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

TLB

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The Martian (2015) - Matt Damon is with a crew on Mars, a storm blows up and captain says "Lets go". Damon gets lost in the storm, they assume he's dead and head home. He's not dead. Being a botanist, he figures out ways to stay alive and eventually he gets communication with Earth. Half the movie is him talking to a video log of his progress and challenges, the other half is everyone else trying to figure out how to get there and save him. Things don't work out several times, but you know in the end they bring him home. Regardless of your opinion on Damon, he plays the role pretty well and the storyline is believable and effective. Special effects are good. No boobs, other than Damon's. Would recommend (the film not his boobs). 7.5/10
 
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Theologator

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saw the new deadpool... meh... ill leave it at that.

saw Solo... was pretty good and I didnt go in expecting much. anyone realize the heroine is the same hot blonde chick that gets naked in the first season of GoT?

The scene at the end of GoT season 1 may be the coolest scene I’ve ever seen in any series or movie.
 

Detroitgator

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Mission Impossible: Fallout:

Saw it today... White Widow is hot as balls. The rest of the movie was good. Only "suspension of reality" I couldn't stomach? Alec Baldwin being able to fight a former Delta Force trooper/CIA SAD guy for 10 seconds... no way that happens in real life. Oh, and there should have been a lot more of White Widow... she is hot as balls. ;)
 

gingerlover

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Red Sparrow

I went to see this alone late Saturday night (that's how I roll... mainly because everyone else is asleep and therefore, I don't impinge on family time, and I needed to see this one alone). I should have typed this up that night when my feelings were fresh, but I didn't, then got busy, then the Niger video upset me, now here I am. This movie stirred up a lot of memories and feeling for me.

Background

The movie is based on the book by the same name and approximates the book AS MUCH AS A MOVIE CAN in 2:20 minutes. The author is the real deal. He was a career CIA case officer and station chief and he specialized in "denied areas" which means he was out on his own hanging in the wind a lot. His career was Cold War and post-Cold War. The first 2/3rds of his career were also when case officers actually did things personally before everything became illegal and they had to rely on contacts and contractors to do the actual work. The book is 10 times more graphic than the movie and the book is quirky. Each chapter is based on a food and he puts the recipe at the end of the chapter. I thought it was interesting and liked it because I keep recipes from places... they're like memories. Apparently, a lot of "critics" hated the recipes being in the book... f'em. It is clear that the director and the actors wanted to get the story and characters right. I know they met with the author several times and they weren't f*cking around when they met, they really wanted to understand his world and the world of the characters as much as they could. I think they did well.

The Movie

Nothing you can't read anywhere and I'm not going to give any spoilers, because there would be tons. A prima ballerina with the Bolshoi who came from nothing to reach the pinnacle has a State provided apartment (and, the apartment is accurate and appropriate) for her and her sick mom (who gets the BEST doctors of the elite, not the doctors the masses get) gets a career ending broken leg. Her uncle is high up in the SVR, gives her the reality that she and mom will be booted from the apartment and lose the good docs, and while hot, will be lucky to be a bank teller, and offers her an "out" by coming into his world as he recognizes qualities in her that suit his world (not just that she's hot). She goes to the Sparrow school, and yes, there was a Sparrow school, period. The story then twists and turns and develops up until the end, and there is a BIG, realistic, twist at the end that you don't see coming (and there are a lot of twists along the way). The end isn't a happy one or the one that I think most would expect from the trailers and even while watching the whole movie up until the very end. I hope it does well enough box office wise that they make the two sequels.

Critic and Moviegoer Reviews

I read all the IMDB reviews before I saw it.

Moviegoers seem to fall into one of two categories:
  1. Those who only give it a 1. These people fall into one of two categories:
    • Those who thought and wanted it to be another Salt (liked it), Atomic Blonde (liked it), or Black Widow (I don't do comic books). These are the people who want to see the fantasy of a 130 pound woman be able to best a 180 pound man with equal training with endless ridiculous action (which is entertaining) and a pat ending. Oh, and they don't mind big plot holes like in Atomic Blonde (which I really liked). Red Sparrow isn't any of those movies, period. Red Sparrow is pretty f*cking close to real life, and the author knew what he was doing.
    • Those who b*tch about bad Russian accents and the use of 3.5" floppy disks in a post Cold War setting. F'ck these people... reminds me of bozos I sit next to on domestic flights who on takeoff, look at their watch to time the roll to lift off and then make some dumb f*ck comment about the pilot. Bad Russian accents? So f*cking what? In Hunt for Red October, they spoke sh*tty Russian with English subtitles for 30 seconds then the "Russians" all spoke with British, Australian, and the ever famous Lithuanian-Scottish accent. Did it ruin the movie? F*ck no! ... and f*ck these mental midgets. They neither get, nor ever will get, what was right about this movie and what real life is like.
  2. Those that give it an 8-10. They get it for what it is, even if they don't really GET it in the way I did. They weren't looking for a fantasy action flick and appreciate it as a non-Bond/Bourne movie about espionage/spying. I could at least drink beer with these people.
Critics: F*ck 99% of them. Their reviews are based on political correctness and they drone on and on about "gratuitous and graphic unnecessary sex and violence." What the f*ck do these people know? EVERY SINGLE scene with violence, nudity and sex in Red Sparrow is 100% required for the movie to hammer points home to the viewer (and the movie is nowhere near as graphic as the book). Again, I liked Atomic Blonde a lot for what it was... but the ENTIRE MOVIE is nothing but gratuitous sex and violence for the sake of... well, gratuitous sex and violence, but they didn't poo poo Atomic Blonde this way. F*ck them.

My Thoughts

Here's what people don't understand about this movie... it is NOT about a spy who uses her body. It is about a SURVIVOR doing whatever it takes to SURVIVE and take care of her mother and turns to espionage to SURVIVE and take care of her mother, PERIOD. You have no idea how prevalent this is in former Soviet places for young women.

I had several conversations in the past with G2 about this (his wife is Polish) and I've talked about it a LOT in the PF... the fact that the "survival gene" is much stronger still in Russians than it is in the West and most don't get that. Watch this movie and you will finally get it. NOTHING she does in this movie is an exaggeration, not a damn thing. Even when she does get violent, the damage she does is 100% in keeping with her size and training (or lack thereof for violence... no Bourne fighting ****). Her violent acts are those of a SURVIVOR and I've witnessed many Russian/Ukrainian girls do the same exact thing to sh*tbird men. Their "flash to bang" and instant survival instinct violence is frightening and jarring to people not accustomed to seeing it, therefore "critics" call it gratuitous and BS... F*ck them, it's real.

She's a survivor, and she does. There are no silly escapes or situations where you should say, "Really? For real?" Please trust me, the movie is genuine in its regards to survival sex and violence when it comes to some Russian/Ukrainian women. I've known, know, and rescued a lot of women exactly like Dominika, exactly. Eastern Orthodox Christian's in Russia/Ukraine have a lot of superstitions and still visit "witches" living in the forest for advice (think of our palm/crystal ball people), but they BELIEVE it. I chalk it up to the "survivor gene", but I have NEVER met women that can read people, especially men, and read a situation and what is going on, better than some Russian/Ukrainian women. They have to learn this from an incredibly early age (like 5) or they get broken. The movie really caught me off guard in the way the director handled the character and the way J-law portrayed her. They did it right. She did it great. I get that the average viewer won't pick up on this due to their experiences, but the author of the book knew, and the director and J-law conveyed it as well as you can.

Spying/Espionage: for the Soviets/Russians, it is almost always, like 95% of the time, a straight up financial transaction: money for secrets, period. They did this really well with Mary Louise Parker's character in the movie (her role was funny and great, but really accurate too). The other 5% falls in the realm of recruiting true ideologues, angry people, and getting turned through sex/"love" or personal compromise. The movie covers all of them, some subtly, some not, but they get it right.

I liked when the mom told her "don't give them all of you." That may sound pretty standard to Western women, but it's another Russian female thing you'd have to understand. Giving sex can be purely transactional in a survival way, but you make sure that you "don't give them all of you." This hit home. I've actually had two tell me they wanted to give me all of them. This author has been there, and again, the director did it right.

I liked Joel Edgerton's character Nate Nash. He didn't turn out to be a sap like he would've in a stock spy movie. His character was a pro. A human being, but a pro. Again, director and actor got it right, and again, the author has clearly been there, done that in person.

All the other characters were good too and all were people I've "met" before.

There were lots of little things I liked that reminded me of things. I've forgotten too many and need to see it again, I was mentally distracted with thoughts and memories while watching the movie. I'll update when I do.

I've kind of f*cked up what I wanted to right the other night. Not very coherent here and kind of rambled, but I'll see it again and try round two.

Bottom line, yes, you get to see boobs and graphic violence, both are absolutely necessary to the story. I really liked this, but this was really personal for me. I wasn't sure it was going to be, I hoped it would be, and it was.

I actually read your post again before watching it the other day. May have saved it for me because without knowing some of this it can get long at times.

Plus the boobies were nice.
 

Gatordiddy

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Finally saw 'Get Out' ... really enjoyed it.
I had been a fan of Key and Peele so this was a nice follow on for Jordan Peele.
No boobage but the lead chick was muy caliente, and the TSA buddy was funny.

8.5/10
 

Ninjax

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Nov 21, 2017
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My Lord! 63 pages of this?

Not reading through every post, so don't know if this one has been mentioned yet. The Little Prince...solid movie imo. 5 out of 5 Gator Chomps.
rachel-mcadams-jeff-bridges-the-little-prince.jpg
 

TLB

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My Lord! 63 pages of this?

Not reading through every post, so don't know if this one has been mentioned yet. The Little Prince...solid movie imo. 5 out of 5 Gator Chomps.
10232

What's it about? Looks aimed at kids...will adults enjoy it? And most importantly...any boobs?
 

Ninjax

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Nov 21, 2017
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What's it about? Looks aimed at kids...will adults enjoy it? And most importantly...any boobs?

Uh...yeah, no boobs. Based upon a book for Children. Being the semi adult that I am, I enjoyed it quite a bit. However, I typically like good animation, so this also falls into this category.
 

TheDouglas78

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Teen Titians Go! To the Movies (2018): Based on the Teen Titians Go cartoon, so if you have seen any of them you kind of know what to expect. The daughter loves the cartoon, so we took her after her first day of preschool. The movie is crazy and filled with stupid jokes with enough adult humor to keep adults dialed in. A number of famous voices play the side characters (Superman, Batman, etc). It all stems from Robin thinking the only way they will be taken seriously is if they have their own movie. It just goes from there. A lot of music (similar to the tv show) and action pieces. Not something I would rush to see in theaters but entertaining for what it is. 6/10.

No boobs in this movie... but Robin does try to show off his butt in 3D.
 

gingerlover

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Saw a couple more on Netflix the last few weeks.

Like Father - So Kristen Bell gets left at the alter and her absentee father Kelsey Grammer goes out drinking with her. They wake up hung over on the cruise ship that her honeymoon was going to be on. Seth Rogan shows up a little and they make friends and bond again after discovering why he was so absent and his regrets.

Has a few laughs and a few nice moments in it for self discovery I guess. The wife and I watched this and both were just Meh. 5/10

Father of the Year - Stars David Spade so you know not to expect to much. Basically his son comes home before going off to New York for a job to visit his deadbeat dad. His other friend is there as well visiting his uptight dad. While drinking they talk about whose dad would win in a fight and while drunk one dad tries to settle the debate. It leads to things that unravel the kids futures and the dads have to sort out their issues to help them get back on track.

There are laughs in this, but you have to be patient. Story is more about the kids rather than the dads. It's ok. It's another cheap netflix film that years ago would have premiered on Comedy Central. 4/10

I will say this I have been disappointed with the Netflix originals of late. Many are barely getting above made for TV level other than escaping censors. Not good when these guys want to be considered true contenders in the film world.
 

AugustaGator

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Like Father was good. I enjoyed. Actually watched most of it. I barely can get through a movie without losing interest. Maybe hit home with me.

Trying to watch Diverge now...strange, but a little thought provoking.
 

gingerlover

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This is what I saw this week

The Glass Castle (prime) - stars Woody harrelson and was excited after the preview and he’s been knocking stuff out of the park lately. About a dysfunctional family that are always moving and squatting as he loses jobs and falls further into alcoholism. Told from a daughters point of view in flashbacks as she is now grown and trying to marry into high society. To me it was on, boring at times, and could be trimmed down more. Part of it is was I wasn’t ready for two hours of moaning when it was marketed as something different. 6/10. Other may like this more.

Extinction (Netflix) - Michael Pena stars as a dad having crazy dreams about alien invasion that come true. From there it’s a fight to survive as the kill off the planet with shocking revelations in the final act. It’s been in my opinion one of the better Netflix movies lately. It has its issues, but in sci-fi nothing is perfect. Doesn’t feel like a straight to dvd 5 dollar bin thing they churned our. 6/10

Darkest hour - the Churchill movie with Gary Oldman. Obviously set prior to the going to war with Nazi Germany and could be considered a prequel to Dunkirk if you want to think of it that way. The first part is a little slow, but picks up the second half when strategies come into play while he fights with those who want to make a peace treaty with Hitler. 7.5/10
 

gingerlover

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A Quiet Place - the one where no one can talk because the monsters will come. This movie is fantastic. Keeps you on the edge of your seat and the silence keeps thing intense. They have done a great job the last few years switching the horror genre back to these types of films rather than the torture porn phase they went through with Saw and all its copycats.

There are some emotional moments. I suspect the first ten minutes might get a few people shook up. Watch this movie when you can give it your full attention as most is in sign language and subtitles. At 1.5 hours is goes very quickly. I know they are planning a sequel and I hope it doesn’t cheapen how great this was. 8/10.
 

gatorev12

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I watched Alpha this weekend--it's about early Cro-Magnon hunter-gatherers where one gets separated from the group, befriends a wounded wolf that also gets separated from the pack, and how they bond, etc. The story of how man ended up domesticating wolves to become dogs.

Had personal reasons for watching it with my brother (long story that I won't get into, but we made a pact to see it). Wasn't disappointed, but it's probably something to catch on Netflix in 6 months. 5.5/10.

I also saw Like Father not long ago--not a bad movie. Had its endearing parts and other parts cheesy.
 

gingerlover

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Mission Impossible: Fallout - you go to these types of movies for the cool action scenes and so far the plots have been good enough as well. I feel like this series gets a little better as it goes on. Basically you get the idea. Tom Cruise has to save the world and can only trust a select few. Has some call backs to the last one but nothing that will leave you to confused if you haven’t scene it.

Cruise has perfected this type of role. The kinda funny action star. Similar to Bruce Willis after he shaved his head you know his performance will be the same across most movies. That’s not always a bad thing when he does it well. My biggest takeaway was the character development the finally gave Ving Rhames after 6 movies. He was kind of the soul of the team if you will in his moments. 7.5/10 and what I consider a perfect movie for the summer.
 

Gatordiddy

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Mission Impossible: Fallout - you go to these types of movies for the cool action scenes and so far the plots have been good enough as well. I feel like this series gets a little better as it goes on. Basically you get the idea. Tom Cruise has to save the world and can only trust a select few. Has some call backs to the last one but nothing that will leave you to confused if you haven’t scene it.

Cruise has perfected this type of role. The kinda funny action star. Similar to Bruce Willis after he shaved his head you know his performance will be the same across most movies. That’s not always a bad thing when he does it well. My biggest takeaway was the character development the finally gave Ving Rhames after 6 movies. He was kind of the soul of the team if you will in his moments. 7.5/10 and what I consider a perfect movie for the summer.

So this is going to sound weird... but is Tom Cruise one of the best actors that has never won an Oscar?
He may be a whack job in real life but on screen he has done, mostly, a fantastic job in just about every movie he's been in.
There have been a few duds and head scratchers but overall - I can name quite a few Cruise movies that were damn good.
Or...
Maybe he just a lucky toolbag... dunno...?
 

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