Review by Jordy
VIP8Denis Villeneuve is the man!
There’s only one word that came into my mind after watching it: finally.Finally, a blockbuster that isn’t afraid to be primarily driven by drama and tension, and doesn’t undercut its own tone by throwing in a joke every 30 seconds.
Finally, a blockbuster that puts actual effort in its cinematography, and doesn’t have a bland or calculated colour palette.
Finally, a blockbuster with a story that has actual substance and themes, and doesn’t rely on intertextual references or nostalgia to create a fake sheen of depth.
Finally, a blockbuster that doesn’t pander to China by having big, loud and overblown action sequences, but relies on practical and grounded spectacle instead (it has big sand worms, you really don’t need to throw anything at the screen besides that).
Finally, a blockbuster that actually feels big, because it isn’t primarily shot in close ups, or on a sound stage.
And of course: finally, a blockbuster that isn’t a fucking prequel, sequel, or connected to an already established IP somehow.(Yeah, I know Tenet did those things as well, but I couldn’t get into that because the characters were so flat and uninteresting).
This just checks all the boxes. An engaging story with subtext, very well set up characters, great acting (like James Gunn, Villeneuve's great at accentuating the strengths of limited actors like Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa), spectecular visuals and art design (desaturated but not in an ugly washed out way), pacing (slow but it never drags), directing, one of Hans Zimmer’s best scores: it’s all here.
I only have one real criticism: there’s too much exposition, especially in the first half.
It can occasionally hold your hand by referencing things that have already been established previously, and some scenes of characters explaining stuff to each other could’ve been conveyed more visually.
Other than that, it’s easily one of the best films of the year.
I’ve seen some people critiquing it for being incomplete, which is true, but this isn’t just a set up for a future film.
It feels like a whole meal, there are pay offs in this, and the characters progress (even if, yes, their arcs are still incomplete).8.5/10
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@jordyep "And of course: finally, a blockbuster that isn’t a fucking prequel, sequel, or connected to an already established IP somehow." Hate to point this out, but Dune is very much an already established IP. As you mention at the end of your review, it is an adaptation of a novel (with a rather large following), and it has several earlier adaptations in several media including a not so small movie in the 80's.
"I only have one real criticism: there’s too much exposition, especially in the first half." + "... conveyed more visually."
Totally agree, my main issue with this movie is the same. Even the impressive big shots do not manage to distract from the pacing issues of all the exposition that had to be discussed. Also, I found the main character somewhat lacked to show some character in the first act. It was mostly others describing/planning for him.
(Edited for some nuance)
Not quite what I was expecting. The backdrop of World War I to do some The Matrix/Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon stunts was some serious juxtaposition. There was history but this was a lot of fluffed up action, which wasn't always done really well. Some of the scenes involving the goat laden mountain top area just didn't work, specifically the parachute jump. Absolutely ridiculous. The special effects used a little bit after that where characters were being suspended off the side of the mountain looked terrible on the big screen of the movie theatre. We are talking Darth Maul falling to his cut in half death in The Phantom Menace.
Last big problem was making Woodrow Wilson into a Great War era Bill Clinton getting caught in sexual misadventures in the White House. COME ON!
The easter egg in the closing credits with a smirking Adolph Hitler makes you think there is more of these to come. I hope they improve on them a little bit.
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@bob-frapples You forgot to use some spoiler tags.
Bloodsport: “Nobody likes a showoff.”
Peacemaker: “Unless what they showing off is dope as fuck.”
James Gunn recently said in an interview that he finds superhero movies “mostly boring” right now. Anything ranging from safe and boring or technically well-made but disposable, at best. Gunn received at bit of heat from fans for those remarks, but in some sense, he’s not wrong. Because sometimes following the same formula will eventually wear fin and more risk taking needs to happen.
And here we have ‘The Suicide Squad’, the soft reboot to the 2016 film, but this time directed by Gunn himself, where he delivers a highly entertaining movie that is bursting with creativity and ultra-violence. James Gunn once again shakes up the superhero formula with a slick style. I’m just glad DC is finally letting directors have a voice and a vision, and I hope it stays like that.
The first 10-15 minutes tells you exactly what the movie is going to be.
I just can't believe we got something like this. It's 2 hours and 12 minutes long, but it's always on the move. It’s bonkers from start till finish, and I enjoyed every minute of it. This is probably one of the best shot movies in the DCU. The soundtrack is great as well and used effectively. The action scenes were insane and made the overall experience one of the most fun I had at the cinema in a long time.
A massive improvement over the 2016 film, AKA ‘the studio cut’, is that the movie doesn’t look ugly and isn’t chopped together by trailer editors. The movie is vibrant in colours that made it look pleasing to the eye. The structure at times is messy, and yet strangely well-paced, as there’s a lot going on.
Did I mention the movie is very gory? It’s cartoonish violence, or what people call "adult superhero movie", so it's not for kiddies or for the faint of heart. You would probably guess that not everybody on the team is going to make it to the end credits, so deaths are to be expected, but how certain characters “bite the dust” are so unexpectedly gruesome and brutal, it took me by surprise each time. The marketing for the movie was right, don’t get too attached. As I said before, James Gunn had complete creative control over the movie, and he doesn’t hold back on what he wrote and show on screen. But then again, it's a movie, it's not real, the actors who die on screen are fine in real life...I think.
All the cast members have equal amount of time to shine, and you like these super villains this time around, as each character had wonderful chemistry with each other. John Cena plays Peacemaker, who can be best described as a “douchebag version of Captain America”. An extreme patriot who will do the most horrific things for liberty. John Cena excels in the deadpan line delivery for comedic effect, but surprisingly enough, worked well in the serious moments. Looking forward to the spin-off show ‘Peacemaker’.
Margot Robbie once again nails the role of the chaotic but gleeful Harley Quinn. While the character isn’t front and centre this time around, more of a side character, but whenever the character is on screen, it’s instantly memorable.
Idris Elba plays Bloodsport, a contract killer who’s doing time in prison after failing to kill Superman with a kryptonite bullet, while also dealing with family issues, especially with his daughter. While the character may sound like Will Smith’s Deadshot from the 2016 film, but trust me, the execution here is much stronger. This is by far Elba’s best work in a while. Charismatic and a strong leading presence.
Polka Dot Man, played by character actor David Dastmalchian, a socially awkward, weird, and lame sounding character that has some serious mummy issues, which has a funny running visual gag throughout. However, because of Gunn’s writing and Dastmalchian's performance, the character is more than a joke, but a unique character to watch.
Ratcatcher 2, played wonderfully by Daniela Melchior, who brought so much warmth and heart to the film. I loved how they tied in her tragic backstory into the finale, as it honestly made me cry. And let’s not forget the king himself, King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone. He stole every scene he’s in, because he’s so adorable and has such kind eyes, but when he’s hungry, he can be a killing machine.
The rest of the supporting cast, even in the smaller roles, still manage to stand out amidst all the chaos. I liked Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag a lot more this time around, because the actor was given more to work with in terms of good material. Viola Davis is brilliant as the cold and ruthless Amanda Waller. And Peter Capaldi is always a pleasure to see. Also, I like the character of Weasel, who I can describe as a unholy offspring of Shin Godzilla and Rocket Racoon. He may not be beautiful to look at, but he's beautiful to me.
Like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, the movie has a lot of heart and I like how they took certain characters, who on page sound stupid and ridiculous but are handled with such love and depth, while also being self-aware of its own characterization.
You can literally watch this as a standalone movie and you won’t be lost or confused, as you don’t need to watch 22 other movies to understand it. This is by far the strongest entry in this jumbled mess of a cinematic universe.
Overall rating: Nom-nom!
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@bradym03 I agree mostly with your review, however my main complaint is that I found the editing horrendous at times. Some scenes are too chaotic, camerawork is sometimes questionable and there are utmost unsettling cuts. It is definitely nice to see the artistic freedom the director is given, although it not always succeeds in this case.
Some smaller complaints; The finale was a bit weird, especially in the coloring, making it feel somewhere between serious or some kind of Legends of Tomorrow's Beeboo level joke. Some characters were a bit underused and flat, but for this type of movie I would not expect too much in that area anyway. Overall it is way better than its predecessor, which makes this a success in my book.
Wow. Not sure what people are thinking, calling this a modern classic? Nope. If you want that, see "Nightcrawler." Hell, "Baby Driver" is a better "getaway driver" movie and at least brings something inventive to the table. I watched this with much anticipation, having heard it was a great movie. Not really. Let's watch the two main characters stare at each other for long, soundless scenes, populate the film with ZERO interesting characters, and then top it of by having a main character with the emotional range of a toothpick (see what I did there). It's too bad - Gosling's a great actor (but not in this) and I loved the director's "Neon Demon." Oh well, you can't win them all...
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@genslen 'Baby Driver' is in a way the total opposite of this movie as a result from creative choices. Both have similar stories and are very stylistic, strongly choreographed and with an emphasis on music. But 'Baby Driver' is a very bright and upbeat movie, while 'Drive' is dark and slow. I think it could be an interesting case study to compare these two movies more in depth.
PS. Even though i do not share your opinion about 'Drive', I do also prefer 'Baby Driver'
PPS. Nightcrawler :metal:
Watching it a second time, 12 years later, with my dad. Extended version, great film.
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I think you made a mistake with your rating, considering your shout ;)
Well its done... it turned out the best way it could with the time we had.... It was not a train wreck, but it was certainly rushed. The writing never waivered and that made it much more palatable. The characters were strong till the end as well. It was emotional and charming as always. Overall it didn't ruin the series, and I'm overall happy with it.
--BUT--
My main issue is the narrative feels SEVERELY incomplete, and I'm beginning to wonder if that was done on purpose.
I might just be an optimist as much as Holden here, but it truly does not feel like its done. ESPICALLY with the protomolecule ship coming thru the ring at the VERY END. IDK they'd include that if there was not something up their sleeve. I really hope and pray there is more story to be told from the roci and this amazing universe.The one thing I am disappointed in is Marco. His end was just so unsatisfying and overall he was severely underwritten and ended up being one of the most underwhelming villains ever. He had no characterization and they never really fleshed him out, nor really did anything with his and Phillips relationship. Their whole arc was just a nothingburger and that is really a shame
If this is truly the end though, I thank everyone in this show involved for the joy its brought me. It was truly something special we had here and I am so happy I got to experience it.
Till next time folks.
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@mattdeezly1996 I agree. There are several (massive) questions left open without answer, and it is clear that the source material continued after this. It is disappointing and unsatisfying they were unable to finish this in the show, but they did the best they could within the 6 episodes that were left and I think it could have been much worse. From what I understood, the last 3 novels skip 30 years into the future, so if you would cut the story anywhere before the true ending, this was probably the best place to do it.
This movie would be way funnier if we weren't living it.
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@teogramm The Comedy version of this movie is the in 2006 released 'Idiocracy'
To be blunt its just a bit of a waste of Emily's talent
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@t-cash-a2091e7f-4305-4361-a7c5-4e33a6aebf91 Nice movie related joke
I'm surprised that this film has a relatively low rating on Trakt. I really enjoyed the futurism, the themes of disillusionment and identity and the philosophical themes explored.
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@halane 100% agree with your comment, except for a small footnote:
Replace the word Asian for independent. This is an American film, all of the main characters are also (Asian) American. However this is not a Hollywood (or directly related) production. Independent films tend to be slower, plenty of fast paced Asian films too.
And to add, it is a soul crushing film so I can understand where the relatively low rating might come from.
I have found a huge blooper. Kyle MacLachlan takes out his iPhone before they cut!! And nobody in the production noticed. Idiots! ;)
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@atlantis14 This was not an error, it is intentional. At several points in the movie, modern devices are used.
This is the "Prometeus school of little space explorer" all over again.
They have the technology, they have the know-how, but for some reason they put the worst possible people in charge of the most important mission of human history.
It's like NASA put highschoolers inside Apollo 11.
Why writers can't write a good sci-fi show without making people complete incompetents?I miss SG1
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@canardu The mining crew from Armageddon look like experts compared to these bunch of incompetent idiots xD
Amazing. A very original scenario, perfectly executed until the end. It all makes sense, but still leaves a lot of open questions for your imagination.
The main actors are ok, they do the job, but the supporting ones are amazing. The whole beginning sequence with Martin is so weird and hilarious, a perfect intro into the movie. The kid is also creepy as fuck, with a little help from voice over he's just perfect.
The design of the house is also the perfect fit of trying to create something ideal but with no understanding of how things are supposed to be, the whole thing is uncanny valley to the max, just as much as Martin is.
And the whole situation raises lots of questions, what's the correct behavior ? It's rapidly obvious that the kid is not human, so what do you do ? Can you trust them ? Are you sure you'll be released ? Are you helping an alien invasion or something like that ? Should you not stop it ? Or maybe the other way around, if you manage to raise the kid normally, with love and everything, there's a chance it would end up being a good thing ?
What if you killed it ? So many other scenarios to try other than the one chosen by the characters.Do everybody behave the same way ? Does everybody dig their own grave ? How many instances ? How many time did this happen ?
So yeah, not only is this a very original, complete and captivating story, the whole concept is just genious and leave so many other possibilities to think about when the movie ends. It's new, it's weird, it's fun. Definitely a masterpiece.
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@fly_ As of the time of the story, (at least) 8900 times, there is a receipt at the final scene.
This has to be the most paradox Timetravel movie I've ever seen.
It's not that shocking because it is, after all, a movie about timetraveling...But the whole Idea behind it is totally perverted! I mean, come on:
The main character is a hermaphrodite. He starts as a woman and later on in life he becomes a man.
He goes back in time, fucks his female self and impregnates himself with himself.
Yes, you read that right: He is the baby he has with himself.MIND = BLOWN
What the hell was the director smoking?
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Not to mention he walks out on herself to steal himself from himself and herself to kill himself in the end.
No wonder they warn him for paranoia.
First time I watch a Doctor Who Christmas special on (around) Christmas, amazing feeling!
Ncuti's first episode was a lot of fun, the Doctor is living his best life after years of processing the past (following that theory at least) and Millie's first episode promises an interesting companion.
The musical number was a bit odd but I could dig it.
I saw a theory that Mrs. Flood could be River Song, that's too exciting to believe in right now.
I also wonder what the deal is with Ruby's parents, excited to find out. The trailer for the first season looks great and I'm very much looking forward to spring 2024.
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@walkingkev Ruby's parent(s) is going to be a major plot point at some point for sure.
Shout by Sebastian Johansson
VIP7I loved it. Ruby is brilliant. I don't get how people can say that the 15th isn't doctor-like. Basically Matt Smith's doctor no? I'm hyped.
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@sebbejohansson Agree, reminiscent of the Amy & Rory Pond intro, with Matt running around frantically.
Shout by Dreadlock Unicorn
VIP3World Premiere Review: Sam Raimi, you legend. This was one of, if not the most, fun MCU movie yet. It's very Evil Dead inspired visually, particularly the camera work. The character arcs here are fantastic, the action is wonderfully violent (the multiverse gives so much opportunity to kill off characters without impacting the main timeline too much), and the pacing is great, just go see it.
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And just how many times can they kill off Stewart's Xavier xD Sad to see him die again.
I can't even put into words my distaste for this movie. Only Americans will ask you to feel bad for their war criminals. The quote by Frankie Boyle describes this film perfectly, “Not only will America go to your country and kill all your people, they’ll come back twenty years later and make a movie about how killing your people made their soldiers feel sad.” The whole point of The Card Counter is to try to get you to sympathize with a war criminal who tortured, killed, terrorized people. Not only that but it's extremely unrealistic to ask the viewer to believe that anyone responsible for Abu Ghraib faced meaningful consequences. Like, come on, now!
This movie followed the most boring protagonists, who are as dull as they can get. Zero chemistry between any member of the cast. Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, and Tye Sheridan are basically in 3 different movies and each one of them is total garbage:
"Abu Ghraib torturer, but make him seeeexy" How? Oh, cast hot actor with beautiful eyes. Plus, he did his time, 8 years for the most vile crimes you can possibly imagine. But he is a good guy now. He fucks girls and support college kids. For someone I guess we're supposed to dislike (?), the movie spends a lot of time showing how cool he is.
Tiffany Haddish must’ve been the only actress to audition for the role of La Linda because she was radically miscast. She is not ready for dramatic acting. As for her character – she is independent and has connections with rich folks … that’s it. Wow, so interesting, right?! The 'chemistry' between her and Isaac was weird. It wasn’t seductive, it just felt like watching high schoolers flirt, but even more painful.
Cirk seemed like he is dumb as rocks. To expect us to care so much about a kid who we don't even know is irresponsible. I couldn't care less about his death or revenge killing.
Oh, and there is another character introduced like "USA!" guy with no point. But he was born in Ukraine, so he is not American. Oscar Isaac was born in Guatemala, grew up in USA and plays an American dude, while people born in Ukraine who grew up in USA are only Ukrainian. Even if you want to follow American rules, you just can’t because the Yanks are very inconsistent and hypocritical.
Most bad movies have some redeeming qualities. I can’t think of anything with this, everything just felt so bland to me:
Nothing is happening, and the movie is sooo repetitive . Oscar Isaac looking serious and walking in a casino,with suspenseful music - this is like 80% of the movie.
Almost every scene is an end in itself, nothing is explored, and doesn’t progress the story at all scene to scene.
The music. Oh, the music, which mainly featured vapid, brooding indie/electronic songs, is just all over the place here. I hated it!
There is basically no concept of tension or mystery, which is pretty important when you’re watching a fake game of poker.
The philosophy was so juvenile, and the movie lacks anything interesting to say. We are supposed to believe the main character is very mysterious and smart but he is one of the most boring, dull and flat characters I have ever seen.
The dialogue is godawful, no exaggeration here! "I have no goals", "Have you ever read a book", "What is your story" etc. It felt so awkward and as if the characters aren’t even talking to each other.
Why is it called The Card Counter when the main character counted cards once onscreen and then spends the entire movie playing poker?
Did I see a different movie than all of these people rating it high?
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@cutecruel I think the ending of the movie gives away that the torturer remains in his cycle of violence, and is not redeemed. I just thought it was all a rather pointless story.
Review by Jordy
VIP8Ever since the mid 90s, Roland Emmerich has attempted time and time again to repackage and recapture the ideas from Independence Day. After many failed attempts, I wonder why there’s still a theatrical market for films like this. Or rather, it’s odd that Hollywood thinks there’s still a market for it, given that all of Emmerich’s films since 2012 have flopped at the box office. And, he’s about to add another one to his resume. This should’ve gotten a streaming release at best, as it belongs in the same category as a film like The Tomorrow War. It’s background noise you throw on while you’re doing the dishes or folding the laundry. It's too disposable, phony, poorly acted and boring to pay any serious attention to, let alone pay money for. There's a sense of authenticity and fun to dumb action movies like Independence Day that you're never going to capture with the way these kind of films are made now. You have to applaud Emmerich for making a big, original studio film, but it’s still generic schlock that doesn’t have a single ounce of personality. Fuck whoever financed this.
Edit: after a little bit of digging I found out that the primary investor of this thing is a Chinese company called Tencent Pictures. They’re also responsible for financing other great films such as Terminator: Dark Fate, Warcraft, Kong: Skull Island, Men in Black: International, Monster Hunter and the 2 Venom movies. To put it mildly, it appears that it’s this company’s sole purpose to flood the market with trash, and not exactly the fun kind. Now I know what you’re thinking: maybe their involvement helps with receiving a Chinese release from the CCP? But here’s the problem: Venom 2 was banned in China. So, they’re clearly just a bunch of incompetent investors, given that all of their films (the Venom films excluded) have been massive financial and critical flops. The takeaway for Hollywood should be pretty simple: if Tencent wants to invest in your production, cancel all plans before you have another Moonfall on your hands.
2.5/10
Watch it if you’re a fan of Toto, or genuinly laugh at any point during the first scene.
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@jordyep Tencent is not just any company though. It is one of China's biggest companies, especially concerning consumer products, and a global fortune 500 ranked company. Even though I agree they don't have the best track record (concerning movies) but imho your conclusions are also a pinch exaggerated.
Funny and also worrying. Idiocracy 2.0 in my opinion, much more grounded in what's actually happening in the world right now.
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@mynsc This was my exact thinking.
Review by Jordy
VIP8Denis Villeneuve is the man!
There’s only one word that came into my mind after watching it: finally.Finally, a blockbuster that isn’t afraid to be primarily driven by drama and tension, and doesn’t undercut its own tone by throwing in a joke every 30 seconds.
Finally, a blockbuster that puts actual effort in its cinematography, and doesn’t have a bland or calculated colour palette.
Finally, a blockbuster with a story that has actual substance and themes, and doesn’t rely on intertextual references or nostalgia to create a fake sheen of depth.
Finally, a blockbuster that doesn’t pander to China by having big, loud and overblown action sequences, but relies on practical and grounded spectacle instead (it has big sand worms, you really don’t need to throw anything at the screen besides that).
Finally, a blockbuster that actually feels big, because it isn’t primarily shot in close ups, or on a sound stage.
And of course: finally, a blockbuster that isn’t a fucking prequel, sequel, or connected to an already established IP somehow.(Yeah, I know Tenet did those things as well, but I couldn’t get into that because the characters were so flat and uninteresting).
This just checks all the boxes. An engaging story with subtext, very well set up characters, great acting (like James Gunn, Villeneuve's great at accentuating the strengths of limited actors like Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa), spectecular visuals and art design (desaturated but not in an ugly washed out way), pacing (slow but it never drags), directing, one of Hans Zimmer’s best scores: it’s all here.
I only have one real criticism: there’s too much exposition, especially in the first half.
It can occasionally hold your hand by referencing things that have already been established previously, and some scenes of characters explaining stuff to each other could’ve been conveyed more visually.
Other than that, it’s easily one of the best films of the year.
I’ve seen some people critiquing it for being incomplete, which is true, but this isn’t just a set up for a future film.
It feels like a whole meal, there are pay offs in this, and the characters progress (even if, yes, their arcs are still incomplete).8.5/10
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@jordyep Fair point. I tried to get through Lynch's movie a few times, but I have never been able to finish it. And it is true there have not been main stream Dune related projects in a long time.
I see what you mean, I think my nitpick about the first act is more about lack of showing character instead of telling. At the end of the movie I not felt like I know who he is and even less who he was, even though he is the main character. And from that 'lack of understanding' i tried to trace back what could have caused that.
Of course that could just be a me-issue, and not the movie. But I think it is not so much his passiveness, and more because I didn't get to see enough of his original character by actions (or choices.) Some of it is shown or told, although perhaps not that clear (or just not to me.) I thought the most defining scene for who he is in the beginning is when he is meeting the old Gesserit leader. He seems rather pubescent in his breakfast conversation with his mom, disliking ceremony, uninterested in his tasks, and unmotivated or even lazy about developing his 'Jedi mind trick' skills. He doesn't look excited to be a king (or anything others want for him), but (or maybe because of earlier said point) he feels attracted to Arrakis. And ofc the dream as extra motivation works fine. So I don't mean he is a blank slate, his character is there, but I think it might have been preferable to have more visual conveying of his character instead of others saying he is rebellious like his father (I expected him to do something rash in that scene because of that for example) or explaining how the shields work, which is also shown in the literal same scene anyway.
ps. Your review is very on point though.
Such a different type of Batman story that we're used to these days. So much thought has been put into the story and characters rather than just the action. While I personally quickly figured out in part 2 who Holiday was, their reasons for doing it were something I never expected.
The new animation style DC has been going with recently has had very mixed response from people, but personally I love it and feel it's adds a lot to the direction of the movie.
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@woffingshire I am not a big fan of the new animation style I guess, since I have been mostly disappointing with the movies for a few years(?) now. This was a very welcome and positive exception for me though. The quality felt much higher, and it also reminded me more of the 90's Batman The Animated series. (And story wise this is fantastic compared to the average.)
I only saw the trailer to see if i will watch it or skip it,and wanted to comment and add STOP SHOVING Ruby Rose down our throat,she can't act, in John wick they made her character mute, otherwise she would have ruined the movie..and i saw she have another lead coming with Morgan Freeman ,come on who she's sleeping with to got that lead too... there's a thousand more talented actresses out there ,whom deserve a shot instead of her.
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@tdassa Perhaps her agency is promoting her when studios try to hire other actors. You want insert A list actor then you also have to take Ruby.... Or what you said xD
Shout by Πασχάλης Λύρατζης
Green screen was so obvious in every part, as if the singing? I mean WTF? What purpose did that have? Nevertheless it was a nice idea to make that movie, but I waited something better!
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@plyratzis95 The obvious greenscreen was intentional. I have no idea why though.
Shout by Klovarr
VIP6Mulan 2020 has awful reviews.
They are all wrong.
Granted, the first half of the movie is just 'okay', but the SECOND HALF, I loved every minute of it.
The rest of this review is spoilers, so go away.
so the whole Forbidden City part of the movie, after the avalanche was fucking awesome. I think I said aloud "Beatrix Mulan Kiddo" because the action on the second half is freaking awesome. ALSO, the Emporer is actually a fucking badass. The film resolves very well with the intro, and musical queues were on point.
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@klovar Your spoiler tag should be / instead of \
This movie, right off the bat, makes some smart creative decisions: it doesn’t try to imitate the original too much, and it’s not a musical.
They even steer away from the usual Disney formula by taking away the funny sidekick.
And while the film is technically quite impressive (cinematography and score are top notch), I found it to be ultimately unengaging.
Also, there seems to be a correlation between big, feminist action movies and poor lead performances.
I mean, just do the math: Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and now Mulan.Yes, I also find it important that more of these movies get made (not corporate, tame Disney films, but female driven action movies in general), but they deserve to be a lot better than this.
Problem is, if nobody sees it, chances are execs will take the wrong lesson from it, and think people don’t want to see female/Asian representation, or feminist themes.
So, we’re kinda fucked regardless, but I still don’t find that an excuse to give a heavy push to this mediocre movie, as I see some journalists doing.5/10
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@jordyep What do you mean, not corporate? This movie had a heavy corporate hand in it. A clear effort was made to avoid Chinese government censorship (which in my opinion hurt the character writing.) I think the result is a movie that doesn't satisfy neither Chinese and western audiences.
ps. I do agree with the point you are trying to make though.
Why is it nowhere on this page can I find out what this movie is rated? So much info, but not something that simple in plain sight.
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@thepublisher Aaah sorry, i misunderstood. That information is not visible on Trakt as of now. You could suggest it as a feature at https://support.trakt.tv/ if it has not been suggested already.
i'm wondering how many episodes there are in Season 2. is there a definitive resource where i can check?
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@ajmal-email-yahoo-co-uk Originally 10, but filming for the last episode was not finished bc of COVID19, so it remains at 9.
Review by Blakblu
Smartest creature ever. Super adaptable, evolutionary. This is by far the bad assiest being ever imagined. The science in the movie was up to my extremely lofty standards. For the first time, ever in a horror movie, this thing could theoretically actually exist makes the movie extremely interesting. The main reason I gave it a 9, is due to the fact, they should have sacrificed the first guy, immediately. I had one other issue, but that would tip spoilers. Other than that, this is a great, thrilling, mind bender of a horror sci-fi movie.
And for those who ridiculously state this was "like Alien". This movie had a super intelligent, highly evolved bacteria. This was never done before. Actual physics and biology was implemented. It wasn't just some creature out of the mind of a teenager. The crew were attempting to contain and survive. Never before have I saw a movie, that was about containing an entity while above the planet. This used an actual space station, that is real and does exist. This was not a fairy tale of a movie, as was Alien. No one was hunting this thing down with guns and such. This movie is about what can actually happen as we go frolicking around our solar system. This is something that we should actually be worried about. That is completely ground breaking in every way possible. The Europa Report was closer related to this film, but even that was not as real of a threat as this movie, since it was on a Saturn moon, using theoretical science and fictional equipment. Life used all actual equipment, actual science, and actual crew reactions, although, I would have sacrificed the first guy, immediately and launched the immature state of Calvin at the first sign of an issue. And one last thing, Calvin didn't even kill anyone, except the first guy, who was attempting to incinerate it. I bet in part two, we will find out he is actually peaceful.
This movie was nothing like Alien. Besides the fact that the setting was in space and there was a creature hunting them down (or was he?). The Alien was killing, Calvin was surviving.
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@blakblu "actual crew reactions" If that blatant disrespect for safety protocol was supposed to be a realistic reaction from actual trained professional astronauts, then I guess this movie got its astronauts from the same place as Armageddon xD
07/10.
This is a cliche-filed solid action movie with crazy gunfight sequences. It lacks a good narrative but the thrilling action makes up for it.
If you are looking for nuance there are tons of Dramas out there. It is not trying to be one of those films. This is an action movie as advertised.
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@jlucascaraujo The continuous shot was probably the highlight of the movie, at least it was for me. It looked inspired by (or at least reminded me of) Children of Men. So if you ask me (not that anybody did): on a scale of Undergroud 6 - Children of men, this can be put comfortably in the middle of the two.
If you rate a movie on it's genre alone, this also gives problems. It makes comparing movies from different genre difficult (so things like best-of lists lose value, not saying they have any to begin with but that's a different topic), or difficulties rating mixed genre (romcom, comedy action, scifi-horror etc.) or genre transcending movies for example. I think how to best rate a movie depends on what the purpose is of the person who is doing it, and for whom he/she is doing it.
In my opinion, rating a movie can only be done for what it is, and a number alone will never be fully representative. Good thing we have the possibility to use text to give context to a rating.
And last but not least, in the end it will still be a subjective value that can be at best a guideline for others and at worse completely useless for anyone.
I don't get how I can see a movie it doesn't work for me please help me
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This website is not a streaming website, it is so you can track what you watch (and more.) The name kinda gives it away. However it does often provide links to sites where you can buy and watch movies (top left, below the movie poster.)
