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Total Posts: 1813

Joined 2005-10-23

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Argo
This was a very interesting movie about the “smuggling” of 6 Americans out of the Canadian ambassy in Iran in 1980. This really happened, and the movie tries to give the viewer an idea of how it happened. I agree wholeheartedly with Timovieman’s review. The film was very beautifully made, and as true to the real thing as possible. The clothing, hairdos, cars, offices and everything were very very well done. I always wonder where they get all those machines and cars from that look like new and still work. Amazing. Indeed, the “dated” camera movemnets and the grainy look made the movie more “real.” I thought the end of the movie was a bit over the top, but maybe it really happened like that. Anyway, this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

     
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Joined 2005-12-19

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I had very high hopes for Looper, which might be the reason I felt completely let down. I did not care for any of the characters, and the time travel storyline was only mildly entertaining to me. If there were plot holes, I never even bothered to look for them. I realize those accusations are quite subjective, and overall it is a well-made movie, but I just didn’t feel it at all.

Using the Conan rating scale, with 2 being pretty good, 19 being horrible and 20 absolutely gorgeous, I give it a -2.

     
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tsa - 24 November 2012 06:46 AM

I thought the end of the movie was a bit over the top, but maybe it really happened like that.

It didn’t.

But it wouldn’t have been a suspenseful movie if they showed how it really happened (there were practically no setbacks whatsoever - a “perfect” mission IRL).

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Dredd 3D - 3.5 / 5
Wait… 3.5 ??? “Very good”??? WHAT… THE… FUUUUUUUUuuuuuuu…....

If there’s ONE movie I went to see this year that I had absolutely NO hope for, it’s this one. But I’m a sucker for big-budget spectacles in cinemas, so I just had to see it.

Well, if that wasn’t a pleasant surprise, then I don’t know what is. It’s dark, it’s gritty, for some reason I kept thinking “this is what ‘Babylon A.D.’ should have been”, and it has a high amount of ‘Die Hard’ in it.
It’s still nothing all that special, but by containing their story to a single block, they left a LOT of the dystopian world open (for future sequels). It may have a thin story, and Karl Urban does little more than pulling his mouth down and his lower lip up, but the movie works.
The director doesn’t avoid blood and gore (the body count is insane), and it’s also the first movie since ‘My Bloody Valentine’ where the 3D actually improved things. The slo-mo scenes are simply beautiful because of it.

This film blows the Stallone one completely out of the water. NOW I’m interested in the franchise.
Personally, I feel they should let the same screenwriter and the same director loose on the Dredd-franchise. See what they can come up with next…

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Joined 2004-03-23

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Saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. It was certainly better than the previous sequels - even quite worth the watch, to be honest. What struck me the most, however (and I didn’t think of this as a negative thing, as I doubt the movie is to be taken very seriously), is how much it bears the feeling of and owes to the classic Bond movies Grin I mean, it’s the Cold War setting like the Bonds used to be (threat of nuclear war between the superpowers! *dum-dum-dummm*), there’s an evil villain who has stolen nuclear launch codes, it has the gadgetry, the going-around-the-world, the (in a good way) stereotypical characters, the slightly parodical attitude to the whole thing etc, etc… I mean, aside from the fact that the main character isn’t called James Bond, it’s more a Bond movie than the Bond franchise has been in years.

And that’s what I loved about it the most Smile When the Bonds are taking themselves too seriously, M:I took a much-needed turn for the self-irony. And it cut a lot of the utterly absurd action, too! Not the type of plot trickery like the first one - but also not the level of absurdity in the action like there was in the helicopter-in-the-tunnel scene (or even more in the later movies).

As usual, though Tom Cruise may be quite a freakazoid in real life, I guess he really is a pretty good actor. And he has mastered that somewhat deranged look quite perfectly Tongue (best near the end when he decides to drop inside the car to the parking hall ground floor)

No movie masterpiece, but as far as action movies go (a genre I’m not generally a huge fan of, with exceptions though), a very enjoyable one nevertheless.

     
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Joined 2004-01-18

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Went to see The Hobbit.

Spectacular to look at, you are right back into the LoTR world from the moment the movie starts.

While it’s great to see the old cast, Martin Feeman is great as the young Bilbo and the assembled dwarfs do well to craft personalities so they can be easily told apart.

While I enjoyed the movie as a welcome return to this universe. I do think that the 3 hour running time is a bit long for a 300 page book split into 3, he has drawn from other sources and padded out some scenes with original material. The problem is that not all of those scenes work. The extended Radagast scenes seem more about foreshadowing of the events of LoTR than the plot of this movie so seem a tad redundant.

The best bit of the movie is the scenes with Gollum and Bilbo. Powerful perfomances from both characters.

Your enjoyment of the movie will largely be dictated by how much you enjoyed the previous movies and can let slide the overly long run time to bask in the world again.

4/5

     

An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters, and looks and sounds beautiful.
Roberta Williams

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Joined 2011-10-21

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Jack Reacher - 3.5 / 5

Surprisingly good. I don’t like Tom Cruise as an actor, but he often picks projects that are actually pretty good. So is Jack Reacher.
While it’s nothing I haven’t seen before, it’s still surprisingly intelligent and just plain entertaining.
It reminded me a bit of Mark Wahlberg’s film ‘Shooter’ in a way.
It’s just a shame that they once again put the best scene of the film in full in the trailer… Pan


The Hobbit - 3.5 / 5

While it’s never as good as any of the Lord of the Rings films were, it’s still a great thing to revisit Middle Earth.
I absolutely love the musical theme (which coincidentally is the same as Thorin’s Song / Over the Misty Mountains - the song from the trailer and also a poem taken straight from the book).
One of the highlights of the film is once again Gollum (Serkis is just awesome).
The amount of crazy shenanigans the dwarves survive in this film, however, started getting on my nerves throughout (especially that bridge drop). But I had the same gripe with the book as well so meh.
And a few characters (*cough* Galadriel *cough*) are shoehorned in. But still, it’s Middle Earth, and that is never bad… Grin
And Martin Freeman is the perfect Bilbo Baggins, so there.

Lucien21 - 15 December 2012 01:22 PM

The extended Radagast scenes seem more about foreshadowing of the events of LoTR than the plot of this movie so seem a tad redundant.

Actually, that’s part of the Necromancer subplot that’s going to be elaborated on in the second part of The Hobbit. Basically, it’s the stuff Gandalf did while he wasn’t in the dwarves’ company during the events of the book The Hobbit.
It’s not because it wasn’t in the book The Hobbit, that it wasn’t in any of the other material that Tolkien wrote.
I’m also fully expecting an unedited “Battle of the Five Armies” in the next installment. It was cut short in the book, but it won’t be in the film… Cool

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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TimovieMan - 30 December 2012 07:32 PM


Lucien21 - 15 December 2012 01:22 PM

The extended Radagast scenes seem more about foreshadowing of the events of LoTR than the plot of this movie so seem a tad redundant.

Actually, that’s part of the Necromancer subplot that’s going to be elaborated on in the second part of The Hobbit. Basically, it’s the stuff Gandalf did while he wasn’t in the dwarves’ company during the events of the book The Hobbit.
It’s not because it wasn’t in the book The Hobbit, that it wasn’t in any of the other material that Tolkien wrote.
I’m also fully expecting an unedited “Battle of the Five Armies” in the next installment. It was cut short in the book, but it won’t be in the film… Cool

Yes, but considering who the Necromancer is the whole thing is being used as a device to link the hobbit to lotr. I just thought it was needless padding to the movie that isn’t required for the main plot.

I think the whole thing is about one line in the actual book.

That or was done just so they could gt another big battle sequence in before the end of the movie.

     

An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters, and looks and sounds beautiful.
Roberta Williams

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Lucien21 - 31 December 2012 03:45 AM

Yes, but considering who the Necromancer is the whole thing is being used as a device to link the hobbit to lotr. I just thought it was needless padding to the movie that isn’t required for the main plot.

I think the whole thing is about one line in the actual book.

That or was done just so they could gt another big battle sequence in before the end of the movie.

Tolkien wrote more about the Necromancer in other books (just not in The Hobbit).

It’s possible that they’re aiming for a big battle sequence in the next movie, but that would actually not be true to Tolkien’s material. When they went to confront the Necromancer, he had already relocated to his LotR location…

I agree that The Hobbit is too long. There’s a reason why I consider it a lesser movie than the previous three.
Same goes for the book, though: LotR was better in almost every aspect.

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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It’s too bad Guillermo Del Toro didn’t end up directing the movies. I mean, I have nothing against Peter Jackson, but it would’ve been nice to get a fresh new look to the movies. I haven’t seen The Hobbit yet, but I’ve heard that it’s sort of “more of the same” and after three versions of Jackson’s Middle Earth, I think it would’ve been nice to see how other directors see the world…


Kinda (not exactly, but kinda) like with Harry Potters, they were decent enough the movies, but then they got a completely original take on them in the Prisoner of Azkaban and it was totally a breath of fresh air Smile Still definitely the best of them (even if the funniest is The Half-Blood Prince with it’s absolutely hilarious first hour of endless dirty innuendoes and double-meanings Tongue). Original, quirky, wonderful take while still being the same series…


Anyways, I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox today - and absolutely loved it! It’s just a magnificent animation, at least on par with Wallace & Gromits Smile Just so funny, intelligent, great voice acting - everything’s just so good. And it’s one of those films that just gives you a warm happy feeling afterwards… But like I said, it’s an intelligent film and certainly deals with more serious issues even if it is really funny. Just can’t recommend enough!

     
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UPtimist - 31 December 2012 10:50 AM

It’s too bad Guillermo Del Toro didn’t end up directing the movies. I mean, I have nothing against Peter Jackson, but it would’ve been nice to get a fresh new look to the movies. I haven’t seen The Hobbit yet, but I’ve heard that it’s sort of “more of the same” and after three versions of Jackson’s Middle Earth, I think it would’ve been nice to see how other directors see the world…

I agree with this.
We have to take comfort in the fact that Del Toro at least had a hand in the screenplay, but I would have loved his take on this.
Especially since he’s proficient in dark fantasy (just look at Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy 2)...

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Total Posts: 2648

Joined 2004-01-18

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TimovieMan - 30 December 2012 07:32 PM

Jack Reacher - 3.5 / 5

Surprisingly good. I don’t like Tom Cruise as an actor, but he often picks projects that are actually pretty good. So is Jack Reacher.
While it’s nothing I haven’t seen before, it’s still surprisingly intelligent and just plain entertaining.
It reminded me a bit of Mark Wahlberg’s film ‘Shooter’ in a way.
It’s just a shame that they once again put the best scene of the film in full in the trailer… Pan

Saw Jack Reacher today. I was a big fan of “Way of the Gun” so was looking forward to this.

I enjoyed it for what it was a throwback to the action movies of the 70’s, ditching fast cuts and splashy cgi effects for rough car chases and practical effects.

Cruise was fine as Reacher, but it did seem a bit too effortless at times. If he had been more beatup or shot at the end or something it may have been better. He seemed to sail through the movie with hardly a scratch.

Also the end of the car chase beggered belief that the police would be so dumb to not spot that and the bus passengers would all just comply…Yeah right. they would be too busy youtubing it.

Overall though from the great wordless intro to the action ending I had a blast with it.

4/5

     

An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters, and looks and sounds beautiful.
Roberta Williams

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Joined 2004-03-23

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Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
From Thailand, it won the Cannes Palme D’Or in 2010, so you know it can’t quite be a bad movie Wink Surely a wonderful movie, but as many great movies it’s not quite as easy to describe it. Sufficed to say, an old man is dying, and he (and the people with him) is visited by dead relatives. And… many things that aren’t exactly describable. There are levels, and luckily a movie can have a lot that isn’t meant to be clearly explained to the watcher.

Always great to see a movie that isn’t plot-oriented. And it had a wonderful, calm tempo and composition and overall was very relaxed. And what I really loved was that it has a certain humour and also supernatural element, and so it doesn’t take the world too seriously, which is a very important quality in a movie.

A very beautiful, relaxing and contemplative movie to see. Surely worth the praise (but of course not a mass-market movie).

     
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L.A. Noire Gangster Squad - 3 / 5

Decent crime movie, but could’ve done with a little more depth (and maybe a slower approach). As it is, we barely get to know most of the squad - Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña and Robert Patrick could’ve used more screen time.
Good performances by Sean Penn and square-jawed Josh Brolin, but a rather lackluster performance by Ryan Gosling (which surprised me considering his talent).
It’s a good movie, and makes for an entertaining two hours, but it falls way short of classic gangster movies (like the similar The Untouchables).
And it reminded me far too much of L.A. Noire… Tongue

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Joined 2012-09-28

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I just got back from the Hobbit and it was very rousing. That’s all I can ask for, really. I know it doesn’t follow the book but it’s been over 15 years since I’ve read it and who cares anyway.

Lucien21 - 15 December 2012 01:22 PM

The best bit of the movie is the scenes with Gollum and Bilbo. Powerful perfomances from both characters.

I didn’t think so. I thought it could have been done better. The best bit for me by FAR was the introduction of the dwarves at Bilbo’s house. Extremely entertaining and well done.

 

     

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