Solo

Alden Ehrenreich is a pretty good young Han Solo, in a film that gives a diverting but predictable back story to the character. Even more nostalgia driven than TFA, this works best if you enjoy moments like the Falcon ejecting its safety pod, Solo quipping lines like 'I have a really good feeling about this', the name 'Bossk' being mentioned, and the welcome and unexpected return of an iconic character. 

Cheers

EJ

watched with children "Adventures of Padington2". Got a lot of fun. And "Rabbit Peter", the children are delighted. Adults are the same.

A Quiet Place an exceptional Horror movie one of the most tense films I have seen in a very long time it made me jump even more than Under the Shadow that exceptionally scary Iranian film from a couple of years back.

If you like your horror films minus all of the gore and full of suspense then I can't reccomend this enough.

A couple of movies for half term action with my son…

Avengers: Infinity War.

This highly anticipated movie is a worthy addition to the vast MCU catalogue and a successful (mostly) hint as to how this staggeringly successful movie run will be concluded.

Overall its very well done. Everything focuses on the antagonist and his quest, so the sheer number of spandex super bods mean that some of the favourite characters do not have as much screen time as in past movies, and of course this will disappoint some fans. To their credit though the Russo bothers manage to weave all of the MCU characters into a complex yet coherent narrative with plot links tracing back throughout the MCU. A very impressive juggling act. Also, the directors do not pull their emotional punches, creating an unexpectedly potent villain in the CGI guise of Thanos (Josh Brolin), even if he does look a little like a throbbing gnarly purple thumb who’s overdone the steroids. 

As expected, the effects are first rate (even the angry thumb) and all of the worlds / realms are beautifully rendered. A little relentless at times though and Yeti Junior found it a little hard going in places, as its impressively dark in tone for a mainstream super hero flick.

Highly recommended.

Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Now this was an interesting experience. I really didn’t want to see this movie as I’d read about the issues and expected it to be compete turkey shoot, but as it was The Boy Yeti’s choice, Solo it was. And… A genuine surprise. After the initial acclimatisation that an imposter is playing Han Solo, it zips along at a decent pace - and is not hindered by any annoying 'The Force is Strong' plot elements. There are some excellent set pieces, a gravity train heist probably the standout.

Considering the production implosion with Lord & Miller leaving the project so far into filming and Ron Howard picking up the megaphone, I expected it to be a real hotchpotch. Surprisingly Ron Howard has quite effectively cobbled something together out of Lord & Miller’s original vision, while still adding his own take on the characters past. Quite an achievement in itself.

There’s the obvious back story box ticking plot points - which are rather clunky and a little groan inducing. But negatives aside, Alden Ehrenreich does a passable Harrison Ford interpretation, and the rest of the cast are excellent - esp Paul Bethany who really gets to bare his teeth. But, its Phobe Waller Bridge of Fleabag (superb) fame who is the stand out as Droid L3 - she’s simply tremendous!

I don’t think its going to do well in terms of box office returns as there were only four people in the cinema - including us!

Far better than expected.

Recommended.

Helena posted:

watched with children "Adventures of Padington2". Got a lot of fun. And "Rabbit Peter", the children are delighted. Adults are the same.

Saw Paddington 2 on a plane last week. Great movie. It made me miss London.

Another masterpiece from Pixar. Brilliant. Worth the 14-year wait.

winkyincanada posted:

Another masterpiece from Pixar. Brilliant. Worth the 14-year wait.

Wow, is it really 14 years!! 

Incredibles II

Incredibles is one of the best Pixar films, 2 doesn't reach the same heights.

Toy Story have been truly outstanding in maintaining the quality of the sequels, in part this is due to the emotional shifts that are referenced in the stories as the children get older. I2 has the tougher job of a standard sequel and they make a good fist of it, but a lot that was great and original in the first can't help but be a slight re-tread in the second, especially as they chose to start 2 immediately after the end of 1. Echoing large elements of the villain's journey from I1 in I2 was a bit lazy, and not as well done - and I found repeating a superb line from 1 in 2 a bit grating.

Overall a solid recommendation.

M

Mission Impossible - Fallout

The first two films in this franchised left me cold, the last three have warmed me up considerably. This is the MI that I enjoyed the most. The great thing about Tom Cruise doing his own stunts is that it puts you in the middle of the action. As good as modern effects are somehow I think you can tell, and so tension is reduced; this film reminds you of how good feeling that emotion is.

The plot is perfunctory, as it is with all these films, but there is enough for it not to be a distraction,and to weave the locations together proficiently. Everyone does a good job, although for me the stand out is Henry Cavill, good to see him in a tole where he is called upon to act, and to see him rise to the occasion.

If you enjoy action fare the you will have a blast.

Highly Recommended

M

Mr Underhill posted:

Mission Impossible - Fallout

The first two films in this franchised left me cold, the last three have warmed me up considerably. This is the MI that I enjoyed the most. The great thing about Tom Cruise doing his own stunts is that it puts you in the middle of the action. As good as modern effects are somehow I think you can tell, and so tension is reduced; this film reminds you of how good feeling that emotion is.

The plot is perfunctory, as it is with all these films, but there is enough for it not to be a distraction,and to weave the locations together proficiently. Everyone does a good job, although for me the stand out is Henry Cavill, good to see him in a tole where he is called upon to act, and to see him rise to the occasion.

If you enjoy action fare the you will have a blast.

Highly Recommended

M

I've enjoyed most of the MI series and will now look forward to this latest one. Thanks Mr U.

Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who frequently visits Berlin. When Oren dies in a car crash in Israel, the bereft Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking truth and solace. Keeping his identity a secret, Thomas infiltrates the life of Anat, Oren’s widow. He becomes involved far beyond his anticipation, and to protect the truth he stretches his lie to a point of no return. Exploring the idea that our social, religious, and sexual identities are more fluid than fixed, The Cakemaker is “a tender, tactile and just-sweet-enough story of hidden love, challenged faith and unwittingly shared grief.”—Variety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atBa3S_FzPQ

Mr Underhill posted:

Mission Impossible - Fallout

The first two films in this franchised left me cold, the last three have warmed me up considerably. This is the MI that I enjoyed the most. The great thing about Tom Cruise doing his own stunts is that it puts you in the middle of the action. As good as modern effects are somehow I think you can tell, and so tension is reduced; this film reminds you of how good feeling that emotion is.

The plot is perfunctory, as it is with all these films, but there is enough for it not to be a distraction,and to weave the locations together proficiently. Everyone does a good job, although for me the stand out is Henry Cavill, good to see him in a tole where he is called upon to act, and to see him rise to the occasion.

If you enjoy action fare the you will have a blast.

Highly Recommended

M

We loved the last Mission, so trotted along to the cinema yesterday (a rare event nowadays) & saw this latest one. We certainly weren't disappointed! Superb action thriller, a real cut above others of the genre. Quite breathtaking, with Tom Cruise doing his very best Action Man act. We were fair exhausted by the end. 

tonym posted:

We loved the last Mission, so trotted along to the cinema yesterday (a rare event nowadays) & saw this latest one. We certainly weren't disappointed! Superb action thriller, a real cut above others of the genre. Quite breathtaking, with Tom Cruise doing his very best Action Man act. We were fair exhausted by the end. 

Hi Tony,

I have to say that when he slid down 'that rope' I let out an exclamation. As you say, breathtaking. Green screen allows some marvelous things to be presented, but it also takes away as well. 

M

Mamma Mia - Here we go again

ok, not your action-packed mission/James bond/scary-monster/deep-thought offering that seems to feature here. But....

....we enjoyed it !

Not as integrated as the original West End production or the associated film. More like a later Elvis Presley film with a collection of songs tied together with an impossibly weak storyline relying on a few guest appearances and flashbacks to the original to hold it together.

but enjoyable........even if you like ABBA !

My my, how can you resist it? We are seeing it this evening and really looking forward to it. 

hungryhalibut posted:

My my, how can you resist it? We are seeing it this evening and really looking forward to it. 

Mrs D is going with her friend on Monday to see it again.

She liked it, but not quite as much as the first film or the West End show, which we have seen a few times.

Hope you enjoy it.

Ant Man and the Wasp

Paul Rudd. Well, that's all you really need to know. If you have loved his work before you are going to enjoy this, and enjoy I did.

Any downbeats? I thought that the resolution of the Ghost character was a bit too easy, and predictable; and also ......nope, spoilers. Also the level of techno-bollocks here was at Star Trek levels, in fairness they were well aware of this and had Scott Lang say. 'Do you guys just tack quantum onto everything?'.

Some nice touches where the 'best' of the last film was nicely homaged.

Stay for the post credit scene, one of the better ones, and VERY relevant.

No great drama but very enjoyable fair, recommended.

M

Ant-Man And The Wasp.

The Boy-Yeti and I enjoyed a school holiday outing to the flicks this afternoon, and I’d forgotten just how busy the cinema gets in the summer holidays - blimey was it packed.

A worthy sequel that successfully expands plot threads from the first movie. Not quite as refreshingly original as Ant-Man, but still thoroughly entertaining. The likeable acting leads carry the movie beautifully. Top notch visual effects. A credible, sympathetic antagonist and a very welcome MCU introduction to Laurence Fishburne.

Perhaps this could be considered ‘Marvel light’ compared to recent MCU offerings, but in some ways, all the more rewarding and welcome for its lighthearted tone. 

Recommended.

I didn’t... but I should. Pref in IMAX:

Dunkirk. C.Nolan.

Nothing beats the sound / image of a RR Merlin on a Spitfire. That initial sequence of the formation in chapter 2 / the sky, it’s breathtaking.

Kevin-W posted:

The trailer doesn't do justice to the picture's monumental quality, but here it is for those interested...

Nobody makes films like this anymore (if I recall): 10 initial minutes showing a long waiting and fly’s in the air. And in the actors lips. And “the fight” between them... ????

The Little Stranger

An interesting film that ultimately says more about today than 1948 where it is set.

The film is very much in two parts. It opens as a drama examining an upper class family living in the declining remains of a country house with a family that is equally dysfunctional, this was the half that I found engrossing. The second half moves into a ghostly realm where a haunting presence moves the film towards its denouement.

I found the film thought provoking and am glad I saw it.

<spoilers> Hidden test - highlight.

The house is haunted by a presence that I feel was clearly spelled out, in a Q&A with the director following the performance I saw in Dublin this weekend it was clear that others had not picked up on the signposted intent, as confirmed by the director's response, so I will not elucidate here. What I will discuss is the ending .....so stop reading if you are likely to go and see it and come back later.

For me the films clear protagonist is the daughter of the household, Caroline. Dr Faraday is the eyes through whom the drama is portrayed, but I would think of him as far closer to the antagonist, although nothing here is that straightforward.

Above I said I thought that the film says far more about today than 1948, why? In a standard haunted tale the protagonist would face their fears, solve the issue and move on, with some level of positivity. This is a classic formula that we use and I would say is healthy and forward looking. This film ends with what I would describe as a Post Modern ending that I hate. It is nihilistic. The protagonist is dead, the antagonist claims his prize, but even that prize is scarred and reduced. This is a film without hope wrapped in beautiful production values and excellent acting. A poison pill indeed, but thought provoking.

</spoilers>

The Wife. Glenn Close rather overshadowed by Jonathan Pryce as the feted, great man author, imo.

The guy who played the despicable, weedling biographer was also excellent.

We gave it a B on an A to E scale

Venom

I saw this a couple of days ago and have been cogitating. In the final analysis this is a film that I enjoyed and Tom Hardy as Venom holds the film together. That said the first act is slow and asks us to turn credulity up to an 11. After that things kick into a high octane VFX fest, which is OK but uninteresting, before we get to the real meat and potatoes which did capture me.

Sooooo, I do think this is worth going to see if this is your sort of fare, but you will need to be patient!

M

Go see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSbzyEJ8X9E

I saw this (They Shall Not Grow Old) at the pictures last night. Commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to mark the centenary of the end of the Great War, it's one of the most moving films I have ever seen. And an incredible technical achievement as well.

Normally I have no time for the work of Peter Jackson, who after a promising start degenerated into a technocrat and hack movie-maker (a kind of Antipodean James Cameron). But credit where it's due - he and his team have done an extraordinary job.

I'm also a huge opponent of 'colorisation' and dubbed on sound effects; but again both have been done with extraordinary sensitivity and skill by Jackson & Co. The original footage was converted to 'true' enhanced black and white and then colour, while forensic lip readers were used to discover what the soldiers were saying and actors used to voice those words.

Much of the original film was shot on hand-cranked or clockwork cameras, so it has always looked a bit jerky. State of the art technology was used to fill in missing frames and to achieve consistent, realistic movement. Finally, the team trawled through 600 hours of BBC recordings (most made in the 1950s and '60s) to add in the soldiers' testaments.

The result is something incredibly vivid and powerful. There is no narration, no history, there are no talking heads; just the men themselves talking. This, along with the superb restoration, makes the men truly come alive - no longer are they distant, jerky figures but very real people who could be you granddad, neighbour or teacher. Although everyone in this flick is now long dead of course, they come over as still very much alive, and the eternally young men most of them were when they were filmed.

A very powerful piece of movie-making, and a testament to what the imaginative and sensitive use of technology can do. It deserves every award going.

It's doing the rounds at the cinema now, but BBC1 is showing it on Arminstice Day - well worth a watch.