Nothing to say really besides: that’s how you do it!
This has without a doubt the most impressive stunts of the franchise, and it really knows how to use its characters and challenge them. There’s a lot of propulsive energy, lush cinematography and great editing. Lorne Balfe does a great Hans Zimmer impression, and Chris McQuarrie does a great Chris Nolan impression. Alright maybe I’m oversimplifying there, because I have to commend McQuarrie for doing another stylistic reinvention of the franchise, the cinematography and general feel aren’t just that of Rogue Nation 2.0. I’m not even sure if the constant evolution of this franchise comes from a place of creative ambition or commercial opportunity, but at least it keeps the films fresh. Some of its core elements will always remain the same, however. For example, the plot’s once again just a vehicle for all the juicy stuff. You could call it out for being generic or basic, but they find so much creativity and fun in these tropes that it becomes very entertaining (intrigue, the mask sequences, the craziness and constantly rising intensity). Sure, there’s a very predictable twist at the end of the second act, but more often than not, it managed to surprise me. Henry Cavill is a great new addition, bringing back Rebecca Ferguson was the best choice they could’ve made, and Pegg & Rhames remain the reliable anchors that add some heart & humour. It’s all exceptional stuff, it could very well go down as the best action franchise in history if the next films stick the landing.
9/10
Imagine making a movie that has such big stakes, but make it so nobody cares about any of the characters.
Jean Grey - Yawn, she struggled with controlling her powers, controlling her emotions. Some part understandable but I felt no emotion.
Professor X - Acts like a Villain for the first half of the film.
Mystique - Shouldn't have hired Jennifer Lawrence, she couldn't handle the make-up. Attempts a death scene but leaves no emotional impact.
Quicksilver - Has some of the most iconic scenes in comic book films and they don't give him his scene. Gets injured early on and just disappears until the end of the film.
Storm - Was just there to do damage.
Beast - The only character with correct motivation and you somewhat understand why he feels the way he does. Just feels like bad casting personally. Hoult is just too youthful and skinny for beast.
Cyclops - His character is just completely centred around Jean. Feels like we never get to see just Scott.
Nightcrawler - Where does this come from, he just become a murdering psycho and the build up just seems too out of character for him.
Magneto - Probably the best performance, character flipped sides very easily considering his motivation for wanted to kill Jean.
Jennifer Chastain/Aliens - Why, what, who, what, why.
Good scene - Using their power to fight over control of the helicopter
Bad Scene - Every single one with Jennifer Lawrence
Damn, this episode was very tense and suspenseful. I do think the show is starting to drag out a little, though, but perhaps not in a conventional way. I feel like it may be dragging out to a bigger reveal, slowly sucking you into the slow pacing of things to catch you off guard to a maximum extent when you're in a deep unexpecting state. That reveal could be that there is more than one entity, although there would probably be more to it than that, to make it worthwhile. I'm starting to buy into that theory myself. One of them appears in dreams, and can appear as anyone, but isn't the one that specifically shapeshifts into other people by a scratch. One of them shapeshifts into someone else by a scratch, someone that it scratched, and is the one who does the killing. One of them is El Coco himself, and he absorbs the grief that's caused by the latter one, the one who does the killing. And all three work together, for some reason. Or maybe they're all the same entity, more or less, somehow, they just have different functions, and each one of them has to do whatever their respective trait is, for the combined, one entity to survive. Of course, that's simply my speculation of things. I may have the general theory correct with the details mostly incorrect. As far as the happenings in the show so far go, I'm fairly certain there have been hints or suggestive occurrences that there is more than one entity. Someone more prone to detail and noticing things will have to chime in on that.
Initial Reaction
After two viewings
The Good
• Deadpool himself is as funny as ever. Ryan Reynolds keeps up a fantastic performance and really gives it his all.
• Cable is also really good. Josh Brolin, despite being in many movies this year. Has given a great performance.
• Jokes are really funny when they hit, and they hit hard.
• Secondary characters are also really well done. Some anyway. More on that, below in the spoilers
• It has a true charm to it. Making it more distinct than the first. But not outshining it.
• The action was on point. The director really knows how to capture a great fight scene, and there are plenty here to enjoy and marvel at.
• Villain. This point is actually a fairly good one, but also has spoils. So read below if you really want to know. What I can say is that Ajax is nowhere near as memorable compared to the bad guys here.
• The amount of balls this movie has. It just does things, I would never expect them to do. The first movie gave us shocks at what they could say and show. Now they just go and toy with that to the next level. And I loved it.
The Bad
• Plot. It's not the best. It's also not that simple. The first Deadpool was very straightforward even with the time jumps. Here, it's a bit of a mess. Not to mention it's kind of a rip off of T2. But it acknowledges this at least
• Some jokes don't quite land. They reuse some of the same lines from the first movie, and it feels as if it really is lazy writing. As far as it seems, they are trying to make Deadpool's catchphrases more clear. But to me, it was just annoying.
• The jokes seem to build off the story in this. Whereas the first one felt more improvisational and made it seem like the plot revolved around the humour. Here it just seemed like the comedy was slotted into this action film. But it's not all that bad, just let down the overall tone of the movie.
• CGI is actually pretty bad. It's so distracting, it takes away from the comedy they try to sprinkle over it.
• Wade. He is focused on more than the first. And I just didn't like how they were trying to go about it.
• Along with the focus on Wade, the emotional scenes don't mix that well with the comedy like they did in the first.
Other Things
• You're going to want to stick around for the mid-credit sequences. They are some of the best ever in a Marvel movie, and in movies in general.
• There are two mid-credit scenes (almost back-to-back) and no end-credit scenes.
Spoiler Things
• The X-Force joke is so damn good that I can forgive the lack of build in the team up until the very humorous end. Again such a great ballsy move. Props to the studio.
• The villains in this movie, aren't really present in terms of villains. The first Deadpool had a villain, he had to beat him. Done. This sets it up to be all about Cable, but it actually gives us villains that turn out to be the same as Wade. Which is great for a Deadpool movie to show anti-heroes having a connection with the villains they are fighting.
Conclusion
DP2 is not better than the first. It lacks the simplicity and catchy humour that it had. But, it does grab onto you and takes you on a ride that is not as funny, but is just as enjoyable than the original. I don't see it being as rewatchable like the first. But as its own movie, it holds itself up for a fun experience, wonderful character portrayals, and a damn good time.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dul boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no plany Makes ack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dul boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play make Jack a Dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All workand no play maks Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no plany Makes ack a dull boy
All work and no play make Jack a Dull boy
As much as I wanted to like this movie, and ESPECIALLY not wanting to throw shade on Dave Bautista, I'm afraid the words of none other than Macbeth are the most fitting as far as a review of this enterprise goes:
A.O.D. is but a walking shadow, some poor players
That strut and fret their two and a half hours upon the stage
And then are heard no more: It is a tale
Told by idiots, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
That having been said, the REAL shame here is, that, with just a little bit of re jiggering, and a little less stupidity on the part of any one of the panopoly of characters, and, this could have not only been an epic movie, but, possibly a even a (2 or 3 movie) franchise!
Any movie that starts from the jump with nekkid zombie stripper ta ta's is a go for me, just on the "Hmmm, I ain't seen THAT before factor alone. Now, throw in Siegfried and Roy's zombified Manticore' , and, you're going to hold my interest. Add super quick and agile "rage zombies, and a mix of your usual suspect "shufflin' and bitin' " zombies, as well as a full auto Drax the Destroyer, and a crew of mangey former tier one operators, who served their country honorably, but per current SOP, were promptly shat upon by the country that they so dutifully served, then, give them a chance to for once not just even the score but come out ahead, and, you HAD the basis for a pretty decent horror adventure flick.
But then SOMBODY had to go and try to grow a brain, perhaps thinking they could be "edgy", and, instead of delivering a fun, intelligent live action "Walking Dead" (first few seasons only), they decided to suck all the common sense from EVERY characters brain, and then have each one of them suddenly go mute at the most inopportune times, when a word, a note, or even a cryptic whisper, could keep someone from becoming zombie snackos'. Now add to that mix, a teenaged girl with one of the most full blown cases of narcissistic personality disorder ever witnessed on film, and have her played by an actor who every time she opens her mouth you just want to backhand her and send her to her room with no dinner. But, she's also a master of either guilting her father (team leader Scott Ward) for doing something she later admits "he had to do", or, forcing him to let her accompany the squad, (to "rescue the aforementioned STUPID friend) by threatening to run off and do it alone anyway, which is a certain one way trip. So, welcome to mercenary baby sitting, Z/A style.
All is not lost though as there are some nice bonding moments between Zen "man some of the shizz I've done" Vanderohe, and newbie merc / safecracker Ludwig Dieter, especially when it is discovered he doesn't even know Zombie 101 basics. Raul Castillos' "Mickey" who at first seems to be either a You Tube poser, or just a bit crazy, then actually turns out to be an honorable guy. Samantha Joe's "Chambers" is a formidable street fighter, but, sadly , her heroic last stand is wasted when in the end, she got a case of the mutes, when she could have saved the entire crew with a shouted warning.
Nora Arnezeder is believable as Lilly, The Coyote, even if she does let little miss prissy teen smack her around a bit, for helping another of Kates IDIOT friends do something stupid, that, in the end, does not bode well for the entire team. Tig Notaro I guess is OK, especially since she was a last minute "digital" substitute for Chris D'Elia, who was unceremoniously cancelled and erased from the movie due to misconduct of the sexual kind. It's not seamless, but, it's not distracting either. But, she too, got hit with the idiot stick at the last minute, and, her indecision literally was catastrophic. In BOTH their story arcs, Snyder chose to plagiarize, er, uh, be "inspired" by ENTIRE SCENES from "Aliens", then "edgily" flip the script, by declaring opposite day at their individual conclusions.
The longest walk of shame, IMO, goes to Bautista's character Scott Ward, for being either too blind of just plain dumb, to not see through the machinations of neither his Japanese Benefactor, nor his henchman sent along to fulfill the ACTUAL goal of the "heist". But, in his defense, a couple hundred million dollars tax free, can buy a mighty dark pair of rose colored glasses, and, even though he can't see the forest for the trees, nor, apparently when the passion fires of his former flame have burst into a bonfire. Her end was so telegraphed, that even as it occurred, you weren't really shocked, just saddened. Just as his end, and the way it came about, had one waiting for the sound track to cue up Alanis Morrissette, but, perhaps they couldn't get a music clearance..
ONE final chance at redemption comes in the form of the epilogue with Vanderohe, and, it could have played out the epic revenge scenario, but, alas it was not to be, and he, along with any chance at a sequel, was D.O.A.
So, in conclusion, I don't dislike this movie for it's short comings, but, because of it's unfulfilled potential. It didn't necessarily have to be all happily ever after, but, as you watch it, and the idiocy starts leaking out of the characters, see if you can glimpse the great movie that COULD have been.
As the plot thickens, the noose tightens, and the knife twists silently in the wound. Like the proverbial Russian nesting doll, here, the supposed perpetrators are actually the victims, who appear become victimizers, but, are actually being victimized, both by the actual bad actor, and then again by the "system", which in its zeal to seek "justice" for those harmed, instead harms those who have no idea nor explanation for what is occurring to them and everyone near and dear to them.
How often do we allow our own pre-judgments, conceived notions and ideas (prejudices) to color our conception of who a person, that we may have never actually met, truly is? Are we to judge another by the content of their character, the color of their skin, or the content of their twitter feed? Do we still believe that ones actions speak louder than ones Instagram stories, or what the media tells us we should believe? What is reality, and what is subjective spin?
How many of the events that have occurred in or lives, either good OR bad, if just ONE thread were pulled, or one choice in a chain of many were not taken, would never have happened? How often have we dismissed something or been dismissed, simply because we or others simply couldn't comprehend what was being expressed, or what we were ourselves expressing?
This is the dilemma the characters in this story face. From the mother dismissing her daughters warnings as "just a bad dream", to the detectives dismissal of Holly's notion of a doppelganger, and his lack of tolerance for "the unexplained", even when it is staring them in the face. We, as "rational" humans, have a unique ability to see patterns where the actually are none, yet, at the same time, demand that everyone else, upon hearing hoofbeats, should think horses, NOT zebras. Well, what if it actually IS zebras? After all, how do we know the cat is alive or dead until we lift the box?
Oh yeah, and..... Epstein didn't kill himself..........
Is it just me or did the main plotline for this episode come out of nowhere? And I don't mean that negatively. It was surprising, is all. Of course, I enjoyed the hell out of it. It just felt extremely out of place. I mean, this is a cop show that's a police procedural (although now that I've written that, a cop show can't (not) be a procedural, right?), and quite lighthearted, for the most part, and has this method of procedure of blending cop-life and personal-lives of the characters. All of a sudden black ops are thrown into the mix? Again, I enjoyed it, but that will certainly require a very specific amount of suspending your disbelief for a fair amount of people, I'd imagine. That whole plotline can't be over, right? There's no way something like that would be introduced just like that into a show like this and then nothing more will come of it. I'm guessing it'll become a big focus very soon, and so will Norman Jangus, whatever his name is. I hope it does. Not just in the sense that if it doesn't, that would be a little odd, but also in the sense that I want it to be. It's a refreshing new breath of air, just one that doesn't necessarily go with the general air of the show.
Why are you reading this if you haven't seen the episode? Get outta here ya nut!!!!
Ahhh yes, .. nothing like a bit of primo Valdez Rocks Snakeroot Kush, chased with an outstanding Picard 80's Merlot to get the juices, ...and the episode, going. Well, now we understand why Raffi is so pissed at "J.L.", but, I suspect it is not so much at her loss of stature and livelihood, as it was how quickly and thoroughly he seemingly abandoned her after shooting himself in both feet by playing the usually reliable Picard "my way or I'll take my ball and go home" card. Must have been rather shocking to finally get the "don't let the turbo lift door hit you in the azz on the way out" reply, so unexpectedly. In his own way, he was drowning his sorrows just as she was, but, he was MAKING the wine rather than self medicating with it.
So then, were Daj and Soji yin and yang like Data and Lore? And a more troubling query would seem to be, is Momma Asher now on the wrong side of the Terra Firma, simply ignorant of recent events, a holographic projection, or a clone of Dr Funkenstein? Inquiring minds want to know. And just what is that voodoo that Ramdah doo's so well?
OK, we already know that dermal regenerators can fix up an injury better than Dr's Nassif and Dubrow in our timeline. So why then do Hugh and the other reclaimed former drones still have facial scarring. Is it a badge of honor, like a dueling scar, or, a warning, to others like a scarlet "B"?
Here's a suggestion for the Romulan hit squads. On future assignments, forget beaming in with an entire crew, going CQB and H2H, only to miss the target, get murked by inferior numbers, but superier skills, and then assisting them in building their arsenal. (as if J.L. and Co needed any help in that department it seems) Next time just beam in a solitary suicide mercenary and have him activate the green "screw you juice" and eliminate both the target and the evidence. Just sayin!
Damn! Commodore Oh went all in with a full house and ran head on into a four of a kind monkey stomp! Guess the "cat's outa' the bag" now.
I though that Dr Jurati might be "compromised" at first, then not, then.... could it all have been a set up? Back burner for now, after her intro to Raffi. Her enthusiasm felt too genuine.
Picard giving Christobal respect by not taking the big chair, and him giving Picard props by waiting for his signature command,...., then Raffi's nonplussed reaction. Priceless!
Great episode overall.....
With all the great reviews I suspected a hidden jewel, and it kinda was. However it annoyed me a lot.
Especially the dialog was extremely hectic and kind of retarded in the first 30 minutes. It got a bit better after that, but never really good. The actions and decisions were of people that just did not think, something that doesn't fit in a movie with a smart setting like multiverses. imho it only fits with comedy and some exceptions here and there, but that's just me.
One of the flaws that showed itself a couple of times was the time flow. Time is not really consequent throughout the whole movie. In 1 scene someone drinks up a bottle of wine within a minute, and on a few occasions people were gone for a longer period of time (10-20min) while in the house itself no more than 5 minutes were passed at best. This could be explained by the major plot twist in the end, but it would be nice if there were made 1 or 2 remarks about it if that was the case.
The movie is also not giving the viewer time to make their own construction of the situation but making a few emotional scenes right after an info-dump and repeating this process.
And when the characters finally start to understand how complex the situation could be, they decide to pop open the alcohol and get wasted.... seriously?
It brings the movie to a dramatic impasse that is completely unnecessarily and just slows down the mystery.
Luckily the movie manages to get some points in after that. More focusing on story development, having some very interesting plot twists and using the mystery to its benefit in stead of for the drama.
Those last 15 minutes are a good home run, and the movie sets up a completely other pace and setting. Suddenly moving from a group of people with no clue what's going on, to one main character with an objective.
Maybe they should've done this from the beginning to make it more interesting. The girl (Emily?) who took on this role was from the beginning one of the few actors I did not have many complains about, and was doing a good job.
Usually I am a big fan of the 'quantum multiverse' theory worked into a movie, and the concept in this one is very nicely done. But even though they tried (and to be fair the creators have a good grasp on the subject) it kinda failed with the overly dramatic setting and insulting the viewer by letting characters make dumb decisions.
Since it is a low budget movie, I decided not to be too harsh on the rating itself (it really is a movie that can match itself with the high budget ones) and I definitely would upvote for a remake with some better scriptwriting for dialog and some actions. Because I think that this flick could be even better.
Another stunning and thouroughly entertaining movie from Marvel Studios who continue to gain momentum with each successive film. Delivering something new and original all within the framework of the same genre and universe.
A coming of age film of sorts that sees T'Challa return to his native Wakanda following the events of Captain America: Civil War to deal with the pressures of the thrown and fulfill his potential as both warrior and king, T'Challa and Black Panther alike. Thus being an origin adventure without the obligatory origin story.
Wakanda itself is visually breathtaking and looks as spectacular as one can imagine.
Wakanda itself is an unofficial character in the film with a rich visual palette and identity. It's people, along with most visuals in the movie, are brightly coloured and looks like an.artists dream, as rich and colourful as the comics that spawned them.
All the principle and supporting cast bring it. There's hardly anybody that doesn't stand out or get a moment to shine in this deep ensemble, so much so that T'Challa himself is almost outdone in the movie by the performances of Michael B. Jordan (Erik Killmonger) and the female supporting characters who are so good, I'd be disappointed if they didn't at least cameo in Avengers: Infinity War in a few months.
Highly recommended for any fan of Marvel Studios' movies, Superhero movies or action adventures with hints of political.drama thrown in for good measure. Not to be missed.
I don't know where all the negative comments are coming from. I loved this sequel.
The Matrix Resurrections keeps to the theme of the original movie, while leveraging plot points from the previous sequels to resurrect the Neo :heart: Trinity love story after 20 years (according to the movie timeline it's 60 years) .
The Matrix movie critics love to over-intellectualize the philosophy of the story arcs and characters. Over the last 20 years, I've heard critics trying to justify religion (ex: Buddhism) using the Matrix movies. Today, reading the comments here, this seems to have evolved into people trying to explain transgenderism using The Matrix (maybe because the creators of Matrix are transgender?).
I always believed that these movies oppose group think and are about breaking free from hive-minds and intellectual-echo-chambers (aka The Matrix). For example, Twitter today, with its Leftist cancel mobs, is a great example of a Matrix. Every time I read about a famous person getting "cancelled" or "de-platformed" by a social media platform, I picture an image of Neo being dragged out of the embryonic sac and getting violently unplugged by machines and thrown away (from the original Matrix movie).
For me, as a career software engineer, The Matrix movies are also about algorithms and logic. The unpredictability of a code base as it gets larger and complex. Eventually, leading to anomalies and vulnerabilities. I loved Neil Patrick Harris' performance as the new Architect of the Matrix. What a legend!
Is the franchise getting stale? Absolutely. It's a formula movie franchise. I watched all Fast and the Furious movies and the spin-offs too. I'm not the one to judge. :rofl:
I finally watched A Star Is Born, and boy... was I just blown away. This film is a literal whirlwind of emotions culminating in one truly tragic ending. I was hyped for this movie for months, and it definitely lived up to expectations (even exceeded them). I was totally floored by the performances of Lady Gaga and especially Bradley Cooper who completely disappears into his role of Jackson Maine (in a good way). The soundtrack to this movie is just spectacular with some of the best ballads that I've heard in a long time in both "Shallow" and "I'll Never Love Again". That first scene where Gaga and Cooper perform together on stage is just a revelation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A
While this is a story that has been done many times (literally, this is the 4th remake), Cooper's version is just masterfully built and developed amazingly well even though it does run a bit long. It was over 2 hours long (135 mins), but at times I actually wish that it could have been longer due to how much I connected with the characters. It's a true "modern take" on a classic tale. And definitely prepare to cry as well. My god, the last 20 minutes of the movie were just... beyond brutal. If you've ever dealt with or really known/loved someone with addiction and/or depression problems, this movie hits so close to home that it is scary.
A Star Is Born is an instant classic and a definite Oscar favorite in multiple categories. If you told me that in 2018 the guy who played Sack in Wedding Crashers 13 years ago would direct and star in an emotional and moving film like this, I'd call you crazy. I'm definitely going to watch this again, but those last 15 minutes of the movie truly were gut-wrenching. Maybe I'll just stick with listening to the soundtrack over and over again... :P
Honestly, Im not gonna say anything. I'm way too mad.
ACTUALLY IT'S GONNA BUG ME IF I DONT. HOLD MY BEER CUZ IM GONNA RANT.
WHAT :clap:THE :clap:FUCK :clap:.
SERIOUSLY, I don't even know where to start.
They just got all of Dean's character development and shoved up their ass. Boy finally, FINALLY, has control over his life; he's not being controlled by his dad or Chuck or whateverfuck supreme power, his life is his own and he was ready to LIVE it, for God's sake he got a freaking dog. And for what? To be killed by tetanus. The whole season was about defying "destiny", and they killed him the way that was supposed to happen since season 1. I'm sorry but that's just lazy.
DONT GET ME START ON CASTIEL CUZ IM GONNA BE COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT TIL THE DAY I DIE, mf sacrifice himself to save dean's life, just for him die weeks later, WHAT'S THE POINT??? But serious it bugged me so much the fact that they didn't even knowledge his sacrifice, they didn't mourn him or mentioned him. Boy got sucked to mega turbo hell and all that was said was "well too bad". Castiel deserved better. He really did.
I'm not even gonna talk about Sam cuz I'm still offended by those wigs. But what was the point of making him and Eileen a thing, if at the end he wasn't gonna stay with her? Serious.
It just feels like these 15 years of character build, stories, arcs didn't mean shit because at the end they went with the path that was been there since season 1. Dean died young, on a hunt, without a family of his own, and Sam got to live his apple pie life with wife and kids.
WHAT WAS THE POINT.
SPOILERS AHEAD…. I don’t even know if I can put into words how much I fucking love this film!!! American History X is such an underrated masterpiece—literally, from start to end. This is not an easy film to watch, but damn is it worthy of every second.
A 1998 film directed by Tony Kaye presents to us the story about a neo-Nazi skinhead named Derek Vinyard—marked with a life of cruelty, violence, racism—who is sent to prison after brutally murdering two black men who attempt larceny. Once released, he desires a change and understands his mistakes. Derek sets off to change and fix the things he did wrong, specifically that his younger brother Danny doesn’t follow in his footsteps.
American History X obtains beautiful cinematography. There is an extremely distinct and intelligent representation of hatred in the movie’s photography. The past is shot in black and white to portray how Derek viewed the world as plain as black v.s. white; and the present is shot in colour to represent Derek’s change and comprehension of what social hatred has done to better his life, which is simply nothing but pain.
Sadly, 20 years later, American History X is still relevant to this day. Recently, many problematic hate groups have been exposed and often include neo-Nazis. Never had I thought I would live in a world filled with this atrocity but disappointingly, they have always been there. Deep inside, I have this raging gut to show this film to all people that commit hate crimes or simply hate. Hell, how could that ever happen, right?
Why is it that I love American History X so much? It is because the message that this film sends out is astonishing. The script is in every single way a lesson, and it all concludes perfectly at the end. This movie in no way sets out to present white people being victimized by different races and ethnicities. It simply speaks to the world about not only racism, but how hatred can affect individuals and tear loved ones apart. Technically, this entire movie should be the definition of hate. That “Hate is baggage. Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time. It’s just not worth it.”
The movie accomplishes to teach us how individuals are never born hating. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can be taught to love. There are numerous amounts of scenarios where this is shown through the film’s very memorable moments. From the curb stomp scene, which presents HATE, sending Derek to prison (presenting: hate does not mean better), where he soon experiences BETRAYAL from a group of neo-Nazis when they rape him, to unexpectedly befriending a black man, displaying LOVE.
Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo, and Jennifer Lien did amazing jobs portraying their characters—each and every single one of them with so much pain. The most difficult scene to watch was the brutal dinner table scene where Norton gives a fucking powerful performance. He really demonstrated how deep the character’s hatred can go once he sends endless insults to the Jewish man whom during that scene was in a relationship with his mother. Not to mention the part where he begins to suffocate his own sister!!
The ending of the film was the most unexpected and completely heartbreaking. Although this is a film that revolves around white supremacy, I cannot be the only one who was hoping for a happy ending. Watching a family go through such horrendous events and then watching this former neo-Nazi noticing his mistakes and profoundly attempting to fix them, only to see them end on the murder of his young brother is truly fucking tragic.
In a way, during that last scene American History X presents the cycle of social hatred. One loses, and the other wins, continuing to pass on the hate. That kid was probably put up to a test, and as soon as Danny’s blood splatters over his face, the kid’s eyes open wide, and we know he regrets it.
I have read the original script of American History X and I seriously wish this film could’ve been longer. I really believe it still would’ve been successful if they included a few scenes from the original screenplay. AMAZING MOVIE!
"We could never actually pick locks, it was Chuck all the time"
What makes a hero?
The episode itself ties to the question that's been circling the show since the finale last season. What is designed by God? Is free will actually a choice? Are we just pawns used by God to play in his chessboard? Can we create our own destiny or are we trapped no matter what we do?
I went a bit philosophical there but, after reflecting upon it, that's the question the episode left me wondering.
Heroes and guest stars. I love that this episode proved that Garth, a "normal" being in a Supernatural world was actually the hero of the story for once. Garth is one of those light characters that make any episode better. He's so pure at heart and so innocent... He's a goddamn treasure.
The episode reminded me of Bad Day at Black Rock where the boys can't handle the situation and Bobby has to appear to sort of save the day. The same with Garth here. Our episode's hero. They say heros have to be pure at heart. Well, there's no one purer than Garth.
I'm gonna miss these crazy, cartoonist looney-Tunney episodes. This was probably the last light-hearted episode were gonna get. It hurts saying it. But let's face it, it was nice to have a breath of fresh air after last week's episode.
I actually enjoyed it a lot. The title itself got me pumped up. Although I actually expected to see the entire journey in the episode, it looks like it's only been the first leg, and we'll get the full circle next week.
If Chuck's actually writing all of this, Garth is definitely his favorite character. It was a very nice send-off to Garth. Watching him with his lovely wife and his children...and then dancing with her. I'm gonna miss him a lot. But what a nice conclusion for this character. He did nothing wrong in his life and even when he sided in the wrong side of things, he always tried to help and do better.
I have one question, though. If I'm not missing anything, the last time Garth was mentioned was when he was tossed in the trunk of the Impala, so what happened in-between?
Everything from Sam's awkward coughing to Dean's parking ticket and his weird dance (the hell's going on in his head?), going through the Impala constantly breaking down was entertaining.
Also, Sam losing his puppy eyes power cracked me up. Well that and Gertie's "Mummy, the giant’s crying!" That actually got a good laugh out of me.
One thing that was odd was the music choices. I've grown up with the show and I can't understand it without classic rock music. The "Werewolves in London" song at the end made me nostalgic of the earlier seasons. I just wish we could have a nice 80s rock classic while the boys drive away in the Impala.
I'm willing to buy that the boys are actually cursed or simply having a bad day, or that Chuck actually decided to give them normal people's problems, but going from that to take their hunting skills away. They've been trained by John. Credit where credit's due. I refuse to believe their training, abilities and accomplishments are the result of Chuck's mumbo jumbo.
Alright, let's take this story-by-story:
Carmella and Tony with Dr. Melfi was kind of interesting. The actors who play Tony and Carmella are the strongest in the series, and giving them time to bounce off each other is always a good choice.
The story with the cop was fine. It showed Tony can feel guilt, that he criticizes black people for committing crime when he himself is a mobster and the most moral guy he's encountered so far is a black police officer. It's all a little on-the-nose, but it works well enough.
The clash with Ralphie and Gigi over getting made capo are interesting enough. You can tell things are simmering that are going to boil over soon enough. Same with the FBI losing their bug.
Which brings us to the best and worst parts of the episodes. Let's start with the worst. What the hell was the Artie Bucco storyline. I mean, it was as cliche and rushed a midlife crisis story as you're likely to find. I mean, I get the idea that Artie envies the life his mob buddies lead while he scrapes by as a chef, but it's all just laid on so thick.
The best, however, was the story with Bobby Bacala, Sr. What a great, visceral scene it was to see him take out Mustang Sally. There was a lot of good thematic material in people hitting a point in their life when they want to feel useful still, when they worry about what comes next, and the coldest part of it all was Junior revealing that his concern was just superstition rather than genuine concern for Bobby Jr.'s dad. Overall, it was a pretty middling Sopranos episode, but that storyline elevated it.
Sure, you can watch it without having seen Breaking Bad, but that would be like watching Avengers: Endgame without having seen any of the Marvel movies. You'll get the essence of it, but you don't have a deeper sense about the characters and their motivation, or an understanding of some of the references that are being made. Personally, I really like that it builds on where we left off; it doesn't pander to an audience that isn't willing to invest their time in the show. So I'd advise anyone to watch the show first, mainly because the core of it was undeniably strong. The story and characters were magnificent. El Camino benefits from that. If these weren't the characters we'd know and love from Breaking Bad, this movie wouldn't be nearly as good. As a story, it is a nice epilogue to Breaking Bad, albeit fairly predictable and a bit needless (because Jesse's character doesn't really have an arc throughout this movie). The actors are, of course, great (Aaron Paul and Meth Damon in particular).
The weakest part of the show, to me, has always been the directing. I always found it to be fairly lifeless, particularly in the first two seasons. El Camino is no different. Scenes are often quiet and really drawn out, with shots that are being held for way too long. Some directors, like Alfonso Cuarón or Steven Spielberg, get away with this, but that is only because they constantly keep the camera moving. Some shows, like Mr. Robot, use really interesting angles and colour in order to make the longer shots hold your attention. Don't get me wrong, the show and this movie are definitely far above sit-com level cinematography, but the shots aren't so special that they justify being held for 8-10 seconds. Some people will proclaim it to be a unique and interesting style, but to me it has always been a recipe for bad pacing. And that's very strange when you think about it, because the show and this movie definitely aren't uneventful. Finally, I'll also say that some of the fan service in this movie doesn't work, because it doesn't add anything to the story. For as nice as it was to see Walter White and Jessica Jones again, they really should've been deleted them from the final cut of this movie.
6/10
This movie was a heartfelt tearjerker if you are a sensitive one. I appreciated the fact that the characters were more realistic about how their specific personalities would deal with the situation. I loved the main protagonists' meet-cute. Points for originality. It is a truer representation of the everyday muck that may happen and the some of the terrible and the repetitive things we do and say to cope with impossible situations like this. All ordinary people do in those situations is the best they can and I think that all of the characters struggle in their own ways to do just that. In the process they may say the wrong things or the right things in the wrong way or the right way. In the end it doesn't matter. Sometimes there is no right way or right words if the main character is just mad at the world, or mad at the situation, or whatever it is because they are just mad, sad, tired, sick, frustrated, lost, crowded, alone, bothered, pissed-off and holding on for dear life all at the same time. All they did was their best to struggle through it with love and hoped that it was enough.
I enjoyed it for that simplicity and level of honesty.
The music was lovely and non intrusive which lends itself to you just being present with the characters in those moments. I really hate when movies are overly dramatic about it. It is devastating but the world around you doesn't actually crumble YOU are the one that does. You are the one that has changed.
Christopher Walken's character, Myron, provided exceptional feedback and definitely added a wonderful and interesting dynamic to the story.
The lesson for the movie is the tagline: Don't focus on what if, focus on what is.
In the near future, humanity has mastered his own genetic code. So thorough is this knowledge, in fact, that the majority of modern conceptions are performed in a petri dish, on an embryo with the lowest number of negative hereditary traits. Against the backdrop of this fanatically eugenic-conscious future, discrimination has reached new levels, as jobs and relationships are won and lost with a simple blood sample and naturally conceived children are second-class citizens.
It seems like there's always a persistent, rebellious figure when confronted with such an oppressive system, and in Gattaca's case that role is filled by Ethan Hawke as the physically modest, daydreaming genius Vincent. The bevy of hoops Hawke jumps through to maintain the illusion that he's a top-tier genetic example make up most of the film's substance, with an ongoing murder investigation pressing the matter in a few hairy new directions. Somewhere along the way Vincent stumbles into a hollow, affection-free relationship with Uma Thurman that seems to spawn more from boredom than passion.
Quite slow and methodical in nature, it's still a bright rumination on a future that already seems within grasp. Could have used a more flavorful tone, and the cast is almost universally glazed-over and dry.
This great piece of Sci-fi movies shows us a society engulfed in the power of genetics, Everything you do must have an absolute perfection to it. This movie show that the way society achieves this bij geneticaly enhancing its members, Children born without genetic enhancements are excluded from the higher achieving ashalons of society, one of these children "Vincent Freeman",played by (ethan Hawke), however takes it to another level when he decides by taking the identity of Jerome Morow (Jude Law), a genetic altered human who rents out his identity because he has fallen from grace by a personal tragidy (accident), he suffered. Vincent is hell bent on trying to cheat the system and show its flaws. By becoming a pilot for the saturnus mission. Cheating the system however isn't as easy as it seems, The film explores humanity and its many inperfections and in Essence what it means to be human.
The movie was nominated for an Hugo award, personaly i think its realy oscar material. The great acting of (law, Hawke, Uma Thurman). makes for some enjoyable viewing, with of course some smaller roles for "old school" actors like (Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal,
Although The Movie did receive positive reviews it wasnt a box office succes, it also sparked some discussion of genetics and discrimination in the common day world. The film however manages to achieve cult status amongs sci-fi viewers. and is an absolute must see for Sci-fi Fans
I’ll be one of the few voices in comments that will say this was a decent movie. It’s not perfect, by any means, but it is actually decent.
Adam Driver, whom I’m not a huge fan of, did a pretty good job in this movie. Why am I not a fan of his? Well, he’s not the greatest actor but, and this is more important, he killed Han Solo. That wrong can never be righted like an upside down escape pod.
I think the premise of this movie is fascinating to watch and ponder. It does leave a few holes to be filled, but you can use your imagination for this.
In all, this is actually good Science Fiction because while his presence is all fiction (or is it, could this have really happened?), some of the rest of the presence is fact and all good science fiction has some basis in science fact.
The idea that humans were on the earth 65 million years ago is an interesting one. One hole that’s left to the imagination is, “ok, then, was it the DNA brought by these people that seeded and then allowed evolution to eventually created earths human population?” It’s interesting to think about. It’s pretty far out there, but interesting anyway. In no way would I believe that Earth would have spawned human civilization identical in nearly every way as it’s other worldly travelers, so DNA contamination is the only logical conclusion.
I like the fact that there was a language barrier and I think they overcame it well. Greenblatt did a good enough job as the girl, no complaints there really.
The only part I find convenient, really, is that the upside down life pod was righted by the very Dino that he fought with earlier in the movie. A bit too convenient really. Let’s face it, once the pod got torn off the main ship, if the damage didn’t prevent it from ever running again I would be surprised - let alone magically getting righted just perfectly by Mr. Dino.
If I’m picking nits, then I’ll pick one with the fact that he was brought down to earth by the very asteroid that would soon - VERY soon - change it forever. A bit trite, but I get why it is an important part of the story.
The Dino’s were well done, in fact all the special effects, particularly the opening credits where they show this mind blowing view of the cosmos is breathtakingly stunning.
If you are a fan of science fiction I think this is worth the pretty light 90 minute run time (compared to many 2 or 3 hour movies that are far worse). I still find myself pondering some of the aspects of the movie and “what-if” scenarios and I’m still thinking about the movie, it made a mark and that’s enough for me to say it’s worth the watch.
If science fiction isn’t your thing, this may not be either.
I recently saw the movie "65" and overall, I found it to be a pretty solid film. One of the highlights for me was the incredible dinosaur effects, which really brought the prehistoric world to life on the big screen. I also have to mention the excellent performance by Adam Driver, who has certainly made a name for himself in Star Wars and brought high expectations to this film. The portrayals of the prehistoric world were also really well done.
However, there were a few negatives as well. One thing that stood out was the lack of background information on the characters. I felt that more could have been done to explain their motivations and histories. Additionally, the movie was fairly predictable and didn't offer many surprises. Given the dangerous world these characters were living in, I expected more tension and unpredictability. Finally, while the relationship between the main character and the girls was intriguing, I didn't feel like it fully developed and lacked emotional depth.
All in all, "65" was a decent movie that was definitely worth seeing on the big screen. The dinosaur effects and Adam Driver's performance were standout elements, but the predictable plot and lack of character development held it back from being a truly great film.
Ah, what a classic. This movie was my childhood. My play count is probably a major underestimation if the stories my mum and nanna tell me are true. I watched this so much as a child, and loved it to pieces. Though apparently, I walked out when Goose died every time. And yet I could recite it verbatim while walking through the supermarket.
To this day, I do not think there is a more beautiful aircraft than the mighty Tomcat. Others might do it better, but that design is iconic. As are half the cast here, and all of them bring what you came to see. Though I think the best has to be Wolfman, Goose and Jester. Ironside just has a voice and a presence you can't ignore. And the humour and camaraderie of both Wolfman and Goose is sublime. You can truly believe these guys love one another to death. Maverick's face while trying to cope with Goose's death is some of the best acting Cruise has ever done.
I could watch this movie a thousand times and never get sick of it. Propaganda piece or not, it had everything the growing boy in me needed back then, and it still thrills that inner child every single time I throw it on now as an adult.
"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."
Finally! I don't no why it took me so long to see one of the most acclaimed films of all time. The Shawshank Redemption really moved me.
The emotion that was put into it, was something really truthful and real. Even when there are moments where you predict what is going to happen next, its subtleness and immense depth affects you anyway. Since the very first moment, we are attached to it and not many films do that with the audience. Such a simple story but with such content.
Frank Darabont direction was amazing! The film has over two hours and you never get bored, you are driven by the emotion of the events and the great cinematography makes you feel the terrifying life in prison.
The performances from all the cast are something great to see but Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins are the ones who gave absolutely phenomenal performances. The performances of a lifetime.
I can see why many people love this film. They love it because is power makes it unforgettable. Now I love it too, and I will always remember it.
An absolutely beautiful story about hope and friendship.
This is my go-to joke-answer when people ask me what my favourite Christmas film is (the truth is I don’t have a favourite anything), but what always catches me out is just how Christmassy Die Hard really is. From end to end, in his own way, McTiernan captures the spirit of Christmas nicely without making a saccharine or overbearing film.
Bruce Willis is just a regular guy trying to get home to see his kids, and patch up his failing marriage. What says ‘Christmas’ more than family? Alan Rickman is the Grinch that tries to get in the way of his plans. I don’t know who Santa is in this analogy; maybe the limo driver. The cop on the outside is Joseph and the film itself is baby Jesus.
In all seriousness though, something about Die Hard clicks with me every time. The regular-guy-having-a-bad-day idea borrows from the better Hitchcock films, and the way it melds with the action scenes is so fun to watch. Willis clearly enjoys playing a bad-ass. His cocky charm is infectious, as is his determination.
It’s not easy to take a simple idea and execute it well, but Die Hard shows that with carefully orchestrated action scenes and slick screen writing one can achieve greatness without having to stray from a central story. Makes a very difficult job look easy.
http://benoliver999.com/film/2015/12/19/diehard/
Last week I saw a page of a script that was supposedly leaked, where Agnes was trying to talk Rios into beaming down with her so they could be together, and he said he would just have to show her...and, then he deactivated himself.
So, I truly thought Agnes would double-cross A.I. Soong, and that Rios would end up in the golum.
That single bit of mis-direction kept this entire episode blissfully opaque to me, and I had no expectations.
In the end I don't think I've had such a strong emotional reaction to an episode of Star Trek in quite a while. Of course, it's different from those storylines from Deep Space 9 or Voyager (like some involving the Doctor/EMH), but this was saying goodbye to a beloved character.
Dopamine and serial teledramas...it's a very personal equation; just like whether you choose to invest yourself in a poem, or not. If you don't, then you won't enjoy it.
I didn't want to skip the opening credits, and while they played I let myself enjoy the emotions that played across my mind, and the anticipation...even the dread at having to possibly wait another year for the next season, but I took some dopamine accesses while the music played.... Because, "I don't want the game to end."
I don't know how many times I've seen this film but it never gets old, just gets better.
Robert Zemeckis has done a great job on this film. The film tells a story of a not so bright guys life and all the adventures he takes, the events that take place in his life, people he meets on the way, and his best friend that he grows up with Jenny.
They were like peas and carrots.
It shows you that he runs like the wind blows and It's got a bit of every genre, bit everything for everyone, It sets of sad and happy emotions, It's quotes are beautiful and always gives off positive vibes and good advice.
The picture in this film shows how beautiful are world really is, shows there's much more to explore and I think all actors did fantastic and had great chemistry, Also Tom Hanks showed off a great performance to show how great he is as an actor and he's proven that in future films ahead of this film.
I was sad that they've not made a book on this film, would love to read other than watch as the book they’ve based it on was about a guy called Forrest Gump that crashed landed on an island, where he was captured by cannibals but only the name Forrest Gump followed.
Life is like a box of chocolates because you don't know what you're gonna get. Well I'm glad i got to see this film for the first time years back because It's honestly a film to watch before you die and the best film I’ve ever seen.
Come on son! Amy Pond, Sarah Connor, Spy Kids Mom, Tina Turner, and Emperor Georgiou, take on the menfolk ala "Shoot Em' Up, and "Smoking Aces" having a baybay. Not meant to be cerebral and over analyzed, but a manifest celebration of feminine badassery. Yes the bad guys were inept, as the only casualty on the female side was clearly the result of a lucky shot, (and a surprising lack of body armor in an otherwise awesomely stocked armory), But, then, even Bruce Lee's opponents surrounded him in a circle and came at him one at a time. Honorable, yes, but madly inefficient.
In any case, this was a fun, entertaining watch, and, Chloe Coleman is a delight as "8 and 3/4" year old Emily, the flashpoint of all this chaos and conflict. Nothing that hasn't been done before, but, still, a nice take on the genre. They could possibly get a sequel out of it if they really wanted to, and, I'd be down for that one also.
@Callum - To paraphrase Dr. Raymond Stantz, "...You never studied"..., Those who are comparing "Gunpowder Milkshake" to the "John Wick" trilogy aren't saying it's a shot for shot comparison, or even a stylistic doppelganger, but, they ARE similar in world building, in that BOTH movies feature an underworld organization, with a hierarchy, rules, and regulations, which if violated, will earn one a visit from one (or in this case several dozen) highly trained, variously skilled, assassins, who will "balance the ledger" with your blood, bowels, and/or a bullet to the dome. What GM did that JW didn't, is to juxtapose the Peckinpah-esque (that's slo-mo, for those in Rio Linda) carnage and bloodletting, with a wry bit of levity, and to break up the somber situations with comedic beats on occasion.
Thus you have bits like the "Rag Doll" sequence, which was IMO hilariously done, yet JUST plausible enough that it could work. (no, stainless steel medical trays won't stop bullets any better than a car door, but that hasn't stopped countless hero's from hiding behind them in EVERY gun driven movie, EVER) But it was FUN, as was the Bowling Alley sequence, or the laundry room escape. In fact, if you look at most of the positive comments, they include the word "FUN".
You see, with what at times feels like the majority of the world being "woke", seemingly pissed off at anyone and everyone not affiliated with their particular "tribe", or insisting that YOU should be equally pissed off, socially stagnated, and intolerant, not to mention the unchecked romper stompering by feral humanoids that has infected cities nationwide like the T-Virus on steroids, sometimes, the remedy (at least for me) is a couple of hours of diversion in the form of some cinematic FUN. There of course is always a place for the cerebral and analytical, but that's not what this movie was going for. With age comes wisdom, and I have wisely learned that just because something does not fit my particular tastes or expectations, doesn't necessarily make it "bad", just not for me.
Watching a movie for the soundtrack is like going to see "Cats" because you're a veterinarian... Just sayin....
