Film Reviews - what have you seen lately, what did you think?

Gator515151

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It was a good movie by itself but it was annoying the way they re-wrote Jack London's classic book with a millennial flavor to take a lot of the killing out and insert political correctness instead. For instance, when Buck fights Spitz in the movie he just body-slams him and Spitz skulks off into the woods and you never see him again...in the book Buck rips Spitz's throat out and kills him. Many similar examples like this where they water everything down. I guess in today's world the book would trigger people too much. Still, the way they combined human actors with CGI was pretty impressive and the overall gist of the story was the same and it was an enjoyable movie.
Well I never read the book, it was required reading in our high school literature class but I did what I always did. Bought the cliff notes and wrote my report from them. Maybe that explains why I was a C student.
 

TLB

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Bloodshot (2020)

Vin Diesel picks up the latest iteration of "great warrior dies, brought back by technology, seeks to address his past". I've been itching for a good action film, and I have found one I can recommend. Yes, it give the first 20-30min of the same old story, and then someone paid the right people to write a story that's a bit different. It takes off with a few wrinkles to the story line, a core of good central characters starting with Guy Pearce as your ******* professional's villain. He's got 3 other 'enhanced' minions who have slight role twists as we move into the second act, but Vin is the center of attention for sure. Sprinkle in a techie for the bad guys, and later a techie for the good guys, and you have a few openings for funny lines that don't go wasted. CGI is spot on, makes the big fight scene at the end well worth it, never seems over the top but perfectly in tune with the story (and, with an ironic tone, truly in line with the plot). Needed a film like this, glad I watched it. Def recommend for the action lovers looking for something meaty. Now, don't expect much more than a Vin D action film, and you'll be slightly impressed with how they executed it ;) 8/10.
 

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The New Mutants (2020)

Marvel based, though I knew nothing of them. For a Marvel fanboy...98% disappointment. 5 teens are in some remote abandoned school turned hospital (prison) with a doctor overseeing their therapy to come to terms with their mutant powers. We focus on a central character, young teen girl who had her entire Cherokee tribe wiped out and she was the lone survivor and has no idea to her power. Biggest plus of the film is Anya Taylor-Joy from our lead of Queens Gambit, here she plays a Russian teen with magical powers and a totally bitchy attitude. Second best cameo is a young man who can blast off, but has no control (Charlie Heaton, the dorky teen friend Jonathan Byers from Stranger Things). The others are a rich Brazillian boy who won't talk about his power, and a young British girl accused of being a witch. It turns that each of these players has killed someone, that's when their power was discovered and they were brought here. Over the course of the film, they are tormented by their history coming alive after them, and this attack by their fears is central to the storyline. The ending has a semi-cool climax fight, even if it is propped up by budget and special effects, as the story and characters themselves feel hollow and very meh. I can't recommend for Marvel fans, nor for teens (it really has nothing for them beyond a guy-girl kiss, and a girl-girl kiss), nor really for anyone. Someone's pet project got made under the Marvel name and budget, and they should be ashamed. 4/10.
 

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Caught the original 13 Tzameti (2005), shot in b&w and has a very noir feel to it throughout. Very slow at the beginning as we watch a roof handyman at work on some old house near a beach. Times are tough at home, they are struggling to pay bills, he lives with what appears to be mom, dad, older brother, and he's 22 himself. One day the man of the house he is repairing returns home stumbling on the beach, the wife-daughter (?) gets Mr. Handy to help him in. Mr. Handy gets back to work and overhears some conversations he shouldn't that in effect say the man is waiting on a letter that will bring him a well paying job. Unfortunately, the man ODs on morphine and the letter ends up with Mr. Handy. He doesn't have any idea of the job, but he needs the money and isn't getting paid for the roofing now. So, he uses the train ticket enclosed and goes to check it out. I don't want to spoil the plot but he gets in with some really bad guys, way in over his head; meanwhile we get scenes of police that were following the intended letter recipient and are now trailing Mr. Handy. I'll stop there, let you watch if you wish. Net effect, once we enter the second act you begin to feel the weight of the film. I realized part way through, I don't think there was a soundtrack at all, despite being a 2005 production it looks and feels very 1940s-ish. The version I watched was original French with English subs, it worked pretty well. There's a little bit of twist at the end, trying to get out alive, which I thought was carried out pretty well. I got sick feeling then that I'd already seen the film until I realized the 2010 remake (Mickey Rourke plays lead, I thought I reviewed it but can't find it to link to) didn't stray and that's what I was recalling. I'd recommend this one over the remake, though neither is all that bad. 6.5/10
 

Gator515151

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It was a good movie by itself but it was annoying the way they re-wrote Jack London's classic book with a millennial flavor to take a lot of the killing out and insert political correctness instead. For instance, when Buck fights Spitz in the movie he just body-slams him and Spitz skulks off into the woods and you never see him again...in the book Buck rips Spitz's throat out and kills him. Many similar examples like this where they water everything down. I guess in today's world the book would trigger people too much. Still, the way they combined human actors with CGI was pretty impressive and the overall gist of the story was the same and it was an enjoyable movie.
Fess up you just didn't like that the Eskimo couple in the movie was an inter racial couple. I wondered about that myself. I ain't never seen a black Eskimo, I don't know how it was in the book but would wager they were both native Americans (Eskimos).
 

Detroitgator

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It was a good movie by itself but it was annoying the way they re-wrote Jack London's classic book with a millennial flavor to take a lot of the killing out and insert political correctness instead. For instance, when Buck fights Spitz in the movie he just body-slams him and Spitz skulks off into the woods and you never see him again...in the book Buck rips Spitz's throat out and kills him. Many similar examples like this where they water everything down. I guess in today's world the book would trigger people too much. Still, the way they combined human actors with CGI was pretty impressive and the overall gist of the story was the same and it was an enjoyable movie.
For a lot (crazy number actually) of my Russian speaking friends, Jack London books were their absolute favorites growing up in Soviet times.
 

Zambo

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Fess up you just didn't like that the Eskimo couple in the movie was an inter racial couple. I wondered about that myself. I ain't never seen a black Eskimo, I don't know how it was in the book but would wager they were both native Americans (Eskimos).
I don't recall the book saying what race they were but they were both French-Canadian and both dudes and they weren't a "couple."
 

TheDouglas78

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The New Mutants (2020)

Marvel based, though I knew nothing of them. For a Marvel fanboy...98% disappointment. 5 teens are in some remote abandoned school turned hospital (prison) with a doctor overseeing their therapy to come to terms with their mutant powers. We focus on a central character, young teen girl who had her entire Cherokee tribe wiped out and she was the lone survivor and has no idea to her power. Biggest plus of the film is Anya Taylor-Joy from our lead of Queens Gambit, here she plays a Russian teen with magical powers and a totally *****y attitude. Second best cameo is a young man who can blast off, but has no control (Charlie Heaton, the dorky teen friend Jonathan Byers from Stranger Things). The others are a rich Brazillian boy who won't talk about his power, and a young British girl accused of being a witch. It turns that each of these players has killed someone, that's when their power was discovered and they were brought here. Over the course of the film, they are tormented by their history coming alive after them, and this attack by their fears is central to the storyline. The ending has a semi-cool climax fight, even if it is propped up by budget and special effects, as the story and characters themselves feel hollow and very meh. I can't recommend for Marvel fans, nor for teens (it really has nothing for them beyond a guy-girl kiss, and a girl-girl kiss), nor really for anyone. Someone's pet project got made under the Marvel name and budget, and they should be ashamed. 4/10.

Was Fox's last marvel movie, and then sat in post-production hell after the merger. It's Marvel just due to timing. The New Mutants could have been great, there is a lot of really good individual characters, and some ho-hum characters (cannonball and sunspot). Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy) should have been a great character with a great backstory (manipulated by the KGB like her bother). It looks like an absolute train wreck in the trailers.
 

TLB

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Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy) should have been a great character with a great backstory (manipulated by the KGB like her bother).

What they did with her was perhaps the best they did with anyone in that film. Showed potential.

It looks like an absolute train wreck in the trailers.

It was.
 

TheDouglas78

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What they did with her was perhaps the best they did with anyone in that film. Showed potential.



It was.

I wasn't the biggest New Mutants fan when the original run happened (in teh comics (late 80 - early 90s). But through the years and some story lines (Magik dying due to Legacy virus, Wolfsbane dying due to "racists" in a park) it really shows some of the characters. Some really good material there... some of the characters really shined in the recent House of X/Powers of X storylines... which is by the same author that a number of the Avenger Marvel movies stories are from.
 

Gator515151

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I wasn't the biggest New Mutants fan when the original run happened (in teh comics (late 80 - early 90s). But through the years and some story lines (Magik dying due to Legacy virus, Wolfsbane dying due to "racists" in a park) it really shows some of the characters. Some really good material there... some of the characters really shined in the recent House of X/Powers of X storylines... which is by the same author that a number of the Avenger Marvel movies stories are from.
You are killing me.....I have a 20 year old autistic grandson who is obsessed with every Marvel movie ever made. It drives me crazy just being around him because that is all he talks about. He can tell you everything there is to know about every movie. I really think he is like a savant because he knows every detail, I would guess he could quote every line of dialogue of every Marvel movie.

Just to mess with his mind I watched Spiderman about a dozen times just so I could screw with him. The next time I was with him I waited for him to bring up the subject of Spiderman then hit him with a few lines. Thought I was gonna blow him away. Didn't happen, he just went into further detail about those scenes. God I hate Marvel movies.
 

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The Belko Experiment (2016)

Movie begins with a bunch of Americans working in an office building in Bogata, Colombia. Film opens with workers arriving in the morning, and some new security or police force checking IDs and turning away the locals. We start our work day, and quickly discover the building has been sealed from the outside and a voice is dictating terms to those trapped inside. First demand is that they kill 30 of their peers within a certain time limit. The voice then leaves it to the trapped personnel to sort out who and how, otherwise the voice will randomly kill 60 of them. There is promise of release for the survivor at the end...but in the meantime we have many recognizable faces, but no real star power, as what could be a psychological horror film unfolds. Not to spoil it, but it sums up as a decent blood splatter, a little ok on the execution of the premise, and an ok wrap up at the end to explain the exercise (and hint at a sequel). That said, still pretty meh. 6.5/10.



Building on that, we transition to

Mayhem (2017)

Cover art is of an Asian man caught in what appears to be a similar situation. Our lead actor Derek Cho is in fact American as is everyone in the film, so I can't say there's any language or regional flavor to the film, it is straight up second rate horror. The premise is a virus is spreading around the globe (sound familiar? Prescient, at least). It seems someone last year had caught the virus which turns one eye red and unleashes all inhibitions leading to acting out on all violent, sexual, and otherwise socially frowned upon activities. The lawyer in a mega-corp of lawyers who used this virus as an insanity plea to get the guy off is none other than our lead, Derek. For this film, he goes to work at his mid-level job for the day and begins by squaring off with some semi-hot blond who the corp is foreclosing on. He wraps that up, heads to his office to find one of the higher, but not top tier, lawyers is setting him up to take the fall for some botched big client account they have (he had nothing to do with it). As blond is leaving, the building is sealed and riot forces arrive outside to quarntine the building as virus detectors have identified it is in there, medical teams are pumping in a fix, but it will be many hours. During the many hours, we get another round of great blood splatter office craziness, but this time we get to follow Derek and the Blonde as they team up to find keys and work their way to the head honcho. The goal is for Derek to clear his name, and the exec to sign off on the eviction allowing Blonde to keep her home. Along the way, we actually get several good humor moments, decent narrative from Derek, and some cool revenge scenes overall. While the virus thing rings too close to home for 2020, the film overall reflects B-level actors and execution, but more in the B+ to A- range, well worth the time on this one if you are into this kinda stuff. 7.5/10
 

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Hansel and Gretel (2020)

You know the old story. Here's how this is different, pacing is slower than slow. Premise is the witch they encounter isn't actually the one in the story per se, but her mother. Gretel is a mid-teen, her brother is about 10. The witch understands Gretel has a similar power and seeks to develop it, meanwhile Gretel is figuring out this is a witch while trying to protect her brother. There, I ruined it, you can thank me later. Quality of film and soundtrack are decent, acting is decent, writing is crap. Do not waste your time. Not horror, not blood, not much of anything really but a lost 90min. 3/10.
 

gingerlover

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The 2nd (Netflix) - a bunch of has been a star in this one. Plot is that an ex secret service agent picks up his son from college and he’s friendly with the daughter of a Supreme Court judge. A kidnap attempt takes place and he saves the day. Save your time. Acting is bad, fight scenes are horrible and the plot is a rehash. 4/10
 

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Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley (2020)

Hard to believe it was released this year, feels like forever to go. Anyway, it is DC, so you know it sucks right out of the gate. Not even Margot Robbie can save it, nor having Ewan McGregor as our (weak, lame, etc) villain can give this life. Highlight for me was seeing Rosie Perez relevant again as her usual tough old cop role....and wearing a "I shaved my balls for this" t-shirt in the police station. Plot is thin, writing overall is weak, almost acceptable explosions and fight scenes (the end of Ewan was a second place highlight), but overall a total waste of time as expected. 3.5/10
 

ThreatMatrix

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Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley (2020)

Hard to believe it was released this year, feels like forever to go. Anyway, it is DC, so you know it sucks right out of the gate. Not even Margot Robbie can save it, nor having Ewan McGregor as our (weak, lame, etc) villain can give this life. Highlight for me was seeing Rosie Perez relevant again as her usual tough old cop role....and wearing a "I shaved my balls for this" t-shirt in the police station. Plot is thin, writing overall is weak, almost acceptable explosions and fight scenes (the end of Ewan was a second place highlight), but overall a total waste of time as expected. 3.5/10

When I saw that Margot was not wearing her original Harley Quinn outfit I decided it wasn't going to be worth a watch.
 

ThreatMatrix

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I was never a fan of old movies, especially anything B&W. But since I've watched everything made in my lifetime I wandered over to TCM. I was surprised to find out that some of those old movies are good. The movies are comparatively short. Plots are straight forward but not simple. No line of dialog is wasted. Acting is usually pretty good.
I just watched Dial M for Murder (1954). Grace Kelly is so damn beautiful that I don't even care that she keeps her clothes on. If you haven't seen it Ray Milland plays her husband who discovers she is having an affair. Concerned that she may divorce him and thus take away his source of income he plots to have her murdered by an old college buddy (as if anyone could kill Grace Kelly). However the plan goes awry and she ends up killing her assailant. Milland then hatches a plan to have her arrested for murder. Anyway it ends in a twist that you have to watch close to catch. Joe Bob says check it out.

Edit: Have to add that I think the entire movie takes place in one room.
 
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ThreatMatrix

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I've seen snippits of a lot of these old movies but never sat down and watched them beginning to end.
Rear Window (1954). Grace Kelly again. The plot is set up in the opening, unbroken camera sequence. Jimmy Stewert has broken his hip photographing a car race. He's confined to a wheel chair and from his window can watch the lives of his neighbors play out. Eventually he suspects that a neighbor has killed his wife and chopped her body up. There's a subplot where Grace Kelly wants to marry Stewart but he doesn't think his globe trotting photographer lifestyle would make him a bad husband (as if anyone would turn down Grace Kelly). Grace is at first skeptical that the neighbor committed wife-icide but soon joins in to help unravel the mystery. In the climax Grace is attacked by the murderer and Jimmy has to save her. It's entertaining. Joe Bob says check it.
 
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ThreatMatrix

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Strangers on a Train (1951). I didn't like this one. I'll just copy the synopsis from wiki "The story concerns two strangers who meet on a train, a young tennis player and a charming psychopath. The psychopath suggests that because they each want to "get rid" of someone, they should "exchange" murders, and that way neither will be caught. The psychopath commits the first murder, then tries to force the tennis player to complete the bargain."
Have to admit I'm not familiar with the actors in this one. Maybe it wasn't any good because Grace Kelly wasn't in it. :dance: Joe Bob says check it out.
 
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