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TST Film Review Thread

I guess I should have seen it coming, but maybe I remembered Nolan's comments about how much he hates Robin. :p

Maybe TDKR has philosophical points, but I didn't really pick any up, although I did see a bit of social commentary, Bane did see to be a reflection of Occupy, and the film seemed a bit like a right-wing view of the banking crisis, Occupy and all that, not that I'm saying it's a right-wing film or that it was intended, but that's how Bane seemed to read to me. I'll watch it again and see, but it definitely felt a bit ore superficial than TDK, but maybe that was to do with the context of the film and The Joker character raising those issues, whereas Bane isn't about that.
 
One thing does confuse me about the Batman trilogy, more particularly between TDK and TDKR. Was there any reason why the whole of TDK was filmed in Chicago, whilst filming for TDKR was split between Los Angeles and New York? It's noticeable on screen that Gotham doesn't look the same between the two films - anybody have any idea why they did it?
 
Because Manhattan is an island, which was crucial to the plot. TDKR was shot, in large part, in Pittsburgh too.

Nolan has also said in the past that he didn't want Gotham to be a specific setting.
 
I watched Batman again last night and enjoyed it a lot more second time around.

It felt slightly less bloated, bombastic, silly and comicbook-ish than last time, but was just as exciting.

I'm still unhappy with the ending and the editing of the 'death' scene, while Bane's death is still cheesy and clichéd. What is impressive is how well hidden the Miranda Tate/Talia Al Ghul thing is. Even knowing she's really a villain, it's almost impossible watching it to pick up any hints at all about it, other than traditionally that role in films like this that tend to double cross the hero at the end. So Nolan did a very good job of hiding it.

So I really enjoyed it more second time around.
 
Rent

Rent is probably my favourite musical, and it certainly works well on film. But I can't help but feel some parts of it don't go anywhere or are completely pointless. For example, it's called 'rent', and the first song is about how they are gonna pay their rent, yet for a big portion of the film it's not mentioned, and it seems to resolve itself when benny decides they don't have to pay the rent after all, despite mark and roger not donig what they were supposed to do in order to get free rent. Considering all the social issues on play, it does seem like the title is an odd choice.

There's also Roger's trip to Santa Fe, where he sells his guitar, and uses the money to buy a car (because apparently in the 80's guitars were worth LOADS). He gets to Santa Fe and starts busking (despite selling his guitar before), then decides to come home and takes the bus. It doesn't really add anything to the story (Collins is the one who sings about opening a restaurant there, all Roger does is busk), and adds loads of little annoying plot holes.
 
SAW series of Films (SAW, II, III, IV, V, VI, The Final Chapter)

I think if you analyse these films as stand alone films, they would do poorly due to the fact they are so linked.

So down to reviewing (Spoilers but I am sure EVERYONE has seen SAW or heard about it)

A terminally ill cancer patient, John Kramer, tries to commit suicide and fails but comes out of the ordeal with a new outlook on life and claims that people take life for granted and he wants to change that.

He puts the ones who take life for granted into traps which are escapable but require sacrifice to get out of. He knows this method as '' Instant Rehabilitation '' and that some people cannot be rehabilitated so they end up dying in his traps. His traps become famous and he acquires the name Jigsaw due to the removal of flesh from the people who fail in the shape of a jigsaw piece.

Jigsaw comes into close scrapes with the law on many occasions but escapes all of them. Jigsaw also has many assistants who help him in making his traps and setting them up. They continue his work after he dies.

Overall I would rate the SAW series 10/10 and it is my favourite series of films.

I know the review is short but I am crap at writing them :p
 
Brave

I went to go see Brave which is the newest release from the the Disney Pixar franchise. In the film which is set in the Highlands of Scotland, a skilled archer named Merida defies an age-old custom, causing chaos in her kingdom. After consulting a witch for help, her family becomes cursed and Merida is forced to undo the spell herself before it is too late. It has Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Emaa Thompson and Robbie Coltrane as the leading voiceover actors.

It was very good as normal from Pixar and I love Meridas 3 younger brothers as they are really funny. It made me cry like all good Disney/Pixar movies should and you can spot the Pizza van from Toy Story hidden in amongst the wood carvings in the witches house. I want this film when it comes to DVD and would encourage people to go see it if they love Disney Pixar films.

8/10
 
Poison Tom 96 said:
SAW series of Films (SAW, II, III, IV, V, VI, The Final Chapter)

I think if you analyse these films as stand alone films, they would do poorly due to the fact they are so linked.

So down to reviewing (Spoilers but I am sure EVERYONE has seen SAW or heard about it)

A terminally ill cancer patient, John Kramer, tries to commit suicide and fails but comes out of the ordeal with a new outlook on life and claims that people take life for granted and he wants to change that.

He puts the ones who take life for granted into traps which are escapable but require sacrifice to get out of. He knows this method as '' Instant Rehabilitation '' and that some people cannot be rehabilitated so they end up dying in his traps. His traps become famous and he acquires the name Jigsaw due to the removal of flesh from the people who fail in the shape of a jigsaw piece.

Jigsaw comes into close scrapes with the law on many occasions but escapes all of them. Jigsaw also has many assistants who help him in making his traps and setting them up. They continue his work after he dies.

Overall I would rate the SAW series 10/10 and it is my favourite series of films.

I know the review is short but I am crap at writing them :p
Click to expand...

It's so utterly and shamelessly gruesome - as the films go on the traps take on a bigger and bigger role until you feel the plot has almost been completely neglected and you are just watching a series of grim, bloody traps ending in inevitable limb severation or horrific death. ;)
 
Skyfall
Released: 26-10-2012

I found it to be quite, well, boring. The action scenes were somewhat good, I found the chase at the start to be the most thrilling part. The pace of the film seemed to go slowly, and the ending was a bit 'meh' to say the least. Sam Mendes went out to make Skyfall a "Thrilling Drama" type film, and to be perfectly honest, it was none of that, at all.

Overall, its a 4/10 from me, the film dragged on and got boring.
 
The Lion King
I hadn't watched this until a few weeks ago - yes, I'm shocked myself that it took me so long to watch it - and I wasn't disappointed. It was a very good film, and I enjoyed it, although I thought the final scenes were slightly anti-climatic for my liking. Still, a deserved 8/10 from me.

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger
Sequel to the 2009 film, I thought it wasn't too bad. As a family film, it's good, and one that younger children will almost certainly love. I'd be happy to watch it again, but it's best to see it around Christmas. 7/10

Shaun of the Dead
As with The Lion King, it took me a while to watch this, and it was brilliant. Rather gory at times, but I'd never seen a zombie film before, so I'd like to assume that this was relatively mild. Bizarre, yet very good. Could've gone on for a bit longer, but that wasn't too much of a problem. There are some clear similarities between this and Hot Fuzz, the first two films in the 'Blood and Ice-Cream' trilogy - namely the sequences of numerous shots of rather mundane things put together in a short space of time. I think a rating of 8.5/10 is appropriate.

United 93
Just finished watching this for the first time. One of the best films I've seen for a long time. I'm pretty certain that it's not entirely accurate regarding what happened on United 93 and other things (for example, in the film, American Airlines Flight 11 is stated as being a Boeing 757, whereas it was actually a Boeing 767), but even so, it's superb. It just goes to show how awful it must have been on that plane when it all kicked off, and the resolve of the passengers to try and take control back from the hijackers was great to see, although nobody survived. 9/10
 
Frankenhooker
Saw this gem last night. It's 80's "WTF?" sci fi at it's best, form the makers of Basketcase.

A genuinely mad amature scientist realises he can bring his recently dead wife back to life. Unfortunately, only her head is left after the lawn mower accident. (Naturally, he kept it in the freezer, as you do). He needs replacement body parts, and decides to casually kill a few ladies of the night in order to get them... hillarity ensues.

Dispite what it may sound like, this is a comedy. While there are plenty of (obviously rubber) severed body parts, and some nudity, there is no blood or gore. Even when the guy starts drilling in to his own head to "help him think", it is done as casually as scratching his ear. You can't take that seriously! :p

If you are in to low budget sci fi / horror that doesn't take itself remotely seriously, this is the film for you.

9/10
 
After being dragged to go see Django Unchained last week with the last of my free cinema tickets I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Now if you're like me and you are thinking 'Oh, that film. It will be rubbish filled with boring slavery themes' I have to tell you you're wrong. Gobsmacked I know! Quentin Tarantino actually made this slavery film pretty damn awesome! :D

The story line just pulled you in and immersed you into this western world better than any other western I have ever watched! It's about a bounty hunter needing this black guy slave to capture some gang and then it goes into the whole black side slavery thing whilst trying to rescue his wife.
SOOOOOOOOO GOOD! :D
The blood and guts in this film are plenty! But whether you like half an hour long fight scenes or not, this film is perfect. Fight scenes last around 5 minutes maximum (well that is what it felt like) the extortionate amount of blood made it comical.
If you like a good comedy, this film also has you covered! I Laughed so much! :')

Here is a clip;
Django Unchained KKK & Horse raid Scene

Anyways, I know my explantation is pretty damn bad! But if you have the chance to see this film, do not pass it up! :)

Score 10/10 - One of my favourites now! :D
 
Wreck-it Ralph

Much better for a gamer, but even adults can get the subtle references but I think I found it /much/ more enjoyable than my non-gamer friends. The story is simple yet at times (especially the ending is cliche) but I found one of the twists a true jaw-opening shock. It's funny, beautiful, creative but the Sugar Rush sections can get tedious at times. I am also glad that it doesn't go down your usual relationships for a Disney storyline, so like with Brave's unique relationship hooray for something fresh.

Despite the overload on "Doody" jokes. The dialogue is clever to mix in gaming, whilst revolving around the films main plot. Ralph is presented as a really likeable character, as with Vanellope, with some true emotion-jerking moments throughout the movie. The references do detour towards the end to focus on the story but overall a happy ending is beneficial to a Disney movie and it pays off as my 4th favourite Disney movie of all-time (inc. Pixar).

Wreck-it Ralph gets

4.5 Jane Lynches out of 5.
 
Natalie said:
Brave

I went to go see Brave which is the newest release from the the Disney Pixar franchise. In the film which is set in the Highlands of Scotland, a skilled archer named Merida defies an age-old custom, causing chaos in her kingdom. After consulting a witch for help, her family becomes cursed and Merida is forced to undo the spell herself before it is too late. It has Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Emaa Thompson and Robbie Coltrane as the leading voiceover actors.

It was very good as normal from Pixar and I love Meridas 3 younger brothers as they are really funny. It made me cry like all good Disney/Pixar movies should and you can spot the Pizza van from Toy Story hidden in amongst the wood carvings in the witches house. I want this film when it comes to DVD and would encourage people to go see it if they love Disney Pixar films.

8/10
Click to expand...

The thing I love about Brave is the whole idea of it. It is different to other movies. There isn't a hero who saves the day, or a baddie who wants to destroy the universe but then is stopped by a random person with an ordinary life.

The plot is very interesting and everything that happens early in the film links together with what happens later. For example (if I remember correctly) when Merida rips her mother out of the painting drape, her mother is extremely insulted. But later on in the film we find out exactly why, and we find out about another story which is similar to what is happening in the film, but ended worse.

I also like how throughout the film you are on the edge of your seat. Most other films are just an hour and a half of nothing and the last half hour is the climax which the other part was leading to.

There is no point in talking about the animation. It was a massive experience to watch it on blu-ray.I feel terribly sorry for the animators that had to animate Merida's hair! Must've been a nightmare!

10/10 - nuff said
 
Beautiful creatures.
I rarely go to the cinema, but after getting a giftcard I decided to go down with a few friends, and we choose this to watch, as the trailer looked quite good.
So Lena moves to town, Ethan falls in love with her, Lena admits shes a castor (witch) and warns Ethan away from her, as in a few months, her fate will decide weather she is a good castor, or a bad castor, and her cousin, and mum she moved away from are certain she's a bad castor.
Thats basically it, although its ending is slightly exciting, its still rubbish.
It never really started, until the end, when it just ended, with a STUPID ending.
It was lenas 16th birthday, and for some reason a few minutes away ethan and his friends were doing a war reinactment, which lena doesnt know about, and Ethan 'gets shot' so Lena goes mad and throws lightning everywhere, which is actually hurting Ethan, she then kills her mum.. Then a few months later Lena leaves the town, and Ethan remembers nothing

Apparently the book was good, and they just made a rubbish film about it. And they had the most annoying south american accents all the way through.
Its very much like twilight, so if you liked that, you'll probably like this.
4/10. I'd of much rather saved my giftcard to see Catching Fire, in November.
 
Cockneys vs Zombies

Wasn't expecting much, but was a genuinely enjoyable comedy-zombie flick! Alan Ford (AKA Brick Top from Snatch) kicking undead ass, with some pretty funny scenes too.
 
Trance

Really enjoyed it, very stylish and well done. Got a bit of an identity crisis, switches from cerebral to gangster thriller, but it manages to get away with it. There's a few points of shocking violence, but I think they're just about justified. Bonus points for the tribute to the Britney Spears episode of South Park. So yeah, recommended.
 
Oz- The Great and Powerful

Before I start this review I must clarify that I am in love with Mila Kunis. ;D

The special effects are actually stunning in this film. The highlight with this film was definitely the special effects, I also loved the interaction the CGI had on the surrounding people.

James Franco's performance wasn't that amazing, I would've preferred another actor to have done the part of Oz as he just didnt have that "spark". If any of you know what I mean.

Mila Kunis was great! :p
It was a Shame about her character though :(

Overall, it wasn't as good as I thought it would be :(

But it was still quite good! ;)

6/10
 
The Room

It's hailed as one of the worst films ever made; the Citizen Kane of bad movies. On paper, it's simple: Johnny and Lisa are engaged, but Lisa is fed up of Johnny and begins cheating on him with his best friend, Mark. The execution is laughable, with continuity errors abound, awful writing, pointless characters and some of the most bizarre pacing I've ever seen, as most of the film has absolutely nothing to do with the plot.
But it is for those reasons that it becomes one of the best movies ever made.
You see, the film has a cult following similar to that of Rocky Horror, only with less transvestites and even less organisation. It gets regular showings in London, where people quote along with the film, crack jokes whenever they feel like it, greet characters when they enter the apartment and scream at them to close the door, react with horror at the 4 sex scenes (only one of them is plot relevant) and throw plastic spoons at the screen. This improves the viewing experience from 'simply watching a so-bad-it's-good movie' to 'night of spontaneous hilarity'.
By all means, watch it on DVD or Youtube to get a feel for the film (and actually be able to hear it), but for the true experience go watch it live.

Final score: 4/10 for the film, 10/10 for seeing it live.
 
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