Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[Dan Hocker]

I actually think 2001 holds up remarkably well. As far as visuals go it trumps any other sci-fi until Blade Runner (or maybe, arguably, the first Star Trek movie). Philosophically and thematically I think it's quite unique and also stands up well.

Love Blade Runner, for about the same reason as I love 2001. Great story, visuals, and themes. I agree that it sucks a bit about all the different cuts, but what can you do. It's not a detriment to the film itself I think.

I also am a big Dark City fan. A great combination of neo-noir and sci-fi. Well cast and executed too. Some of the effects don't quite stand up, but c'est la vie. Also interesting how many films kind of had the same concept at the time, 13th Floor, The Truman Show and of course The Matrix. All were subtle spins on Plato's Cave or Descarte's Brain in a Jar. All of which were pretty good.

Gattaca was a solid flick too, very poignant as well and stands up well.

I think 2001 holds up if you watched it early on and are going back and watching it. Where I don't think it holds up is if you're someone seeing it for the first time today. Like I said about Blade Runner, seeing it today for the first time makes it feel dated. Because while there are probably only a handful of philosophical sci-fi movies that are as good as a whole, there are many that have done the individual parts better, and this is the same that can be said about almost any genre defining classic, with the exception of maybe Star Wars, because nothing else has really succeed at the Space Opera / Space Fantasy.

I am a bit jaded though as I actually just don't like 2001. Blade Runner I like, just not as much as most, and that's probably more because I like some of the things that came from Blade Runner's legacy more than Blade Runner itself.

[Theli]

I saw both for the first time years ago, but I wasn't born when either movie was released. I think I'm only a few months older than you actually!

I find 90's and 2000's movies date themselves and age worse than pre-CG films. I also have a penchant for older flicks and love silent films too. So, I mean, I don't even really think about a movie dating itself. I just watch it and enjoy it most of the time. Sometime poor effects can stand out, but rarely am I watching a movie for its effects anyway.

[Dan Hocker]

I saw both for the first time years ago, but I wasn't born when either movie was released. I think I'm only a few months older than you actually!

I find 90's and 2000's movies date themselves and age worse than pre-CG films. I also have a penchant for older flicks and love silent films too. So, I mean, I don't even really think about a movie dating itself. I just watch it and enjoy it most of the time. Sometime poor effects can stand out, but rarely am I watching a movie for its effects anyway.

Oh yea visually I don't think it's dated. Early CGI movies and a lot of 80's movies (mostly because of costuming) become visually dated pretty quickly. I more referring to the tropes movies like this create. (and this isn't specifically about 2001) Those tropes get redone and redone in other movies. Often times better than they where done originally (not always though). So if you've seen all these other movies that contain the tropes but haven't seen the originator of the tropes, when you go back and see the orginal, it feels like it's been done before, and kinda "old hat", even though it was the original.

It's not something that typically bothers me, it does bother me with 2001, but that's just because I already don't like that movie so it just compounds.


Side note, all this talk about philosophical sci-fi and no one has mentioned Interstellar. I still think I'm maybe 1 of like 20 people who actually liked that movie. Though it helps that I'm a big fan of Nolan's style in general.


Edit: Also it's not really an age thing, but more when you saw the movie compared to to movies that where inspired by it (especially if those movies where good). For example I saw 2001 fairly late in my movie watching life and had seen many movie which where either heavily inspired by it or where parodying it before I ever saw 2001. It can tilt your perception of a film, especially if you're not particularly into older movies (which I'm not).

[Theli]

Oh yea visually I don't think it's dated. Early CGI movies and a lot of 80's movies (mostly because of costuming) become visually dated pretty quickly. I more referring to the tropes movies like this create. (and this isn't specifically about 2001) Those tropes get redone and redone in other movies. Often times better than they where done originally (not always though). So if you've seen all these other movies that contain the tropes but haven't seen the originator of the tropes, when you go back and see the orginal, it feels like it's been done before, and kinda "old hat", even though it was the original.

It's not something that typically bothers me, it does bother me with 2001, but that's just because I already don't like that movie so it just compounds.


Side note, all this talk about philosophical sci-fi and no one has mentioned Interstellar. I still think I'm maybe 1 of like 20 people who actually liked that movie. Though it helps that I'm a big fan of Nolan's style in general.

I get what you mean Dan. I've definitely experienced that before. It's really noticeable in the horror film genre too.

For whatever reason I still haven't seen Interstellar. I know I would like it, and maybe that's what prevents me from seeing it. What if it doesn't live up to my expectations? Silly, I know. Most people I know that saw it liked it to varying degrees. All of my friends assure me that it would be right up my alley though. And I enjoy Nolan's films in general.

[Dan Hocker]

I get what you mean Dan. I've definitely experienced that before. It's really noticeable in the horror film genre too.

For whatever reason I still haven't seen Interstellar. I know I would like it, and maybe that's what prevents me from seeing it. What if it doesn't live up to my expectations? Silly, I know. Most people I know that saw it liked it to varying degrees. All of my friends assure me that it would be right up my alley though. And I enjoy Nolan's films in general.

It's maybe the movie critics podcasts I listen to that didn't like it. Just tends to make you think that a lot of people didn't like it.

[Sock Monkey]

I enjoyed Interstellar quite a bit. It wasn't my favorite Nolan film (Memento will always be #1 followed by The Prestige), but I thought it was a solid flick and didn't deserve the criticism that it received. I think expectations were unrealistically high and a certain amount of Nolan backlash was brewing.

As far as sci-fi goes, I think the issue was nailed on the head: the best ones tend to be more intellectual than emotional which makes it harder to connect with an audience. Most people view movies as disposable entertainment. They don't necessarily want to be challenged, just entertained, while the best sci-fi (or any art, really) forces one to think.

[Theli]

^Well put!

[srboone]

Well 2001 is my favorite movie (first saw it in 1975 and the 1993 25th anniversary theatrical release was a near religious experience for me); I always loved Blade Runner's production design, though I wasn't sold on the movie until Scott released his 5th and final edition of the movie. Now I like the movie; I don't love it, but I respect it. And I was in the camp of those who loved Prometheus.

But let's talk Wonder Woman: Finally, a DCEU movie that didn't suck! Gal Gadot is not really a good actress, but she throws herself into the role and it pays great dividends. There's an innocence, naiveté and optimism to this movie that works, much like in 1978's Superman: The Movie. Gadot and Chris Pine have great chemistry together and for nearly two hours, the movie is a joy to watch. Then the final act turns into a gods-walking-the-earth-beating-the-shit-out-of-each-other affair that reminds us that this IS a comic-book movie after all and the gwtebtsooeo stuff is the real matter at hand. Oh well.

The supporting cast of characters were disappointing, as were the villains. Only Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta the Amazon Queen and Robin Wright as Antiope the Captain of the Amazon Guard stood out.

4/5

[Dan Hocker]

But let's talk Wonder Woman: Finally, a DCEU movie that didn't suck! Gal Gadot is not really a good actress, but she throws herself into the role and it pays great dividends. There's an innocence, naiveté and optimism to this movie that works, much like in 1978's Superman: The Movie. Gadot and Chris Pine have great chemistry together and for nearly two hours, the movie is a joy to watch. Then the final act turns into a gods-walking-the-earth-beating-the-shit-out-of-each-other affair that reminds us that this IS a comic-book movie after all and the gwtebtsooeo stuff is the real matter at hand. Oh well.

The supporting cast of characters were disappointing, as were the villains. Only Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta the Amazon Queen and Robin Wright as Antiope the Captain of the Amazon Guard stood out.

4/5

I pretty much agree with your assessment here. Though I liked the guy in the fez and Chris Pine's secretary. That and I'd probably argue that Man of Steel and Batman v Superman didn't suck, they just weren't great / as good as they could have been. Suicide Squad was actually just bad though, but the guy who loves to watch terrible movies in me liked it.

[subie09lega]

Anyone see Transformers: The Last Knight? Went last night with my buddy, when we left I asked him what happened and he replied he didn't know.

[Dan Hocker]

Anyone see Transformers: The Last Knight? Went last night with my buddy, when we left I asked him what happened and he replied he didn't know.

That pretty much sums up how I felt about the previous one. Did they explain what happened to Mark Whalberg's daughter from the previous movie?

[subie09lega]

That pretty much sums up how I felt about the previous one. Did they explain what happened to Mark Whalberg's daughter from the previous movie?

Sorry if these are spoilers, nothing really earthmoving though.
I think they said she went off to school or somewhere and he can't contact her. He did call her just long enough to hear her but wouldn't talk to avoid discovery.
The movie was a jump-fest. It was all over. Maybe I'm just not used to freneticism, the first Transformers was exhausting thanks to Shia. I need to find a video on youtube that explains everything.

[Dan Hocker]

Sorry if these are spoilers, nothing really earthmoving though.
I think they said she went off to school or somewhere and he can't contact her. He did call her just long enough to hear her but wouldn't talk to avoid discovery.
The movie was a jump-fest. It was all over. Maybe I'm just not used to freneticism, the first Transformers was exhausting thanks to Shia. I need to find a video on youtube that explains everything.

I didn't hate the first one, but they've gone down hill ever since. #4 was just awful, I still don't know why I saw it in the theaters.

[subie09lega]

I didn't hate the first one, but they've gone down hill ever since. #4 was just awful, I still don't know why I saw it in the theaters.

I've gone to them because someone else wanted to go. I wanted to go to Wonder Woman since I've not seen it yet, but my buddy was planning to see it with his wife and this was the other option. The other thing he said was that it's definitely a rental. I've noticed with movies like this that if I'm working or doing other computer work while it's on and I'm only committing half my attention to it, it's much more enjoyable.
One other thing, they set up another movie at the end, though I didn't understand what it was leading in to.

[Dan Hocker]

I've gone to them because someone else wanted to go. I wanted to go to Wonder Woman since I've not seen it yet, but my buddy was planning to see it with his wife and this was the other option. The other thing he said was that it's definitely a rental. I've noticed with movies like this that if I'm working or doing other computer work while it's on and I'm only committing half my attention to it, it's much more enjoyable.
One other thing, they set up another movie at the end, though I didn't understand what it was leading in to.

Yea not surprising. These movies (despite how bad they are) make a ton of money. Especially over seas. Plus I think I remember seeing that they signed Mark Wahlberg for 3 movies.