Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[srboone]

I liked Spectre. It wasn't as good as Skyfall, but that was kinda a unreasonable expectation to have anyways, given how good Skyfall was. This one felt less like a Daniel Craig James Bond movie and more like the old style of Bond movie. It felt different, and I enjoyed it. I think the slight style change is probably why it's not getting the best reviews.

I think you're right, Dan. After three formula-flouting films establishing Craig as a modern Bond, SPECTRE was the one that put the new Bond mythology into the "Bond Film" formula. A lot of people didn't want a traditional "Bond" film. Personally, I'm not tired of the traditional Bond film in the least. I'm just concerned that Craig isn't getting any younger and 3-4 years between a Bond film is a long time.

[Dan Hocker]

I think you're right, Dan. After three formula-flouting films establishing Craig as a modern Bond, SPECTRE was the one that put the new Bond mythology into the "Bond Film" formula. A lot of people didn't want a traditional "Bond" film. Personally, I'm not tired of the traditional Bond film in the least. I'm just concerned that Craig isn't getting any younger and 3-4 years between a Bond film is a long time.

I think Craig is out unfortunately. He's expressed that he doesn't really like filming them in several interviews lately. Personally I like both the new and the old Bond formula. I feel like Spectre was trying to find a happy middle ground, which maybe caused some writing problems. I like that they tried to break away from the "Bourne-esk" style though. So many movies these days are going for that gritty down to earth fighting style and it's starting to feel a bit old, at least for my tastes.

[Sock Monkey]

Finally got around to Jurassic World. While I was a fan of the original movie, this wasn't high on my list to see, so I pushed it off until today. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't as great as the box office numbers make it out to be (in a just world, Mad Max: Fury Road should have done those numbers), but Chris Pratt was good and I've been a fan of Bryce Dallas Howard since The Visit (I don't care what people say, I like that movie!). The humor doesn't always hit right, but I actually laughed more than a few times. Overall, I had pretty good time with it. I only thing I really didn't like was the anthropomorphizing of the raptors. Grade: B-

[TJCams]

Finally got around to Jurassic World. While I was a fan of the original movie, this wasn't high on my list to see, so I pushed it off until today. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't as great as the box office numbers make it out to be (in a just world, Mad Max: Fury Road should have done those numbers), but Chris Pratt was good and I've been a fan of Bryce Dallas Howard since The Visit (I don't care what people say, I like that movie!). The humor doesn't always hit right, but I actually laughed more than a few times. Overall, I had pretty good time with it. I only thing I really didn't like was the anthropomorphizing of the raptors. Grade: B-

I agree with your last point. I was a huge fan of the first Jurassic Park, and even the second was good (aside from parts towards the end). Didn't bother with the 3rd at all. JW was pretty good - more of a monster romp than the first one was, which I thought detracted from it in ways.

[TJCams]

No Escape - I thought this was a very good movie, the cast played their roles well. Owen Wilson playing something other than a comedic roles worked out great. There were a few attempts at some funny comments which didn't really fit into the film, but I can let those slide. The story was straightforward and was almost non-stop action/suspense. It left a questions unanswered until the right moment.

The one part that spoiled a lot of it was (and I've hidden it for those who may want to watch it first):

Spoiler!

Throughout the movie the militant group pursuing the main characters are speaking their native tongue, and obviously this takes place in S E Asia (Cambodia?) As the family enters Vietnam in the boat, the Vietnamese soldiers warn off the rebels by shouting at them in English. In reality, they would have spoken Vietnamese, Khmer or even French, but never English.

[ClydeUmney]

Bone Tomahawk--definitely recommend. A pretty grisly western/horror film with an amazing cast. I wouldn't let the Western part turn you off. I normally don't like Westerns, and very much enjoyed this as a horror film.

Goodnight, Mommy. An extremely creepy Austrian horror movie that I would also recommend, but not for the squeamish.

The Visit. 2 out of 4 stars, by M. Night. Interesting in places, but found footage films are really starting to wear on me. Also very creepy and weird in places.

Crimson Peak. Enjoyed it. Probably 3 out of 4 stars. Kind of like reading one of the shudder pulps. Definitely had an early century horror feel to it. Amazing visuals, and Del Toro rarely disappoints.

[srboone]

In a year that is brimming to the top with sequels, it seems that 7 is indeed a lucky number. We got Furious 7; for better or worse we're gonna get Star Wars 7; but Rocky 7 will probably turn out to be the best of them.

Creed: This film is mesmerizing from beginning to end. It doesn't deviate from the Rocky formula (there's no doubt where this one is going), but the journey is as good as anything you'll see this year. Director Coogler's willingness to give his actors time to connect with audiences as well as giving them moments to shine makes this seventh Rocky outing as vital as the original. Michael B. Jordan is excellent as the youngest son of Apollo Creed, Sylvester Stallone proves once again that he really is a very good actor--his performance is the best of his career (and maybe the year), and Tessa Thompson is terrific as the hearing-impaired singer who wants to make her music before she loses her hearing completely. There are so many moments of jaw-dropping beauty in Creed that the viewer recovers from one only to find himself experiencing another: From the opening sequence, to an underground Tijuana boxing match shot in a single take, to young Creed shadow boxing against Balboa in the fight his father lost, it just goes on. Jordan gets his own "Gonna Fly Now" moment that is breath-taking to watch and Stallone revisits his run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum in a scene guaranteed to make the most jaded viewer mist up.

I've spoiled enough of this movie. It's one of 2015's best. We didn't really need Furious 7, probably don't need Star Wars 7 (these films are going to go on forever), but we did need Rocky 7.

5/5

[srboone]

In the Heart of the Sea: Caught an advance showing of this on the 1st. Not as good as I'd hoped. It lacks focus and asks too much of Chris Hemsworth (he is a model after all.) Hemsworth plays Owen Chase, a farmer who is also an experienced whaler. He gets passed up for the command of a whaling ship in favor of an untried prodigy of a whaling/business family and reluctantly agrees to serve as first mate. The movie sets up an officer/officer rivalry ala Mutiny on the Bounty before becoming the advertised monster movie and ends as a Man vs. Nature tale. Hemsworth is a actor of limited range and his accent is all over the place. Donning an accent for a role is dangerous because it you can't get it down, your whole performance is off. (Robert Redford tried and failed at an English accent for Out Of Africa and his performance suffered greatly.) He's best suited for playing roles without much personality like, say, Thor. It's Brendan Gleeson as the last surviving member of the ESSEX tragedy who is telling his tale to Herman Mellville who, while not able to rescue the movie from it's water-logged state, makes the movie watchable. Ironically, Melville never interviewed anybody from the ESSEX. So the best part of the movie is the fictional part.

Terrific and awe-inspiring effects, though.

A major disappointment, considering that I've waited all year for this movie to come out.

2/5

[Brian861]

Krampus: My reviews will never be in-depth as boone's lol but it was a fun movie. National Lampoon on supernatural steroids. I'd recommend it if you don't take it/yourself too seriously . But you wouldn't be missing anything if waited for the rental. I'm really looking forward to The Boy just because dolls of that nature creep the ever living hell out me!!

[srboone]

RiffTrax Live!: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny: The last live event of RT's 2015 "The Crappening" schedule. A truly horrid movie about Santa Claus stranded on a beach in Florida being helped by a group of kids from a nearby amusement park. Three short films prelude the main attraction, each more awful than the last. But the riffing was screamingly funny (making me less fearful of the Ice Cream Bunny's eventual entrance bouncing on the side of a fire truck--it's something that's once seen can't be unseen, no matter how much you want to) and the evening was a well-spent two hours. Definitely worth the pricey ticket.

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny: 0/5

RiffTrax Live!: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny: 5/5


As always, I learned a few things while there:

1) Refusing to debate the merits of Die Hard with someone who thinks is the best movie ever made will cause their face to melt like Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark. (That's useful information!)

2) People kiss under mistletoe because Miss L. Toe likes to watch. (heh..heh, heh...heh...)

3) Bananas bought at Black Friday sales make bad stocking stuffers. (Now they tell me!)

--BUT--

If you watch all 24 hours of "24 Hours of A Christmas Story" on TBS, you will NOT see a version of the movie in which Ralphie say's the F-word. I know this from experience having watched the whole cycle before. Twice.

[srboone]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: I don't know how much I really want to talk specifics about this movie. It would seem that Abrams would be the perfect choice to make this move--with all the Star Wars touches he put into the series Lost and how he tried to make the Star Trek movies into Star Wars movies. It turns out, though, that he didn't want to make a Star Wars movie. He wanted to make Star Wars. And that's what he did. The plot feels stale (once the old characters showed up, I felt like I'd seen this movie 38 years ago); what are supposed to homages to the first trilogy feel recycled. His villain is pretty weak and the droid BB8 just feels wrong somehow. But, the movie has tons of heart and momentum (though the momentum gets chaotic sometimes, to the film's detrimetnt) and Abrams gives us some terrific "Star Wars" moments. He doesn't over use his special effects and he gives us a plucky new heroine who will be fun to watch in future films. However, I'm not sure about the same can be said of Finn, the traitorous storm trooper.

An enjoyable film that retells a story that it should reinvent. But it's a far sight better than the prequel trilogy.

3/5

There was only one scene that had a panning camera flash in it. But it was unexpected and was a real doozy!

[subie09lega]

When I heard Abrams was going to be directing the new Star Wars I wondered if it would be Star Trek 3 and now I see that he's not directing Star Trek Beyond and it looks like we may be getting Furious 8 In Space. So with Abrams directing 11/22/63, will it turn into Star Trek Wars: 11/22/63?

[Dan Hocker]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: I don't know how much I really want to talk specifics about this movie. It would seem that Abrams would be the perfect choice to make this move--with all the Star Wars touches he put into the series Lost and how he tried to make the Star Trek movies into Star Wars movies. It turns out, though, that he didn't want to make a Star Wars movie. He wanted to make Star Wars. And that's what he did. The plot feels stale (once the old characters showed up, I felt like I'd seen this movie 38 years ago); what are supposed to homages to the first trilogy feel recycled. His villain is pretty weak and the droid BB8 just feels wrong somehow. But, the movie has tons of heart and momentum (though the momentum gets chaotic sometimes, to the film's detrimetnt) and Abrams gives us some terrific "Star Wars" moments. He doesn't over use his special effects and he gives us a plucky new heroine who will be fun to watch in future films. However, I'm not sure about the same can be said of Finn, the traitorous storm trooper.

An enjoyable film that retells a story that it should reinvent. But it's a far sight better than the prequel trilogy.

3/5

There was only one scene that had a panning camera flash in it. But it was unexpected and was a real doozy!

I wish I could write reviews as well as you can. That said I really have to disagree. To me it wasn't really a remake, it used similar plot tones and a handful of plot points, but at the end of the day how they resolve those plot points / get to those points is completely different. The whole point of using those same tones and similar plot points was to show everyone that Star Wars is Star Wars again. I also think the villain was the most fleshed out / developed character in the movie. It really surprised me how much I ended up liking him. I feel like Kylo Ren had more character development than Vadar did in the entire original trilogy. If I have one complaint, it's that I feel like the movie never really stopped to take a breath once it got going, and maybe that's a good thing. Overall though I am extraordinarily happy with what we got, and it just left me wanting even more.

I can't really give it a rating, but I will say that for me I think it's slightly better than A New Hope (not by much), but I'm also the weird guy who thinks A New Hope is the worst of the original trilogy.

[Dan Hocker]

When I heard Abrams was going to be directing the new Star Wars I wondered if it would be Star Trek 3 and now I see that he's not directing Star Trek Beyond and it looks like we may be getting Furious 8 In Space. So with Abrams directing 11/22/63, will it turn into Star Trek Wars: 11/22/63?

I saw an interview with Simon Pegg about the backlash on the Star Trek trailer and he said that's pretty much a marketing thing and there's a lot more to the movie than the trailer shows. I don't really get the whole Furious 8 In Space thing. This looks just like more of the same for this new Star Trek movie, which I'm totally ok with.

[srboone]

It's a good Star Wars film. It's just not a great one. It has the look, feel and energy of the first trilogy. But it relies too heavily on story elements in the first film. And the original cast didn't have to be there, Abrams was just scoring fan boy points. Every time Abrams gets his hands on an established series (Star Trek, now Star Wars), he relies too heavily on what has come before. When he comes up with an original story (Super 8), it turns out fair to middling. I find his production credits (Joy Ride, Cloverfield, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) more impressive than his directing credits (Star Trek, ST: Into Darkness, Super 8). I get the feeling that he feels if he were born 30 years earlier that HE would have created Star Wars. Maybe, but I don't think he has the imagination to pull it off as successfully. He's even set up story points that mirror the first trilogy:

Spoiler!

Don't read on if you haven't seen the movie. This is the only warning you'll get.

Spoiler!

It's obvious Rey and Ren are twins separated at birth and that they will have to confront each other in the end. Rey kicked Ren's ass in the first film. Ren will best Rey in the next one. Also, Supreme Leader Snoke (a disturbing combination of Gollum and Voldemort) is the pupil who rebelled against Skywalker and created the massacre that made Luke walk away from the Force. Snoke is even going to complete Ren's training and take away his free will (with a breath mask ala Vader?) so he isn't troubled by his family connections.

But let me reiterate. THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE. The Force has awakened and Star Wars has been revitalized after the wimpy prequel trilogy.

Go see it. It needs to be seen in the theater. And see it in 3D. There are a couple of scenes that make that extra outlay worth it.