407 replies to this topic

[S K Y F A L L]

FAST AND FURIOUS 6

 

Fast & Furious 6 follows a professional criminal gang led by Dominic Toretto (Diesel) who have retired following their successful heist in Fast Five (2011), but remain wanted fugitives. U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) offers to clear the group's criminal records and allow them to return home in exchange for helping him to take down a skilled mercenary organization led by Owen Shaw (Evans) and his second in command, Dominic's presumed-dead lover Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez).

 

I thought this film might have been called Furious 6 or at least it was a working title I believe along with Fast Six. I liked how the titles managed to be a little different but they flat lined with F&F, F&F6 and now its sequel will share the same title F&F7. Perhaps they could have called F&F, Fast & Furious 4 Ever. To lame? I suppose those days are over. I suppose its easier for audiences to pick out or maybe I'm putting to much thought into it.  

 

I seen all the trailers and went into this with little expectations but for the most part had fun watching it. I thought I might have been a little too spoiled by the trailers but I didn't seem to mind and was even surprised by some of it. I remember hearing that they filmed the ending of the series during FF in case they couldn't make another film and I wonder if that was the opening scene of F&F6. I liked the montage at the start of the film which they haven't done before, kind of tells the story for anyone who hasn't seen the previous films. 

 

I thought the soundtrack was alright but could have used some thing that really popped. I'm not sure its any better then its predecessors but it still worked mostly when they needed it to and helped capture the mood and vibe of the series. I don't normally listen to that type of music but once in a while I like stepping out of my comfort zone and hearing something different. I thought it was kind of cool that they could do another Ludacris song 'Fast Lane' which gives the films a sort of familiarity since he also did 'Act A Fool' for 2F2F, not that I'm overly thrilled by the song which is basically to other songs with him putting his own racing car related lyrics over it but its still one of there better songs in this film. FF lucked out with Don Omar Danza Kuduro so the ending to F&F6 felt a little light in comparison although it didn't end on such a high note as FF but they still managed to get another Don Omar song in there of a softer tone Bandoleros (Don Omar ft. Tego Calderón). 'We Own It' and 'Here we go' aren't bad as well. 

 

The action had its moments but seemed a little flat at times, the formula one car that launches other vehicles into the air wasn't as impressive as I though it would have been but I still found it fun to watch. There are times when they make huge jumps that I doubt are possible, like from one car on a bridge to another below it just to chicken out at the sight of a toll or a plane to a jeep. For the most part I enjoyed the races and chases, I thought they did enough to make it somewhat different or unique while at the same time using old tricks. For example they revisit the car disabling tech from 2F2F, Dom even does that lame driving backward stunt from FAF and Dom reacts to Mia's scream like in FF. There are some comical stunts in this that I can't believe they got away with but there ability to test the limits of physics is always welcome. F&F6 had a SF moment when Diesel drives into a railing to throw himself. And is there really runways that long?

 

The ego with these characters is as high as they were in Oceans Eleven, "You've got the best crew in the world standing right in front of you, give them a reason to stay" however I did find myself laughing at a few of the jokes along the way like the baby oil comment at the end and when Hobbs kills a vending machine. Diesel is at the top of his game by delivering his lines as corny as ever, I think he just does one take for every scene and calls it a day, perhaps you can do that if your one of the producers. I was surprised how much story was put into this specifically Letty's return which was more then I thought it was going to be, a little strange but also somewhat refreshing. Refreshing for Letty and Dom's relationship and almost nostalgic for the series. Was also interesting to see the return of two other characters from F&F. I would have liked to see another Gina Carano fight scene, I felt she was underutilized although she served her purpose I suppose. 

 

When I first seen the poster for this film and read the slogan "All roads leads to this," I thought give me a break but after seeing it I really did feel that was a good metaphor for the film because it had so many F&F elements put together. I look forward to seeing it again. The climax dragged on and really tried to hard to get a emotional reaction out of you when it really didn't need too. I liked where this film left off leaving you curious about who will return at the same time letting you know who is or is not returning like in the ending credits clip.

 

I find it entertaining watching the franchise dig their selves a hole and try and get out of it, this film just had so many characters and tried so hard to involve them all but couldn't help end up in a corner with at least one awkward conclusion. There's a lot of corny dialog and stunts but I give the franchise a lot of credit for getting this far despite the bumpy road it took to get here. Obviously I really enjoyed the film. I didn't think the story was that fascinating, something to do with an expensive computer chip but I was more interested in seeing the return of all the characters and their roles in the overall series. I liked most of it and what I didn't like I was able to get a laugh out of so for me it was a win win. It seems the film is doing well at the box office with over 600 million. I don't think there is anything stopping the series just yet. 

 

Can't wait for Fast and Furious 7 and its coming out next year. Less characters (Dwayne Johnson might not return do to Hercules) a simpler story, less locations and a new director James Wan from smaller films should bring F&F7 back to basics and refresh the series. I wonder who will be in it, if Lucas Black from Tokyo Drift might have a comeback. Jason Statham should make for an interesting villain. Diesel was talking about F&F7 being the beginning of a new trilogy so I'm curious where they'll take the series after F&F7. They are also talking about doing a Hobbs spin off probably some type of SUV edition after F&F7. I'd create a FAST & FURIOUS thread if I didn't think I was the only one really into them. 

 

 

S K Y F A L L 's 2013 Ratings;

 

A Good Day To Die Hard ***

G.I. Joe: Retaliation ***

Iron Man 3 ***

Star Trek Into Darkness ***

Fast & Furious 6 ****

 

The Wolverine - July 26th

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - December 13th

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - December 20th

47 Ronin - December 25th

Jack Ryan - December 25th

[x007AceOfSpades]

Shocked you actually liked Fast & Furious 6... anyways,

 

The Purge - 3/5

I'm not going to lie, I had been wanting to see this for a while now, and the trailers made it look intense, however the finished product is almost nothing like the trailers.

It's a very interesting and intriguing concept, as that's what caught my attention. For 85 minutes it seems to be much longer. Its not scary, nor is it really suspenseful. It takes too long before anything good happens, and when it does, it doesn't last very long. It's not a bad film, I just was expecting much more. It does have a creepy atmosphere in a way though. Worth seeing at least once for the concept of the story, if you're interested.

 

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:

Texas Chainsaw 3D - 0
The Last Stand - 5
Movie 43 - 0
Bullet To The Head - 3.5
Stand Up Guys - 2.5
Side Effects - 4
A Good Day To Die Hard - 2
Dead Man Down - 4.5
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
Fast & Furious 6 - 2.5
Behind The Candelabra - 3
The Purge - 3/5
Man Of Steel - 2

 

 

(UPDATED) LOOKING FORWARD TO:

The Iceman - May 3rd, DVD-September 3rd

Untitled Terrence Malick Project - Unknown

Only God Forgives - July 19th

The Wolverine - July 26th

2 Guns - August 2nd

Elysium - August 9th

Ain't Them Bodies Saints - August 16th

Riddick - September 6th

Machete Kills - September 13th

The Family - September 20th

Homefront - October 4th

Escape Plan - October 18th

The Wolf Of Wall Street - November 15th

Her - November 20th

American Hustle - December 6th

Monuments Men - December 18th

Lone Survivor - December 27th

[Iceskater101]

Man of Steel

Rating: B/ B-

 

*spoilers in this review*

 

I just went to see Man of Steel today and I thought it was a very good attempt at a reboot, was it perfect? did it blow me away? Absolutely not, but with a sequel I think this movie and this franchise could be really awesome. First the things I loved: General Zod. I don't watch Boardwalk Empire so I had no idea who Michael Shannon was, but he was absolutely bad ass as General Zod. His performance felt real. He wanted his planet to be reborn and he believed it was his duty that he had to kill every person on Earth and his performance was really believable. I also liked Henry Cavill as Superman. I think he just fit the look of Superman really well. Somethings that I thought could have been better were Amy Adams. I thought she was a little bland as Lois Lane and I thought that Superman and Lois needed a little bit more chemistry but this didn't distract me from the rest of the movie. Also I think they tried to jam so many different ideas in this movie, such as his struggles with his superpowers (which I really enjoyed it help make him relatable) and then the Daily Planet at the end, it was too much I felt like.

 

Overall I think the sequel definitely can improve, but I think this was a really good attempt at superman and I hope this leads to the launch of Justice League.

[x007AceOfSpades]

Snitch - 3.5/5

DVD shopping yesterday, this was surprisingly on discount, bought it, watched it, shocked and surprised Dwayne J didn't kick any ass in it. Why? Cause Snitch has a decently good story and doesn't require Dwayne Johnson to take his shirt off, throw any quips or puns, and doesn't need him to to kick any ass. It's a surprisingly good crime drama, and it's PG-13 too.

 

Dwayne Johnson's son is arrested and charged with distribution of Narcotics, despite not being a drug dealer and listening to his stupid ass friend. So with a 10 year sentence above his head, his father, John(Dwayne J) works with the local US Attorney to come up with a plan to infiltrate the drug business and snitch out Dealers, distributors and possibly the cartel. Seeking the help of one of employees from his business, Daniel, who has a record, to help him get in the drug industry. Daniel, who's a changed man now, knows that one wrong move and both their families are dead. When John is selected to personally transport one of the Cartel's load of money, he agrees, but it's not without a fight, as he'll do whatever it takes to live and ensure his son's freedom and help his friend and fellow ally.

 

I'm not saying it's the best film, as It's not, it surely as it's fault, but It's one of the better films of the year and one of Dwayne Johnson's best. It has a great cast to round it out too, including the underrated Barry Pepper as DEA Agent Cooper, Jon Bernthal from The Walking Dead as Daniel, The Wire's Michael K. Williams and Susan Sarandon as the US Attorney Joanne Keeghan. Regardless of it, I was still going to see this being a fan of Dwayne Johnson from his earlier wrestling days and being that I used to watch him when I was a kid, and because Jon Bernthal was and probably still is my favorite character from The Walking Dead as Shane. It clocks in at 112 minutes with only two major action scenes, but never do you feel bored or tired watching it, and there doesn't seem to be any filler scenes at all. It moves at a steady pace and keeps you watching for more to happen.

 

It's hard to believe that this is good, considering for a while Dwayne Johnson made crap, but put all behind and watch this, for I think you will like it. I just wish that the final action scene was maybe extended a bit or more or less delivered the goods, as all the build up really led to maybe 5 minutes of action, but It's good to see Dwayne in film where he isn't practically a superhero with his bulging muscles and raw strength, but rather seeing him much more humanized and not just as last year's action hero.

 

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:

Texas Chainsaw 3D - 0
The Last Stand - 5
Movie 43 - 0
Bullet To The Head - 3.5
Stand Up Guys - 2.5
Side Effects - 4
A Good Day To Die Hard - 2

Snitch - 3.5/5
Dead Man Down - 4.5
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
Fast & Furious 6 - 2.5
Behind The Candelabra - 3
The Purge - 3
Man Of Steel - 2

 

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

The Iceman - May 3rd, DVD-September 3rd

Only God Forgives - July 19th

The Wolverine - July 26th

2 Guns - August 2nd

Elysium - August 9th

Ain't Them Bodies Saints - August 16th

Riddick - September 6th

Machete Kills - September 13th

The Family - September 20th

Homefront - October 4th

Escape Plan - October 18th

The Wolf Of Wall Street - November 15th

Her - November 20th

American Hustle - December 6th

Monuments Men - December 18th

Lone Survivor - December 27th

 

Half-Way Point for 2013 films: RANKED. Top Five highlighted in red and bold

1.) Pain & Gain
2.) Dead Man Down
3.) The Last Stand
4.) Side Effects
5.) Star Trek Into Darkness
6.) Snitch
7.) The Lords Of Salem
8.) Oblivion
9.) Bullet To The Head
10.) The Purge
11.) Behind The Candelabra
12.) Evil Dead
13.) Stand Up Guys
14.) Fast & Furious 6
15.) A Good Day To Die Hard
16.) Man Of Steel
17.) Texas Chainsaw 3D
18.) Movie 43
19.) Iron Man 3

 

[tdalton]

Updated:

 

 

SEEN:

• Mama  A+
• Free Samples A
• My Amityville Horror A
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters  A-
• The Last Stand  A-
• The Numbers Station  B+
• Girls Against Boys  B+
• Texas Chainsaw B+
• Superman: Unbound  C+
• Side Effects C
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2  C
• Room 237  C-
• The Last Exorcism Part II  D+
• A Good Day to Die Hard  D

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• The Family
• CBGB
• 2 Guns
• Carrie
• Maniac
• Oblivion
• Kick-Ass 2
• Big Sur
• Byzantium
• The Purge
• Evil Dead
• World War Z
• American Hustle
• Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
• This Is the End

 

Edited by tdalton, 27 June 2013 - 01:23 PM.

[x007AceOfSpades]

World War Z - 4/5

 

This hasn't particularly been a good season of Summer films for me. With the only one I enjoyed thoroughly being Star Trek Into Darkness. I thought the trailers for this film made it look terrible, but with nothing to do and friends calling me to do something, this was the only thing plausible to see and boy was this a pleasant surprise. Is it the greatest zombie film ever made? No, not at all, but it's certainly one damned good thrill ride.

 

Gerry Lane (Pitt) is sitting in his car with his family while waiting through some heavy heavy traffic, when all of a sudden, all hell breaks loose. They narrowly escape the downtown city in an RV they took after their car is rendered totaled. They hit up a marketstore in Newark, New Jersey for food and medial supplies and head to an apartment building where Gerry tells his friend from the UN, Thierry, that he will be waiting on the roof and sunrise for an extraction from US Navy SEALs. The Lane family is taken in by a Hispanic family, but decide to stay behind after Gerry promises them a safe zone with them and the SEALs. Gerry and his family head to the roof, but are in danger from incoming undead, but the SEALs make it in time to fight off and save the Lane family and the son of the recently turned undead Hispanic family, Tommy. They are brought to an aircraft carrier where the UN and the US Military tell him that the President is dead and he, along with their top virologist are the only hope at finding the origins of the virus and constructing a cure. Gerry goes about with the virologist and Navy SEALs to South Korea, Jerusalem, and Wales in search of finding hope and putting an end to the undead epidemic.

 

The biggest complaint you'll find is that it is nothing like the book by Max Brooks, however, the ending suggests that the follow up film (already in development by Paramount) will be much more like the book and that this was to just set things in motion. Another complaint is that it's PG-13, but isn't a bad thing after all. PG-13 Horror films suck, but there were some moments where this was to be honest quite creepy, especially the third act. The first act is a doomsday/apocalyptic style, second act is an action style approach (with Zombies) and the third act is an horror/suspense. But it still keeps you along for the ride and doesn't stray away. Marc Forster isn't particularly a good director, especially after nearly killing the James Bond Franchise with Quantum Of Solace, but this is a great directorial outing from him and he redeems himself big time. It's also got some great action pieces too, without the over usage of shaky cam (used in the first action sequence) but rather a creepy, moody atmosphere, albeit with action, but it makes you wonder if this really would be how a world war against zombies would be. The climax truly does feel like a horror film, with darkness, tension, and claustrophobia being used. It also does a great job of using the song "The 2nd Law: Isolated System" by Muse effectively in the film, and even sets a moody tone over the opening titles.

 

Brad Pitt is quite well in the film, despite looking like Jesus, with my only complaint being that I wish Forster pressured him to take his character out of his element and bring some slight anger and a sense of fighting to it during all the chaos. The rest of the cast is pretty much unknown, at least to me, but do a great job, but one person. Matthew Fox, whom I've been a fan of since Lost is in it for maybe 3 minutes and goes badass for 30 seconds. I guess most of his scenes were cut, which is a shame, because I wanted to see him throughout it kicking ass and because I think he is severely underrated. Maybe he'll return for the sequel. Now the zombies are CGI until the final act, but I can see why, though it's a shame they went that route, it's still an interesting take on how they did them and I thought it was good enough. Once you see real actors in make up and such it's quite good and really creepy. It is somewhat evident that the rewrites are visible, but can be look past upon to an extent. A sequel also provides hope of giving a much more in depth character development for Gerry.

 

There are no overly long action sequences, it's all well paced and lots of fun and suspenseful, and is quite the film. Sure it's got some faults, but looking past that, It's so far one of the best Summer film's, and

I'm happy to say that I cannot wait for a sequel. If you want to see an action packed, thrill ride this summer that just so happens to have zombies, World War Z is the film to see. Oh and Paramount, please bring back Matthew Fox!

 

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:

Texas Chainsaw 3D - 0
The Last Stand - 5
Movie 43 - 0
Bullet To The Head - 3.5
Stand Up Guys - 2.5
Side Effects - 4
A Good Day To Die Hard - 2

Snitch - 3.5
Dead Man Down - 4.5
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
Fast & Furious 6 - 2.5
Behind The Candelabra - 3
The Purge - 3
Man Of Steel - 2

World War Z - 4/5

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

The Iceman - May 3rd, DVD-September 3rd

Only God Forgives - July 19th

The Wolverine - July 26th

2 Guns - August 2nd

Elysium - August 9th

Ain't Them Bodies Saints - August 16th

Riddick - September 6th

Machete Kills - September 13th

The Family - September 20th

Homefront - October 4th

Escape Plan - October 18th

The Wolf Of Wall Street - November 15th

Her - November 20th

American Hustle - December 6th

Monuments Men - December 18th

Lone Survivor - December 27th

[S K Y F A L L]

The Original Ending Of ‘World War Z’ Was MUCH Different…

 

http://bloody-disgus...n=zergnet_69733

 

 

I don't think I would have liked to see Fox be that type of character....

 

 

This trailer certainly has my attention. 

 

Edited by S K Y F A L L, 26 June 2013 - 08:41 PM.

[S K Y F A L L]

ESCAPE PLAN trailer ; http://ca.ign.com/ar...pe-plan-trailer

 

This I want to see.

[SecretAgentFan]

Strangely - me, too!

[x007AceOfSpades]

The Original Ending Of ‘World War Z’ Was MUCH Different…

 

http://bloody-disgus...n=zergnet_69733

 

 

I don't think I would have liked to see Fox be that type of character....

 

 

This trailer certainly has my attention. 

 

 

I agree with you about Fox's character in the original, it doesn't seem right at all. Shame about him getting cut, and not being able to re-write his character for something new during the re-writes/re-shoots. Still hope he returns for the sequel.

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Have recently seen World War Z and Man of Steel. Thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

 

Not to sure what to look forward to next.

 

 

 

Man Of Steel - 2/5
 

One of the things I didn't like as well was the lack of peril. There is never a point where our hero must make a decision to save someones life from impending death or continue to fight. Save that old man or Lois etc. It made me feel if this Superman was even aware of those around him and if he even cared. Sure he did by telling the people, but does he care enough to save them? It might sound ridiculous, but if you think about it, it isn't. 

 
 

Spoiler

Doesn't the climactic scene when Superman executes Zod echo this exact dilemma? Superman was forced into executing the last of his kind rather than allow him to kill the innocent.

[x007AceOfSpades]

Have recently seen World War Z and Man of Steel. Thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

 

Not to sure what to look forward to next.

 

 

 

Man Of Steel - 2/5
 

One of the things I didn't like as well was the lack of peril. There is never a point where our hero must make a decision to save someones life from impending death or continue to fight. Save that old man or Lois etc. It made me feel if this Superman was even aware of those around him and if he even cared. Sure he did by telling the people, but does he care enough to save them? It might sound ridiculous, but if you think about it, it isn't. 

 
 

Spoiler

Doesn't the climactic scene when Superman executes Zod echo this exact dilemma? Superman was forced into executing the last of his kind rather than allow him to kill the innocent.

 

As far as I'm concerned, it appeared Zod had already killed that family and Superman had no choice but to kill him (which was a blessing, because I couldn't take any more of flying people throwing each other into buildings and objects.)

 

It seemed you missed the point of my statement in a review. Let's set an example of this. When Superman if fighting Zod through the city, was there ever a point during that sequence where he looked at the corner of his eye and saw someone struggling before facing a certain death, where He had to make the choice of continue fighting this man by throwing him through one building after another or save this poor, old man from being crushed by something? No, I don't consider ending an example of this at all, because Superman had no choice but to do it.

 

Was there a moment where during the sequence Zod told him he had to choose to either fight him or save this person he was about to kill (Not the ending)? No.

[Mr Teddy Bear]

You seem to want something very specific, while the film already dealt with that theme definitively and conclusively in the climactic scene. The situation you describe would be a retread of the dilemma of the final scene, except much less effective.

 

And on the topic of massive destruction I find it strange people could go into this movie, about two battling gods, expecting any less. Superman II was scaled down because they were much more constrained with effects of the time, and it suffered for it.

[seawolfnyy]

Despicable Me 2 - ****

 

While not as fresh as the first installment, Despicable Me 2 provides enough laughs to satisfy new and old fans alike. Rather than plotting a major heist agains the world, this time around we find Gru in the midst of fatherhood. He's more concerned with making sure Agnes' birthday goes smoothly than stealing the moon. However, when a top secret lab in Antarctica disappears, the AVL (Anti-Villain League) recruits Gru to help them find the culprit and save the world. The story isn't the freshest or strongest we've ever scene, but it still works as that isn't really what the film is about. It's about the characters. Gru, newcomer Lucy Wilde, the Minions, Agnes, Edith, Margo, Dr. Nefario and the rest all make the film what it is. The best scenes are easily the ones involving the Minions and the little girls. Agnes is just as naive and adorable as ever and the Minions hijinks get even more outrageous than in the first film. It tends to drag slightly when they are not on screen, but not enough to dampen the experience. Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, have yet again crafted a great film that sets up nicely for next year's spin-off "The Minions" and for the inevitable Despicable Me 3 (whenever that is announced).

[tdalton]

Updated:

 

 

SEEN:

• Mama  A+
• Warm Bodies  A
• Free Samples A
• My Amityville Horror A
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters  A-
• The Last Stand  A-
• The Numbers Station  B+
• Girls Against Boys  B+
• Texas Chainsaw B+
• Maniac  C+
• Superman: Unbound  C+
• Side Effects C
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2  C
• Room 237  C-
• The Last Exorcism Part II  D+
• A Good Day to Die Hard  D
• The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghost of Georgia  F

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• The Family
• CBGB
• 2 Guns
• Carrie
• Oblivion
• Kick-Ass 2
• Big Sur
• Byzantium
• The Purge
• Evil Dead
• World War Z
• American Hustle
• Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
• This Is the End
• Runner Runner

 

[Walecs]

The Lone Ranger

I wasn't barely interested in watching it, yet I loved it. Great action sequences, good humor (made me laugh out loud at the cinema, something I rarely do), epic score (and William Tell's Overture at the end makes everything more epic).

[tdalton]

Updated:

 

 

SEEN:

• Mama  A+
• Warm Bodies  A
• Free Samples A
• My Amityville Horror A
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters  A-
• The Last Stand  A-
• The Numbers Station  B+
• Girls Against Boys  B+
• Texas Chainsaw B+
• Broken City  B-
• Maniac  C+
• Superman: Unbound  C+
• Dead Man Down  C+
• Evil Dead  C
• Side Effects C
• Straight A's  C
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2  C
• Room 237  C-
• The Last Exorcism Part II  D+
• A Good Day to Die Hard  D
• The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghost of Georgia  F

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• The Family
• CBGB
• 2 Guns
• Carrie
• Oblivion
• Kick-Ass 2
• Big Sur
• Byzantium
• The Purge
• World War Z
• American Hustle
• Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
• This Is the End
• Runner Runner

 

[seawolfnyy]

A Good Day To Die Hard- *

 

Not A Good Day to Die Hard

 

The latest adventure for John McClane is the best argument yet for McClane to just retire already. This film is nothing but a retread of previous ideas and tired action sequences. From start to finish, the film is nothing but one big action scene. Gone is the humor and style of the previous films. Even Vengeance was more enjoyable than this crapfest from director, John Moore.

 

The film starts off with Jack McClane (Jai Courtney) being arrested in Russia for murder. John (Willis) must then travel to Russia to get his estranged son out of trouble. While there, McClane unintentionally becomes involved in a terrorist plot (imagine that). What ensues is a series of sequences that never live up to anything and a very poor banter between the 2 McClanes. I guess this was meant to emulate the relationship that McClane had with daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in the previous film, but these scenes contain none of the humor and chemistry that those did. The story ends up having something to do with Chernobyl. It's never 100% clear what the motivations of the villain are, but it has something to do with Uranium.

 

Another major problem with the film is Jai Courtney. He is just plain awful, which is even worse considering one could argue that he, and not the elder McClane, is actually the main character. It almost seems as if the producers are setting up for John McClane Jr. to be the protagonist of the series. Willis himself doesn't really look very good either. He looks worse at 57 than Roger Moore did in A View to a Kill. Sebastian Koch gives an okay performance and Yuliya Snigir, while gorgeous, adds absolutely nothing to the film and with the way the plot unfolds, anyone can see what her character is going to do long before she does.

 

Another failure for the film is the cinematography which is just plain bad. Too much shaky camera and apparently Jonathan Sela and John Moore were taking cues from J.J. Abrams as there was a lens flare probably every 4 minutes. The settings were also very uninspired. All very industrial and nothing stands out. Even the Chernobyl finale feels like something we have seen before.

 

Overall, it seems as if John McClane has had his day. Die Hard is a classic. Die Hard 2 is a decent follow-up and despite some bizarre parts (the Jet scene) Live Free or Die Hard is a very enjoyable film. Hell, even Die Hard with a Vengeance is good enough for a rewatch every now and then. Not this film. Gone is the magic. Gone is the humor. Gone is the fun. A Good Day to Die Hard is a mess. It is a train wreck of a film. It is everything that is wrong with the sequel syndrome. Die Hard has had it's day. It's time for something new.

[x007AceOfSpades]

A bit shocked you actually wasted time to see it.

[seawolfnyy]

It's a Die Hard film so I was going to see it eventually. Unfortunately, once was enough.

[x007AceOfSpades]

It's here. My most anticipated film of this year has arrived, and as the tagline suggests, "Time To Meet The Devil".

The newest film from Nicolas Winding Refn is a visually stunning, violent bloody, modern crime masterpiece.

 

Julian is an American living in Thailand and runs a Thai Boxing gym in Bangkok as a front for drugs. One night, his brother Billy goes out and savagely rapes and murders an underage prostitute. After surrendering to the police, the Lieutenant, Chang, or the "Angel Of Death", arrives on the scene and informs the girl's father, Choi, who he then leaves in the room alone with Billy. Choi kills (off-screen) Billy and Chang cuts off his arm for allowing his other three daughters, young, to still remain in the prostitution business. Seemingly taking his hand, he, in a sense, spares his life. Julian's mother, Crystal, arrives in Bangkok in order to find out who did this and she orders Julian to find and kill the man who killed his brother Billy. Julian tells her that's it's much more complicated than it seems and that he refuses to do any killing. Julian then comes face to face with Chang and realizes that this is the man who left Choi alone and killed Billy. Crystal, understanding that Chang is a police officer hires a man to order a hit on Chang.

 

I will admit that I didn't like Drive (and I blame that on the piss-poor adaption of the great book), but this is a truly wonderful film. It's about redemption in the end, or so I think(?) Refn uses heavy doses of his colors again, though it really complements the film with its tone and look, and goes hand & hand with the setting of the film in Bangkok. Lots or Reds, Oranges, and Blues. To further complement the film and it's setting and tone is Cliff Martinez's score which without a doubt, is brilliant. A mix of traditional Thai-style music, and with synth thrown in.

 

The film is 89 minutes, and I've read about people saying that it moves at a slow pace, which you could attribute to the lack of dialogue, but for me, it moves at a well, steady pace, and it doesn't lose your interest and keeps you focusing on what's to come next. As for the lack of dialogue, it may not have much, but the films story is told through the visual aspect, the violence, our characters motives, and the symbolism throughout. And by symbolism I point to the title and one of the characters.

 

Chang, The Angel Of Death, is in a way, God and Only God Forgives. He is a man who goes about with a sense of a strict, honorary code and through the people that commit heinous acts of violence chooses whether or not that person is fit to still live on this planet and be absolved of their sins or to be killed due to their nature. It's quite fascinating and in a way beautiful at how Refn pulls this off. Vithaya Pansringarm for me is the just absolutely phenomenal as Chang is for me is the main character of the film. Ryan Gosling is a man of few words (again), but upon seeing him throughout the film and is silence, you suspect there is something wrong with him, something that could go back to childhood and it further develops when he is around his mother, Crystal, played wonderfully by Kristin Scott Thomas.

 

The violence in film, particularly one scene is for me, justified as to why Chang did this, but again, it goes hand & hand with the film and you learn to understand it and accept it. For me the highlight of the film is the fight scene with Julian and Chang in the Thai Boxing Club. The camera shots and music, along with the violence being committed is just awe, you just have to see it. Then there is the ending, which I don't want to spoil, but for what I have to say is, you take it for what it is, as it can be interpreted in two different ways.

 

Only God Forgives is a brilliant film, and will for sure be seeing this again as I loved it thoroughly. Is it the years best film? It's July and there is still plenty of films to come out that look great. Is it the best currently? Definitely, without a doubt.

 

Only God Forgives - 5/5

 

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:

Texas Chainsaw 3D - 0
The Last Stand - 5
Movie 43 - 0
Bullet To The Head - 3.5
Stand Up Guys - 2.5
Side Effects - 4
A Good Day To Die Hard - 2

Snitch - 3.5
Dead Man Down - 4.5
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
Fast & Furious 6 - 2.5
Behind The Candelabra - 3
The Purge - 3
Man Of Steel - 2

World War Z - 4

Only God Forgives - 5/5

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

The Iceman - May 3rd, DVD-September 3rd

The Wolverine - July 26th

2 Guns - August 2nd

Elysium - August 9th

Ain't Them Bodies Saints - August 16th

Riddick - September 6th

Machete Kills - September 13th

The Family - September 20th

Homefront - October 4th

Escape Plan - October 18th

The Wolf Of Wall Street - November 15th

Her - November 20th

American Hustle - December 6th

Monuments Men - December 18th

Lone Survivor - December 27th

[x007AceOfSpades]

Pacific Rim - 4.5/5

 

This season for Blockbuster's has been pretty mediocre, if not, bad. So far having only enjoyed Star Trek Into Darkness and World War Z(yeah, I did, sue me.) everything else has been just crap. It's July and there's still another big Blockbuster I want to see (The Wolverine) and there's more still, but one has already stood out the most and certainly needs more attention, love, and appeal. I'm talking about Pacific Rim I was expecting basically a giant monster/robot film from del Toro, nothin more, nothing less. What was given instead was a badass cinematic experience I'll never forgot, Especially on July 26th, my birthday!

 

In the near future, a portal opens up in the Pacific Ocean, causing giant monsters known only as Kaiju's to enter through our world and attack us. The attacks seemingly go on forever and to fight monsters, we created monsters. We created Jaeger's giant duo-piloted robots solely built for the purpose of fighting back at the Kaiju's. When the UN decides to stop using the Jaeger's and build a wall around the pacific, it only worsens and one of the best pilots, Raleigh Becket, is called back to pilot a Jaeger and to help "cancel the apocalypse".

 

It's a pretty straightforward film, with a surprisingly great story to it that pays great tribute to the Japanese Kaiju style of film with del Toro putting in his own twist and making a truly unique film. Each character has their back story, and is told in a fairly simplistic way that is appreciative, but the real characters are the Jaegers. I've never felt connected to a giant fighting machine in such a way before. When it get's attacked by a Kaiju, you feel it, and you hope and pray that Jaeger get's back up and kicks it's ass. You feel one with the Jaeger. Then there's Charlie Day, who I have been following since seeing him on TV, and I just love the guy in just about anything he's in.

 

I'm still shaken at the awesome viewing pleasure that was Pacific Rim, that I can't really write too much about it without spoiling it, but It is without a doubt the best Summer Blockbuster yet!

 

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:

Texas Chainsaw 3D - 0
The Last Stand - 5
Movie 43 - 0
Bullet To The Head - 3.5
Stand Up Guys - 2.5
Side Effects - 4
A Good Day To Die Hard - 2

Snitch - 3.5
Dead Man Down - 4.5
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
Fast & Furious 6 - 2.5
Behind The Candelabra - 3
The Purge - 3
Man Of Steel - 2

World War Z - 4

Pacific Rim - 4.5/5

Only God Forgives - 5

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

The Iceman - May 3rd, DVD-September 3rd

The Wolverine - July 26th

2 Guns - August 2nd

Elysium - August 9th

Ain't Them Bodies Saints - August 16th

Riddick - September 6th

Machete Kills - September 13th

The Family - September 20th

Homefront - October 4th

Escape Plan - October 18th

The Wolf Of Wall Street - November 15th

Her - November 20th

American Hustle - December 6th

Monuments Men - December 18th

Lone Survivor - December 27th

[x007AceOfSpades]

The Wolverine - 4.5/5

 

"Go F*** Yourself, Pretty boy!"

After the lackluster X-Men Origins: Wolverine Hugh Jackman promised a Wolverine film that wouldn't disappoint and he was right. The Wolverine has lit a fire in me to have some slight renewed interest in superhero/comic book films again. It was also a great way to cap of the night of my Birthday on Friday.

 

Set some time after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan, distraught over the loss of his one true love, Jean. Homeless and not caring about anything anymore, he is soon sought after by Yukio, a fellow mutant with plans to take him to Japan as a dying wish for her employer, Yashida, a man Logan saved from death during the 1945 Nagasaki Bombings. Upon arriving, Yashida promises to make Logan mortal again, by extracting the Adamantium from his body to use it his body and preserve his life. Logan goes against this and shortly afterwards, Yashida dies. The following day at the funeral, Yashida and his men, as well as his granddaughter are attacked by Yakuza thugs, and Logan is vulnerable after an encounter with a mysterious woman the night before. With his strength and regenerative health stripped from him, Logan must protect Mariko from the Yakuza and an unseen enemy, whilst struggling to adapt in a new age again, gain his powers back, and unleash the animal that is The Wolverine

 

Sorry for not posting this so much sooner, birthday has been pretty crazy! Anyways, what I'm sure people were griping about was it was looking to be another Wolverine film with him trying to find himself, but it wasn't. It was Wolverine at his absolutest lowest, mentally and physically and trying to protect someone and become the animal he once was. It wasn't just a comic book film of the likes of The Avengers where it's all style over substance, but rather more of a comic book film that was done the right way, while still keeping true to the source material (to an extent of course). This is also easily perhaps the most violent X-Men film yet, which surprises me, but I can see why they did this, showing the true characters nature. For PG-13 it was pretty violent, and to mention the language as well. In the future, Maybe we could one day get that R-Rated Wolverine film with language and blood and pure violence that is Wolverine.

 

It's been a very long time since I've read the first volume in the 1982 Claremont & Miller Wolverine issue, but it seems the film has done a good job of using it as the base material, while still changing some things and modernizing it and the plot is very good. It isn't all comic book-y with non-stop action, but rather has a struggling main character and an engaging plot that keeps moving forward rather than the bulk of the Summer films this year. Hugh Jackman turns in easily the best performance as the uncaged animal and the chemistry with Mariko on screen is perfect, and the rest of the cast is rounded of by unknowns (at least to me) and was quite well. Mangold's direction is great in this, miles ahead of Knight & Day and he captures the style and essence of Japan and the character(s) very well. The action scenes weren't incoherent, and were done just about right.

 

I'd actually have this tied with Pacific Rim for Best Summer Blockbuster, but this is without a doubt one of the better comic book/superhero film since X-Men: First Class. This is definitely a lot of fun and a great film all around and what better than to release it on my birthday!

 

As for 2013 films:

SEEN:

Texas Chainsaw 3D - 0
The Last Stand - 5
Movie 43 - 0
Bullet To The Head - 3.5
Stand Up Guys - 2.5
Side Effects - 4
A Good Day To Die Hard - 2

Snitch - 3.5
Dead Man Down - 4.5
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
Fast & Furious 6 - 2.5
Behind The Candelabra - 3
The Purge - 3
Man Of Steel - 2

World War Z - 4

Pacific Rim - 4.5

Only God Forgives - 5

The Wolverine - 4.5/5

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

The Iceman - May 3rd, DVD-September 3rd

2 Guns - August 2nd

Elysium - August 9th

Ain't Them Bodies Saints - August 16th

Riddick - September 6th

Machete Kills - September 13th

The Family - September 20th

Homefront - October 4th

Escape Plan - October 18th

The Wolf Of Wall Street - November 15th

Her - November 20th

American Hustle - December 6th

Monuments Men - December 18th

Lone Survivor - December 27th

[Iceskater101]

After reading multiple reviews on the Wolverine, I might have to see this. I was never a huge Wolverine fan but it seems like this movie did him justice.

[x007AceOfSpades]

After reading multiple reviews on the Wolverine, I might have to see this. I was never a huge Wolverine fan but it seems like this movie did him justice.

 

You really should see it, for I think you will like it. It isn't no-holds-barred action throughout, but instead has a really good engaging plot that keeps interest throughout.

[seawolfnyy]

The Way, Way Back - ****

 

Co-directed by Nat Faxon and Community's Jim Rash, The Way, Way Back tells the coming of age story for 14 year old Duncan (Liam James) over the course of a summer at his mother's boyfriend's beach house. The film begins with Trent (Steve Carrell) asking Duncan how he assesses himself on a scale of 1-10. He rates Duncan as a 3 and says that he must work to get that score up over the summer. As the summer progresses, Trent and Duncan's mother party with the other adults around and leave Duncan to fend for himself. He awkwardly begins to get to know Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) who also cannot stand being at the beach. Duncan eventually meets Owen, portrayed insatiably by Sam Rockwell, who owns the local water park. He gives Duncan a job and Duncan begins having fun. Over the course of the film we see Duncan grow with his friends at work as well as dealing with the problems that his parents' relationships cause (while we never see him, we do hear about his father as well). The film is both funny and sad at times and does a great job of balancing it. We laugh when Duncan laughs. We feel bad when he does. Liam James portrayed Duncan well and it's rare that a film so well makes up feel what the characters are feeling. Debuting at the Sundance Film Festival, this is one film that many may miss. However, it is a great film that touches on some serious issues and never feels cliche.

[seawolfnyy]

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters- ***

 

I believe that most of the critics that reviewed this movie didn't even watch it. Yes it's vain. Yes it's gory. Yes it's fairly thin on plot. But it never tries to be anything else. It's a fantasy, action movie. It's meant as pure, escapist fun (and also to get Gemma Arterton into the tightest fitting clothes as possible ). It's got wit and style. The cast is great. I don't think there is a single female actress better at playing a villain than Famke Janssen. The directing is not bad, nor is the cinematography. There is far less shaky camera than any Bourne film. The soundtrack is entertaining although nothing special. The film never tries to be anything that it isn't and I am totally alright with that. At 97 minutes (extended cut), it doesn't overstay it's welcome and really isn't a bad way to kill some time. Basically, I just stick my middle finger up to all the critics who wrote this film off before it even released.

[tdalton]

Nice review.  Good to see that someone else enjoyed Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. 

[seawolfnyy]

Nice review.  Good to see that someone else enjoyed Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. 

I don't know why everyone hated it so much. Not every movie is going to be Oscar worthy and this particular one really seems as if it wants to say f*** you to the Academy.

[tdalton]

 

Nice review.  Good to see that someone else enjoyed Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. 

I don't know why everyone hated it so much. Not every movie is going to be Oscar worthy and this particular one really seems as if it wants to say f*** you to the Academy.

 

 

Agreed.  I think a lot of the film's charm comes from that exact attitude.  It reminded me a little of Kick-Ass, in that it took its inspiration from something that's generally aimed towards a more family-oriented audience (superhero films for KA, fairytales for H&G) and then added a more adult sense of humor and tone to the proceedings.