Topic: The Movie Thread

Free Guy - Comedy set within a GTA like video game where NPC Guy (Ryan Reynolds) becomes self aware. Nothing remarkable, but it was a fun time IMO.

Star Wars: the Last Jedi - I've been watching through all the Star Wars movies in chronological order (generally one a month), and while I'll probably get guff for this, so far I've thought the sequels have been fine. They certainly have their issues (probably more of a budget/tech thing, but it does seem their grasp of the Force becomes ever so more superhero-esque with each successive trilogy), but as far as popcorn flicks go I haven't regretted watching them. I think TLJ probably is the lesser of the two for me (it's a bit slow for a popcorn flick IMO, and while TFA is a bit more derivative I think it's generally a bit more fun). I will say I think the way they killed off Luke was a bit lame, but I'm not going to get up in arms about it.

Turning Red - This was a pretty fun time. Don't think I'm quite the target audience for it, but I enjoyed it.

X-Men: the Last Stand - I haven't read the comics, but I thought this was fine (I certainly didn't enjoy it particularly less than the first two). That said, they definitely seemed to write themselves into a corner by effectively ending the stories of multiple characters, so I'm interested in seeing how they retcon some of it. I think they bring back a few killed characters due to a butterfly effect in Days of Future Past if I recall correctly, though Xavier ends TLS in a new body and I think he starts out (DoFP) still in "Patrick Stewart's" body before that takes effect, so I'm not sure if that's ever explained.

the Shape of Water - Probably the most unconventional take on a "Beauty & the Beast" style narrative I've ever encountered (I really kept thinking, "did they really just go there!", lol). That said I liked the period piece sci-fi/cold war espionage angle & thought it was a very interesting watch overall.

Encanto - I wasn't sure if it'd appeal to me going in, but I had a fun time with it. A good number of the songs are stuck in my head if nothing else, lol.

X Men Origins: Wolverine - There seem to be a few possible continuity discrepancies based on the other X Men films (though I know the latter Days of Future Past acts as sort of a slate cleanser), and then there's whatever the heck it did to Deadpool, but overall it's a competent action movie on it's own. Not the greatest thing in the world or anything, but there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

Lupin III: Napoleon's Dictionary - 90's Film in the ever present long running anime franchise. It was okay, but never really elevated itself above feeling like an overly long episode of one of the TV series (even the animation felt like a half step between TV series & movie quality).

I was hoping for some sort of "Whacky Races" type antics given that the setup was supposed to be Lupin entering a classic car race across Europe in order to win Napoleon's dictionary (which is said to hold a clue to Lupin's family treasure) with the CIA (and other intelligence agencies) trying to capture him along the way, however you practically never even see any of the other contestants. It's largely just Lupin's gang getting chased across Europe by said intelligence agencies which could have easily been done without the race setup.

It sure has it's moments if you're already a fan of the franchise, however I can't see any reason to watch it otherwise.

Road House - A professional bouncer is hired to clean up house at a rowdy bar outside Kansas City, but gets more than he bargained for when he has the nephew of the local mob boss fired.

It's full of cheesy machismo (there's nothing, not even firearm equipped assailants, that can't be overcome with a few well placed roundhouse kicks), but still manages to exude a sense of cool with a classic Americana vibe. It perhaps runs a bit longer than it needed to (though the fact I watched it on an ad supported service didn't do it any favors in this regard), but I don't regret watching it.

@RR529 Road House is one of the all time classics for me but I really liked Swayze its to bad he's gone.
If you liked that he was in a movie that was kinda of campy maybe not the most groundbreaking but good and fun called Next of kin

We just watched the Northman it started out really well then just did not finish well. All in all it is ok nothing to write home about.

@VisitingComet1, yeah it was pretty decent. Though honestly the main reasons I wanted to watch it are because it's referenced a lot in Family Guy (I know, I know), and I thought it might have been a movie I caught on HBO or Starz late at night back when I was around 13-16, but I don't think it was the one.

Just got back from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Surprisingly it does avoid becoming a fan service laden cameo fest, and is probably a tighter more fulfilling experience as a result (just go in with the correct expectations), with the cameos it does have being that much more exciting (even if the big one's been teased since forever). That said, I was kinda disappointed that they didn't utilize one of the two post credits scenes for a cameo opportunity.

We went to a 3D showing (in the hopes that it'd have a 3D trailer for Avatar: the Way of Water, which it did), and the effect was used brilliantly throughout. Although I probably will rewatch it once it hits Disney+, I really think Multiverse will lose something in 2D.

Metal Skin Panic: Madox 01 - Short OVA film (it's like only 41 minutes) that sees a young civilian mechanic getting stuck in a prototype US Army mecha, trying to flee from the authorities (including a hot shot tank operator who wants to destroy the mecha instead of repatriating it) in an effort to meet up with his girlfriend before she sets out to leave the country.

Definitely one for fans of retro & mecha anime. If you can put up with the SD resolution, the attention to detail paid to all the military tech is a sight to behold, and it's a pretty quickly paced romp.

Spies Like Us - Chevy Chase & Dan Akroyd play a pair of bumbling government employees who get a surprise when they're quickly promoted to master spies & sent out on a top secret mission (unaware that they're just decoys meant to keep attention off the real spies).

Never seen it before, and while it doesn't live up to the likes of Vacation or Ghostbusters, it was worth a few chuckles (kind of felt like a more gag reliant take on Stripes).

Watched Logan this morning. Been slowly watching the X-Men films in order, and while this one wasn't next on the list it isn't available on any of the paid streaming services I have & I noticed it popped up on one of the free ones (FreeVee), so I figured I should watch it while I got the chance.

Never seen it before, but it was pretty excellent (definitely brutal in a way the other Wolverine movies weren't).

Watched Watchmen this morning.

I'd seen parts of it before, although never the whole thing, but I thought it was quite good. It's much more of a slow burn than your typical CBM (and more graphic as well), which gave it a pretty unique vibe amongst it's contemporaries. The action scenes really hit hard when they did happen though, and the backdrop of an alternate reality history was pretty interesting.

My wife and I watched gone baby gone last night. It was really good definitely adult themed but really good. It's about a missing child has a good mystery plot and just really entertaining.

Another movie we recently watched is Memento. It starts from the end and goes backwards really good. The main character has can't make new memories and he's trying to solve his wife's murder.

Just watched Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.

Never watched the original cartoon so I wasn't all that invested in the core story/narrative (though it was fun enough in that manner for a kids' movie), so I was more interested in what they were going to be able to pull off cameo wise, and although it wasn't quite to the level of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in that regard, it was more impressive in that regard than I had imagined going in. Massive thumbs up for having South Park's Randy Marsh just sitting there out in the open. Didn't think they'd go that far. Also had a few subtle nods to Rick & Morty.

Just finished watching Just One of the Guys (currently free on Pluto TV). 80's comedy that follows a female high school student as she decides to go undercover as a Boy for a week at another school, as she believes the only reason her journalism assignment didn't win a competition was because she's a girl, and she'd be able to succeed at the other school as a boy.

The main premise for the swap is soon largely dropped (outside of some lip service at the end of the film) in favor of typical 80's teen romance/drama cliches (they don't even bother to explain how she's able to skip out from her own school for an entire week, let alone why this other school just let's "him" walk in), so your enjoyment of it will entirely come down to how much you enjoy said cliches. That said, it gains some level of uniqueness just for the pure Ranma-esque web of relationships (you have Terry's shallow college aged boyfriend whom she's trying to hide her adventure from, the girl who has the hots for "boy" Terry, the dorky boy Terry decides to help out socially whom she starts to like but can't tell him in order to maintain her facade, who himself begins to catch the eye of the school's hottest girl, which draws the ire of the cliche douchebag jock. Then you have Terry's dateless best friend, & her perpetually horny younger brother whom is a carbon copy of Bud Bundy from Married With Children, right down to being named Bud).

@RR529 I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your synopsis of these movies. I usually check out the ones I haven't seen its super helpful that you list where to find them.
So in closing thanks!

Saw Top Gun Maverick at the cinema last night.

I don't have any specific attachment to the original film, but I thought this one was really good. I think it helps that while it is a reboot, it feels like one that they (or at least Cruise) really wanted to do rather than just being a cash in (it ends in a way that it ties up character relationships/drama left over from the first film really well).

Of course the action in the sky was the real draw for me & it didn't disappoint. There was plenty of it, brilliantly filmed, with the climax being one of the most excitingly tense showdowns I've seen in a while. The last act of the movie really feels like they commited an Ace Combat game to film, which is really impressive given the sheer amount of physical stunt work on display.

Seemed to be a real crowd pleaser for the relatively largish audience in attendance, too.

@VisitingComet1, thanks. Sometimes it feels like I'm talking to myself, lol.

@RR529 like comet I always read them, I'm not the biggest poster on here though, but as he said I always read your posts they are interesting and evn though I don't watch many movies anymore it gives me a good idea how someone from the audience views it

I really want to see this in the theater

Just finished up watching The Wolverine in my journey through all the X-Men films. I'd seen it before, though I actually think I enjoyed it more the second time (I think I may have been slightly unnecessarily confused by the separate factions the first time). I really appreciated the fight on top of the bullet train in a way I hadn't before, and it was the first time I watched a film on Blu Ray in awhile & I forgot how good the picture quality could be that way.

@RR529 That means you've got Logan to come. For me personally its the best Comic book film by far. The way Patrick Stewart, and Hugh Jackman bounce off each other in their scenes is great to watch.

I watched Enter the fat Dragon last night. It was really mad seeing Donnie Yen in a fat suit lol. Very funny film, one con though, the Subs are on light speed.