NEW: List some movies you've watched recently. Theatre, rental, TV... and give a */10

[JujuFish]

The Marvels

Watched this in a friend's basement theater. Don't know why it was so maligned.

Watchable/10

 

[mikeymikec]

Ahsoka Season 1

There were so many weight-bearing elements of the plot that were awfully convenient yet one-in-a-million chances of happening that I found the whole thing a bit ridiculous.

Sabine's character made little sense to me:

Spoiler

1 - she's a war hero but "she hasn't changed a bit" according to Ahsoka. Really? Also, nothing about her suggested war hero to me, just like a label that's meant to be +2 character perk or something?
2 - she's the least competent candidate to be a Jedi / wield the Force and yet Ahsoka feared her reaching her full potential.

Space whales were cool though. Almost a Star Trek 4 moment there!

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

7/10

A fun fantasy adventure movie. Definitely stretches the source material out as much as is reasonably possible, but still captures the kind of feel of Fellowship of the Ring while not being quite is interesting or engaging.

Acting is solid across the board, good practical and special effects. It's generally much better than I was lead to believe by the internet.

Worth a watch if you want to wrap yourself in a nice LOTR blanket. Movie equivalent of comfort food.

Will follow up with the two other movies in the trilogy and see if they hold up.

 

[DigDog]

 

[akugami]

Dune part 2 - 8/10

Some puzzling ommissions, but overall I found the story mostly followed the intentions of Frank Herbert's novel and an overall enjoyable experience. And just as a note, I always hate the purists who crap on a movie for not 100% following the source material. They are different mediums, which necessitates differences in creative design.

I do like the increased contributions of Chani to the story in Villaneuve's movie interpretation. Frank Herbert dropped the ball with her character. She's barely a blip in the books.

Much like Chani in the first Dune part 1 movie, several characters are introduced, but given very little screen time. Unfortunately that's what happens when you try to cram huge novels into a couple hours. And Villaneuve actually separated the first Dune book into two movies.

The scene where Shai-Hulud is summoned and ridden is fantastic.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Sabine's character made little sense to me:

Her problem is attachment. That is a recipe towards the dark side and it can push her to become a formidable Sith. Just as letting go and trusting the Force to bring balance fuels a Jedi's focus, attachment fuels the Sith's desire to be in control of everything including preventing death. A Jedi kills the few to save the many whereas the Sith kill many to save the few.

 

[DigDog]

FYI S02E07 of The Twilight Zone has William "Double-Fist-Punch Kirk" Shatner in the lead role.

 

[MrSquished]

nobody saw Dune 2 yet or did I miss it?

 

[sdifox]

nobody saw Dune 2 yet or did I miss it?

3 post up from yours

 

[JujuFish]

nobody saw Dune 2 yet or did I miss it?

I'm finally going to watch part 1 this week, and if I like it, I plan to go to an IMAX for part 2. Have never seen an IMAX film before.

 

[MrSquished]

3 post up from yours

this always happens. I feel like I've kept up with a thread and then bam, it's a few posts up.

Dune part 2 - 8/10

Some puzzling ommissions, but overall I found the story mostly followed the intentions of Frank Herbert's novel and an overall enjoyable experience. And just as a note, I always hate the purists who crap on a movie for not 100% following the source material. They are different mediums, which necessitates differences in creative design.

I do like the increased contributions of Chani to the story in Villaneuve's movie interpretation. Frank Herbert dropped the ball with her character. She's barely a blip in the books.

Much like Chani in the first Dune part 1 movie, several characters are introduced, but given very little screen time. Unfortunately that's what happens when you try to cram huge novels into a couple hours. And Villaneuve actually separated the first Dune book into two movies.

The scene where Shai-Hulud is summoned and ridden is fantastic.

I read an article on the changes to part 2 to make Chani more present. Denis said Herbert was upset with some of the reception of the first book, that people were hero worshipping Paul much more than he expected, and he regretted not making a stronger character to contrast that. So Denis, who says he is a huge Herbert fan, said he made the author's wishes come true by changing that in the movie.

Now if only Denis wasn't too much of a snob to give us an extended cut of the first movie with a bunch of the cut out scenes.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

In the book Chani was only relevant insofar as she gave birth to Leto II. Basically an incubator for plot purposes, so giving her an actual character is... Nice.

 

[MrSquished]

I'm finally going to watch part 1 this week, and if I like it, I plan to go to an IMAX for part 2. Have never seen an IMAX film before.

If you live in one of the areas near a true 70mm IMAX theater definitely go there https://www.businessinsider.com/theaters-where-you-can-see-oppenheimer-in-imax-70mm-2023-7

Otherwise if it's not, there are different 'marketing' speak terms for the smaller types of IMAX. There is one that is just a glorified big screen, so avoid that one. Do a little research to find the better kind of IMAX screen outside of the rare 70mm

 

[JujuFish]

If you live in one of the areas near a true 70mm IMAX theater definitely go there https://www.businessinsider.com/theaters-where-you-can-see-oppenheimer-in-imax-70mm-2023-7

Otherwise if it's not, there are different 'marketing' speak terms for the smaller types of IMAX. There is one that is just a glorified big screen, so avoid that one. Do a little research to find the better kind of IMAX screen outside of the rare 70mm

I'd have to drive an hour and a half one-way for that. I'll settle for dual laser.

 

[akugami]

this always happens. I feel like I've kept up with a thread and then bam, it's a few posts up.



I read an article on the changes to part 2 to make Chani more present. Denis said Herbert was upset with some of the reception of the first book, that people were hero worshipping Paul much more than he expected, and he regretted not making a stronger character to contrast that. So Denis, who says he is a huge Herbert fan, said he made the author's wishes come true by changing that in the movie.

Now if only Denis wasn't too much of a snob to give us an extended cut of the first movie with a bunch of the cut out scenes.

I would definitely like for an extended cut to see what was written in but left on the cutting room floor, but Dune part 1 and part 2 are each roughly 2.5 hours. Any longer and it might as well be a mini-series.

Speaking of the Dune mini-series, it's been so long that I only have vague memories of it. Might be a good time to track it down and watch it again.

I didn't mention it in my original post on Dune part 2, but I really liked what they with Feyd-Rautha and the scenes in Geidi Prime.The negative is, he's a bit different from the book. And no space speedo. The positive is, he's given enough character development to make him seem more Paul's equal, which I don't recall was properly emphasized in the first Dune novel. Or maybe it's been a while since I read the novels and I'm remembering things wrong.

 

[K1052]

Dune Part Two was phenomenal. Saw it in laser IMAX. 10/10.

The scenes on Geidi Prime were unreal and amazing. Javier Bardem should do more comedy because he's good at it. This is easily Zendaya's best performance ever and she should be nominated.

 

[K1052]

I didn't mention it in my original post on Dune part 2, but I really liked what they with Feyd-Rautha and the scenes in Geidi Prime.The negative is, he's a bit different from the book. And no space speedo. The positive is, he's given enough character development to make him seem more Paul's equal, which I don't recall was properly emphasized in the first Dune novel. Or maybe it's been a while since I read the novels and I'm remembering things wrong.

Feyd was too one dimensional in the Lynch version, unsure if he's like that in the books. Here he was given more complexity perhaps at the expense of spending more time with the Baron who loomed larger (figuratively) but if they needed to secure a PG-13 rating that may have been a necessary compromise.

 

[MrSquished]

I'd have to drive an hour and a half one-way for that. I'll settle for dual laser.

If you've never seen 70mm IMAX it really is something else. The one near me is 75 ft tall and 101 ft wide. It's like sitting in front of a screen the size of a building. If there are some good food options there, I would honestly suggest making a day of it. It's a spectacle, but in a super impressive way, not just to gawk at once.

 

[DigDog]

Feyd was too one dimensional in the Lynch version,

dude, we're talking about 2 hours vs 5 hours.

 

[K1052]

dude, we're talking about 2 hours vs 5 hours.

Dude, why cut off the rest of my post.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I'm looking forward to checking out Dune 2. I finally saw the first one about a month ago while out with Covid and enjoyed it, even not knowing the source material. I might re-watch it with the kid and maybe if she likes it we'll go see it in theater.

 

[DigDog]

Dude, why cut off the rest of my post.

i read the book once, 30 years ago.

As far as i can remember, Feyd is practically nonexistent in the book as an actual character. We're point-blank told "killing this guy means a lot to Paul, by the way, because it's got something to do with that vendetta we've briefly mentioned before, just buy it you don't need any explanation".
And it's ok because the killing of Feyd is not plot-decisive. Paul's already conquered everything and everyone when he fights Feyd and nothing changes *because* of it.

A ton of characters are unidimensional in the book (and in the Lynch film) because they are supporting characters. Tufir doesn't change. Duncan doesn't change. Gurney doesn't change. Leto doesn't change. Jessica pretty much remains the same, she seems a bit more affirmative in her role as the Fremen's Sayyadina but she doesn't actually DO anything.
Raban goes from violent to terrified after Muaddib starts destroying the spice production, the Baron loses it when he thinks he has won, but Dune isn't a story about character arcs.

.. if you recall, among my many criticisms of the "Dune 1" film, is that horrible scene where Momoa / Duncan Idaho meets Paul on Arrakis, and he just grossly sticks out from the scene, he's an absolutely vulgar character that is so completely, ridiculously out of place from the setting, they might as well have made him into a GymBro(tm) complete with whey protein and energy drink.

In the book, and in the Lynch version, these characters are important because of what they represent.

While i don't consider Herbert to be a literary genius, he does well in implying the importance of some background aspects of his story, and setting up a believable world where these barely-described "facts" impact or force the decisions of the main characters. Tufir isn't important because he's Tufir, he's important because he is a HUMAN MENTAT. This in turn excuses why this space-faring empire has machines that look like they belong on a set of an S&M film. The same applies for the Bene Gesserit's ability to influence genetic selection at birth (and the not-mentioned-in-the-film religious propaganda that ensures Paul fits within "the prophecy", instead of being a fucking White Saviour), the importance of the Space Guild and why they (together with CHOAM and the Houses) get to threaten the Emperor, and a shitload more.

Which is also why Lynch was smart enough to add stuff like the Weirding Modules. Or Paul teleporting the water of Caladan onto Arrakis. Because this stuff simply cannot fit into the film, not if you make it 3 hours long, not if you make it 5 hours long, because it can't just be LONG, it also needs to be interesting, and while stuff like the Bulterian Jihad works well as a background, world-building element, it's not really something that you want to have on-screen with the same relevance as the main plot.

 

[JujuFish]

If you've never seen 70mm IMAX it really is something else. The one near me is 75 ft tall and 101 ft wide. It's like sitting in front of a screen the size of a building. If there are some good food options there, I would honestly suggest making a day of it. It's a spectacle, but in a super impressive way, not just to gawk at once.

That's a big screen. According to the Wikipedia listing for Imax venues, only 2 in the entire US are that big. The one I plan to go to is 84x66 according to that page, so it will still dwarf almost anything I've seen before.

 

[igor_kavinski]

The one I plan to go to is 84x66 according to that page, so it will still dwarf almost anything I've seen before.

I saw Interstellar in a smaller IMAX theater in Ibn Batuta Mall Dubai. Even though the screen was small, they made up for it by putting it real close to the seats so it looked wayyy bigger than the average screen. On top of that, the sound system was probably meant for a bigger sized room coz I've never had my sternum vibrate with sound anywhere else (not even the much, much larger IMAX screen at the Galleria Mall Abu Dhabi).

 

[DigDog]

I watched, as thoroughly as my attention span could allow,

Michael Clayton - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/reference/

starring Clooney, and directed by a guy who has done nice things (Nightcrawler) and horrible things (The Bourne Legacy).

A kind-of spy story that involves Clayton (Clooney, obviously) being on the receiving end of a unscrupulous law firm, embroiled in a costly lawsuit for a chemical giant.
The film spends A FUCKTON OF TIME to paint Clayton as a "fixer" (while at the same time painting him as a mediocre man that we have very little cause to root for), and once the character is established, the feeble plot happens. A coworker of Clayton has a mental breakdown, and threatens to divulge a memorandum that would see his client, the evil giant corporation, lose the suit - and the lawfirm in turn lose the client. The lawfirm has the coworker killed, and then to tie up loose ends, tries to kill Clayton as well. Clayton then shows up again and says AHA, GIBE MONY!

.. because there is a .. again, the only word i can use to describe it is "feeble" .. a feeble character arc; where during the film Clayton has doubts about rising above and becoming the ruthless fixer his colleagues want him to be - or imagine him to be - he then does so in the final showdown, comes out roaring, but it is quickly revealed that he does this now for ETHICAL REASONS, such arc, much unbelief, wow.

So the whole film is a slooooow drag to show one, just one decent scene, that lasts maybe 4 minutes. 2 actors, the other being Tilda Swinton, who is substantially stronger than Clooney in this one scene (Clooney isn't helped by the uninspired dialogue).

It has none of the strength of films like Erin Brockovich, or The Ides Of March, or The Firm, his character is worse than Up In The Air, the photography is, frankly, kinda shit, the dialogue is mediocre, so i'm not really sure wtf people saw in this film. I would not recommend it.

My vote: 5.8/10