Movie Review Thread

**Owen Glyndwr** · 01-13-2010, 18:02

Originally Posted by Jolt

I saw the Asian version (Both movies totalling 4 hours or so)

And as a RTK fan, I was overwhelmingly disapointed. While the plot build was pretty good (The part in the second movie where Zhuge Liang steals the arrows and Cao Cao kills Cai Mao and Zhang Yun was indeed epic), the fighting was SO ridiculous I was switching between laughing out loud and opening my mouth in bewilderment. In the first movie the whole formation was ridiculous beyond measure. What the hell is wrong with those horses? If they went against the shields, it'd be a

rout. Instead their just running in circles like they are in some track. (:O) And then the shield ranks mysteriously reform to have some ad-hoc duels between Shu Generals and random Cao Cao's soldiers. I was facepalming so heavily.
Then battlescenes in the second movie like the disembark in the attack against Cao Cao. I was with my mouth opened in amazement on how the film basically ripped off "Saving Private Ryan's" Omaha Beach scene and pasted it in Ancient Chinese settings with flaming catapults (OMG ROFL) to do the work of artillery.

Then things like Xiao Qiao doing something to Cao Cao which nobody could very well figure out what it was, but which made Cao Cao unable to simply tell his Generals to sally out and attack without him (Quite honestly I'm still trying to figure how what happened to Cao Cao there).

Things like Sun Quan and Zhou Yu being in the middle of the battle (And actually killing dozens of soldiers!). That's like seeing Roosevelt and Patton grabbing a Thompson SMG and disembarking with the troops in Omaha Beach and single-handedly wiping out half a platoon of Germans.

Things like Wu troops doing Roman formations (Omg...)

Things like Zhao Yun being the all-time world champion of pole vault. Using a spear to go over the large wall of the fort.

Worst of all is the fate they give to Cao Cao in the end. That is SO UNREALISTIC I wanted to roundhouse kick John Wu and toss him into a pool of acid and lava. NEVER in any alternate dimension would Cao Cao be captured by Sun Quan, Zhou Yu and Liu Bei and happen what it did. I would have broken the DVD to a thousand pieces if I had just a DVD.

Though, to be fair, I do understand that people who are not familliar with the time period like it. They are pretty epic battle scenes. They are just so unrealistic and over the top for a person that takes interest in the time period and was expecting to see a realistic portrayal of the battles that, it ruined the entire movie.

That is...disappointing. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is my all-time favorite book, and when I first saw the movie poster in a London undergroud station I was, to put it lightly, super excited (we almost missed our train because I absolutely had to stop and look at the poster. I'll probably see it anyways but...come on! From you description it sounds a lot more like Dynasty Warriors than Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Originally Posted by miotas

I seen Sherlock Holmes and thought it was brilliant. The story was mediocre and the ending was predictable, what redeemed this movie and made it really good was the portrayal of Holmes and Watson. Holmes is an arrogant, egotistical, anti-social, substance abusing, adventurous genius with many traits making him seem borderline, if not completely, insane. In other words, he is Holmes, just with less controversial drugs than cocaine or morphine. Watson has an interesting personality, and Jude Law plays the long suffering friend perfectly, but most importantly, he's actually quite smart, not just a bumbling idiot to act as a foil to Holmes' genius. Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law also work together really well and makes the friendship between Holmes and Watson seem real. Hopefully the obvious sequel provides a better story for these two brilliantly portrayed characters to act in.

I thought the movie was pretty good, I just couldn't stand the unnecessary violence, particularly the boxing scene. I know Holmes is supposed to be an accomplished boxer, but truly, how did that scene advance the plot in any way? Also don't recall the American from A Scandal in Bohemia (can't remember her name) ever showing up in another Holmes tale, let alone being some sort of criminal mastermind thief (or Holmes's love life, for that matter). From what I hear though, the unnecessary violence is really just the directors style, and so I'm hoping they can him for the almost certainly inevitable sequel

.

**Fragony** · 01-16-2010, 12:40

Swallow Grave, now that is how you do it, from the time Danny Boyle still made good movies.

9/10

**Fragony** · 01-16-2010, 15:39

Ok, now I know for sure, watched it again to make sure, 'Let the right one in' is an absolute masterpiece and my latest all time favorite. The girl playing the vampire is more than a little bit good, in the last scene she goes from feral rage to affection with just a look of her eyes, just as she was sad and scared, best developed character ever you feel so sorry for her, I absolutely love this movie.

still 11/10

**Scienter** · 01-16-2010, 16:43

I saw Up in the Air yesterday. When I first saw the previews I thought was going to be a romantic comedy and didn't want to see it. But, after reading up on it, I realized it was anything but. George Clooney is a great actor and the plot isn't what I thought it was going to be. I hear rumors about it being an Oscar contender, and I don't know if it was good enough to warrant a best picture nomination, though I wouldn't be upset if Clooney got a nod for best actor.

**naut** · 01-17-2010, 12:07

Originally Posted by Fragony

Ok, now I know for sure, watched it again to make sure, 'Let the right one in' is an absolute masterpiece and my latest all time favorite. The girl playing the vampire is more than a little bit good, in the last scene she goes from feral rage to affection with just a look of her eyes, just as she was sad and scared, best developed character ever you feel so sorry for her, I absolutely love this movie.

still 11/10

Oh wow. Astonishing. Astonishing. Words do not explain this movie. The ending, on the train. I was thinking, what she can't be on the train it's light outside, she'll die. But then the suitcase taps "kiss" in Morse code. And he taps back the same. Stunning.

**Fragony** · 01-17-2010, 12:43

Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Oh wow. Astonishing. Astonishing. Words do not explain this movie.

Glad you liked it as much as I did. From the fury of the Norsemen please deliver us some more.

also watch 'Wrong in translation' and 'In the mood for love' if you like love story's done right.

**miotas** · 01-17-2010, 13:33

Originally Posted by Owen Glyndwr

I thought the movie was pretty good, I just couldn't stand the unnecessary violence, particularly the boxing scene. I know Holmes is supposed to be an accomplished boxer, but truly, how did that scene advance the plot in any way?

Yeah, and that scene where they start a fight in the house and end up destroying a dock and sinking a ship does not belong in a Sherlock Holmes story.

Originally Posted by Owen Glyndwr

Also don't recall the American from A Scandal in Bohemia (can't remember her name) ever showing up in another Holmes tale, let alone being some sort of criminal mastermind thief (or Holmes's love life, for that matter).

Well apparently people have been writing fan fictions for Sherlock Holmes since early last century, but I don't think Holmes having a love life fits the story, even if Holmes did have feelings for a woman he would never let them show, he's too cold and logical for that.

From what I hear though, the unnecessary violence is really just the directors style, and so I'm hoping they can him for the almost certainly inevitable sequel

.

Fingers crossed.

**Alexander the Pretty Good** · 01-18-2010, 05:01

I saw A Matter of Loaf and Death the other day. It's the latest Wallace and Gromit short (though a good 35 minutes long) from Nick Park. It was a wonderful return to form after the disappointing full-length Curse of the Wererabbit. The sad thing is watching the "how it was made" feature on the DVD and seeing how old Nick Park looks these days. :(

**Snite** · 01-18-2010, 07:56

Avatar

is a silly silly movie. Nothing made sense, even down to those spinny lizards. I liked the concept of the planet being one big nueral network that the natives could plug into - and with animals as well - but that was it. Everything else was.... silly.

**Fragony** · 01-18-2010, 12:26

This one is for you Lemur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOrcIyvW5Rk

No actual children were harmed.

**rajpoot** · 01-18-2010, 18:31

Seconded on canning the director, since violence and loads of action does not make a good Sherlock Holmes movie.

I watched it today and maybe I'd just gone with the wrong mindset, expecting a true to the book movie for once....I had heard that this was more like an action flick...but come on, I mean anyone remember the Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett? Those more or less stuck to the books and were pretty nice.

This movie was fine....I mean nice action flick and all, but it certainly did not seem like I was watching Sherlock Holmes....more like some standard modern day detective movie....

Jude Law was good as Watson though......better than RD Jr. was as Holmes.