Movie review rant 2016

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(typical "Boy meets girl, both experiment in pegging, Boy becomes Superhero to save girl"),

What's pegging?

:p

Hix
 
Wyrmwood Road of the Dead - 7/10

This is an Aussie film where the cool Aussie vehicles of Mad Max meet gore and drama of The Walking Dead and intersect with the comedy of The Evil Dead, all set in the Australian 'bush'. It's a zombie movie and takes place just as people start to turn, and in the immediate aftermath. It's worth a watch if you like that genre of films, or if you enjoy Aussie movies.
 
Kung Fury - 8/10

I think Chlidonias will love this one. It's a tongue-in-cheek , crowd-funded, short film homage to 80's action films. It's cheesy, it's over the top, in some parts the dialogue is deliberately out of sync, and the screen goes fuzzy as a 'tracking' message appears (in reference to the days of old VHS tapes). The shoulder pads are big, Hitler time travels, and the soundtrack is awesome! Oh, and best of all, anyone can watch it for free on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS5P_LAqiVg
Over to Chlidonias for a better review.
 
So did no one watch Kung Fury yet?? It's free!

Bad Neighbors - 5/10
Slapstick, stereotypical Seth Rogen comedy. Great to see the Aussie actress Rose Byrne though, but was standout would be Zac Efron. Holy crap, he is like a 'Ken doll'. Anyway, the movie is about how a couple with a young baby deal with a fraternity moving in next door. If you are flicking channels and it's on, sure, why not.

End of Watch - 7/10
Jake Gyllenhaal and a Latino actor are cops in LA. The movie tells their story using handheld and dashboard cameras over the course of a few months against the violence of LA. It's just another day in the hood, so not for everyone. It's an entertaining movie, but not a must-see.

The House of Magic - 8/10
This is a CGI French (or Belgian?) movie about talking animals in a magical house that must thwart the plans of an evil nephew who wants to evict the aging owner. It's fun, great to watch in 3D, light, and not a bad way to spend 1.5hrs. Rent it in 3D. Oh, and the CGI is not Pixar quality, but still very very good.
 
Bad Neighbors - 5/10
Slapstick, stereotypical Seth Rogen comedy. Great to see the Aussie actress Rose Byrne though, but was standout would be Zac Efron. Holy crap, he is like a 'Ken doll'. Anyway, the movie is about how a couple with a young baby deal with a fraternity moving in next door. If you are flicking channels and it's on, sure, why not.

I quite enjoyed this movie, good for a laugh. There's a sequel on its way in a couple of months - Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.
 
Shawshank? REALLY?

Nanoboy, I can't argue with you that you might find "The Shawshank Redemption" overrated and worthless. Subjectively you may hate it, but objectively It is a great film and is very well done. The dialogue, set pieces, characters, plot development, multiple twists and turns are what make it great cinema. But I guess MIB3 is better because it is Will Smith, and he did star in the AMAZING movie "After Earth." Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman must have nothing on The Fresh Prince in your opinion.
 
Favorite Scorsese Movie?

On a side note, I have seen my fair share of movies, and by coincidence many of them are by Martin Scorsese. I think Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, The Departed, Hugo and The Wolf of Wall Street are all amazing films for their own seperate reasons and infinitely rewatchable. Goodfellas is my favorite film of his, It's exactly like WOWS but shorter, quicker, and features a better cast of Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro. Also, the "Do you think I'm Funny" scene is gold. It is one of my top five favorite movies alongside Pulp Fiction, Silence of the Lambs, The Dark Knight and Raiders of the Lost Ark. What is your guys' favorite Scorsese picture?
 
Nanoboy, I can't argue with you that you might find "The Shawshank Redemption" overrated and worthless. Subjectively you may hate it, but objectively It is a great film and is very well done. The dialogue, set pieces, characters, plot development, multiple twists and turns are what make it great cinema. But I guess MIB3 is better because it is Will Smith, and he did star in the AMAZING movie "After Earth." Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman must have nothing on The Fresh Prince in your opinion.

I like Morgan Freeman, but I'm not sure who Tim Robbins is...
 
Here are short reviews of movies I watched recently.

Sabotage - 5/10
I'll watch anything with Arnie, because, well, it's Arnie. If only he could run for president. :( Anyway, this movie with him as a DEA agent trying to protect his team and avenge his family isn't really worth watching. The story has been done to death, and it was quite tedious for most of the almost 2hrs. Give it a miss.

Hotel Transylvania 2 - 7/10
This was a funny, animated, family movie with a mild-mannered grandfather as the antagonist. If you enjoyed the first one or enjoy animated films in general, then you will enjoy this one too. Never mind that Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez star - just enjoy the film!

Ex Machina - 9/10
This is possibly one of the best movies I have seen this year - it's no wonder that it won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. There are perhaps just 4 actors with significant screen time, since most of the film is set in an underground research facility with 4 'people'. Without giving away too much, the film explores how we would interact with artificial intelligence that passes the Turing Test. It also gets you thinking about whether it is ok to 'abuse' a robot because it is not alive, despite the fact that it displays what can be interpreted as emotion. The visual effects are stunning, the acting is excellent, the story is for the 'thinking man', and the content is dark. Watch it now! (If you are in Australia, this is available on Presto.)

Crouching Tiger: Sword of Destiny - 9/10
I'm a huge fan of the wuxia genre, and was very much looking forward to the 'free' release on Netflix. I was not disappointed: creative camera angles, vivid colours, well-choreographed fight scenes, and a few tear-jerk moments. If you liked the first one, or Hero, or Flying Daggers, you really will enjoy this film.
 
The Boy and the Beast - 9/10

A lonely Japanese boy meets a hotheaded humanoid bear warrior who invites him to a mystic parallel dimension full of humanoid animals (that can transcend to gods) and makes him his martial arts student. After a rough start, both master and student develop a symbiotic friendship based on mutual support, learning and growth. Elements of "Journey to the West", "The Jungle Book" and "Moby Dick" included.^^

Great animation, great story, great characters- great movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uifJLWoWv8c
 
The Boy and the Beast - 9/10

A lonely Japanese boy meets a hotheaded humanoid bear warrior who invites him to a mystic parallel dimension full of humanoid animals (that can transcend to gods) and makes him his martial arts student. After a rough start, both master and student develop a symbiotic friendship based on mutual support, learning and growth. Elements of "Journey to the West", "The Jungle Book" and "Moby Dick" included.^^

Great animation, great story, great characters- great movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uifJLWoWv8c

Nah, I don't watch Japanese cartoons, manga, or hentai.
 
Nah, I don't watch Japanese cartoons, manga, or hentai.

Your loss.

Horns - 7/10


A young man is accused of murdering his beloved girlfriend; pretty much everyone in his local town thinks he's guilty. In his despair and grief, he abandons God. The next morning he wakes up growing horns that make people confess and act out their darkest desires as well as grant him some other dark powers that he employs to find her murderer.
Just like the book by Stephen King's son it's based on, the movie is quite entertaining. The actors are fine, the setting is adequate and the plot holes and rather bleak ending (with all his newfound powers, you'd think he would sweep the floor with the antagonist...) are the same as in the novel. The snakes, real or CGI, however, are a total miscast: graphite burmese pythons, pine snakes etc. standing in for rattlesnakes, cottonmouths etc.? Come on...http://memeshappen.com/media/created/FOR-REAL--meme-11888.jpg
 
White House Down - 8/10

You thought this was going to be a documentary, or a 2hr blow-em-up, kill the bad guys, patriotic, suspend all belief film, with an estranged family? If the latter, then your will enjoy this film. Terrorists blow up parts of the White House, and Agent Channing Tatum, an 11yr old girl, and President Jamie Foxx save the hostages. It's cheesy, over the top action, but worth a watch if you are after some entertainment. I'll have to watch Olympia Has Fallen next...
 
I'll have to watch Olympia Has Fallen next...

If you liked White House Down then you enjoy Olympus Has Fallen. I'm looking forward to seeing the sequel London Has Fallen when it appears at Christmas Island Open Air Cinema some time in the not too distant future.

:p

Hix
 
Deadpool (2016)

Being a fan of the comic book character, I was really looking forward to watching this movie. Given how quickly the screening sold out at the local cinema (not to mention the current international box office results), it appears I might not have been the only one. And dare I say, my anticipation was justified.

The movie is funny, entertaining and had the audience rolling in the aisles. Think of it as the unfilial bastard child of an orgy involving "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Van Wilder", "Shoot 'Em Up" and pretty much any superhero origin story.

Most of the acting, cinematics and writing hit the mark, the story (typical "Boy meets girl, both experiment in pegging, Boy becomes Superhero to save girl"), the soundtrack, special effects/stunts served their purpose, and even the end credits were fun, too. Budget limitations were partly obvious, but actually improved the pacing of the movie and were hilariously alluded to.

Not everyone might fancy Deadpool's crude, 4th wall breaking, pubertal and violent humor, but for those who do, enjoy the ride. And the many lovely innuendos.

10/10 profane swearwords

I saw Deadpool twice, it was fantastic! It's a must for anyone who loves creative, comedic violence too.
 
I just saw Deadpool on the weekend, I remember I had read a good review about it (it was Batto's) and I really, really enjoyed. The opening credits caught my attention, the frozen montage was compelling, and the rest of the movie was brilliant. Great story and excellent script.

:p

Hix
 
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