First Impressions: The FILMS of 2023

[Edmilson 7,376]

Scream VI

 

 

The first 90 minutes are great, some of the best stuff out of this series. The setpieces are fun and tense, the characters dynamics are interesting and it's generally a breath of fresh air to have Ghostface hunting in a big metropolis rather than a small town. 

 

But the final reveal about who is (or rather, who are) Ghostface this time was pretty... underwhelming. I was generally enjoying the mystery about a supposed Ghostface cult in New York, so the revelation that

Spoiler

it was just another family trying to get revenge on the protagonists for the events on the previous movie

was lame. Also, this is the exact same plot twist as

Spoiler

Scream 2.

Still, it's a good movie and reinforces that, unlike other slasher sagas, Scream is much more consistent and never had an actual horrible entry in the franchise. Brian Tyler's (and Sven Falconer's) score was very effective, with a Ghostface theme that was pretty good, although it reminded me a bit of his Ultron theme.

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

 

Wonderful documentary. It is constantly moving, which in a way is very right for it as Fox explains himself in the film. He explains that his whole love he was always moving up to the point where he couldn't do anything else but.

 

It is edited brilliantly with snippets of his movies and series like they're parts of his own life. Halfway through when it changes more to his Parkinson's diagnosis it really is very heartfelt, with more focus on Tracy Pollan and their family. It wasn't always easy to watch, seeing him struggle and talk about pain. But it was all very respectfully done. And it was great to see some of the toles he had after his disease got worse. He was really good in The Good Wife.

 

Powell's score is lovely. It's a mix between some jazzy parts, guitars and drums, electronics and some orchestra. It's not the big Hollywood score that has been mentioned in interviews, but I really liked it. It fit really well and mixed nicely with the needle drops

[rough cut 1,714]

Shazam 2

 

Is it possible to hate and like a movie at the same time? Yes.

 

So I both like and hate this movie? Yes.
 

I liked the first one so much that I even bought the physical disc, but this one - while still trying to retain the innocent/goofy/horrific tone of the first one - feels more hollow than it’s predecessor.

Still, it’s an OK movie, just not as good.

 

I like it - because it has some charm, at least.

 

I hate it - because it’s more silly than the first one, which could’ve worked but the movie doesn’t really have the “heart” to carry all of it. So instead of silly/charming, a lot of times it comes off as stupid/annoying.

 

The best thing about Shazam 2 was, unexpectedly, any drama involving Rachel Ziegler (Anthea) - an actor (and plot) I didn’t even know was in the movie.

 

Other thoughts I had:

1) Helen Mirren (Hespera) felt underused, I loved every scene she was in.

2) Why does Hollywood still keep letting Lucy Liu (Kalypso) ruin good (?) movies? (I find her utterly uncharismatic, but she was fine, I guess.

3) The score was ok.

4) Oh, and Grace Caroline Currey (Mary) - in the brief moments she were in it - made the movie a pleasant watch, she’s got both the looks and charisma. I wouldn’t mind seeing her doing more superheroing in future films, let’s hope she has a good career after this.

[Edmilson 7,376]

The first reviews for Across the Spiderverse are great, but they're also noting that the movie doesn't really have an ending. It ends on a cliffhanger, and while the next movie comes out next early next year, it is nonetheless a little unsatisfying.

[Jay 37,271]

IIRC it was originally a single movie, split into two deep into production

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

I just came back from Across The Spider-Verse.

This is the best Spider-Man film. Maybe one of the top 3 comic booms films. And maybe one of the best movies I've seen. It's literally art on the screen. It's insane.

 

All the voice actors do incredible work, especially Moore, Steinfeld, Isaac, Kaluuya & Schwartzman (especially great).

 

Pemberton's music is really great. You might think that with all the different styles it becomes a mess, but it's very coherent and just really works tremendously.

 

The film ends in an incredible way and I can't wait for March next year. Can't come soon enough. If they can stick the landing with the third film, this will be one of the best trilogies, if not the best of all time. It's really incredible!

[crocodile 7,979]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. It was great, maybe even better than the original. Perhaps a tad too long but makes up for it with its incredible giant heart.

 

Karol

[Knight of Ren 776]

Across the Spider-Verse

Great movie! They keep pushing forward the limits of what animation can offer and in this case I think it was even better than in the first one, with the Vulture sequence at the beginning particularly interesting, as well as all the different animation styles for the hundreds of different spider-people during the second half of the movie. And I also like how they sometimes went the abstract route, especially in Gwen's world to reflect the inner emotions of the characters, making for quite a visually stunning film.

 

The story was interesting and quite emotional, but I felt it was a bit disjointed, with the first half being very different from the second half. Gwen's prologue and then the appearance of The Spot and the battle against him was great, but I felt the second part of the movie was more of a set-up for the third entry, which makes it a bit unsatisfying in terms of the movie as a whole. I liked the cliffhanger / plot twist and the possibilities it offers for the next movie, but I felt the way to get there was a bit uneven, while I think the narrative in the first movie is more focused and clear. Anyway, I think my feelings towards the chaos of the second half will improve in future viewings, and I'm sure the pay-off in Beyond the Spider-Verse will be more than worth the wait. March 2024 cannot come soon enough!

 

Also, Pemberton's score was quite better than the first part, which I enjoyed at parts, but felt more chaotic and disjointed, while this one, even with all the different musical styles, kind of flows better as an album, and delivers some impactful moments on the film itself. I particularly really liked Gwen's theme, Miguel O'Hara's theme and an idea that seems to be related to the portals and the multiverse travelling, that pops up in many cues, like in Falling Apart. Such a fun and complex score and I will certainly be listening to it quite a lot to try to unpack all the different thematic ideas Pemberton develops through the movie!

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

Hypnotic

 

The first 15 minutes of this were actually quite good. A nice action thriller with some cool scenes. It felt, looked and sounded like a early 2000's thriller. 

But after that the film goes into things with hypnotics and stuff and it's just not interesting. The ending made no sense and it was actually really boring.

 

I don't think Robert Rodrigeuz has ever maade film which I really liked or loved. It's really weird.

[saulocf 79]

16 hours ago, JNHFan2000 said:

I don't think Robert Rodrigeuz has ever maade film which I really liked or loved. It's really weird.

Sin City is that movie for me. But I don't know how much he can be credited of faithfully adapting the novel.

[A24 4,326]

I like Sin City (it's a shame the artistic adult 'graphic novel' movie genre is dead) and Alita.

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

BlackBerry

 

Another great business film. Just like Air & Tetris earlier this year. This one is really filmed like a documentary and the film is kinda grainy which gave it a unique look.

 

It was fascinating to learn about the rise and downfall of the BlackBerry and to see how people change when they gain or lose power.

 

Jay Burachel & Glenn Howerton as tge 2 leads were really great. I would ever consider giving Howerton awards nominations next year.

 

I recommend a watch now that it's available to rent

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

 

Really great film. One of Ritchie's best I would say. It's all very controlled and real. I was really immersed in the whole thing a d it was quite tense at points.

 

Both Gyllenhaal and Salim are excellent. Both very charismatic with a lot of heart. And both do a great job inhabiting the whole war estatic.

 

Chris Benstead's score was also really good. He's been Ritchie's go-to composer for the last 4 films and I have to say that each score was better than the last. Curious to see what he does next.

[Jay 37,271]

What do you think are Ritchie's other best

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

My personal favorites are The Gentlemen, The Man From UNCLE & Sherlock Holmes.

 

Are yours very different?

[Edmilson 7,376]

Medellín

 

An action comedy I found on Amazon Prime about three French idiots going to the eponymous Colombian town to rescue the brother of one of them from the cartel. It's very ridiculous but still a fun entertainment if you have nothing better to watch. The action scenes filmed on Colombia are pretty decent.

[thestat 342]

er.

 

[Jay 37,271]

On 10/06/2023 at 11:17 AM, Edmilson said:

Medellín

 

An action comedy I found on Amazon Prime about three French idiots going to the eponymous Colombian town to rescue the brother of one of them from the cartel. It's very ridiculous but still a fun entertainment if you have nothing better to watch. The action scenes filmed on Colombia are pretty decent.

 

Vinnie Chase's best work

[Edmilson 7,376]

 

A pretty good movie, even though I kinda felt some The Matrix Reloaded vibes, in which it is trying too hard to be more impressive, crazier and more innovative than his late decade trend setting predecessor to the point it can almost get a little confusing. Also, both movies share similar scenes (no, Across the Spider-Verse doesn't have a slow motion orgy) and themes, like if our hero should save the peple he loves or let them die for the common good.

 

Spoiler

In both movies, he takes the same choice and becomes trapped in a different reality, leaving a wholly unsatisfying cliffhanger for the next chapter.

Still, this is a pretty great movie and probably the second best among the numerous Hollywood 2020s movies dealing with multiverses behind EEAAO (the worst is certainly Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Shitness).

 

Pemberton's score is good, even though it's not something I'd listen apart from the movie and sometimes it can blend with the pop songs to the point you don't know what is score and what is just the songs (a criticism I had with the first movie as well).

 

But if Reloaded also shared some problems with other early 2000s action movies, this one also had some issues that plague current blockbusters, like the quipping and the general "don't take this too seriously" attitude that includes a cheap shot on the MCU ("And don't even get me started on Doctor Strange and that nerd kid from Earth-19999!").

 

It's not that I don't feel the MCU shouldn't be mocked (it should), but I dislike this disrespectful attitude towards other movies and franchises. It's like Hollywood is saying "look how dumb and stupid we are! LOL!". Okay genius, if you're that dumb why should I take you seriously? Imagine if other classics from the past also didn't take themselves seriously ("And don't compare me with that dumb hobbit and his weird friend from Middle Earth-1525 who were crazy enough to go to Mordor on their own just to burn a ring!").

 

Aside from that, it's a great movie and it should be watched. I'm hyped for the sequel!

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

Extraction 2

 

This is incredible!!!! One of the best action films of the last few years and my no. 3 film of the year so far. I loved the first one, but this one is even better than that. I would put this on the same level as the best John Wick film. It's not as slick as that one, it's much more brutal.

 

The action here is fantastic. There are 3 extended action scenes.

The 21 minute long one-take prison escape is probably the best action oner is film history. So much happens, with so many people. Hemsworth is one fire. It moves from the prison, to cars, to a factory and then a train. All in a way that feels natural and the cuts, which have to be there, are barely noticable.

Then the building action scene was really suspenseful. I loved the gym fight and the fight on the glass ceiling. I was on the edge of my seat.

The final fight is more about firepower and the emotional hook after that, but is still incredible to watch, with the long shots etc.

 

Chris Hensworth is I think the only actor who has found a role after Marvel that is as good as his Marvel role. There's not a lot of dialogue, but he has some wonderful scenes.

Goldshifteh Farahani is just as great as in the first film. And gets a lot mote to do. I would love for her to play the MCU's Mystique when they cast her. She has a great physicality and very expressive eyes.

The rest all do great jobs.

And Idris Elba's small roles (so fun) sets up a potential third film that I can't wait to see.

 

Stuntman turned director Sam Hargrave really is a very strong director. And together with Chad Stahelski they both have made it clear that stuntman and women know how action works and how your supposed to shoot it as best as possible with the actors right in the middle of it. It makes it so much more interesting, then all the short cuts and not being able to see the actors' faces.

 

Come on Academy, where is that stunt category. It should've been here 2 decaudes ago when The Matrix came out. Then with the John Wick and Marvel films, it's not here. It's shameful.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Boston Strangler

A pretty nice thriller. Knightley and Coon made a good duo. The photography is sadly not really good and the music too forgettable.

 

Extraction 2

I was overall pleased with that sequel even though the first fake sequence shot completely get me out of the movie as the cuts were really clear to my eyes. One of the other disappointment is the use of drones' shots which are almost all pointless and not very well filmed. Thirdly the music is really underwhelming, I would have thought that the return of Jackman would benefit the music, well not so much.

Now apart from this, the movie is a really good entertainment. It's nice to see Hemsworth doing something outside of the MCU. Farahani is good, I hope we'll see her more in the future. The action scenes (minus the sequence shot) are really well done with some inventive ideas.

Another important point is the absence of hideous explosions which for a reason I don't understand is now a common thing even in the biggest productions.

 

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

A nice stylish action movie more than welcomed after Ritchie's last movie Wrath of Man. The cast is really fun, Hugh Grant is delightful as a rich old basterd. The fun is really effective. The only weakness of the movie is propably the absence of stakes in every single sequence, the characters are never any sort of danger.

 

Sisu

This was pretty dumb. It's an action movie that go further than any of the John Wick like pictures and their absence of dialogue and story. There are some good shots and ideas, sadly everything is so over the roof that I didn't root to the characters and the consequences of any the actions.

 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The first movie was my favourite super-hero movie so I was waiting this one with impatience and it didn't disappoint. The animation is astonishing, especially the universe of Gwen. The story is original and really engaging with well written characters. Pemberton's score was good in the first movie this time I found it great. The developpement of Miles' theme was really good and the new themes for Gwen and the Spot were simply terrific and so well weaved . Across the Spider-Verse (Intro) and Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy) are so far the best cues I've heard this year.

To me it's simply the best picture of the year and the best animated movie ever made.

 

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

I usually don't mind those dumb entertainment but here it went too far, I mean I already forget all what the movie was about. The only thing I remember are the annoying new robot, the disappointing music and the awful fire explosions.

[Jay 37,271]

1 hour ago, May the Force be with You said:

the new themes for Gwen and the Spot were simply terrific and so well weaved .

I saw what you did there

 

1 hour ago, May the Force be with You said:

To me it's simply the best picture of the year and the best animated movie ever made.

 

Wow! High praise!

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

He ia true in that last comment. Incredible film.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Who has seen 65 and is it as bad as the Jurassic world films

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

It has nothing in common with those films.

Personally I really like the Jurassic World films, so 65 for me was a lesser film.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

65 was quite disappointing, it really lacks of stakes. A shame because the idea was fun and the cast really good.

Spoiler

I personnaly think that the death of all ship members at the beginning was a misfire. You can't make a proper survival/monster movie without one or two people getting eaten

 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (no spoilers ahead except when hidden)

I loved it. I was actually quite afraid by it (after the debacle of Lucasfilm lately) and the absence of Spielberg behind the camera but Mangold simply did a great job.

The length of the movie isn't a problem, it flows perfectly well with a good pace.

There are a lot of really good shots thanks to a really good photography and great image composition by Mangold. The action sequences are well choreographed and filmed with the right amount of cut and no drone first person shot (which is on my part more than welcome).

The cast is really great, Harrison Ford still got it with a really good shape for a 80 years old man. Waller-Bridge is terrific and her character is well written compared to Mutt in the previous one. As a fan of Mikkelsen, I found he was a really good villain. The rest of the cast is really good too, I really liked Hauke who's so impressive physically and is a nice addition to the cast.

The plot is pretty good, with some nice adventurous moments (spoilers ahead)

Spoiler

The end was a bit disappointing. I didn't mind the time travel but it felt so rushed with everything ending immediately.

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About the VFX and sets they were really good minus the 20 minutes opening sequence

Spoiler

I don't know why Hollywood keeps doing de-aging, it always looks fake. This one is overall well done compared to usual ones but still looks fake. There was one shot in particular from afar when Indy runs on the top of the train which look so fake. Anyway the rest was good though

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One word about the score: PERFECT! Williams continues to show that he's the best. Helena's theme in context is fantastic (espacially The Airport rendition) and Voller's theme is simply astonishing and haunting. The action writing in Tangiers was masterly written and the New York sequence had a extraordinary piano parts sadly too much hidden by the motorcycle (again!).

 

Asteroid City

A really fun movie with a great cast and production design. The plot is completely absurd and after a while quite irrelevant but Anderson's talent for narrative maintain your interest. Johansson is terrific as always and Schwartzmann gives a wonderful performance. Among the really good surprise of the cast, there's the three daughters who are extremely good and funny/scary.

Desplat music works but is a bit underwhelming, looking far too much to the previous Anderson's scores.

 

Elemental

Finally a good Pixar. Since Soul I haven't root for any of their picture but that one was really good. The animation is simply beautiful and the characters are quite interesting and I quickly cared for them. The world of Elemental city is really fun, with some hilarious situation (especially with Wade family).

Newman score is really sweet and fit the movie perfectly.

I have to say that between this animated picture, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Across the Spider-Verse, 2023 is in for a great animated year

 

The Flash

I watched it just for Keaton who was actually the only thing worthwhile of the movie. I knew the VFX were going to be bad but I never thought they would be that awful, awful to the point I missed the CW's VFX teams. The cast could be okay if it wasn't for Miller terrible interpretation of the flash (the man can't run and he's suppose to play the fastest man alive ). Keaton is still a great Batman. The new Supergirl had nothing to do, like Iris West and Michael Shannon so I don't really care for any of them sadly.

The plot is somehow okay, even though it's poorly narrated with some really bad taste jokes (putting a baby in a microwave ain't funny). At some point, the movie was pointing out how bad it was, especially when Miller lose his powers and do his octopus-like race in an empty hallway before falling ridiculously.

The score was better than expected, with nice rendition of Elfman's theme and some good action writting.

Overall I would say that the first shot of the movie really represent the movie: it's an awful CGI clock teasing a long ugly movie. I hope James Gunn universe will be better than this (even though hiring Muschietti doesn't look like the brightest idea after that)

[JNHFan2000 2,942]

Nimona

 

This was great!!!!

Gorgeous animation, great voice cast and a fun story with an emotional third act that caught me of guard.

 

The first and second act sometimes had some Shrek vibes. They were really fun, had some terrific action scenes (especially with the shapeshifting).

The third act is really sweet and has some beautiful messages about acceptance and how people can be wrong.

 

Chloe Grace Moretz is terrific. High energy and really funny. Riz Ahmed also does a really great job, balancing the crazy all kver the place vibe of Moretz.

 

Like Spider-Verse & Puss In Boots 2 this is another film were the animation is done in new ways and I'm really enjoying this new age. There's so much beautiful imagery created by these animators. It's a joy to watch.

[Edmilson 7,376]

Nimona

 

Another Spiderverse-inspired animation. This one is beautiful to look at, but it also forgets that what made the Miles Morales movies so good was not just the cutting-edge animation but also the great script - which this one doesn't have.

 

First, the worldbuilding is incredibly uninspired. It's just like our world, but with Blade Runner flying cars and some Medieval knights. There isn't anything particularly interesting to this world, except some vague references to a hero named Gloreth.

 

The Nimona character is entertaining enough, but the rest of the characters are so poorly written. The knight she helps is a bumbling fool who spends half of the movie doubting, questioning and stopping the plot to advance.

 

There is also some very on-the-nose social commentary about the usual themes Hollywood loves to promote, which will be enough to give the movie an Oscar nod.

 

Overall, uninspired, dull and forgettable.

[Matt C 452]

The Flash

 

Ezra Miller is a mixed bag in this long but moderately enjoyable movie. As a younger Barry Allen, they're borderline insufferable and as the older one, more tolerable. But their chemistry with Maribel Verdu as Barry's mother works and hits the same beats that Bumblebee did. However, this movie is more jumbled than that and you have the impression Andy Muschietti really wanted to do a full-blown Batman or Superman film instead. Michael Keaton does all right returning to the cowl and Sasha Calle brings well-needed presence to a woefully underwritten Supergirl (obviously she and Henry Cavill look related). The VFX were adequate and considering the flack it got I was expecting Green Lantern or A Sound of Thunder awfulness. But it looks fine.

 

Benjamin Wallfisch's score does a LOT of heavy lifting in this film. Very enjoyable overall, the theme for Barry isn't that memorable but his Supergirl theme is. And he plays around with Elfman's Batman theme in so many enjoyable variations -- one wished he had scored Spider-Man: No Way Home instead of Michael Giacchino. 

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Chuckling at the gushingly positive review post about Nimona directly being followed by one which is very much the opposite.

You pays your money and you takes your chances, as the old saying goes.  

[Edmilson 7,376]

Yeah, I didn't really care for Nimona, but it's a movie made to please the average Film Twitter user with its socially progressive themes, edgy protagonist and Spiderverse-like animation. 

[A24 4,326]

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

 

 

=

 

 

???

 

 

All kidding aside, I was entertained by Vol.3, but I don't feel confident calling it a good movie. 

[TolkienSS 405]

On 04/07/2023 at 3:59 AM, Matt C said:

The Flash

 

Ezra Miller is a mixed bag in this long but moderately enjoyable movie. As a younger Barry Allen, they're borderline insufferable and as the older one, more tolerable. But their chemistry with Maribel Verdu as Barry's mother works and hits the same beats that Bumblebee did. However, this movie is more jumbled than that and you have the impression Andy Muschietti really wanted to do a full-blown Batman or Superman film instead. Michael Keaton does all right returning to the cowl and Sasha Calle brings well-needed presence to a woefully underwritten Supergirl (obviously she and Henry Cavill look related). The VFX were adequate and considering the flack it got I was expecting Green Lantern or A Sound of Thunder awfulness. But it looks fine.

 

Benjamin Wallfisch's score does a LOT of heavy lifting in this film. Very enjoyable overall, the theme for Barry isn't that memorable but his Supergirl theme is. And he plays around with Elfman's Batman theme in so many enjoyable variations -- one wished he had scored Spider-Man: No Way Home instead of Michael Giacchino. 

 

Would you say The Flash is a recommendation for someone who wants a superhero movie in the vein of the 90s? Or is it too much modern crap shoved into it?

On 04/07/2023 at 3:59 AM, Matt C said:

The Flash

 

Ezra Miller is a mixed bag in this long but moderately enjoyable movie. As a younger Barry Allen, they're borderline insufferable and as the older one, more tolerable. But their chemistry with Maribel Verdu as Barry's mother works and hits the same beats that Bumblebee did. However, this movie is more jumbled than that and you have the impression Andy Muschietti really wanted to do a full-blown Batman or Superman film instead. Michael Keaton does all right returning to the cowl and Sasha Calle brings well-needed presence to a woefully underwritten Supergirl (obviously she and Henry Cavill look related). The VFX were adequate and considering the flack it got I was expecting Green Lantern or A Sound of Thunder awfulness. But it looks fine.

 

Benjamin Wallfisch's score does a LOT of heavy lifting in this film. Very enjoyable overall, the theme for Barry isn't that memorable but his Supergirl theme is. And he plays around with Elfman's Batman theme in so many enjoyable variations -- one wished he had scored Spider-Man: No Way Home instead of Michael Giacchino. 

 

Would you say The Flash is a recommendation for someone who wants a superhero movie in the vein of the 90s? Or is it too much modern crap shoved into it?

[Matt C 452]

6 hours ago, TolkienSS said:

 

Would you say The Flash is a recommendation for someone who wants a superhero movie in the vein of the 90s? Or is it too much modern crap shoved into it?

I highly recommend the score. I would suggest you stream or rent the movie first because part of it is in a ‘90s vein but there is a LOT of VFX and plot filler.

[Edmilson 7,376]

 

You know, this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be? It's a very watchable movie with some entertaining moments and a great Wallfisch score. Aside from a few cringeworthy Marvel-like jokes (like the one involving WW's lasso of truth) and some truly bad CGI (even 10-year-old Man of Steel looks less fake), it's pretty okay.

 

But WB did it truly a disservice by releasing it a few weeks after a much better Multiverse movie.

[A24 4,326]

 

This Ari Aster movie is bonkers! (but I only liked the first act)

[Edmilson 7,376]

 

Despite being Cruise's first movie where the villain is an AI, it unfortunately doesn't have a single scene of him punching a robot 

 

Still, it's a pretty good movie. I liked it more than Fallout and Maverick, but not as much as Rogue Nation. I just wished the movie explored a bit more the Entity, which is just explained as an AI that went rogue and now wants to destroy mankind or something. I love movies and TV shows about evil AIs rebelling against the human race, but this movie didn't give many details about it.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning part. One

 

Starting by the obvious, the action sequences are absolutely incredible, with the jump being clearly the best stunt ever made.

Now about the rest, I found the movie quite disappointing, there's not much spying like Rogue Nation had and it's not really full action like Fallout, resulting in a movie which doesn't really know where to go. The plot could have been so great, if only the threat was better defined, here it's all blurry with a so-so villain.

The cast was good, but sadly there's no alchemy between the characters (apart from Grace and Ethan, which is anyway a bit light). At the end, I knew that Benji, Luther and Ilsa were in the movie but it was like they aren't as they were put on the side for almost the whole thing.

A word about the score, I'm one of the few who liked Fallout score but here  there's just too much trailerized M:I theme for 2 hours to be at least entertaining. There's one cue that stands out during the sword fight though

 

Overall, this movie is to me the second worst of the franchise. The two parts feel completely unnecessary and offer an uncompelling story. Oh well...

[bollemanneke 3,334]

Indy 5. Watched it with family this evening. I’d have to say it’s a bit of a disappointment, overall, but should add that I’ve forgotten all about the prior movies except TLC, so maybe I’m comparing apples to oranges. I should also add that the absence of audio description didn’t help either (thank you to Belgian cinemas for not offering this in 2023, it’s really getting idiotic).

 

Helena/Phoebe didn’t really work for me, though she improved once the money obsession was gone and I guess the actress is good enough. Mikkelsen is as good as always, obviously. My god, how many villains is he going to play? I was also really anxious for them to time travel, but then when they did, I found the results utterly ridiculous.

 

Now, the score. Is this really going to be Williams’ final blockbuster score? Again, I’m not impressed. And again, never was except with TLC. Liked bits and pieces, notably the last cue before the credits and obviously all the old themes, but the prologue badly, badly needs reverb and the end credits suite ends so depressingly muted. Really appreciated the fact that my companions wanted to sit through the whole thing with me, but I’m not going to loose any sleep over this apparently inadequate album. Also, Helena’s theme. Didn’t hear it. Never listened to any concert arrangements because I wanted to go in blank, but, yeah, didn’t hear a theme. Also, why not reprise the Nazi fanfare from TLC?

 

There. Controversial review of the month: check!

[TolkienSS 405]

The Trailer for Meg 2 looks terrible.

[Tom Guernsey 2,277]

1 minute ago, TolkienSS said:

The Trailer for Meg 2 looks terrible.

I can't wait to see it in 2.5 D as we did the first one. Took the wrong 3D glasses to the cinema (IMAX rather than standard I think) so the 3D didn't work. We were sat in the middle of the row of a packed cinema and had gone with friends so suffered through the ordeal like the pointlessly stoic Brits we are. Can't wait for the sequel.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

The first one makes for a great 'recovering from a hangover' watch, which I discovered on New Year's Day this year.

[Brónach 1,301]

12 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

And again, never was except with TLC.

 

 

12 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Also, Helena’s theme. Didn’t hear it.

 

[Edmilson 7,376]

I haven't even seen the first Meg. I'm not a fan of the shark subgenre, which oftentimes is just pure schlock. 

[A24 4,326]

It's comedy.

[KK 3,307]

 

Oppenheimer 

 

Perhaps my new favourite Nolan (upstaging The Prestige)? Don't get me wrong, this is a very Nolan film. But at last, I feel that all his classic (and overfamiliar) gimmicks and machinations finally find a synergy that actually serves its characters and subject with some nuance. It's a grandiose, maximalist, super talky character epic of the highest proportions and it works staggeringly well. We see many facets to what Oppenheimer offers as a subject that is torn between being a scientist and a politician, and all the threads that become inevitably tangled around him. And in true Malickian fashion, this is all placed against nothing less than the vast cosmic forces of the universe itself. I've long bemoaned that it's a shame that Nolan might never return to his more intimate dramatic origins, and this does just that, but in larger scope and scale.

 

Oppenheimer isn't perfect. It's loud, a bit myopic and even unwieldy, much like the ego of its subject. But this feels like the work of a more mature Nolan, one that seems to have better interrogated what he chooses to tell. It is indeed a seminal work in his canon and one of the more arresting biopics I've seen in some time.

 

The biggest critique that I came out of it with, funny enough, is that it's way too overscored. Too much wall-to-wall music, especially in the first half, that robs some wonderful moments that needed a gentler touch and more breathing room. Ludwig's score follows the Nolan-Zimmer school of barraging the audience with deafening sound, but there were some nice, more extroverted musical moments.

[KK 3,307]

 

Barbie

 

Meh. Feels like a film that's trying too hard to appease everyone. What we end up with is a pretty tame and neutered romp that's occasionally fun, rarely funny.

[Brónach 1,301]

amused by you watching the two and me skipping both

[Brundlefly 2,385]

8 hours ago, KK said:

 

Oppenheimer 

 

Perhaps my new favourite Nolan (upstaging The Prestige)? Don't get me wrong, this is a very Nolan film. But at last, I feel that all his classic (and overfamiliar) gimmicks and machinations finally find a synergy that truly serves its characters and subject with some nuance. It's a grandiose, maximalist, super talky character epic of the highest proportions and it works staggeringly well. We see many facets to what Oppenheimer offers as a subject that is torn between being a scientist and a politician, and all the threads that become inevitably tangled around him. And in true Malickian fashion, this is all placed against nothing less than the vast cosmic forces of the universe itself. I've long bemoaned that it's a shame that Nolan might never return to his more intimate dramatic origins, and this does just that, but in larger scope and scale.

 

Oppenheimer isn't perfect. It's loud and even unwieldy, much like the ego of its subject. But this feels like the work of a more mature Nolan, one that seems to have really interrogated the need for the story he chooses to tell. It is indeed a seminal work in his canon and one of the most arresting biopics I've seen in some time.

 

The biggest critique that I came out of it with, funny enough, is that it's way too overscored. Too much wall-to-wall music, especially in the first half, that robs some wonderful moments that needed a gentler touch and more breathing room. Ludwig's score follows the Nolan-Zimmer school of barraging the audience with deafening sound, but there were some nice, more extroverted musical moments.

 

The greatness of this "biopic" is the fact that it is not a classic biopic in the sense that it just puts the most prestigeous stations of a famous person's life on film, going from event to event and then checkboxing it. Nolan is able to grasp on all the complexity that lies within the thematic core of Oppenheimer's story: the tension between science and politics, the abstract discourse about warfare and the concrete suffering of real people, the possibility of creating something and the necessity of creating something. And he uses all these fields of tension to create a disturbing and intense narrative that is ultimately not that easy to break down in a few sentences. I feel incapable to finish a phrase that starts with "This film is about..." and therefore, I can definitely say that Oppenheimer is a great film that demands a lot from the mainstream audience that is flooding in the cinemas, mainly due to the director's name. Tenet had equally relevant questions at its core, but at the same time, it had a thematic clarity (beneath its overpowering surface), a very succinct message about activism - however, Oppenheimer doesn't give us that constructive and motivating outlook. It leaves us disturbed and restless.

 

There is that one scene that had me react in a way I never had before in cinema. One can easily guess which one I'm refering to, it had me panic in some way, it was unbearable and I felt like I couldn't breathe for a moment. It was the moment, when it became clear - there was something that we completely forgot, that Oppenheimer lost to focus on and that the audience forgot to think of: the human tragedy. From there on, I was thinking, maybe Oppenheimer is a horror film.

 

Regarding the score, since Dunkirk I kind of respect Nolan's approach as a concept that contradicts my usual ideal of a score being used sparsely to its maximum effect. It seems to work out in Nolan's specific case - I feel like he knows what he is doing and how to use music to bring his point across. In this particular case, I was heavily reminded of John Williams' JFK.