What Movies Have You Seen III

[Aragorn]

Unforgiven - Client Eastwood


If it wasn’t for Clint I would have given this a trash rating

with Clint it’s passable but only when he’s on the screen

Creditable performance from Gene Hackman

 

[Eelementary]

I don't think this was true, I think it sits above 50 on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and I heard positive reviews of it from both the "commericial" movies podcast I listen to and the more "film snob" one as well.

Maybe "panned" was harsh; however, critics did not really like the film, from what I could see:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...-kidnap-thriller-chris-hemsworth-sam-hargrave

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/22/entertainment/extraction-review/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...eview-chris-hemsworth-netflix-action-thriller

Most reviews chastised the film for being low on story, and high on stunts - which, in and of itself, is an asinine comment to make about an action film.

The story - while nothing new - was serviceable. It set the tone for the film, demonstrated the high stakes at play, and coloured its characters (albeit a little half-arsedly).

Critics seemed to hate the "white man saviour" undertones of the film - I have mates in the Australian armed forces, who have attended international training events, hosted by other nations, and they always say that Australian SAS troops are the cream of the crop; it just so happens that the protagonist is a former Australian SAS soldier, and that Chris Hemsworth (a major Hollywood, bankable star) happens to be a Caucasian. This objection to the film, I find stupefyingly puerile.

Several critics also complained about the film's over-the-top violence - again, I mean...it's an action film, and it is set in a part of the world where greed rules all. Child soldiers are commonplace, and drug lords destroy people's lives with impunity. I don't see how the violent nature of the flick is, contextually, a bad decision by the film-makers.

It isn't the greatest action movie of all time, not by a long shot - but I found a lot of the professional critics' critiques of the film to be meritless, juvenile, and ill-informed.

It's an action film, featuring a Caucasian Australian Hollywood star, set in a brutal part of the world. It doesn't need to be examined outside that context, imo.

 

[Matua]

I think you need to stop reading critics that annoy you.

I'm not sure about the culture wars stuff you're getting into - the left leaning film critics I listen to all liked it as an action film.

 

[Generalzod]

Shutter island on Netflix great film....

 

[Generalzod]

I saw the Crow the other day another great film..

 

[Rhino_NQ]

Unhinged

Crowe found a good paddock

 

[mongoose]

Bloodsport - had not seen it since i was a kid... just wow, so bad its good. Bolo Yeung - what a unit. Has one of the corniest theme songs ever which is just a ripoff of 'Eye of the Tiger" - Kumite, kumite, kumite!!

 

[Eelementary]

I think you need to stop reading critics that annoy you.

I'm not sure about the culture wars stuff you're getting into - the left leaning film critics I listen to all liked it as an action film.

I read a wide variety of reviews, so that I can read several different takes on the film, before watching it, and making up my own mind.

Just because I disagree with their opinions, doesn't mean I should stop reading their material.

A lot of the time, film critics deride action films for being formulaic, generic, and bereft of originality; those same critics seem to misunderstand the point of a shoot 'em up movie.

Several critics - shadowed by the "Black Lives Matter" movement - stated that the "white saviour of a dark land" theme was a bit on the nose.

Additionally, several critics - on print media, as well as visual media - declared that the film was stylised violence, without purpose.

Quite a few critics took the film for what it was - an action film, with a generic storyline, and tightly-paced action sequences.

Just like the critics who panned the film for being stereotypically racist, or mindlessly violent, I'm entitled to my own opinion.

And my opinion is that the film was 2 hours of entertaining gunfights, chases, and fights.

I honestly didn't realise that the film went for two hours, because I was entertained the whole way through.

 

[Matua]

I read a wide variety of reviews, so that I can read several different takes on the film, before watching it, and making up my own mind.

Just because I disagree with their opinions, doesn't mean I should stop reading their material.

A lot of the time, film critics deride action films for being formulaic, generic, and bereft of originality; those same critics seem to misunderstand the point of a shoot 'em up movie.

Several critics - shadowed by the "Black Lives Matter" movement - stated that the "white saviour of a dark land" theme was a bit on the nose.

Additionally, several critics - on print media, as well as visual media - declared that the film was stylised violence, without purpose.

Quite a few critics took the film for what it was - an action film, with a generic storyline, and tightly-paced action sequences.

Just like the critics who panned the film for being stereotypically racist, or mindlessly violent, I'm entitled to my own opinion.

And my opinion is that the film was 2 hours of entertaining gunfights, chases, and fights.

I honestly didn't realise that the film went for two hours, because I was entertained the whole way through.

Fair enough, although given you read a wide variety of reviews odd that you managed to read all the ones that panned the movies enough for you to think that was the consensus.

Also who said you weren't entitled to your own opinion? My opinion on the film is pretty much the same as yours. Although TBH I think it could have been shorter, I prefer shorter action films.

I don't really read reviews before I watch a movie, or watch trailers ... if it sounds ok I generally will happily watch a movie and most times they're watchable. Probably the movie that's annoyed me the most in recent years is Jurassic World 2 which is annoying as JW 1 was a genuinely fun movie.

 

[Eelementary]

Fair enough, although given you read a wide variety of reviews odd that you managed to read all the ones that panned the movies enough for you to think that was the consensus.

Also who said you weren't entitled to your own opinion? My opinion on the film is pretty much the same as yours. Although TBH I think it could have been shorter, I prefer shorter action films.

I don't really read reviews before I watch a movie, or watch trailers ... if it sounds ok I generally will happily watch a movie and most times they're watchable. Probably the movie that's annoyed me the most in recent years is Jurassic World 2 which is annoying as JW 1 was a genuinely fun movie.

Nah, it's all good, mate.

I was just really surprised by the negative comments made by critics towards the film.

It isn't a ground-breaking film, or anything, but it's a fun ride.

I felt that some of the negative commentary surrounding the film was a little nitpicky; a film like this will never win an Oscar, or be chosen for film studies.

But it will do its job, and do it well.

 

[axl rose]

Bloodsport - had not seen it since i was a kid... just wow, so bad its good. Bolo Yeung - what a unit. Has one of the corniest theme songs ever which is just a ripoff of 'Eye of the Tiger" - Kumite, kumite, kumite!!

 

[Generalzod]

Just watched IT 2 I love the homage for John Carpenters The Thing.

 

[T-Boon]

Just watched IT 2 I love the homage for John Carpenters The Thing.

ill rewatch and look for this.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Unhinged

Crowe found a good paddock

Has he what! FMD!

 

[mongoose]

Tenet - saw it in the cinema. This is Nolan's most difficult movie to follow and I think I will need to see it again to work out everything that happens.... Amazing action sequences and cinematography. I thought the characters were a little weak though, there is really no character development at all. The villain is good but his motives seem kind of pointless, not thought out.

It's a good movie but it left me with a lot of questions. Another minor criticism is that I thought the soundtrack was distracting or maybe just too loud, it drowned out the dialogue at times making it even harder to follow.

 

[horrie hastings]

Capricorn One

Manned space flight to Mars is aborted at the last minute as the life support systems would not work, instead of cancelling the program the astronauts are whisked off to an abandoned warehouse where there is a life like Martian surface made and they are expected to fake the Martian landing, of course when the supposed module is expected to come back to Earth with the astronauts inside the actual module burns up re entering the atmosphere and then the Astronauts who are in the warehouse realise their lives are expendable as they are suppose to be dead so a dramatic escape through the desert occurs. The movies is full of plot holes but it so exciting especially the escape scenes that you forget all about it, a totally enjoyable but far fetched story, James Brolin is superb and it also stars Elliot Gould, Sam Waterson , Hal Holbrook, O J Simpson and Brenda Vaccaro and cameos from Karen Black and Telly Savalas.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Capricorn One

Manned space flight to Mars is aborted at the last minute as the life support systems would not work, instead of cancelling the program the astronauts are whisked off to an abandoned warehouse where there is a life like Martian surface made and they are expected to fake the Martian landing, of course when the supposed module is expected to come back to Earth with the astronauts inside the actual module burns up re entering the atmosphere and then the Astronauts who are in the warehouse realise their lives are expendable as they are suppose to be dead so a dramatic escape through the desert occurs. The movies is full of plot holes but it so exciting especially the escape scenes that you forget all about it, a totally enjoyable but far fetched story, James Brolin is superb and it also stars Elliot Gould, Sam Waterson , Hal Holbrook, O J Simpson and Brenda Vaccaro and cameos from Karen Black and Telly Savalas.

View attachment 41455

Saw this many times as an 8-9 year old in mid 80s. The astronauts escape always felt tense even then as a kid. The defining memory are the flares been lit. Still a decent post Watergate paranoia piece.

 

[horrie hastings]

Saw this many times as an 8-9 year old in mid 80s. The astronauts escape always felt tense even then as a kid. The defining memory are the flares been lit. Still a decent post Watergate paranoia piece.

I saw it originally when it was at the movies back in 1978, watched it Blu Ray last night. The bit that got me about the flares though was both OJ and Sam Waterson had time to set them off even when they are delirious and just about to be captured. The scene when Sam Waterson getting to the top of the cliff while he is delirious and the two helicopters come into frame when he gets to the top has always stuck in my mind. Also the scene when Elliot Gould goes to the apartment where his friend lives who had disappeared after reporting that there was something wrong with the signals he was receiving at the space centre and there is someone else living there who claims to have been there for years, i find that totally creepy especially the lengths they went to cover it up.

 

[azzah72]

Tenet - saw it in the cinema. This is Nolan's most difficult movie to follow and I think I will need to see it again to work out everything that happens.... Amazing action sequences and cinematography. I thought the characters were a little weak though, there is really no character development at all. The villain is good but his motives seem kind of pointless, not thought out.

It's a good movie but it left me with a lot of questions. Another minor criticism is that I thought the soundtrack was distracting or maybe just too loud, it drowned out the dialogue at times making it even harder to follow.

Agree with all of this, I was actually kind of disappointed.

Some great set-pieces, particuarly the highway scene but the movie was all plot, no character.

It was missing everything that made inception good.

Nolan also has a problem with sound mixing, I noticed it a little in Dark knight, then it got a bit worse in rises, it was terrible in Dunkirk and even worse here.

Nolan in the "time enthusiast" who loves making movies around manipulating time and space, all the way from memento. He's made some excellent movies that made me a big fan.

This was a miss, unfortunately.

 

[Generalzod]

Agree with all of this, I was actually kind of disappointed.

Some great set-pieces, particuarly the highway scene but the movie was all plot, no character.

It was missing everything that made inception good.

Nolan also has a problem with sound mixing, I noticed it a little in Dark knight, then it got a bit worse in rises, it was terrible in Dunkirk and even worse here.

Nolan in the "time enthusiast" who loves making movies around manipulating time and space, all the way from memento. He's made some excellent movies that made me a big fan.

This was a miss, unfortunately.

What more difficult to follow than interstellar and inception..