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Subject: Movie Reviews and Opinions, Part Deux
Posted by: Species
- Dude [07724916] Tue, Sep 18, 2007, 12:28
Saw a trailer online for Iron Man. Of course the Black Sabbath song is so recognizable it hooks you in quickly, and Robert Downey Jr. as the arrogant, brilliant but deep down troubled Tony Stark is somewhat like life imitating reality.
I loved comics as a kid, but never really realized until the Batman movies as an adult how truly brilliant some of these characters were --- how for many of them they created such an in-depth psychological history behind who they became and why. Upon seeing the trailer I pulled up Wikipedia's entry on Iron Man and hadn't realized how brilliant but twisted Stark was.
Should be interesting to see how it comes out in the movie. While the Michael Keaton version of the Batman movie tried to delve into the psyche of how Bruce Wayne became Batman (which of course is a horribly dark thing), it wasn't until the Christian Bale "Batman Begins" movie that they really delved deep enough. The sad thing is that most of the viewing public would rather see the superpowers and special effects than understand the sometimes dark reasons why some of these people become these superheroes. |
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351 | SeattleZen on Vashon
ID: 2511151811 Sat, Dec 19, 2009, 02:34
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All I can really say is "WOW". Avatar will, without a doubt, be remembered as a seminal movie, every action movie, every CG effect will be compared to or imitate the effects I saw tonight.
I have never enjoyed a 3D movie before, this time Cameron got it right. The quality of detail in the forest is simply mind blowing. The clarity and reality of the flying creatures, the colors, man, I could go on and on.
Look, I don't like blockbuster movies, I don't go see the Batmans or Spiderman or Titanic, I am a art house movie snob. So, yes, there are some moments where the action and plot line start to resemble Con Air, but they are brief and I forgive. This movie just made very other epic undertaking ten times more difficult to pull off. The imagery is so fantastic, you really can't tell it's fake, even though the mountains are floating in air.
Oh, what I would do to have Godfrey Reggio and Ron Fricke use this technology to make a movie!
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352 | C1-NRB
ID: 5115723 Wed, Dec 30, 2009, 23:30
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I saw Avatar a week or so ago. Very impressive effects; it's the new bench mark.
Story was "meh," though. I found myself wishing for more substance for all the effort they put into the style.
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353 | PuNk42AE Donor
ID: 036635522 Wed, Dec 30, 2009, 23:39
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Did anyone ever see the movie "9"? It just came out and I think i'm going to get it, but I haven't talked to anyone that ever ended up seeing it.
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354 | Mike D Leader
ID: 041831612 Wed, Dec 30, 2009, 23:46
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I have never enjoyed a 3D movie before, this time Cameron got it right.
Totally agree Zen. I'm still not sure if it's because all previous 3D movies really were that bad, or if this one was that good, or both. I'm leaning toward both. I've read somewhere that you "feel like you are in the movie" at times. I definitely felt that way. Great 3D-----see it at the movies, and see it in 3D.
You have been warned.
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355 | Mike D Leader
ID: 041831612 Wed, Dec 30, 2009, 23:48
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No Punk, but I saw District 9, and loved it. Found it to be unlike any other "alien" movie I've ever seen. Very well done.
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356 | RecycledSpinalFluid Dude
ID: 204401122 Thu, Dec 31, 2009, 00:55
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Were hitting Avatar next week in 3D-Imax. The other #D movie we saw was A Christmas Carol, which was damn cool.
I'm in the same boat as you Mike D, re: District 9. I really had no clue what the show was going to be about, but definitely enjoyed it.
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357 | money4later
ID: 2111213116 Thu, Dec 31, 2009, 01:54
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Went and saw Avatar in 3D this week and it was awesome. Didn't notice alot of "in your face" scenes like many 3D movies, but very good special effects.
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358 | sarge33rd
ID: 11154305 Thu, Dec 31, 2009, 09:07
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My son and I saw AVATAR 3D last week. Plotline/storyline was predictable, but the 3D affects were SO well done as to make it THE movie of the year IMHO.
Technically, the movie was brilliantly done. And the 3D was so well done, I was seriously tempted to 'reach out and touch' during the viewing. Not so sure, 2D is gonna cut the mustard anymore.
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359 | weykool Leader
ID: 41750315 Sat, Jan 02, 2010, 11:55
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Went and saw The Blindside last night and it is excellent. It's a sports movie along the lines of Remember The Titans but much, much better. I highly recommend. Great date move as well.
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360 | Texas Flood
ID: 7101698 Sat, Jan 02, 2010, 12:58
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Watched the 20/20 special on The Blind Side the other night. Oher said they took a lot of liberties when portraying his high school football abilities and his knowledge of the game. Sandra Bullock was a dead ringer for his Oher's adoptive mother.
Oher seemed to be a well grounded individual according to what I saw in the interview and he's been a force in the Raven's offense. I'm sure Ray Rice and Flacco are glad he's around.
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361 | weykool Leader
ID: 41750315 Sat, Jan 02, 2010, 13:56
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TF: I watched the 20/20 after I saw the movie.
Two things: Bullock nailed the part. They should have had the daughter player herself....very pretty girl.
I think liberties with movies/Hollywood is just the nature of the beast. There is a website that went through all of the "embellishments" of Remember the Titans and there were a ton of things that never actually happened.
From what I could tell from the 20/20 interview is the non-football portrayal seemed to be very accurate. There is a genuine bond between people.
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362 | blue hen
ID: 8115717 Sat, Jan 02, 2010, 16:06
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Looks like it's been about six months for me. Some quick hits:
Hangover - Great. It's hard for comedies to reach the highest level, but this one was exactly what it should have been. It'll join Wedding Crashers, Old School, Dodgeball, Anchorman, etc, as a great "guy movie."
Blind Side - Man, the hype machine was in full effect. But this movie was real good. I have yet to talk to a person who didn't like this movie. And I agree.
Funny People - Not so great. There were some funny bits in this, and the story line is good for the first hour or so. But it goes on. And on and on and on and on. And on and on. Seriously, I looked at the clock and thought "How are they going to make another hour here?" Sure enough, they didn't. At least, not well.
Up - It was good, yeah. But not nearly as good as people would have made you think. There are a ton of similar animated movies that are much better. I think my two favorites are Meet The Robinsons and The Incredibles.
Monsters vs Aliens - Also good, about the same as Up. With both movies, they were fine, but there were warts. For this one, I really didn't feel much empathy for the monsters. They just weren't interesting creatures.
New Moon - I actually liked the Twilight movie, and most people say New Moon is the better book. However, this movie stunk. Stunk stunk stunk. Pass, unless you're a 12 year old girl.
Night At The Museum 2 - So so. It was actually a good sequel, and I'd be fine if they kept making sequels. It was funny enough and accomplished what it needed to.
GI Joe - This was really pretty good. I was always a fan of the series. I'm hoping they make sequels like Spider Man or Transformers. There's a lot of potential plot lines to be had.
The Wrestler - Sorry Tree. I hated this one. Far too much gore (which is what most wrestling fans probably like), a pretty lame plot, and I didn't like the characters (or the acting, really). And I didn't like the ending either. If you're looking for a good wrestling movie, I much prefer Ready to Rumble.
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363 | Texas Flood
ID: 7101698 Wed, Jan 20, 2010, 23:17
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Last weekend.
Avatar: Old story with a new take. Loved the 3D and CG special effects, fun to look at but in general I found it to be mostly hype.
Sherlock Holmes: Really enjoyed it. Certainly was a new take on an old classic. One of the best movies I've seen in a while.
The Blind Side, compelling story. Sandra Bullock was great and carried the movie. Overall I enjoyed it but didn't think it was nearly as good as Remember The Titans, Radio or Rudy.
The Book of Eli: Denzel now has now hit rock bottom. IMO this movie was a total piece of crap and a waste of $9 and two hours.
Looking forward to Shutter Island.
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364 | sarge33rd
ID: 280311620 Tue, Feb 02, 2010, 08:16
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GAMER...2 words...blew chunks.
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365 | blue hen Dude
ID: 710321114 Tue, Feb 02, 2010, 10:09
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10 more days until Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
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366 | walk Dude
ID: 32928238 Tue, Feb 02, 2010, 10:17
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Oscar noms announced this morning. Best pic category now includes ten films.
2010 Oscar Nominees
Hurt Locker and District 9...so cool. Hurt Locker expected; expanded category gave some breadth to Up and Blind Side (Blind Side?). Lots of credit to Tarantino (8 noms), Up in the Air, Hurt Locker and Avatar. I hope Avatar does not win best pic. Psyched that Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci were nominated for best supporting actors. I like those guys.
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367 | sarge33rd
ID: 280311620 Tue, Feb 02, 2010, 10:46
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Avatar shouldn't win Best Pic. Definitely should be a front runner for innovation/creative SFX though.
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368 | Great One
ID: 50222219 Sun, Mar 21, 2010, 10:23
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Affleck and Damon will come together for "The Trade," a based-on-truth tale of two Yankees pitchers who traded wives in the 1970s. Former pitcher Fritz Peterson was a star for the New York Yankees in the late 1960s, but he's best remembered for what he did off the field. In 1973, he and teammate Mike Kekich announced that they were trading wives, homes, children, and even their dogs.
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369 | Donkey Hunter
ID: 568242321 Sun, Mar 21, 2010, 10:36
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Re: Blind Side
IIRC the movie seemed to be pretty faithful to the book in portraying Ohers football abilities. So perhaps it was Michael Lewis who took those liberties.
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370 | Mike D Leader
ID: 041831612 Sun, Mar 21, 2010, 11:39
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Surrogates wasn't bad. But I'm a big sci-fi fan so I might have enjoyed it more than others. Excellent concept, and I was looking forward to it, so a little bit of a letdown.
Still want to see Gamer, especially with Sarge's glowing review. ;)
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371 | sarge33rd
ID: 280311620 Sun, Mar 21, 2010, 15:47
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do NOT waste your money, nor your time Mike. One word sums it up....SVCKS.
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372 | C1-NRB
ID: 401412422 Mon, Mar 22, 2010, 00:08
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Went with the family to see "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," aka "Diarrhea Wimpy Kid," this weeekend. It actually had a couple of laugh-out-loud funny moments for adults of a certain age: "Like, gag me with a spoon!"
I say rent it if you've got kids, wait for it to come on Family Channel in a few years if you don't.
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373 | PuNk42AE Donor
ID: 036635522 Mon, Mar 22, 2010, 11:28
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Shutter Island
I thought it was a great movie, awesome Pyschological Horror. And if anyone has seen it it's interesting to see which way people thought the ending of the movie meant.
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374 | Great One
ID: 392321511 Mon, Mar 22, 2010, 11:32
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It was all open to interpretation....
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375 | sarge33rd
ID: 280311620 Sun, Mar 28, 2010, 14:46
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Blind Side
One of THE, without question, BEST movies I have ever seen and prolly ever will.
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376 | TB
ID: 1021922 Sun, Mar 28, 2010, 16:42
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Hot Tub Time Machine - I laughed throughout the movie, from beginning to end. For sure an adult comedy so don't take the kids. Rob Corddry along with Clark Duke, John Cusack, and Craig Robinson just kept the humor going. I'm still laughing thinking about some of the scenes.
The Bounty Hunter - Predictable but still fun movie. Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston worked well together. I could have waited until it showed up on HBO to watch, though.
Speaking of HBO:
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - Never heard of this before, but was looking through HBO on demand and saw Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garners names so thought I'd check it out. Very funny movie. A Christmas Carol remade into a modern day flick to show McConaughey the error of his ways regarding his relationships on the eve of his brother's wedding.
My Best Friend's Girl - Another HBO flick I never heard of. Dane Cook is so good with the ladies that as a part time gig other men hire him to go out with their ex-girlfriends to chase those women back to their boyfriend. Cook, Kate Hudson, and Alec Baldwin all help make this a very funny movie. Recommend this one if you've never seen it.
Law Abiding Citizen - wasn't interested in it, but my friend owned it so watched at his house. Good movie. Gerard Butler was pretty intense in this movie and it kept me entertained.
Gamer - I knew this was going to be a dumb movie before I ever watched it and it lived up to the billing, but I figured I might as well complete the Gerard Butler trifecta of movies. As dumb as the plot was, I'd be lying if I said the action didn't keep me entertained.
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377 | TB
ID: 1021922 Sun, Mar 28, 2010, 18:24
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After my last post, I scrolled up and noticed I hadn't posted in this thread in a long time. Ever, actually. Guess the old thread was the last one I posted in, so thought I'd comment on some movies from above.
The Hangover - Great comedy and non-stop laughs. If you hated this, avoid Hot Tub Time Machine but if you love movies like this, you will love Hot Tub.
Slumdog Millionaire - Had zero interest in watching this movie until it came on HBO and my son told me he watched and enjoyed it. Great movie. Very heart wrenching.
Avatar - I loved it and for anyone who talked about predictable outcome, old story, or any other critique I'd say to get over themselves. It's a fantasy movie with the greatest visual experience to date. If you missed the 3D version on the big screen you totally missed out on something amazing.
Sherlock Holmes - Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr did a great job. I'd say it was a good, not great movie, but there were parts that were great.
The Book of Eli - Was going to avoid this one, but went to the movies with some friends and it came down to this one. My expectations were very low so it was going to be hard to disappoint me. Some okay action. End had a small twist for me. I walked away entertained.
Hot Rod - Very stupid movie and I loved it. I absolutely love dumb movies that make me laugh and this one did just that. I'm more familiar with Andy Samberg from his lonely island youtube vids than his saturday night live stuff. Lots of funny people in this movie too; Isla Fisher (I love her since Wedding Crashers and even in Definitely, Maybe), Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone, Ian McShane. If you are looking to watch a movie based on reflections of life, one with deep meaning that will provoke intellectual debate, then don't watch this. If you just want some stupid laughs, this is the one.
Role Models - Another comedy I enjoyed. Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse kept the laughs coming.
Star Trek, GI Joe, Wolverine - You either enjoy movies like these or you don't. I happen to enjoy them all.
Night at the Museum 2 - Just okay for me. Had some great laughs, but wasn't as good as the first one, imo.
Fast & Furious - The first one was a great movie, the rest have just gotten worse. It was cool to see Vin Diesel back in the movie, but some of the scenes were just so lame.
Babylon A.D. - Spealing of Vin made me think of this movie. Right there with Gamer. Dumb movie but lots of action so eat some popcorn, watch things get shot up, and then wonder what else you could have spent that cash on.
Gran Torino - Great movie.
Chick flicks I've watched and liked:
PS, I Love You - So maybe I am on this Gerard Butler kick lately. Hilary Swank was really good in this. I've loved her since Million Dollar Baby and she was fantastic in Freedom Writers so gave this move a shot and wasn't disappointed.
Definitely, Maybe - Ryan Reynolds, divorced dad, tells his daughter (Abigail Breslin) the story of how he met and fell in love with her mother/the three great loves of his life; Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, and Rachel Weisz. Funny and entertaining.
Valentine's Day - I don't know why I watched it or why I am admitting I liked it. Feel free to verbally abuse me.
The Proposal - Not a chick flick, but writing up Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds made me remember watching this recently. Him and Sandra Bullock were both great in this. Which of course reminded me of the comedy Just Friends, also starring Ryan Reynolds. He is a funny dude and if he's in a comedy I am probably going to watch it.
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378 | TB
ID: 1021922 Sun, Mar 28, 2010, 18:42
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I just can't stop posting.
Zombieland - I am going to buy this movie. Non-stop action and laughs. Jesse Eisenberg and his rules are hilarious. Woody Harrelson was badass and funny. Same with Emma Stone, who I also enjoyed in Superbad and The Rocker.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - So I happen to like fantasy flicks even if they come from children's books ala Harry Potter. Good action movie for the teenage kids.
He's Just Not That Into You - Maybe that's why I liked Valentines Day. It was on HBO and I watched it. I dunno. I hope I don't lose my membership card admitting all this. I will say that I just bought a Glock 23 and a Ruger P95 to add to my gun collection. Am I trying to gain some balance? lol
One movie I haven't seen yet and plan on seeing is She's Out of My League.
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379 | blue hen
ID: 51348821 Sun, Mar 28, 2010, 23:21
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Hot Tub Time Machine made me come post here. AWESOME movie. The cast is great: John Cusack, along with the guy from The Winner, Dale from Greek, and Darryl from The Office. And also Crispin Glover (George McFly) - kudos to whoever thought to put him in a time machine movie. Seriously funny movie - highly recommended.
The only other thing I have to post about is Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The movie was decent, but the books are really good. I recommend them as well.
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380 | TB
ID: 1021922 Mon, Mar 29, 2010, 18:34
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I wonder if I liked the movie better never reading the books? I was a little frustrated how much was left out in the Harry Potter movies. I leafed through one of the books at the store and it seemed like a much younger book than the Potter series.
Went and bought Zombieland last night along with 4-5 more movies and watched one of them.
Fired Up - FU! Lots of good laughs. If I could go back in time, instead of playing football in high school I would have been a male cheerleader.
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381 | sarge33rd
ID: 280311620 Sun, Apr 04, 2010, 16:53
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What happened to the sci-fi serial Starship Troopers?
Just watched #3 on the tube...and it blew. :( Saw the 1st many years ago and it wasnt 1/2 bad. Never did catch the 2nd one. But nr 3????? cripes, it was horrible.
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382 | Punk42AE
ID: 582102623 Sun, Apr 04, 2010, 23:53
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The 3rd was direct to DVD so you knew it wasn't going to be good. The 1st one was great, the second one was blah.
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383 | sarge33rd
ID: 280311620 Sun, Apr 04, 2010, 23:56
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direct to DVD??? lol Well, that explains that then.
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384 | Punk42AE
ID: 582102623 Mon, Apr 05, 2010, 00:49
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Casper wasn't in #2, and don't get why he came back for #3, but then again he really didn't go anywhere after #1 so guess he thought it would Jump start him :'P
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385 | sarge33rd
ID: 280311620 Mon, Apr 05, 2010, 20:47
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jump start??? lol more like a blown tranny
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386 | Punk42AE
ID: 582102623 Tue, Apr 06, 2010, 10:19
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He's not a has-been, he's a never was.
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387 | C1-NRB
ID: 401412422 Sun, Apr 18, 2010, 23:15
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Just finished 2012.
I like John Cusack and I like seeing things blow up (but not necessarily to the Bruckheimer level), but overall this was just "meh." I couldn't suspend disbelief enough to buy into the cause-and-effect of the final cataclysmic premise.
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388 | Punk42AE
ID: 353311823 Mon, Apr 19, 2010, 00:31
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I saw How to train your Dragon in 3D yesterday with my GF and her daughter, it was really good. Wouldn't even have to go with kids to see it.
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389 | Texas Flood
ID: 7101698 Wed, Apr 21, 2010, 15:51
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Clash of the Titans 3-D was just OK for me. It's far from being a must see. overall disappointing.
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390 | Mike D Leader
ID: 041831612 Sun, May 16, 2010, 22:39
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I can't remember if I posted this but I loved Zombieland. Reminded me in many ways of Shawn of the Dead.
Very disappointed in Sherlock Holmes.
Very surprised by Gamer, which I liked. Looks like I'm the only one, but the action was excellent, acting not bad, and concept if you are hard-core sci-fi also not bad.
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391 | Great One
ID: 39342317 Mon, May 17, 2010, 00:53
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Zombieland was a lot of fun.
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392 | Mike D Leader
ID: 041831612 Wed, May 19, 2010, 23:10
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Well worth going back to the Scene Selections to watch a few....like "Zombie kill of the week." LMAO!
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393 | C1-NRB
ID: 401412422 Wed, Jul 14, 2010, 22:30
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Toy Story 3
Those of us of a certain age remember when Toy Story came out in theaters. My wife and I saw it before we had kids because it was, and is, a must-see. As is Toy Story 2. There's something about well-done story telling that endures and endears.
See Toy Story 3. It closes the book. Yeah, there are parts of it that are just OK, but the good parts make up for it.
And for the record, I "did." But it was mostly, well partly, because of allergies- a little bit. Kinda.
Thanks, Pixar, for the (recovery, re-composition, recuperation, decompression[?]) interlude during the credits before the lights come up and everyone starts to leave.
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394 | Khahan
ID: 373143013 Mon, Jul 19, 2010, 13:52
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I thoroughly (ok, I'll come back to that) enjoyed The Last Airbender. However there were some issues:
-the acting was often laughable (with 1 scene of just a normal 'what do we do next conversation' involving nothing but close ups and "overly excited to denote importance" conversation. It was bad. I think at another point it seemed like an actress was reading from a queue card so closely I kept waiting for her to pronounce punctuation, too, 'Lets go see what the ocean has to say today Period It will be wonderful Period) -the storytelling itself was short-sighted and choppy. The flow of the character development was non-existent. Shamalan basically just said, "the character doesn't accept and now the character does accept his circumstances." and expects us to believe it
However, the story itself was very strong and was able to survive the choppy telling. The visuals were amazing.
However, the whole ball of wax was well worth it. When the movie I wanted more. That is the best thing I can say about it - despite everything I didn't want it to end and really, really enjoyed myself watching it.
I can't wait for the sequel.
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395 | blue hen Dude
ID: 710321114 Mon, Jul 26, 2010, 11:01
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Some updates:
- Pleasantly surprised by Eclipse - it was much better than New Moon. I'm actually curious to see how the story ends. I was dragged to this movie, but again, pleasantly surprised.
- The Bounty Hunter also surprised me. I was on a plane so there weren't many options. The plot was predictable, but the acting was solid.
- Sure, it's July. But I saw Valentine's Day after much begging. Despite the superstar cast, I wasn't too impressed. I did like all the serendipity (although I prefer the movie with that title to this one).
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396 | blue hen Dude
ID: 710321114 Mon, Jul 26, 2010, 11:02
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Oh and A-Team was great if you liked the TV show. I did and did.
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397 | Great One
ID: 38649207 Mon, Jul 26, 2010, 11:05
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no Inception reviews yet? Khahan... I think you are the only one who like Airbender lol... its rocking only 8% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
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398 | C1-NRB
ID: 2672611 Mon, Jul 26, 2010, 12:07
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Khahan... I think you are the only one who like Airbender lol... its rocking only 8% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
The people that didn't like Avatar: The Last Airbender (the real title) fall into two opposing camps: The ones that watched the cartoon on Nick and are upset because it doesn't stay 100% true to the story which is multiple seasons long, hence the trilogy. And even at that they can't cover EVERYTHING. Then there are the people that had no idea about it going in, so they're lost.
I thought it was just OK. I don't feel strongly about it one way or the other. I'll push for waiting for at least the 2-D version, if not the the video release of the next two, though.
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399 | C1-NRB
ID: 30718515 Fri, Feb 22, 2013, 23:38
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Doesn't anyone go to movies any more?
We went to the drive-in tonight to see "Escape From Planet Earth" Not bad. Good for the kid crowd. Wait to rent it. I sense a trend; the last drive-in movie I reviewed was "Monsters vs. Aliens" (post 336).
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400 | GO
ID: 300542419 Sat, Feb 23, 2013, 00:20
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ARGO was great. Go rent it. Its gonna win Best Picture.
Life of Pi was good best seen in a theater. Lincoln was great but probably ok on a home tv. Silver Linings Playbook, loved it. Zero Dark Thirty was intense and enjoyable, could have been a touch shorter. The Hobbit was kind of underwhelming. Warm Bodies was a nice surprise. Definitely rent it in October for a little romantic zombie comedy. Identity Thief was terrible. Barely a rental. Beasts of Southern Wild was a fun movie. Moonrise Kingdom - surprised it didn't get more nominations.
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