What's the Latest Thing You've Seen at the Cinema II

Spiderman homecoming 3 days ago. Loved it

Dunkirk at IMAX cinema. What a masterpiece.

Dunkirk, IMAX 2D, fabulous. Although some difficulty with some indistinct  dialogue moments. A couple of too Hollywood moments. Spotted some nerdy errors.

Overall the tension was brought out  beautifully, a kind of non "musical" score  adding to this.

BigH47 posted:

Dunkirk, IMAX 2D, fabulous. Although some difficulty with some indistinct  dialogue moments. A couple of too Hollywood moments. Spotted some nerdy errors.

Overall the tension was brought out  beautifully, a kind of non "musical" score  adding to this.

Must get to see that soon. 

BigH47 posted:

Dunkirk, IMAX 2D, fabulous. Although some difficulty with some indistinct  dialogue moments. A couple of too Hollywood moments. Spotted some nerdy errors.

Overall the tension was brought out  beautifully, a kind of non "musical" score  adding to this.

Second that. Bits of dialogue clanged a bit but I have to admit it is the first time I have cried in a movie for a very, very long time. A real cinematic experience.

I think the fact that some of the ships used were obviously modern, and ditto the background streets in one or two scenes was fine. The decision not to use CGI made it feel real, relevant and believable. It is a drama, not a documentary, so the same applies to the lack of context or historical detail as far as I was concerned. I was quite happy not to obsess over details but just lose myself in it.

I saw it in v high quality 2D, not sure I could have coped in IMAX!

Bruce

Tried to get in to see this on Saturday evening, sold out! Normally only happens with Star Wars films.

M

Yes the IMAX 70mm experience was particularly something to experience and remember. The 70mm aspect ratio (making it far taller) really gave an amazing viewing experience.

Spiderman Homecoming - enjoyable expansion of the MCU, the references to John Hughes' films are hard to miss and well done.

Cars 3 - with management and kids, in 2D. Didn't expect it to be as good as it was, it makes the first that bit more relevant and wisely ignores Cars 2 (the extended Mater's tall tale as spy)

EJ

I saw Dunkirk yesterday. It was ok, but I was not taken away by it.

Dunkirk on Imax, awesome although extremely loud, i'm sure my seat was shaking, agree some of the dialogue was indistinct but the same with a lot of modern films, on the home cinema i always have to crank up the centre channel

War of the Planet of the apes, really enjoyed this film, great emotional story telling and terrific performances from Andy Serkis and Woody Harrelson

Not that impressed with Spiderman Homecoming, just another Marvel super hero movie.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

This film has garnered pretty negative reviews but I personally had a blast from start to finish. Yes, the message is hamfisted, the dialogue forced, and Clive Owen isn't given a lot to work with - but what matters is thqt the flawed but likable characters grew on me and I personally loved the pacing; Besson isn't afraid to stop the movie in its tracks to develop an idea, such as the dance scene, and that's become rare. Kudos to Besson to pulling this off - it can't have been an easy sell.

Cheers,

EJ

Dunkirk: Written & Directed by Chris Nolan. 

Caveat, I should mention that I’m a Chris Nolan fan and I find that even his weaker movies are compelling. Plus, I’m generally not keen on war films.

An intense movie, in fact it hardly lets up for the entire running time. The interwoven triple narrative of Land, Sea and Air are beautifully edited together - all pushed along with the propulsive ticking clock Hans Zimmer soundtrack. The cast are superb. The effects refreshingly physical as opposed to digital (all the better for it). For me, the stand out sequences were the air dog fights (Tom Hardy’s eyes!) and the action on those truly bleak Dunkirk coastal vistas.

Cinema viewing highly recommended - and on the biggest screen possible (especially for those air and beach sequences). 

Film of the year to date - and truly breathtaking in places.

Just back from watching Dunkirk.  I very much enjoyed it and will recommend it to others, even if I didn't think it lived up to some of the hype I've seen from the critics.  The power of the weapons through the sound effects was a particular feature that stood out for me.  Another was the effort made towards authenticity (though I felt that Tom Hardy's ammunition seemed to last an implausibly long time).

Will definitely get it on Blueray/4k when it is released.  

Proper decent film this. Highly recommended.

Dunkirk

Mixed feelings.

Saw it in Imax and there is a lot to like and admire. Yes, there are flaws: doesn't Dunkirk look strangely kempt; a friend is a RN buff and was disappointed in the lack of realism wrt the warships etc. Non of this spoiled my enjoyment, and I loved the three time perspectives & cinematography. What I didn't enjoy was the percentage of the film which followed people who were acting in a cowardly, though completely understandable, way. I appreciate that this was an interesting way to follow the action, but the fact is that that many people would not have gotten away from such a situation without: 1) the bravery of the French troops holding off the Germans; and, 2) Discipline. I felt that neither of these aspects were given sufficient weight.

I thoroughly recommend going to see it on the largest screen you can, BUT - I don't think I will add is to my collection. I will re-watch its sequel, The Battle of Britain.

M

Hippopotamus. For fans of Roger Allam it is a wonderful film, much better than than that Madame Bovary rip-off from a few years ago.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Luc Besson has made some really good films, this isn't one.

From the stable of thought that bought you Prometheus & Alien Covenant we have yet another film which features:

Stratospherically high production values;
A lead with no charisma;
Poorly developed characters;
A plot with more holes than a colander.

It is a shame as the film does have some nice ideas & sequences.

M

Atomic Blonde

Recommended.

Great fun. Harry Palmer for a more modern era.

Good performances, great fight sequences in support of a plot that keeps you engaged.

M

Mr Underhill posted:

Atomic Blonde

Recommended.

Great fun. Harry Palmer for a more modern era.

Good performances, great fight sequences in support of a plot that keeps you engaged.

M

That fight scene on the staircase was intense. They used some nice sustained shots for it, so much better than the current trope of having fight scenes be full half a seconds cuts. I came across this behind the scenes video about how the did it, pretty neat http://www.vulture.com/2017/08...staircase-fight.html

Hi Danny,

Thx for that. Yes, great choreography. That is why I describe the film as 'fun', violent, but with as much reality as 'Million Dollar Brain'.

M

As we are in the school holidays I have been taking children to Kids Club:

Sing

I have this on DVD, but the big screen does add a lot to the experience. The four year old I had with me LOVED it, and was enthusiastically joining in with the songs, she has seen it a few times.

Recommended.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Aimed at an older children this film majors on toilet humour. Some of the sets ups are funny, but there is just too long between the laughs, especially as some are weak and don't land.

M

Mr Underhill posted:

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Luc Besson has made some really good films, this isn't one.

From the stable of thought that bought you Prometheus & Alien Covenant we have yet another film which features:

Stratospherically high production values;
A lead with no charisma;
Poorly developed characters;
A plot with more holes than a colander.

It is a shame as the film does have some nice ideas & sequences.

M

 

Sorry M, it's not that I disagree - I don't - but I do think you're short selling the film by measuring it against a traditional set of criteria. Like films as Titan A.E. and Oblivion, and to a lesser extent Disney's Treasure Planet and Atlantis, we have high concept productions in which the passion of its creators clearly shines through and makes them worth watching even through the plot holes and thin characterisation. It is a shame that there is a certain unfulfilled promise here, but it would be an even bigger shame not to go see these movies because of it. Just my 2 cents...

EJ

It felt like a parade of sound and visual special effects. Personally, I would have been much more interested in what was happening on the beaches. It is also sad that the sacrifice of the 18.000 French soldiers who gave their lives to defend the Dunkirk pocket and enabled the evacuation was never fully recognized. I would give it three stars out of five.

EJS posted:

Mr Underhill posted:

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Luc Besson has made some really good films, this isn't one.

From the stable of thought that bought you Prometheus & Alien Covenant we have yet another film which features:

Stratospherically high production values;
A lead with no charisma;
Poorly developed characters;
A plot with more holes than a colander.

It is a shame as the film does have some nice ideas & sequences.

M

 

...... but I do think you're short selling the film by measuring it against a traditional set of criteria.

EJ

Hi EJ,

<spoilers>

I do think that there is a lot of good stuff in the film, mainly on the concepts and design.

I am happy to give it a pass from reality based on its clear fantasy bias.

What prevented me from enjoying it was what I saw as lazy writing, such as:

1. Having a group of primitive living, although highly intelligent, beings get onto a crashed spaceship on a planet that is then disintegrated, but somehow live through that process and survive, learning the previous occupants language & technology whilst only having the resources on this broken ship .....what??
2. Give the lead bad-guy such a lack of development, and fill his mouth with political ideas clearly culled from here and now but so poorly expressed. I like it when you spend time giving the 'other side' a view point that you may well disagree with but that you can intellectually 'get'; or better yet strongly empathise with, such as in Hellboy 2.

I could go on, but basically my feeling was that despite some great visuals this film failed to hang together in any meaningful way, and I always want Luc to hit the ball out of the park.

</spoilers>

M

Mr Underhill posted:

EJS posted:

Mr Underhill posted:

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Luc Besson has made some really good films, this isn't one.

 

...

M

 

...... but I do think you're short selling the film by measuring it against a traditional set of criteria.

EJ

Hi EJ,

<spoilers>

I do think that there is a lot of good stuff in the film, mainly on the concepts and design.

I am happy to give it a pass from reality based on its clear fantasy bias.

What prevented me from enjoying it was what I saw as lazy writing, such as:

1. Having a group of primitive living, although highly intelligent, beings get onto a crashed spaceship on a planet that is then disintegrated, but somehow live through that process and survive, learning the previous occupants language & technology whilst only having the resources on this broken ship .....what??
2. Give the lead bad-guy such a lack of development, and fill his mouth with political ideas clearly culled from here and now but so poorly expressed. I like it when you spend time giving the 'other side' a view point that you may well disagree with but that you can intellectually 'get'; or better yet strongly empathise with, such as in Hellboy 2.

I could go on, but basically my feeling was that despite some great visuals this film failed to hang together in any meaningful way, and I always want Luc to hit the ball out of the park.

</spoilers>

M

On Clive's motivation, isn't it only fair that the film from the books that had such a profound influence on Star Wars would be about trade sanctions  

EJ