RA Movie Thread (Read 5918 times)

RunJasonRun


    I went to see Pacific Rim this afternoon, and here is the review that I posted on my Facebook wall...

     

     

    The 41 year-old adult in me who has grown weary of loud computer-generated special effect movies was skeptical of Pacific Rim, but the kid inside of me who used to love watching Voltron cartoons or staging elaborate battles between my large plastic Godzilla toy and my Shogun Warrior robot toys was begging to see it. My inner kid won me over on this one, so I stopped by the theater down the street on the way home from the office for an afternoon showing.

    If I had seen Pacific Rim back in 1980, in the midst of my obsession with Godzilla, Ultraman, The Space Giants, Spectreman, and the Shogun Warrior robots, then this movie would have surely been my personal equivalent of Citizen Kane or The Godfather. The premise of giant monsters emerging from a dimensional rift in the ocean to destroy entire cities before the countries of the world band together to build massive human-controlled robots for a counterattack would have captivated my childhood self a hundred times over, and my enthusiasm for the story might have equaled or overpowered my fascination with the Star Wars phenomenon.

    Right now, in 2013, I still think that Pacific Rim is a pretty cool movie. Director Guillermo del Toro places more emphasis on characters than one might expect in such a movie, and the dramatic magic that shined through in his earlier films, like The Devil's Backbone or Pan's Labyrinth, still reveals itself on occasion. A handful of convincing actors, with Iris Elba as the most memorable of the bunch, pull their weight to sell the story and save it from what could have been the most corny summer movie imaginable. The fight scenes are depicted from a viewpoint that allows us to realize exactly what is going on at all times without becoming dizzy from shaky camera editing. Each monster is different than the others, and they all actually have distinct personalities.

    Pacific Rim is not a perfect movie by any stretch, and I could nitpick about a number of grievances. Overall, though, this movie delivers on its promise in spades. We finally have a big-budget summer movie about giant robots battling giant monsters, so all is now right in the world.

    Go see this movie on a big theater screen if you get a chance, because your inner kid who still remembers watching Voltron fight interplanetary monsters will thank you.

    Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

    mab411


    Proboscis Colossus

      Somehow I missed that Guillermo del Toro directed Pacific Rim.  Between that and the rest of your review, I'm interested now.  Though probably not interested enough to make the effort to go to a proper theater.

      "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

      TeaOlive


      old woman w/hobby

        Pacific Rim is not a perfect movie by any stretch, and I could nitpick about a number of grievances. Overall, though, this movie delivers on its promise in spades. We finally have a big-budget summer movie about giant robots battling giant monsters, so all is now right in the world. 

         

         

        My husband and I saw it this afternoon based on you and mab411 pointing out that Guillermo del Toro directed.

        We both enjoyed it.   I also ate entirely too much pop corn and a whole bag of Twizzlers.   Oops.

         

        Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite del Toro picture by far.

        steph  

         

         

        bhearn


          Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite del Toro picture by far.

           

          +1

          Docket_Rocket


            We also saw Pacific Rim this afternoon and liked it.  I was a little reticent about seeing a movie from Guillermo del Toro since I didn't like Pan's Labyrinth (*ducks*) but it was a great movie.

            Damaris

             

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            mab411


            Proboscis Colossus

              ...since I didn't like Pan's Labyrinth (*ducks*) but it was a great movie.

               

              *throws shoe*

               

              Dang...you're quick.

              "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

              stadjak


              Interval Junkie --Nobby

                I went to see Pacific Rim this afternoon,

                 

                +1 to everything Jason said.  My inner 12yo "Creature Double Feature" fan had his mind blow.  This was a perfect execution exactly what it is. (5/5)

                2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

                  pacific rim

                  My leg won't stop mooing.

                   

                  i think i've got a calf injury.

                  RunJasonRun


                    I've spent the past week revisiting my Charlie Chaplin movies during my spare time...

                     

                    The Gold Rush

                    This 1925 silent Charlie Chaplin film has some hilarious gags centered around his Tramp character, but it's also a fun Jack London-esque adventure about the plight of those seeking their fortune in the Alaskan wilderness.

                     

                    Modern Times

                    This 1936 film is my favorite of the Chaplin movies that I've seen, and it's still hilarious by today's standards. The gag with Chaplin caught in the cog wheels at the factory is universally recognizable, and the movie does an amazing job of depicting the annoyances of working in an assembly line setting. Paulette Goddard is an amazingly beautiful leading lady whose looks are not even remotely dated.

                     

                    The Great Dictator

                    Charlie Chaplin enters the world of talking movies for the first time with his double roles in this 1940 film as a Jewish barber and a Hitler-esque dictator.  His speech at the end is quite iconic and wistful.

                     

                    Monsieur Verdoux

                    This 1947 movie has the darkest role of Chaplin's career.  Chaplin plays a serial killer who seduces middle-aged women for their money before murdering them.  Upon his capture, he launches into a tirade in court about how his crimes are amateurish compared to the atrocities of weapons manufacturers, politicians, and armies around the world. This sort of thing did not sit well with the Greatest Generation in the wake of WWII, and Chaplin was alienated from the United States for a while after.  These days, the movie is still quite subversive, and, interestingly enough, it's also quite hilarious, with some of Chaplin's best physical comedy scenes.

                    Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                      Watched a couple this weekend courtesy of On Demand; one hit, one miss.

                       

                      42 - Meh, at best. I went in with some fairly high expectations because it got generally good reviews and I am a huge baseball fan. And of course this is one of the great stories of 20th century America. But it was very formulaic and had nothing new or interesting to offer.  Maybe my problem was that there was nothing for me to get out of it because I am already too familiar with the story. I suppose if you are not, it might be worth seeing. But you are probably better off finding a good documentary version. Which leads me to...

                       

                      Searching for Sugar Man - Outstanding; see it. It is an amazing story; I guess they had to make it a documentary because you wouldn't believe it if it was a regular movie. But I have no idea what took them 15 years to make it. The story is riveting, and all the characters involved are totally engaging. Oh and the music is good too, I am now a Rodriguez fan.

                      Dave


                      Hip Redux

                        Watched a couple this weekend courtesy of On Demand; one hit, one miss.

                         

                        42 - Meh, at best. I went in with some fairly high expectations because it got generally good reviews and I am a huge baseball fan. And of course this is one of the great stories of 20th century America. But it was very formulaic and had nothing new or interesting to offer.  Maybe my problem was that there was nothing for me to get out of it because I am already too familiar with the story. I suppose if you are not, it might be worth seeing. But you are probably better off finding a good documentary version. Which leads me to...

                         

                         

                         

                        There are certainly better baseball movies out there.   Have you seen "Soul of the Game"?  I enjoyed that more than 42.

                        Also - we watched the 1950 "The Jackie Robinson Story" this weekend, with Jackie playing himself.  Let's just say - it's a good thing he didn't quit his day job.  lol

                         

                        obiebyke


                          I saw Star Trek: Into Darkness the other night for 3 bucks and it was a blast! I only watched a little Next Generation as a kid, so I didn't know all the references (although I had seen the first JJ Abrams one, too). Highly recommended for entertainment if not an Oscar.

                           

                          Last night I watched The Sessions, which is based on a true story of a man in an iron lung who decides to hire a sexual surrogate to lose his virginity at age 38. It was awesome. Amazing acting, amazing story. I had been waiting for it for a while from the library. I'm glad I requested it. One weird thing: it's so strange to me that you can show full frontal female nudity and be rated R but not male nudity.

                          Call me Ray (not Ishmael)

                             

                            There are certainly better baseball movies out there.   Have you seen "Soul of the Game"?  I enjoyed that more than 42.

                             

                            I don't think so; checked into it & I guess it was a made-for-HBO movie from 1996. May be more interesting if for no other reason than it is  based on a lesser-told side of the story -- the Negro League players that didn't get picked to join the majors.

                             

                            My top 5 favorite baseball movies:

                            1. Bull Durham

                            2. Moneyball

                            3. Eight Men Out

                            4. The Natural

                            5. Major League

                             

                            I might end up switching 1 & 2 at some point.

                            Dave

                            RunJasonRun


                               

                              I don't think so; checked into it & I guess it was a made-for-HBO movie from 1996. May be more interesting if for no other reason than it is  based on a lesser-told side of the story -- the Negro League players that didn't get picked to join the majors.

                               

                              My top 5 favorite baseball movies:

                              1. Bull Durham

                              2. Moneyball

                              3. Eight Men Out

                              4. The Natural

                              5. Major League

                               

                              I might end up switching 1 & 2 at some point.

                               

                              I really enjoyed The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid.  I had low expectations when some friends and I went to the theater to see it several years ago, but that movie's charm got through to me.  It's just an earnest and cool flick.

                              Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                              Birdwell


                                Saw "Burt Wonderstone" last night. Got it from redbox, cause it didn't look to be worth theater admission price.

                                 

                                It was better than I thought it would be. I went in with really low expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. Jim Carrey's character is how I  imagine Chris Angel would be in real life.

                                 

                                +1 to everything about pacific rim. It was awesome. I didn't care how campy the story was, it had robot's fighting dinosaurs, and humans won again.