Movie Review Thread

Just finished watching Donnie Darko and I must say I don't understand the movie. I think it's well done, a decently paced story, very good acting, ...
I just haven't come to grips with the 'why' and the 'how' of the story. It does get me to think about the movie which is a plus.
Also great use of music in the end (I always loved mad world) and Maggy Gyllenhaal is very attractive in this movie in my opinion.

Has anyone seen the new Apes movie yet?
I heard it was good.

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Originally Posted by Hooahguy

Has anyone seen the new Apes movie yet?
I heard it was good.

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I did (after being ditched by my date...).

It did what it tried to do pretty well and was fairly entertaining, but it let me down immensely. When it said "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", I expected minor backstory, followed by the apes actually taking over the planet.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Instead it was more about why they are how they are, and how they started. But it concluded with no territorial gains and very little of the truly epic action that I had expected. Really all the apes did was cross the golden gate bridge and settle in a redwood forest, and that's when the movie ends.

I'll say what I've said to my dad and all my friends: it seemed more like a prequel to a prequel. Like the backstory to another movie that would be about them actually taking over the world. I would say it did this very well and is pretty good in its own right. However if you go in looking for some real action and to see apes blowin stuff up and taking over cities....well you'll be disappointed to say the least.

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Originally Posted by Peasant Phill

Just finished watching Donnie Darko and I must say I don't understand the movie. I think it's well done, a decently paced story, very good acting, ...
I just haven't come to grips with the 'why' and the 'how' of the story. It does get me to think about the movie which is a plus.
Also great use of music in the end (I always loved mad world) and Maggy Gyllenhaal is very attractive in this movie in my opinion.

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There's a lot to appreciate and fascinate about this movie. I actually hated it the first time I saw it, but it has grown on me to become one of Top 10 favorite movies. It's very unique, oddly touching, and leaves you with a lot to wonder about.

Did you see the theatrical version or the director's cut? The latter explains a lot more, though the explanations aren't very clear or satisfying. You can find some detailed theories on the internet, if you care to search. But the director has stated that the movie is open to interpretation, which I consider a good thing. I'll summarize my understanding of the "official" version below:

WARNING: All kinds of spoilers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The random appearance of the jet engine at the beginning of the movie causes a sort of "fatal error" in reality, since it has no source, which means that the universe will come to an end if something isn't done to correct this error. Frank is some sort of supernatural agent who is sent to persuade and equip Donnie to fix the problem, part of which involves teaching him the physics of time travel. Other events must occur before Donnie will come to the decision/realization of what he must do, and Frank uses his omniscience and influence to manipulate Donnie to this point, which culminates on Halloween night. Ultimately, Donnie portals a jet engine back in time to the appropriate night. He dies because Frank was not there to wake him up.

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Originally Posted by Prussian to the Iron

I did (after being ditched by my date...).

It did what it tried to do pretty well and was fairly entertaining, but it let me down immensely. When it said "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", I expected minor backstory, followed by the apes actually taking over the planet.

Instead it was more about why they are how they are, and how they started. But it concluded with

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

no territorial gains and very little of the truly epic action that I had expected. Really all the apes did was cross the golden gate bridge and settle in a redwood forest, and that's when the movie ends.

I'll say what I've said to my dad and all my friends: it seemed more like a prequel to a prequel. Like the backstory to another movie that would be about them actually taking over the world. I would say it did this very well and is pretty good in its own right. However if you go in looking for some real action and to see apes blowin stuff up and taking over cities....well you'll be disappointed to say the least.

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Well thanks for spoiling the end of the movie.

CR

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Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

Well thanks for spoiling the end of the movie.

CR

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To be honest, it spoiled itself. It becomes apparent near the mid-way point that not much is gonna happen for the rest of the movie.

Please try to keep spoilers relevant to the plot of the film rather than it's conclusion, and ensure that they're hidden behind those tags at all times!

This particularly applies to recent cinema releases, but be mindful that some people may not have seen the Godfather or whatnot and thus don't want the ending revealed.

:bow:

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Originally Posted by B_Ray

There's a lot to appreciate and fascinate about this movie. I actually hated it the first time I saw it, but it has grown on me to become one of Top 10 favorite movies. It's very unique, oddly touching, and leaves you with a lot to wonder about.

Did you see the theatrical version or the director's cut? The latter explains a lot more, though the explanations aren't very clear or satisfying. You can find some detailed theories on the internet, if you care to search. But the director has stated that the movie is open to interpretation, which I consider a good thing. I'll summarize my understanding of the "official" version below:

WARNING: All kinds of spoilers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The random appearance of the jet engine at the beginning of the movie causes a sort of "fatal error" in reality, since it has no source, which means that the universe will come to an end if something isn't done to correct this error. Frank is some sort of supernatural agent who is sent to persuade and equip Donnie to fix the problem, part of which involves teaching him the physics of time travel. Other events must occur before Donnie will come to the decision/realization of what he must do, and Frank uses his omniscience and influence to manipulate Donnie to this point, which culminates on Halloween night. Ultimately, Donnie portals a jet engine back in time to the appropriate night. He dies because Frank was not there to wake him up.

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You definitely have be willing to invest effort in this movie before you can appreciate it but that's a nice change from all those tailor made for instant gratification.
I haven't looked any explanation up yet, I wanted to form my own idea first.

My theory:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The wormhole/engine crash splits reality in 2 lines. One where Donnie was in his room and most of the movie didn't happen. The second reality is of course the biggest part of the movie. Frank, the liquid worms, the coincidences are all hints that seep through from the other reality , a reality where his world ends in 28 days, 12h ... What happens with the reality where Donnie survived the engine crash is left unclear. The movie seems to suggest that with Donnie's death in the first reality, the second reality didn't have a right at existence. The second reality is subordinate to the first reality. Does this mean that Donny dreamt it all? Did his subconscious warn Donnie or even prepared him for death? That's all left unclear

Still Walking, very good japanese family-drama. Can't really call it a drama, as absolutely nothing dramatic happens. Nothing happens really you just watch the family interact. Recommended

35 Rhums, another excellent family drama with beautifull quiet moments that say more than any line could do. You really care for the characters. I love my mommy's movie collection she is a bigger movie freak than me.

Milk, another gem. About the American gay-movement. Sean Penn is excellent. Never heard of Harvey Milk so I looked him up. Sean Penn looks more like Harvey Milk than he does himself. The gay scenes didn't make me unfomfortable, which I kinda expected

30 Minutes or Less was actually really good. I was surprised at how good it was.

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Originally Posted by Hooahguy

30 Minutes or Less was actually really good. I was surprised at how good it was.

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It looks pretty funny, would be surprised if it turned out as good as Horrible Bosses though.

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Sexy Beast, funny crime-movie. The eloquent Ben Kingsley is one of these actors who can play absolutely everything, even a white-trash scumbag as it turns out.

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This. This movie is great, one of my all time favorite crime capers. Kingsley is hlarious as the bad guy, like when he is sitting in his underwear staring at the wall when his boss calls. And that mafia boss, that duede is such a jerk haha. I like the whole theme of the fat crook past his prime who has settled down with his average wife...and that blonde MILF who was married to the dork WOW

Watched The Guard this morning. Didn't understand a lot of the Irish accent and the humour (I'm Asian), but from what I could understand, it was pretty funny. The audience I was with laughed regularly. The serious scenes were well acted and fitted in fine with the funny scenes.

Aliens. Terrible. Acting sucks. Dialogue is laughable. Action is mediocre. Why is this movie so heralded as being good? James Cameron has never made a good movie in his life. Sure T1 and T2 are decent, but nothing special and plagued with terrible acting. Everything he's done is average at best.

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Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Aliens. Terrible. Acting sucks. Dialogue is laughable. Action is mediocre. Why is this movie so heralded as being good? James Cameron has never made a good movie in his life. Sure T1 and T2 are decent, but nothing special and plagued with terrible acting. Everything he's done is average at best.

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The only thing more disturbing than you not liking it is that you apparently haven't seen it before. Aliens is an absolute classic, maybe can't tell because of the number of times it has been copied.

You are now my enemy

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You are now my enemy

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And mine.

Faster was quite a good movie in my opinion, Dwayne Johnson was good.

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Originally Posted by Fragony

You are now my enemy

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I might as well start wearing a burka then.

I like Alien, but not Aliens. Why? It's a typical 1980s action movie. The acting is bad, the dialogue is bad. The action in the last 40 minutes of the movie is good, but the movie is 2:35 hours long. By the time the good action scenes come around I'm already bored out of my mind by the boring attempted thriller build up and laughing my ass off at the hilariously bad dialogue. Compare it to Alien. Pure suspense. The different Directors sum it up: Ridley Scott vs James Cameron. One an accomplished director, the other a half-wit hack who made a few semi-decent films (The Abyss, T1, T2).

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Weird experimental sepia scenes aside I enjoyed it. The acting is good. While the plot doesn't have a particularly strong flow it was interesting enough to see a "western" from the perspective of the bandits.

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Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Aliens. Terrible. Acting sucks. Dialogue is laughable. Action is mediocre. Why is this movie so heralded as being good? James Cameron has never made a good movie in his life. Sure T1 and T2 are decent, but nothing special and plagued with terrible acting. Everything he's done is average at best.

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You do realize that movie was made in the 80s right?

Compared to everything else that was coming out then, it was ground breaking. Also, the directors cut is far better than what was released in theaters.

I also think some of the acting was supposed to be bad. Who could possibly take Bill Paxton seriously as a Space Marine. Did you catch the line where, after facing doom non- stop for the past several scenes, the Aliens go quiet for a minute and Bill Paxton sarcastically yells HEY MAYBE WE BROKE THEIR MORALE!!!!!

I suppose next you are going to say that Fast Times At Ridgemont High is not an accurate depitction of today's youth.

Indeed. It's like Army of Darkness, if you never picked up a shotgun in a game without saying THIS IS MY BOOMSTICK something has gone very very wrong. Nerdtechnically at least.

And private Hudson is legendary 'game over man game over'

edit, he also hated Evil Dead 2 if I remember correctly. FAIL

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Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump

Compared to everything else that was coming out then, it was ground breaking.

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Having a runny tummy compared to having uncontrollable diarrhoea is pretty ground breaking. Doesn't make me want to have a runny tummy though.

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Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump

I also think some of the acting was supposed to be bad.

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Obviously. But, that didn't make it enjoyable. It just made me roll my eyes and chuckle and think: "Wow, what a bad movie."

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Originally Posted by Fragony

edit, he also hated Evil Dead 2 if I remember correctly. FAIL

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Never seen the second. The first one is one of those movies that are is so bad they're it's good types. If the second is like the first I'd probably enjoy it for "the lulz".

But, maybe Aliens is "2deep4me" and maybe I like killing kittens and praying to Allah. Or. Maybe, just maybe, it's a bad movie.

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Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Never seen the second. The first one is one of those movies that are is so bad they'reit's good types. If the second is like the first I'd probably enjoy it for "the lulz".

But, maybe Aliens is "2deep4me" and maybe I like killing kittens and praying to Allah. Or. Maybe, just maybe, it's a bad movie.

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I can absolutely guarantee that the second one is just as bad.



And don't be so grumpy, having poor taste in movies doesn't necessarily make you uninteresting as an individual and possibly gay.

Just a bit suspect

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Originally Posted by Fragony

And don't be so grumpy, having poor taste in movies doesn't necessarily make you uninteresting as an individual and possibly gay.

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OH NO! I HAVE BECOMED A HOMOSECKS! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[/LOL]

Wizard People, Dear Reader. I have never laughed so :daisy: hard.

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Originally Posted by Psychonaut

OH NO! I HAVE BECOMED A HOMOSECKS! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[/LOL]

Wizard People, Dear Reader. I have never laughed so :daisy: hard.

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Although I can't rule out it makes you humourless. Man don't be so serious I'm only poking fun at you. Eat some chocolate to fight hormonal overdrive geez

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Man don't be so serious I'm only poking fun at you.

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As am I. ~;p

While your inability to appreciate Aliens (which is tied with my Terminator 2 for my absolute favorite movie) is utterly disturbing, I'm glad you linked that Harry Potter alternate soundtrack. I'm definitely going to check that out.

I liked cowboys and aliens it was a prety good film if your into that sorta thing

Cowboys and Aliens was awesome. I will watch and have watched everything with Harrison Ford in it. I watched Morning Glory and I loved it. Anyone who hates on Harrison Ford can bite my ***.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

Cowboys and Aliens was awesome. I will watch and have watched everything with Harrison Ford in it. I watched Morning Glory and I loved it. Anyone who hates on Harrison Ford can bite my ***.

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Daniel Craig + Harrison Ford had great interplay, Harrison Ford suits the role very much. The aliens were pretty cool. The rest of it not so much.

Evil Dead 3. Awesome. Dialogue is top notch. Hilarious movie. Only part I wasn't a fan of was the weird tiny people bit, too much slapstick. But, nothing major to complain about.

"WE CAN TAKE THESE DEADITES, WE CAN TAKE 'EM... With Science!"

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Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Daniel Craig + Harrison Ford had great interplay, Harrison Ford suits the role very much. The aliens were pretty cool. The rest of it not so much.

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I really enjoyed the movie, but I thought that Daniel Craig's character barely talked in comparison to some of the other people. Not a complaint, but it jumped out at me. His quietness actually sort of built onto his character though, which is a good thing.