Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[bugen]

Anyone else think the movie The Martian outranks the book by just a bit? I liked the book, but wasn't quite as sympathetic for Watney as I would've thought given the circumstances. In the movie, Damon really helped that aspect. Also, the landscapes in the movie were pretty spectacular, and I don't recall drawing those pictures during the read. For me, this movie joins a very, very small list that actually outranks the source.

Movie: 4 stars
Book: 3+ stars

[Dan Hocker]

Anyone else think the movie The Martian outranks the book by just a bit? I liked the book, but wasn't quite as sympathetic for Watney as I would've thought given the circumstances. In the movie, Damon really helped that aspect. Also, the landscapes in the movie were pretty spectacular, and I don't recall drawing those pictures during the read. For me, this movie joins a very, very small list that actually outranks the source.

Movie: 4 stars
Book: 3+ stars

Not for me. I rate the book just a little bit better. The movie toned down the humor a bit too much, and the movie didn't do a great job at portraying the passage of time. I still love both though. Everyone was giving such credit to Ridley Scott for the movie, and while I'm sure his directing helps, it's the source material that really carries the movie.

[bugen]

Not for me. I rate the book just a little bit better. The movie toned down the humor a bit too much, and the movie didn't do a great job at portraying the passage of time. I still love both though. Everyone was giving such credit to Ridley Scott for the movie, and while I'm sure his directing helps, it's the source material that really carries the movie.

I get that, and I think you're right about the humor toning down in the movie. You know how in Apollo 13 we were on the edge of our seats every time a disaster happened and their lives were under further threat? That's what I found missing in the book, and felt it was done just a little better in the movie. Maybe I weighed that aspect too heavily, or maybe others didn't feel that way, because I think you're in the majority opinion on the book.

You might like this, Dan. I've taken a few swipes at modern comic book movies lately, and I've seen you post positive things occasionally. I think I'm coming around to the Marvel Universe. I always liked the first Iron Man a lot, and I like the sequels too, just not nearly as much. Avengers was really good and I actually liked both Hulk movies, but others in the Universe I was fairly ho-hum about. Avengers 2 kind of pissed me off.

But then I finally saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I loved this one, so much so I think it's my favorite of any of the movies. It's not just a fantastic comic book movie, it's a fantastic movie. Civil War was great, too. Those two shifted my position enough that they have me going back through the entire Universe. I'm really digging Marvel for the first time in my life.

[Dan Hocker]

I get that, and I think you're right about the humor toning down in the movie. You know how in Apollo 13 we were on the edge of our seats every time a disaster happened and their lives were under further threat? That's what I found missing in the book, and felt it was done just a little better in the movie. Maybe I weighed that aspect too heavily, or maybe others didn't feel that way, because I think you're in the majority opinion on the book.

You might like this, Dan. I've taken a few swipes at modern comic book movies lately, and I've seen you post positive things occasionally. I think I'm coming around to the Marvel Universe. I always liked the first Iron Man a lot, and I like the sequels too, just not nearly as much. Avengers was really good and I actually liked both Hulk movies, but others in the Universe I was fairly ho-hum about. Avengers 2 kind of pissed me off.

But then I finally saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I loved this one, so much so I think it's my favorite of any of the movies. It's not just a fantastic comic book movie, it's a fantastic movie. Civil War was great, too. Those two shifted my position enough that they have me going back through the entire Universe. I'm really digging Marvel for the first time in my life.

As far as that feeling of dread thing goes, that's not really something I felt in either book or movie. When reading the book it's kinda clear from the start that he's gonna make it, just by the tone of the writing. Then the movie I already knew what was gonna happen so all of that was lost on me anyways.

Winter Soldier is probably the best of the lot. I like the comic book movies, just in a different way than a movie like The Martian. To me they are just big dumb action movies, popcorn fodder if you will. They don't have to make a lot of sense, the plot doesn't have to be super deep, they are just big action set pieces that are fun to watch. I even enjoy (on some level) the ones that are universally panned (with the exception of that Fantastic 4 reboot, that movie was just unwatchable).

[subie09lega]

(with the exception of that Fantastic 4 reboot, that movie was just unwatchable).

Maybe it was because the reviews portrayed it so poorly and my expectations were so very low, but I actually enjoyed Fantastic 4. I talked my friend into watching it and he enjoyed it as well. Certainly not a perfect movie but one that I would watch again.

I went to an early screening of Hacksaw Ridge last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Dan Hocker]

I saw Doctor Strange last night. I thought it was very very good. I'm not sure where it would fit in my "Marvel Movie Rankings" but it's towards the top.

[Sock Monkey]

I saw Doctor Strange last night. I thought it was very very good. I'm not sure where it would fit in my "Marvel Movie Rankings" but it's towards the top.

That's good to hear. It seems to be getting good reviews all around--currently at 90% at Rotten Tomatoes--and I've been fairly excited to see this one. I've always enjoyed Dr. Strange but he tends to be a hard nut for writers to crack. I'll definitely be checking it out, but probably not until it hits Blu-Ray.

[bugen]

Double Indemnity is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen (5 stars), even better than Touch of Evil (also 5 stars). It's time to take a closer look at film noir.

[Theli]

^Please do! One of my favourite genres, and both you mentioned are great films. I find interesting that while I like Double Indemnity and love The Postman Always Rings twice books, the opposite would be true for the movies. In a rare turn I'd actually argue the Double Indemnity film is potentially better than the book.

[bugen]

Theli, or anyone else, expert, enthusiast or impassioned, here's the list I'm going through--a couple of these are arguable for the genre, I know. Please add essential film noir you feel is missing!!!

Asphalt Jungle
Big Heat
Big Sleep
Casablanca - 5
Criss Cross
Dark Passage
Detour
Double Indemnity - 5
Gilda
In a Lonely Place
Killers
Killing
Kiss Me Deadly
Lady From Shanghai
Laura
Maltese Falcon
Murder, My Sweet
Night and the City
Night of the Hunter
Nightmare Alley
Notorious
Out of the Past
Pickup on South Street
Postman Always Rings Twice
Shadow of a Doubt - 5-
Strangers on a Train
Sunset Boulevard
Sweet Smell of Success
Thieves' Highway
Third Man
Touch of Evil - 5
Wrong Man

*edit - making this it's own topic so I can keep rambling about these films without hijacking this thread.

[Dan Hocker]

Anyone else see Rogue One? I saw and really liked it. I hope the put all the scenes the re-shot on the DVD when it comes out. There's was a lot different from the trailer.

[subie09lega]

I went Thursday (got a free ticket from a friend) and Friday (the time I planned to go with buddies). I enjoyed it, too.

[srboone]

Took my nephew to see it yesterday. In a lot of ways it was better than The Force Awakens: better acting, better action sequences, better at standing as it's own SW film (it didn't feel like a obsessive's experiment). But it many ways it was the lesser of the two: characters you can't really care about, lousy and uninvolving score, it didn't have the kinetic energy of a Star Wars film. In the end, I felt the same way about it that I felt about Peirce Brosnan's James Bond films: terrific action films but not very good Bond (Star Wars) films.

And where the hell was the opening scroll narrative?

3/5--which did I like better? I can't really say.

[Dan Hocker]

Took my nephew to see it yesterday. In a lot of ways it was better than The Force Awakens: better acting, better action sequences, better at standing as it's own SW film (it didn't feel like a obsessive's experiment). But it many ways it was the lesser of the two: characters you can't really care about, lousy and uninvolving score, it didn't have the kinetic energy of a Star Wars film. In the end, I felt the same way about it that I felt about Peirce Brosnan's James Bond films: terrific action films but not very good Bond (Star Wars) films.

And where the hell was the opening scroll narrative?

3/5--which did I like better? I can't really say.

I believe the thought process behind dropping the opening scroll narratives in these "Star Wars Stories" is to help distinguish them from the "Episodes" effect or not it didn't really bother me that much.

[subie09lega]

I believe the thought process behind dropping the opening scroll narratives in these "Star Wars Stories" is to help distinguish them from the "Episodes" effect or not it didn't really bother me that much.

I didn't miss the scroll as much as the lack of the opening John Williams fanfare. After that I didn't think about the score but when it got over my buddy mentioned he didn't like it.

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