What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[saltysam]

The Killer Elite 1.5/5

Clunky 70's thriller starring James Caan as a minder working for a shady agency with connections to the C.I.A. He ends up betrayed and badly injured by his best friend/partner Robert Duvall . Pretty boring and routine,proof that Sam Peckinpah could make poor films along with classics. The action sequences are few but some are martial arts based and it was nice to see Dan Inosanto in there.unfortunately they are poorly shot and choregraphed and the surprisingly largely bloodless film makes me suspect MPAA interference.The film looked very good on the MGM HD channel i watched this on.

[Markgway]

The Killer Elite was only a 'PG' in the US.

Mind you a 70s 'PG' could easily be an 'R' now.

[grim_tales]

Do you have examples? Generally as time passes I would think ratings would get more lenient not the other way round (not saying you're wrong) Some movies have been downgraded by the BBFC in the UK eg Peeping Tom, Wicker Man, Godfather series and of course nanchukus are allowed now.
Looking at the early Bonds though, they seem pretty strong for a PG...

[saltysam]

Do you have examples?.

Lots of adult-themed movies garnered PG Ratings in the 70's..examples? Legend Of Hell House, Charley Varrick,Lawman (rated GP),Willard (GP),Scream,Blacula,Scream...there were loads.Jaws was very strong for a PG/ "A" at the time.

[Markgway]

The Getaway... All the President's Men... Breakheart Pass...

[Shingster]

Generally as time passes I would think ratings would get more lenient not the other way round (not saying you're wrong)

The whole video nasty furore in the 80s plunged UK film classification into the dark ages. Thank Mary Whitehoue and her kind.

[Yi-Long]

Generally as time passes I would think ratings would get more lenient not the other way round (not saying you're wrong)

The whole video nasty furore in the 80s plunged UK film classification into the dark ages. Thank Mary Whitehoue and her kind.

Has anyone butchered Mary yet? If not, why not?

Anyway, I watched 'Wanted' today.

Childhood boy fantasy about ordinary guy who is suddenly exposed as son of a very special guy, and has 'amazing powers' and all that stuff. Anyway, let's just say this is the kind of thing everyone of us was kinda fantasizing about when they were 14 years old, nodding off during mathclass while staring out the window...

That doesn't mean it isn't entertaining. It is. It's mindless popcorn fluff entertainment, with moments of absolute brilliance thrown in, yet at the same time it leaves you with the bitter feeling that this could have been so much more than what it now is, if they hadn't kicked in so many open doors, went for so many obvious cheap thrills, and maybe had treated the premise a little bit more maturely and with better writing...

Performances range from very good, to ok-ish. Morgan Freeman is obviously decent as always, but this was pretty much a sleepwalk role for him. Angelina doesn't look like the walking skeleton we see in the papers nowadays, but actually manages to look kinda attractive (yet nowhere near as good as when she still had a decent full body), and her performance isn't noteworthy, except to mention that it isn't as good as one should be able to expect from an actress with her talent. Then again, to be honest to Morgan and Jolie, the script really doesn't offer them a single moment to shine when it comes to flexing their acting muscles...

James McAvoy DOES get to show some acting, and does very well, as can be expected. Certainly not oscarwinning material, but for the role that was written, he performs it as good as one could wish for...

Anyway, like I said, very entertaining in a popcorny kinda way, note the 'corny', and has small moments of pure genius, but overall you're left with the feeling more could have been done with the potential that is quite obviously present with this premise.

3/5

[grim_tales]

Oh yeah, you're right about video nasties Shing.
Yi, Mary passed away some years ago.

[HungFist]

The Informant! (USA, 2009) – 3/5
Flight viewing. Quite fun.

[Markgway]

SERENITY

Tongue-in-cheek sci-fi action adventure. Perfectly watchable but it went on a bit. The plot was also a bit numbing. I liked the sharp humour. Could've done with a bit more of that.

GORKY PARK

Convoluted thriller about Russians who all have English accents (even William Hurt). Sort of intriguing at times, but as cold as their winters. Acting is stilted and and dialogue theatrical. Worth it just to see Scots comic Rikki Fulton as a KGB chief.

[romerojpg]

SERENITY

Tongue-in-cheek sci-fi action adventure. Perfectly watchable but it went on a bit. The plot was also a bit numbing. I liked the sharp humour. Could've done with a bit more of that.

I take it you never caught the TV show then if you have any interest in the film, get the TV show as it is as good, but funnier.

[Markgway]

I take it you never caught the TV show then if you have any interest in the film, get the TV show as it is as good, but funnier.

No, I didn't see it. Didn't like the film enough to bother in retrospect. Might have enjoyed it more the other way around.

[luckystars]

After a Blockbuster smash-up this week:

Mesrine Pts 1 & 2 (Blu 8.5/10 each) - recommended!

Three Kingdoms (Blu 8/10)

Hurt Locker (Blu 7/10) - way over hyped/rated

Dorian Gray (DVD 4.5/10) - what a stinker)

[Markgway]

4.5/10 seems quite kind for a 'stinker'.

How bad does a film have to be to get 4/10?

[HungFist]

4.5/10 seems quite kind for a 'stinker'.

How bad does a film have to be to get 4/10?

Exactly. On 1-5 scale I give 1 for lack of merits alone, doesn't have to be a horribly terribly horrible movie. If a film get's 1.5 from me, it means I enjoyed some parts. I don't give points for free or out of mercy, everything must be earned.

4.5/10 would certainly be passable film by my definition.

[saltysam]

Saw Series overall 3/5

Just watched all 6 over a few days, a pretty uneven series but certainly watchable. The first 3 are pretty decent, 4 is weak, 5 is an improvement over 4 and 6 is something of a return to form. The series is increasingly convoluted and reliant on flashbacks. it's impossible,unlike say the Halloween or Friday movies to watch one as a standalone,you really need to have seen them all in sequence.Hell the latest one (6) is explaining things that happened in Pt 3 they made the silly mistake of course,of killing Jigsaw at the end of Pt 3 and now have to find ways of keeping him in the films!

[Shingster]

How bad does a film have to be to get 4/10?

He gave Three Kingdoms 8/10 so I'd imagine VERY bad!

[Markgway]

I gave Three Kingdoms **.5/4

[saltysam]

Halloween 4 2.5/5

After the non-Myers 3rd film this one picks up years after the end of the 2nd one. it's quickly established that Myers & Loomis survived the fireball at the end of 2,Laurie Strode is deceased and has an 8 year old daughter in the care of foster parents fairly predictable with little of the style of the first two but it moves along quickly enough.pretty bloodless as well.

Halloween 5 1.5/5

Pretty poor,cheap looking 5th entry in the series.Myers is on the loose again and predictably returns to Haddonfield in search of his Niece there's also a weird subplot involving a man in black that's never explained,it's so long since i saw pt 6 i can't remember if it becomes clear in that one. the logic in this,as in most slashers is deeply flawed, Myers can kill cops,teenagers,rednecks etc. with ease but even after two films he can't finish off a 9 year old whiny little girl. it's a little weird watching Danielle Harris in this one now knowing how her return in Zombie's remake turned out.

Gamer 2.5/5
The first half of this is good,mindless action,unfortunately the 2nd half falls apart and limps to it's disappointing climax.As a fan of The Crank movies i was disappointed in this.the blu-ray looks and sounds great.

[gasteropod]

Michael Myers' mask looks dead stupid in number 4.

[IronMonkey]

Danielle Harris now = HOT.

[luckystars]

4/10 is a film thats fine but doesn't work. Not horrible.

I gave 4.5 because some a few scenes were elevated by better acting that transcended the film overall.

It was a stinker for me because I wont get the time back watching an unrewarding movie

[Markgway]

Nope. Still doesn't make any sense.

[luckystars]

Hmmm ok Mark.

[Yi-Long]

Just watched The Ramen Girl (it wasn't my choice, honest), and it was as good as I expected it to be!!! (ie pretty damn bad)

It all looked like it was written by a teenage girl (or a sad desperate middle-aged woman who likes this kinda premise), performances were bland at best, and for a movie that has the intention to make you care about the girl,japanese culture, and/or ramen, it fails miserably. The characters are not likeable, the 'humour' doesn't make you laught, the 'drama' is piss-poor at best, the romantic interest side-plot is a joke, etc.

It's a pretty amazing achievemnt for a movie to fail on so many different levels and in so many different areas, but this one does.

Avoid. 1/5