What Is The Last Film You Watched? (Older Films)

[Jay 37,622]

Well, JJ Abrams was going to oversee adaptations through Universal, but that all fell apart.

Then Ron Howard was going to direct a film of the first book for WB and oversee a TV series on HBO for the subsequent books (that would occasionally have theatrical entries in between TV seasons), but that fell apart last year.

So now it's in turnaround again.

[nightscape94 965]

Which is why I don't think it has the legs to survive the studio vetting process to involve a theatrical release(s). I think it's too much of an investment for something that not a lot of people really know (even most King fans haven't read them). I think if they just focused on making it a series then they would have more luck.

[Koray Savas 2,252]

Not as good as the original. I wasn't keen.

I wasn't a huge fan when I first saw it but it really opened up on my second viewing.

[crocodile 8,139]

Edge of Tomorrow

Actually a very good movie and Tom Cruise is actually good in it (I don't say that often).I can't say I've noticed Emily Blunt in anything before but she's good in this

I'm sure the plot holes are abundant , but the movie flows in a way that you don't need to ask yourself questions. In that way it's very well presented

Just came out of the screening. Didn't plan to see it but it was the only thing playing and I missed other screening.

It was surorisingly entertaining. And you can't really fault the film for being this or that because it never treats iself seriously. Good fun.

Karol

[Quintus 5,400]

Not as good as the original. I wasn't keen.

I wasn't a huge fan when I first saw it but it really opened up on my second viewing.

Yeah, I normally love Jeff Bridges in anything, but that time he actually brought the experience down quite a bit I thought. His drawl was just too much, the pacing a real chore as a result.

[KK 3,307]

The Matrix

I enjoyed it a lot more than I remember enjoying it. It's good stuff. Wondering if I should continue with the rest of the trilogy anyways, since I have little recollection of them.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,282]

NOOOOOOO!!!

[A24 4,378]

It was worth it to get another score out of Corigliano.

That was actually the best thing about Revolution.

Haven't seen it, but yes, I have heard it's bad...

I have to see for myself sometime, if I agree.

It might be a movie for you. I you can ignore the silly story and characters, you'll enjoy the big sets with the many props and extras. There's lot of held-hand camera though ...

The Company Men:

Batman fans have nothing to worry, Ben Affleck is going to do fine. 7/10

Alex

[Quintus 5,400]

The Matrix

I enjoyed it a lot more than I remember enjoying it. It's good stuff. Wondering if I should continue with the rest of the trilogy anyways, since I have little recollection of them.

What trilogy?

[crocodile 8,139]

I've watched all of them one after another a few months ago and what becomes perfectly clear is that everything has changed. The Matrix is very stylishly shot. Might be silly at that sometimes, but every frame tells you something about the story or is very cool to look at. Sequels are mostly shot as a standard film or s-f television show, maybe except for a few action sequences. They look and feel nothing like the original.

Karol

[KK 3,307]

It's all the Zion crap. Dull and mundane as hell. That, and the overly-preachy angle of the prophecy and all. Fight sequences were good though.

[Koray Savas 2,252]

Reloaded is worth it for the action sequences, but I think I've said that on this board too many times.

[KK 3,307]

Yeah, the action sequences makes it watchable.

[nightscape94 965]

I liked Reloaded. Not as great as the original, obviously, but not nearly as bad some people make it out to be. Revolutions wasn't very good, even most of the fight sequences do not seem put together well. The upside-down battle, the ending with Neo and Smith, etc. The battle for Zion is effective.

[A24 4,378]

Somehow they only got lucky once. I really expected a lot more from them after The Matrix.

[Jay 37,622]

Twice. Bound and The Matrix.

[A24 4,378]

Is Bound that good? I don't remember. That means it didn't leave a lasting impression with me. Point is what happened to them after The Matrix?!

[Koray Savas 2,252]

Speed Racer is awesome. Still need to see Cloud Atlas.

[Jay 37,622]

I think they've been trying to be ground breaking again and audiences just aren't connecting. Maybe Jupiter Ascending will return them to the limelight in the way that Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas didn't.

[Koray Savas 2,252]

Jupiter Descending

lol

[Jay 37,622]

Fixed

[Quintus 5,400]

Reloaded is worth it for the action sequences, but I think I've said that on this board too many times.

The highway sequence blew me away when I saw it, but it couldn't save the movie.

Is Bound that good? I don't remember. That means it didn't leave a lasting impression with me. Point is what happened to them after The Matrix?!

It's a good little technoir thriller well worth a watch.

[KK 3,307]

Maybe Jupiter Ascending will return them to the limelight in the way that Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas didn't.

It doesn't look too good.

Cloud Atlas looked like another chance for redemption, but that movie ended up being a bit of a mess in itself.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,622]

I don't think WB did either

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Koray Savas 2,252]

I'll try and watch it this weekend.

[crocodile 8,139]

The problem with both Reloaded and Revolutions is not action or story ideas per se. There are some "ideas" in those films that could have been interesting, potentially. It's just that they couldn't create a unified whole out of all ingredients. In The Matrix every single sequence and fight scene revealed something important, that being plot point or character development. In sequels it's the kind of "we've talked a bit, not it's time for some music video action scene". You can watch them for special effects and/or choreography, but nothing in them helps to advance the plot.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,332]

I liked Reloaded. Not as great as the original, obviously, but not nearly as bad some people make it out to be. Revolutions wasn't very good, even most of the fight sequences do not seem put together well. The upside-down battle, the ending with Neo and Smith, etc. The battle for Zion is effective.

I still like Reloaded a lot. The action sequences are amazing, and I find the extensions to the story really interesting. Although one major reason for Revolutions being a letdown was that I imagined the whole thing to work out in an entirely different fashion than it did.

After reading a lot about what's supposedly happening, and watching it a second time (only recently, years after I'd seen it theatrically), it actually does make sense and I can accept how they concluded the whole story. They went underboard by burying the plot under layers and layers of action and story facade in the third film though.

But Revolutions's biggest problem: It's a mess. A real mess. Tons of extra long action sequences that don't go anywhere, don't engage the viewer emotionally and technically don't offer anything we haven't seen in the first two films either. Even Davis's score seems to reflect that, which to a larger extent than usual is just generic Horner bombast (and I don't necessarily mean to imply that Horner's own bombast is (always) generic). There's a decent setup for an at least ok film buried in it, but it's hard to appreciate that.

Twice. Bound and The Matrix.

Speed Racer is awesome. Still need to see Cloud Atlas.

I like all of those. Bound was amazing when I first saw it. Cloud Atlas may, by necessity, be a bit of a mess, but it's surely a fascinating and entertaining one.

Overall, I'm still very interested in what the Wachowskis are doing.

[Jay 37,622]

I still haven't seen Speed Racer or Cloud Atlas

[Koray Savas 2,252]

If you can pretend the kid and the monkey don't exist it's a really fun film.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,282]

Any Which Way But Loose is a great film!

[A24 4,378]

If you can pretend the kid and the monkey don't exist it's a really fun film.

... for ADHD kids maybe.

[crocodile 8,139]

Even Davis's score seems to reflect that, which to a larger extent than usual is just generic Horner bombast (and I don't necessarily mean to imply that Horner's own bombast is (always) generic).

Yes, it's true music's role has changed from the first film. But then again, as composer himself said, The Matrix at that point wasn't a horror film any more. I always thought he did a clever job by trying to apply that general soundscape to different conventions. The second score is an eclectic crossover of different styles and creates quite an interesting hybrid with "songs" (broadly understood). That way the world presented in this universe opens up a bit. The third one was largely a war movie epic and score reflected that. Not sure if there is anything he could have done with that material that could possibly avoid that operatic melodrama, music-wise.

Karol

[Koray Savas 2,252]

If you can pretend the kid and the monkey don't exist it's a really fun film.

... for ADHD kids maybe.

Considering it only grossed like $20 million, no. Classic Creme either way, though.

[KK 3,307]

Cloud Atlas looked like another chance for redemption, but that movie ended up being a bit of a mess in itself.

You could call Cloud Atlas a lot of things, but "a mess" is not a word I'd use to describe it. They did a great job at meshing 6 storylines which basically represent 6 different movie genres and combine them into a cohesive whole.

Perhaps, but I felt its ideas were a bit convoluted and at times a bit contrived. . I remember coming out of it thinking how juvenile it ended up being. That and Tom Hanks' cringe-worthy overacting.

The problem with both Reloaded and Revolutions is not action or story ideas per se. There are some "ideas" in those films that could have been interesting, potentially. It's just that they couldn't create a unified whole out of all ingredients. In The Matrix every single sequence and fight scene revealed something important, that being plot point or character development. In sequels it's the kind of "we've talked a bit, not it's time for some music video action scene". You can watch them for special effects and/or choreography, but nothing in them helps to advance the plot.

Karol

Indeed. You see that right from the beginning of Reloaded. Just a minute into the "meeting" and it gets interrupted by another conveniently placed fight sequence.

For me, you can still take something out of the scenes in the Matrix (as they try to relive the first film stylistically, and impress with the action), but all the Zion back-story bored the hell out of me, with its failed attempt at depicting some kind of futuristic culture and inability to offer characters you actually care about.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Cloud Atlas was a very good film that sticks with you. If you can get past the moderate threshold of preachiness.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,282]

but all the Zion back-story bored the hell out of me, with its failed attempt at depicting some kind of futuristic culture and inability to offer characters you actually care about.

But...but it has a cool-ass rave!

[crocodile 8,139]

Cloud Atlas looked like another chance for redemption, but that movie ended up being a bit of a mess in itself.

You could call Cloud Atlas a lot of things, but "a mess" is not a word I'd use to describe it. They did a great job at meshing 6 storylines which basically represent 6 different movie genres and combine them into a cohesive whole.

Perhaps, but I felt its ideas were a bit convoluted and at times a bit contrived. . I remember coming out of it thinking how juvenile it ended up being. That and Tom Hanks' cringe-worthy overacting.

The problem with both Reloaded and Revolutions is not action or story ideas per se. There are some "ideas" in those films that could have been interesting, potentially. It's just that they couldn't create a unified whole out of all ingredients. In The Matrix every single sequence and fight scene revealed something important, that being plot point or character development. In sequels it's the kind of "we've talked a bit, not it's time for some music video action scene". You can watch them for special effects and/or choreography, but nothing in them helps to advance the plot.

Karol

Indeed. You see that right from the beginning of Reloaded. Just a minute into the "meeting" and it gets interrupted by another conveniently placed fight sequence.

For me, you can still take something out of the scenes in the Matrix (as they try to relive the first film stylistically, and impress with the action), but all the Zion back-story bored the hell out of me, with its failed attempt at depicting some kind of futuristic culture and inability to offer characters you actually care about.

I actually liked the concept of Merovingian character and how there are different forces at work in this universe. It added some humour and colour.

It didn't go anywhere, of course...

Karol

[KK 3,307]

Yeah. The Merovingian and his wife brought back some of the "cool-ness" to the concept. Like you said, adds colour to the bland "protect the chosen one, fulfill the prophecy" wallpaper. That and the scene with the Oracle was nice too.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,282]

Yes, but unlike Morpheus' philosophical diatribes and that of the Oracle, it feels like it's just mumbo jumbo for the sake of mumbo jumbo.

[crocodile 8,139]

Ultimately, yeah.

Karol

[Koray Savas 2,252]

Yes, but unlike Morpheus' philosophical diatribes and that of the Oracle, it feels like it's just mumbo jumbo for the sake of mumbo jumbo.

Definitely. That dinner scene is the epitome of this.

[KK 3,307]

Indeed.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,282]

The Architect scene is even worse. We arrive at the climax of the film and films a middle aged guy talking and talking and talking while the camera moves through shots of monitors.

[crocodile 8,139]

I like what those sequences are saying, the ideas behind them, but, as you all say, it's going nowhere and feels like they had no creative ideas as to how attractively present them to viewers.

Karol

[KK 3,307]

Yeah. I felt the Architect once again adds to the "coolness" factor. Something different to offer from the same ol' prophecy. But it's all style, no substance.

[nightscape94 965]

I don't think the basic philosophy of the first film had anywhere to go after that. Was there anything really all that complex about the first film? it introduced a couple of neat sci-fi elements and resolved them. It didn't need 3 films to tell that story.

[crocodile 8,139]

Also, the problem is with Neo himself. He doesn't develop or evolve, he just kind of... learns some... plot stuff. As characters, neither of three characters were really going anywhere in the sequels.

Karol