The Movie Review thread

[Mahdi]

Post the reviews of movies you ahve seen here.

I jsut finished watching October Sky.  Surprisingly good, for a docudrama directed  by an undistingished directors (whose biggest credit is Jurrasic Park Three).  The best part is, of course, Jake Gyllenhal's performance.  The best young actor in hollywood, period.  Too bad hsi big budget introduction was The Day After Tommorow.

[Dante]

Do these have to be in hidden text to prevent spoilers? (Will remove this post after question is answered)

[Caid Ivik]

Today on ORT was Rock, an older, but very good action movie. Connery as a former spy who once escaped from Alcatraz and Cage as a WMD specialist are trying to prevent few dishonored soldiers to spread VX gas over San Francisco. I enjoy it even after I've seen it many times in about four languages. Today in fourth language, the russian. It's a classic of its genre, Connery's best movie.

Recently I borrowed a DVD Underworld, what partially tries to look like a horror and partially as a pure action. Vampires and werevolves fightning each other, while battle is going to reach the final conclusion. Nice ideas of technology (UV and AgNO3 bullets). Seems mostly as an average, but at the end you see that nobody was a truly positive character - and that's a thing I like  ;D

Next sunday is coming on ORT Vrag u vorot - Enemy At Gates I think. I heard positive reactions on it, so I'm eager to see it...

[Wolf]

Enemy at the Gates is a great movie. Ed Harris -- the same actor who played the rogue Marine General Hummel in The Rock -- has an interesting performance as a German sniper. The movie is about the battle of Stalingrad.

[EWS]

I, Robot

Well the CG is vrery good (although in parts it does look a bit fake) and I thought the stroyline was rather cliched, but necsseary. However, the story is basically one man sees the robots going crazy, no one belives him, so the robots go crazy. That is basically the storyline. There is some good action in there as well, some good fight scenes. A little twist to do with Will Smith, and you can see the major twist coming from a long way away. However, I was still suprised when it happened. BY far, the character of Sunni (or Sonny) is the best. He is the robot, however I found him more human then any other character in the movie. There are some good comedy moments, but on the whole it's just another good Will Smith movie (like ID, BB and MiB) and it also includes his now, well known catchpharse "Oh hellll naw."

But I really did enjoy this movie, and will be seeing it again. In fact I will probably watch it many many times. Some people will like it, some people won't. But it is like that with most movies. But I suggest that you don't go into the movie with high expectations, but go into it, looking to enjoy a decent action movie.

[Dante]

I liked Underworld as well, though the absence of bats was quite irritating. I have the DVD around somewhere...

Shrek 2: Possibly one of the best movies I've ever seen. Sequels aren't often as good as original movies, but this one might be even better than its predecessor. It was funny, absorbing, dramatic... I loved the climax at the end (of all places  ;)) with the solo and the storming of the castle...

Spiderman 2, also a sequel that was better than the original. You don't often see that but twice in such quick succession? It boggles the mind. It was nice to see that a villain can be depicted as someone more complex than a cackling lunatic. The arm effects were great, and the plot finally solved many of those irritating questions that the first movie left. Such as whether Harry and Mary Jame will ever find out. Still, it threw up a lot of questions of it's own, which is a good thing again because it would make the (now inevitable) sequel all the more interesting.

[Dude_Doc]

Since I were in China this summer, I managed to buy some movies... they're really cheap, I mean, you can buy the movie instead of renting it, and you still save lots of money. The average price is $1 (no, there is no zeroes). Of course, you have to get there too :) ...

Anyways, some of the movies I bought:

Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation

Sucked. Nothing like the first movie. Violent. Blood and guts, unnecesary. The first film made it much better. Naked girls - acceptable, but again, not necessary. She walks around naked and no one is asking why... download it if you want to see it.

Hellboy

Well done, but somewhat boring. Not enough action. Perlman just goes there, saying catchy sentences, and swinging monsters. Something was missing in the movie.

The Punisher

Worth seeing. Not as gory and violent as people might think (blood everywhere and such). I liked the actor. The ending was somewhat, uh, quick. Not as much action either. More of a thriller than an action movie.

Trigun (complete series)

Loved them. Absolutely marvelous. Both comedy, action and drama. Not the "slasher-manga" type, far from it. The "hero" is a real peacekeeper (love and peace), and he refuses to kill anybody, even his own enemies.

Ghost in the Machine

No, it's not "ghost in the shell" anime, but a real movie. Somewhat old, yes (from the early 90's I think), but a really original idea. It is about a serial killer, that after a car accident, ends up at a hospital. When the doctors are about to scan his brain (for damage or whatever they do) - his "ghost" escapes into the world of electricity. And so he starts killing again...

Good concept and all, but the ending is a little bit too much. Too bad the VCD's were dubbed in Chinese... :(

But, I saw this movie when I was younger, so I remembered some of it...

That's about it. I also bought Chronicles of Riddick, Toys and Brainstorm, but I haven't seen them yet. Oh, and Black Mask 2... uh...

[Caid Ivik]

I liked Underworld as well, though the absence of bats was quite irritating. I have the DVD around somewhere...

That was a positive point, as in folklore fantasy tradition there is no link between them! Blood-sucking bats are american import.

[Dante]

Yes, but they have always supposed to been able to control bats, as well as the weather. Vampiric abilities also being the capability to fly, change their shape, climb vertical surfaces, hypnotise people, control all pack-minded animals as well as rats, wolves, etc. Dracula was mentioned as taking the shape of a bat, and that wasn't American. None of these things were seen in Underworld.

Unless you count sticking to walls and ceilings 'flight'...

[ExSPlug]

$1 us or $1 yuen?

Too bad you don't know Chinese, or else you would really get a good laugh out of all the movies you buy...

[Dude_Doc]

$1 US. That's about 10 Swedish kronor (crowns) - the usual price (here) of a 33 cl soda.

Though, I did buy a dictionary (English-Chinese). I think China has potential for the future in the entertainment business. But - I do not know if they accept movies about government conspiracies and that kind of stuff. Otherwise, the US is also considered. I'll try to visit Hong Kong during the winter... see what's going down there ;) ...

[exatreide]

Watched the butterfly effect lastnight. I thought it would suck with ashton kutcher in it. But i was wrong he pulled it off quite well. Surprisingly it had a damn good plot best i have seen in a few years.

[

[Scott]

The Conversation

Great performance by Gene Hackman and subtle ones by Ford and the other supporting cast. The film, although slow and tedious (subject matter) during the first half, more than makes up for it in the second. Good script by Coppola. The ending was a surprise for me.

Note: This is no where near the Coppola's work in the Godfather I&II and Apocalypse Now. It's almost more a character study (think Five Easy Pieces). A slow thriller.

[Caid Ivik]

Yes, but they have always supposed to been able to control bats, as well as the weather. Vampiric abilities also being the capability to fly, change their shape, climb vertical surfaces, hypnotise people, control all pack-minded animals as well as rats, wolves, etc. Dracula was mentioned as taking the shape of a bat, and that wasn't American. None of these things were seen in Underworld.

Unless you count sticking to walls and ceilings 'flight'...

In original concept, a vampire is mere undead which lives from blood of living beings. Changing shape is a thing of other beings, let we don't make vampires omnipotent. Also Dracula as a vampire is a literal creation of 19th century.

[Wolf]

Wasn't there some original Romanian historical figure who was the "real life" Dracula? Vlad the Impaler, or something?

[Dante]

Vlad Dracul, aka 'The Impaler,' a vicious nobleman who lived a few centuries ago in Eastern Europe. His castle still stands, I believe, and is a popular tourist destination.

Yes, I know Dracula - as he is - was a late invention, but not an American one. And vampires have been considered anything from demons to... well mostly demons. As 'undead' they've been not so common. Omnipotentence is the point.  ;D 

[Caid Ivik]

Vampires arised from dead, which were cursed during their burial by evil mages. According to tradition. Dracula is one of the newer links, much more spreaded used to be comparing them to mongol raiders, as they had many "vampirical" references as blood around mouth (horse blood in fact), skew eyes, weird rituals, brutality etc.

Yesterday I've seen a movie Lion in Winter. It's about english king Henrich II, perfectly performed by Patrick Stewart. I think he enjoys himself in leading roles  ;D  He is feeling his age, so he summons wife (also played perfectly by Glenn Close) and three sons to choose his heir. Of course the queen has own plans, as well as young french king Phillipe II, which participates and their second son Geoffrey, which allies with him. Performance of sons is not as good, too pathetical. John plays like he was Caligula or what, but it's a thing more of script than the actor. Intrigues are very interesantly made, one time it looks like an average romantic movie, then it comes to violent threats and when all others flee, king starts to laugh with queen how good theater it was.

[nampigai]

the Ninthgate-

great movie, one of my absolute favourite movies I absolutely love it. Johnny Depp plays a bookdetective who is hired to find the book of the beast himself. I don't wanna tell you too much but this is a MUST for movie lovers with a tendency to the occult.

From Hell -

again Johnny Depp (great actor), nothing much to say really - who is Jack the Ripper? this one gives a good theory, and Depp is as allways marvelous.

American history X -

Ed Norton is another of my favorite actors and this movie is a masterpiece. His dad is killed by a black guy and Ed becomes a neo-nazi. I don't wanna give it away, a nasty movie that gives you lotsa things to think about afterwards.

The Believer

can't remember the lead actor but he does a great job - think about this - you are a jew and a nazi? my bet is he must have a lot of things to fight with inside WATCH IT.

Sleepy Hollow

again Johnny Depp. He works as a constable in the 18th century's New York. He is sent to the little Dutch settlement of Sleepy Hollow to solve 4 strange murders said to be commited by a headless rider. Director is Tim Burton and the entire movie has the speciel Tim Burton kinda spirit in it.

Memento

Guy Parce plays Lennart, a man with no shortterm memory??? he's chasing his wifes rapist and murdere. The great part about this movie is that it moves backwards. I had a couple of good laughs and was confused until the very end.

[EWS]

Dodgeball: A Ture Underdogs Story

I'm going to do a basic review

This is a brilliant movie.  It's funny, and imaginative.  Everything that I guessed would happen didn't (well a few things).  Cameos from Lance Armstrong, William Shatner, David Hasselhoff and Chuck Norris.  Ben Stiller is brilliant as the owner of Globo Gym, and Vince Vaughn is a comedial genius.  The story is basic, Globo Gym is going to buy Average Joes (VV's gym) and so AJ needs to raise $50,000.  They need to win a dodgeball competition.  Enter Rip Torn as a coach.  After some brilliant scenes (If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball) and some hilarious set pieces, we get to the tournament.

What takes place is funny and witty.  If you want to know what happens, read the spoiler.

[hide] THEY WIN!! But you already knew that, it's what happens before and after that[/hide]

Not the best movie, but full of laughs.  I would reccomend this movie, if you want a good comedy to make yourself feel better, go see it.  Brilliant and Fun, Ben Stiller is just fantastic!

[Caid Ivik]

King Arthur

At first sight I looked very sceptically on this movie. Arthur showed as a roman kataphraktos commander guarding the Hadrian's Wall, Excalibur being just a pile of iron, Merlin a spiritual leader of some celtic horde and Guinevere acting like a berserker, well, that was for me, as I was grown on tales of Arthur and his knights, really hard to watch. Critics against foreign rule and Church are tax to last trend of political correctness as well as fightning Guinevere (Keira is nearly as young, thin and insolent - well, this she had in script I think ;D - as me) and power and spirit of celtic pagan forces. Arthur himself is a true chivalrous warrior (tough at first he seems to fit more a prussian ideal of soldier doing orders in all costs), but Lancelot, Gawain and others are mere pagans fightning only to return once home.

Well, it's still Hollywood. Camelot, Holy Grail, magic, Mordred or Vivienne are left out, tough someone can see them as core of arthurian tales, so we can look at least on battles. Unlike visual orgies of Gladiator or Troy (which is closest in its main idea of "true history"), Arthur tries to show some form of spiritualized fight, like that of Lord of the Rings, where cause is so strong, that few mightymen have no problem to charge against whole army. Well, this was fitting. Maybe expect Tristan, who looks like a magyar raider. So, it's still more Rex Artorios et equites de mensa rotunda than a classic medieval knighthood, so who liked Gladiator, should like this one too.

[Mahdi]

Oh Caid, Cad, Caid....

I really can't even start, because I'd never stop and no one who visits this forum but myself, TMA, and possibly you would find what I have to say interesting.

[Super-ness]

I loved I, Robot for the Robot's performace was great in it

When i say robot, i mean the actor who did the voice and facial expressions Alan Tudyk

[Mahdi]

Dodgeball:  8/10.  It had me at blood and semen.

Ned Kelly:  8/10.  Not all that familiar with the real Ned Kelly, but it was a very good movie.

[Scott]

Ned Kelly:

[Mahdi]

2003