Movies/TV: Movies you watched [!OT]

[mrwiseman]

Just like the games playing and anime/manga reading threads, this thread is to post about movies you just watched. I think we needed something like this since long ago. Post movies and comments (movie titles alone is little to no use).

BTW, <font color="red">remember to mark spoilers</font>.

?????

Just rented and watched Enigma. I got it because I had been renting movies too frequently and there wasn't anything I liked I hadn't watched. Plus my father was obsessed with watching that since it came out years ago, and we never did. I didn't have any hopes, I thought I was going to let my old man watch it and go play something, and it turned out to be great. I usually don't go for movies that aren't medieval, futuristic, fantasy, full of explosions and special effects, or a combination of these, because it's unlikely to find a 2 hours movie with an interesting plot and witty dialogue otherwise.

Enigma started slow, and I was about to leave, but it managed to be barely interesting because of the historic set. Then the plot started to pick up and I liked it. Without any explosions, bells, or whistles, a well thought out plot and challenging direction kept my interest to the end. You can't watch the movie passively or you'll miss details and won't understand it, that's something I like.

I would recommend it to anybody who likes intrigue.

<font color="#345E81" size="1">[ March 25, 2005 08:10 PM: Message edited by: -Wiseman- ]</font>

[Cataferal]

Yeah, i rememeber this being released at the same time as Pearl Harbor, but receiving less popularity despite being more factual and realistic. Ive yet to see the film, although i rememeber my history teachers recommending the film to me as well. Might be worth a look.

<font color="#345E81" size="1">[ March 26, 2005 06:49 AM: Message edited by: Cataferal ]</font>

[Dreamer7000]

I've wathed Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse just a week ago in the cinema, and it was a big positive suprise.
It had way more spirit in it than the previous Resident Evil movie, which was more horror, but lacked action. I'm a fan of the game series, and altho it's under the survival horror theme, the game has a lot of action in it. This second movie was more of an action movie, with still terrifying scenes. Using the games characters in it was also a big idea, but they did not have such important roles, like Alice (Milla Jovovich), who featured in both movies.
It totally had the Resident Evil 3: Nemesis feeling in it, still combined with the second game's action parts. It was more interesting because instead of a laboratory, there was a whole city as the "playfield" of the zombies.

SPOILER
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After all the action, when you thought it ended, escaping the destruction of Raccoon city with the Umbrella chopper, leaving Nemesis behind (I'll leave comments on him later) it looked like it's over. But there was like 10 minutes after that part you didn't expect. And as the horror genre of the movie should show, there was that moment in the very end, that made you think it's still not over, starting the "Alice Program", the advanced Nemesis program, which can bring more dangers to the characters we know, and maybe we'll find this out in the 3rd movie.
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The heavy weaponry gave a boost to all of the actions, altho about of Nemesis, he was more like a robot what the Umbrealla Inc. controlled; in the game it looked like it has it's own thoughts more, and that it's more cruel.
The fight Alice Vs. Nemesis was also a heavy suprise, it was a great idea to feature a one on one battle among the two most powerful characters. It was a sudden turn out, that Nemesis joined the "good side" before it's death, seeing Alice (whom he escaped with in the first movie) with the real small remaining conscioucness of his mind.
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Another great thing was the children zombies, never featured in the games, but in this movie. A real "hitter" idea.
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End Of SPOILER

Overall, it's a great movie both for those who played the game and the ones who have not, altho it was a great feeling to see the parts of the game feature in these movies.

[Cataferal]

IRT Wiseman - Well, im not interested in history per se, but im interested in history films with both a gripping story and historic accuracy where possible. However, I especially dont want to see a fantasy drama depicting the americans as the sole heroes of World War 2, flaunting special effects left right and centre with a bunch of pretty young stars to advertise it all.

Im going to see the film "Hero" a little later, so i'll be sure to write back here soon after.

Edit: Watched Hero. Heres my review on it:

A big budget remake of Akira Kurasawa's "Rashomon". Following the success of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and casting Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi as the stars, this particular adventure tells the story of how a single hero disposes of three assassins threatening to kill the ruler of the Xin state of China. Told through flashbacks, the narrative is divided through 3 different interpretations of the tale, where only the true version is revealed by its conclusion.

Personally, i was disappointed by the film. It had everything, a brilliant plot, an excellent score (composed by Dun Tan), and stunning photography and effects brought to screen with a colourful sharp clarity. It was only the fight scenes and the direction that left much to be desired.

As a fan of traditional budget kung-fu films, i always frown on the use of special effects and suspending wires within the cinematic realm of martial arts. Sadly, Hollywood does not. Having used these techniques modestly in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon previously, they seem now to have cast away all subtlety in its use. I dont expect to see two people engaged in beautiful choreography then jump to the skies and lunge 15 meatures horizontally at each other, before rebounding back to their original position. Nor do i expect to see people fighting on water, rallying droplets between each other with their swords as if they were icicles. Exaggerated, all the excitement and wonder that usually comes from these scenes is just dumbed down. And annoyingly, this wouldnt be so bad if it werent for the fact that every possible dilemma posed in the film is resolved through just fighting. A real waste.

Next, the direction. As i said before, the story was beautiful, and i really admire the writers for trying to put forward something so bold as to explain the "our land" philosophy behind china. However, in its ambition, all empathy and sympathy is lost for the characters, who throughout seem to just follow their goals without explaining motives. They all seem like puppets playing out necassary roles without even showing their strings, and it becomes very frustrating by the end of the film.

All in all, despite these two majorly negative points, i do recommend seeing the film just for the music and visuals. As exaggerated as they may be, i will always remember this film as being the most colourful and beautiful film i have ever seen. And if you have an afinity for traditional japanese music, or a preference for the chinese fiddle, then you're more than likely to be satifed with whats presented here.

Cataferal's Rating: 6/10

I would recommend this film to people who have seen and enjoyed Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, despite the fact its not nearly as well directed.

<font color="#345E81" size="1">[ March 27, 2005 07:29 PM: Message edited by: Cataferal ]</font>

[mrwiseman]

I especially dont want to see a fantasy drama depicting the americans as the sole heroes of World War 2

Enjoy your stay.


Of course, you will *never* see any signs of compassion, goodwill, true intelligence, or anything positive from Germany in the movies, and even if it's a war, Americans will be always the goody-good guys who don't even kill Germans, they only euthanize them, showing infinite mercy even for these ruthless murderers.

However, I hope you'll find Enigma was not shamelessly americanized. You'll be spared of scenes like "Thanks god the Americans are here!", "Freedom is secured!", or a black general smoking a cigar in the last scene with a cloying triumphant "this is America" smile. Even though it happens on allies' side and the Germans are the foes, the movie is not really focused on the war and who wins.


WRT special effects in martial arts and Hero: Having used these techniques modestly in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

You kidding? If that was modestly, Hero must be Star Wars.

[mrwiseman]

IRT Cata: If you're interested in History you'll most surely enjoy Enigma.

[Cataferal]

WRT Hollywood - Hahahahaha, too true. That said, i did manage to bear with Saving Private Ryan all the way through, if mostly thanks to Tom Hank's superb acting. Still, it did exaggerate the american heroism just a touch.

WRT Crouching Tiger Hidden Wires - That'd be a fair statement. But at least Crouching Tiger stopped the fighting from time to time in order to develop the characters, hence why i consider the use of wires and special effects modest. In comparison, Hero just delivers 90 minutes of stunning visuals and music which, as you said, resembles the makeup of the latest Star Wars films.

Im going to be watching another asian movie later today, called Old Boy.

Edit: Watched Old Boy. Heres my review:

Korean director Chan-Wook Park's presents a complex yet briliantly concluded tale of revenge, told through the character of Oh Dai-Su, who is at first seen walking home to give his daughter a birthday present. However, being kidnapped on route, imprisoned by an anonymous source, and drugged for 15 years, he learns of the murder of his wife and daughter through TV, his only key to the outside world. Upon his unexplained release, he finds out that he himself has been framed for the murders, and he sets out to answer but one question: why?

In my opinion, the film ranks in as one of the most disturbing ive ever seen. And thats saying a lot. Similar to the case with films such Satoshi Kon's "Perfect Blue" and Stanley Kubrick's "Clockwork Orange"; its not just the violence that'll leave you shaking, its the psychological and moral element of it all. For example, just the starting theme of bloody revenge is already putting the film at a moral imbalance. What lies beyond that premise will certainly give you something to think about for a while. With a great many plot twists, im glad to say this film doesnt disappoint, despite the protagonist having a misleadingly simple goal to start.

While the initial premise of the film was truly exciting and engaging, i found myself lost and confused instantly after. The plot seemed to move too fast, and things happened without any justification or reason. At times it appeared that the disturbing elements of the film were merely put in for shock value, and seeming so bizarre at the time i felt they could have easily been excluded. However, as the plot progressed, you come to learn of the answer "why", and every little detail of the story is answered and justified, leaving you very much satisfied. Its very much a rarity in films thesedays to see a film pull out an exotic plate of plotline delicacies, and then fully pay for them once the meal is over. It showed a lot of foresight on the directors behalf, and i was impressed by how they left no stone unturned.

Of all things, however, the most notable asset of this film was lead actor Min-sik Choi. Not just a plain ruthless face made out to look cool, he showed every nuance of emotion that his character should feel in all of the situations. And there are certainly some dilemma's posed in this movie that ive never even considered before. At the start during his characters confinement, his insanity and delirium proved highly convincing. Equally, as the narrator of the story, he really drove the characters motives well through a thoughtful calmness in his voice. When something is meant to be funny, he makes it funny, just as when something is supposed to be sad, he conveys the emotion perfectly to the screen. In addition to this, he managed to pull it all off with a style that, despite being such a sinful character, still leaves the audience empathetic. The rest of the cast followed this lead superbly, and delivered highly convincing roles, enhancing the overall acting performance that brought the story to life.

The music throughout makes constant use of string arrangements, with the occasional sonata or upbeat flute composition to make for bizarre contrast. Vivaldi's Four Seasons is also used to achieve this effect, although fortunately this is the only unoriginal composition used for the film. While some pieces suffer from a noticable overuse, i felt the soundtrack was on the whole very catchy and added to the tension of the film well.

As for special effects, there are none. Just extremely convincing photography and direction make the action scenes in this film a pleasure to see. While i would argue that the main characters physical strength may have been exaggerated a little too much in one scene (taking on a horde of 30 thugs...hmm...), i felt the 2D perspective, and the choreography of it was extremely well executed. This redeemed it in my eyes, but for others, i can see how it may still linger as unacceptable and impossible. Nevertheless, every bit of the film, from its direction to its progression, work well and unfold the story whilst sustaining respect and plausability for each characters motives.

In conclusion, looking at the unique story concept, and the acting performance on offer, its no wonder the americans are remaking the film for themselves. Such is the trend. Unfortunately in order for the film to be deemed acceptable by their age rating board i imagine they're going to have to tone this one down quite a bit. This is a shame since the film sets out to prove the mindlessness in revenge and killing through making an abundant use of it, as well as using many other unique and bizarre plot devices. By the time they cast it with all their pretty american actors i feel meaning and tone of the film will be lost, and the american subtitle-hating demograph will ultimately receive and dismiss a luckluster conversion. Fortunately, america has recently been allowed to receive the original film at cinema (much unlike the case with Battle Royale), so those who appreciate asian film can appreciate the story as it should have been told. As for me, this is one of the best asian movies ive ever seen, and it rouses my interest in the Korean approach to movie-making.

Cataferal's Rating: 8/10

I would recommend this film to fans of controverisal and extreme asian cinema. If you enjoy anything by Takashi Miike, watch this; you'll get that same bizarre thrill, and to top it off, make sense out of it.

<font color="#345E81" size="1">[ March 27, 2005 08:00 PM: Message edited by: Cataferal ]</font>

[Xhell]

Unfortunatly I'm too tired to put as much effort into my review as much as Cat and Wise has, but I shall strive to fabricate one which will convey my opinion effectively, while perhaps influencing your movie-viewing choices:

A Shark's Tale

It is absolute shit-piss.
Don't, fucking, watch this.


In conclusion, awful film, full of your unoriginal "feel-good" story development concepts, saturated with stale, unfunny jokes and one-liners.
Oh, and at the end they even decide to perform this 8 minute long dance routine where they basically try to enforce the fact that "YOO GOTZ TO BEE KOOL, AND TO BE KOOL, YOO GOTZ TO DIG IT DOWN AND OUT WIT DAT DOPE SHIT, YEAH, YEAH, UH, YOYOYOYOYO"......Basically, to be cool you gotta become a stereotypical black rapper.....so youd better conform kids!!! Do as the talking shark says....he's cool...look at that blinging jewelry.

Avoid it like your Dad's cock

(forgive the profanity, but this film seriously pisses me off)

<font color="#345E81" size="1">[ March 28, 2005 07:10 PM: Message edited by: Raij ]</font>

[Hell Knight]

I watched the Ring of the cursed the day before yesterday, but I forgot to post. Well, some poeple say it's the preview of The lord of the rings, but I can't see the connection between them(if not the fantasy world, and magic). The story is kind of good, the characters are good as well. The actions were usually quite good, and there was much treachery. If you like fantasy/action movies I really recommend this movie.

[crazyelf]

i like to watch foreign films. well, foreign to me, maybe not foreign to others.
here's one i saw yesterday-

a snake of june (japanese)- a woman gets pictures sent to her by a peeper, in which she was looking at a vibrator online, and cutting a skirt short , and wearing it in her room. he blackmails her, by telling her she has to do what she says, or she wont get the negatives. he forces her to go out in public with the short skirt on, and to go buy a vibrator. then she gets back her pictures, but he still has one, and tells her to go to the doctor.....
well this movie was ok. i found it stupid that she should care if someone saw her wearing a short skirt and looking at a vibrator online ...who cares? the cinematography was nice, the shadows and colors were really vivid.

pinocchio 964-(japanese)really weird, cyberpunk movie. its about a cybernetic sex android(pinocchio) who is let loose into the world without memories. he runs into kyoko, who has amnesia. together they try to piece things back. at the same time, pinocchio's creator is trying to hunt him down before the world finds out about him.

hmm...this movie is real weird and crazy. it wasn't boring, and some parts were visually gross. if you like weird movies, this is definetly for you.