Just finished watching From Russia With Love. Didn't enjoy this one as much as Dr. No. I don't know if I'm the only one who feels like this, but it feels like these movies start out coherent and then become a jumbled mess towards the end. I could not follow along at all what was happening at the end. Why did they take the train, why was there a car blocking the train, why are they in the car, why are they being attacked by a helicopter, why are they on a boat. It was just so disjointed, it's like somebody just put together a bunch of random scenes with no explanation. Moreover, the villains weren't as memorable this time around, but at least we got a better picture of Spectre and number one.
@LtSarge I really like that one, it’s closer to a Hitchcock thriller in many ways. Red Grant is a brilliant villain and Rosa Klebb is still referred to at least in the UK whenever a slightly terrifying murdery older woman is on screen. I think the reason that it seems like it goes from one scene to the other is that a lot of thrillers from that period were paced in that way, and you have to get yourself in that mindset and pay much more attention than you would do with any blockbuster released after 2000. North by Northwest is an undisputed classic that I watched and it went in one ear and out the other, I think you have to be in the right environment and mood to watch a movie like that. Funnily enough Thunderball was like that for me too so good luck! Don’t worry, the Bond movies don’t get that involved and attention-demanding again until possibly In Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Just finished No One Will Save You on Disney+/Star and I am baffled by all the praise it is getting (at least by Norwegian critics, but it seems to be fairly well received overall).
Took me two nights to get through, mainly because it's a "gimmick" movie and the gimmick annoyed me.
The gimmick? No dialogue.
Which could be interesting and clever if only either
a) there would be a good reason for there to be no dialogue (the main character is deaf, for example)
or
b) the setting is such that there is no natural dialogue taking place (a single person in a solitary location with nobody to interact with)
Neither of these are true. The movie attempts at b) but fails miserably a couple of times by placing the main character in situations where a complete lack of verbal interaction just becomes plain ridiculous (the sequence on the bus... sheesh... why did that even need to be in there?)
If the movie hadn't been so preoccupied with its central gimmick it may have turned out better, but I'm not sure it would have worked anyway, as it seemed either unwilling or unable to give neither the protagonist or the antagonists any clear motivations for their actions and simply seemed content to chronicle just a series of encounters with no particular rhyme or reason. I may have missed some details, because I found it really hard to maintain any interest here.
@FuriousMachine I hadn’t heard of No One Will Save You. I looked into it after reading your post and it’s on Hulu in the States so that explains why, as I don’t subscribe to that. I really quite enjoyed A Quiet Place, and it’s sequel. At the surface, NOWSY looks like a copycat of those except without the logical set up to justify the lack of dialogue.
I’ll be interested to hear how you like The Creator. The trailers haven’t sold me on it yet, but I won’t count it out.
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I’ve not been watching many movies lately, but I did finally get to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and it was really fun. Best Marvel movie I’ve watched in quite a while. Best since… Shang-Chi maybe?
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Such a shame about Michael Gambon, a brilliant actor. To see him plastered over the BBC alongside Harry Potter of all things feels like a shame, he was one hell of a stage actor and won awards for performances in movies that weren’t blockbusters designed to make money.
@Th3solution Must admit, the trailer for The Creator didn't sell me on it either, but I'm hearing so much positive buzz around it that it piqued my curiosity so I'll be catching an early IMAX showing tomorrow
@FuriousMachine No pressure, but if you have the time and energy, I’d be interested to read any of your thoughts after you see it. I don’t often go to the theater, but occasionally will if there’s a big budget marquee title that is worth the big screen.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@nessisonett I honestly thought that the old woman in From Russia With Love was kinda pathetic. The last scene where she was dressed as a housekeeper and tried to fend off James by kicking looked so bad. She could barely move her legs, lol.
You're right that the movies don't require much attention after From Russia With Love. I just finished watching Goldfinger and it's easily the best Bond movie thus far, for multiple reasons. First, I could actually keep up with the plot lol. It's the most coherent Bond movie of the first three. Second, the movie has so many iconic characters and moments. The Aston Martin car with multiple gadgets and the classic ejector seat as well as the classic scene where Bond is tied down on a table and a laser is being aimed towards him are so iconic. I had no idea they were from this movie! Then we have the villains and Goldfinger as well as Oddjob are fantastic! I was already aware of Oddjob from before so it was really cool to finally see the movie that he shows up in.
I still can't get over the name of the main love interest in this movie. I genuinely laughed out loud when I heard it. I couldn't believe it, that would never be acceptable today!
@LtSarge Goldfinger is basically pure Bond distilled into one movie. It’s iconic for so many reasons. Perhaps not my favourite as it’s very broad strokes Bond but it’s a crowd pleaser.
Took a break from the James Bond movies in order to watch another MGM movie: John Wick. That was one of the best god damn movies I've ever watched. Just pure action and badassery from start to finish. Great casting as well with Keanu Reeves, Lance Reddick and Willem Defoe to name a few.
I also really liked that there was no origin story or anything like that. The movie starts out making you think that John is going to learn how to become an assassin because of how weak he seems to be. But in actuality, he's just rusty and has already established himself as a legend in his circle. It just felt so awesome whenever somebody recognised him and met him with respect. Even the police knew to back off! Absolutely amazing.
All in all, phenomenal movie and I'm looking forward to watching the second one once it and the third one get added to Prime Video in a couple of weeks.
@Th3solution Just got back from The Creator and I really, really enjoyed it! It doesn't really do anything new, so you've probably seen it all before, but what it does it does exceedingly well. Great performances by John David Washington and newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles, with some excellent supporting turns from Allison Janney and Ken Watanabe, among others. The story is somewhat predictable, but hits all the right emotional beats (well, mostly... there are some humourous moments, but, although funny, they seem wrong in the context of the scene).
The cinematography and effects are suitably epic in scale and the movie features a truly spectacular sound design (in particular in the bombing of a base a bit off in the distance), so it played very well on a large screen with a sound system with proper "oomph".
Of course, your mileage may vary, but I had a very good time at the theater.
@LtSargeJohn Wick is one of my favourite franchises and Chapter 4 is, so far, my favourite of all the movies I've seen in the theater this year (21 so far) and I consider it one of the coolest action movies I've seen, full stop. Hope you enjoy the rest of them, too
@FuriousMachine I can definitely see why you like it so much! It's just straight to the point and frantic action. Chapter 4 sounds incredibly promising, I might even rent it on Prime Video if it doesn't get added soon after chapter 2 and 3.
Have you checked out the spinoff series "The Continental" yet?
I've got some time off work this week, and plan on going to the cinema. Had a look at what is on at my local, and the only film that interests me is The Creator. I know next to nothing about the film (and wish to keep it that way). Just hope it is not what I class as 'boring sci-fi'.
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
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