407 replies to this topic

[The Shark]

More than anything in HAYWIRE I was disappointment by the editing. Laughably incompetent. Whoever thinks the beach fight in OHMSS is sloppy should check out the one here. Doesn't bare comparison.

[tdalton]

The beach scene in Haywire is not edited well, but the other fight scenes generally are.  I'd agree that the Haywire beach scene is done worse than the one from On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but neither of them are edited well at all.

 

The one with Fassbender in the hotel room is very well done, allowing for enough long-shots to allow the audience to see that the actors are actually performing the stunts as opposed to quick cuts and shaky-cam being used to try to trick the audience into thinking the fight is more impressive than it actually is.  I have a feeling the beach fight in Haywire is edited in such a way as to both mimic On Her Majesty's Secret Service while also probably hiding the fact that Ewan McGregor in no way provides a physical match for Carano in the way that Fassbender and Tatum do. 

[SecretAgentFan]

I wonder why Soderbergh - who is definitely competent enough to film and edit a great fight scene - dropped the ball here.

[tdalton]

I think that he was just out of his depth working on that kind of a film.  Looking at it from a strictly objective point of view, Haywire really isn't that great of a film.  The story is a convoluted mess and the way that it's put together is just odd.  The reason that Haywire works, I think, has little to do with Soderbergh and pretty much everything to do with the cast.  It's fun to watch an inexperienced actress fight her way through an A-list lineup, and the fight scenes, save for the final one, are all done very well, but they're about the only things in the film that are particularly well done. 

 

Haywire is a bit like Taken, in that the moments of action get the adrenaline going to the point that, upon a first viewing, you're able to either ignore or forgive the many shortcomings the rest of the film has.

[SecretAgentFan]

I agree completely. Sadly - since I was a big fan of Soderbergh´s fan until OCEAN´S 13 - which I found dull and repetitive. 

 

In the following decade I actually only liked CONTAGION. Haven´t seen SIDE EFFECTS yet but will check it out on DVD.

Edited by SecretAgentFan, 08 May 2013 - 03:07 PM.

[tdalton]

Aside from Traffic, which is incidentally one of my favorite films, I've never been much of a fan of Soderbergh.  Ocean's 11 was a good, fun movie, but outside of those two films, I can't say that I've been overly impressed.  Still haven't seen Contagion and Side Effects, though, which do look like the types of films that I would enjoy, but one has to wonder how much the quirks of Soderbergh's filmmaking will get in the way of the storytelling.

[S K Y F A L L]

What I didn't like about the ending of HAYWIRE was that unless I missed something, they don't explain how she gets to the beach. Shes just there and I guess your suppose to just assume she has the skills to locate anyone anywhere. 

 

I'm liking the look of this new Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass film. 

 

[Dustin]

Looks a bit like NORTH SEA HIJACK told from the hostages' perspective. Could be interesting if it avoids the trap of just becoming an action-fest.

[tdalton]

Captain Phillips is going to be a shaky-cam enthusiast's dream.  Greengrass' style of action being filmed aboard the unstable confines of a boat.  The possibilities are endless.

[S K Y F A L L]

Looks a bit like NORTH SEA HIJACK told from the hostages' perspective. Could be interesting if it avoids the trap of just becoming an action-fest.

NORTH SEA HIJACK seems interesting, would you recommend it? I seen Roger Moore in Peter Hunts 'GOLD' a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by it. 

Captain Phillips is going to be a shaky-cam enthusiast's dream.  Greengrass' style of action being filmed aboard the unstable confines of a boat.  The possibilities are endless.

LOL, so its possibly going to be the shaky cam from the Bourne films times 2. No one will be able to make anything out. Haha.

[Dustin]

When I first saw NORTH SEA HIJACK I was quite ecstatic about an almost-Bond film in between. I've revisited it a couple of times since. Sadly it's all a bit dated now, meagre action for a plot that involves hostages, remote-controlled mines on ships and an oil rig and a team of private counter-terror specialists to neutralise the threat. We see comparatively little of what is an intricately planned and timed rescue operation. It's mainly based on all operatives being in place at a specific time and all acting simultaneously. But this part is not really the focus of the film for some reason.

Highlights of NORTH SEA HIJACK are Perkins and Mason. And indeed a credible bearded misogynist Moore playing a toned-down Wolf Larsen mercenary. There is not much of Bond to be found in this ffolkes person, yet Moore manages to bring this home despite being miscast. Richard Harris would probably have been a better ffolkes, likewise Oliver Reed. The curious thing is, the novel this film was based on is also somewhat lacking, the chamber play aboard the hijacked ship offering more tension than the actual rescue operation.

Still, check it out. It's a nice little action film from a time when explosions and corpses didn't come by the dozen every ten minutes. An earlier effort in the same vein - extortion by bombs aboard a vessel - is the splendid JUGGERNAUT. Infinitely superior.

[007jamesbond]

looks good Tom Hawks is awesome I don't think he is really consider a action actor area so maybe we still some shooting from him

[seawolfnyy]

Iron Man 3 - ****

 

Iron Man 3 is definitely better than Iron Man 2, but nowhere near as good as the first one. The trailers and promotion of the film do not match the tone of the final product at all. The film is far lighter and less action heavy than advertised, which is actually not that bad. I'm glad it didn't go TDK route and very dark, but the film does stray quite a bit and can be fairly confusing. Downey Jr. is just as likeable as ever and Guy Pierce is downright scary as the villain. I'm disappointed Rebecca Hall had such a small part. I thought she could've been used better. The film does a good job, though, in laying the framework for Marvel's phase two films. Overall, I liked IM3. It just isn't my favorite. I rank it number 4 for the Marvel films.

 

1. Iron Man

2. Captain America: The First Avenger

3. The Avengers

4. Iron Man 3

5. The Incredible Hulk

6. Iron Man 2

7. Thor

 

 

Also unrelated, my review for Jurassic Park 3D should be 5 stars, not 4. I just realized my mistake.

[jrcjohnny99]

 

 

Gina Carano does have a fairly sizeable role and as mentioned above, the fight scene with MR in the underground is a highlight of the movie.

 

 

Thanks for the information. 

 

Just curious, how did she do acting-wise?  I know she's not the greatest actress in the world (an understatement, for sure) and that the Fast and Furious franchise doesn't necessarily create an environment for its actors to particularly shine, but I was just curious if she'd made any progress since Haywire in terms of improvement.  Now that she's wrapped three films (although who knows when In the Blood will be released), hopefully she's improving as an actress so she can make the leap to being the next big female action star.

 

 

Well, she's definitely better than she was in Haywire, where I think she had too much asked of her; this is a more starightforward ass-kicking sidekick to the Rock and in that, she does a very solid job.

Of course, alongside those titans of deep acting The Rock and Vin Diesel, she's hardly out of her depth! 

When I first saw NORTH SEA HIJACK I was quite ecstatic about an almost-Bond film in between. I've revisited it a couple of times since. Sadly it's all a bit dated now, meagre action for a plot that involves hostages, remote-controlled mines on ships and an oil rig and a team of private counter-terror specialists to neutralise the threat. We see comparatively little of what is an intricately planned and timed rescue operation. It's mainly based on all operatives being in place at a specific time and all acting simultaneously. But this part is not really the focus of the film for some reason.

Highlights of NORTH SEA HIJACK are Perkins and Mason. And indeed a credible bearded misogynist Moore playing a toned-down Wolf Larsen mercenary. There is not much of Bond to be found in this ffolkes person, yet Moore manages to bring this home despite being miscast. Richard Harris would probably have been a better ffolkes, likewise Oliver Reed. The curious thing is, the novel this film was based on is also somewhat lacking, the chamber play aboard the hijacked ship offering more tension than the actual rescue operation.

Still, check it out. It's a nice little action film from a time when explosions and corpses didn't come by the dozen every ten minutes. An earlier effort in the same vein - extortion by bombs aboard a vessel - is the splendid JUGGERNAUT. Infinitely superior.

Back in the late 70s/early 80s, I LOVED NSH;

saw it recently and STILL liked it...a lot.

it has a certain 70s charm and the whole cast is solid.

I agree that Juggernaut is a pretty good thriller as well, tho of both, I think I actually just prefer NSH

[SecretAgentFan]

When I first saw NORTH SEA HIJACK I was quite ecstatic about an almost-Bond film in between. I've revisited it a couple of times since. Sadly it's all a bit dated now, meagre action for a plot that involves hostages, remote-controlled mines on ships and an oil rig and a team of private counter-terror specialists to neutralise the threat. We see comparatively little of what is an intricately planned and timed rescue operation. It's mainly based on all operatives being in place at a specific time and all acting simultaneously. But this part is not really the focus of the film for some reason.

Highlights of NORTH SEA HIJACK are Perkins and Mason. And indeed a credible bearded misogynist Moore playing a toned-down Wolf Larsen mercenary. There is not much of Bond to be found in this ffolkes person, yet Moore manages to bring this home despite being miscast. Richard Harris would probably have been a better ffolkes, likewise Oliver Reed. The curious thing is, the novel this film was based on is also somewhat lacking, the chamber play aboard the hijacked ship offering more tension than the actual rescue operation.

Still, check it out. It's a nice little action film from a time when explosions and corpses didn't come by the dozen every ten minutes. An earlier effort in the same vein - extortion by bombs aboard a vessel - is the splendid JUGGERNAUT. Infinitely superior.

 

Agreed completely.

 

I remember loving the one-sheet for NSH as a kid. When I saw that I knew I had to see the film.

[Dustin]

When I first saw NORTH SEA HIJACK I was quite ecstatic about an almost-Bond film in between. I've revisited it a couple of times since. Sadly it's all a bit dated now, meagre action for a plot that involves hostages, remote-controlled mines on ships and an oil rig and a team of private counter-terror specialists to neutralise the threat. We see comparatively little of what is an intricately planned and timed rescue operation. It's mainly based on all operatives being in place at a specific time and all acting simultaneously. But this part is not really the focus of the film for some reason.

Highlights of NORTH SEA HIJACK are Perkins and Mason. And indeed a credible bearded misogynist Moore playing a toned-down Wolf Larsen mercenary. There is not much of Bond to be found in this ffolkes person, yet Moore manages to bring this home despite being miscast. Richard Harris would probably have been a better ffolkes, likewise Oliver Reed. The curious thing is, the novel this film was based on is also somewhat lacking, the chamber play aboard the hijacked ship offering more tension than the actual rescue operation.

Still, check it out. It's a nice little action film from a time when explosions and corpses didn't come by the dozen every ten minutes. An earlier effort in the same vein - extortion by bombs aboard a vessel - is the splendid JUGGERNAUT. Infinitely superior.

Back in the late 70s/early 80s, I LOVED NSH;

saw it recently and STILL liked it...a lot.

it has a certain 70s charm and the whole cast is solid.

I agree that Juggernaut is a pretty good thriller as well, tho of both, I think I actually just prefer NSH

 

 

 

To me JUGGERNAUGHT has the wonderfully laconic David Hemmings (not dead, just directing THE A-TEAM) and the cracking finale going for it, marvellous. Plus, the cast and extras weren't just made-up to look sick, they really puked their hearts out at times because of the bad weather conditions.

[S K Y F A L L]

These things always happen in twos. This film is pretty much the same as Olympus Has Fallen.

 

And Air Force One is getting a lot of screen time this year; Iron Man 3, World War Z and now White House Down. Am I missing any?

 

[Iceskater101]

Iron Man 3 - ****

 

Iron Man 3 is definitely better than Iron Man 2, but nowhere near as good as the first one. The trailers and promotion of the film do not match the tone of the final product at all. The film is far lighter and less action heavy than advertised, which is actually not that bad. I'm glad it didn't go TDK route and very dark, but the film does stray quite a bit and can be fairly confusing. Downey Jr. is just as likeable as ever and Guy Pierce is downright scary as the villain. I'm disappointed Rebecca Hall had such a small part. I thought she could've been used better. The film does a good job, though, in laying the framework for Marvel's phase two films. Overall, I liked IM3. It just isn't my favorite. I rank it number 4 for the Marvel films

 

 

Also unrelated, my review for Jurassic Park 3D should be 5 stars, not 4. I just realized my mistake.

 

I agree with the fact that it is better than Iron Man 2 but not as good as the first one. I loved Guy Pierce in this movie and I agree with your impression of Rebecca Hall. Plus the mandarin... :/

[seawolfnyy]

I'm one of the few that actually liked what they did with the Mandarin. It just comes off strange because of how it was marketed.

[tdalton]

Saw my first 2013 release today, so it's time for an update:

 

 

SEEN:

• Texas Chainsaw B+

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Malavita
• CBGB
• 2 Guns
• Carrie
• Oblivion
• Kick-Ass 2
• Big Sur
• My Amityville Horror
• Room 237
• The Wolf of Wall Street
• World War Z
• American Hustle
• Evil Dead
• 300: Rise of an Empire
• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
• Now You See Me
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

[Iceskater101]

I'm one of the few that actually liked what they did with the Mandarin. It just comes off strange because of how it was marketed.

 

That's why I was disappointed.. I mean it seemed like he would be this bad ass terrorist but nope.

[x007AceOfSpades]

That's why I was disappointed.. I mean it seemed like he would be this bad ass terrorist but nope.

 

We're you Seriously expecting much?

[x007AceOfSpades]

SEEN:

• Texas Chainsaw B+

 

Don't tell me you actually enjoyed that monstrosity of a film?

[tdalton]

Since I gave it a B+, I guess it would be safe to say that I did enjoy it.  

[x007AceOfSpades]

Just puzzled as to how it's enjoyable as I saw it last night and was just appalled at how terrible it was. To each his own I guess.

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:
Texas Chainsaw 3D - 0
The Last Stand - 5
Movie 43 - 1
Bullet To The Head - 4
Dead Man Down - 4.5
Side Effects - 4
Evil Dead - 3
Oblivion - 3.5
The Lords Of Salem - 3.5
Pain & Gain - 5
Iron Man 3 - 0
Star Trek Into Darkness - 3.5

LOOKING FORWARD TO:
The Iceman
Fast & Furious 6
The Purge
Untitled Terrence Malick Project
Only God Forgives
The Wolverine
2 Guns
Elysium
Riddick
Machete Kills
Malavita
The Wolf Of Wall Street
Monuments Men

[007jamesbond]

of all the movie so far any of them oscar worth? 

[x007AceOfSpades]

Dead Man Down maybe, but that won't happen. Maybe Side Effects. Too early to tell.

[coco1997]

Just puzzled as to how it's enjoyable as I saw it last night and was just appalled at how terrible it was. To each his own I guess.

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:
Iron Man 3 - 0

Zero stars for IM3? Really?

[x007AceOfSpades]

Yes, I thought it was complete S***. Waste of time and money. One of the worst superhero films I've ever seen. I had a renewed interest in it after some people I know in London saw it and praised it, but it wasn't enough.

[seawolfnyy]

Will be seeing Fast and Furious 6 tomorrow. Love Fast Five and while I don't expect Furious 6 to be as good, I am looking forward to it.