What Are You Watching? (Movie Edition)

Dr Kain · 08-23-2014, 11:09 PM

Nine years ago the first movie came out, and it was not only accurate to the comics, but it was very stylish in its execution. Nevertheless, at the same time, it had a sense of realism about it as the actors looked like they were there in their environments. All four stories were nothing short of fantastic and all of the main players were given great development. A Dame to Kill For has some really great moments of style with it, but it does lack the substance. That does not make it a bad movie at all, but something is missing. For one thing, it looks like the characters are just standing in front of a green screen rather than the environment being there. Not only that, but the movie feels like it is just CGI instead of live action. Thankfully, there is still some great characterization to be found, even if it is lacking compared to the first one. Marv is great, Nancy is fantastic, Ava is awesome, Miho is bad ass, and Johnny rocks. The show is easily stolen by Roark though as Powers Boothe is just down right amazing. In fact, if it weren't for him, the movie would have fallen apart as the rest of the cast is pretty forgettable, especially, and sadly, Dwight. Josh Brolin is just no Dwight. The stories themselves are weaker than those in the first one, with "A Dame to Kill For" being the weakest of the main three, but "Just Another Saturday Night" is a poor intro compared to "The Customer is Always Right" from the first movie. Thankfully, both "Nancy's Last Dance" and "The Long Bad Night" are well done. Overall, Sin City 2 is a good ride, but fails to live up to the first one as most sequels do. Taking nine years did not help either. If you hated the first movie though, there is no reason to waste your time with this one as you will find nothing to praise and will probably complain about the subpar acting. I give this stylish adaptation of a comic a 6/10 stars. If they decide to adapt more stories, they need to do it in the next few years or just forget about it all together.

EDIT: So the more I think about this movie, the more I start to think about its flaws. The endings to the Nancy and Johnny stories just end so damn abruptly to the point that both stories feel incomplete. Not just that, but Nancy looks perfectly normal in "The Hard Goodbye" but she is completely different here, and obviously THG has to take place after this one. That completely jacks up continuity between the stories to the point that maybe "A Dame to Kill For" was the best story in the movie as it felt the most complete despite my issues with it.

Hopefully, the BD release will separate the stories like they did with the first one as the flow in this one just feels off as opposed to it feeling natural in the first one.

thunderstrike541 · 08-24-2014, 06:27 AM

Day 6:

Note: My Disney Review series has officially started back up, but due to school, there will be one or two a day AT BEST. Also, due to a sudden disinterest in watching them in order, I am changing things up a bit. The movies will be reviewed in a random order.

Toy Story (1996):

From what I've heard, Toy Story was the first full-length cgi animated movie. Basically, Toy Story kicked of a whole new way to make movies. Anyway, let's take a look at the film.

First off, if you HAVEN'T seen this movie, go to your nearest Wal-mart, pick up a copy, and watch it while contemplating the fact that you childhood wasn't complete until now. If you have seen the movie, you would know that the movie is a about a cowboy who becomes jealous of a new spaceman, and tries to have him killed. The two get kidnapped, and they have to work together to escape so they can get back to their owner, Andy.

I have to say, this movie is fantastic! The story is great. The characters are great. Even the cast is great!

I give this film a 8/ 10.

Dr Kain · 08-25-2014, 10:31 PM

Predator - We got to see this at the Alamo Drafthouse tonight, so it was great to watch it on the big screen for the first time ever. Unfortunately, the version they were showing was Fox's new remaster that makes Dillon look like he is a wax figure, especially in the beginning of the movie. My god it is terrible looking. Aside from that though, the movie looks good. The story is simplistic, but the movie does something different with the 80s action cliches and makes it into its own thing. The effects are incredible, especially on the Predator, and the movie is just an action packed enjoyable roller coaster ride with great moments of development and one liners. Yeah, Arnold's character shields are turned on to full, but that does not take away from its overall enjoyment. I give this movie an 8/10 and it is easily one of Arnold's best movies, if not his best.

Thessair · 08-31-2014, 02:46 PM

I'm loving the Ghostbusters re-release. Just finished watching it for the second time this weekend. Still as close to a perfect film as it ever was when I saw it first run. It's wonderful on the big screen.

thunderstrike541 · 08-31-2014, 04:33 PM

Day 7:

Sky High (2005):

Basically, this film is Harry Potter if all the wizards were superheroes. The film is about a teen whose parents are famous superheroes. The teen goes to a school for superheroes. The problem? He doesn't have superpowers (yet).

It is an enjoyable film for what it is. A typical Disney family film.

I give this movie a 7.7 out of 10.

Dr Kain · 08-31-2014, 10:28 PM

Still not sure why they just didn't call it Super Hero High instead of the name of a Japanese movie.

Paladin · 09-04-2014, 06:09 PM

The Mighty Ducks:

I'm not that big on sports movies but this one's an old childhood favorite. The story may be predictable & the acting isn't too great but all the heart is where it needs to be and it still makes me smile. 7/10.

thunderstrike541 · 09-07-2014, 09:44 PM

Day 8:

The Lion King 1/2 (2004):

Ok. This has got to be the BEST Disney sequel that I have seen. Basically, it is the events of The Lion King (1994) (Which I will review next week) from Timon and Pumba's perspective. The opening song, "Dig A Tunnel", is extremely catchy. Also, this movie contains one of the BEST scenes in the entire Lion King trilogy:

I give this movie a 7.9 out of 10

algo448 · 09-14-2014, 04:59 PM

Lucy: Woah this is a trippy movie.
Have you heard that humans only use ten percent of their brains? Well, of course that's fake, but nobody bothered to tell that to this movie.
After an accident involving a new drug a woman called Lucy begins to exponentially use more and more of her brain, something that develops into the realms of the superhuman, phylosophical and even supernatural.

First things first, don't enter this movie expecting any semblance of scientific accuracy, it has its own set of rules and won't bother playing by ours, so keep your logical mind away and enter your more fantastical state of mind.
Lucy plays more as an action thriller than a sci fi flick, there are tons of action scenes and an incredibly accelerated pace, it runs for barely 90 minutes and it wastes no time, it's high on adrenaline and the sequences pay off, it's a shame that most of them were shown on the trailers though.

All in all it's a pretty good action flick, and would be a treat with some popcorn, just don't think too hard about it's logic, if you need to overthink something direct that energy towards it's message instead.

thunderstrike541 · 09-14-2014, 09:33 PM

Day 9:

The Lion King (1994):

1.) If you haven't seen this movie, go to the store, buy a copy, and watch it. NOW!

2.) This movie is basically Hamlet with animals.

A new king is born, and the uncle gets jealous. So, the crazy uncle sings a badass song bout how he is going to kill the king and his son.

The uncle succeeds in killing the king (NOO!!)

The son runs away and lives with a guys. He is then found by his childhood friend, and seemingly has sex with her (while the two guys watch and sings a song about it).

The son finally accepts that he has to face his past, goes to fight his crazy-ass uncle, and kills him while his friends do the hula and fight of the crazy uncle's minions.

So... There you have it. That is The Lion King in a nutshell.

This movie is freaking amazing. I give it a 9/10.

Tune in next week for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

08-23-2014, 11:09 PM	#1041
Dr Kain Banned Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Englewood CO Posts: 10,893	Nine years ago the first movie came out, and it was not only accurate to the comics, but it was very stylish in its execution. Nevertheless, at the same time, it had a sense of realism about it as the actors looked like they were there in their environments. All four stories were nothing short of fantastic and all of the main players were given great development. A Dame to Kill For has some really great moments of style with it, but it does lack the substance. That does not make it a bad movie at all, but something is missing. For one thing, it looks like the characters are just standing in front of a green screen rather than the environment being there. Not only that, but the movie feels like it is just CGI instead of live action. Thankfully, there is still some great characterization to be found, even if it is lacking compared to the first one. Marv is great, Nancy is fantastic, Ava is awesome, Miho is bad ass, and Johnny rocks. The show is easily stolen by Roark though as Powers Boothe is just down right amazing. In fact, if it weren't for him, the movie would have fallen apart as the rest of the cast is pretty forgettable, especially, and sadly, Dwight. Josh Brolin is just no Dwight. The stories themselves are weaker than those in the first one, with "A Dame to Kill For" being the weakest of the main three, but "Just Another Saturday Night" is a poor intro compared to "The Customer is Always Right" from the first movie. Thankfully, both "Nancy's Last Dance" and "The Long Bad Night" are well done. Overall, Sin City 2 is a good ride, but fails to live up to the first one as most sequels do. Taking nine years did not help either. If you hated the first movie though, there is no reason to waste your time with this one as you will find nothing to praise and will probably complain about the subpar acting. I give this stylish adaptation of a comic a 6/10 stars. If they decide to adapt more stories, they need to do it in the next few years or just forget about it all together. EDIT: So the more I think about this movie, the more I start to think about its flaws. The endings to the Nancy and Johnny stories just end so damn abruptly to the point that both stories feel incomplete. Not just that, but Nancy looks perfectly normal in "The Hard Goodbye" but she is completely different here, and obviously THG has to take place after this one. That completely jacks up continuity between the stories to the point that maybe "A Dame to Kill For" was the best story in the movie as it felt the most complete despite my issues with it. Hopefully, the BD release will separate the stories like they did with the first one as the flow in this one just feels off as opposed to it feeling natural in the first one. Last edited by Dr Kain; 08-24-2014 at 12:12 AM..

08-31-2014, 04:33 PM	#1045
thunderstrike541 Chōjin Sentai Jetman! Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,465	Day 7: Sky High (2005): Basically, this film is Harry Potter if all the wizards were superheroes. The film is about a teen whose parents are famous superheroes. The teen goes to a school for superheroes. The problem? He doesn't have superpowers (yet). It is an enjoyable film for what it is. A typical Disney family film. I give this movie a 7.7 out of 10. Last edited by thunderstrike541; 09-07-2014 at 08:00 PM..

09-04-2014, 06:09 PM	#1047
Paladin Have Zord, Will Travel Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: MI Posts: 5,961	The Mighty Ducks: I'm not that big on sports movies but this one's an old childhood favorite. The story may be predictable & the acting isn't too great but all the heart is where it needs to be and it still makes me smile. 7/10. __________________ TWITTER: Paladin4221 Check out my SALES THREAD Please! Every Little Bit Helps!

09-14-2014, 04:59 PM	#1049
algo448 Amateur Procrastinator Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Colombia Posts: 7,491	Lucy: Woah this is a trippy movie. Have you heard that humans only use ten percent of their brains? Well, of course that's fake, but nobody bothered to tell that to this movie. After an accident involving a new drug a woman called Lucy begins to exponentially use more and more of her brain, something that develops into the realms of the superhuman, phylosophical and even supernatural. First things first, don't enter this movie expecting any semblance of scientific accuracy, it has its own set of rules and won't bother playing by ours, so keep your logical mind away and enter your more fantastical state of mind. Lucy plays more as an action thriller than a sci fi flick, there are tons of action scenes and an incredibly accelerated pace, it runs for barely 90 minutes and it wastes no time, it's high on adrenaline and the sequences pay off, it's a shame that most of them were shown on the trailers though. All in all it's a pretty good action flick, and would be a treat with some popcorn, just don't think too hard about it's logic, if you need to overthink something direct that energy towards it's message instead. __________________ *DA // Tumblr // Youtube*

09-14-2014, 09:33 PM	#1050
thunderstrike541 Chōjin Sentai Jetman! Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,465	Day 9: The Lion King (1994): 1.) If you haven't seen this movie, go to the store, buy a copy, and watch it. NOW! 2.) This movie is basically Hamlet with animals. A new king is born, and the uncle gets jealous. So, the crazy uncle sings a badass song bout how he is going to kill the king and his son. The uncle succeeds in killing the king (NOO!!) The son runs away and lives with a guys. He is then found by his childhood friend, and seemingly has sex with her (while the two guys watch and sings a song about it). The son finally accepts that he has to face his past, goes to fight his crazy-ass uncle, and kills him while his friends do the hula and fight of the crazy uncle's minions. So... There you have it. That is The Lion King in a nutshell. This movie is freaking amazing. I give it a 9/10. Tune in next week for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Last edited by thunderstrike541; 09-14-2014 at 09:39 PM..