What Movie Did You Just Watch? ...Rises

[jpanimation]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) 7/10 - Did Peter Jackson release the workprint? In no way does this feel like a final product. It's WAY too long. As someone who prefers the extended editions of Lord of the Rings, I'm telling you with absolute certainty that this movie needs edited down by around 40 mins to an hour (unfortunately Peter Jackson just announced that he's making an extended edition...ugh). It felt like they didn't even leave the shire for a good hour and just sat around talking the entire time getting nowhere. It wasn't even character development, just drawn out conversations and sight gags, as there were only a couple of the Dwarves who's names I could even remember. The score for the movie also felt very workprint to me. There were too many occasions during the movie where tracks from Lord of the Rings started up. It didn't feel natural but as if they were just clipped in at the last minute to invoke some sort of nostalgia out of us. It left me uncomfortable, like they were saying "remember when this similar situation happened in The Lord of the Rings?".

What worked for me were the scenes that weren't trying to harken back to The Lord of the Rings, like the Trolls and the Goblin King. I also appreciated the little music Howard Shore did make for this movie, like the Dwarves theme and the orcs theme. I was a little worried about Gollum's appearance going in but to me the entire sequence was just prefect. If they would've stuck with the original plan of just having 2 movies, I guarantee you this would've been much better. As it is, it feels like all build up with no payoff.

Note: I saw this in 3D but not HFR. The 3D was alright but there was times where it wasn't working at all (for instance, the first time they see Rivendell the characters in the foreground have depth but are looking at a flat matte painting. There is no depth to the matte at all and it looks like they're just standing infront of a wall.)

[ajmrowland]

Actually the movie was great for me. The book is very long and is episodic by nature. A few applauded as the credits rolled at the screening i was at. It is supposed to be a three parter so there might be reason to the lengh here. The plot was well explained without hitting us over the head. The gollum sequence was easily the best bit. A couple bits fid go a little long but it was very well paced and ended up meeting my high expectations.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Kiss Me Deadly - One of the weirdest films noir I have ever seen (and a really weird movie in general). The acting was great, though; well, for the most part (it was lacking a bit at the end). I also kind of wish that there was a better explanation for what's inside the case, but it went and blew everything up so I guess I don't necessarily need an explanation. Overall, not bad, and Criterion put out a great Blu-ray so I'm happy. Now I just need to watch the bonus features and listen to the commentary.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Man, this is a long film, but it's really well done (I mean, it's Fincer, so of course it's going to be well done). It's a very interesting story, and even though it's a tad long for my taste, it makes for a great film. The special effects are top notch, and the acting is superb. I have to say that my favorite sequence is the one with Tilda Swinton. And, yup, Criterion put out a great release, and I need to watch the bonus features and give the commentary a listen.

Melancholia - This was a weird one, too. I hadn't seen anything by Lars Von Trier, so I'm not sure if this is one of his best or not, but it certainly was interesting. Kirsten Dunst is great as Justine, and how she pulls off being so depressed is impressive; the music chosen for the film is excellent, too. I may need to give this one another watch. I have The Antichrist on my Netflix Queue, so I'm sure I'll watch another Von Trier film shortly.

The Hobbit - This film totally met my expectations. I have read the novel, but it's been almost seven years. The beginning was a bit slow/dull (and I could definitely find places where some scenes/sequences could be cut or shortened), but it really picked up in the middle and it was exciting and action-packed all the way to the end. The troll scene and the Game of Riddles are my two favorite scenes from the film. I really can't wait until next December to see part 2!

[jpanimation]

The book is very long and is episodic by nature.

Did we read the same book? The Hobbit book I read was around 300 pages, which I wouldn't consider very long (at least, not enough to occupy 10 hours of screen time, which yes, with the extended cuts it will).

It is supposed to be a three parter so there might be reason to the lengh here.

Yeah, it's called bankruptcy. The same company that was holding this production up for years because they were in the middle of bankruptcy finally got the financing to make this movie but decided that to avoid going into bankruptcy again, it's best they make it 3 movies instead of 2 to maximize their profits. Of course I'm talking about the pathetic piece of shit known as MGM. I blame them for this, since I'm sure 2 movies would've been much better paced and a better overall product.

Kiss Me Deadly - One of the weirdest films noir I have ever seen (and a really weird movie in general). The acting was great, though; well, for the most part (it was lacking a bit at the end). I also kind of wish that there was a better explanation for what's inside the case, but it went and blew everything up so I guess I don't necessarily need an explanation. Overall, not bad, and Criterion put out a great Blu-ray so I'm happy. Now I just need to watch the bonus features and listen to the commentary.

Totally feel the same way. The pandora's box thing just seems soo out of nowhere.

[disneyboy20022]

Tinker Bell and The Great Fairy Rescue which is probably my favorite one

Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings

[ajmrowland]

The book is very long and is episodic by nature.

Did we read the same book? The Hobbit book I read was around 300 pages, which I wouldn't consider very long (at least, not enough to occupy 10 hours of screen time, which yes, with the extended cuts it will).

y long, but I'm not a huge fan of the way tolkien words things and the pacing didnt really keep me interested for too long.
Yeah, it's called bankruptcy. The same company that was holding this production up for years because they were in the middle of bankruptcy finally got the financing to make this movie but decided that to avoid going into bankruptcy again, it's best they make it 3 movies instead of 2 to maximize their profits. Of course I'm talking about the pathetic piece of shit known as MGM. I blame them for this, since I'm sure 2 movies would've been much better paced and a better overall product.

Well, that's one way of putting it and I'm usually the first to say money's involved-and to use bankruptcy as a reason for it even, but i was referring to the fact that it is a part one, and we havent seen the rest yet, which might actually be better than this. didnt everyone say that Deathly Hallows part one was awkwardly paced, but that split was more to benefit the second part on the behalf of the writers and filmmakers. It's also been reported that the third film is gonna feature a lot of unused footage from LOTR. like I said, we dont really know how parts 2 and 3 are gonna play so judging what is really half a movie on its own means that down the line, some of us are gonna be taking our own medicine.

Either way, the film was no more padded than I expected and the plot less paper-thin than I remember. And I enjoyed it, probably partly because having read the entire LOTR trilogy a couple times, I still like those movies better than the books. and like those, Unexpected Journey conveyed a lot of information without boring me and kept the action scenes interesting with little exception. And the characters were good enough and the quiet and thoughtful scenes were just as compelling as anything I've seen this year.

[TheValentineBros]

WALL-E.

[50's MouseLover]

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green ..... very sweet and refreshing for a change.

[PeterPanfan]

On Christmas I watched The Godfather for the first time with my mom. A few years ago, when I realized I had never seen it, I was almost too intimidated to watch it. I felt like I wasn't mature enough to be able to understand it, and the running time freaked me out as well. Needless to say, I loved it and have been thinking about it ever since. Coppola directed it in such a way that it really didn't feel like 170 minutes. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Pacino's performance more than Brando's. I honestly don't quite "get" why Brando as Vito is so revered, and am baffled at this Oscar win and Pacino's loss. James Cann was also great, and I wish Diane Keaton was somehow incorporated more into the story, though it was clear this was a "masculine" production.

Yesterday I began with Les Miserables (2012) at the theater. I was underwhelmed, which is disappointing since I was prepared to really enjoy it. Anne Hathaway was great, but, without having seen other Supporting Actress award-contenders, I can't declare her victory just yet. Aside from Hathaway and newcomer Samantha Barks, I wasn't too impressed with any other performance. Eddie Redmayne was almost good, but lacked real emotion for the role. Hugh Jackman, on the other hand, put too much artificial emotion into the role, and any credibility Russel Crowe had in acting was overshadowed by his out-of-place singing voice. Helena Bonham Carter and Sascha Baron Cohen were their usual, zany selves, and at this point it seems that Bonham-Carter is playing herself in every role (even with the same costume.) Amanda Seyfried was surprisingly good, but she isn't the only actress that could have done well with the limited role. Aaron Tveit was great, and I wish he could have been in it more. Overall, worth it for the awesome scenery and magnificent songs, but not necessary to see in theaters.

The Terminal - I'm really surprised Spielberg directed this. It was average, and Hanks and Zeta-Jones were fine in performance, but the move had little merit it to it. Like... why was anyone compelled to make this?

The Godfather Part II - I prefer the first, but only slightly. DeNiro was a fantastic replacement for Brando (in fact I may have enjoyed him more), and Pacino continued his brilliant and subdued portrayal of Michael Corleone. I'm hesitant to watch the third entry, but I feel as though people exaggerate with their hatred of it.

Tootise - God, do I hate the title of this fantastic film. Dustin Hoffman is definitely one of my favorite actors (though recent choices are lacking), and Jessica Lange and Teri Garr were great supporting actors. Overall a great comedy, great acting, and a great film.

[Disney's Divinity]

[
What worked for me were the scenes that weren't trying to harken back to The Lord of the Rings, like the Trolls and the Goblin King. I also appreciated the little music Howard Shore did make for this movie, like the Dwarves theme and the orcs theme. I was a little worried about Gollum's appearance going in but to me the entire sequence was just prefect. If they would've stuck with the original plan of just having 2 movies, I guarantee you this would've been much better. As it is, it feels like all build up with no payoff.

Note: I saw this in 3D but not HFR. The 3D was alright but there was times where it wasn't working at all (for instance, the first time they see Rivendell the characters in the foreground have depth but are looking at a flat matte painting. There is no depth to the matte at all and it looks like they're just standing infront of a wall.)

Yeah, from what I've heard, the Gollum scene is the best to most people. I've heard about the HFR issues, but I won't be watching it in 3D, thankfully. I've heard the CG looks awful pretty much all around though.

I'll be seeing this in a few days for my birthday. I know it'll probably be really drawn-out, since I've read that in nearly every review, but I'm pretty sure the third film is supposed to revolve around ideas/info. from The Silmarillion (sp?). So I think The Hobbit storyline should be done in the 2nd film. I think.

[DancingCrab]

LES MISERABLES
Wow... not a perfect movie, but one that packs a hell of an emotional impact. The singing (it's sung all the way through, for those not familiar with the stage musical) quality takes a back seat to the drama here. Anne Hathaway WILL win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Her impact is left long after she leaves the screen early on. She even eclipses Hugh Jackman who, while amazing, suffers slightly in a few singing spots. Other than that he owns Valjean and definitely deserves at least a nomination for this performance. I literally started crying about 10 minutes in and wept on and off throughout the entire movie. I felt exhausted afterward. Such a beautiful ending.

I'd say the film deserves an 8 out of 10

[qindarka]

[
What worked for me were the scenes that weren't trying to harken back to The Lord of the Rings, like the Trolls and the Goblin King. I also appreciated the little music Howard Shore did make for this movie, like the Dwarves theme and the orcs theme. I was a little worried about Gollum's appearance going in but to me the entire sequence was just prefect. If they would've stuck with the original plan of just having 2 movies, I guarantee you this would've been much better. As it is, it feels like all build up with no payoff.

Note: I saw this in 3D but not HFR. The 3D was alright but there was times where it wasn't working at all (for instance, the first time they see Rivendell the characters in the foreground have depth but are looking at a flat matte painting. There is no depth to the matte at all and it looks like they're just standing infront of a wall.)

Yeah, from what I've heard, the Gollum scene is the best to most people. I've heard about the HFR issues, but I won't be watching it in 3D, thankfully. I've heard the CG looks awful pretty much all around though.

I'll be seeing this in a few days for my birthday. I know it'll probably be really drawn-out, since I've read that in nearly every review, but I'm pretty sure the third film is supposed to revolve around ideas/info. from The Silmarillion (sp?). So I think The Hobbit storyline should be done in the 2nd film. I think.

The storyline from The Hobbit will not be resolved until the third film.
They aren't allowed to use material from The Silmarillion, they are looking to the appendices of The Lord of the Rings for events that happened in the same timeframe plus their own additions.

[dvdjunkie]

Pure Country 2: The Gift - Blu-ray

I had never heard of this film until I was shopping at my local CD Tradepost and found this Blu-ray in the Christmas sales bin. It is both movies on two separate discs for only $4.99.

While I am a big fan of the movie Pure Country I was a little disappointed at first by the fact that this wasn't a continuation of that film. This movie is totally different and George Strait is only it for a total of about 1 1/2 minutes.

Written by Dean Cain (The Adventures of Lois & Clark)and his brother Christopher Cain, who also directed both films, this story is a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and a whole lot of cheesy goodness.

Three angels (Michael McKean, Bronson Pinchot, and Cheech Marin) oversee "gifts" from above, and they give a little girl, who's mother died giving birth, a great voice. There are three conditions - Never Lie, Always be Fair and Never Turn your back on a friend.

Katrina Elam stars as Bobbie Thomas, and she uses her great voice very well in this movie. For a first-time acting stint, she does quite well and carries this film without a hitch. She travels to Nashville from her home in Kentucky, and is told to remember the three conditions. You can predict most of the story from there, but it is still a very good film, and well worth watching.

I won't spoil the ending, but the last 10-minutes will leave you in tears. It is a very good film, in a very special way. I, however, think that the choice of title really hurt this film. I will still give it three stars out of five, just because I really enjoyed the music and the inspirational story it told.

[PeterPanfan]

The Godfather Part III - I was both excited and hesitant to watch this. I so much enjoyed the first two films that a third seemed like a marvelous additional treat, yet the less-than-stellar reviews were clouding over the experience. I still really liked the ending to the trilogy, despite any apprehension - loved it, perhaps. Al Pacino gives, in my opinion, his best performance from all three films here (though Part II may have been just as good). Unlike others, I didn't feel like there was a gap left by Robert Duvall's absence, just like I didn't feel much of a difference without Brando in Part II. Andy Garcia was very believable as a Corleone (especially a spawn of Sonny's), and his characterization was enjoyably different from the two previous Don's. Diane Keaton had a lot more to do here than in the other two films, though I didn't think she was especially good until the climatic death of her daughter. Speaking of, Sofia Coppola was, indeed, bad. However, her acting didn't detract too much from the character of Mary and I still found her death emotional, especially as Michael and Kay were beginning to believe that they were truly getting away from the "family business." FFC still gave a fresh direction to the film, and I believe his and Puzo's script was great given the circumstances (absence of a major character/not even wanting to write the movie in the first place). There were some plot holes, though, such as the complete disappearance of Bridget Fonda's character after she was nearly killed. Still, I am glad I watched the film and the trilogy is definitely a newly added highlight on my list of favorites.

Blade Runner: The Director's Cut - As the movie began, I thought I was in for an enjoyable experience. It quickly, however, began to drag and I felt that there was little to no characterization and I honestly couldn't care less what happened to Ford and Young as the movie progressed. I guess it was wroth a watch, and the cinematography was great... the script was just lacking a real point.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Over the past few weeks, I've seen:

True Grit (2010) - This is my preferred version of True Grit (granted, I've only seen half of the 1969 version). I think Jeff Bridges is pretty awesome as Rooster and Hailee Steinfeld is much more suited as Mattie than whoever was in the '69 version (who was much too old). The Coen brothers are great filmmakers in general, so everything in the film looks and sounds great. It's definitely one of my favorite 2010 films.

The Birds - I hadn't seen this in a really really long time (like a really long time). Sure, the processing shots don't hold up all that well (though I was surprised that Disney handled all of those sodium processing shots, which look much better in Mary Poppins a few years later). Overall, the film is pretty great; the idea of having supposedly docile creatures attacking certainly gives a good scare.

North By Northwest - So, yeah, I had a bit of a Hitchcock marathon. I hadn't ever seen this one except for the crop-duster scene. It's generally pretty good, though it seemed to be a little bit long. The acting was great: Cary Grant is as good as always, and Eva Marie Saint was great as Eve. It was certainly climactic, and overall I enjoyed it. It may not be one of my favorites, though.

Young Adult - I knew it would be funny, but I really wasn't expecting too much when I began watching it. I was wrong, though, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Charlize Theron was more funny than I thought she would be, and I found myself laughing quite a bit. It may not be as good as Juno or Thank You For Smoking or Up in the Air, but I thought it was still pretty good. I might just pick this up on Blu-ray when I get some more money.

Rear Window - Yeah, I'm not really a fan of RW. Thankfully Jimmy Stewart kept the film from being enormously boring. I needed some action, and Rear Window doesn't provide all that much. I totally see that the audience should be engaged as the mystery comes up and then is solved, but it just wasn't working for me. I don't know; maybe I need to watch it again.

Moonrise Kingdom - My favorite of the year (with Cloud Atlas and Les Mis tied for second). It just has that Wes Anderson quirkiness that I absolutely love. It's brilliantly shot; there's brilliant acting; it's super funny when it's supposed to be; it's super quirky. I just love this film. Not only is it my favorite of the year, but it's my favorite Anderson film, too.

Bel Ami - This one wasn't all that great. The acting, besides Uma Thurman, was sub-par and the story felt way too familiar. It was shot well, but the script was quite bad. Yeah, I didn't enjoy this one at all.

American Beauty - I love AB! I had only seen it within the past few years or so, but I absolutely love it. The acting is great (literally, the whole cast is awesome). Alan Ball wrote a great script and Sam Mendes's interpretation was great. I need this one on Blu-ray (and hopefully I'll be able to pick it up soon).

Drive - I had heard this was good, but I wasn't expecting much; however, I really really enjoyed it. It was different than what I imagined for sure. Ryan Gosling was great as The Kid/Driver. I didn't know he could be so violent, haha. A great film!

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - I hadn't seen this film in a long time, too (like a decade or more). It kind of affects me the same way Dumbo does. It's a simple story with a powerful impact. It's also somehow really funny to me to see a little Drew Barrymore. Overall, it's thoroughly enjoyable and I certainly need to watch it again.

Les Misérables - I've been waiting all year to see this, and it didn't disappoint. Even though it seemed a tad long, it was pretty brilliant. Anne Hathaway deserves an Oscar for her portrayal of Fantine, and Hugh Jackman and Eddie Redmayne should be nominated for their roles, too. This was the first time I "listened" to the whole soundtrack (it's frickin' long, okay; I have the Complete Symphonic Recording and I rarely have three hours to spare), but I certainly liked all of the songs. I still don't know what to think about the shooting style. The constant close ups are a bit annoying. I think Hooper was doing that to really show us how miserable the characters are, but I don't think we need almost every shot to be a close up to get that (I mean, the film is literally called the miserable ones). Other than that, though, I really really enjoyed it, and it's my second favorite film of the year (along with Cloud Atlas). I'll be seeing this one in theaters sometime soon.

[disneyboy20022]

I just got done watching Trouble with the Curve. It was great and I enjoyed it.

[ajmrowland]

Yeah, from what I've heard, the Gollum scene is the best to most people. I've heard about the HFR issues, but I won't be watching it in 3D, thankfully. I've heard the CG looks awful pretty much all around though.

I'll be seeing this in a few days for my birthday. I know it'll probably be really drawn-out, since I've read that in nearly every review, but I'm pretty sure the third film is supposed to revolve around ideas/info. from The Silmarillion (sp?). So I think The Hobbit storyline should be done in the 2nd film. I think.

The storyline from The Hobbit will not be resolved until the third film.
They aren't allowed to use material from The Silmarillion, they are looking to the appendices of The Lord of the Rings for events that happened in the same timeframe plus their own additions.

also, according to Rolling Stone, theyre also taking fro some unwritten material but that could mean the appendices.

[PeterPanfan]

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - I haven't seen too many westerns, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I really really enjoyed this. I thought Paul Newman was great in it, and I actually can't remember seeing Redford in a movie, though I'm sure I have at some point. Katharine Ross was also good, and the final scene is brilliant.

Some Like it Hot - I laughed more than I thought I would, which is rare in a Golden Age comedy. Typically, I enjoy them but they usually fail to deliver hilarity for me. That said, I loved this film. Billy Wilder is quickly becoming one of my favorite director's, and Tony Curtis was my favorite part of the movie.

Alien - First time with this, and despite thinking it was a bit overrated, I still really liked it. Maybe a second viewing will prove more beneficial to my opinion of it. Weaver was fantastic and some moments were pretty chilling, but I expected... more?

Bringing Up Baby - This is probably my least favorite Wilder film I've seen so far (after Sunset Boulevard and the aforementioned), but I still thought it was charming. I didn't think too much of Cary Grant before, but he was great in this, as was Katharine Hepburn (but when isn't she?)

[Avaitor]

Bringing Up Baby - This is probably my least favorite Wilder film I've seen so far

This isn't a Wilder movie though- it's a Howard Hawks picture.

[disneyboy20022]

Just got home from Monsters Inc 3D. It was great, but If I didn't have a free ticket I wouldn't have went to see it.