Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (5 Viewers)

[Chaka]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

i stand by that statement. it is less cloying than, say, "jarhead" and others like it but it doesn't mean it deserves to be at the head of the class either. it's a fine film but not deserving of "best picture". bigelow isn't a good enough director to earn that distinction. look at her body of work and tell me if any of that screams "best director" to you. any vote for her and this picture is really an anti-cameron vote, i think. this is not necessarily a bad thing because cameron needs a little humbling in my opinion. as for "the blind side", this is the problem with opening the nominations to 10 films. i haven't seen it and don't feel any real desire to it.

She is not being judged on her body of work, she is being judged on this filmKevin Costner & Moishe Gibson both directed best pictures on their 1st & 2nd attempts respectively. It is probably not an uncommon event.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

 

[Chaka]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

 

[saintfool]

She is not being judged on her body of work, she is being judged on this filmKevin Costner & Moishe Gibson both directed best pictures on their 1st & 2nd attempts respectively. It is probably not an uncommon event.

i might be willing to give a director the benefit of the doubt based on their body of work. it might prompt me to revisit the film to see if i missed something. i've seen some of bigelow's other films - "near dark", "point break" and "strange days" - before this one and feel like i have a decent idea of what she's capable of. "the hurt locker" is not that much of a stretch for her. it may be her best work but i feel like it is still very much *her* work. i'm not trying to denigrate her work or "the hurt locker" but simply state it's not an oscar-winning film in my humble opinion. as for costner and gibson, this serves to illustrate what a popularity contest the oscar's are. "dances..." beats "goodfellas"? "braveheart" wins when films like "leaving las vegas" and "dead man walking" don't even get nominated for best picture?

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

What about the other 2?

 

[Chaka]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

What about the other 2?

I need to rewatch it to be absolutely sure but IIRCThat was my interpretation at the time but like I said I would need to rewatch that sequence to be sure.

 

[Osaurus]

Friday the 13th (Remake)

I have to admit I was mildly surprised by this reboot. While you knew the kills were coming, they were a little unpredictable. Have I mentioned the assorted T&A? That was a bonus. Not the worst thing I have seen lately. 3/5

 

[Patrick Bateman]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

Spot on.

 

[General Malaise]

I haven't seen too many people talking about this one, but I rented Extract and enjoyed it quite a bit. Mike Judge makes funny movies and this one has some very funny moments. Not as good as Office Space, but plenty of twists and turns to keep it moving along with some great characters scattered in. The plant manager, the neighbor, Gene Simmons as the lawyer....good stuff there. Plus, the chick in the lead role is SMOKING HOT.

Good little movie. I'd give it 3/5.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

i stand by that statement. it is less cloying than, say, "jarhead" and others like it but it doesn't mean it deserves to be at the head of the class either. it's a fine film but not deserving of "best picture". bigelow isn't a good enough director to earn that distinction. look at her body of work and tell me if any of that screams "best director" to you. any vote for her and this picture is really an anti-cameron vote, i think. this is not necessarily a bad thing because cameron needs a little humbling in my opinion. as for "the blind side", this is the problem with opening the nominations to 10 films. i haven't seen it and don't feel any real desire to it.

BOth are I liked the movie- as JD says, not a classic, but a worthwhile watch. As SF says- not really an Oscar caliber film either- but with 10, and given the films this year, it's gotta be up there.

I didnt mind the pacing- actually kinda liked it. Thought the casting for the cameos were a bit over the top and borderline distracting. My main gripe had to do with whatever point there seemed to be to the picture was made in the opening credits by quotation. At some point in the middle of the film, my wife and I looked at eachother and wondered what the film was supposed to be "about", beyond that, and where it might be going. By the end, it didn't go anywhere else and suffered for it, IMO.

"hoary" .... :titter:

This is a small movie, for sure. It lacks a real signature scene. And the director and writer's intentions are not clear to me. But I like that kind of ambivalence in my movies.

ambiguity?

Kinda. But this is what I meant:am·biv·a·lence (ām-bĭv'ə-ləns) n.

The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.
Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

I can't argue like that. Although I'd argue that almost every film has flaws like these. So then it comes down to whether you like the movie or not. I liked Hurt Locker, so those don't bother me.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Mr. Brooks

I can't remember if I ever posted a review of this movie since I saw it months ago. This is a fun thriller with Kevin Costner where he plays a serial killer. Not a great movie in any sense, but enjoyable. And much as I can't stand Dane Cook, Cook has a good role in this movie. Not bad.

This movie surprised me. I dont think much of Costner, but strangely I find myself enjoying a lot of his movies (The Postman comes to mind). Easily his best movie since Tin Cup (although I havent seen Open Range and heard good things about it). Thought Mr. Brooks was pretty good.I also cant stand Dane Cook, but liked him in this, and also his supporting role in Dan In Real Life.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I haven't seen too many people talking about this one, but I rented Extract and enjoyed it quite a bit. Mike Judge makes funny movies and this one has some very funny moments. Not as good as Office Space, but plenty of twists and turns to keep it moving along with some great characters scattered in. The plant manager, the neighbor, Gene Simmons as the lawyer....good stuff there. Plus, the chick in the lead role is SMOKING HOT.

Good little movie. I'd give it 3/5.

I enjoyed this movie. Judge will always be judged (snicker) unfairly because of his great movie Office Space. But even though he'll likely never best that movie, he still makes entertaining stuff.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Mr. Brooks

I can't remember if I ever posted a review of this movie since I saw it months ago. This is a fun thriller with Kevin Costner where he plays a serial killer. Not a great movie in any sense, but enjoyable. And much as I can't stand Dane Cook, Cook has a good role in this movie. Not bad.

This movie surprised me. I dont think much of Costner, but strangely I find myself enjoying a lot of his movies (The Postman comes to mind). Easily his best movie since Tin Cup (although I havent seen Open Range and heard good things about it). Thought Mr. Brooks was pretty good.I also cant stand Dane Cook, but liked him in this, and also his supporting role in Dan In Real Life.

Exactly.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

I can't argue like that. Although I'd argue that almost every film has flaws like these. So then it comes down to whether you like the movie or not. I liked Hurt Locker, so those don't bother me.

I think the major overall beef was that usually in war movies bad soldiers get what's coming to them. This was a guy that constantly put himself and others in danger, went off at night by himself, went on a vigilante hunt, etc.. and yet there were no consequences for his actions. I would argue that the movie presented it in a heroic tone, and just didn't agree with it. This is not a bad movie, but also not great and nowhere near one of the best war movies ever as I have seen people reviewing it. JMO, but I thought Blackhawk Down, Three Kings, and even Jarhead were better movies and that's just the last decade.

 

[Osaurus]

Van Diemen's Land

Took this from IMDB: The true story of Alexander Pearce, Australia's most notorious convict. In 1822, Pearce and seven fellow convicts escaped from Macquarie Harbour, a place of ultra banishment and punishment, only to find a world less forgiving.. the Australian wilderness. Abandon all hope you who enter

I thought it was interesting and even more so when you consider it is based on a true story. Not an action packed film by any means, but a fascinating look at what lengths people can go to survive. 4/5

 

[Chaka]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

I can't argue like that. Although I'd argue that almost every film has flaws like these. So then it comes down to whether you like the movie or not. I liked Hurt Locker, so those don't bother me.

I think the major overall beef was that usually in war movies bad soldiers get what's coming to them. This was a guy that constantly put himself and others in danger, went off at night by himself, went on a vigilante hunt, etc.. and yet there were no consequences for his actions. I would argue that the movie presented it in a heroic tone, and just didn't agree with it. This is not a bad movie, but also not great and nowhere near one of the best war movies ever as I have seen people reviewing it. JMO, but I thought Blackhawk Down, Three Kings, and even Jarhead were better movies and that's just the last decade.

I have heard a lot of people suggest that they were trying to make him look like some kind of stud hero and that is not what I took from it at all. I saw a someone who, to steal a nugget from Shawshank, was institutionalized by the military. He had lost any ability to enjoy life on any level that was not fueled by adrenaline, which led him to ever more reckless behavior (his own team members seriously considered killing him). I think it effectively presented the difficulties that many soldiers have coping in the field and when trying to return to a normal civilian life. I found it sad and compelling.Blackhawk Down was a tremendous film, Jarhead was interesting but Three Kings? Okay it was funny but otherwise it was absolutely craptacular.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

I can't argue like that. Although I'd argue that almost every film has flaws like these. So then it comes down to whether you like the movie or not. I liked Hurt Locker, so those don't bother me.

I think the major overall beef was that usually in war movies bad soldiers get what's coming to them. This was a guy that constantly put himself and others in danger, went off at night by himself, went on a vigilante hunt, etc.. and yet there were no consequences for his actions. I would argue that the movie presented it in a heroic tone, and just didn't agree with it. This is not a bad movie, but also not great and nowhere near one of the best war movies ever as I have seen people reviewing it. JMO, but I thought Blackhawk Down, Three Kings, and even Jarhead were better movies and that's just the last decade.

I have heard a lot of people suggest that they were trying to make him look like some kind of stud hero and that is not what I took from it at all. I saw a someone who, to steal a nugget from Shawshank, was institutionalized by the military. He had lost any ability to enjoy life on any level that was not fueled by adrenaline, which led him to ever more reckless behavior (his own team members seriously considered killing him). I think it effectively presented the difficulties that many soldiers have coping in the field and when trying to return to a normal civilian life. I found it sad and compelling.Blackhawk Down was a tremendous film, Jarhead was interesting but Three Kings? Okay it was funny but otherwise it was absolutely craptacular.

If he were "institutionalized" by the military he wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. In the movie you reference, they talk about hating prison but learning to depend on it until it's all you know. i don't think he ever really hated what he was doing - he was getting his fix (as the opening words to the movie described). I think to effectively present his transition to normal life, that would've required the movie giving us more than a 3 minute glimpse of that life. I didn't sense any remorse or suffering over the decision, it was just "I don't love you" and he takes off. Like I stated, I didn't get a sense of any consequences to his adrenaline fix attitude to the missions.

 

[cosjobs]

Mr. Brooks

I can't remember if I ever posted a review of this movie since I saw it months ago. This is a fun thriller with Kevin Costner where he plays a serial killer. Not a great movie in any sense, but enjoyable. And much as I can't stand Dane Cook, Cook has a good role in this movie. Not bad.

I really liked this movie. Probably because the critics panned it so badly I went in with very very low expectations. Seeing Dane Cook get owned was very enjoyable.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Havent seen Hurt Locker yet, but...

Black Hawk Down: very good movie, but def drags around 2/3 thru. Still, top notch on many levels

Jarhead: saw it with low expectations, and it met them. Not bad, but one of my least favorite war movies. A genre I'll always watch.

Three Kings: fantastic. its a war movie, but its not. spot-on cast. the violence, drama, comedy meet at a perfect trifecta. will never be the best war movie, but on its own a great movie.

 

[cosjobs]

Havent seen Hurt Locker yet, but...Black Hawk Down: very good movie, but def drags around 2/3 thru. Still, top notch on many levelsJarhead: saw it with low expectations, and it met them. Not bad, but one of my least favorite war movies. A genre I'll always watch.Three Kings: fantastic. its a war movie, but its not. spot-on cast. the violence, drama, comedy meet at a perfect trifecta. will never be the best war movie, but on its own a great movie.

I agree with your thoughts on Three Kings. I liked it a lot and it held up strongly to a second viewing. But its hard to classify it with the others- it was more like an adventure movie than a hard core war depiction, than the others.

 

[Chaka]

If he were "institutionalized" by the military he wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. In the movie you reference, they talk about hating prison but learning to depend on it until it's all you know. i don't think he ever really hated what he was doing - he was getting his fix (as the opening words to the movie described). I think to effectively present his transition to normal life, that would've required the movie giving us more than a 3 minute glimpse of that life. I didn't sense any remorse or suffering over the decision, it was just "I don't love you" and he takes off. Like I stated, I didn't get a sense of any consequences to his adrenaline fix attitude to the missions.

Maybe institutionalized is not the correct word. I don't see that hating what he did as being a prerequisite for coming to depend on it in his life. In fact I thought it was obvious that he loved it, which made the contrast even more obvious when he was with his family. Whatever the case I saw a man who only experienced any semblance of emotion when he was risking his life. I did not need much more than 3 minutes to recognize someone who had lost his ability to emotionally connect with others (assuming he ever had that ability).Clearly the movie did not speak to you. No movie can speak to everyone.

 

[hooter311]

Three Kings? Okay it was funny but otherwise it was absolutely craptacular.

You may want to watch it again. Three Kings was absolutely fantastic. One of the best adventure movies of the last 20 years. I wouldn't really classify it as a "war" film just because it involves soldiers and takes place during one. The last thing on any of the guys' minds is fighting a war.

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

Let The Right One In

Swedish vampire movie. Well done. 4/5. I preferred the Swedish voices with english subtitles, since the dubbing was particularly bad for a couple key characters. Note, there are a few parts in this movie that some people might take offense to. (with regards to the portrayal of children aged 12) After watching, I read up a bit online and it seems that some import pieces of info. were left out of the movie.

mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

1)Eli is a male vampire. He was castrated during the ceremony in which he became a vampire. The purpose of the sexual ambiguity in the book was two-fold: first, the lack of sexuality runs parallel to lack of humanity, and, second, as a comparison to biblical angels who were androgenous (the book portrayed Eli as an angel more strongly than the movie).

2) The father is an alcoholic, not gay. That's why when the neighbor came in looking to drink, it was awkward for the kid.*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

 

[shake zula]

Three Kings? Okay it was funny but otherwise it was absolutely craptacular.

You may want to watch it again. Three Kings was absolutely fantastic. One of the best adventure movies of the last 20 years. I wouldn't really classify it as a "war" film just because it involves soldiers and takes place during one. The last thing on any of the guys' minds is fighting a war.

Agreed. Three Kings is one of the better movies of the last 20 years.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Three Kings is a totally awesome movie. Not sure Id say one of the best of the last 20 years, period, though. Adventure, good call.

Clooney-Wahlberg-Ice Cube dynamic was <_< ...I guess this came out before Clooney really proved his chops, but all 3 play off each other wonderfully in this flick. Even if everything else sucked about this movie, the 3 key actors wouldve saved it. The Jonze-lung videography still remains pertinent in my mind.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

when I rented Three Kings for the first time, I think I watched it 3 or 4 times before returning it. Not sure I've ever done that with another movie. Awesome film.

 

[fasteddie_21]

Away We Go - Both the wife and I enjoyed this. It is an 'under the radar' quirky flick that revolves around a couple in their 30's wondering where they want to live when they have their baby. Very sweet, touching, and, at times, laugh out loud funny. Definitely a story about both the uncertainty of life, yet the endless hopefulness of it. Might get dusty in the room, but then again, I'm a huge sap for this type of flick.



4 outta 5 stars.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

I can't argue like that. Although I'd argue that almost every film has flaws like these. So then it comes down to whether you like the movie or not. I liked Hurt Locker, so those don't bother me.

I think the major overall beef was that usually in war movies bad soldiers get what's coming to them. This was a guy that constantly put himself and others in danger, went off at night by himself, went on a vigilante hunt, etc.. and yet there were no consequences for his actions. I would argue that the movie presented it in a heroic tone, and just didn't agree with it. This is not a bad movie, but also not great and nowhere near one of the best war movies ever as I have seen people reviewing it. JMO, but I thought Blackhawk Down, Three Kings, and even Jarhead were better movies and that's just the last decade.

You'd call him a bad soldier? I'm guessing it takes a unique personality to be in demolitions. So while he was reckless, isn't that precisely the quality you'd need to disarm explosives?I liked it about the same as Jarhead. I don't like Three Kings very much. Blackhawk Down is one of the top 10 best war movies ever made - so most war movies pale in comparison to that one.

 

[El Floppo]

Speaking of demolitions soldiers.... Did anybody ever watch Danger UXB on PBS (BBC) years ago? A young Jeremy Irons, IIRC- more melodrama than suspense also IIRC. But I remember being really into it at the time.

 

[jdoggydogg]

If he were "institutionalized" by the military he wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. In the movie you reference, they talk about hating prison but learning to depend on it until it's all you know. i don't think he ever really hated what he was doing - he was getting his fix (as the opening words to the movie described). I think to effectively present his transition to normal life, that would've required the movie giving us more than a 3 minute glimpse of that life. I didn't sense any remorse or suffering over the decision, it was just "I don't love you" and he takes off. Like I stated, I didn't get a sense of any consequences to his adrenaline fix attitude to the missions.

I think you are judging him unfairly. What's a military man supposed to feel like? You're saying he gets an adrenaline rush doing that job. Well, of course he does. For me, we're asking our military to risk their lives and their limbs every day for years on end. Are they supposed to wallow in despair and self pity? I see pretty much every action he did as a coping mechanism. He drinks, he fights, he obsesses over that little boy. We advertise hero worship to young men. We recruit based on the notion that they are defending the country and saving lives. So are they then to just ignore all that propaganda and forget about it? One way to look at his character is to say he's abandoning his family. But I don't see it that way at all. How can he shop for cereal at Safeway when lives are being lost? After all, he's part of the force that keeps us all safe.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Mr. Brooks

I can't remember if I ever posted a review of this movie since I saw it months ago. This is a fun thriller with Kevin Costner where he plays a serial killer. Not a great movie in any sense, but enjoyable. And much as I can't stand Dane Cook, Cook has a good role in this movie. Not bad.

I really liked this movie. Probably because the critics panned it so badly I went in with very very low expectations. Seeing Dane Cook get owned was very enjoyable.

I remember mixed reviews from some critics, including some genuine praise for the movie. But yes, I did have low expectations.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Three Kings? Okay it was funny but otherwise it was absolutely craptacular.

You may want to watch it again. Three Kings was absolutely fantastic. One of the best adventure movies of the last 20 years. I wouldn't really classify it as a "war" film just because it involves soldiers and takes place during one. The last thing on any of the guys' minds is fighting a war.

I didn't like this movie. But I always say that a great movie requires at least two viewings - so I'd give it another shot.

 

[Chaka]

If he were "institutionalized" by the military he wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. In the movie you reference, they talk about hating prison but learning to depend on it until it's all you know. i don't think he ever really hated what he was doing - he was getting his fix (as the opening words to the movie described). I think to effectively present his transition to normal life, that would've required the movie giving us more than a 3 minute glimpse of that life. I didn't sense any remorse or suffering over the decision, it was just "I don't love you" and he takes off. Like I stated, I didn't get a sense of any consequences to his adrenaline fix attitude to the missions.

I think you are judging him unfairly. What's a military man supposed to feel like? You're saying he gets an adrenaline rush doing that job. Well, of course he does. For me, we're asking our military to risk their lives and their limbs every day for years on end. Are they supposed to wallow in despair and self pity? I see pretty much every action he did as a coping mechanism. He drinks, he fights, he obsesses over that little boy. We advertise hero worship to young men. We recruit based on the notion that they are defending the country and saving lives. So are they then to just ignore all that propaganda and forget about it? One way to look at his character is to say he's abandoning his family. But I don't see it that way at all. How can he shop for cereal at Safeway when lives are being lost? After all, he's part of the force that keeps us all safe.

I disagree with that. Sure he knows he is helping by doing his job and he tries to justify returning for another tour by telling his wife about children being blown up but that was clearly a man who was bored out of his mind. The idea of going shopping, dinner and a movie with the wife, playing ball with the kid etc. was soul crushing to this guy.He pretty much says as much to his son:

You love playing with that. You love playing with all your stuffed animals. You love your Mommy, your Daddy. You love your pajamas. You love everything, don't ya? Yea. But you know what, buddy? As you get older... some of the things you love might not seem so special anymore. Like your Jack-in-a-Box. Maybe you'll realize it's just a piece of tin and a stuffed animal. And then you forget the few things you really love. And by the time you get to my age, maybe it's only one or two things. With me, I think it's one.

That is far more sad than heroic in my eyes.

 

[eagleshot]

Just saw Gridiron Gang decent movie.

 

[KarmaPolice]

The Hurt Locker

Really surprised to read the negative reviews in this thread. This movie is certainly a notch below classics like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. But Bigelow's war drama is an original, tense, thoughtful study. The sniper scene was too long? What was that? 11 minutes? Someone here mentioned that The Hurt Locker didn't deserve an Oscar nomination. If hoary effluvium like The Blind Side deserves a nomination, then this movie absolutely belongs in the conversation. Not a great movie, but very good and definitely worth seeing.

I didn't care about the length just that:mytagid = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 );document.write("

Seemed silly that Mr. Fienes' character gets taken out by one of the 3 enemy snipers instantly, but the other 2 have time for a drink and to fix their ammo without seemingly any sort of aggression from the other side. They were in the same damn spot as the first guy.

Just fit in with the other melodramatic unrealistic scenes in the movie like the nighttime vigilante hunt and chasing around Beckham's house. I like to have some realism in my war movies, and I was just suspending my disbelief a little too much for me to think this was a great movie.

*** SPOILER ALERT! Click this link to display the potential spoiler text in this box. ***");document.close();

I can't argue like that. Although I'd argue that almost every film has flaws like these. So then it comes down to whether you like the movie or not. I liked Hurt Locker, so those don't bother me.

I think the major overall beef was that usually in war movies bad soldiers get what's coming to them. This was a guy that constantly put himself and others in danger, went off at night by himself, went on a vigilante hunt, etc.. and yet there were no consequences for his actions. I would argue that the movie presented it in a heroic tone, and just didn't agree with it. This is not a bad movie, but also not great and nowhere near one of the best war movies ever as I have seen people reviewing it. JMO, but I thought Blackhawk Down, Three Kings, and even Jarhead were better movies and that's just the last decade.

You'd call him a bad soldier? I'm guessing it takes a unique personality to be in demolitions. So while he was reckless, isn't that precisely the quality you'd need to disarm explosives?I liked it about the same as Jarhead. I don't like Three Kings very much. Blackhawk Down is one of the top 10 best war movies ever made - so most war movies pale in comparison to that one.

Reckless, fine. I guess IMO putting other lives at stake to get the fix is another thing. There was a scene where he purposely took off the earphones, and put the other soldiers in danger while the area was being compromised. The soldier got seriously hurt because of his nighttime mission that didn't need to be done. Putting your life on the line is a quality needed for that line, but yes, to me purposely putting the other guys' lives on the line made him a bad soldier. There was no point to any of it except for his own selfish agenda.

 

[El Floppo]

If he were "institutionalized" by the military he wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. In the movie you reference, they talk about hating prison but learning to depend on it until it's all you know. i don't think he ever really hated what he was doing - he was getting his fix (as the opening words to the movie described). I think to effectively present his transition to normal life, that would've required the movie giving us more than a 3 minute glimpse of that life. I didn't sense any remorse or suffering over the decision, it was just "I don't love you" and he takes off. Like I stated, I didn't get a sense of any consequences to his adrenaline fix attitude to the missions.

I think you are judging him unfairly. What's a military man supposed to feel like? You're saying he gets an adrenaline rush doing that job. Well, of course he does. For me, we're asking our military to risk their lives and their limbs every day for years on end. Are they supposed to wallow in despair and self pity? I see pretty much every action he did as a coping mechanism. He drinks, he fights, he obsesses over that little boy. We advertise hero worship to young men. We recruit based on the notion that they are defending the country and saving lives. So are they then to just ignore all that propaganda and forget about it? One way to look at his character is to say he's abandoning his family. But I don't see it that way at all. How can he shop for cereal at Safeway when lives are being lost? After all, he's part of the force that keeps us all safe.

I disagree with that. Sure he knows he is helping by doing his job and he tries to justify returning for another tour by telling his wife about children being blown up but that was clearly a man who was bored out of his mind. The idea of going shopping, dinner and a movie with the wife, playing ball with the kid etc. was soul crushing to this guy.He pretty much says as much to his son:

You love playing with that. You love playing with all your stuffed animals. You love your Mommy, your Daddy. You love your pajamas. You love everything, don't ya? Yea. But you know what, buddy? As you get older... some of the things you love might not seem so special anymore. Like your Jack-in-a-Box. Maybe you'll realize it's just a piece of tin and a stuffed animal. And then you forget the few things you really love. And by the time you get to my age, maybe it's only one or two things. With me, I think it's one.

That is far more sad than heroic in my eyes.

Agree with Chaka here. That was the point- the whole point, really- of the movie. Stated as much in the opening credits/quotation about War being a drug- not substantial a point to make the movie more than just a somewhat interesting watch. Don't see heroism or even duty playing a role here, regardless of the thrill-seeker doing some brave things.

 

[Chaka]

Three Kings? Okay it was funny but otherwise it was absolutely craptacular.

You may want to watch it again. Three Kings was absolutely fantastic. One of the best adventure movies of the last 20 years. I wouldn't really classify it as a "war" film just because it involves soldiers and takes place during one. The last thing on any of the guys' minds is fighting a war.

I didn't like this movie. But I always say that a great movie requires at least two viewings - so I'd give it another shot.

With all the love it's getting I might have to as well.

 

[KarmaPolice]

If he were "institutionalized" by the military he wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. In the movie you reference, they talk about hating prison but learning to depend on it until it's all you know. i don't think he ever really hated what he was doing - he was getting his fix (as the opening words to the movie described). I think to effectively present his transition to normal life, that would've required the movie giving us more than a 3 minute glimpse of that life. I didn't sense any remorse or suffering over the decision, it was just "I don't love you" and he takes off. Like I stated, I didn't get a sense of any consequences to his adrenaline fix attitude to the missions.

I think you are judging him unfairly. What's a military man supposed to feel like? You're saying he gets an adrenaline rush doing that job. Well, of course he does. For me, we're asking our military to risk their lives and their limbs every day for years on end. Are they supposed to wallow in despair and self pity? I see pretty much every action he did as a coping mechanism. He drinks, he fights, he obsesses over that little boy. We advertise hero worship to young men. We recruit based on the notion that they are defending the country and saving lives. So are they then to just ignore all that propaganda and forget about it? One way to look at his character is to say he's abandoning his family. But I don't see it that way at all. How can he shop for cereal at Safeway when lives are being lost? After all, he's part of the force that keeps us all safe.

I disagree with that. Sure he knows he is helping by doing his job and he tries to justify returning for another tour by telling his wife about children being blown up but that was clearly a man who was bored out of his mind. The idea of going shopping, dinner and a movie with the wife, playing ball with the kid etc. was soul crushing to this guy.He pretty much says as much to his son:

You love playing with that. You love playing with all your stuffed animals. You love your Mommy, your Daddy. You love your pajamas. You love everything, don't ya? Yea. But you know what, buddy? As you get older... some of the things you love might not seem so special anymore. Like your Jack-in-a-Box. Maybe you'll realize it's just a piece of tin and a stuffed animal. And then you forget the few things you really love. And by the time you get to my age, maybe it's only one or two things. With me, I think it's one.

That is far more sad than heroic in my eyes.

It's sad sure. I guess my perception of the closing scene was that it was less tragic and more of a cowboy riding off in the sunset. You go from him telling his son he only loves the action and cut to him getting back to Iraq with the cool rockin' music playing and him walking down the street. My beef was with what I interpreted the director's meaning of the ending - I didn't think it was presented in a sad/tragic way at all and didn't think it was good directing. (did he really care more about the kid selling him DVDs than his son? - seemed to display more emotion towards that.)

Movies are a medium of art - people take different meanings away from it.

ETA: long story short, this was a great idea for a movie that could've been a lot better in more capable hands. Decent movie, but not great.

 

[General Malaise]

Van Diemen's Land

Took this from IMDB: The true story of Alexander Pearce, Australia's most notorious convict. In 1822, Pearce and seven fellow convicts escaped from Macquarie Harbour, a place of ultra banishment and punishment, only to find a world less forgiving.. the Australian wilderness. Abandon all hope you who enter

I thought it was interesting and even more so when you consider it is based on a true story. Not an action packed film by any means, but a fascinating look at what lengths people can go to survive. 4/5

Wasn't this the title of a U2 song off Rattle & Hum? Sung by The Edge?

 

[fsufan]

Honestly can't believe the positive reviews that Pandorum has been getting. I thought it was borderline terrible. Felt like a dumb mix of movies like Event Horizon, The Descent, and I am Legend that didn't work on any level for me.

I thought it was decent, but got progressively worse as it went on. Im defintiely more in your camp than the people clamoring over it though. I even said in my review a couple of weeks ago I hated the Quaid-Event Horizon angle they tried to pull.You didnt like Event Horizon? Love that movie. First saw it when I was 13 and it remains the only movie that really spooked me and made me have to watch Sportscenter for awhile after it before going to bed.

I guess I should've been more specific. It seemed like they pulled the worst part of each of those movies, mixed them together and #### out this movie. Event Horizon is spooky as hell if you have a good surround setup. Took a couple of co-workers to see the movie in the theater, and one of the girls was so scared she was crying. I still hate the scenes where his wife shows up too. Pandorum was good for about 20mins until they showed the "monsters" and everybody started Kung Fu fighting.

pandorum was terrible

 

[saintfool]

i watched "the prestige" last night with my wife. i have been a fan of this film since i saw it in the theater. my wife hadn't seen it and i was curious to see what she thought of it. i was also keen to see it again for the little things that you miss in a first viewing. the movie, for me, is every bit the thrill it was in the theater. i love pretty much all of this film. nolan did a great job crafting a telling a fascinating story. even better news is that my wife really liked it too.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The Hammer: Found this on Super Channel when I was going to sleep last night. Comedy starring Adam Carolla as a 40 year old guy trying to make the Olympic boxing team. If you like Carolla's brand of comedy, it is definitely worth a watch. By no means a masterpiece but some good laughs from Carolla and his Nicaraguan sidekick. 3/5

 

[Todem]

Made it through 45 minutes of the Unborn.....a pile of steaming ####. Could not even finish this hunk of lard.

Oh well. At least they had some great underwear shots of the lead female (forget her name she was in Cloverfield) and my wife and I noticed her nice camel toe in one shot he he. And what a beautiful ###.

 

[Osaurus]

Van Diemen's Land

Took this from IMDB: The true story of Alexander Pearce, Australia's most notorious convict. In 1822, Pearce and seven fellow convicts escaped from Macquarie Harbour, a place of ultra banishment and punishment, only to find a world less forgiving.. the Australian wilderness. Abandon all hope you who enter

I thought it was interesting and even more so when you consider it is based on a true story. Not an action packed film by any means, but a fascinating look at what lengths people can go to survive. 4/5

Wasn't this the title of a U2 song off Rattle & Hum? Sung by The Edge?

Sure was.

 

[jdoggydogg]

If he were "institutionalized" by the military he wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. In the movie you reference, they talk about hating prison but learning to depend on it until it's all you know. i don't think he ever really hated what he was doing - he was getting his fix (as the opening words to the movie described). I think to effectively present his transition to normal life, that would've required the movie giving us more than a 3 minute glimpse of that life. I didn't sense any remorse or suffering over the decision, it was just "I don't love you" and he takes off. Like I stated, I didn't get a sense of any consequences to his adrenaline fix attitude to the missions.

I think you are judging him unfairly. What's a military man supposed to feel like? You're saying he gets an adrenaline rush doing that job. Well, of course he does. For me, we're asking our military to risk their lives and their limbs every day for years on end. Are they supposed to wallow in despair and self pity? I see pretty much every action he did as a coping mechanism. He drinks, he fights, he obsesses over that little boy. We advertise hero worship to young men. We recruit based on the notion that they are defending the country and saving lives. So are they then to just ignore all that propaganda and forget about it? One way to look at his character is to say he's abandoning his family. But I don't see it that way at all. How can he shop for cereal at Safeway when lives are being lost? After all, he's part of the force that keeps us all safe.

I disagree with that. Sure he knows he is helping by doing his job and he tries to justify returning for another tour by telling his wife about children being blown up but that was clearly a man who was bored out of his mind. The idea of going shopping, dinner and a movie with the wife, playing ball with the kid etc. was soul crushing to this guy.He pretty much says as much to his son:

You love playing with that. You love playing with all your stuffed animals. You love your Mommy, your Daddy. You love your pajamas. You love everything, don't ya? Yea. But you know what, buddy? As you get older... some of the things you love might not seem so special anymore. Like your Jack-in-a-Box. Maybe you'll realize it's just a piece of tin and a stuffed animal. And then you forget the few things you really love. And by the time you get to my age, maybe it's only one or two things. With me, I think it's one.

That is far more sad than heroic in my eyes.

Right. It's the saddest thing, for sure. But I'm not saying he's a hero and I'm not saying he's heroic. I am saying that we cannot simultaneously train these soldiers to be heroes and then wonder why they behave this way when they are civilians. We know that football players like Brett Favre have a hard time retiring, and it's clear that the drop off between the NFL and real life must be excruciating. I think the military is even more pronounced. I don't think it's realistic to judge this character as if he leads a normal life. He leads an extraordinary life. And it's a life that's being sold to him as heroic.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Reckless, fine. I guess IMO putting other lives at stake to get the fix is another thing. There was a scene where he purposely took off the earphones, and put the other soldiers in danger while the area was being compromised. The soldier got seriously hurt because of his nighttime mission that didn't need to be done. Putting your life on the line is a quality needed for that line, but yes, to me purposely putting the other guys' lives on the line made him a bad soldier. There was no point to any of it except for his own selfish agenda.

Sure, he didn't follow protocol. But here's a guy that only sees two things: bombs that are about to go off or the horrific destruction that bombs cause. So he saw the pursuit in the dark as a way to get back at the enemy. Of course he was irresponsible. The guy is clearly a flawed human being. I've seen enough purely good heroes in movies - and I think the pure hero is rare, if not non-existent.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Hammer: Found this on Super Channel when I was going to sleep last night. Comedy starring Adam Carolla as a 40 year old guy trying to make the Olympic boxing team. If you like Carolla's brand of comedy, it is definitely worth a watch. By no means a masterpiece but some good laughs from Carolla and his Nicaraguan sidekick. 3/5

I liked this a lot. Simple and funny.

 

[jdoggydogg]

To reiterate a point about The Hurt Locker:

I never said that the main character is a hero. I said that the military uses heroism as the keystone to their ideology and their marketing. So a soldier is using this ideal as a means to cope with what must be the hardest job a person can do. So hero or not, we cannot judge these people for assuming the role of the hero - whether it's deserved or not.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Couldn't sleep last night and let the TV remote not change the channel from Notorious B.I.G. or whatever the technical name of the movie was.

I have to admit, and it should be obvious, that I don't understand enjoy or listen to any small amount of rap or R&B or whatever they consider it these days, and really don't care about the players or the story line. But still, I can't for the life of me figure out what exactly happened that required Tupac and Biggy to be shot. Was it they were basically rude to each other (listen to the white guy try to put it his own words....) in public and instead of battleing publicists they had others use guns to settle?

Oh, and the movie barely gets a 1/2 star on a 5 star scale. There wasn't anything remotely entertaining about it. In fact, it should have helped me fall asleep but it was so bad it was frustrating that someone allowed the movie to be made and then infect my TV.