Films The Official bit-tech Movie Thread - What have you seen lately?

If it's about how the Big Threat is finally resolved, then you're perfectly right, it makes no sense at all.

This generally happens when non-techy writers try to create a technological peril. Weirdly, Die Hard 4 managed to do the tech-doomsday thing in a much more savvy and realistic way than Mission Impossible 8, and Die Hard 4 wasn't exactly the big brain in the lineup when it came out.

Mr Robot set the gold standard, though, jeez. Imagine a Mission Impossible with the Mr Robot writing staff contributing.

Oh I forgot to say, maybe? I saw that Steve Cougan penguin thing when it was out at cinemas, that was quite good. I was expecting kitsch family friendly guff, actually got some quite cutting social commentary on class, culture shock and imperialism and a brief, harrowing history lesson on the 1970s Argentinian military coup.

Steve played himself, as he always has and always will, but in this context it worked much better than in most others, because rather than being "Steve Cougan is inappropriate in British social situations" it's "Steve Cougan has his entire worldview and comfort zone destroyed by a military coup, an unwanted pet penguin and a group of troubled school kids who serve up a microcosm of the political disaster unfolding outside the school windows". His usual selfish, unlikeable stock character is the heel to a more interesting and troubling story about Argentina, about changing educational attitudes, about British migrants abroad, and about the complex ethics of when to interfere, and when not to interfere, in somebody else's culture and politics. A surprisingly solid 8/10 for me.

 

The Ballad of Wallis Island - well worth a watch
Saw a couple of things about this and as have enjoyed (almost?) everything I've seen both Tom Basden and Tim Key do/be involved in decided to make a rare trip to the cinema, and I'm very glad I did.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and will encourage anyone I know to go watch it, a touching comedy.

 

Godzilla (2014): 7/10
Watched this with my son, and I have to say it's a solid action flick with some incredible visuals. It's a little unusual pacing-wise, but it eventually gets where it needs to be and the final battle is spectacular. Pure entertainment and great cinema. My son absolutely loved it.

 

Ooh I forgot about that Ken Watanabe one. I've seen it but forgotten it all, so I could probably enjoy it all over again.

I vaguely recall it had unshakeable overtones of the Fukushima nuclear accident, a very modern and uncomfortably relevant spice to add to a franchise that otherwise risks feeling stuck out of time.

If you haven't seen Godzilla Minus One Minus Colour, you gotta watch that next. A totally different but equally brilliant experience.

 

Captain America: Brave New World - 6/10
A solid, middle of the road MCU offering. Coulda/shoulda done more with the Red Hulk. But definitely an improvement over Quantumania & "dr strange I wish i was spider-man no way home"!

The Marvels - 7/10
Again, a solid, middle of the road MCU offering. +1 points for the "fun with portals" swapping. And the Flerkins. definitely points for Flerkins.

n.b. scores probably helped by going in with seriously lowe expectations and watching in the background to other activities (lego building/mini painting/work)

 

Ant Man Quantumania
WTF was that / 10

Now if you'd have sold that to me as a B rated sci fi stand alone silly fest, then fine it's not offensive or too much of a time vampire, but as part of the Mavelverse, yeah I don't think so, I only watched it as I saw Capt Merica BNW beforehand and thought I was missing out on some plot lines.

 

Captain America: Brave New World - 4/10

I've seen all of the previous MCU movies and many of the TV shows (although I don't always finish those when they're not very good). This movie felt like it needed me to have finished watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (which wasn't great) in order to enjoy it most.

It felt very Disney. Safe. By the book. Barely competent. Disjointed story and weak character motivations. I already knew it was bad from reviews I had read. I only watched it because I guess I'm still watching the MCU stuff. Phase 4 was okay. Pretty much all of Phase 5 has struggled to justify its existence in my eyes. Deadpool & Wolverine is the exception, but it's the worst of the Deadpool movies and sort of retconned into the MCU post Disney purchase. It was soft-included before and now Disney is really trying to bring all of their Marvel IP into one cinematic universe.

I hear Thunderbolts* is actually pretty good, but I'm going to wait until I can stream it at home.

 

Gladiator 2: not needed/10

the very definition of a film that didn't need to be made, i found myself losing interest by about half way.

 

Took me a moment to remember where that was from

“You broke out, let me see if I can get this straight, down the incinerator chute, on the mine car, through the tunnels to the power plant, under the steam engine - that was really cool by the way - and into the cistern through the intake pipe. But how, in the name of Zeus' BUTTHOLE… did you get out of your cell? I only ask because I’m our current situation, well, it might prove to be useful information MAYBE!

[commotion intensifies]

[cell door clanks open]

[Mason appears at cell door]

Trade secrets, my son.”

 

Ballerina 8.5/10

John Wick 4.5; that'll do nicely, very nicely indeed.

 

The Predator
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3829266/

Oh sweet baby jesus what have they done

 

Sinners 4/10

seriously had potential until the 3rd act when it collapsed in on itself and faceplanted the landing, the last remaining 20 mins are an utter car crash that keeps on roling downhill. the more i think about the last 20 mins the more irritated i get, such a shame.

 

I think, at the time, my impression was that they had mixed up the edited footage with the sweepings from the cutting room floor.

 

So what? The predator is a kid, and Daddy Predator has come to clean up the mess?
Will not be watching - unless it has Arnie shouting "Get to da choppa", I'm not interested.

 

It does have some interestingly gratuitous camel toe shots at the swimming pool though. Deserves a point and at least forwarding to that bit. You can get the rest of the synopsis from Wikipedia (which bizarrely doesn't include the swimming pool scene as a main plot point).

 

Bring Her Back 7/10 (Vue secret pre-screening)
Somewhat predictable but scores a 7 for some truly grim bits. Better than average but not necessarily a big screen jobbie.

 

A man Called Otto.

Brilliant / 10, reaches out and touches you right in the feels, I need to track down the original, A Man Called Ove, and give that a watch

 

Polar 7/10 (Netflix)
Mads Mikkelsen in a semi-predictable ex-hitman in retirement affair, Matt Lucas hamming it up in good style as the Baddie. Good enough to watch on the treadmill, couple of giggles.

Road 8/10 (Prime)
About the Dunlop dynasty and the trials and dangers of road racing. It was late and I kept nodding off, so I need to watch it again but if you liked Closer to the Edge, you'll like this. Closer to the Edge probably pips it for thrills, but for background and more detail, Road is well worth it.