[ComicGuy89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KRX

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire... I need to read these books, don't I?

The movie was remarkably accurate to the book. Of course given the nature of film, it was impossible to capture every moment of the book, but what it did adapt, it adapted with great faithfulness. Few scenes were changed and those that were were not that significant.

It even used the third-person view of the movie to its great benefit, by creating new scenes featuring President Snow and Plutarch Heavensbee. It's similar to how the first movie greatly expanded on Seneca Crane's character.

Because of these, I must say that it's a very smart adaptation, possibly the smartest I've ever seen. The Potter movies were very good, but they were tonally different from the books, which you may or may not like (I liked them). On the other hand, The Hunger Games movies were almost exactly like how I pictured them in my head reading the books, and that is really remarkable in my opinion.

[Locke]

Alright, I've got my bud at the ready, time for a Stone Cold Steve Austin MAN MOVIE. All jokes aside, if this wasn't the year Pacific Rim happened, I'd tell you you've got the best piece of entertainment this year has produced.

The throwback feel to The Package is wonderful, the 80s was pretty much the best decade for cinema, and that is no different for action. The action may feel sluggish when you compare it to the more martial arts focused action of modern action cinema, but seeing Steve Austin smash people through tables and glass never gets old. Especially later in the film where he gets to punctuate all his badassery with sassy one liners.

Starring alongside him is Dolph Lundgren as 'The German' who steals the show, and really this should have been his movie, in many ways it kinda is. He may be showing his age a bit, but somehow the lines of age seem to only add to his presence. He's never been a good actor, but he is clearly enjoying the role he plays here. The German mixes up his usual on screen characterisation just enough to be as refreshing as it is familiar, while still being all awesome. Seeing him nonchalantly take down entire rooms of guys with a kitchen knife and THEIR guns, without taking a single scratch is AWESOME but it's equally awesome that later he prepares a smoothie, while listing off the benefits of each fruit while a man bleeds to death in a chair.

Impressively though, there aren't any weak characters in this, not really. Films like this usually seem to try and ride the wheel of their biggest stars (well I dunno whether you'd call them that...) but for once it isn't like every side character is just a thug for Austin to knock over. Everyone gets to have a character, and a personality and gets to have a lot of fun wearing those shoes, even if it's only for a single scene. And for once scenery chewing actually kinda works in context. All the big personalities, and skills for violence, sometimes make this feel more like some kind of comic book film than your straight actioner. And I love that.

The film makes lots of fun uses of its characters as well, constantly tipping the balance of power as characters weave in and out of the frame as threats or non threats which creates for a surprisingly twisty ride, if not a particularly cerebral one.

Most importantly though, it doesn't detract from what we came here to see, Lundgren VS Austin! And MAN is it worth the wait, if you aren't a classic action fan you might be disappointed (but then why'd you care about this movie?) but just seeing these two pure powerhouses pummel the living shit out of one another until one goes down, just YES. There are no rules!

As you can gather, on terms of pure entertainment, The Package is pretty much perfect. Every set piece is stunning, thrilling and just downright awesome. Bloody, visceral fist fights, explosive gun fights, intense claustrophobic brawls, cars flipping, sets levelled. So much win.

What is most surprising though is The Package is actually really well made. It isn't exactly a stylish movie, but the cinematography and editing at least tries to give the film some kind of visual identity and doesn't trying to do it all by the numbers.

[Kamen Rider Meteor]

Space jam

The greatest movie about basketball playing aliens ever made.

[Locke]

Watched Frozen today.

The biggest question with Frozen is whether the end justifies the means. And at no point am I saying it necessarily doesn't. Frozen has a third act which leaves you feeling ecstatic as you walk out of the theatre, both in its huge feel good appeal but also in the amount of depth and thoughtfulness Frozen ultimately proves it has.

Sadly the problem though is despite Frozen not being a long film, so much of the film ultimately exists for the ending, and flutters around almost purposelessly until then, biding its time until its time to put its foot down. With whole plot arcs feeling or turning out to be half baked to downright pointless, it makes you feel like you've had your time wasted for novelties, which isn't a great feeling, even if the novelties are pretty great.

But, it's important to note, that the movie isn't bad, far far from it, just problematic. Olaf and Sven are comic relief characters that are actually genuinely funny and don't feel like they're tacked on solely for the sake of making the darker moments of the movie more kid friendly. It's rare for a movie to make me laugh out loud beyond a few snorts and giggles, but it's even rarer for a film to have me roaring with laughter along with everyone else in the screen.

But perhaps the strongest character of the whole bunch is Hans. You know he's going to be evil as soon as he turns up, but with the films tendency to defy conventions and the way Hans doesn't seem to have a hint of slime or menace about him, and genuinely seems to be the Prince Charming he claims to be, it almost makes the 'I'm actually evil' twist almost work because for the longest amount of time you aren't quite expecting it to really happen.

Also, whether the narrative ultimately works for you or not, I'm pretty sure no one will complain about the visuals. From the gorgeous core sisters, who are beautiful to the point of uncomfortableness, to the stunning art aesthetic and beautiful ice creations this is just an utterly gorgeous movie. And a pretty damn great one, overall.

[Thessair]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Watched Frozen today.

The biggest question with Frozen is whether the end justifies the means. And at no point am I saying it necessarily doesn't. Frozen has a third act which leaves you feeling ecstatic as you walk out of the theatre, both in its huge feel good appeal but also in the amount of depth and thoughtfulness Frozen ultimately proves it has.

Sadly the problem though is despite Frozen not being a long film, so much of the film ultimately exists for the ending, and flutters around almost purposelessly until then, biding its time until its time to put its foot down. With whole plot arcs feeling or turning out to be half baked to downright pointless, it makes you feel like you've had your time wasted for novelties, which isn't a great feeling, even if the novelties are pretty great.

But, it's important to note, that the movie isn't bad, far far from it, just problematic. Olaf and Sven are comic relief characters that are actually genuinely funny and don't feel like they're tacked on solely for the sake of making the darker moments of the movie more kid friendly. It's rare for a movie to make me laugh out loud beyond a few snorts and giggles, but it's even rarer for a film to have me roaring with laughter along with everyone else in the screen.

But perhaps the strongest character of the whole bunch is Hans. You know he's going to be evil as soon as he turns up, but with the films tendency to defy conventions and the way Hans doesn't seem to have a hint of slime or menace about him, and genuinely seems to be the Prince Charming he claims to be, it almost makes the 'I'm actually evil' twist almost work because for the longest amount of time you aren't quite expecting it to really happen.

Also, whether the narrative ultimately works for you or not, I'm pretty sure no one will complain about the visuals. From the gorgeous core sisters, who are beautiful to the point of uncomfortableness, to the stunning art aesthetic and beautiful ice creations this is just an utterly gorgeous movie. And a pretty damn great one, overall.

I wish I hadn't read this. I haven't been able to see the flick yet and was not aware of the twist. Darn.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thessair

I wish I hadn't read this. I haven't been able to see the flick yet and was not aware of the twist. Darn.

My bad! It's been out for almost a week in the UK already so I assumed everyone who wanted to see this, has, especially as it was released just before the weekend and that weekend is now behind us.

[Thessair]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

My bad! It's been out for almost a week in the UK already so I assumed everyone who wanted to see this, has, especially as it was released just before the weekend and that weekend is now behind us.

No, really. It's totally my fault. It has been out for a while. I've just been working a lot of weekends and haven't had the chance. I've avoided every review online and, for some silly reason, didn't stop myself before reading yours. There's no one to blame but me, because I am stupid.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thessair

No, really. It's totally my fault. It has been out for a while. I've just been working a lot of weekends and haven't had the chance. I've avoided every review online and, for some silly reason, didn't stop myself before reading yours. There's no one to blame but me, because I am stupid.

My writing is just that good.

[Locke]

Since I gave Mortal Instruments a chance, and found myself with a fun if not particularly good movie, I thought I'd have to give Beautiful Creatures a chance. This film even has some positivity circling it, with people claiming that although the film isn't particularly great, for once the central romance is actually good. That'd make a change, wouldn't it?

The strength of Beautiful Creatures is it introduces one film, then when it sits you down, introduces you to a whole other one, without ever losing sight of what got you in the seat in the first place. Beautiful Creatures is a campy, tongue in cheek critique of the Young Adult Supernatural Romance Genre or (YASRG). But just when you think it's gonna be another 'if you can't beat them, insult them' stains that are called films, Beautiful Creatures reveals itself to be about so much more.

It also helps that Beautiful Creatures is actually a solid movie. Like Twilight, Beautiful Creatures has a unique and easily identifiable style but unlike Twilight there appears to be actual money behind this, so we get great locations captured by even better cinematography. I never thought one of these sorts of movies would feel well made or could be beautiful.

Beautiful Creatures mixes up other aspects as well, like setting it in a deadbeat middle of nowhere deep south bible bashing town. Hardly the dramatic stage for a supernatural, young adult romance, is it? Nothing says sexy like a hick! And how could you hate a movie that hates Christianity as much as this movie?

But yeah, that hidden depth, that hidden maturity, it's glorious. Perhaps the most fascinating character in the entire film is Emmy Rossum's Ridley who turns up as a not quite as sexy as Alice Cullen knock off, and you roll your eyes, then you see her flashback and your jaw drops. She is incredibly complex, and it's a crying shame she isn't in the movie more.

There is also this whole plot about how when a girl becomes sixteen, her true nature comes out and she has no choice in the matter, she becomes evil or she becomes good, no in between. The subtext and what this really is all about is obvious, and the movie makes no attempt to share this message in any way less than purely hamfisted. But what I will say is they make the message work very well in its supernatural setting, just by adding a different paint job. It's a very real threat in real life, a very supernatural one here.

Hell, even the backstory of the whole thing seems to have actual stakes in play, as our modern day lovers are walking down the path of histories doomed lovers. A woman uses her powers to bring her lover back from the dead, only to be consumed by darkness and immediately kill him again. This curses her bloodline, and the only freedom from the curse is to take the life of your love to restore the balance. Grizzly stuff, for this kinda flick.

And when it comes to Sarafine revealing her feelings and belief around love? Well that is certainly going to turn a few heads. And make quite a few parents in the audience uncomfortable. Glorious.

It also has a lot of fun with gender roles, this time around our human is a boy and our supernatural mysterious person is a woman. And although Lena is basically Edward Cullen or Jace in a dress, they thankfully haven't tried to make Ethan a Kristen Stewart knock off with muscles. However I still think I liked The Mortal Instruments dynamic better, as there there really wasn't a damsel in distress in that one, thankfully. Unless you count the obligatory human extra so they could have a love triangle.

Sadly though, although the critics claimed the romance was well done here, I'm not entirely convinced. Bumpkin protagonist Ethan seems to only fall for Lena because she is different, and although it's fun to see these roles swapped, the romance isn't any more convincing for it. And the whole 'look how witty we are scenes', they are just cringe inducing. I guess at least they have some semblance of chemistry, unlike any of the central couples of any of these other franchises.

Plus, less so a direct criticism, and more a disappointment is the exploration of the world's mythology is largely given a back seat. There is so much of importance going on in the forefront, that it's almost three quarters through the whole movie before we are giving the inevitable small town greater purpose "twist". But when we do finally get there, the mythology's fun if not particularly original.

Lemme guess, this one ain't getting a sequel?

[Grey Warden]

Re-watching :

In preparation for seeing The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with a friend tomorrow.