Movie review rant

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The Millionaire Tour

Ever so often I like to give B-movies a chance. This was a low budget psychological thriller that really punched above its weight.

If you enjoyed Tom Cruise's "Collateral" and Colin Farrell's "Phone Booth", then this film is for you.

A guy hops into a cab at the airport and two criminals also get in, and then take the guy on 'the millionaire tour': they stop at different ATMs for him to withdraw his daily maximum from each card. That sounds orthodox enough, but that's where predictability ends. The movie takes many twists and turns, and just when you think you have it figured out, you realise that you were wrong all along.

Dominic Monaghan (of "LOST" fame) delivered a stellar performance as a crazed criminal, and I love the way the film developed the character of the passenger: by the end of the film you weren't sure if he was a con artist or not, but you didn't want him to die.

This film was all about the dialogue that takes place in a cab with 2 bandits, a passenger, and a cabbie. But don't let that deter you - as long as you are prepared to see the movie with an open mind and no expectations of big-budget CGI and famous actors.

Rating: 8/10 (where "Collateral" is an 8.5 and "Phone Booth" is a 7.5)
 
The Bourne Legacy

I saw an advance screening of this movie on Monday night, and was interested to see how this story went, without Matt Damon. And it went OK. Storyline was entertaining, although I found it a little hard to follow some of the conversations from Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Scott Glenn's characters. Probably the most surprising thing for me was Rachel Wiesz - I didn't recognise her, and she looks like she's only in her late 20's (well, to me anyway). But she gave a great performance - although I don't really enjoy characters that spend part of the movie terrified, she really did a good, believable job of it. And Shane Jacobson makes an appearance in a factory in the Philippines.

If you like the previous Bourne movies, then you'll probably like this.

On a sidenote: yesterday I found a copy of the original Bourne Identity (1988) on DVD - starring Richard Chamberlain and Jacklyn Smith. And only $6.99!

:p

Hix
 
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Hix said:
The Bourne Legacy

I saw an advance screening of this movie on Monday night, and was interested to see how this story went, without Matt Damon. And it went OK. Storyline was entertaining, although I found it a little hard to follow some of the conversations from Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Scott Glenn's characters. Probably the most surprising thing for me was Rachel Wiesz - I didn't recognise her, and she looks like she's only in her late 20's (well, to me anyway). But she gave a great performance - although I don't really enjoy characters that spend part of the movie terrified, she really did a good, believable job of it. And Shane Jacobson makes an appearance in a factory in the Philippines.

If you like the previous Bourne movies, then you'll probably like this.

On a sidenote: yesterday I found a copy of the original Bourne Identity (1988) on DVD - starring Richard Chamberlain and Jacklyn Smith. And only $6.99!

:p

Hix
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I definitely want to see this. Jason Bourne will always be Matt Damon for me, so it would be interesting to see how they bring this new geezer into the fray.
 
After seeing the Chamberlain miniseries on TV back in the 80's, when I heard they were remaking it for the big screeen, I was thrilled. Then they said Matt Damon was playing Bourne, and I thought "WHAT!!!!!!!!" I just couldn't see him as a superspy. I went to the movie expecting to find it laughable, but was rather impressed with Damon's performance. And, as Jason Bourne, he's grown on me.

Jeremy Renner does a good job too, in this new movie. For anyone who hasn't heard, he's not replacing Matt Damon, but playing another Bourne-like character.

:p

Hix
 
Hix said:
Jeremy Renner does a good job too, in this new movie. For anyone who hasn't heard, he's not replacing Matt Damon, but playing another Bourne-like character.

:p

Hix
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I forgot to ask you this in my previous post. I was wondering if he was like James Bond (same character, different actors) or if he was some other dude. It sounds like they are piggybacking off a successful movie franchise then, as a Bourne-less 'Bourne movie' could just as easily be an independent action-thriller. But, I suppose that I will know when I see it. Maybe I will go to see Madagascar 3 this month instead though - to keep the peace at home.
 
Well, the slogan is "There never was just one".

Apparently, Matt Damon has said he'd be happy to appear in the next movie alongside Renner.

"The Bourne Legacy" was the title of a book, but the movie has no bearing on the book at all, just it's title.

:p

Hix
 
Total Recall

Who from the action-era doesn't remember Arnold Schwarzenegger in Verhoeven's cold violence-fest "Total Recall"?! I went into the modern remake a bit unsure what I was about to experience, but I will openly go against (seemingly) the majority of the critics and say that I really enjoyed it.

It was a bit weird watching this movie because it is literally almost a straight copy script-wise, even including lots of the same lines (although there was a nice "two weeks" bit in the Customs scene). Even the freakin' characters names are the same -- including Quaid's why-even-bother-including-him-in-the-remake work buddy Harry (I kept hearing Colin Farrell saying "Harry" in Schwarzenegger's accent!). I was sitting there knowing exactly what was going to happen and who all the characters were and where their allegiances lay, which was a bit frustrating.

There are some differences of course. Earth and Mars are now played by, er, Great Britain and Australia....um, moving on.....and there is a distinct "Blade Runner" fusion going on in this future. The writers presumably couldn't decide if they wanted to keep Michael Ironside or Sharon Stone, so they just gave Kate Beckinsale both roles. Because there's no Mars the ending has been changed but that's alright, we didn't want to watch Colin Farrell's face distorting in the Martian atmosphere anyway.

My verdict: A for Awesome Action; A for Awesome Special Effects; and A for Jessica Biel's.....Acting.

Oh, and the three-breasted hooker is waaay hotter in this version than the original, and that alone makes it worth seeing!
 
Chlidonias said:
Total Recall

Who from the action-era doesn't remember Arnold Schwarzenegger in Verhoeven's cold violence-fest "Total Recall"?! I went into the modern remake a bit unsure what I was about to experience, but I will openly go against (seemingly) the majority of the critics and say that I really enjoyed it.

It was a bit weird watching this movie because it is literally almost a straight copy script-wise, even including lots of the same lines (although there was a nice "two weeks" bit in the Customs scene). Even the freakin' characters names are the same -- including Quaid's why-even-bother-including-him-in-the-remake work buddy Harry (I kept hearing Colin Farrell saying "Harry" in Schwarzenegger's accent!). I was sitting there knowing exactly what was going to happen and who all the characters were and where their allegiances lay, which was a bit frustrating.

There are some differences of course. Earth and Mars are now played by, er, Great Britain and Australia....um, moving on.....and there is a distinct "Blade Runner" fusion going on in this future. The writers presumably couldn't decide if they wanted to keep Michael Ironside or Sharon Stone, so they just gave Kate Beckinsale both roles. Because there's no Mars the ending has been changed but that's alright, we didn't want to watch Colin Farrell's face distorting in the Martian atmosphere anyway.

My verdict: A for Awesome Action; A for Awesome Special Effects; and A for Jessica Biel's.....Acting.

Oh, and the three-breasted hooker is waaay hotter in this version than the original, and that alone makes it worth seeing!
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I saw the original in the cinema, and maybe twice in TV since then. I was never impressed. However, given the cast of this movie (wink wink) I was willing to give it a try, expecting it to be reboot or even an update. It sounds as though it isn't, and I will therefore not be going to the cinema to see it. I knew this thread had a purpose! You just saved me $50.
 
$50?! how many times were you planning on seeing it?!!

The original is one of my least favourite Schwarzenegger movies; I've always found Verhoeven's movies rather unpleasant to watch. And Michael Ironside always makes a movie sink. This remake is better in a way, but also lesser. I think the problem with action movies is that they invariably get compared to every other action movie before them, and they borrow (either purposefully or inadvertently) from each other quite heavily. So watching this "Total Recall" is like picking bits from the original "Total Recall", from "Blade Runner", from "Minority Report", even from "The Matrix". Still, I liked it and thought it was worth seeing.
 
Chlidonias said:
$50?! how many times were you planning on seeing it?!!

The original is one of my least favourite Schwarzenegger movies; I've always found Verhoeven's movies rather unpleasant to watch. And Michael Ironside always makes a movie sink. This remake is better in a way, but also lesser. I think the problem with action movies is that they invariably get compared to every other action movie before them, and they borrow (either purposefully or inadvertently) from each other quite heavily. So watching this "Total Recall" is like picking bits from the original "Total Recall", from "Blade Runner", from "Minority Report", even from "The Matrix". Still, I liked it and thought it was worth seeing.
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Well, at $21 per ticket, that's already $42 for the wife and I. Add overpriced ice cream, popcorn, drinks, and the cost of the journey to the cinema, and you can see how choosing the wrong movie can be a fairly costly mistake.

I am not a big fan of his movies either, but I don't watch movies based on the director. Zhang Yimou has done some fantastic wuxia movies, but I wouldn't venture near his dramas.

We have a few categories that we (my wife and I) use to rate movies:

1. It definitely must be seen at all costs in the cinema because it can only be appreciated in its entirety at the movies [e.g. MIB series, Transformers series, Terminator series]

2. Not a big budget special effects movie so worth a look from the comfort of our living room when the DVD comes out [e.g. The Dictator]

3. Not worth paying for, but might be worthy of a torrent download (if we were into that kind of thing) [e.g. Totall Recall]

4. Wait for it to be screened on terrestrial TV, and watch it only if we stumbled on it when channel surfing [e.g. Friends With Kids {see earlier review}]

5. Avoid at all costs [e.g. a Paris Hilton or Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus movie]

It sounds like I will not be watching Total Recall for a while. :D

[On a sidenote, I watched "Watchmen" a few years ago in cinema, and again last night on TV. Man, what a good movie!]
 
nanoboy said:
Well, at $21 per ticket, that's already $42 for the wife and I. Add overpriced ice cream, popcorn, drinks, and the cost of the journey to the cinema, and you can see how choosing the wrong movie can be a fairly costly mistake.
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$21?! What do you do, book a velvet-lined private viewing booth with tuxedo-ed attendants bearing white Russians to you on hand-crafted hardwood trays? I saw it for NZ$12.50 which is, what, $3 Australian?
 
Hix said:
The Bourne Legacy

I saw an advance screening of this movie on Monday night, and was interested to see how this story went, without Matt Damon. And it went OK. Storyline was entertaining, although I found it a little hard to follow some of the conversations from Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Scott Glenn's characters. Probably the most surprising thing for me was Rachel Wiesz - I didn't recognise her, and she looks like she's only in her late 20's (well, to me anyway). But she gave a great performance - although I don't really enjoy characters that spend part of the movie terrified, she really did a good, believable job of it. And Shane Jacobson makes an appearance in a factory in the Philippines.

If you like the previous Bourne movies, then you'll probably like this.
Click to expand...
I saw this tonight with a girl who wouldn't shut up about how boring it was, and after I told her one too many times to be quiet she left :D

I'd agree with Hix's comments above. It's alright, not great, not as good as Matt Damon's ones (well, not so much the unnecessary third installment) but still worth watching. Some of the conversations were a bit hard to follow. I think you would have to have seen the Matt Damon movies to really get what was going on, otherwise it would just be confusing. And if Hix hadn't said about Rachel Weisz I wouldn't have recognised her either. Some of the stunts in the motorbike chase were a bit over the top for a Bourne movie I thought.

Overall, not something you really need to see at the movies. Might as well wait for the DVD and watch it at home.
 
Chlidonias said:
$21?! What do you do, book a velvet-lined private viewing booth with tuxedo-ed attendants bearing white Russians to you on hand-crafted hardwood trays? I saw it for NZ$12.50 which is, what, $3 Australian?
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Even concession price is $17 in Australia. It's ridiculous!
 
Chlidonias said:
$21?! What do you do, book a velvet-lined private viewing booth with tuxedo-ed attendants bearing white Russians to you on hand-crafted hardwood trays? I saw it for NZ$12.50 which is, what, $3 Australian?
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That's the standard price of an adult cinema ticket, I'm afraid. The experience that you are describing (and I kid you not) is called "Gold Class" and costs $30+ per ticket (depending on the day and time). There are automatic (as compared to manual) reclining seats. Speaking of seats, there are only about 30 in the full-sized theatre arranged pairs - which I think they modelled on First Class airline seats/arrangements. There is a tray-table between the seats for your 3-course meal with champagne (not white Russians), and there is a little button to press to call for a almost-tuxedoed waiter to come and take your order, even during the movie: if only they could assist you to go to the toilet as well. :D I have been to Gold Class a few times for special occasions (like birthdays and anniversaries) but it will easily set you back more than $100 for an evening.
See links:
village gold class - Google Search

Gold Class - Village Cinemas

3-D movies can cost from $21 to about $23 if you have your own glasses - add another dollar or two if you need glasses.

To American readers: AU$1 buys about US$1.05

You saw it for NZ$12.50 (about AU$7.50) because your mate downloaded a pirated copy, and charged you guys a fee for a screening on his laptop - which, by Aussie standards, is not a cinema experience. ;)
 
Chlidonias said:
I saw this tonight with a girl who wouldn't shut up about how boring it was, and after I told her one too many times to be quiet she left :D
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Are you folks still in high-school? :D Where is that rolling-on-floor-laughing smiley when you need it?

Who paid for the tickets and snacks?
 
nanoboy said:
You saw it for NZ$12.50 (about AU$7.50) because your mate downloaded a pirated copy, and charged you guys a fee for a screening on his laptop - which, by Aussie standards, is not a cinema experience.
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actually when I was in Christchurch we had a movie theatre in the aquarium so we were always having movie nights after work. It was great. But here I have to pay to go to the movies like a chump!

I'm actually surprised how expensive movies are in Australia.
 
Chlidonias said:
actually when I was in Christchurch we had a movie theatre in the aquarium so we were always having movie nights after work. It was great. But here I have to pay to go to the movies like a chump!

I'm actually surprised how expensive movies are in Australia.
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That sounds pretty sweet. I would love to have a free movie night at work.

Yeah, going to the cinema is extortion here in Australia. We try to buy discounted tickets in bulk whenever we can, but really, we can still only afford to go to the movies once a month.
 
Chlidonias said:
Some of the conversations were a bit hard to follow. I think you would have to have seen the Matt Damon movies to really get what was going on, otherwise it would just be confusing.
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If you had just watched the three previous installments, it might have made a bit more sense. I just couldn't remember the relationship between Treadstone and BlackBriar, and naming a new program Outcome was even more confusing.

:p

Hix
 
Hix said:
If you had just watched the three previous installments, it might have made a bit more sense. I just couldn't remember the relationship between Treadstone and BlackBriar, and naming a new program Outcome was even more confusing.
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It wasn't just the content of the conversations, it was also the editing. Really jumpy (seemingly more so than the other Bourne movies), and the way there were so many flashes to previous events trying to tie the new movie into the Matt Damon ones was just annoying.
 
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