This is the Unforgiven of superhero movies, a brutal yet tender portrayal of former heroes growing old. Logan is tired and world weary, waiting for death to take away his pain. Charles is 90, riddled with drugs to mute his mind, his "super weapon." Despite their friendship their relationship is fractured. Into their lives comes a new mutant and a road trip begins.
I don't want to say much more, having given away a little of the premise already explored in the films trailers. This is a tough, violent and sad film with few moments of humour. There is action but not of the blockbuster kind, one key car chase is like something from a 70's thriller.
This is the swan song of Logan and Charles, both actors giving it their all in their final performances as these characters. To bring them back after this film would undermine their work and the story here.
The film is brilliant and I can't recommend it enough - don't expect a traditional X-Men movie and you will be blown away. If the film itself were a mutant I would say its genes had been spliced with Mad Max and Shane, with a little bit of Children of the Corn (and I mean that in a good way). Excelsior!
[9.0/10[ An incredibly tense hour of television. What's so impressive is that Better Call Saul accomplished this despite us knowing that, of course, Jimmy and Gus both survive. It comes down to such fantastic performances from everyone involved. You immediately buy how shaken and terrified Jimmy and Kim are, and how frightened even the normally steady Gus is at the point of Lalo's gun. Vince Gilligan's direction is outstanding, with a Hitchcockian flair for light and shadow that sets the foreboding mood of all these set pieces. And the score does the rest, helping the audience to feel the emotion of these scenes even if we rationally know the fates of several of those at the most risk.
My only mild beef is that Gus' survival feels like a bit of a cheat. It's still not clear to me why he did the gun in the superlab, and the dialogue kind of shrugs at the idea. Even in the dark, it seems like Lalo would have done better against Fring than he did. But details like Fring seeming to make one last desperate ploy to survive, still suffering wounds despite his body armor, and admitting he was over his skiis with this whole thing in the end helps make it passable. On a moment-to-moment basis, the scenes absolutely work, which covers for a lot.
What struck me the most is that closing image -- Howard and Lalo, two very different men, sharing the same fate and the same grave. It's a sign that the barrier between Jimmy's legal life and Saul's criminal life has been firmly shattered. Both lives, both worlds, are bound up in these deaths now, with the psychic weight hanging over Jimmy and Kim for the last five episodes. This never happened, but they, and Mike, will all still have to live with it. I can't wait to see how.
EDIT: If you'd like to read my usual, longer review of the episode, you can find it here -- https://thespool.net/reviews/tv-recap-better-call-saul-season-6-episode-8/
Gun Fu, Gun Porn, Stylized Ultra violence, call it whatever you want, but, one thing is certain, John Wick 3 delivered it all, and then brought you second and third helpings. Tom Cruise gets a lot of cred for doing his own increasingly elaborate stunts for each M.I. installment, but I'll see you EVERY stunt the couch jumping Mr. Cruise has done his ENTIRE career, for the first two action sequences in this movie ALONE! Also, Keanu Reeves isn't just harnessed to a plane or rappelling down the side of a building and leaping across roof tops. Reeves weapons handling and combined intricate fight sequences aren't the result of Steven Seagal style quick cuts, Fast and Furious edits, post SFX, or tricky camera angles to disguise whats actually happening. It's VISCERAL, because the camera lingers on the mayhem so that the viewer can savor each strike, slash, stab, and gunshot, and ALL the accompanying carnage. Not in Sam Peckinpah slo-mo, but in real time, yet, somehow, one is still able to take it all in, and then the sequence would end, just about the same time you remembered to BREATHE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=nrawit53W7s
Yes, it's over the top, but this is the world John Wick inhabits. A culture of hired assassins, an entire society, existing just beneath the surface of the one you and I can see, the one the rest of us inhabit. A society with rank and file members, management, service, and executive classes, and RULES. And it is the rules, which have kept order from devolving into chaos for hundreds of years, that have made them "different from the animals".
For the love of his deceased wife, a car, and a puppy, John Wick reached his proverbial "last straw". (John Wick 1) For his loyalty to a blood oath, which was broken, he violated a cardinal rule, and was marked for death. (John Wick 2) Yet, using those same rules and oaths, (and his particularly unique set of skills) he was able to braid for himself a life-line, tenuous as it was, but a life-line nevertheless. The powers that be cannot allow that to happen, and seek to intimidate, punish, and if necessary eliminate each of those who extended him a thread of that line, even if they technically only "stretched" the rules. What they have failed to realize is that John Wick's reputation as the "Baba Yaga", the proverbial Boogie-man, is not only well earned, but, if anything, it is UNDER stated.
Those who were paying attention saw that we actually DID get quite a bit of origin/back story on the eponymous Mr. Wick, as well as a glimpse into the world of the contract killers, as to how the contracts are put out, and the hierarchy that pulls the strings behind the scenes. I look forward to seeing this expanded upon in future installments
Kudos and Props this installment to Iron Chef Mark Dacascos and a host of other Asian Martial Artists as the closest thing John has to true competition, yet, they are at the same time fanboys who geek out at getting a chance to fight him.
To Halle Berry, for NAILING her fight sequences, then being a trooper and not quitting when her scenes cost her a couple of broken ribs. Her character obviously has some issues with the menfolk, considering how many she shot in the "kibbles and bits. Also props to the trainers of her two pups, and the stunt men for allowing same said puppers to gnaw precariously close to their kibbles and bits until she shot them. OUCH!
In case you doubt me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=66&v=xa2RJPrY2Og
To Laurence Fishburne, for making sure that Neo still has Morpheus as a Mentor, even if you "sometimes have to cut a Mo Fo".. All we need now is Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity to show up in the inevitable Part 4, and all will be right in the Universe. (make it happen writers)
10 out of 10 - Best of the 3 so far IMO
Ever 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.
8.3/10
I will readily admit, I was initially just interested in this movie because of Jennifer Lawrence.
The beginning was a tad bit slow, but don't let that deter you. The rest of the film you will be trying to catch up to what is going on. I will need to see this a second time to begin to understand all the intricacies of the plot, which was unpredictable (my favorite characteristic of any plot).
Throughout, the intentions of Dominica are never clear. She seems to genuinely serve both sides, and yet, equally betrays both sides. I don't think she cares about anyone but her mother. Even the 'love' she shows to Nate, turns out to be a means to an end. I personally loved that I could not tell what was in her head because it kept me guessing.
Some of the acting felt disingenuous, but the main leads (especially Lawrence), were astonishing. The soundtrack worked well, and there really wasn't any 'fake' action to take away from a beautiful plot.
By the end of the film, you will be confused beyond all reason. Lawrence's character developed into a psychopath - a product of the system she was put in.
I loved this movie.
It has just the enough amount of action for - not the have the whole movie revolve around it, and still enjoy great guns, gunning, and sniper rifles.
The movie had no "comic" (AKA Idiotic) character, for which i'm thankful. The characters were believable enough and convinced me they acted in a senseable and logical way. Our lead character is the unlike superhero which we're used to see, and has his personal problems, which really made me like him.
The story was nice enough and i really looked forward to see what happens!
I liked Ben here, him being serious and kind'a down spirited. I think the since Good Will Hunting, when his buddy Matt won the raffle of playing the suffering genius, he (Ben) wanted to act this part. So they gave it to him + many guns !
Overall - Not the banal action movie but a good and classy one. I recommend.
P.S Good for Jonny B, who else but TWD's Shane, for acting yet another douchey bad guy.
Spoiler edit: is it just me or that the J K Simmons storyline had hardly anything to do with the main plot?!? OK They had their thing in the 10 years ago past, but since then - only that lame phone call! what gives??
My god (pun not intended) that got shoehorned in so badly. If I wanted bad fanfic about Christianity, I'd get on AO3. They took a relatively good concept, but it seems to me that they wrote themselves into a corner they couldn't escape via other means than a perpetual deus ex machina.
Unfortunately the worsened writing is not being redeemed by good acting, pleasant soundtrack or captivating sub plot arcs. If you want to watch it, don't continue reading.
The characters have gotten hit on the head way too many times during the past few seasons and their IQ loss is noticeable and painful to watch. Their intelligence is not the only thing that has been impacted though, they have increasingly terrible emotional and exocrine system. The main characters are constantly stupid, overly emotional and wet (I wish I were kidding about the last part).
All that is followed by reoccuring characters (who weren't passengers) repeatedly witnessing miracles and still not believing what's going on, thus becoming hindrances at the most ridiculous and idiotic moments. Exacerbated by the absolute inability to communicate properly, my F*****G god. The overuse of certain tropes makes them intolerable, especially when accompanied by the noticeably repetitive and b***h-a*s plot-spoiling soundtrack. All that unfortunately makes most sub-plot much more worse than what you can find in amateur-written fiction.
If you want a sci-fi about some bigger coordinated plan then Travellers is much better, if you want time-travel there's an even bigger selection, if you want mystery Lost is there. This... is not worth it.
This isn't actually a comment, it's a rant...
The movie goes from interesting and mysterious to stupid and idiotic.
3 guys working shifts on the lighthouse of a small island find a small chest with a dozen gold bars, recovered from a salvaged loot that hit their shore. The apparently dead body near their loot isn't dead and tries to murder one of them, but gets killed in the process. They keep the secret and the gold. Soon after two strangers arrive looking for their dead mate, and more importantly, the looted gold. One thing leads to another and they soon become involved in a fight for their lives. After prevailing, a shadow appears outside of the lighthouse... afraid, they chase that figure until the character portrayed by Gerard Butler kills the runner with a swift cut of the neck using his crab-hunting hook. The figure he killed was a ~12yo child, I'm guessing the child came with the two other deceased pirates, even though it's stupid enough. From there on James (GB's char) enters a delusional state that jeopardizes the 3 companions. The rationale behind the steering direction into sheer stupidity wants us to (vaguely) believe that mercury poisoning was somehow involved, although the most stupid character (Gerard Butler's) was not necessarily in direct contact with the substance, and certainly not as much as other characters might have been. Unclear.
TL;DR: Scenery, music, and acting is great... you enjoy half the movie and then it steers into a great anti-climatic and frustrating 2nd half, ending in the same direction as Gerard's character. I would have unseen the movie if it were possible because the bad parts cancel the good ones. Negative, but candor, a waste of my time - despite the beautiful cinematography.
The move you should have made was taking Melanie under the train at the meet dummy
Oh Stfu Melanie, stoping lying about doing it for souls onboard. You doing all this because you like to be in charge.
Why was Ruth the bait lol. So a shovel didnt hurt by a air vent did
Omfg!!!!!!!! Why are you letting Wilfred go like hes not going to come back. Jesus Christ!!!
I’m down with this show. :v_tone3:
Did they just made two train and made it, Religion train and Science train :joy: lmao. Good to see we still can’t separate Church and State
Why not just stay on the train and do most research on the track to eden or find a way to scout that area by idk sending the sign cart that you just put that fuck face Wilfred in. Nothing makes logical sense just like i said from jump was to separate the trains even before a civil war was about to break out lol
And here we go Josie flip flop again and with Layton now lol so all she said before was pointless
So Wilfred is for sure going to switch tracks and head toward New Eden and start shit up again :man_facepalming_tone3:
Yo i didn’t realized if you turn the W pin around its M for Melanie. Nice touch
Hahahaha the way the Murder girl die was priceless and worth all the other dumb shit in the show. Im glad i got to see that. Best part of the episode. “Suck on that” pun intended
Parks and Rec is one of my favourite pieces of television and for the better part of its run on television, I was genuinely awestruck by its superb ensemble cast and characters and its emphatic sense of worldbuilding that gave way to so many memorable side characters on the show. The utterly unassuming first season therefore stands out in stark contrast relative to the show it would go onto become and its central saving grace is that the first season is as short as it is at just the six episodes.
In my opinion, the show manages to get right some aspects of Leslie's character such as her infectious joy and optimism in government work but it seems to get wrong her overall tone, opting more for bumbling and incompetent and less for confident and assured. In the early parts of the season in particular, she plays out like another version of Michael Scott, obnoxious and overbearing and it only spells out more clearly how Parks and Rec initially operated under the shadows of NBC's The Office.
Ann is perhaps the only character in my opinion that they manage to get right from the start but that might also have to do with her being one of the more easily defined characters on the show. She's effectively the "straight man" of the series and Rashida Jones plays that part without any difficulty whatsoever. Going back and seeing Ann and Chris being a couple on the show is so strange and difficult to re-adjust to seeing where these characters would go onto.
The problem with Mark's character is a) there is already a "straight man" in Ann on the show and b) Paul Schneider just isn't very charismatic onscreen and he just doesn't quite translate the more nuanced aspects of his character whereby he can be both sleazy and empathetic and what not.
A big problem with this first season is how April is almost blatantly pushed to the side. She gets so little screentime and only a handful of completely unsubstantial lines of dialogue in this season that she's not even a caricature of the apathetic adolescent. Through April's complete lack of character, the season loses one of its pivotal voices that makes the show so goddamn endearing. Speaking of personalities, Ron Swanson is also a weak voice in the first season even if he gets a handful of moments that work well in retrospect. To extend that idea another step further, Jerry and Donna are also pushed aside for the most part here or maybe, they weren't initially conceived to be part of the show's ensemble.
Season 1 barely hobbles its way to the finish line but it's not absolutely reprehensible or anything. It just isn't very convincing and at all and there isn't much humour or even fun to be found here. That all changes with the second season and by the end of that second season, the show would completely find its voice when two of the greatest personalities on the show make their entrance.
