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Niles
Giga Poster
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
Ok so i had heard some good things and did not believe it, but surprisingly this is a fantastic film.
Comparing it to the first Puss film its not even close this is so much better, some of DreamWorks best work up there with shrek 2.
The story is simple but the time is put into the characters, action and humour. All of the villains are compelling in their own way, one is redeemable, one is focused and the last is insane. When it comes to the fights they are well choreographed and visually beautiful with the art style becoming snappy and fast. For a kids film the humor can be surprisingly dark but they hit as well as the more light hearted moments, either way i was giggling the way through which does not happen with most comedy films i see.
Finally emotionally its strong, i cared for some of the characters by the end, GF along with me even got teary at points.
So i would recommend this 100%, for a "kids" film its better than most films i have seen in a while, take avatar, this was way more fun and memorable.
8/10
Ok so i had heard some good things and did not believe it, but surprisingly this is a fantastic film.
Comparing it to the first Puss film its not even close this is so much better, some of DreamWorks best work up there with shrek 2.
The story is simple but the time is put into the characters, action and humour. All of the villains are compelling in their own way, one is redeemable, one is focused and the last is insane. When it comes to the fights they are well choreographed and visually beautiful with the art style becoming snappy and fast. For a kids film the humor can be surprisingly dark but they hit as well as the more light hearted moments, either way i was giggling the way through which does not happen with most comedy films i see.
Finally emotionally its strong, i cared for some of the characters by the end, GF along with me even got teary at points.
So i would recommend this 100%, for a "kids" film its better than most films i have seen in a while, take avatar, this was way more fun and memorable.
8/10
Babylon
This was really good. It's long, but didn't drag at all. It's a bit pretentious in that "Hollywood film about Hollywood" way, but I'm interested in old Hollywood anyway, so it worked for me.
I thought it was all tied up quite cleverly. As I was watching it, I was thinking "this has elements of (certain film-no spoilers)", and by the end that all became very clear. I think the ending would still work if you hadn't seen the other film, but maybe without the same impact.
This was really good. It's long, but didn't drag at all. It's a bit pretentious in that "Hollywood film about Hollywood" way, but I'm interested in old Hollywood anyway, so it worked for me.
I thought it was all tied up quite cleverly. As I was watching it, I was thinking "this has elements of (certain film-no spoilers)", and by the end that all became very clear. I think the ending would still work if you hadn't seen the other film, but maybe without the same impact.
Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish
So much hype around this film being an ‘sleeper hit’ and it absolutely delivered. What a cracker!
Well humoured, well thought out characters, never twee, relatable themes, a decent amount of ‘feels’ and also quite anxiety inducing to boot. Damn, considering the family audience, the villain in this is terrifying! Several children were screaming and crying at points - even I got the heebie jeebies!
The animation is superb too - borrows heavily from the style of Into the Spiderverse at times, but it didn’t feel derivative.
This deserves to be a massive success. A big recommendation from me to go and see it, but maybe leave very small children at home.
No need to see the first film. I hadn’t.
9/10 (yes, really)
So much hype around this film being an ‘sleeper hit’ and it absolutely delivered. What a cracker!
Well humoured, well thought out characters, never twee, relatable themes, a decent amount of ‘feels’ and also quite anxiety inducing to boot. Damn, considering the family audience, the villain in this is terrifying! Several children were screaming and crying at points - even I got the heebie jeebies!
The animation is superb too - borrows heavily from the style of Into the Spiderverse at times, but it didn’t feel derivative.
This deserves to be a massive success. A big recommendation from me to go and see it, but maybe leave very small children at home.
No need to see the first film. I hadn’t.
9/10 (yes, really)
Howie
Donkey in a hat
65
A space explorer from another civilisation crash lands on an unchartered planet to find it overrun by terrifying alien creatures but - and here's the rub - that planet is lil' old Earth, circa about 65 million years ago and those terrifying alien creatures are in fact dinosaurs.
It's quite an interesting take on the dino-flick to be fair, kinda like a mash-up of Jurassic Park, The Martian and Planet of the Apes and me & Mrs Howie really rather enjoyed it.
Why a bloke from the other side of the universe, in a time before mankind even existed, speaks modern day English is never really explained, nor is why he appears to be carrying hiking gear straight out of JD Sports, but it's still quite an entertaining romp, even if not the the most intellectually taxing movie ever made. Solid effects and some pretty good jump-scares more than make up for it though.
And also, damning with faint praise, at least at 97 minutes it's mercifully short.
A space explorer from another civilisation crash lands on an unchartered planet to find it overrun by terrifying alien creatures but - and here's the rub - that planet is lil' old Earth, circa about 65 million years ago and those terrifying alien creatures are in fact dinosaurs.
It's quite an interesting take on the dino-flick to be fair, kinda like a mash-up of Jurassic Park, The Martian and Planet of the Apes and me & Mrs Howie really rather enjoyed it.
Why a bloke from the other side of the universe, in a time before mankind even existed, speaks modern day English is never really explained, nor is why he appears to be carrying hiking gear straight out of JD Sports, but it's still quite an entertaining romp, even if not the the most intellectually taxing movie ever made. Solid effects and some pretty good jump-scares more than make up for it though.
And also, damning with faint praise, at least at 97 minutes it's mercifully short.
LiveForTheLaunch
CF Legend
The Dark Night of the Scarecrow
I was in the mood to watch an older, cheesy horror flick the other day and stumbled upon this on Shudder. I had never heard of it, and I guess I can say it fulfilled my desire for an old, cheesy horror flick! The concept is unique compared to similar moves from the 80s, and I can see why it's rated fairly highly in comparison to them. I mean, it wasn't world class or anything, but at face value, it was entertaining.
I was in the mood to watch an older, cheesy horror flick the other day and stumbled upon this on Shudder. I had never heard of it, and I guess I can say it fulfilled my desire for an old, cheesy horror flick! The concept is unique compared to similar moves from the 80s, and I can see why it's rated fairly highly in comparison to them. I mean, it wasn't world class or anything, but at face value, it was entertaining.
Foxstar1387
Roller Poster
Guardians of The Galaxy Vol 3
If you enjoy the hero type films this is both one and not one.
Gonna try to keep from spoilers.
It is an emotional mangle. It keeps the funny stuff going all the way through. Drax is still just a stupid. Rocket still the trigger happy scoundrel. The big bad is still a moronic tool with a god complex. Thinking that they can do better than the reality of what is what is. Kinda following the same formula there but it still works in the story.
Being the last movie in the MCU by James Gunn. It was a great send off. It does leave some open holes for future cameos for the guardians.
Rockets back story is pretty draining emotionally. Be prepared for tears at times.
2 and half hours of laughs tears and leaving your brain in a pickle jar.
I will say go watch it as it is worth the time.
9/10 for me
If you enjoy the hero type films this is both one and not one.
Gonna try to keep from spoilers.
It is an emotional mangle. It keeps the funny stuff going all the way through. Drax is still just a stupid. Rocket still the trigger happy scoundrel. The big bad is still a moronic tool with a god complex. Thinking that they can do better than the reality of what is what is. Kinda following the same formula there but it still works in the story.
Being the last movie in the MCU by James Gunn. It was a great send off. It does leave some open holes for future cameos for the guardians.
Rockets back story is pretty draining emotionally. Be prepared for tears at times.
2 and half hours of laughs tears and leaving your brain in a pickle jar.
I will say go watch it as it is worth the time.
9/10 for me
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LiveForTheLaunch
CF Legend
Avatar
Yes, the original one. No, I haven't seen it yet, but the Pandora area in Disney had me intrigued so I finally got around to watching it. It was just fine, I guess. The movie is good and I can see why people like it, but there's nothing in the movie that are things I usually enjoy in films, if that makes sense. I'm not an action fan or a sci-fi fan, but I took it at face value and it kept me entertained for three hours, so I can't complain.
Yes, the original one. No, I haven't seen it yet, but the Pandora area in Disney had me intrigued so I finally got around to watching it. It was just fine, I guess. The movie is good and I can see why people like it, but there's nothing in the movie that are things I usually enjoy in films, if that makes sense. I'm not an action fan or a sci-fi fan, but I took it at face value and it kept me entertained for three hours, so I can't complain.
Beau is Afraid
This is the third film from Ari Aster, having previously directed Hereditary and Midsommar.
TLDR: this film is ‘Brazil (1985)’ meets ‘Requiem for a Dream’ meets ‘Pink Floyd’s The Wall’ (!) - your mileage may vary!
I’ll keep this post spoiler free, but I went in completely blind (as I really rate his other two films)… so just general observations here.
This is definitely a ‘category 2 enjoyment’ sort of film. It’s very obtuse and has a 3 hour runtime. With the subject matter it’s dealing with, which is not ‘jolly’, you can definitely feel that length. With that in mind, by conventional ‘I saw a film and I enjoyed it’ standards, I think most people will dislike it and some will find it unbearably uncomfortable and anxiety inducing… and agonisingly long.
However, for the majority of the film in which it’s not being completely humourless, it’s incredibly funny. Imagine a pitch black comedy, then make it blacker and bleaker. Then make it 10x blacker and bleaker than that. Now you’re in the right territory! There was a lot of audible laughter in the cinema.
The film is very chaotic and surreal, but it’s pitching emotionally relatable material despite the totally insane events that unfold. When it hits, it hits hard. It’s also horrific and not for the easily disturbed.
When it’s obtuse and vague, particularly in the final act, it risks undermining itself. It’s definitely the most artsy and confusing of all of Ari’s films, by a country mile.
At points I thought it was a masterpiece, but when I left the cinema I wasn’t entirely sure what to think… having digested it slightly, there is a lot to think about and ponder - which I expect is entirely the point.
I just cannot stop thinking about this film. It’s a 10/10 from me in respect of “post film pondering” then I guess an 8/10 in respect of ‘sitting through it’, as it’s quite a lengthy and emotional burden.
Phwoar. Very impressive. Ari Aster is a ****ing geEEEeeENNIUSSsssSSS \o/
This is the third film from Ari Aster, having previously directed Hereditary and Midsommar.
TLDR: this film is ‘Brazil (1985)’ meets ‘Requiem for a Dream’ meets ‘Pink Floyd’s The Wall’ (!) - your mileage may vary!
I’ll keep this post spoiler free, but I went in completely blind (as I really rate his other two films)… so just general observations here.
This is definitely a ‘category 2 enjoyment’ sort of film. It’s very obtuse and has a 3 hour runtime. With the subject matter it’s dealing with, which is not ‘jolly’, you can definitely feel that length. With that in mind, by conventional ‘I saw a film and I enjoyed it’ standards, I think most people will dislike it and some will find it unbearably uncomfortable and anxiety inducing… and agonisingly long.
However, for the majority of the film in which it’s not being completely humourless, it’s incredibly funny. Imagine a pitch black comedy, then make it blacker and bleaker. Then make it 10x blacker and bleaker than that. Now you’re in the right territory! There was a lot of audible laughter in the cinema.
The film is very chaotic and surreal, but it’s pitching emotionally relatable material despite the totally insane events that unfold. When it hits, it hits hard. It’s also horrific and not for the easily disturbed.
When it’s obtuse and vague, particularly in the final act, it risks undermining itself. It’s definitely the most artsy and confusing of all of Ari’s films, by a country mile.
At points I thought it was a masterpiece, but when I left the cinema I wasn’t entirely sure what to think… having digested it slightly, there is a lot to think about and ponder - which I expect is entirely the point.
I just cannot stop thinking about this film. It’s a 10/10 from me in respect of “post film pondering” then I guess an 8/10 in respect of ‘sitting through it’, as it’s quite a lengthy and emotional burden.
Phwoar. Very impressive. Ari Aster is a ****ing geEEEeeENNIUSSsssSSS \o/
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse
So, I went in totally blind, being quite fond of the first film (‘Into the Spiderverse’).
As an immediate minor criticism, the first half of the film is perhaps a little flabby and may have benefited from a 15 minute trim, but from when it gets going… oh boy is it good. It’s really good.
Generally, fantastic and captivating. Beautifully animated, beautifully edited, well seasoned with humour too. I very much appreciated that it took it slow at meaningful points so the characters could breathe and feel ‘real’ - to clarify my previous paragraph, it is not the ‘more poignant’ parts of the film that most obviously warranted a trim.
I even found myself thinking - “wow, I’m really going to sing about this film!”.
But then, it totally and utterly ****ed it. It may not be obvious why to some so I’ll spoiler it… but it’s not really a spoiler. Maybe knowing this in advance would have saved it for me.
Otherwise, I only had one minor gripe (a true spoiler now):
So, yeah… I would have given it somewhere between 9-10/10… but a film that makes you resent it by the time the credits roll has definitely made a mistake.
I’d emotively give it a 1/10 for being so ****ing annoying, but I’ll temper myself to a far more reasonable 8/10 based on its compelling strengths.
So, I went in totally blind, being quite fond of the first film (‘Into the Spiderverse’).
As an immediate minor criticism, the first half of the film is perhaps a little flabby and may have benefited from a 15 minute trim, but from when it gets going… oh boy is it good. It’s really good.
Generally, fantastic and captivating. Beautifully animated, beautifully edited, well seasoned with humour too. I very much appreciated that it took it slow at meaningful points so the characters could breathe and feel ‘real’ - to clarify my previous paragraph, it is not the ‘more poignant’ parts of the film that most obviously warranted a trim.
I even found myself thinking - “wow, I’m really going to sing about this film!”.
But then, it totally and utterly ****ed it. It may not be obvious why to some so I’ll spoiler it… but it’s not really a spoiler. Maybe knowing this in advance would have saved it for me.
When, before it ended, I realised it was positioning itself to not conclude, I had the most grumpy, eye-rolling face imaginable
”To be continued”
*yawn*
Seriously, **** off? I turned to my wife who also had an expression of “ugh” / disapproval on her face. I actually almost boo’ed, but instead just said “oh, **** off” out loud.
Why, oh ****ing why, did this need to be extended into another film? It didn’t. It, achingly, didn’t need another film to conclude it. It could have very comfortably concluded by making 15 minutes of edits to the early film, then extending the run time by only 10-15 minutes or so. I have all the emotional resonance I need from the film and its characters. Be bold and conclude it!
Sadly, I feel this weakens the whole. Extending things out rarely makes them better. The film would have been red hot if it had wrapped up the whole thing then and there.
”To be continued”
*yawn*
Seriously, **** off? I turned to my wife who also had an expression of “ugh” / disapproval on her face. I actually almost boo’ed, but instead just said “oh, **** off” out loud.
Why, oh ****ing why, did this need to be extended into another film? It didn’t. It, achingly, didn’t need another film to conclude it. It could have very comfortably concluded by making 15 minutes of edits to the early film, then extending the run time by only 10-15 minutes or so. I have all the emotional resonance I need from the film and its characters. Be bold and conclude it!
Sadly, I feel this weakens the whole. Extending things out rarely makes them better. The film would have been red hot if it had wrapped up the whole thing then and there.
Otherwise, I only had one minor gripe (a true spoiler now):
The film was poking fun at adults over exposing their boring children, at the same time as presenting us with a boring child
Please, just get that child as far out of the film as possible. The whole ‘the baby has done a poo’ humour is super basic and below the standards of the rest of the film. Go away.
Please, just get that child as far out of the film as possible. The whole ‘the baby has done a poo’ humour is super basic and below the standards of the rest of the film. Go away.
So, yeah… I would have given it somewhere between 9-10/10… but a film that makes you resent it by the time the credits roll has definitely made a mistake.
I’d emotively give it a 1/10 for being so ****ing annoying, but I’ll temper myself to a far more reasonable 8/10 based on its compelling strengths.
#BringBackWindstorm
Roller Poster
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny:
First act was arguably the best part of the film. For the second act, the pacing was toned down a bit but still told a pretty good story, and then the third act hits and basically everything goes off the rails. Overall a 7.5/10
First act was arguably the best part of the film. For the second act, the pacing was toned down a bit but still told a pretty good story, and then the third act hits and basically everything goes off the rails. Overall a 7.5/10
Matt N
CF Legend
I recently watched Jurassic World: Dominion, the third and final film in the Jurassic World franchise. Take my review with a pinch of salt, as some of my feeling towards it may have been caused by the fact that I didn’t watch the 2nd film in the franchise, so I was behind on certain aspects of the plot, but this is how I felt.
I actually remember really liking the first Jurassic World film when I watched it in the cinema back in 2015, but this one was pretty different. It’s not terrible, but my overriding feeling towards Jurassic World: Dominion is that it’s overly long and a bit confusing. It’s not my favourite film I’ve ever watched.
From where I’m standing, you have two separate subplots that don’t really seem to link in with each other; these are the one about the clone girl being taken and Claire and Owen trying to find her and the one about the genetically engineered locusts. It’s a visually impressive film, with some impressive action scenes and dinosaurs, but I overall found it quite confusing and hard to follow, with many things that didn’t quite make sense to me. I also found it a bit long; with a runtime of roughly 2.5 hours, I’ll admit that I did find it difficult to stay gripped. That’s probably more down to my own lacklustre attention span than the film, but with that being said, I’ve watched other long(ish) films in the past that haven’t given me the same issue.
So overall, then, Jurassic World: Dominion wasn’t my favourite film ever, although as I say, part of my feeling could be blamed on the fact I haven’t watched Fallen Kingdom. I definitely liked it markedly less than the first Jurassic World film, which I remember being really good, and I overall just found it a bit confusing.
I actually remember really liking the first Jurassic World film when I watched it in the cinema back in 2015, but this one was pretty different. It’s not terrible, but my overriding feeling towards Jurassic World: Dominion is that it’s overly long and a bit confusing. It’s not my favourite film I’ve ever watched.
From where I’m standing, you have two separate subplots that don’t really seem to link in with each other; these are the one about the clone girl being taken and Claire and Owen trying to find her and the one about the genetically engineered locusts. It’s a visually impressive film, with some impressive action scenes and dinosaurs, but I overall found it quite confusing and hard to follow, with many things that didn’t quite make sense to me. I also found it a bit long; with a runtime of roughly 2.5 hours, I’ll admit that I did find it difficult to stay gripped. That’s probably more down to my own lacklustre attention span than the film, but with that being said, I’ve watched other long(ish) films in the past that haven’t given me the same issue.
So overall, then, Jurassic World: Dominion wasn’t my favourite film ever, although as I say, part of my feeling could be blamed on the fact I haven’t watched Fallen Kingdom. I definitely liked it markedly less than the first Jurassic World film, which I remember being really good, and I overall just found it a bit confusing.
Howie
Donkey in a hat
Saw that there new Mission Impossible flick today, what are we on, number 7 is it?
S'alright.
Definitely not as good as the last one though, or the one before that. It's too long for a start, too waffley and I didn't really care too much about the plot or the people, just wanted it to hurry up and get to the next big chasey chasey smash-stuff-up bit. And even they're not as exciting as previous installments, the climactic train sequence being let down by some surprisingly ropey special effects.
Not exactly bad, but I think the series may have peaked with Fallout, cos this one has definitely taken a small step backwards.
S'alright.
Definitely not as good as the last one though, or the one before that. It's too long for a start, too waffley and I didn't really care too much about the plot or the people, just wanted it to hurry up and get to the next big chasey chasey smash-stuff-up bit. And even they're not as exciting as previous installments, the climactic train sequence being let down by some surprisingly ropey special effects.
Not exactly bad, but I think the series may have peaked with Fallout, cos this one has definitely taken a small step backwards.
chainedbanana
Hyper Poster
Spoiler Alert
Saw Indiana Jones and the dial of destiny the other days:-
Mixed feelings - and in some regards similar feelings to the Crystal skull a few years ago
Where crystal skull went left field with Aliens - as does Dial with time travel..... it all goes a bit wibbly wobbly, timey wimey..... and the final act is full on Doctor who
Also the new characters I simply didn't warm too - the main female protagonist was just annoying in her almost schizophrenic performance and I feel she didn't have a full story arch - as her personality didn't really change throughout, and I still didn't trust her at the end! The kid actor also wasn't as endearing as say short-round.
lot of it was just ......odd! some bits felt more like a bond movie (chase scenes) others more Doctor who (as mentioned above) others where classic Indy.
but even the classic Indy elements felt more like tomb raider or some other-but-similar-genre - can't put my finger on it!
I kind of enjoyed those separate elements for what they where, some great visual, settings etc but my expectations of an Indiana Jones movie weren't met!
Saw Indiana Jones and the dial of destiny the other days:-
Mixed feelings - and in some regards similar feelings to the Crystal skull a few years ago
Where crystal skull went left field with Aliens - as does Dial with time travel..... it all goes a bit wibbly wobbly, timey wimey..... and the final act is full on Doctor who
Also the new characters I simply didn't warm too - the main female protagonist was just annoying in her almost schizophrenic performance and I feel she didn't have a full story arch - as her personality didn't really change throughout, and I still didn't trust her at the end! The kid actor also wasn't as endearing as say short-round.
lot of it was just ......odd! some bits felt more like a bond movie (chase scenes) others more Doctor who (as mentioned above) others where classic Indy.
but even the classic Indy elements felt more like tomb raider or some other-but-similar-genre - can't put my finger on it!
I kind of enjoyed those separate elements for what they where, some great visual, settings etc but my expectations of an Indiana Jones movie weren't met!
Christian
Hyper Poster
Barbie (tiny spoiler alert)
Was at a pre premier for this one. In the cinema there were 90% teen girls, 10% gays and every single person was dressed in pink.
The movie itself is stunningly beautiful with a really good soundtrack and great visuals. Though, it moves away from it's comedy to try to make a statement which I believe it falls flat on. While I did enjoy it, I wouldn't say it's a great movie.
Was at a pre premier for this one. In the cinema there were 90% teen girls, 10% gays and every single person was dressed in pink.
The movie itself is stunningly beautiful with a really good soundtrack and great visuals. Though, it moves away from it's comedy to try to make a statement which I believe it falls flat on. While I did enjoy it, I wouldn't say it's a great movie.
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ScottLann
Mega Poster
Oppenheimer.
So so good. Saw it in IMAX and that's probably the best sound/score/visual experience I've had in a cinema. The scenes were so tense and some were genuinely frightening to watch considering today's issues. Lots of background on the politics and science behind Oppenheimer's life (some might find this boring but for me it was super interesting) and also the huge amount of anxiety and regrets he faced after certain events
Another great Christopher Nolan film, lots of striking scenes and it's certainly a film I'll be thinking about for a while. Also, those three hours flew by for me!
So so good. Saw it in IMAX and that's probably the best sound/score/visual experience I've had in a cinema. The scenes were so tense and some were genuinely frightening to watch considering today's issues. Lots of background on the politics and science behind Oppenheimer's life (some might find this boring but for me it was super interesting) and also the huge amount of anxiety and regrets he faced after certain events
Another great Christopher Nolan film, lots of striking scenes and it's certainly a film I'll be thinking about for a while. Also, those three hours flew by for me!
ScottLann
Mega Poster
There certainly was! Few little ones that built up to the big one...and damn was it executed well! Made me **** myself a few times if I'm honest 
Think any Nolan fans like myself will likely enjoy it. It's in my top three Nolan films I'd say, just behind Interstellar and Inception (out of the ones I've watched)
Matt N
CF Legend
On a broadly related note (as we’re talking about Christopher Nolan films and @ScottLann mentioned this particular one), I must ask; am I the only person on Earth who didn’t particularly rate Interstellar?
I watched it in A Level Physics, and I just found it very long and confusing. Even with a vague understanding of quantum physics from the A Level Physics curriculum we’d learned, I found the plot quite confusing and difficult to follow, and I must admit that the near 3 hour duration felt pretty long.
It’s supposedly the 3rd best film I’ve ever watched according to IMDB, with a rating of 8.7/10 last time I checked, but I just didn’t particularly rate it. Am I the only one, as I feel like I’ve never seen a vaguely non-glowing review of it?
I watched it in A Level Physics, and I just found it very long and confusing. Even with a vague understanding of quantum physics from the A Level Physics curriculum we’d learned, I found the plot quite confusing and difficult to follow, and I must admit that the near 3 hour duration felt pretty long.
It’s supposedly the 3rd best film I’ve ever watched according to IMDB, with a rating of 8.7/10 last time I checked, but I just didn’t particularly rate it. Am I the only one, as I feel like I’ve never seen a vaguely non-glowing review of it?