Finally, some good movies

[The Seeker]

Been on a bit of a movie run lately so I figured I'd give my thoughts.

 

took my little brothers to Open Season and was really surprised. It watches more like older funny animated movies (emperors new groove-ish) Has good voice acting and is genuinely funny.

 

Now, I didn't have any high hopes for The Guardian, but once again was really surprised. (Why is Ashton Kutcher in everything) But even Demi Moore's boy toy was good in this movie. It's not a thought provoking movie or one that makes you wonder where it's going, but it's darn entertaining and well done. It's fast paced, exiting and even inspirational at points. You know that inspirational, uplifting feeling that hollywood tries to inject into the regurgitated college sports movies every few months? Well The Guardian got that feeling down. You watch it and even though you see where it's going, you find yourself sucked into it almost against your will. This is one of those that will likely get little recognition, but is really quite good.

 

I saw The Departed last night and one word can sum it up: BRILLIANT! It's twisty, turny, intense, and graphic. All of the actors give career best performances and the plot leaves you guessing the entire way, but not in that annoying way where you can't follow it no matter how much attention you pay. The ending hits you from behind in a totally unpredictable and cool way and makes you stop and ask yourself what the hell just happened. Surprisingly enough, the performance that stands out the most is Leonardo DiCaprio as the cop working deep undercover. He is stressed, wired, emotional and prone to panic attacks because he knows that any breath could be his last if he slips up for an eyeblink. DiCaprio portrays this role perfectly, playing a good guy playing a bad guy, you can't help but give a crap about what happens to him.

 

Anyway, any other goodies out that anyone has seen?

[MrWally]

They aren't all new but this past week I've seen:

 

The Guardian: Really REALLY cliche and predictable but still good. I was suprised, I didn't think I'd like it. I wouldn't say it was incredible, but I wouldn't say it was bad either. If you're looking for a nice, uplifting, "appropriate" movie, then go ahead. Otherwise, you could probably wait to rent it.

 

A Beautiful Mind: Phenomenal. If you haven't seen it yet. Buy it, don't even bother renting. Incredible acting on Crowe's part, as always, and such a good story.

 

Jet Li's Fearless: Personally, I liked it better than Hero. I know most won't agree with me, but the fighting was better, it was much more realistic, the acting was definately better, and I enjoyed the story more. It wasn't nearly as artistic as Hero, but very few movies are. If Fearless is still playing in your area, definately go see it.

 

Shawshank Redemption: I watched this again last night. Everyone here's probably seen it, but I love it. Such a classic. Again, flawless acting. Who doesn't love Morgan Freeman?

 

There. Might be more to come if I'm not swamped with Chemisty homework this week.

[The Seeker]

I am certainly not interested in The Guardian. I haven't seen it yet but I cal already tell you that I think it sucks. The two main reasons I say this being Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. Costner movies are complete crap 95% of the time. I can't stand Ashton Kutcher. I think he should just stick to Kelso from That 70s Show or be typecast as that type of character. I did se the Butterfly Effect and he was good at the more serious role but the Butterfly Effect sucked as a whole. Plus every time I see Kutcher I can't get that dimwitted Kelso out of my head. I just don't like Ashton Kutcher.

 

Awwww, come on don't be that way. Granted, Kevin Costner's movies usually suck monkey balls, and Ashton Kutcher just doesn't come off as an...whats the word...actor. But that's why this movie surprised me so much. Like I said, it's predictable, but it's really well done and surprisingly well acted. Maybe I liked it because cold water training kicks ass (try a little swiftwater rescue training in early april and you'll see) but for as horrible as it could have been, they really pulled off a better than just decent movie. It's good. Trust me.

[Dagobahn Eagle]

A Beautiful Mind: Phenomenal. If you haven't seen it yet. Buy it, don't even bother renting. Incredible acting on Crowe's part, as always, and such a good story.

Really inaccurate, though, from what I've understood. Not too bad a watch, though.

 

Top on my list are An Inconvenient Truth and The Lives of Others.

[MrWally]

I haven't looked up much of the actual occurances. Unfortunately most movies loosely base a story on a real person or event *coughcoughpearlharborcough* just to get the people's attention.

 

Nonetheless, it's a great movie.

[Davinq]

School For Scoundrels. Saw it with my friends this weekend. Not too bad, it's got the black comedy down, that's for sure (picture Jon Heder bursting into tears as the audience bursts into laughter). I was actually vaguely reminded of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, from way back in the day, due to a storyline similarity: two men, young and old, fighting over the woman . Thank god the one-hit-wonder Heder wasn't such a one-hit-wonder after all - and thank god he can actually act normal! *coughnapoleancough*

[toms]

I put my comments on The Departed in Chase's thread on that film. Suffice to say I thought it was pretty good.. but not even close to the original.

 

Over the hedge surprised me too.. i thought it would be pants (as all non-pixar CGI films have been) but it actually felt a lot like a pixar film.

 

Fearless only just came out over there? (the US?) I watched that months ago. It was ok.. though with it supposedly being jet li's last martial arts epic I kinda had higher hopes. It was a bit too generic.. though the fights were pretty cool. Its nice to have a film come out over here first for once.

 

Watched World Trade Centre yesterday afternoon. (locked myself out of the house and had to wait hours for my housemate to get back, so went to cinema and it was the only slightly interesting looking thing on).

It was ok. Started off quite strong... then got a bit boring. Since its basically just two guys in the dark not moving its pretty limited in what they can do.. and you already know whats going to happen.

 

Watched Crank a while back (that out in the US yet?). Its a pretty cool and original film.. but it will give you a headache. Maybe take lots of caffine before you go in.

 

I'm mostly looking forward to the new bond film. mostly.

[MrWally]

Personally I'm really looking forward to "An Inconvenient Truth"

[toms]

I might watch an inconvienient truth tomorrow.. its only on in one cinema in town, and only a couple of showings a day.. or i might have watched it yesterday.

 

I also watched A Scanner Darkly recently and thought it was excellent. Maybe a little too much humour, but unique and interesting and also fun.

 

I'm looking forward to Marie Antoinette, purely because Lost in Translation is one of my fave movies ever.

[The Seeker]

So I'm a little late on this one, but I just finished Saw. Man in a genre that's been swamped with lackluster movies lately, this one was spot on. It was gross, scary, intense, and had a very nice twisted ending.

 

Not that it was a satisfying ending for those rooting for a nice and tidy hasta la vista baby sort of ending, but more one where

you not only see how the bad guy played the good guys through the whole movie, but how he played you as well. I mean, "Surprise, the dead guy in the room is the guy in charge and the little twerp who you think is running things is just another pawn in the twisted game"

 

 

Sort of like watching Hanibal Lechter. Where even though it's grotesque, you have to have a bit of grudging respect for someone who has thought out every contingency to the letter.

 

I'm gonna grab Saw 2 and see how it stacks up.

[toms]

I thought saw was ok, but the actng was pretty bad in places. I liked it, but not enough that I checked out the sequels. (which look just nasty, as I doubt they have much in the way of twists).

[Ratmjedi]

I like the SAW movies cause you never know whats going to happen next. Yeah they are bloody and gruesome but what would you expect from a movie titled SAW. I can't wait for the third one to come out later this month.

 

[Commander Obi-Wan]

I'm mostly looking forward to the new bond film. mostly.

 

As am I.

 

And in relation to that, I watched You Only Live Twice this past weekend. It's only the third Bond movie I have watched. >_> And this one was the best of the three I've watched. Great movie from back in 1967 and Sean Connery was James Bond. So, yeah.

 

Flyboys was a pretty good movie. I'd have to say it's one of my favourite War-type of movies. Franco was excellent. The dogfights were fanastic, too. Just a great movie, IMHO.

 

I just recently watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I've seen before back five years or so back when I was released. The techniques used were amazing as where to "fights", even if some of it was a little far-fetched/ One of the best foreign and martial artists type of movies I've seen.

 

[BongoBob]

So I'm a little late on this one, but I just finished Saw. Man in a genre that's been swamped with lackluster movies lately, this one was spot on. It was gross, scary, intense, and had a very nice twisted ending.

 

Not that it was a satisfying ending for those rooting for a nice and tidy hasta la vista baby sort of ending, but more one where

you not only see how the bad guy played the good guys through the whole movie, but how he played you as well. I mean, "Surprise, the dead guy in the room is the guy in charge and the little twerp who you think is running things is just another pawn in the twisted game"

 

 

Sort of like watching Hanibal Lechter. Where even though it's grotesque, you have to have a bit of grudging respect for someone who has thought out every contingency to the letter.

 

I'm gonna grab Saw 2 and see how it stacks up.

 

I never saw the first Saw, I only saw the second one at my friends house.

 

That said, I thought Saw 2 had a brilliant plot and quite the mindf*** of an ending.

[The Seeker]

The first one was definately better. If they had put some effort into making the whole movie as interesting as the last 15 minutes, it would have been the first ones equal. That said, it was still a worthy sequel and I was surprised that for both movies they managed to pull off a "no way" ending. Good stuff.

[MrWally]

When it comes to "No Wai!" endings Shyamalan is king.

[The Seeker]

When it comes to "No Wai!" endings Shyamalan is king.

 

I'll agree to a point. His have gotten less and less impressive with each offering. Granted I really liked 6th sense, Unbreakable, and signs, but The Village...I guessed the surprise a half hour into it. I haven't seen Lady in the Water yet, but from what I've heard it is equally dissapointing. I'll check it out either way once it hits DVD

[MrWally]

I'll agree to a point. His have gotten less and less impressive with each offering. Granted I really liked 6th sense, Unbreakable, and signs, but The Village...I guessed the surprise a half hour into it. I haven't seen Lady in the Water yet, but from what I've heard it is equally dissapointing. I'll check it out either way once it hits DVD

 

 

Don't go into Lady in the Water expecting to be a thriller. It isn't, it's clearly a fairy-tale/fantasy. In my opinion that's fine, but you won't get most of the typical Shyamalan plot twists and such. I still thought it was a phenomenal movie, but for lack of a better word, it was very different.

[Commander Obi-Wan]

I finally finished watching The World is Not Enough. I watched it all but the last 20 minutes or so, on the past weekend. It's okay. And it's only the third Bond movie I've seen. And I intend to watch all 20 before Casino Royale is released.

 

Next Bond movie is Goldeneye. Is that a better Bond movie then T.W.I.N.E?

[ET Warrior]

Goldeneye is among the best of the bond films, In my opinion.

[The Seeker]

Goldeneye kicks royal @$$. The world is not enough is one of my lesser favorite bond flicks. Though anything with Denise Richards sort of turns me away. With that body and such a complete lack of acting skills, she should be in late night cinemax movies, not mainstream blockbusters.

[RoxStar]

Really inaccurate, though, from what I've understood. Not too bad a watch, though.[/i].

 

Our health teacher said that it won praise from Mental Doctors and such for being accurate in its depiction of schitzofrenia.

[Commander Obi-Wan]

I've only watched about 40 minutes of it so far, and it's okay. And I recognize the setting, since I did play GoldenEye 007 for the N64 a ton. That game was the ****. One of the best FPS games I've played.

 

Denise Richards sort of turns me away. With that body and such a complete lack of acting skills

 

Really? I find her kinda attractive, especially

in the scene when they were underwater in the sub

 

 

EDIT: Finished Goldeneye. I liked it. Best of the "Brosnan Bonds" movies. Great action. Enjoyed the whole way through. Sean Bean was pretty good, playing a villian, like he does in the movies I've seen with him.

 

Now, that I've thought about it, but IIRC, on the Wii you can play vintage games, right? So, I'd probably be able to play this on the Wii, right? I'm sure one of you guys can eloborate more on this.

[The Seeker]

Thats what I meant. Shes got the looks and acting talent (lack thereof) of a cable porn star, so I have never understood why she is cast in movies that need an actual actress.

 

For Your Eyes Only is another pretty good one. Haven't seen it in years, but it kind of stuck with me. The Pierce Brosnan ones were for the most part good. The World is not Enough was the only one I really thought was sub par.

[toms]

Tomorrow never dies was the only really sucky bond. Mostly because of terry hatcher, and poor bad guys. And the fact bond never did any cool spying.. just permanently got chased around. The best thing about it by far was Michelle Yeoh.

 

Goldfinger is the best connery. Spy who loved me is the best moore. There used to be a theory that every actor's third film was their best.. but that got kinda disproved recently.

 

I don't remember for your eyes only being especially good (didn't it have a really wooden leading lady but a good ski chase?)

 

PS/ My girlfriend works at the place that Bond plays golf with Goldfinger. WHere od-job chops the head off the statue. Its also in layer cake (starring who else but Daniel Craig.)