Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Discuss past, present, and future releases. This is the place for news, reviews, and your 'best' lists.

Moderators: Buscemi, BarcaRulz, Geezer, W

User avatar
Screen203
Clark Griswald
Posts: 1170
Joined: December 1st, 2018, 3:38 pm
Location: Mullholland Dr.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Screen203 »

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Not as terrible is you have probably heard, but not good either. The action scenes are well made (the heavily marketed scenes on the train are very impressive), if somewhat small-scale in comparison to the stakes in movies like Avengers (however, I don't see where the 200 million dollar budget went). The acting in the X-Men films is generally solid, and this holds up in this one - with the exception of the lead, Sophie Turner. However, a lot of the issues I have with her performance have to do with the script (in the typical fashion of horrid "blockbusters"). The script is easily the worst part of the film, as the typical Xavier/Erik dynamic returns in this, and some of Turner's lines are especially poorly written. You can definitely tell that the script was rewritten many times because of how many leaps the story takes as well as lots of pacing issues (the first two acts are incredibly boring - the action from the battle in New York on is easily one of the only redeeming parts of the movie).

4 out of 10
It's not destroying. It's making something new.

Image courtesy of -
https://nerdist.com/annihilation-shimmer-ending-explained/

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Rocketman 8/10

A much superior film to Bohemian Rhapsody and the rare case of a jukebox musical actually working. Starting out as being "what if Terence Davies made a musical", the life of Elton John becomes bigger and more elaborate as director Dexter Fletcher doesn't shy away from the more graphic details of his life (good thing that PG-13 version Paramount considered releasing never came to be). I noticed that some of the events are jumbled up chronologically but I feel this was done intentionally to fit the narrative (jukebox musicals basically work like this as audiences only want the hits) and unlike most biopics, works to its advantage.

And yes, Taron Egerton is pretty good as Elton. I have to wonder how more biopics we'll see he and Fletcher make together (my personal choice would be one on Hunter S. Thompson).
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Screen203
Clark Griswald
Posts: 1170
Joined: December 1st, 2018, 3:38 pm
Location: Mullholland Dr.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Screen203 »

The Secret Life Of Pets 2

Entertaining, moreso than the first. The Toy Story-esque story of the first is not present in this one, more going for a generic (believe in yourself) type story. The animation is colorful and pleasing to the eye, if not particularly sophisticated. Tiffany Haddish's character is really the only standout character. There isn't much else to say about this disposable cartoon that's definitely isn't on the level of Disney, but it's not as insufferable or annoying as cartoons (and I use that term because I would consider Disney/Pixar level quality as an "animated film", and films aimed at kids "cartoons") like the preview for Angry Birds that played before the movie.

5 out of 10
It's not destroying. It's making something new.

Image courtesy of -
https://nerdist.com/annihilation-shimmer-ending-explained/

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Godzilla: King of the Monsters 2/10

A film so bad it makes Godzilla 1998 look like the original Gojira. This loud, empty, and overlong monster mismash is starts as a bland Independence Day imitation before devolving into a family drama where a three-headed monster is driving them apart (yes, Godzilla isn't even the star of his own movie). The characters are so uninteresting and unsympathetic that you root for the eco-terrorists to win (at least that would make the next one a Planet of the Apes-style movie where the remaining humans get a front row seat to an all-out jungle melee) and the film often feels like a commercial for the U.S. Military. I have to wonder why Sally Hawkins and David Strathairn agreed to return while Kyle Chandler's line readings feel straight out of William Shatner and Vera Farmiga does nothing to really play up her villain role (because in another Hollywood cliche, we're supposed to feel sorry for this character even though the entire catastrophe is the result of her actions). Lastly, the effects are pretty bad. It makes the rubber suits in the old movies seem much more special.

This should have been given to someone like Matt Reeves, who could have handled the monsters and the problem with humanity. Or they could have just Americanized Shin Godzilla. Instead, we get this stillborn attempt at a shared universe movie.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Screen203
Clark Griswald
Posts: 1170
Joined: December 1st, 2018, 3:38 pm
Location: Mullholland Dr.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Screen203 »

Rocketman

Much better than Bohemian Rhapsody. Taron Egerton deserves the acclaim that he's gotten for his performance as Elton John. The makeup team and costume designers definitely deserve recognition as well. I didn't think that any other members of the cast really stood out, though. The music is obviously great, and Taron's vocals are close to Elton's. You can definitely tell that Elton John was involved in the making of the film, which some people could see as decreasing the validity of the film, but the movie does a good job at showing the more personal/troubled side of his life (However, I didn't think it was as raunchy as critics have been playing up. If it was about a straight man, no one would bat an eye).

8 out of 10
It's not destroying. It's making something new.

Image courtesy of -
https://nerdist.com/annihilation-shimmer-ending-explained/

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Men in Black International 2/10

A boring attempt to revive the dormant Men in Black franchise without Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones. The original was an exciting and fast-paced comedy with two leads who played off each other extremely well, much like the best buddy cop movies. This film has none of the excitement or humor and ends up just being an empty vehicle where hardly anything happens. Hemsworth is badly miscast, Thompson isn't given a breathable character, the villains are useless (the trailers hyped up Rebecca Ferguson but she's only in the last third, instead we get these Milli Vanilli lookalikes that feel like cheap henchmen handling the lion's share of that plot), and the story doesn't work as there's no Agent K equivalent. It's like the recent Star Wars movies basically having all the new characters being imitations of Han Solo.

The choice of writers and director seem to be to blame. F. Gary Gray was behind the hilarious Friday but hadn't directed a comedy between that film and now and it shows. The film is much too serious for a franchise rooted in comedy. But the script (written by the guys who wrote Transformers: The Last Knight) is the biggest problem. There's only about 30 minutes of story in a nearly two-hour film. Everything else is pointless backstory, overlong action scenes (with a massive abuse of the neurolyzer), subplots coming and going with no reason (what was the point of Rafe Spall's character exactly?), and just reasons to remind you that it was all better when Agent K was getting a brash NYPD detective suited up to fight Edgar.

Put this franchise out to pasture, Sony. There's no life left in it.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by numbersix »

Latest viewings


Captain Marvel: 5/10
Even by MCU standards this is a dud. It's just trying too hard to be cool and funny, and failing at every opportunity. Making Nick Fury this sort of comic foil with a love of cats is just weird, and even the normally great Brie Larson comes across as sort of haughty in her performance. There are some interesting twists but it's not enough to make the story engaging.

The LEGO Movie 2: 5/10
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Lord and Miller are usually great (Into the Spiderverse, for example) but it feels like they were phoning it in for this script, while the director seems to ruin the material. The pace of the original just isn't there and the jokes are all weaker. It's a nice story with okay themes, but the wit and the chaotic intelligence of the original are largely absent.

Halston: 6/10
Okay, so I may be biased as this is one of our movies, but I was truly surprised by how engaging it was. It's the story of Halston, the superstar designer who basicallly defined the look of the 1970s. Yet we've never heard of him. The story charts his rise and fall, complete with celeb and collaborator interviews. It's a shame there's a contrived framing device, but besides that it's a good doc.

The Farthest: 6/10
Another great doc, this one being about the voyager space programme to send two shuttles around Jupieter, Uranus, and Neptune. It's a lovely story about ambition and the love of knowledge, as those involved in the ongoing mission recount their experiences at key moments. It's well directed and fascinating.

User avatar
BanksIsDaFuture
Jack Torrance
Posts: 6513
Joined: October 23rd, 2009, 4:09 pm

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by BanksIsDaFuture »

Brie Larson was terribly miscast as Captain Marvel - which is odd, because she's a great actress. But she can't pull off the snark of a Stark/Dr Strange/Starlord.
Alexandra Daddario: Eyes of a Demon, Face of My Future Ex-Wife

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Toy Story 4 9/10

At this point, we know what to expect with this franchise. But Pixar can still find new ways to keep you watching. And in this one, the potential swan song for Woody, we get a new character in Forky who adds new dimension to the series while also being a very funny character himself as well as a callback as to what happened to Bo Peep (she became an ass-kicking action heroine who drives a remote control skunk and has attack sheep). It's not often that a fourth installment has a sense of freshness while still having familiar scenarios and references to nearly every Pixar project in the book (from Tin Toy to Toy Story That Time Forgot). It's faster-paced than most action films and feels more necessary than most sequels.

And even though they seem to set it up as the end, I don't think it will be the last one. I'm convinced we'll get a few more TV specials with the remaining characters or one with Woody, Bo, and Key and Peele's characters on the road.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
undeadmonkey
Leon
Posts: 4413
Joined: October 22nd, 2009, 1:39 pm

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by undeadmonkey »

BanksIsDaFuture wrote:Brie Larson was terribly miscast as Captain Marvel - which is odd, because she's a great actress. But she can't pull off the snark of a Stark/Dr Strange/Starlord.
yes so much this. i feel like this is why she is in endgame so little, she doesn't mesh well with the other marvel characters.

User avatar
Screen203
Clark Griswald
Posts: 1170
Joined: December 1st, 2018, 3:38 pm
Location: Mullholland Dr.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Screen203 »

Saw the new Shaft last night despite word of mouth getting out. I thought it was okay, not as offensive as critics were saying (However, I was suprised that they decided to have the mosque be a plot point - considering the portrayal of Islamic terrorism in films has always been a hot-button topic since 9/11 - and the way it was handled felt a little Islamophobic).

And the portrayal of women and the LGBT+ community was questionable, but I'm not sure what people were expecting from a Shaft movie.

Also, Richard Roundtree was barely in the movie.
It's not destroying. It's making something new.

Image courtesy of -
https://nerdist.com/annihilation-shimmer-ending-explained/

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Shaft 3/10

I'm convinced this was supposed to be Ride Along 3 rather than a Shaft movie. That would explain why Richard Roundtree is only in the last fifteen minutes. Otherwise, it's a forgettable comedy (and the Shaft franchise was never comedic) about an estranged father and son having to work together to solve a money laundering scheme that gets connected to a cartel that tried to kill them 30 years earlier. The film desperately wants to mine humor from the generation gap elements but it ends up feeling like an R-rated CBS sitcom instead of the suave and cool nature that is John Shaft. Also, the movie looks pretty cheap, making it perfect for Netflix (who got international rights) but not on a theatre screen.

Apparently, this is supposed to lead to a new streaming series but if this was the pilot, I don't see myself turning in for further episodes.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Shrykespeare
Site Admin
Posts: 14273
Joined: September 12th, 2009, 11:38 pm
Location: Glendale, AZ

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Shrykespeare »

Buscemi2 wrote: if this was the pilot, I don't see myself turning in for further episodes.
Shut yo' mouth! :lol:
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

User avatar
W
Norman Bates
Posts: 7242
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 4:37 pm

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by W »

Child's Play 6/10: Not really a hard R, but more of a passable teen PG13 horror with some swears and gore added in. The first half was a bit more comedic than a typical horror film. Mark Hamill is a great voice actor, of course. It's really not an Aubry Plaza movie, but the kid and Chucky. I'm guessing it was the best Child's Play movie in the past twenty years, which isn't saying much.

Toy Story 4 9/10: Does what Pixar does well, characters and tugging heartstrings. Adds some more great characters to the stable: Forky, Ducky/Bunny, Duke, Giggles (even Gabby Gabby)... It could be the worst Toy Story movie, but still legitimately win Best Animated. Tons of Easter eggs here. They could legitimately crank out one every two years with the new expanded Toy Story-verse. I'd go see a "Bonnie's Toys" movie every four years and a "Lost Toys" movie every two years before/after.

MiB International 7/10: Not as bad as everyone says. On par with MiB 2, worse than #1 and #3. A decent popcorn flick which replaces "Mike Lowrey"-ish Will Smith with "Thor"-ish Chris Hemsworth. It's a retread/sampling of bits of the first two.
Tenet: Criterion Edition. Now with more Backwards Man.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by numbersix »

Toy Story 4: 6/10
By the standards of typical kids animation, or by any franchise hitting its 4th title, this is a pretty impressive movie. But, there's that sinking feeling that Pixar are far too driven by their sequels (and the numbers sure prove them right), pretty much all of them being weaker than the original. Here, there's just far too much territory covered already - the toys encountering a new toy who struggles to realise he's a toy (the same plot of the first film, but Buzz was way better than Forky), generating a crisis for Woody who is getting less love. Been there, done that, and I have to say the new characters weren't particularly great. The ending compensates and it was genuinely moving, but overall this just wasn't necessary. And the irony in seeing Disney sell a Forky toy leaves a sour taste.

I Am Mother: 6/10
Decent if disposable sci-fi story about a teen girl being raised in a facility by a robot. But of course curiosity gets the better of her and she questions the reality Mother has presented. It's well paced and has plenty of interesting twists with a dark, bleak message.

The Beach Bum: 6/10
It's a Harmony Korine film, so don't expect much story. And even though this film attempts a story (a fun-loving writer has to finish his next book in order to receive any money from his wife), it's really more interested in the main cahracter having a good time. the film is really about trying to show alternatives to life beyond the concept of success, and it does that with charm, even if it drags a bit and feels deliberately superficial.

Parasite: 8/10
Fantastic Korean satire, deserved of its Palme D'Or win (though I haven't seen any of its competitors). A destitute family try to weasel their way into the world of a wealthy family by posing as various different workers (a teacher, an art therapist, etc). Despite being so underhanded they're sympathetic because of their struggles. And that's only the start of a film full of strange and hilarious surprises, giving us a Hitchcockian thriller with a social conscience. The is Bong Joon-ho's best film since The Host, maybe his best since Memories of a Murder.

In Fabric: 7/10
Peter Strickland delivers the Suspiria remake that should have been. It's a odd, trippy film about a red dress with homicidal tendencies that gets passed around to people, created and sold by a rather creepy department store. It may be arthouse in nature but it very much has its tongue in its cheek making for a silly, entertaining, but visually stunning film.

Post Reply