Good (or bad) Movies

[LennG]

 Today, we did as planned, and went to see the new 'Spiderman' movie. Unlike Bill, we were cheap and decided to see it as a regular movie.

 I definitely agree with Bill, in that the movie starts out real slow. In fact, I'd say about 2/3 of the way thru, I was wondering if Spiderman was the main character. He does come out front and center for the remainder of the movie though.

Where I stray from Bill is that I enjoyed the Toby McGuire Spiderman's much, much more. The new Peter Parker was OK, but I just could never figure out what the beautiful Gwen Stacy saw in this sort of nerd.

OK, my quick review, the movie was OK. There was enough action for anyone, once the action got underway. Myself, I don't think it came close to any of the 3 previos Spiderman movies. I found the action so fast and it was really hard to follow it. They use that close up photography, that I still have a sort of headache even 2 hours later. It is a movie that is meant to be seen on a huge movie screen, so waiting for a DVD will not do this movie justice.
I will also stray a bit from Bill in that I felt the Special effects were a bit over the top, especially the ending. This movie was made for the teen audience and when us old timers go to see it, we get headaches.

Again, it was good, but for me, no where near as good as the past Spiderman.

Oh, and an alert, do NOT get up when the credits role, there is another scene to come. It sets the scene for the next movie. Come on, you knew there was going to be several more.

[LennG]

 We got a copy of the new Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows, last nite.

I am a huge fan of anything 'Sherlock', thru some of the real oldies, thru Basil Rathbone, thru Jeremy Brett and I loved them all. When the first of these 'new' Sherlock Holmes movies came out a couple of years ago, with Robert Downey as Sherlock, I really didn't know what to expect. I liked the first one and I would put this new one in that category as well. It was a decent movie, but the only thing these two movies have in relationship with the true Sherlock Holmes is the name in the title and the names of the characters in the film. Downey's Sherlock Holmes as as far from what Conan Doyle wrote as Weeze is to a Ford Pinto.

 This new movie had it all, as far as characters are concerned, Professor Moriarty, Col Moran and all the other assorted band of extras that fill in Holmes movies. The action is good, the plot a bit hazy, but it really isn't the plot that we watch. Downey and Jude Law (Watson) make a great team and they play off each other very well.
 What bothered me about this Holmes movies is they try and show how Holmes is deducing certain things by camera moving quickly here, there and everywhere, but they do not explain it. That is the fun of reading Holmes, watching the older Holmes, to see and hear how he gets from point A to Point B and then to Point C. Without that we are just lost,a nd here Holmes doesn't explain anything.

Anyway, it is a decent enough movie to rent. Any true fan of Holmes will not put this movie into any sort of Sherlock Holmes scrapbook, but hey, we can't have everything.

[LennG]

 On Friday night, my son and daughter in law were over and they brought this movie, 'Women in Black' for us to watch. It was a sort of thriller, mystery/ about an attorney, who is sent to this village to help handle the estate of some woman who died there. What he didn't know was the house was haunted by another woman ( the above mentioned, Women in Black) who's child had died in an accident and body was never found. She took her revenge out on the townspeople by killing some of their children.
 Anyway, it was a dark movie, with a few slight scares, but nothing really dramatic. I will admit the house where this woman lived was pretty eerie as the tide comes in and out it covers the only road to and from the house.

 To be quick here, the movie was OK, silly in spots and not really as scary as I thought. The 'twist' ending wasn't that surprising to me, and when the entire movie was over, i was glad. My son liked it a lot more than I did, so I guess it was made for the younger generation.

[jimv]

Lenny, you know the old fart that I am.  I'm too conservative to even consider SH as an "action star."  Probably, Nero Wolfe was the only detective who challenge Holmes in a sedentary life style.  Even BR's portrayals were too much on his moving around.  JB's portrayals were really right on!  So, I've steered clear of these new fangled movies.

[ps11yat14]

I saw the new SH movie when it came out.  I did enjoy it for what it was but I kept thinking that the SH I grew up with was far more of a mental crime stopper than physical one.  Elementary my Dear Watson.  Jim, I guess it is the world we live in today.  It seems that it's all about thrill and action.  But like Peter Pan I don't want to grow up so I enjoy the new stuff.

Bill

[jimv]

That's why they make chocolate & vanilla, Bill.  I'll stay with the original SH version.

[vette]

I just watched a good Kate Hudson movie titles the "Skeleton Key". I wasn't expecting much out of it as it was rated low on the cable review. Did anyone else see it?

[Jim143]

I saw "Skeleton Key" when it first came out and was pleased with it.  I really liked the premise and the movie as a whole.

I just recorded the most current Star Trek.  I am far from a trekki and never watched any of the show(s) or the movies.  Not sure what prompted me to record this one - maybe I like Skylar in Heroes and thought he would make a good Spock. . . .

[LennG]

 I am far from being a Trekkie, but I loved the original series with William Shatner and liked the 'Next generation' but I could never get into whatever came afterwards.

 As far as the movies go, they sort of run out of what to do with the old guys so they did that prequel and it wasn't bad. I heard another one is in the works.

[LennG]

 Last night we rewatched the winner of the best picture at last years Academy Awards,
'The Artist'. We had seen this in the movies and it probably was the best picture of the year. We si,mply loved this movie.  After rewatching it, that thought still remains with me. What a joy to watch this movie.
 Jim, have you seen this yet??. If not, you had better order it right now.
 If anyone has been in a convent for the past 6 months or so,  The Artist is a homage to the old silent movies, made in glorious black and while but it is truly a remarkable movie for all ages. I can see teens watching this movie and liking it. It really isn't for the younger set as you have to read words on the screen and you have to know what it's all about. Just a terrific cast with great supporting roles by James Cromwell and John Goodman, but, of course, the dog, Uggie, steals the show.
 Again, the Academy thought this as the best movie of the year and I totally agree.
 The Artist, if you haven't seen it, do so ASAP.

[jimv]

Of course I have it, Lenny!  On blu-ray!!  It's a marvelous movie!  As a matter of fact, I was planning on watching it again tonight.

[ps11yat14]

Went to the "Dark Knight Rises" today with wife, daughter and daughter's boyfriend.  We all enjoyed it very much.  I'll leave it up to others to give it a review.  Note for Lenn.  You don't have to wait for the credits to finish,  no extra scenes.

Bill

[LennG]

Bill

 I've already got my ticket, 11AM tomorrow.

I'll post my review following.

[LennG]

 I guess us old timers just love these Batman movies. Like Bill, today we went and saw the new Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight Rises'.

 It was a good movie, and I would recommend it to anyone, from kids to adults. there were several scenes of killings, but nothing graphic, don't even know if you saw any blood, but there was lots of shootings, fist fights etc, etc. Again, the movie was good, but not 'the best' Batman ever. Christian Bale to me was still no Michael Keaton who was my favorite Batman. He still used that idiotic raspy voice when he was Batman which just drives me crazy.
 There are really none of the gimmicks that made other Batman movies so cute. No clever inventions, no Batmanish toys, jsut the Batcycle and some helicopter sort of plane.  I don't think there was even a giggle in this movie, it wasn't somber, but there were no laughs either.
 
 For me, the story was pretty simple, but I had a really hard time hearing everything. The villain, Bane spoke with a very heavy accent and I wasn't sure what he was saying. But it really didn't matter. plot wise, who really cares. They take some simple story, like Gotham ready to be blown to bits by an atomic bomb and run with it for 2 1/2 hours.
 Speaking of Bane, who was on screen a lot more than Batman, I just never bought into his story. As ar as villains go, he doesn't rate really high. What i mean is like the last movie, when Heath Ledger was on the screen, the movie had a real excitement to it. Not so with this new heavy Bane. Sure he was mean and ornery but the screen just didn't explode when he was on. Jack Nicholson also had that certain something to make you sit up and watch when ever he was on screen as the Joker.

 Anyway, the basic story, Batman has been stored away for 7 years, Bruce Wayne is a recluse and then things start to happen to bring both out of retirement. To be honest, Cat woman stole this movie. I loved when she was on screen.

 Great supporting cast with an Unnamed appearance by Liam Neeson.

Good fun, but I kind of knew what was to happen at the very end sort of mid way thru the movie with that young cop.

Go see it and enjoy it.

[DesG89]

Wow. It's been so long I forgot about this thread.

Being home sick with the chicken pox (at 39 years old no less. Ain't that a b*tch?) since last friday, it's given me a lot of time to look this year's crop of summer blockbusters in between watching Kojak and Quincy, M.E. on DVD because daytime TV is horrible. So far I've come away thinking, "Meh". For the most part they were good but not great with the exception of The Avengers and The DarkKnight Rises. The Amazing Spiderman I considered a notch below and everything else below that.

Lenn we seem to be opposites in our thinking in regards to Spiderman and the TDKR. Personally I think the Spiderman reboot blows the Tobey Maguire original away in that we get a little backstory with Peter's parents instead being told, "here's Peter and he lives with Aunt May and Uncle Ben". And this version stays true to the comics. Gwen was Peter's 1st love long before Mary Jane came into the picture.

As far as TDKR goes? We agree Bane's accent wasn't understandable at times but I thought he was a very good villain, far better than the thug for hire that he is in the comics anyway. I'm not saying he's as good as the Joker. NO ONE can touch Heath Ledger's Joker. That being said Bane still held his own IMO and he had enough screen presence to keep the movie going till Bruce/Batman finally took action. Bane isn't the type of villain that's going to wow you,  but he's not underwhelming either