Recently Watched Movies 2021 | Page 8 | The Boneyard

Recently Watched Movies 2021

Godzilla vs Kong 2021. Released on HBOMax at no charge. This continues the modern storyline, based on the old stories. It started with Godzilla, which I thought was good, Kong: Skull Island, which was Ok Godzilla King of the Monsters, which was disappointing. This one has plenty of amazing CGI battles. The story isn’t terrible, if of course wildly unbelievable. There are some twists that help this to better decent. Caveat, my wife is a Godzilla fan, loves the old black and white Japanese monster movies. So in her mind, Godzilla is the good guy in Godzilla movies. They did a decent job here not making him the bad guy. Everyone always roots for Kong. Anyway, it’s fun. Lots of Easter egg nods to old characters. 2.5/4 for me.
 
Outside the Wire - 2021
Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris
Bad. I stuck with it because once I invest 30-45 minutes I need to close out the job. I hated the ending.
copied from a review on imdb - "This is one of those horribly written and directed movies where the characters explain the plot every 5 minutes, or explain why they need to do what they're about to do. I guess they knew it wasn't compelling enough for viewers to remember it on their own."
 
Godzilla vs Kong (2021) - Great CGI that shows just how near-prefect CGI can be in cinema. Very entertaining. When Godzilla has just one enemy it's pretty east to follow unlike the last movie where every freaking enemy woke up. Here, it's Godzilla vs Kong and then Godzilla vs. Robotzilla. Then Kong vs. Robotzilla.

We really enjoyed this one.

Not sure why some say Godzilla wasn't bad here. He was at first.
 
Dove said:
Godzilla vs Kong (2021) - Great CGI that shows just how near-prefect CGI can be in cinema. Very entertaining. When Godzilla has just one enemy it's pretty east to follow unlike the last movie where every freaking enemy woke up. Here, it's Godzilla vs Kong and then Godzilla vs. Robotzilla. Then Kong vs. Robotzilla.

We really enjoyed this one.

Not sure why some say Godzilla wasn't bad here. He was at first.
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robotzilla? Good God man. That’s MechaGodzilla. Godzilla isn’t bad. He’s just a rival of Kong.
 
HuskyHawk said:
robotzilla? Good God man. That’s MechaGodzilla. Godzilla isn’t bad. He’s just a rival of Kong.
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Someone in the movie made a " robotzilla" reference.
 
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Dove said:
Someone in the movie made a " robotzilla" reference.
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Yes, and then another said, no that’s MechaGodzilla. All the monsters are from the old movies.
 
So a documentary. Seapsiracy on Netflix. I'll add a link to the NYT review. ‘Seaspiracy’ Review: Got Any Scandals? Go Fish. - The New York Times (nytimes.com) The Times and I agree. It has some interesting revelations and some thought provoking stuff. But it's buried into a bunch of evil corporate conspiracy theories that don't hold water. Assumptions about the market for fish and Tuna for example, and the motivations that might provide. Sometimes I feel like these young filmmakers aren't really aware of the size and scope of things.

Anyway, somewhat enjoyable but take it with a whole heap of salt.
 
HuskyHawk said:
So a documentary. Seapsiracy on Netflix. I'll add a link to the NYT review. ‘Seaspiracy’ Review: Got Any Scandals? Go Fish. - The New York Times (nytimes.com) The Times and I agree. It has some interesting revelations and some thought provoking stuff. But it's buried into a bunch of evil corporate conspiracy theories that don't hold water. Assumptions about the market for fish and Tuna for example, and the motivations that might provide. Sometimes I feel like these young filmmakers aren't really aware of the size and scope of things.

Anyway, somewhat enjoyable but take it with a whole heap of salt.
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Won't deny it was heavy-handed and preachy, but it was solid enough to get me to do some Googling and a good chunk of it is valid, if perhaps over-exaggerated. What I found most interesting is that we're not the only country with industry lobbyists (or occasionally the mob) who determine national policy. Asia is pretty complicit in the overfishing issues.

The world really should ban certain types of fishing that is particularly damaging to ocean floors.
 
Took a flyer on "Lady Bloodfight" last night. Apparently very loosely a sequel to "Bloodsport." Still the Kumite, for some reason all female fighters now. Entertaining enough for B grade. Lead is mostly known for her stunt work in films, but has gotten a few roles as an actual cast member. At one point this had some more well established actresses lined up, but it fell thru and ended up being pretty much unknowns.

Couple days ago watched "Lifeforce." Maybe that was kind of a cult classic back in the day? 1985. Pretty cheesy, but that goes with the territory. Started out at least half decent but went completely off the rails. Only reason to watch it is the French actress playing the lead space vampire. Patrick Stewart looked kind of old even back then. How old is that guy? Also, couldn't help but notice the scene of him being pushed around in a wheelchair, in a mansion, was oddly a foreshadowing of his turn as Professor X in the X-Men franchise. How did they know? :rolleyes:
 
Last Train From Gun Hill - 1959
Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quin, Carolyn Jones
Rated 7.4 on IMDb. I enjoy watching old movies because they are so different from modern movies and you can't really compare the acting. Scenes which could be much more powerful and important are just walked through like every other scene. The lady in the movie was played by Carolyn Jones who, it turns out, also played Morticia Adams and Marsha, Queen of Diamonds in the Batman series of the '60s. Kirk Douglas recently passed away at 103. Anthony Quinn lived to be 86. Carolyn Jones died in 1983 at only 53.
 
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Crazy, Stupid, Love - 2011
Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Analeigh Tipton
This romantic comedy is funny and interesting. Not laugh out loud funny but it has its moments. Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling have some good rapport and Emma Stone is always a pleasure.
 
About a Boy (2002) - This dramedy stars Hugh Grant, who has more than his far share of charm going for him in this film. However it would seem that this charm is about the only thing Grant’s character has going for him. Grant’s character is pretty much doing nothing positive with his life, in terms of either helping himself or others. To say he is extremely self centered might be something of an understatement. The one active thing that he does in is life is look for new ways to meet and date women, who fairly quickly break up with him once they realize that this charm is the only thing this guy has going for him, and that he is pretty much a blank slate once you get beyond the charm. At any rate, in his pursuit of meeting and dating women, he has decided that pursuing single parent women is something he is going to try, so he starts attending meetings of a single parent support group, even though he doesn’t have a child. In a date with a woman from this group, he meets an 11 year old boy whose mother is friends with the woman Grant is taking out. The kid has problems of his own, as he is a misfit at school who the other kids pick on, and his mother is is in a deep depression that also has its affect on the boy. At any rate, the boy takes a liking to Grant’s character, and seeks to insinuate himself into Grant’s life. This comes to something of a shock to Grant, but over time an interesting relationship develops between the two, and it does affect the lives of both of them. I quite enjoyed this movie. Grant is very good, and the boy, who is played by Nicholas Hoult, is terrific. While the supporting cast includes Toni Collette and Rachel Weisz, the combo of Grant and Hoult pretty much carry this film on their shoulders.
 
Timeline (2003) is one of the more interesting train wrecks of a movie I have ever seen. The movie is a mess, and I can't quite put my finger on what the problem is. Richard Donner directed, and the cast is solid, although Paul Walker and Frances O'Connor were both miscast as the leads. There are always plot issues when time travel is involved, and this film creates new plot problems that were probably unnecessary. But Timeline was not going for an Oscar so that doesn't explain why the movie is so terrible.

To be honest, the film has its moments. I think the ending is pretty cool, and I like how it handles the time travelers interactions with the 14th century denizens. It goes for too many cheap gimmicks, such as the escape from the tavern, and almost everything happening in the 21st century was unnecessary to the story. That said, there is not one reason that explains why the movie is so bad, it just is. I also feel like cutting 10 minutes out of the movie and shuffling the roles a little would have resulted in a solid sci-fi adventure flick.
 
Possessor - Brandon Cronenberg did not fall far from the sci-fi/body horror tree that his dad David came from. It could be gruesome at times but it was interesting throughout. Bleak but I enjoyed it.

Bad Trip - This would've been a lot better in an altered state. I wasn't. Pretty dumb. Missed opportunity for me I guess.

Godzilla vs. Kong - Mission accomplished as far as giving us a fairly mindless but quality summer action blockbuster type flick. Big screen would've been nice for this.

A Most Violent Year - Glacially paced and verging on being a bore. Saved by competent performances by Isaac and Chastain. Kind of a throwback love letter to movies from the era it portrays.

High-Rise - Dominated by it's hit you over the head social commentary, High-Rise doesn't do subtle in it's escalating fever dream of debauched class warfare amidst societal breakdown. A bit more dark humor would have helped a touch.

The Big Sick - I thought I had seen this all the way through before but was mistaken. It was good but not as funny as advertised, which considering it's subject matter should've been expected were it not for it's marketing and trailer.

Zathura: A Space Adventure - A good, fun adventure pic that the kids and I watched together. Kept their attention throughout. Jumanji vibes of course since it's from the same author's source material.

The Girl with All the Gifts - I do like a good post apocalyptic tale. The titular Girl was very good in this. I liked the ending choice as well.

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar - Zany and silly in the best ways and thankfully didn't cross the line into cringe. Everybody looked like they were having genuine fun with their roles.
 
nelsonmuntz said:
Timeline (2003) is one of the more interesting train wrecks of a movie I have ever seen. The movie is a mess, and I can't quite put my finger on what the problem is. Richard Donner directed, and the cast is solid, although Paul Walker and Frances O'Connor were both miscast as the leads. There are always plot issues when time travel is involved, and this film creates new plot problems that were probably unnecessary. But Timeline was not going for an Oscar so that doesn't explain why the movie is so terrible.

To be honest, the film has its moments. I think the ending is pretty cool, and I like how it handles the time travelers interactions with the 14th century denizens. It goes for too many cheap gimmicks, such as the escape from the tavern, and almost everything happening in the 21st century was unnecessary to the story. That said, there is not one reason that explains why the movie is so bad, it just is. I also feel like cutting 10 minutes out of the movie and shuffling the roles a little would have resulted in a solid sci-fi adventure flick.
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They struggle to translate Michael Crichton to the big screen. I recall the movie being a letdown after reading the book.
 
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Mano said:
The Girl with All the Gifts - I do like a good post apocalyptic tale. The titular Girl was very good in this. I liked the ending choice as well.
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Interesting movie. Fairly different for a "zombie" flick. I can appreciate a different take on it like this. Also never hurts having Gemma Arterton in a movie.
 
Heaven Help Us (1985) - The main setting of this drama/comedy/satire is a Catholic high school in Brooklyn in 1965. Between those playing the students, the Catholic brother teachers and administrators at the high school, and the girls that the male students encounter, it is certainly a good ensemble piece. Andrew McCarthy plays a student who with his younger sister has just moved from Boston to Brooklyn to live with their grandparents, as their own parents have died. McCarthy winds up at this all boys high school. As the new kid on the block, he now has to learn the ropes and fit in among the students, the opposite sex outside of the school, and the extremely strict Catholic Brothers who run the school. While the portrayal of the Catholic teachers and administrators, and their beliefs that they expound is certainly over the top, it does all make for quite an entertaining film, and I did enjoy it. Donald Sutherland does nicely as the Brother who runs the school, which is certainly a switch from the anti authoritarian roles that I have seen him in many times such as “MASH", "Animal House", and "Kelly’s Heroes".
 
"Interstate 60." Never heard of it til I was scrolling thru stuff on Amazon Prime, sounded kinda interesting. Early 2000s. Some big names in the cast. Stars James Marsden. Gary Oldman, Chris Cooper, Kurt Russell, Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox, Ann-Margret, Amy Smart, Amy Jo Johnson. How have I never heard of this before?

I thoroughly enjoyed it! Whimsical, fantastical. A bit silly, but you just have to roll with it. About 90% of the way thru I thought it was gonna take a really ugly turn, but it was just messing with me. Not quite sure how to describe it. Marsden is in his early 20s, he wants to be an artist, his dad is pushing him hard to follow in his footsteps and go into law. A magical trickster/jokester kind of character (Oldman) grants him a wish, and he embarks on a strange journey on a blue highway that doesn't exist. Won't say anymore so as not to spoil it. Very worth a watch if you haven't seen it.
 
The Courier (2021). Stars Benjamin Cumberbach and Rachel Broshanan. This is based on a true story. It's a cold war era espionage movie, telling the tale of how an ordinary British businessman became a one of the most important sources of information for the US/UK during a very challenging period. I don't want to reveal too much, but the period covered includes the nuclear arms race intensifying, Cuban missile crisis, the Berlin wall going up etc. This is really an outstanding, engaging movie. Cumberbach nails the role, as he pretty much always does. Nerab Nindze is very good as the main Russian in the story. I would give this a solid 3.5/4. It is streaming at $20 and showing in theaters now.
 
Soul (2020) - I didn’t plan it this way, but we happened to watch “Soul” the night it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This very imaginative film follows the adventures of Joe, a school music teacher who at the beginning of the film definitely aspires to play jazz. To say that jazz music is everything to him might be a bit of an understatement. Joe has an opportunity to play a jazz gig with a band leader he very much respects, but an accident pretty much puts his soul into out of this world dimensions somewhere between earth, heaven, and that other place. His interactions with another entity, "Soul 22” make up the bulk of what goes on here. I have to say that at times Joe can literally be a very cool cat. I quite enjoyed this film. One thing that I noted is that this film definitely borrows ideas from other films of a fantasy heavenly nature, most notably one of my favorite films “A Matter of Life and Death”, with its own little stairway to other “worlds”, and that the miscount of a soul can touch off a bit of search to put the count back into balance, among other ideas. Still, even with this borrowing of these items from favored movies of mine, this film is quite a unique piece of work and quite worth seeing and thinking about.
 
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Mortal Kombat (2021). This is now streaming free on HBOMax, and is in cinemas. It starts with quite a bit of action right out of the gate. It's a popcorn movie for sure. I think it suffers from the same fate as the original Justice League, it doesn't do enough to build the characters and the story. Lewis Tan is essentially the lead, as Cole Young. He's the one character you kind of feel something for. The cast is mostly little known, with several Australians including the attractive Jessica McNamee, who is fairly convincing (like she could kick your ass) as Sonya Blade. Both Lewis Tan and the Indonesian actor playing Bi-Han (Sub Zero) are legit martial artists. Overall it's fun. Worth a watch if you like that kind of thing.
 
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