Last Film You've Seen

Ghost X

Ghost X

Moderator
Dr Strange 2

Had some interesting ideas, but I thought it was largely average. The first movie was way better. 2.8/5 stars.

Would have to say my favourite bit was Dr Strange controlling the dead Dr Strange, and when Wanda got trapped in the mirror dimension (or whatever), and quickly figured her way out of it. The Illuminati and their fight scenes were largely a let down / boring, though I liked the way the whisper dude died. Was a short interaction, but interesting.
 
Ghost X

Ghost X

Moderator
The Lost City

Birthday present for my Mum. I didn't research much into it. Some stuff I'd seen about it seemed funny. I think we were both expecting it to be more of an action comedy flick, but it's really what I understand to be your average romcom (a genre I avoid like the plague), with some action elements, and the comedy doesn't usually land. Can't take Radcliffe seriously as the villain, etc. 2.4/5 stars.
 
Ghost X

Ghost X

Moderator
Thor: Love and Thunder

  • The movie seems to take itself even less seriously than Ragnarok (I enjoyed Ragnarok more, despite its faults). The tone of the first two films being even more distant in likeness.
  • Was one of those films where I had to turn off my brain to enjoy it.
  • None of the action sequences really had any weight to them, which was a CGI issue. Tis a shame because they weren't too bad in a structural sense. The first battle scene where he destroys that temple in the end is probably my favourite. All down hill from there. The sound was rather flat in them also, which I'm sure didn't help. Not sure if that was the cinema I was in or the film.
  • The goats got the most laughs from the audience.
  • I think my favourite idea was the jealousy of Thor's axe and the faux drama sub-plot around that.
  • Natalie Portman's choice to sacrifice herself didn't have the oomph I'd have liked it to have. Missed opportunity.
2.8/5 stars.
 
Rankles

Rankles

Pro Adventurer
Tetsujin said:
Prey

Had a good time, would put it on par with the first Predator. Washes away the stink of the offensively bad last one. :monster:
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Flawed but very enjoyable film. Would put it either second or third in the series, ahead of Predator 2 and Shane Black’s travesty.
 
C

Clement Rage

Pro Adventurer
Bullet Train. I enjoyed it, was a fun action film (bunch of top class assassins on a train to Kyoto fighting over a case of money)
with a diverse cast. Then I looked it up, and discovered that it was based on a novel in which most of the original cast were Japanese.

Interesting dilemma, because is that diversity appropriation? A couple of Japanese characters remain, but the others are replaced by( going by the accents) two Brits, two Americans, a Russian (played by an American) and a Puerto Rican actor playing a Mexican. And there's also a character who is Russian disguised as a Brit played by an American.

It's a very uh, Anglosphere-ish kind of diversity. No Asian minorities or Africans or South Americans, and a lot of the non American characters are played by American actors. It's diverse, but it's a specific kind of diversity that people in America care about (except no Native Americans because that weirdly doesn't come up very often for some reason) for a story set in Japan originally involving Japanese characters.

It's probably the best commercial decision to do it like that for an international audience, but is it a good change or appropriating a Japanese story to appeal to US values? I don't know how to feel.
 
fancy

fancy

pants
AKA
Fancy
Mobius Stripper said:
Did anyone see Titane? That was a film I really expected to like but instead it made me ????
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It’s been on my list of films to check out! :o

Clement Rage said:
Bullet Train. I enjoyed it, was a fun action film (bunch of top class assassins on a train to Kyoto fighting over a case of money)
with a diverse cast. Then I looked it up, and discovered that it was based on a novel in which most of the original cast were Japanese.

Interesting dilemma, because is that diversity appropriation? A couple of Japanese characters remain, but the others are replaced by( going by the accents) two Brits, two Americans, a Russian (played by an American) and a Puerto Rican actor playing a Mexican. And there's also a character who is Russian disguised as a Brit played by an American.

It's a very uh, Anglosphere-ish kind of diversity. No Asian minorities or Africans or South Americans, and a lot of the non American characters are played by American actors. It's diverse, but it's a specific kind of diversity that people in America care about (except no Native Americans because that weirdly doesn't come up very often for some reason) for a story set in Japan originally involving Japanese characters.

It's probably the best commercial decision to do it like that for an international audience, but is it a good change or appropriating a Japanese story to appeal to US values? I don't know how to feel.
Click to expand...

I really like what you had to say about a very specific sort of diversity. It comes across as corporate pandering (I suppose is the best word?) for a greater market appeal, in a similar way that companies will rainbowash their logos, social media, shops, etc during Pride. There may be an end goal selling a quality product, but there’s the added incentive of selling as much of that product as possible, even at the cost of authenticity.

Also comes across as a bit uh… whitewashy lol? Though, I’m looking it up now and the author has apparently said his characters are “ethnically malleable” aka he doesn’t give a fook, so I suppose folks oughta can their yap on the matter. ?
 
Ghost X

Ghost X

Moderator
Nope

No actual story spoilers here because you should see it, but I guess I'll share some structural spoilers :P. I like how it opens a lot of threads you don't even realise are threads, and then closes 'em all, and you're like "Ah, I remember that thing casually referenced earlier in the movie, which is now pivotal to the storyline". In regards to the story itself, I will just say that I liked that they approached the genre in a different way. It presses all my all-important creativity criteria buttons. Well-balanced in the comedy department also. I found it hard to hear some of the dialogue, but I eventually got all the necessary information through visual story telling, so it's all good.

Good film. Go see it. 4/5 stars.
 
D

Deleted member 13557

Guest
Requiem for a Dream.

First time watching. Masterpiece imo but it’s something that I can totally understand people disliking. It’s just so harrowing.

One of those movies that I wish I saw sooner. In an alternative timeline stuff like this would’ve influenced me to try to become an actor or a director.

454E1731-66D3-4A5F-8F89-B9BFEBE4F761.jpeg
 
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Erotic Materia

Erotic Materia

[CONFUSED SCREAMING]
ThatGuyMikey said:
Requiem for a Dream.
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I've always referred to it as "The best movie I never want to see again."

Seriously, it's incredibly good about taking every good feeling that dares have the audacity to even consider existing, and methodically grinding it into dust. It's gorgeous, well-written, the actors nail their roles, the music is perfect for every scene, and it left me feeling like a hollowed-out person-shaped husk. I love it for that. I will never watch it again if I can help it.
 
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Verena

Verena

Pro Adventurer
I have seen for about 3 years no movies anymore, but i have seen maaany.
Last was sw9. I found it very good, although criticism says the contrary
 
Ghost X

Ghost X

Moderator
Well, for more depth.

The good:
  1. Pierce Brosnan's character was pretty interesting. Wish they had explored the alien helmet thing a little bit more.
  2. The Justice Society turning up when they did to this place run by some criminal organisation, where the response was basically "Oh, you turn up now, do you?... to bring down the guy taking out the bad guys?" <-- I liked that concept.
  3. I did laugh in response to at least one of Black Adam's enemy disposals not seen in the trailer. Specifically the delayed "he didn't make it" one. Then there was the sarcasm exchanges, and the whole part where Black Adam took the two bad guys into the sky after he said he wouldn't kill them, and then returning saying he didn't, with the bird guy's help :P.
The bad:
  1. There was a clear poorly-made homage to Terminator's John Connor with the kid. It was a bit odious. His monologue to the checkpoint guard at the beginning was a bit thickly applied also. I think the audience doesn't need things spelt out for them.
  2. The villain was a really shitty Satan-looking design with a pentagram and everything. Hurk.
  3. The Snyder style high contrast aesthetic I've not found really appealing since 300.
  4. The two younger heroes in the Justice Society were very poorly written. Most characters were, tbh. Very little was convincing.
  5. And, of course, the trailer being spoilery.
 
Ghost X

Ghost X

Moderator
Wakanda Forever

If I were honest, I think I enjoyed Black Adam more, and I only gave that 2.5 stars >.>.
  • There seems to be a low production value with this movie and there were similar issues with the first Black Panther, although I think the first one was the superior film of the two.
  • The battle on the Wakandan boat thingy was so fake looking, as was the battle between Shuri and Namor on the beach.
  • I don't think at any stage of the film I felt anyone was genuinely in danger. Even when Angela Bassett (or a body double) is swimming, she doesn't act tired or anything as she's reaching the surface, so I thought she would be okay, and in the next scene, she dead :P.
  • I have to agree with the movie's own commentary on the costume design for the midnight whats-its. Looked horrid.
  • I was not engaged at all by the visuals of the underwater city thing.
  • I wasn't really buying the story, as much as I tried to turn my brain off.
  • They need to be more adventurous with the urban car chase at night scenes, they're so boring, and aesthetically identical in all the Marvel films.
  • I look forward to more Ironheart, though I feel I should be more selective in what I watch of Marvel films in future, or at least spend money on :P. The trailer for Quantumania does nothing for me.
 
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Wol

Wol

None Shall Remember Those Who Do Not Fight
AKA
Rosarian Shield
It has been years since I've watched a Marvel movie. Phase 4 does nothing for me, even fans consider it the worst phase.
 
D

Deleted member 13557

Guest
Two war films in two days. I don’t know why I do this to myself lol.

This was heavy. I kinda figured Setsuko has going to die but it was still a gut punch. Sucking on marbles thinking they’re fruit drops, offering balls of dirt thinking they’re rice. Then, unceremoniously, “she never woke up”.

God, the dude threw the tin with her ashes in them away at the beginning of the film! Jesus, this really was a heavy one.

Just rewatched the intro. It all makes so much sense now.

5th Ghibli, I think this is the best one I’ve seen yet.
 
Ghost X

Ghost X

Moderator
Did a Studio Ghibli marathon. Turns out I haven't seen many of them :P. Enjoying the songs at the end of the films with the animations. Many (especially the early ones) seem to have a "life goes on" kind of sentiment in the sequence after the story ends. I feel my common critique of most of these films is that not really much happens in many of them. Not included are films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke because I've already seen them :mon:.

Pom Poko: 3.8/5 stars
A lot of interesting things seemed to happen, action-packed, as it were, and there were lots of testicles.

Only Yesterday: 3.8/5 stars
Not sure what to say about this film, but I really liked it.

Castle in the Sky: 3.7/5 stars
Got similar vibes to Nausicaa (which I haven't seen in ages, so don't at me), which is a good thing.

Kiki's Delivery Service: 3.7/5 stars
I liked the animation, the various ways the problems Kiki encountered were solved, and how her deliveries she tried really hard to do successfully were not seen as important by their recipients. Art imitates life :awesome:

From Up On Poppy Hill: 3.4/5 stars
Students renovate building in an attempt to prevent it being demolished, while a boy and a girl try and figure out if they're brother and sister while falling in love. Not much happens in this movie, given I can summarise it in a single sentence, but it was at least interesting.

Earwing and the Witch: 3.4/5 stars
Kept my interest, but the story didn't really make sense to me. A lot of critics didn't like the 3D visuals, but this didn't bother me, though I prefer the traditional animation style.

When Marnie Was There: 3.4/5 stars.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya: 3.3/5
I feel this film was too long. The beginning was good. The story as a whole wasn't so bad, but I felt the end half dragged a bit in places.

The Cat Returns: 3.3/5 stars
Another film where not much happens, but kept my attention

Porco Rosso: 3.3/5 stars
I had watched this when I was young, and it bored the hell out of me. I didn't mind it on this watch though, but more should happen.

My Neighbour Totoro: 3.3/5 stars
I wish more happened in the film, especially concentrating more on the sense of wonder and exploration. It wandered off from that :P.

The Wind Rises: 3.2/5 stars
Another film that started well and kind of dragged for the remaining majority

The secret World of Arrietty: 3.0/5
Not much seemed to happen in the film. I felt when Arrietty's mother was caught and rescued, that should've been the middle of the story, where it should've escalated further, but it was at the end :P.

Tales from Earthsea: 2.6/5 stars
Beginning was interesting, but it felt like for most of the film very little happened.

Cave of the Fireflies: 2.5/5 stars
I wish more happened in this film, but then again m-maybe I don't :'(.

Whisper of the Heart: 2.2 stars
Began well, but was rather boring after about the first 10-14 minutes :P

Ocean Waves: 2 stars
I dunno. Pretty boring film.
 
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