Gaff
Staff Member
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Post by Gaff on Aug 9, 2014 0:07:54 GMT
Never noticed until now that we could 'like' posts on the forum. Oh well.
The Lego Movie (2014)
On paper, a children's film based on a children's toy stuffed with comedy pop-culture references sounds like an unlikely recipe for success, but writer/directors Lord and Miller have somehow played an absolute blinder here. The faux-stop motion is great to look at, but it's the whip-smart script that really makes this an unalloyed delight from start to finish.
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Post by bossmacphail on Aug 9, 2014 14:35:32 GMT
Never noticed until now that we could 'like' posts on the forum. Oh well. The Lego Movie (2014) On paper, a children's film based on a children's toy stuffed with comedy pop-culture references sounds like an unlikely recipe for success, but writer/directors Lord and Miller have somehow played an absolute blinder here. The faux-stop motion is great to look at, but it's the whip-smart script that really makes this an unalloyed delight from start to finish. I enjoyed the Lego movie too, has a strange but obvious in the end wrap around too it, the in jokes as a result are pretty good. Chris Pratt and Will Arnett as batman are both pretty on the money. |
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Gaff
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Post by Gaff on Aug 10, 2014 19:44:10 GMT
I think Batman stole the show for my money. Will Arnett was far better than I'd expected with the voice too, I actually thought it was Kevin Conroy to begin with.
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Post by bossmacphail on Aug 10, 2014 20:27:44 GMT
I think Batman stole the show for my money. Will Arnett was far better than I'd expected with the voice too, I actually thought it was Kevin Conroy to begin with. I'd have shat myself with overwhelming delight had Kevin Conroy done it. Also it's the first batman was a convincing full time millionaire playboy personality. |
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Post by Michael Whitehouse on Aug 14, 2014 20:10:53 GMT
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Set before Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is often regarded as the black sheep of the original trilogy, but in my opinion deserves to be held in high regard. In this adventure, Indiana finds himself in an Indian palace, searching for a sacred stone which has been stolen from a nearby village, along with the abduction of every child in the area. Indiana must find the stone to bring an end to a famine which is starving the locals, while rescuing the villager's children from the evil clutches of the cult leader, Mola Ram. The film is noticeably darker than the original film, with scenes of violence which gave birth to the 12A certificate, and when people are having their hearts torn out from their chests, or are being eaten alive by crocodiles, it's easy to understand why. Both Spielberg and Lucas blame the darkness of the film on them both going through difficult times in their lives, but contrary to the violence on display, Temple of Doom contains some of the funniest moments in the entire franchise. Water, anyone, or perhaps some monkey brains? Some blame the poorer reputation of the film on Indy's sidekicks, but in my opinion they add something new to the franchise rather than retreading the characters in the original film - although a bookend with Marcus and the College would have sat well with me. I do have a slight problem with the life raft falling from the plane, but then, it's no nuked fridge now is it? As much as I love The Last Crusade, part of me wishes that the series had stayed on the path set here, putting Indiana into new environments exploring different myths, instead of returning to Africa and the safety of a Judeo-Christian relic. While Raiders and Crusade are both arguably better films than Temple of Doom, it is in the second instalment of the series where we truly see adventure reach new heights, and, unlike the much lauded original film and its second sequel, Temple of Doom actually has a conclusion which involves the hero saving the day through his own skill, rather than giving up to be at the mercy of the Nazis in Raiders, and waiting for the villain in Crusade to choose the wrong cup. A must watch, and an excellent addition to one of the greatest trilogies of all time. 5 rope bridges out of 5.
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Gaff
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Post by Gaff on Aug 15, 2014 18:55:37 GMT
Nae time for love, mind.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Whether it be residual ill-feeling against the ever advancing Marvel juggernaut or simply the fact that I didn't recognise any of the characters involved, my initial reaction to early publicity to Guardians was somewhere between indifference and outright hostility. In the end though, the hype train got the better of me, and, having now seen it, I thought it was a very enjoyable, lightweight adventure and I completely understand all the comparisons to Star Wars.
Main complaints would be that I thought it was a little too self-aware and self-consciously clever at times, and, separated from the group, I didn't find any of the characters massively interesting in their own right, but to look too hard for depth in this sort of a film is, I think, to miss the point entirely.
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Post by bossmacphail on Aug 15, 2014 23:45:44 GMT
Nae time for love, mind. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Whether it be residual ill-feeling against the ever advancing Marvel juggernaut or simply the fact that I didn't recognise any of the characters involved, my initial reaction to early publicity to Guardians was somewhere between indifference and outright hostility. In the end though, the hype train got the better of me, and, having now seen it, I thought it was a very enjoyable, lightweight adventure and I completely understand all the comparisons to Star Wars. Main complaints would be that I thought it was a little too self-aware and self-consciously clever at times, and, separated from the group, I didn't find any of the characters massively interesting in their own right, but to look too hard for depth in this sort of a film is, I think, to miss the point entirely. Also bless at Karen Gillan doing her best angry voice and just sounding totally Scottish. If it were up to me she'd continue in the realms of silent films or the romcoms shes been doing recently that have required her to be sans clothes. Also really enjoyed the film, I liked treeman, though I didnt quite catch his name. |
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Gaff
Staff Member
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Post by Gaff on Aug 16, 2014 19:21:44 GMT
Sans clothes you say? I may have to invesigate this. But, y'know, only for scientific purposes.
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Post by bossmacphail on Aug 16, 2014 20:10:18 GMT
Sans clothes you say? I may have to invesigate this. But, y'know, only for scientific purposes. Not sure about forum etiquette/ admin abuse, so all I shall say is the film is called "Not Another Happy Ending" and that the title does not necessarily need to be case. Ps the films rubbish, some genius has uploaded the scene in question. |
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Gaff
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Posts: 50
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Post by Gaff on Aug 23, 2014 23:40:06 GMT
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door (2001)
With a curious country & western twang, this is perhaps not the franchise's finest hour musically, but otherwise a tremendously enjoyable neo-noir romp that must surely be one of the last great hurrahs for pre-digital animation in Japan, boasting one of the most palpable, lovingly realised fantasy-cityscapes since Oshii's Ghost in the Shell.
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Post by bossmacphail on Aug 24, 2014 12:26:20 GMT
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door (2001) With a curious country & western twang, this is perhaps not the franchise's finest hour musically, but otherwise a tremendously enjoyable neo-noir romp that must surely be one of the last great hurrahs for pre-digital animation in Japan, boasting one of the most palpable, lovingly realised fantasy-cityscapes since Oshii's Ghost in the Shell. The films an interesting one, on the one hand it's nice to get more of the gang, especially because it's set before the end of the series, but at the same time, for me anyway, it fails to achieve much more than some of the poorer entries into the show. Was funny seeing spike fight with a brush, greatest martial arts troll ever. |
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Gaff
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Post by Gaff on Aug 24, 2014 13:22:30 GMT
I think it probably depends a lot on what you're looking for from it. Certainly I see much debate on the relative merits of shows with an ongoing plot vs. those with self contained episodes, and I know some folk found Bebop quite slow and meandering due to its habit of switching between the two, but I actually found the eventual destination for Spike and Vicious less interesting than what happened along the way.
Basically, I can see that a two hour chunk of filler won't please everyone, but I am okay with this.
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Post by bossmacphail on Aug 27, 2014 1:31:02 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) Jesus. Though I had to admit I wasn't blown away by the first amazing Spider-man, I was pretty curious to see how this one would turn out seeing as they were taking it in a different direction. The film is closest to Spider-Man 3 and we all know how that went, they cram three Villans into this film, two of which haven't had screen time before and the film suffers for it. You are supposed to be sympathetic to Jamie Foxx's Electro, but eventually you just end up annoyed at his simplistic views towards everything and how quickly his motivations turn. Also they've created another whiny as fuck Harry Osborn, who becomes another hobgoblin like in Spider-Man 3. I'm not sure where they are taking this series, but it seems to largely point to the introduction of the sinister six. Personally I think Sony are just trying to replicate Marvels own success with their characters and they aren't quite sure how to hit the same notes. The film most of the time is a bit of a mess, it starts out feeling like a spy thriller and that subplot kind of lingers through the film like a fart. The absolute worst thing about the film is the soundtrack, largely consisting of some of the worst electro and dub step I've ever heard, stuff that wouldn't even make it on a bargain basement NES game. MacPhail senior saw this film before me and said one of his biggest issues was how they portrayed Spider-mans humour, I wasn't expecting this to be an issue as it's a big part of his character in the comics, but in the film it just feels really corny and out of place. At best this for me was three stars, just watch big Sam's Spider-Man 2. On another note felicia hardy makes an appearance. Miaow....  Rumour has it she might even be slinking into her trademark catsuit in a standalone film. |
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Gaff
Staff Member
Posts: 50
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Post by Gaff on Aug 28, 2014 23:16:34 GMT
Aha, I did not realise ArtGerm had painted Black Cat. The dude is talented as all get out, but I am still unsure how I feel about his style.
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Gaff
Staff Member
Posts: 50
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Post by Gaff on Sept 1, 2014 17:33:19 GMT
City War (1988)
A pretty brazen attempt to cash in on the success of megahit A Better Tomorrow, this Hong Kong crime potboiler reteams stars Chow Yun Fat and Ti Lung on the right side of the law, as a pair of mismatched cops squaring off against a rogue triad. Although let down by a tired, old-fashioned script, the film is nicely shot and enlivened by the genuine rapport between its central duo, both of whom seem to be playing against type.
Don't be fooled by the trailer though, the first two thirds are actually very light on action. When it does arrive, it's certainly more rough and ready than John Woo's output, but the gun-rattling finale is well staged and sure to please anyone interested in heroic bloodshed filmmaking.
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