Topic: The Movie Thread

Another mega movie weekend.

the Professional: Golgo 13 (Blu-Ray)

After assassinating the son of a powerful US oil tycoon, the world's best hitman (the titular Golgo 13) finds himself in the crosshairs of the CIA, FBI, & Pentagon.

Narratively it plays things entirely straight, without even the slightest quip to lighten the mood. The action is instead broken up by frequently occurring sex scenes (of which at least one is an on screen rape, so be aware of that). It manages to stay interesting throughout though, as he still chooses to take on other jobs while being tailed, and there are one or two interesting twists & developments.

Animation is a bit of a mixed bag. It generally looks good (and there are a few standout shots, like a psychedelic shot where his speeding car is reflecting the neon lit environment), though it also looks rough in spots, and there's this hilariously bad looking shot where these ancient CG helicopters are after him (there is absolutely no effort to blend it into the art direction, in fact they probably didn't even have the tech to try & do that). At first I thought a character was looking at a computer screen "battle plan" or something (the helicopters were first shown flying through an equally CG cityscape), until I realized it was all supposed to be "real life" (I assume it was a big deal at time of release though, as the Japanese theatrical trailer included in the Blu-Ray put a lot of emphasis on the handful of CG elements, calling it the first "computer anime"). Back to the good though, it absolutely nails the vileness of it's villains (especially an assassin called snake who'll make your skin crawl), and is a bloodthirsty 80's anime film in the best way.

Kunoichi Lady Ninja (Blu-Ray)

Evil feudal lord sends his evil magical henchmen to kill a bunch of nuns, the survivors are actually a bunch of ninja, and with the help of historical samurai Jyubei Yagyu they seek out their revenge. In all honesty I found it hard to follow (and hard to care about following) the more specific narrative threads though.

Very much a low budget b-movie through and through, with laughibly bad special effects & cheesy costuming, and while this isn't inherently a bad thing (sprinkler system blood sprays being a good time & who wouldn't love the "Nipple Shockwave", an actual attack), here things often times seem very hard to follow. This isn't at all helped by the fact that while it's billed as being presented in 1080p, it seems like they tried to directly upscale it from a freakin' VHS and it often just doesn't look good on a large modern HD TV (I normally wouldn't blame the movie itself for resolution woes, but there is a note at the start of the film, as well as on the back of the box, that says "due to limitations of the original source this is the best upscale available", which I assume means it was filmed on tape originally and thus can't be any better than this, making it an inherent part of watching it).

Robot Carnival (4K UHD Blu-Ray)

Anthology film of robotic themed animations.

Like any anthology project there are one or two weak link segments (I'd say "Deprive" fits that bill here), but even those I'd say are still enjoyable. Otherwise it's absolutely fantastic, with vibes that range from fun & wonderous ("Star Light Angel", "the Mechanized Culture of the Meiji Era: Western Invasion") to the artful & deep ("the Cloud" & "Presence", the latter of which is absolutely stunning in terms of animation quality which is high praise indeed given the high bar the whole project in general achieves).

Really something you have to see for yourself.

Zeiram (Blu-Ray)

After watching the anime and then hearing that this live action adaptation centers around two electricians from real world Tokyo who go into a "virtual world where they meet Iria fighting Zeiram" I was convinced it was going to suck (like the world of the anime only exists as a video game or some such nonsense).

However the setup actually makes a lot more sense in practice. The world(s) of the anime is real, it's just that the "humans" from the anime (like Iria) aren't actually from Earth, and are in fact aliens themselves. With reports that Zeiram is headed to Earth, Iria arrives in advance and sets up a trap (a pocket dimension containing an exact copy of the area of Tokyo it's going to land in, sans populace, that way she can battle it uninhibited). Of course, her abandoned warehouse hideout is using up more electricity than it normally would thanks to all her high tech gizmos, and in checking out the discrepancy, the two electricians (Kamiya & Teppei?) accidentally follow her into the pocket dimension battle zone.

The movie itself is very fun too. There are a handful of wonky special effects, but by and large Zeiram itself is a wonder of practical effects making, believably recreating many of it's anime abilities (such as the creepy snake like tiny face that extends from the top of it's head), and exhibiting a number of effective transformations that'll completely gross you out. All in all it's a great sci-fi themed horror flick as our protagonists struggle to survive against a nearly indestructible monster.

Earth Girls Are Easy (Blu-Ray)

I see Jim Carrey & Jeff Goldblum (+ Damon Wayans) starring in an alien comedy I've never heard of before, so I decided to give it a chance. The general premise is that the trio of horny aliens crash lands in recently heartbroken Valerie's (Geena Davis) pool while watching her sunbathe from space, and she tries to teach them about life on Earth (and love, once Goldblum's character gets a hot human makeover) while they wait to repair their ship.

It perhaps spends a bit too much time at the start setting up that Valerie's doctor fiance is a bit of a horse's rear, but the entire segment detailing the trio's crash landing & exploring Valerie's home learning the basics of life on Earth is absolutely hilarious (also the wet bikini top she's wearing the entire time that clearly doesn't cover anything is a plus). Once they take on their more human appearances and it becomes a quirky romcom between Davis & Goldblum it doesn't hit those highs again, but it has it's moments.

Also a musical in spots. These segments can be fun, but aren't always relevant to the core plot (like the random song about how great it is to be a blonde, when they go to the beach).

Went to the theatre last night & watched 65.

Adam Driver stars has the captain of a deep space exploratory vessel, and after his ship is damaged by an asteroid crash lands on an uncharted planet. Now he & a young girl (the only other survivor) must make their way to the one surviving escape pod while avoiding the planet's many dangerous alien life forms. Of course the big twist (present in all the marketing) is that this planet is Earth, 65 million years ago, and said alien life forms are dinosaurs.

It sets up a tense atmosphere that's effective in keeping you engaged in their struggle to survive, an an oppressive almost horror like vibe with a few jump scares (and of course there's a plot twist towards the end in relation to a significant historical event, that places an extra sense of urgency on the timing of their attempted escape). Some of the dinosaur designs seem a bit wonky (they gave the T-Rex longer arms than typically depicted with so it could be quadrupedal at times, and similarly there was a pack of creatures that were very much more lizard like than dino like. Most of the others were more recognizable though), it was a bit visually hard to see things during night scenes (though this was probably at least partially intentional due to the tone), and there's a specific geyser that comes into play during the climax in a contrive way (just for the fact that it shouldn't have been anywhere near their destination).

That said it was a decent watch, and it's nice to support something in theatres that's not an uber big blockbuster.

The movies I watched at home over the weekend.

Black Adam (Amazon Prime rental)

Not terrible, but not particularly great either.

One thing I do think DC (generally) does better than Marvel is portray how strong the super powerful characters are, and while the fights aren't quite up to the standard of those in Man of Steel, they still tend to be a fun time (especially the slow-mo spectacle when he first wakes up).

Otherwise there's not much noteworthy about it, other than I guess there's at least one decent twist in the narrative. A bit overstuffed with new (to screen) heroes, and although Doctor Fate was cool I'm sure he'll mostly come off as an off brand Doctor Strange (yes, I know he came first in the comics). Just an average superhero movie.

Lupin III: Bye Bye Lady Liberty (Blu-Ray)

Special (I think the series' first made for TV movie, in fact) that sees Lupin & co get caught up in the schemes of a cult who controls the world from behind the scenes, who are looking for a diamond that is the key to unlocking a new type of computer virus that'll let them control all computer systems in the world.

Nothing must watch, but a nice time for fans of the franchise. Animation looks pretty good for a "made for TV" caliber movie, the gang briefly steals the Statue of Liberty, magical cult nonsense, all that good stuff.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Amazon Prime)

Maybe I should rewatch the first to see if my opinion of it holds up, but off the top of my head... I didn't care for this one as much.

Don't get me wrong, it still has some humorous moments & fun action (and the humor probably hits more often for it's younger intended audience), but it seems to get sillier the more Sonic universe characters it introduces (which is kinda unavoidable, but the more gamey it gets, the more it feels like it wasn't a good idea to make this live action/set in the real world in the first place). The whole subplot/humor surrounding the sister in law's wedding was a dud, too.

I'm probably overthinking what is ultimately a kid's film though, and it ultimately was fun (based on the end credits scene, I'm kinda looking forward to how much they're going to run this into the ground, lol).

Weird Science (Blu-Ray)

80's film that sees two high school dorks attempting to create a "digital girlfriend" via computer, so that they have something to practice talking to girls with, and somehow, impossibly actually bring her to life thanks to some light Frankenstein inspired elements. Despite the fact that she insist's she is theirs to do with what they want, they're clearly not man enough to handle her & thus she uses her (magical) abilities to help them open up & find their place amongst their peers (and get genuine, human, girlfriends).

It's 80's nonsense in the best way possible (cool but nonsensical computer abilities, an absolutely cracking theme song, blink & you'll miss it PG-13 nudity, etc). Nothing artful, but very fun if you're in the right mindset.

@RR529 would you recommend seeing 65 in the theater?

@VisitingComet1, I guess it depends on how much you like dinosaurs?

The few space shots it had looked really cool on the big screen, but by & large it was a lot "smaller" with a lot of the encounters feeling more personal, so I don't think it'd lose all that much at home (it's not essential to the theatre in the same way I'd say Avatar & Top Gun: Maverick are).

Also, Driver & the girl are practically the only two humans in the film and they don't speak the same language, so what dialogue there is between them is largely saying one or two words over & over again a lot of the time (especially from the girl). So keep that in mind if that's something that'd bother you.

I don't regret seeing it, but going to the theatre is just something I like doing.

@RR529 this actually sounds like a movie i would be into i might check it out tomorrow at the theatre.

Lots of good stuff this weekend.

Ford V Ferrari (Hulu)

Wanting to get into racing in order to entice youth buyers (and to one up Ferrari after a little tit for tat between the two companies), Ford Motor Company teams up with the only American to win Le Mans, automotive designer Carroll Shelby, in order to design a race car capable of besting the Italian car maker in the prestigious event.

A lot of masculine bravado as everyone seems stubbornly intent on clashing with everyone else (Henry Ford II vs Ferrari, Carroll Shelby and his hand picked driver, Ken Miles, vs the suits at Ford, and sometimes each other) and with a lot of fantastic action on the track, it's a very fun movie. Of course probably a bit exaggerated for movie making sake, but an interesting look back at automotive & racing history.

Striptease (Blu-Ray)

This is much better than it has absolutely any right to be.

I mean, I rewatched it because boobs, and... yay boobs I guess (though I'll admit the blonde with the super massive fake ones had even me wincing, & this is coming from someone who enjoys low rent fan service anime), BUT it has some genuinely funny comedy bits, especially from the senator & owner of the strip club. Yeah, they're sleazy, but they're almost always the butt of the joke & Moore's character is almost always the smartest one in the room so I can't say it's mean spirited.

Tetris (Apple TV+)

The core story behind this is actually pretty interesting (the whole unprecedented bit about a businessman trying to strike a deal directly with the Soviet government in regards to licensing a product for sale in the west, especially since he was skipping certain legalities), and as someone who grew up on Nintendo it was cool in general to see the story behind one of the most famous games in history.

That said it got a little silly in the second half when they turned it into a bit of a political thriller (culminating in a high speed car chase across Moscow), but Hollywood is going to Hollywood I guess (over Tetris though, lol). Also no reason this needed to be R rated (I'm not a prude by any means, but this seemed to have over a dozen F-bombs for no other reason then to have them), I mean, it's a story about frickin' Tetris.

Still really liked it though, and it was interesting to watch a movie that largely took place in the backdrop of Soviet Moscow.

InuYasha the Movie 2: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (Blu-Ray)

Rewatching the series (collecting it on Blu-Ray) and made it to the point where you can fit in the second movie.

Probably overrating it a bit because it's my favorite of the movies in a franchise that's nostalgic for me, but I can't deny I had a lot of fun with it. There's not a whole lot I could say about it that would convince someone who isn't already a fan to see it (though I want to give a shout-out to the fight with the big 3/4 headed sea serpent thing, which was exciting as all get out), but I will say it looks absolutely gorgeous on Blu-Ray. I had purchased the digital version a few years ago on Amazon, but it seems like the quality of it really dips at specific times (it wasn't a buffering issue, and is an issue across all the InuYasha movies digitally), yet the BD is absolutely crystal clear and almost looks like a contemporary release in terms of quality (the first movie looks better on BD as well, but it seems like this one's conversation is above & beyond). Hope the last two films are updated to this standard.

Just got back from watching the Super Mario Bros. Movie in 3D!

Sonic ran & Tetris cleared the way so Mario could jump for the (Super) Stars.

Seriously though, this is hands down the best VGM ever made. I know that's not a high bar to clear, but it was more fun than I could have ever imagined. It's not deep & they don't really bother to explain why things in the Mushroom Kingdom work the way they do (floating blocks, power ups, etc), but it's honestly better that way and let's them get right down to it. Everything is lovingly crafted, the cast is fun to be with (Mario & DK are the best "frenemies" ever), and the various nods to series' (& Nintendo) history constantly brought a smile to my face. Really, even my mother who doesn't really have any knowledge with the series past the SNES came away having a good time with it.

3D was fan-frickin'-tastic too. I've always heard that animated films tend to transition to the format better than most live action films (sans the stuff filmed in 3D like Avatar), and based on this I'd have to agree. It was constantly a feast for the eyes, whether it be a series of pipes bursting in a bathroom or an army of Dry Bones emerging from the ground (to name a couple of early film moments).

@RR529 I don't know a out best video game movie ever made. The original Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II The Animated Movie were pretty damn good.

The Menu (DVD)
A great black comedy / thriller film of a group of guests going to an exclusive expensive restaurant for a very different dining experience. Anya Taylor-Joy is excellent and Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as the head chef.

9 / 10

@Tasuki, yeah, I'm probably still full of recency bias, but it's definitely up there.

You're right though that Street Fighter: the Animated Movie is darn good too (not a big Mortal Kombat guy, so I can't speak as to that one). Not quite as good as the SF film, but I quite like the Fatal Fury animated movie as well.

@RR529 OMG I forgot the Fatal Fury movies, I loved those as well, especially the 2nd on mainly due to how they portrayed Wolfgang Krauser. If you have Netflix I suggest the Tekken Bloodline series although that's structured more like a TV series then a movie but is a solid adaption of a video game.

I have yet to seen the Mortal Kombat movie that came out a few years ago but I have heard mixed reviews on that.

As for the movies I watched at home this weekend...

The Wizard (Blu-Ray)

Don't have the '93 Mario film on disc, so watched this instead to prep myself for the new Mario movie.

Wanting to prevent his younger brother from being holed up in a mental hospital, Corey (Fred Savage) sneaks him out and they hitchhike their way cross country to California (making money hustling at arcades & such along the way because the younger bro is a "wizard" at video games) in order to compete in a Nintendo competition at Universal Studios (which will prove the younger kid is cognizant or some such). Along the way they team up with a girl (so Corey can have an obligarory romantic plot), and are chased down by the duo of their father & eldest brother (who are genuinely worried about them), and a bounty hunter who specializes in catching runaways (hired by mom's new husband, he's our cartoonishly evil bad guy).

Yeah, it's cheesy as heck (you really need to turn your brain off to roll with the idea that a bunch of kids under 13 can successfully travel cross country & no one bothers to ask questions other than the few characters activity in pursuit), and it really is just a big commercial for Nintendo (even the eldest bro & dad reconnect by playing an NES they dragged along whenever they make a stop in their journey), but that latter fact is what makes it so fun if you were a fan of gaming in the 80's & 90's.

For what it's worth they do try to squeeze in an emotional revelation as to why the younger brother has the issues he has, and while it's probably more of an afterthought it does have me tearing up. But yeah, "the Wizard", much like the Power Glove featured in the film, is "so bad" (and it's up to you how you want to read that context).

Urusei Yatsura: Only You (Blu-Ray)

I'll admit I was going into this one a bit blind (I've never seen the show it's based on), but it was easy enough to get to grips with the various players.

A bit rough & slow in spots, but it was a fun enough time & there were times when you could tell they were trying to stretch their artistic chops (like the opening tag scene). Will definitely check out other stuff in the franchise.

Most recent movies I watched were Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves and The Super Mario Bros Movie. I really enjoyed both of those movies. Course when it comes to The Super Mario Bros Movie, I am of course referring to the one that came into theaters this month.

Only a couple this weekend.

Greyhound (Apple TV+)

Tom Hanks in the role of the captain of the "Greyhound", an attack ship charged with protecting a convoy of troop & supply trips from German U-Boats during WWII.

Wasn't mind-blowing, but it was pretty solid overall. Certainly effective at making me feel the cold of the icy waters & the action kept up at a good pace.

Zeiram 2 (Blu-Ray)

Like the first one I actually liked this one quite a bit.

I don't think the creature special effects were quite up to par with the first (certainly not as creepy as often), but it still has it's moments, and as a trade off it had much more of an action angle (almost like an Alien to Aliens transition). Had a fun time with it when all is said & done.

A few movies this past weekend.

the Wandering Earth (Netflix)

China's attempt to output a Hollywood quality big budget sci-fi blockbuster. When it's discovered that the sun is unstable, Humanity decides to put aside their differences and form the UEG (United Earth Government) and in a massive undertaking constructs 10,000 massive engines across the globe in order to pilot the planet to a new solar system...

The premise is laughibly dumb (the core of the story is set 17 years into the 2,500 year long journey, where humanity must leave the safety of their underground strongholds in order to repair the engines on the surface after many are damaged by Jupiter's gravity, before the planet is too far gone to resist the gaseous giant's pull) & I can't remember anyone's names, but I actually had (a lot) of fun with this.

While the effects can feel a bit too "video gamey" at times, the production is overall a lot more modern and up to snuff than I'd have imagined, with often absolutely stunning scale & really cool looking tech design. In terms of vibe it kinda reminded me of 90's blockbusters like Independence Day, Armageddon, or Twister (just, orders of magnitude bigger) which I liked. Really fun popcorn flick kinda stuff.

Memories (Blu-Ray)

Anime anthology film consisting of 3 sci-fi shorts.

"Magnetic Rose" - A group of deep space scrappers runs across the wreckage of a giant ship sending out a distress signal. Mystery & danger abound when they explore it and become involved in a sci-fi twist on the haunted castle trope. This is the deepest when it comes to narrative & emotion, with some affectingly powerful scenes.

"Stink Bomb" - A sick office worker for a pharmaceutical company unwittingly becomes a walking bio-weapon after taking some experimental pills, and he stumbles his way towards Tokyo while avoiding an all out military assault aimed at taking the befuddled guy out. This one was really super fun & even humorous in a bit of a dark way.

"Cannon Fodder" - A day in the life of a family who lives in a society who's entire existence exists to wage war (from the schooling, to industry, and even the architecture of the city itself) just for the sake of waging war. This is the most artful of the bunch, with a unique aesthetic imbued with the vibe of fascist & communist propaganda imagery, with something to say about the pointlessness & futility of war.

Overall it was a pretty interesting watch & one I'd recommend.

Beast (Amazon Prime)

While on an African safari a father and his two estranged teen daughters find themselves being hunted by a lion with bloodlust on it's mind after his pride is killed by poachers.

While most modern films of this Ilk try to go too big and bombastic (the Meg, the modern Jurassic films), the smaller, more personal vibe of this one really works in it's favor. Of course there's still some Hollywood magic at play (both Idris' character & the lion survive things that should have realistically killed them a time or two), but overall it's pleasingly tense.

Only one movie for me this weekend due to all the new gaming goodness in Future Redeemed & Jedi Survivor.

Coffy (Blu-Ray)

After her sister falls victim to drug pushers and finding out that the law isn't exactly on her side, Coffy decides to take justice into her own hands by hunting down the dealers & the powerful men who enable them.

This was pretty fun when all's said in done. I'd have liked a bit more action, but what's here is good (shoutouts to the dude who got shotgunned to the head & the big cheesy prostitute brawl. A "prostitussle", you could say?), and it can be quite effectively brutal at times. King George's bold yellow pimp jumpsuit has to be seen to believed, and you'll get an eyeful of boobs, which is always a plus (though not always in the most politically correct of scenarios, being a 70's flick, if that bothers you).

Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer (Blu-Ray)

A franchise film that doesn't feel like a franchise film, in a good way.

When the students & staff of Tomobiki High School slowly start realizing that they're repeating the same day over & over again they set out to figure out the cause of the phenomena, all while the stability of their world seems to unravel the closer they get.

Pretty much a more high concept Groundhog Day, about a decade before that even released, with some absolutely stunning animation & dreamlike imagery. It's much more of a slower burn than other things in this franchise that I've seen, but it managed to hold my attention better, and it's interesting to note that the core characters don't really seem to push the narrative forward a whole lot for the majority of it's runtime, with supporting cast like Sakura & Mendo doing most of the heavy lifting until the end.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (theatre)

A part of me is kinda over these movies that want to be both your epic blockbuster & your comedy (something about Maverick, Avatar re-release, & Avatar 2 last year made me realize how much I missed relatively straight faced immersive blockbusters), but on the other hand this was still tons of fun & managed to strike that balancing act between action & comedy much more effectively than last year's Thor movie did.

It managed to both make me laugh & tear up at different points, and the big action set piece in the hall towards the end was a particular delight. I only regret not being able to find the time for a 3D showing.

InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (Blu-Ray)

On my way through the franchise on Blu-Ray, I've now arrived at the point where I can fit in the third movie.

A lot of fans consider this one the cream of the crop when it comes to the film adaptations, and while I don't quite rate it that high (it has nothing that comes close to "that" moment in movie 2), I definitely understand the praise.

Granted, there's nothing here that'll make you a fan if you aren't already into the franchise (the same can be said of all the movies), but it shines a light on some background lore that the series proper barely touches upon and has probably the most exciting climactic set piece battle in any of these films.

Suicide Club (Blu-Ray)

Japanese film that follows a police investigation into a rash of mass suicides seemingly driven by mysterious online culture.

It starts off really strong with an engaging narrative and a jarring amount of gore (a couple wonky CGI effects are counterbalanced by some genuinely sickening practical effect gore), but it goes absolutely bonkers in the last third and kinda lost me.

I'm sure there's some sort of poignant cultural critique at play in here somewhere (something maybe about internet/youth culture being disengaged from reality?), but it's probably more apparent if you're more familiar with Japanese society than I am (especially the Japan of the era it was made in). Glad I gave it a go though.

some movies im watching the rest of this month

She-wolf of London from the Wolfman Legacy Collection DVD

then on Tubi
-Heathers
-original Running Scared movie
-Robot Jox
-Doomed! the documentary about the canceled Roger Corman Fantastic Four movie
-City Hunter
-Space Raiders