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Topic: The Movie Thread

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RogerRoger

@Th3solution I took a break from the MCU over the weekend, but returned to it yesterday and am still enjoying myself a lot; thanks for asking (elsewhere, but I'm always tidy)!

My expectations were totally inverted, though. I was confident that I'd adore Captain America: Civil War but, despite its many excellent individual moments, I actually came away a little disappointed. It started and ended as a serious, emotional character piece asking important questions of our favourite heroes, but its middle just became Avengers 2.5 and was packed with comedy and nonsense. Both of these competing elements were superb by themselves, but weakened each other overall, which was a shame; this tonal conflict was illustrated by the film's two major introductions, Black Panther (an interesting and integral part of the story, played with depth and feeling) and Spider-Man (thrown in as a gag for a brawl and a post-credits scene).

I also felt like Tony hijacked one of Cap's movies somewhat, no matter how weighty his inclusion had to be for story purposes, which took something away from the concluding chapter of the Bucky arc (which I was really digging). All this said, I still enjoyed it, and found myself re-watching the airport fight later that evening, because it had me laughing in sheer delight. Ant-Man is definitely my new favourite!

Conversely, I expected to struggle through Doctor Strange, largely because of my total ambivalence towards Benedict Cumberbatch; as much as I respect his talent, I think he's somewhat overrated. Perhaps that preconception helped, however, as he made for a believable Stephen Strange, somebody I slowly warmed to as events progressed. Everything else going on around him was magical. Mads Mikkelsen put in a suitably sinister, wisely underplayed performance, Tilda Swinton is always excellent and Chiwetel Ejiofor has been a favourite of mine for a while. The visuals, pace and "redemption of a jerk" arc all came together really, really well, which surprised me this late in the game. I had a blast.

Phase Three off to a solid start, all things considered. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 tomorrow, and then I'm switching to Blu-Ray for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Again with the expectations (I'm wary of the former, and looking forward to the latter) but, in light of the above, I'm simply curious more than anything!

Edited on by RogerRoger

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

nessisonett

@RogerRoger I do think Doctor Strange is an underrated movie. Civil War goes for excess and for your general audience, that works but Doctor Strange focuses on an arc, without the trappings of a half-an-hour final battle which I appreciated. Benedict Cumberbatch is a brilliant actor who got famous due to an extremely inconsistent show with pretty terrible writing so I think a lot of people had pre-conceptions about him before he did Doctor Strange. I think what makes it great is that the redemption arc is one of the most believable out of all the movies, they dedicate time at the start to really pull you in and grasp his desperation.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

HallowMoonshadow

I seem to have completely missed these MCU impressions til now @RogerRoger

Glad you're enjoying yourself and the flims (for the most part)!

I felt the exact same about Doctor Strange.

Went into it really unsure (Not a fan of Cumberbatch myself) and came out of it pleasantly surprised.

I think Mads could've been in it a bit more (He's a terrific actor, admittedly I've only seen him in the Hannibal series but good gravy he's good) but there was great performances all around from Swinton and Ejiofor and there was some lovely visuals too.

I hope you enjoy tomorrow's double feature you have lined up! 😊

Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"

Th3solution

@RogerRoger Valid points, all. It’s so interesting to re-experience these through the eyes of a first-timer. I agree that Civil War definitely felt more like Avengers 2.5, with all the characters showing up together. For sheer bombastic fun there are few sequences better than the airport battle.

Glad you found Dr. Strange enjoyable. I saw it in the theater (actually, most of the MCU I saw in theaters) and the visuals were mind blowing in a 3D cinema. I’m not always a fan of 3D, but this one was fantastic with the added visual effects. But yes, Stephen Strange is a great character. I really enjoy his and Tony Stark’s relationship later on.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@nessisonett @Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy @Th3solution Thanks folks; it's quite nice to know that, occasionally, my opinion aligns with the consensus! Doctor Strange was a brilliant spectacle, and one of those rare films which made me wish I could've tolerated 3D at the cinema.

Foxy, for more of Mads Mikkelsen, I'd recommend both Casino Royale and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (although he's admittedly in the latter even less than Doctor Strange, alas). My prior experience of Benedict Cumberbatch was limited to Star Trek into Darkness, his role in which was controversial for two reasons, so I'll admit that my preconceptions about him weren't exactly well-educated ones. Happy to be proven wrong, and looking forward to seeing more of Strange in the MCU going forward.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

Th3solution

RogerRoger wrote:

Foxy, for more of Mads Mikkelsen, I'd recommend both Casino Royale and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (although he's admittedly in the latter even less than Doctor Strange, alas).

@RogerRoger @Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy For more Mads Mikkelsen I’d definitely recommend Death Stranding 😄
...Okay, okay... I’ll shut up about that game. 😜

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

HallowMoonshadow

RogerRoger wrote:

Foxy, for more of Mads Mikkelsen, I'd recommend both Casino Royale and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (although he's admittedly in the latter even less than Doctor Strange, alas).

I completely forgot he was in both of those @RogerRoger

I did quite enjoy Casino Royale upon seeing it when it came out (I admittedly wasn't aware of him as I am now). It's the only Daniel Craig Bond I've watched to be honest (I did see a smidge of Spectre but I found it terribly dry and dull) so thanks for the reminder!

I didn't think much of Rogue One though and found it kinda pointless personally.

I'd recommend the Hannibal series to you for some top notch Mikkelsen acting but... I don't think that's your cup of tea in the slightest!

RogerRoger wrote:

My prior experience of Benedict Cumberbatch was limited to Star Trek into Darkness

I'd seen him in the first season of Sherlock (He also voiced Smaug the dragon in the 2nd and 3rd hobbit films) along with Star Trek into Darkness like yourself so I wasn't that much better informed then you admittedly!


I was waiting for the Death Stranding shout out from you @Th3solution regarding Mads 😆

Edited on by HallowMoonshadow

Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"

Th3solution

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Ha, Ha! Yeah, I’ve gotta get my quota in of DS references! Kojima is counting on me!

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

RogerRoger

@Th3solution Yeah, saw that coming!

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy This is gonna sound bad, but it's a shame that you're right. I really reckon Mads Mikkelsen as an actor, and would love to see him in a bigger role than his Hollywood "...and also starring" appearances but I could never watch (or rather, enjoy watching) Hannibal.

Thinking about it, Sol's right, it might very well be Death Stranding where I see him next.

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

HallowMoonshadow

RogerRoger wrote:

but I could never watch (or rather, enjoy watching) Hannibal

If I wasn't so captivated by the performances I'd have probably not watched it myself! The amount of times I winced and cringed! I'm surprised it aired/ was made for a standard tv channel in the US! 😥

Good luck with Death Stranding when/if you get round to it @RogerRoger!


No shame in enjoying it that much @Th3solution! I can only hope to enjoy it as much as you and If I ever get round to it you'll be the first to know!

Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"

RR529

InuYasha Movie 2: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (Amazon Prime Video) - As I continue my way through the series I watched the second movie last weekend. In this entry the series' main villain Naraku appears to be defeated, but after the cast splits up to seek their own individual quests a new villain appears and draws them together once again.

This is probably my favorite of the films, if only because it features the first of only two kisses the leads share throughout the entire series (I know I'm a sucker, lol). Otherwise it's a fine film that captures the spirit of the show well, and I like the fact that the villain is based on an actual Japanese myth (the tale of Princess Kaguya), which is a nice touch.

Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)

HallowMoonshadow

The Crow

I was going to watch it on Halloween as is my annual tradition but... I woke up this morning with Burn rattling round my skull and just had to watch the film.

For such a troubled production it doesn't seem to really show in the actual film.

Such a shame about Brandon Lee. His performance really is quite good in this.

Edited on by HallowMoonshadow

Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"

nessisonett

@LN78 Yep, so many great tracks on there that totally suit the atmosphere of the movie. For them to attempt covers of both Joy Division and Suicide, that’s pretty brave considering the reputation both bands have.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

RogerRoger

Well, that was one heck of a journey. I've finished the MCU.

Its consistency and quality should be applauded, no matter how big of a machine it became. To draw together so many unique characters, with so many writers and directors and actors adding their own distinctive ingredients to the recipe along the way, and yet emerge with a cohesive whole is nothing short of a miracle (particularly considering how hideously entangled moviemaking is at the blockbuster level). It's all different, yet all similar; that might be a criticism for some, but not for me.

I kept my ranking throughout, as promised. I cannot stress enough how these are simply my personal thoughts; sometimes I elevated a film because it was objectively better, but other times those same films got displaced by a thing I just inexplicably liked.

1) Iron Man 3
2) Avengers: Endgame
3) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
4) The Avengers
5) Ant-Man
6) Ant-Man and The Wasp
7) Avengers: Infinity War
8) Captain America: The First Avenger
9) Spider-Man: Homecoming
10) Doctor Strange
11) Black Panther
12) Spider-Man: Far From Home
13) Thor: Ragnarok
14) Avengers: Age of Ultron
15) Captain Marvel
16) Iron Man
17) Captain America: Civil War
18) Iron Man 2
19) Guardians of the Galaxy
20) Thor
21) Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
22) Thor: The Dark World

As much as I wanted to put Endgame top (blinking away tears as the credits rolled), I feel that Iron Man 3 deserves first place more. It took a bigger risk. Phase One was a nice, complete story and it would've been so easy to do what Hollywood so often does; say "hurrah, we beat the bad guys, now let's forget all about it and start over" but instead, Iron Man 3 reduced everything back down to a human level and crucially revelled in consequence. It was a brave move for a tentpole comic book movie to make, and Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of anxiety, survivor's guilt and PTSD struck a very personal chord... and yet, somehow, it also managed to blend this weight with laugh-out-loud comedy (long before the primarily-comedic films started showing up) and many explosions. It wrote the blueprint for the future success of the MCU, a blueprint it was still working from at the end, with Spider-Man: Far From Home.

By comparison, Endgame was three hours of payoff and fan service. I love it and its more reflective, epic tone but it wouldn't be quite so high on the list without the context of the preceding 21 films; indeed, when I watched it before as a passer-by, I didn't shed a single tear. How things change.

There isn't a bad movie up there. Whilst there are indeed MCU movies which are uneven, or which contain elements of poor quality, or that make bone-headed artistic choices, I'd still rate Thor: The Dark World a solid seven (although it was admittedly a six, before Endgame gave its events some extra oomph). That gives you a numerical idea of the impact all this has had on me. I'd now list some of the above alongside my favourite DC superhero flicks, and some of the Avengers alongside the likes of Batman and Superman, characters I've been in love with since early childhood.

I've purchased twelve soundtracks (to go alongside three I already had, from years ago). I've also got myself four LEGO sets, and all the tie-in LEGO games, and I'm desperately trying not to Google the inevitable tsunami of Funko Pop figures I'm sure are out there.

Well played, Marvel. Well played.

Anyway, for a laugh, I've got some random awards to dish out.

***

Best Hero: Rhodie, for calling Star-Lord an idiot and punching him mid-dance (I cheered).

Best Villain: The CGI studio responsible for the effects in Black Panther.

Best Love Story: Cap and Bucky.

Best Musicians: Christophe Beck (both Ant-Man films), Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman (Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Alan Silvestri (Captain America: The First Avenger and the other three Avengers films).

Best Action Sequence: Hulk vs. Hulkbuster in Johannesburg.

Best Stan Lee: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 where he (finally!) plays himself.

***

So, with all that written up, and fighting against the real strong urge to start over from the beginning again, I guess only one question remains.

What the hell am I gonna watch now?!

"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."

PSN: GDS_2421
Making It So Since 1987

nessisonett

@RogerRoger Well done, it’s a huge undertaking! Ironically, I think I’d place Iron Man 3 at the very very bottom, I actively loathe that movie compared to ones like Thor 2, which I can’t bring myself to have any feelings about! That’s what opinion’s all about though, we’re bound to appreciate movies for different reasons and especially since I watched them all in the cinema at the time they came out. I’d probably rate the two Spider-Man movies way up in the top 5 as well, I really like the comedic take on the stories. Are you going to dive into the often-confusing, more-than-occasionally-terrible world of the TV shows next?

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

HallowMoonshadow

That's one interesting end result there @RogerRoger on the MCU films! I wouldn't put it quite that high myself (At least I don't think I would) but I did enjoy Iron man 3 quite a lot!

I actually just turned off Endgame, having finally seen it for the first time myself.

RogerRoger wrote:

Best Villain: The CGI studio responsible for the effects in Black Panther.

That was particularly shocking in how awful that was.

No skin off my nose as I didn't really like the film (A shame as I was really excited for Black Panther thanks to his Civil War appearance) but yeah... That was rather terrible compared to most of the CG used in all the other films.

Edited on by HallowMoonshadow

Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
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"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"

nessisonett

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Yeah, I loved Black Panther’s aesthetic, themes and the acting was great but oh man, those effects are insanely bad. The bit where they fall down the big hole punching each other is like early 2000s stuff. I think the single worst scene for effects is still the bit in Ragnarok where Hela kills all the Asgard guards (Asguards?)

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

nessisonett

@kyleforrester87 I loved The Lighthouse, easily one of my favourite movies of the last few years. Definitely odd but it’s an interesting watch and the visual style really captures the dirty, visceral feeling of being stranded on that island.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

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