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

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Finally made it to Top Gun and man I’m glad I didn’t miss it in the theater. Top Gun was easily top 2-3 movies for me growing up and this did not disappoint at all. Great action, great story the way they tied it back to the original was great and no political BS. Loved it
 

soflagator

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I’m a history person and love anything 1800s, so I saw this movie called “Nightingale” as my wife and I were browsing Saturday night and decided to watch it. She never gets me to watch movies, so she was excited. The setting is 1825 Tasmania, which is a fascinating area of the world at that time that doesn’t get attention. Unfortunately, it’s basically three hours of English soldiers raping women, killing Aborigines, raping more women, and hearing those who are still alive tell the world how they hate white people. I love a good revenge story, which it is, and the Aborigine costar is a great character you kind of are drawn to, but I’m also half English and at some point was tired of being lumped in with these toolbags. If you’re looking for a nice relaxing, romantic evening movie with your significant other, this is probably not it. Also, if for whatever reason we ever find ourselves actually together, and someone suggests watching a movie, don’t let me pick it.
 

Joegator96

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Enjoyed Elvis. Tom Hanks proved one more time what a versatile and complete actor he is. I believe he could play any role and portray it perfectly. Austin Butler played Elvis and was really good and according to reviews sang the songs. Wifey and I really glad we went to this movie.
 

CDGator

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I’m a history person and love anything 1800s, so I saw this movie called “Nightingale” as my wife and I were browsing Saturday night and decided to watch it. She never gets me to watch movies, so she was excited. The setting is 1825 Tasmania, which is a fascinating area of the world at that time that doesn’t get attention. Unfortunately, it’s basically three hours of English soldiers raping women, killing Aborigines, raping more women, and hearing those who are still alive tell the world how they hate white people. I love a good revenge story, which it is, and the Aborigine costar is a great character you kind of are drawn to, but I’m also half English and at some point was tired of being lumped in with these toolbags. If you’re looking for a nice relaxing, romantic evening movie with your significant other, this is probably not it. Also, if for whatever reason we ever find ourselves actually together, and someone suggests watching a movie, don’t let me pick it.

Duly noted, if @Seedy and I ever invite you and your wife over you may not pick the movie. However we will let you cook for us.

Just for the record, I always pick the worst movies too.
 

soflagator

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Duly noted, if @Seedy and I ever invite you and your wife over you may not pick the movie. However we will let you cook for us.

Just for the record, I always pick the worst movies too.

Thanks. Just bear in mind that I am half English. So to hear Netflix tell it, there’s a real chance I burn down your farm, rape whomever I choose and enslave the rest of you. Of course, I’m also half Italian so there would be sauce and good wine. All about your personal risk tolerance. May be worth it. So tough to say.
 

CDGator

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Thanks. Just bear in mind that I am half English. So to hear Netflix tell it, there’s a real chance I burn down your farm, rape whomever I choose and enslave the rest of you. Of course, I’m also half Italian so there would be sauce and good wine. All about your personal risk tolerance. May be worth it. So tough to say.

Which half of you is English? They are known for their bad teeth. I just want to be prepared so we aren’t awkwardly staring at your teeth when you speak in an Italian accent.

Or do you say pip-pip cheerio?
 

ThreatMatrix

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The Colony (2021) Netflix - I remember this getting a lot of push when it came out however for some reason I never bothered and now I know why. First, let me make this general comment. A lot, hell most, sci-fi movies aren't sci-fi. The sci-fi aspect is just a construct so that the movie can happen. This is unfortunate for sci-fi fans but non sci-fi fans are probably missing out on movies they might like.
So Colony is one of those movies. The sci-fi aspect is just a set up so that the theme of the movie can happen. The theme being all men are rapists.

So let's break it down. The earth has collapsed due to, wait for it, global warming. Such an original idea. So we are told that the "elites" built FTL ships and traveled to another planet (Kepler) that has no plant life or lakes/oceans or breathable air. This begs the first question that all these movies with the abandoned earth plot have and that is if you are a civilization that has advanced enough to develop FTL technology and the ability to survive uninhabitable planets then why not just stay on earth? You could live underground or in the damn sea. Hell, you could go to Mars instead of another solar system that we are told is 10 light years away.

After 2 generations (30-40 years) Kepler sends a reconnaissance ship but it's not heard from so they send a second which is where our story begins. Of the three-man wokefully diverse crew, only our strong, empowered female heroine survives. She is quickly captured by the "mud-people" led by, you guessed it, a strong, empowered female character. So after the first act you pretty much can tell where this is going and the movie delivers. Strong, empowered, female #1 watches from her cage as the mud people are attacked and kidnapped by who we later learn are the survivors of the first Kepler expedition. But why would they do such a thing?

It turns out that back on Kepler the woman are affected by a very specific type of radiation that leaves them infertile (temporarily). So the Keplin's, led by evil white man #1, solution is to kidnap mud-girls to have reproductive partners. No reason is ever given for why the Keplins and mud-people don't get along other than for the Keplin habit of kidnapping. The Keplins make discouraging remarks about the mud people but no reason is given. Wouldn't it make more sense just to integrate and eventually procreation will happen as it is want to? Oh, well I guess the movie couldn't happen then. The Keplins argue that the women back on Kepler are in their 40's and even though they would regain their reproductive capability they would age 10 years during the trip and thus be naturally too old to reproduce.

:facepalm: If they are indeed traveling at the speed of light or something close to it then on board the ship people would not age more than a few months. Also although they make a big deal of the travel time communication should also take as long. So they could have avoided all that BS but just saying that it would take 10 years for the message to even get to Kepler. Also, also. If the problem is Keplin radiation, and the women regain fertility once out of it's effects then why not just hang out on the ships. Does earth and earth alone have the ability to make a woman fertile?

Strong empowered female #1 is eventually welcomed in with the Keplins where she quickly discovers their plot. Of course, eventually, she is attacked by evil white man #2 for a little rapey-rapey. Because all male villains are rapists. However no worries. Though he is armed and outweighs her she is able to easily overtake him. Eventually strong, empowered female #2 shows up to rescue her own kidnapped daughter. Then #1 and #2 pair up to take out the white male patriarchy. Yay!

tldr If you like bad acting, plot holes and nonsensical writing Joe Bob says check it out.
 
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ThreatMatrix

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Zombie Strippers (2008) Amazon - I watch them so you don't have to. Starring the renowned thespian Jenna Jameson. George W is on his 4th term and the jokes write themselves. The "W" corporation (get it?) has found a way to reanimate soldiers so that they can continue fighting. Soldier bites stripper. Stripper becomes a Zombie Stripper. The gimmick is that the Zombie Stripper gets all the tips so all the other strippers want to be zombies too. Hilarity ensues. No real boobs were harmed. Joe Bob says that if you're really high check it out.
 

AugustaGator

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Waiting for the Barbarians.

The weird dude from Ready Player one.

Good symbolism and scenery. A little too simplistic but I find hubris to be simplistic. Looks like American corporate thought.
 

CDGator

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Thirteen Lives - Amazon Prime
Based on the true story from 2018. I don’t want to spoil it for you but they get all 13 boys out alive of the Thailand cave.

It starts slow and lots of subtitles. Switches to English when the other divers were brought in. Worth watching, imo.
 

DarksideGator

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So - the wife gave me control of the remote this weekend, therefore:

Old Henry - The frickin’ fantastic Tim Blake Nelson is a farmer, but apparently was an outlaw in his past (see: Unforgiven) but there’s a very cool twist near the end. This was a crazy good movie.
9/10

The Outfit- similar in the sense the main guy (Mark Rylance - you’ve seen him in a lot of British movies - awesome actor) is not what he appears to be. Set in 1956 Chicago, he’s a tailor for several mobsters who use his shop for passing messages to other members of ‘The Outfit’, a crime syndicate. I can’t give too much more away, but damn, great story and unexpected ending. Make sure you watch this one.
9/10

Daddy…thanks for the recommendation luved them both. I never would’ve watched either without you writing about them. I liked Old Henry a little more, hard to beat a Western!
 

gingerlover

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Uncharted (Netflix) - In my 20's I absolutely loved this game series. It is also one of the easiest ones to convert to a movie as it has an Indiana Jones type feel. the movie itself is not horrible, but also not great. Casting of a guy that still looks like he is in high school is a little out of place and made the movie feel kind of off. I feel like they wanted to go big and adventurous, but reigned it in some which I think held it back. I would watch the next one, but not rushing to see it. 6/10

Lightyear (Disney +) - Watched this with my son. Thanks to binging the Simpsons this summer he is learning some new terms if you will so he noticed the dreadful lady kiss everyone was freaking out about. It last for 1 second and then is over. That however does not mean this is a good movie. This one felt like they were just trying to shoehorn something in. It is completely out of place in the Pixar lineup and makes what could have been a simple story into something overly complicated for its target audience. 5/10

League of Super-Pets - Took my oldest to see this and despite starting to get "The Rock" fatigue it was pretty good and entertaining. Enough humor for both kids and adults. Basically an evil pet takes out the Justice League after gaining super powers and its up to Krypto and his new found shelter friends to save them. All of the voice actors did a great job delivering at the right time. The pig character is a bit annoying, but overall a fun campy movie for the family. 7/10. Watch the credit scenes.

The Gray Man (Netflix) - Gosling, Evans and Billy Bob. Billy Bob recruits people out of prison to train as secret agents. Gosling is one of those people. Evans is the ruthless former agent, turned mercenary that is called to clean stuff up by any means necessary. Basically a hit goes wrong, stuff gets exposed and Evans is sent to take everyone out. It becomes a cat and mouse at that point. The story is not bad, action scenes are good and not low budget Netflix feel, humor hits at the right time and everyone acts like they had fun making this movie. Evans was really good in this. 6/10

The Man From Toronto (Netflix) - Kevin Hart & Woody Harrelson. Hart is just an adverage guy that ends up at the wrong AirBNB because his ink toner was low (this keeps coming up) and mistaken for the famous hitman (Harrelson). FBI gets involved and have force him to pretend so they can get the guy their after. Harrelson not liking that his payday is in jeopardy intervenes and helps him along the way so he can retire. Hilarity ensues as they try to get the job done, not get killed, not get double crossed and both out alive and free. These two worked well togethor. Both have good timing with things and this movie plays out as a fun, campy date night movie. Some action as well and some funny characters outside of the main two. 6/10.
 

Gatorbait25

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Death on the Nile -
Caught this on the flight home yesterday . Pretty boring plot and didn’t enjoy it very much . C-
 

TLB

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Bullet Train (2022) <Theater>

Caught it at a cheap theater thinking big screen would be better, and mostly it is but if you wait for the small screen at home you won't lose a lot. For those that have seen the trailer, Brad Pitt is a 'weird' operator, in that his handler gets him on snatch-n-grab to jobs but he's been seeing a therapist a lot lately trying to come to some zen state with his criminal past and continued illegal work. He's frequently in talks with his handler, a female revealed at the end to confirm you recognized the voice, discussing what his therapist has been telling him about handling this stressful career. It provides some levity while setting the tone for our protagonist in the story.

Next, we mix in about 8-10 additional players, each with their own back-story and interwoven relationships (often, no connection to others), each on their own mission on this bullet train ride, toss it all in a box and shake it up real well and throw it on the table to see what you get. Seriously, that's how the film flows, like a bunch of scenes just shaken up, see who is in this one and how they interact, and what sub-plots it moves along. That's not a knock, as it doesn't feel disjointed and provides a good mix of personalities to keep things interesting.

Main plot is "Ladybug" (Pitt) is sent on board to steal a briefcase. Two gents codenamed themselves "Lemon" and "Tangerine" are on hire from some big-time boss to bring his son back with the briefcase of ransom money. We get "Prince" running their own scheme that isn't quite understood until late in the game, and is kinda weak tbh, but ok. A couple of independent killers fall into the mix ("Wolf" and "The Hornet"), one of which utilizes rare venom from the Boomslang viper. Then we have Kimura as a man who handed off the briefcase earlier as a low level mafia type, but is looking to get it back to pay for his child's hospital issues. Kimura's father comes in late as well. See? A mixed bag of folks.

HOWEVER, the writers DO manage to bring a handful of survivors to a common goal at the end of the train ride for the big finale. Between all the fight scenes and the train wreck, the film delivers on action and big scenes, but while I enjoyed the humor throughout it wasn't until Pitt tangles with the loose Boomslang viper that I really started to laugh a bit. It's not a comedy, it's an eclectic action film written with a fresh set of plot twists and character developments. No nudity, but would still recommend. 7.5/10.
 

TLB

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The Gray Man (Netflix) - Gosling, Evans and Billy Bob. Billy Bob recruits people out of prison to train as secret agents. Gosling is one of those people. Evans is the ruthless former agent, turned mercenary that is called to clean stuff up by any means necessary. Basically a hit goes wrong, stuff gets exposed and Evans is sent to take everyone out. It becomes a cat and mouse at that point. The story is not bad, action scenes are good and not low budget Netflix feel, humor hits at the right time and everyone acts like they had fun making this movie. Evans was really good in this. 6/10

Idunno why, but I read this as Chris Hemsworth, not Evans, and was really confused when Captain America showed and there was no Thor. But I digress. For me, Evans was annoying, and I think the crux of it was the mustache. Between playing the contract killer "Mr Freezy" (The Iceman) and now this role, it is clear he is doing everything he can to avoid being type cast as "Captain America" or any other all-American hero type. He's a decent actor, but this role seemed a bit cheap and hollow to me, aside from annoying. Besides, he still has all the muscles and fight sequences of Cap, so...

Otoh, I really enjoyed Gosling's effort as a super spy. I thought a read earlier on here someone review this film as "part Mission Impossible, part 007" and I'd fully agree (sans Bond gadgets). Ryan is in great shape for the role, and makes a believable Gray Man (CIA operative that doesn't exist, therefore expendable). Even 98% of the action sequences you could see kinda being pulled off for the most part. But Ryan also brings that draw about him to where you feel like he exchanged a possible life for this one, and will never get out of this situation. You feel for him, but he still is very, very good at what he's doing.

Ginger outlined the story well, so I won't reword that. I'll just say I think it's worth a watch for an action film. Evans can be annoying, Billy Bob is a weak older 'handler', and I didn't much care for the kid they worked into the back end of the film, but Ryan makes it worthwhile. 7/10
 

gingerlover

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Top Gun: Maverick - Lives up to the hype. Not as good as the original, but really high bar set on this one. 8/10

Elvis (HBO Max) - First half of the movie is more interesting than the second half (Vegas Years). Probably more eye opening for someone my age that wasn't alive to be part of the hype. Interesting story about how his manager and family were able to control him, what would be considered depression today, and misses in his career he should have had. Ran way to long and could have cut some fluff out. 6/10

Morbius (Netflix) - Predictable, boring and unlikable characters. I don't know how Leto is such a star. Even when he's a good guy, he is just unlikable. Cameo's toward the end are worth it, but this just bland. Would have prefered Blade to just show up and end it. 4/10.

Dog - Channing Tatum military dog movie. He is a injured soldier still suffering PTSD/brain injury. His team and the dog were all injured in an explosion. The handler dies and he is tasked with driving the dog to the funeral. They drive, they bond, etc. This is the same playbook as similar movies. They hate each other at first, dog does destructive things, they bond, and at the last minute realises they need the dog. The premise is not horrible, but the movie would have been on Disney + if not for Tatum starring. 5/10

Samaritan (Prime) - Stallone is an aging super hero in hiding, long thought dead. A kid figures it out right around the time a cult that worshiped Nemesis, the evil brother of Samaritan, start to cause trouble. He befriends the family and has to come out to fight all the bad guys. Not alot to this movie. It has its moments in humor and action, but not enough to be worth 2 hours of your time if you don't have it. 4/10.

Me Time (Netflix) - Kevin Hart & Marky Mark star as childhood friends. Hart is a stay at home dad that does it all for his family. PTA president, handles all the stuff for the kids, does housework, etc. Never has a moment for himself. His playboy friend wants him to come to his birthday jam and his wife convinces him to go to let loose. Lots of stuff goes wrong, friendships rediscovered, relationships mended, etc. You know the story. A big screwup that everyone comes togethor to fix in the end. Due to the two stars it is much better than it should be. Has a little to hokey humor, but some bright spots. Actually enjoyed this one, but not sure how many movies Hart promised Netflix. 6.5/10

Thirteen Lives (Prime) - The story about saving the kids soccer team. Even though you can read the story they were able to make it dramatic enough and compelling enough to keep you locked in. This movie was very well done. 7/10

Day Shift (Netflix) - Jami Foxx is a vampire hunter. Also has Snoop Dog if that tells you anything. Another one not to rush and is just a star cranking something out to fulfill a contract for Netflix. Was counting the minutes until this one ended. 4/10

Lost City (Prime) - Sandra Bullock and Chaning Tatum. She is a romance novel writing widow of an explorer. Tatum is the model for her books. She is kidnapped by Harry Potter and forced to find the treasure her late husband died trying to find. Tatum vows to find her and hires Brad Pitt to help track her down to save her. They of course bond and realize they are in love, which you can see coming a mile away. The story has been done before many times. The stars just don't fit togethor as a believable couple and Bullock has lost some of her touch in what made her the cute bubbly girl. It's never good when your cameo, Brad Pitt, is the best part of the movie. 4/10
 

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