American accent.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"We Broke Up" I think was billed as a comedy, but there wasn't much humor to be found IMO. Aya Cash and William Jackson Harper are a couple who have been together for 10 years. He proposes right before Aya's sister is getting married, doesn't get the response he expected (Aya vomits, and then won't answer the question). So they break up, but go to the 4 day long wedding festivities trying to pretend everything is okay. Much awkwardness follows. I don't know what it is about Aya, her whole thing seems to be playing characters who are hard to like. The sister is played by Sarah Bolger, she's adorable. That kept me watching, I might've stopped otherwise. It was okay, not really bad but once was enough.

"Palm Springs" is yet another stuck in a time loop movie, this one a romantic dramedy. I think I'd have to say I'm not a big Andy Samberg fan. At first he was just annoying, but then his character started to grow on me. Cast also included J.K. Simmons, Cristin Milioti, Camilla Mendes, Meredith Hagner, Peter Gallagher, Tyler Hoechlin. Another okay movie but doesn't demand repeat viewings.

 

[CL82]

"Boss Level" was decent, but didn't quite live up to what I was hoping for based on the trailer. With time loop movies, you have to be careful you don't get stuck in the loop too long, need to move the plot forward. This one dragged somewhat for me, could've trimmed a little bit of running time off of it.

It’s clearly not a great movie, but I liked it. The time with narrative gives the film a video game feel. If you lose you just go back to start and replay the level.

Spoiler

Eventually he defeats the “boss level“ and wins

. For whatever reason, I also like the part where he realizes he’s going to die so he just makes his way to a bar and gets his drunk as he can before it’s over.

 

[ZooCougar]

We saw The French Dispatch tonight. The visuals were great but I thought it was kind of boring. Perhaps I will be rewarded in subsequent viewings.

I need to see it. It’s interesting because movies like The Life Aquatic I seem to like better the more I watch it.

 

[ZooCougar]

Black Widow - The formula is getting stale Marvel. It's all competently made with high production values and quality CGI/stuntwork/FX but it's so well worn now. Still worth a watch but the MCU magic is fading...

Event Horizon - Slipped through the cracks all these years. Wanted to see if it was deserving of it's cult status. Great production design and a decent cast made up for a few hokey makeup jobs and hammy acting in spots. I read the studio had to dial back some of the gore and filth Anderson had wanted to include, it seems tame by today's standards really, I wish it had leaned into it a bit more to be honest.

Free Guy - A fun action flick and the type of role that Ryan Reynolds is perfect for. Lil Rey Howery was great as the sidekick friend too. A bunch of fun nods and easter eggs for anyone that might call themselves a gamer too. Best "video game" movie ever?

Dune - Probably my most anticipated movie of the last 3 years (since I first heard Villeneuve would be tackling it) and... it totally frickin delivered!! Can't wait for part 2. Saw it in IMAX and it was absolutely stunning. Villeneuve further cemented his status as my favorite working director. He crafted a beautiful world with so many incredible fine details that I'm going to enjoy rewatching this over and over.

F9 - Someone needs to inject some grittiness into this franchise because it is such cheese at this point. I'm only watching for the over the top stunts but its otherwise some corny arse stuff.

Old - Had some good momentum going as things started to get that runaway locomotive feel to the proceedings but it petered out with a poor climax. Shyamalan needs to stop casting himself. He's forever going to be a director that will have a lousy batting average. 3 duds for every good to great one.

The Addams Family 2 - The first was surprisingly decent, this... not so much. The writers clearly had no idea where to take the titular family so they made a road trip film. Boring.

I’ve watched Dune four times now. It’s amazing.

 

[Waquoit]

I need to see it. It’s interesting because movies like The Life Aquatic I seem to like better the more I watch it.

That was the one I had in mind. Didn't care for it the first time. After it was over the second time, I was wondering what I was thinking initially.