Topic: The Movie Thread

Avatar: the Way of Water (IMAX 3D) - the blue cat people are back, now joined by new & improved green cat-fish people.

First time I've ever been to an IMAX screening, and this was an absolutely magnificent theatre experience.

Story was pretty simple in themes like the first (family drama, can't run away from your problems, obvious environmental angle), however it worked to hold things together, though there were a few interesting wrinkles as well. Without getting into spoiler territory, they made a decision about a certain character I wasn't expecting them to commit on, and in expecting sequels one of their adopted kids (Kiri) has a mysterious origin & abilities that weren't fully explored here.

Of course being an Avatar movie it was absolutely triumphant from a technical & visual standpoint. I'm a bit undecided on how I feel about the enhanced framerate (not that it's an inherent negative, but at times it felt like a video game cutsene, albiet one several generations ahead of what's currently available), however the 3D is magical and a few steps above found in the original. From an aesthetic/artistic perspective I'm not sure how they're going to top the underwater scenes in this one though. It often felt like a religious experience & I want to give a special shout-out to a scene from inside a mini sub who'se immersion was bordering on what VR provides.

Really interested in how it's going to hold up in a 2D home viewing though. While the climax is an absolute tour de force that'll probably still entertain in that inferior viewing arrangement, the middle of the film (where the family is learning "the Way of Water"™) I could see being a lot slower without that 3D magic elevating it.

Also, crab mechs.

My 2022 movie ranking (people are starting to do this on the NL movie thread, so I figured I'd just paste over my post since I spent so much time on it).

12. Thor: Love & Thunder (Theatre 3D) - Had some cool moments, but leaned way too heavily into comedy (that didn't always work). Gorr could have used some more fleshing out too. The black & white scene on that moon looked dope though (especially in 3D).

11. Morbius (Netflix) - This wasn't even all that terrible IMO. Just felt like an average 00's superhero flick, and they've evolved so much so by now (I think it could have hit harder had they been allowed to get a bit gorier, but as a Spider-Man adjacent property that was never going to happen).

10. Jurassic World: Dominion (Theatre 3D) - While it was cool seeing most of the old cast again & there is an inherent level of fun with dinos, this was very been there seen that & it's disappointing because it didn't have to be. The big premise is that the dinos are finally out of the park/reserve, then they go ahead and reign it in to our heroes having to escape a dino reserve anyways.

9. the Bob's Burgers Movie (Hulu) - Bob's Burgers isn't one of my favorite adult animated comedies, but it's still pretty okay & this is pretty much a really long, better animated episode of the show. One for the fans.

8. Chip N' Dale: Rescue Rangers (Disney +) - A bit more of a B-grade Disney film, but it was still a pretty good time with some fun cameos.

7. Turning Red (Disney +) - As someone who was a young teen in the early 2000's with a taste for anime I thought this was pretty fun too. Not being a girl it didn't connect with me as well as it could have, but I'm glad it exists.

6. Lightyear (Theatre 3D) - Maybe the most controversial thing in this ranking, but I actually kinda liked this. Now, it probably didn't need to be a Toy Story tie in (though it made a few references) and I get why it could be a bit slow for young kids, but as someone who enjoys deep space sci-fi I thought it was actually a pretty good time (and had some cool 3D scenes), and is the best thing Pixar has released in awhile.

5. Prey (Hulu) - Really solid, back to basics Predator prequel, with some suitably brutal kills.

4. Doctor Strange & the Multiverse of Madness (Theatre 3D) - Maybe a bit high because I thought it made really good use of 3D, but I thought this was really fun & I liked the light horror elements.

3. Blonde (Netflix) - Parts of this were hard to watch (and from what I understand, it plays very fast & loose with the facts for drama's sake), but it was absolutely excellently shot & one of the most memorable things I've seen this year.

2. Top Gun: Maverick (Theatre) - The quintessential summer blockbuster. With a narrative that pays homage to the original without being overbearing with it, it's an absolute thrill on the big screen.

1. Avatar: the Way of Water (IMAX 3D) - The visuals & 3D are an absolute religious experience, and while the middle might be a tad slow the climax is a tour de force of thrilling action, and the story is quite a bit improved over the original with a family angle that gives it a more personal stakes.

Honorable mention to the Avatar rerelease (Theatre 3D), which while technically not a 2022 film was a fantastic theatre experience in it's own right (it'd easily fit there alongside Blonde or Maverick if I had to place it.

Street Fighter II: the Animated Movie (Blu-Ray)

Solid adaptation of the game series.

Narrative isn't particularly engaging but does an admirable job setting up a reason for the central characters to be in conflict, and it does a great job making sure every playable character shows up at least once (usually making sure they're involved in a fight at that). I want to particularly point out the E. Honda/Dahlsim bout that briefly takes on a "side view" emulating the viewpoint of playing the game, and the Chun-Li/Vega encounter which has a genuinely tense buildup (and the shower scene is certainly a plus), and then is absolutely the most intense, exhilarating fight in the entire film. I will say that for some reason I kinda start to lose a bit of interest by the time the final confrontation with Bison rolls around, but ultimately I'd say it still sticks the landing.

In a bit of a surprise turn we rewatched Avatar: the Way of Water again at the theatre over the weekend. My brother wanted to see it again (it's his favorite film series) & he said he'd pay if I went with him so I figured why not. Still managed to absolutely engross me the second time around. The underwater scenes are nothing short of magical in 3D.

Also got to see the first Mario movie trailer in 3D (the one with the penguins) this time around as well, which was a nice perk.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika I don't offer to many suggestions but i love reading the ones you guys offer keep them coming. I have watched so many movies @RR259 has suggested I probably wont watch the avatar stuff but we watched both puss in boots movies thanks to your review.

This weekend my wife and I watched a bunch of Christopher Nolan movies. I have to say that interstellar for whatever reason really speaks to me I really enjoy it. Memento is good and so is Tenet and inception I have yet to watch dunkirk. The one movie I have watched more than anything is the darknight I used to just let it run over and over while playing games. Of all his movies though interstellar is my favorite.

Project A-Ko (Blu-Ray)

Got this in on Blu-Ray as I remembered finding it pretty humorous when I watched it online at some point in the distant past.

It's... fun. An action parody of the anime tropes of the mid-late 80's, it probably won't win you over if you aren't already an anime fan (especially a fan of the era it was berthed from), but if you are it's worth a shot.

It was nice seeing it remastered in HD, some of the shots still hold up pretty well (I personally loved the space ship & most of the mecha design), it still holds a few chuckles (I laughed my rear off during a reveal during a theatre scene while the characters were watching a horror film), and the presence of fan service is a nice touch as always.

For the Blu-Ray itself it gets props for being absolutely stuffed with about the most special features I've seen in an anime release (especially for a film), and it even has a reversible cover.

A Man Called Otto (cinema)

Tom Hanks plays a grumpy old man lost in life who makes trouble for everyone in the neighborhood, however thanks to a young family that moves next door (& a cat) he gets a new lease on life.

Not typically the kind of thing I'd see in theatres, but we went as a family & I'm glad I saw it. It bounces between comedic moments & dark, emotional ones, and while it may not be the most unique idea I can't really find anything to fault with it. The leads put in great performances, it was shot well, and it had me both laughing & bawling my eyes out throughout it's runtime so it did something right.

Watched three films this weekend.

All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix).

Film that follows the lives of a group of German soldiers during WWI from time of recruitment to the end of the war.

It does a stellar job throwing you into the muck of the war, with powerful scenes & moments that'll make you squirm. It may not be entirely original in showing how gruesome this war was (1917 also comes to mind), but that makes it no less effective, and the viewpoint from the "other" side is an inspired take that shows that war is hell for everyone involved. Not a fun film, but one that's well worth watching.

Ghost in the Shell (4K UHD Blu-Ray)

I'll admit I can be a bit overwhelmed by the narratives/themes the GitS franchise tends to have (for example the Arise line, which I've heard is a bit more narratively "streamlined" compared to the franchise at large, still starts to elude me by the 3rd OVA), however I've always loved the original film, and that holds true with the 4K Blu-Ray release.

With absolutely stunning animation & design that still holds up (& looks fantastic in 4K) and a narrative that explores exactly what it means to be alive/human, there's nothing not to love about it.

Operation Mincemeat (Netflix)

Film based on a true story of how British intelligence attempted to convince the Nazis that the allied Invasion of Europe was going to go through Greece (instead of Sicily) by planting fake invasion plans on the corpse of a vagrant they dressed up like an officer (with a complete made up history to boot) and floated ashore to Spain (being neutral, it had a lot of spies on both sides, so they hoped the Nazis would pick up & fall for it).

It's perhaps a bit too padded out (with the romance drama), but it's produced well enough & is an interesting story that goes to show that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

@RR529 Have you seen the original all is quiet on the Western Front? If you have how does the new one compare? The original for me when I watched it in seventh grade took most of the romance out of war it was not gory but was very intense and slow burn. Like you said seeing it from the side of the German soldier not policy maker really has an eye opening affect on you.

The show I am currently watching is the Expanse on prime its really a good sci fi space show. I tried typing what it is about but it is really hard not to give away spoilers so go watch it for yourself.

Movies I watched this weekend.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney+)

One of the better MCU efforts from 2022.

It's perhaps a bit too long and some of the night scenes are way too dark (I think this is more of a Disney+ problem than one of the film itself as I've had the problem in some of their series, though the scene where Namor first snuck up on Shuri & her mother was so dark it was almost like just watching a bunch of disembodied voices, lol), however the tributes to T'challa (and Chadwick Boseman himself) were well done & emotional (I was almost tearing up by the after credits scene), and when it got around to it the action was fun (Namor in particular was pretty badass).

Return of Godzilla/Godzilla 1984 (Blu-Ray)

Original Japanese version.

80's (soft) reboot of the classic Kaiju film series that acts as a direct followup to the 50's original, aiming to bring it back down to it's roots as more a grounded warning of the power of nuclear power, in contrast to the campy monster "vs" movies the series had become over the past couple decades.

After the titular monster awakens from a decades long slumber it attacks a Soviet nuclear submarine & Japan finds itself in the middle of Cold War drama as the Soviets & Americans jointly agree that the best course of action would be to nuke him out of existence right on Tokyo's doorstep, and the Japanese must find a way to neutralize the threat before real catastrophe strikes.

It mostly still holds up, all things considered. It does feel like there was at least some level of pressure to shoehorn in some toy marketing material with the whole "Super X" subplot (a futuristic flying war machine with laser blasters & the like), but otherwise the more political elements & pretty grounded military capabilities make the effort successful.

@VisitingComet1, I actually haven't seen any of the other versions of All Quiet on the Western Front, so unfortunately I won't be of any help there. I will say it does a great job showcasing how hopeless it all seems from one on the front lines.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) - 8 / 10
Didn't know what what going on for most of the film but managed to work it out by the end. Michelle Yeoh is excellent in her part as well as James Hong.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6710474/

Jurassic World Dominion (2022) - 1 / 10
By far and wide the worst film ever made in this dinosaur franchise. It's the 'pits of the earth' to put it mildly.

Movies I watched over the weekend.

Sin City (Blu-Ray)

For the extended version.

While I wasn't a fan of every design choice it went with, this is still one of the most visually striking films I've ever seen. Also certainly never boring to watch, with a blatant edginess that is oftentimes unintentionally hilarious with how hard it goes. It'd most definitely be considered "problematic" in this day & age, but it's so over the top with it that it's fun.

Consisting of 4 (or really, 3) different independent storylines that occasionally cross paths, it has a structure that still feels pretty unique as well, though it has a full on credits roll after each one which kinda messes with the pacing (at least the extended version does this, it's been awhile since I've seen the theatrical cut).

InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time (Blu-Ray)

Pretty much just a longer, generally better animated, episode of the TV series. Now, that's not inherently a bad thing, but there's really no reason to watch it (& probably the other movies) if you aren't already a fan of the show.

I do wish I could have given it a higher score though. Not that a 3/5 is bad or anything, but InuYasha was THE anime for me in middle/high school (and I'm currently going through the show again & still love & connect with it), & while I liked the movie, I wasn't in love with it. Maybe it's because I used to watch all the movies annually & there's a bit of burnout, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood, who knows.

FYI, I mention a score because I just copied over my Letterboxed review, & the only (modern) trailer I could find is for the 4 in 1 Blu-Ray release, so I'll probably re-embed it for every single one of these when I get around to the others, lol.

Movies I watched over the weekend.

Basic Instinct (Blu-Ray)

For the "Unrated" Director's Cut version.

Despite being aware of a certain infamous scene I've actually never seen this until now. Actually a pretty decent murder mystery film with a couple decent twists all things considered (and yeah... I enjoyed all the trashy sex bits, sue me, lol).

City Hunter: Magnum of Love & Fate (Blu-Ray)

Movie in the City Hunter franchise that sees the cast finding themselves protecting a concert pianist who gets caught up in an espionage struggle between West & East Germany (well, it calls them Gariela... but they're Germany) when she begins looking for her father.

It pretty much feels like a longer, somewhat better animated episode, of the City Hunter/City Hunter 2 era. It does make some good use of the higher budget when they assault the bad guys' HQ during the climax though, and is still a fun time if you're a fan of the series.

Also commonly subtitled as .357 Magnum, but I think we can all agree that Magnum of Love & Fate stomps.

City Hunter: Bay City Wars (Blu-Ray)

Movie in the City Hunter franchise where terrorists take over a newly built hotel in order to take command over the supercomputer which controls the facility, because it can give them control over US military systems for some reason (okay, maybe it doesn't make complete sense, but this is just an excuse to have Ryo do a "Die Hard", so let's forgive it, lol).

Maybe a bit short than what you'd typically expect from a movie, but I think that works in it's favor in this case. It takes no time at all to get into the thick of it & is pretty much wall to wall action from beginning to end (though of course it takes just enough time out to get in some of the series' trademark gags). This is elevated by a level of animation that's becoming of the format & noticeably a couple steps above any of the TV series at their best, which really makes the action shine.

It may not be as transformative as some of the Lupin films are for that franchise, as it's still ultimately something best appreciated for existing fans, but it's about as good as it can be for that type of project. Just really super fun.

City Hunter: Million Dollar Conspiracy (Blu-Ray)

Yet another City Hunter movie. This time Ryo gets hired by an American woman who claims she's being hunted by the Mafia, & promised him $1 million for the job. Of course things aren't as simple as they seem, and he finds himself embroiled in a mystery involving the CIA.

Quality wise it's a lot like "Bay City Wars" which I also recently watched. A bit short, but it really knows how to use it's budget & animation to be an entertaining watch. Preference will probably depend on whether you want more wall to wall action (Bay City Wars) or a bit more mystery with a little more time dedicated to Ryo's antics (Million Dollar Conspiracy).

Unfortunately I couldn't find a good trailer for any of the City Hunter stuff.

Just one movie for me this weekend.

City Hunter: the Secret Service (Blu-Ray)

A City Hunter movie which sees Ryo hired to protect a secret service agent who herself is part of a detail protecting a visiting South American political candidate (she is secretly his daughter, and his political opponents are targeting her to get to him).

It's not as tightly paced as the shorter films (Bay City Wars, Million Dollar Conspiracy), but it's still a fun time if you're a fan of the series.

Fun Easter Egg: at one point late in the film, right before the big climax, a character opens a map which holds some "Star Trek: TNG" references. If you pause & look at it, you have Mount Picard, Riker River, Jean-Luc Point, & Worf Point (you can see the former two again, & more clearly, whenever someone else opens the map again a few minutes later).

movies im watching this weekend starting today

Direct to Video Straight to Video Horror documentary
The Arrival
Robot Carnival

and i might watch the In Search of Darkness III thats on Shudder

Just one movie for me this past weekend.

City Hunter: Goodbye, My Sweetheart (Blu-Ray)

Another in the long list of City Hunter movies.

The story in this one doesn't make much sense, even by franchise standards. IIRC, the villain is former French Foreign Legion, & after his group is betrayed by the "multinational military force" they were apart of during the Gulf War (for reasons that are never explained), he decides the best course of action to get revenge on the world is to destroy Shinjuku.

That said, the setup leads up into what is probably the most unique of these City Hunter specials so far. It's essentially "Speed" with a bullet train, where if the train drops below a certain speed (or makes so many trips around it's route) it'll set off a series of explosives that'll destroy the city. This leads into a scenario in which Ryo (& Umibozu) just can't waltz into an enemy HQ & gun everyone down (which is how these things usually end). Instead everyone has something important to contribute, with Saeko playing negotiator with the villain, Kaori finds herself in the conductor's seat of the train, & Ryo/Umibozu using their unique talents to find a way to safely stop the train.

In terms of aesthetic this is the darkest one yet as well. Of course it's still full of the series' classic gags (especially in the first half) which you'll either be tired of or looking forward to in a comfort food kinda way at this point, but the bright 80's neon & early 90's pastel color pallets of the past give way to something more grounded, earthy, and maybe even a tad gritty. Heck, even the deaths (& there are deaths) seem to hit harder here (it features the first bloody head shot that I can seem to recall from the franchise for example. While there have been head shots in the past, as well as bloody wounds, this is the first time the two have come together). When Ryo does finally get his one on one with the bad guy he has a much more equal fight on his hands than he typically does and even gets a bit beat up during the ordeal.

I don't think the vibe is my personal preference for the property, but there's no doubt it's used to good effect here, and it looks really good too (you can definitely tell it's a special, with an animation quality that goes above & beyond what you'd see in a typical episode).

Caught the last hour & a half of the Oscars last night. Good for Everything, Everywhere, all at Once, I haven't seen it, but it's been very buzzy. Glad to see both Avatar: tWoW & Top Gun Maverick each pick up an award as well, in the technical categories anyways. Too bad All Quiet on the Western Front didn't win anything, as I thought that was quite good as well.

Anyhow, these are all the movies I watched this weekend.

City Hunter: Death of the Vicious Criminal Ryo Saeba (Blu-Ray)

The last of the original City Hunter movies/specials.

I don't think it's particularly worse than what came before (if you liked the earlier stuff, it's worth a watch), however I can't help but think something feels a bit off about this one, IMO.

Starting things off, the opening song has a grungy feel to it that doesn't gel at all with the series vibe (feels like it would be more at home in something like Death Note). Otherwise it has the same kinda more muted color palette as Goodbye My Sweetheart, but while that fit that film's tone, this one leaned much harder on the comedy side of things which felt at odds (and even then, I felt the comedy wasn't the series at it's strongest).

That said it's not bad by any means. It still looks absolutely wonderful like the last couple of films, and despite feeling off in spots it's still largely the same City Hunter we've come to love.

Female Yakuza Tale (Blu-Ray)

This is absolutely wild.

Over the top with exploitative sex/nudity, violence (which often comes off as hilarious in this day & age, such as a scene where a guy flicks a bullet up another man's nose), it's absolutely not for everyone, but it's a fun time if you can get into it. Has a very grungy feel to it too.

It follows Ocho, a woman who is violated by the local Yakuza when they accidentally mistake her for one of their drug mules, and then she sets out for revenge. Can definitely tell it's the type of film that partially influenced the Kill Bill movies (though again, this is much more out there).

Project A-Ko 2 (Blu-Ray)

If you liked the first one this is pretty much more of the same.

The aliens have refurbished their ship as an entertainment center but are plotting to take off with C-ko, the Earth Defense Forces, sour after their defeat in the first film, plan to steal the ship, with an ever bickering A-ko & B-ko caught in-between. It's a bit more truncated as a 50 minute OVA as opposed to the full length original, but that keeps it moving at a nice clip & it still manages to have it's fair share of both laughs & action.

Shogun's Samurai (Blu-Ray)

Historical fiction film that centers around the sons of the second Tokugawa Shogun, and the conflict between them over who will inherit the position.

It's actually a really solid drama. A bit slow in spots, but it's interesting to follow, with some nice environmental & action shots. A handful of the action scenes come across as weirdly superhuman for how grounded the rest of the film feels (like a scene near the end where a guy cuts through some sort of after image of his opponent, where he really cut clean through a statue), but it's kinda weird in a way that's charming IMO.

Project A-Ko 3 (Blu-Ray)

More A-Ko goodness. This time C-ko is feeling left out as A-ko & B-ko are squabbling over a guy instead of her, but unluckily for them he only has eyes for C-ko (who couldn't care less about him).

Looks great aesthetically, and it's full of fun vibes & gags, though it's a bit anticlimactic. I was wondering when the big action set piece was going to happen, and it never does. A-ko & B-ko finally get ready to throw down, the town's volunteer defense forces get ready to roll out (hilariously everyone from fast food employees, to teachers, & even the mayor have personalized Mecha), but the action has already been settled (off screen) by the time they mobilize. Of course, maybe playing with expectations was the gag in and of itself, but I can't deny I was a little disappointed. Still a very fun time overall though.

One for the middle of the week.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Blu-Ray)

You know, there's a lot about this I could probably criticize, whether it's Piccolo & Gohan's contrived new transformations (at this point it's like they're not even hiding the fact that they're just trying to move toys), the fact that they sorta blew a possible return of a past villain, or the fact that they sidelined Buu due to a nap, AGAIN. However, I ultimately don't watch Dragon Ball for nuanced stories, and when all is said & done this was pure fun.

I was a little unsure of the 3DCG going in, and while there were a few things that looked a tad wonky, it worked a lot better in practice than I'd have imagined and the CG environments gave a sense of scale to the battles that was enjoyable to see. The action was fun, had some funny comedic bits, and it was nice getting a story that was a bit smaller in scope, allowing a few characters that have been more or less on the sidelines get a chance to shine.