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

Film Reviews and Release Comparisons
Post Reply
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Lethal Weapon (1987-USA) ***½
Classic 80s buddy-actioner stands up terrifically well. Brilliant script by Shane Black, a model for the genre; dynamite performance by Mel Gibson as L.A's favourite suicidal Aussie copper.

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989-USA) ***
Cartoony sequel, filled with one-liners, ups the comedy content, and goes widescreen, but returns to its darkly violent origins in exciting third act.

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992-USA) **½
The law of diminishing returns applies... Gibson and Glover are still a fun team, and the laughs and big action are there in spades, but the depth and intensity have all but evaporated.
Image
User avatar
grim_tales
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 22071
Joined: 25 Oct 2004, 18:34
Location: St. Albans, UK

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by grim_tales »

Did you see the Director's Cut or Theatrical Editions?
I like the DC of Part 1 because at least it adds something to the story and fleshes out Riggs' character more. Dont know why I kept the DC of 2 and 3, probably completists sake.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

grim_tales wrote:Did you see the Director's Cut or Theatrical Editions?
Yes, I still have it on DVD. Couldn't bring myself to get rid. Although the BD (from the box set) includes all the additional scenes and a few more bits and pieces.
I like the DC of Part 1 because at least it adds something to the story and fleshes out Riggs' character more. Dont know why I kept the DC of 2 and 3, probably completists sake.
Agreed. It may be a commercial job but the DC of LW1 is actually good and the extra scenes mostly worthwhile (love the school sniper scene). The DCs are 2 and 3 are pointless. It's obvious those were cutting room floor scenes from the outset.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998-USA) **½
No one in their right mind would call this a good movie... but there's just enough gas left in the tank to propel this violent action sequel; certainly the weakest in the series and unsurprisingly the last. Everyone is having a grand old time behind the scenes, which is infectious up to a point. Jet Li's villain is the real star and the brutal final fight the film's highlight.

Midnight Run (1988-USA) ***
Sharp mismatched-buddy vehicle made way back when putting the words 'DeNiro' and 'comedy' in the same sentence wasn't a threat.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

This Is the End (2013-USA) *
A bunch of celebrity friends face the apocalypse together... but if you think impending doom will prevent them from a barrage of unfunny dick and weed jokes... think again...
Intolerably smug vanity project gathers many of Hollywood's most obnoxious comic actors to perpetrate a true crime against cinema. Satire? These clowns couldn't even spell the word.

And Then There Were None (2015-UK) *½
Drab, dreary BBC TV adaptation of Agatha Christie mainstay takes 90m of plot and stretches it out to three hours (in three parts) with repetitious flashbacks and countless scenes that should've hit the cutting room floor. Something dear old Agatha never thought of? A bunch of f-words. I expect she's rolling her grave... The 1945 version is widely available. Just saying...
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Intruder (1988-USA) **
No budget slasher pic has just enough flair and sly humour to pass muster. Probably your only chance to see Sam Raimi hung up on a meat hook.
Image
User avatar
grim_tales
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 22071
Joined: 25 Oct 2004, 18:34
Location: St. Albans, UK

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by grim_tales »

Spectre: 4/5

Felt like more of a spy thriller and contained less wham-bang action than Daniel Craig's previous entries (Imo) but still, what there was impressive. It also felt a bit too long but I liked how, while the traditional elements seem to be in place now (almost), Craig still reacts to them in his own way with deadpan, dry humour which doesnt feel out of place.
I liked the references to previous films the fight on the train with the brick sh*thouse is rather like Moore v Jaws, the villain's underground base etc.
It was obvious M's subordinate was going to be a villain from the moment he was introduced, the attempt to tie this film to the previous Craig ones was good though but is every film he's in going to be about his past and personal hang-ups?
Léa Seydoux was so hot :D
Last edited by grim_tales on 31 Dec 2015, 15:13, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
HungFist
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 11704
Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by HungFist »

grim_tales wrote: Léa Seydoux was so hot :D
It's extremely rare that I find a Caucasian girl attractive, but I'd have to agree with you here.
User avatar
grim_tales
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 22071
Joined: 25 Oct 2004, 18:34
Location: St. Albans, UK

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by grim_tales »

I agree with Mark's comments about the brutality and darker moments in Spectre working well.
Yi-Long
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 8616
Joined: 26 Oct 2004, 13:46
Location: Alkmaar, Holland

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Yi-Long »

Markgway wrote:
Midnight Run (1988-USA) ***
Sharp mismatched-buddy vehicle made way back when putting the words 'DeNiro' and 'comedy' in the same sentence wasn't a threat.
I LOVE Midnight Run. Such classic characters and lines, and it has a nice pace. Just a fun road movie.
grim_tales wrote:Spectre: 4/5

Felt like more of a spy thriller and contained less wham-bang action than Daniel Craig's previous entries (Imo) but still, what there was impressive. It also felt a bit too long but I liked how, while the traditional elements seem to be in place now (almost), Craig still reacts to them in his own way with deadpan, dry humour which doesnt feel out of place.
I liked the references to previous films the fight on the train with the brick sh*thouse is rather like Moore v Jaws, the villain's underground base etc).
It was obvious M's subordinate was going to be a villain from the moment he was introduced, the attempt to tie this film to the previous Craig ones was good though but is every film he's in going to be about his past and personal hang-ups?
Léa Seydoux was so hot :D
I really enjoyed SPECTRE quite a lot until the last half hour orso, where they basically fucked it all up completely by going wayyyy overboard on the stupid, as well as ruïning the prior 3 movies as well, by trying to tie them all together...

The whole identity and motivation for Bond's nemesis, as well as the ridiculous set-piece in an abandoned building in London, were just beyond stupid. I really think Sam Mendes messed up his Bond-run big-time. I know they're a commercial success, but the extremely poor scripts and plot-holes in both his movies, are just very hard to swallow.

Craig is fantastic, as always, but after 1 amazing Bond-movie (Casino Royale), followed by 3 mediocre/poor ones, either in plot (Skyfall & SPECTRE) or execution (Quantum), you can imagine why he would have enough of it all.
Image
I was there, the big BNB blackout of november, 2008. We lost many that day...
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Mindscape (2013-Spain-USA-UK-France) **½
Clever, engrossing psychological thriller does, alas, what so many of its ilk do, and fudges the third act, grinding to a glib conclusion, and leaving behind myriad unanswered questions. Good performances from leads Mark Strong and Taissa Farmiga.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

The Church (1989-Italy) **
Atmospheric, capably crafted religious-themed horror from the Soavi/Argento team, but don't go looking for coherence or characterization or consistency.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Big Driver (2014-USA-Canada) **½
Maria Bello stars as a mystery novelist who sets about getting revenge on her rapist in a manner Jessica Fletcher would most definitely not approve of in quirky, but generally not bad Stephen King adaptation. Made for TV, but contains some strong sexual violence.
Image
User avatar
HungFist
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 11704
Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by HungFist »

Kingsman: The Secret Service (UK, 2014) [Flight] – 2.5/5
This is pretty much what you’d expect from the director of Kick-Ass: a post modern action comedy that lacks balls, but is nevertheless pretty well made, except for the horrible soundtrack. The action scenes are boring and nonsensical, but there are some fun acting performances and the film remains more watchable than it probably should.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Bone Tomahawk (2015-USA) ***
Quite good western overcomes a sluggish pace thanks to intelligent tone and some strong performances; Kurt Russell is great as always, Richard Jenkins and Matthew Fox almost unrecognisable in their roles. Patrick Wilson is fairly bland, but doesn't do any harm. The third act is rather shocking and gory -- I won't say anymore lest I spoil it for anyone. Stay through the end credits for the most unintentionally hilarious theme song.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

The Hateful Eight (2015-USA) **½

H8 is pure Tarantino, which (for me) is both its positive and its negative. It has flair, style, wit, audacity and memorable characters... it's also overlong, self-indulgent, cartoonish, childish, and cruel. Ever since Kill Bill V.1 you can't seem to get one lot without the other and my feelings about Inglourious Basterds (sic) and Django Unchained hold just as true here. I still happen to think that only Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown are Tarantino's great films -- if you disagree with that you'll probably disagree with my assessment of Hateful 8. Kurt Russell is awesome as usual, Sam Jackson is Sam Jackson, while Jennifer Jason Leigh walks away with the acting honours and deserves a Best Supt Actress nom at least.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Fixing the Shadow (1992-USA) **½
Psychologically traumatised cop Charlie Sheen goes undercover as a biker in rather decent drama; imagine a more serious version of Stone Cold.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Horror Hospital (1972-UK) *½
Naff black comedy in which mad surgeon Michael Gough (hammy as usual) performs lobotomies on unsuspecting hippie youths (would anyone notice?). Dated and very low budget film offers some gore (though nothing to justify the recently reconfirmed '18' cert) and mutton-chopped Robin Askwith as the horny hero!
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Delta Force 2 (1990-USA-The Philippines) **½
Action-packed, if overlong sequel; not as good a film as the original, but should satisfy most Chuck fans.
Image
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

A Force of One (1978-USA) **½
Tame martial arts thriller (with Chuck Norris) plays like a slightly above average TV movie or series pilot. Watchable, but uninspired, especially the action.
Image
User avatar
Masterofoneinchpunch
King of Beggars
Posts: 863
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 19:36

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Masterofoneinchpunch »

Markgway wrote:A Force of One (1978-USA) **½
Tame martial arts thriller (with Chuck Norris) plays like a slightly above average TV movie or series pilot. Watchable, but uninspired, especially the action.
From an action standpoint (not necessarily all aspects of the film but you can include those if you like) do you consider the best Chuck Norris films? I'm a bit weak on his filmography.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

Masterofoneinchpunch wrote: From an action standpoint (not necessarily all aspects of the film but you can include those if you like) do you consider the best Chuck Norris films? I'm a bit weak on his filmography.
That's a tough one... I guess it depends on what kind of action you're looking for? Chuck toned down the martial arts content after he 'went beard' with Lone Wolf McQuade being a kind of crossover from karate man Chuck to action man Chuck. If you're looking for martial arts then A Force of One is actually one of the more suitable titles - though the quality is what it is. The Octagon (aka the one with the ninjas) also fits that mould (I'm in the process of watching that now). If you're up for more 80s style big action then I guess the Delta Force movies or Invasion USA would be a safe bet. I like the Missing in Action trilogy, too. The Hitman is more of a 'violent' thriller (and his last good movie). Sorry for rambling, I'm not really helping here, am I...?
Image
User avatar
HungFist
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 11704
Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by HungFist »

Jurassic World (USA, 2015) [Flight] -3/5
This was an unexpectedly good adventure/thriller. The silly sounding idea about an engineered killer dinosaur actually works, Chris Pratt makes in instantly likable protagonist, Bryce Dallas Howard's cleavage is fun to watch, and the film is surprisingly tense in places. It does get a bit tiresome towards the end with the dinosaur battles, though, and seeing this on small screen probably helped hide the limitations of the CGI. That being said, it's a decent time waster; much better than I expected.
User avatar
Masterofoneinchpunch
King of Beggars
Posts: 863
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 19:36

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Masterofoneinchpunch »

Markgway wrote:
Masterofoneinchpunch wrote: From an action standpoint (not necessarily all aspects of the film but you can include those if you like) do you consider the best Chuck Norris films? I'm a bit weak on his filmography.
That's a tough one... I guess it depends on what kind of action you're looking for? Chuck toned down the martial arts content after he 'went beard' with Lone Wolf McQuade being a kind of crossover from karate man Chuck to action man Chuck. If you're looking for martial arts then A Force of One is actually one of the more suitable titles - though the quality is what it is. The Octagon (aka the one with the ninjas) also fits that mould (I'm in the process of watching that now). If you're up for more 80s style big action then I guess the Delta Force movies or Invasion USA would be a safe bet. I like the Missing in Action trilogy, too. The Hitman is more of a 'violent' thriller (and his last good movie). Sorry for rambling, I'm not really helping here, am I...?
Well it does help me narrow it down from the pile of Chuck Norris films I have so thanks. At the site that shall not be named they have been discussing The Octagon of late. It has been years since I had seen Delta Force, so I'm up for that again.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

Post by Markgway »

The Octagon (1980-USA) **½
Chuck Norris versus the Ninjas! Plot heavy actioner, but not bad. More cinematic than previous output.
Image
Post Reply