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BuzzJack Music Forum _ Movies and Theatre _ Regina Reviews

Posted by: Regina Mar 9 2016, 09:59 PM



This could well end up being a massive fail and I could end up talking to myself, but I do that all the time anyway so hey ho.
This is a thread where I'm gonna review the movies I watch basically, since I tend to watch them all the time and most Saturdays I sit and watch about 4 or 5 back to back and I kinda just wanna share my thoughts since none of my friends are movie buffs laugh.gif Hopefully a few people like this and maybe get some good movies to watch from it. There will likely be much more older movies than new ones, since I rarely go to the cinema and wait for dvd's normally (or other methods, but we keep that hush hush)

Every movie will get a rating out of 5, but because it's ME, they will be Sebby's biceps rather than stars, obviously.


Most likely first set tomorrow as I have seen a few this week already. Alas, no Sebby.

Movies Reviewed

http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5338657
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5339328
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5348492
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5348547
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5355323
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5361460
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5372690
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5375832
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5407067
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5604954
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=188041&view=findpost&p=5621979

Posted by: jsilv Mar 9 2016, 10:11 PM

Excited for this Regina, like you I have no movie buff friends so I just get to chat to you guys when you're around. Hopefully I'll know a few of these as I'm not as familiar with Amy Adams or al ot of your other favourites' films as perhaps I should be, got Big Eyes on Sky that I'm yet to watch though.

Posted by: Ultraviolence1989 Mar 9 2016, 11:34 PM

Very hyped for this Regina wub.gif wub.gif

Posted by: Regina Mar 10 2016, 07:56 PM

Let's get this bast*rd rolling. I will probably ramble on, but hopefully it makes sense and I get my feelings across laugh.gif This is all kinda geeky.



Her (2013)

Director: Spike Jonez
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson.


In a nutshell: Set in the not so distant future, a quiet and sensitive man (Joaquin) is trying to get on with life after his wife leaves him and he begins a relationship with his Siri like OS (Operating System) who opens his eyes to a new world and way of seeing life.

This was one of the most beautifully shot and acted movies I have ever seen, although I admit it took a few watches to get really into it, since it's a bit long. It's a pretty out there story but when you break it down, it's actually just a simple love story but with a twist that makes it modern. The scenery, the score (Arcade Fire) and the acting all combine to make a film that while subtle, packs a punch.
Joaquin is a very underrated actor I feel, hugely talented and I honestly cannot think of another actor who could have played Theodore with such perfection. You totally believe everything he says and does and can't help but love him. I am obviously biased when it comes to Amy Adams but she totally nailed this part. In reflection I actually think it was a more powerful performance than her one in American Hustle. She plays these kinds of quiet but strong characters well and the way she delivers her lines, with such emotion that shows in her voice and her eyes is just a joy to watch. She and Joaquin have such brilliant chemistry in their scenes together and I loved their relationship in the movie. Even though they are just friends, there is a love and respect that goes deeper than that and I loved seeing how important they are to eachother and how weel they really know one another. The way Amy totally gets Theodore's reltionship with Samantha and doesn't judge him in any way is really sweet. i also liked how she find the strength to leave her husband and embark on her own kind of relationship with her OS too. It's clear that they can totally trust each other.
I think Spike did a brilliant job showing off different kinds of relationships and love in this movie and manages to show the growth in Theodore and Amy in a brulliant and believable way. I've not seen any of this other movies but if they are as good as this, then I need to ASAP. His style of directing and shooting a movie is so artistic. There are some really beautiful lines in this movie too, many that really connected with me and that I took to heart, mainly ones said by Amy, like that in my opening gifs.
I think in time, this could become one of my favourite Amy Adams movies, certainly in recent days I am preferring it to American Hustle, which has kinda been tainted by how David O Russell treated her and how she felt about filming it.

Best scene: There are lots to choose from, some really beautiful moments, but I think for me the ending when Theordore composes the letter to his ex and he and Amy go up to the roof and just sit there, it's so beautiful and everything comes together ending the movie in the perfect way. The initial sadness they both feel soon goes away when they are just sitting there, realising they have come a huge way since these OS' came into their lives. The way that Smantha and the other OS's disappear and then leave everyone to carry on with their new way of living is pretty powerful and I'm sure there is a deep meaning to it all bit I can't explain it laugh.gif Theodore and Amy just looking at one another and just smiling is so sweet. The city scape is stunning too.


Also, if you wanna see just how much chemistry Amy and Joaquin have, go watch the press junkets they did, they are so adorable together and it's SO obvious they are good friends and Amy totally crushes on him laugh.gif

Rating:

Posted by: Frank! Mar 11 2016, 01:36 PM

Lovely review Regina wub.gif Love Her, absolutely one of my fave films that year.

Posted by: johnjo07 Mar 11 2016, 02:25 PM

'Her' is so beautiful. It's scary how much of it we can relate to and often asks the question "When?". When will it be like in reality? Brilliant performances from everyone involved, too!

Posted by: harryflynn0908 Mar 11 2016, 03:12 PM

Such a good review Regina I might watch it at some point and whilst Amy Adams is not my favourite actress but she is at least like top 10/20 heart.gif

Posted by: Regina Mar 11 2016, 03:37 PM

Aw glad you all liked my review laugh.gif and please do give this and every other Amy Adams movie a watch kink.gif

Another one coming today, hopefully. A total change of pace compared to Her.

Posted by: Regina Mar 11 2016, 05:06 PM



The House Bunny (2008)

Director: Fred Wolf
Starring: Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Colin Hanks


In a nutshell: After turning 27 (and some devious goings on from a jealous hoe) Playboy bunny Shelley finds herself on her own and in need of a home and ends up as the House Mother of an unpopular sorority that is in danger of being shut down if they don't get new members. She helps them become more popular and in return they give her a purpose and education in life beyond being a dumb sexy bunny.

I did say this was gonna be a change of pace laugh.gif
Anna Faris seems to have made a career out of playing dumb but totally loveable characters and this is no exception. Right from the get go, you root for Shelley and just want her to suceed. I have a fondness for movies that revolve around american colleges, sure they almost always tend to rely on stereotypes and emphasize them, but sometimes that's enough for a good movie and if you had naturally funny actors like Anna and Emma, then you can't go wrong. Speaking of Emm, I am not normally a fan of Emma, other than The Help, but she was really good in this, she sells that smart but beautiful character really well and was probably my favourite of the girls. Kat Dennings as the violent goth type was pretty amazing too. In fact they were all amazing, all individual but with a strong sense of sisterhood, it was all very empowering.
One thing that caught me off guard the first time I saw this was the casting of Colin Hanks as the romantic lead. Not that he's not talented or good looking enough to do it, but because it seemed like an odd fit in the sense that you don't see him in these roles that often, or ever really. But he clearly inherited his dad's natural talent for it, as he not only had really good chemistry with Anna, but was a sweet and likeable character and I loved how he wasn't like most men and blinded by her beauty and wanted to get to know the real person inside. It's something I think tends to get overlooked in movies like this, normally you are stuck with "man meets woman, man falls in love without getting to know her" so it was refreshing to see that. I think Colin was the perfect choice for the role of Oliver, he looks like the kind of man who cares more about the whole package more than, say, Channing Tatum, who looks like he is a bit too dim and vain for that crap.
Although initially it seems like Shelley just focusses on changing the outside of the girls, it becomes pretty obvious that she does much more and manages to awaken something within them all and by the end they successfully combine their new looks with their personalities and become the best versions of themselves, which is what we all strive for right?

Best Scene: There were so many I could pick from and I nearly went for the bar scene, but I opted instead for Shelley's method of remembering people's names by going all demonic on them. Not only was it really funny and totally out of the blue for her to do it, but it also showed how much she actually could fit into this group. She might be super glam and sexy but she is also a bit weird and an outcast looking for somewhere to belong and seeing her being so open and free about it really made me warm to her more.


Rating:

Posted by: Regina Mar 16 2016, 11:25 PM

Does nobody like Tge House Bunny then? ohmy.gif

Posted by: Ultraviolence1989 Mar 16 2016, 11:26 PM

I love it, thought I commented soz!

Will do a bigger comment when I'm not about to go t o bed heart.gif

Posted by: Regina Mar 21 2016, 11:44 AM

Another movie coming hopefully today or tomorrow [/hype]

Posted by: Ultraviolence1989 Mar 21 2016, 08:30 PM

Excited for the next film *.* Adore Her and The House Bunny and both write-ups are great Grant heart.gif

Her really is such an effective and beautiful film, Phoenix/Adams/Johansson kill it so much and are all incredible, was such a lovely surprise when I watched it heart.gif
The House Bunny was really funny and I remember it being the first film I saw in Leicester Square which was a pretty nice experience! Anna Faris was fantastic and I especially loved the beginning heart.gif

Posted by: SamJudd Mar 22 2016, 02:07 AM

Haven't seen 'Her' yet, but gonna someday, so can't comment on that, just as yet.

'The House Bunny', now I actually liked that movie, found it quite funny and Anna Faris was really good and funny in it. One scene I found funny was when she was trying to teach one of the girls how to flirt in that bar, and she says to the guy "Could you tell me where the bathroom is, I got to drop off some timber", then the guy says go away, then she goes back to Anna Faris who tells her to be more mysterious, so the girl says the same thing, just adding "I gotta mysterious thing to do in there, I gotta drop off some timber". I laughed out loud at that scene.

Plus I do agree that Colin Hanks was hot in it, and thought he made a decent leading man, and he should be more famous. I think he's great. But overall, pretty good movie and very fun.

Posted by: Regina Mar 22 2016, 05:00 PM



Jackie & Ryan (2015)

Director: Ami Canaan Mann
Starring: Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes


In a nutshell: A train hopping busker and a former singer turned single mother fighting for custody of her daughter strike up a romance and make some sweet music together.

So this movie kinda passed me by as it probably did for most people since it had a very low key release and got pretty poor reviews. Undeserved I must say.
I went into this movie with pretty low expectations due to the reviews and the fact that, much as I love her, Katherine Heigl is a much better comedy actress than a dramatic one. However she shocked me not only with her acting but also her singing. Clearly some of her hubby's talents rubbed off on her. As for Ben, he really shocked me, I'd only seen him in The Big Wedding which was not a good movie to base anyone's acting off, but he was superb in this. His singing was sublime too, such a great voice.
The two leads had great chemistry and what little actual romance there was (this movie was clearly more about the music, despite their relationship bein used to promote it) they both sold it and were pretty believable. I think Katherine gets too much of a bad rep, but if she was to do more of these sorts of movies and show off the fact that she can carry a more serious movie then that might change. Hopefully Ben gets more bigger roles too because he certainly has the screen presence and the talent.
If you like folksy songs then you'd adore the soundtrack to this, even if it's not your thing, it's a plesent enough listen. The plot isn't that expansive, it's one of those "Sunday afternoon" kinda movies that feels more suited for a TV movie setting, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It flows nicely and has a nice neat ending.

Best Scene This was pretty easy, the ending scene where you see Ryan recording in a studio and singing Southbound. Not only a really amazing song, but it ties up the movie so perfectly. It doesn't leave anything unanswered and I love how they mimic the opening scenes and it seems like they are just showing his initial journey again. I do enjoy a nice musical ending and this is one of the better ones I have seen.


Rating:

Posted by: HarryEzra Mar 22 2016, 05:13 PM

Not even heard of that movie ohmy.gif

Posted by: Regina Mar 22 2016, 06:05 PM



Not Suitable For Children (2012)

Director: Peter Templeman
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Sarah Snook, Ryan Corr


In a nutshell: When a childless man is told he has cancer and the treatment will leave him infertile, he decides to postpone it and enlists his friends to help him on his mission to have children before it's too late.

Things that shocked me about this movie. 1) Ryan Kwanten is not a Redneck, he's an Aussie. 2) He actually can act and carry a movie. He comes off as a bit dim in True Blood but I guess that's just his character and I've never sen him in anything else so couldn't compare. Also, he's a good 10 years older than most of his co-stars but looks younger than them. #witchcraft.
Anyway, the actual movie. Despite the fairly serious tone of the plot, this is, for the most part, a pretty funny and light movie. One thing to note, despite Ryan's character being diagnosed with cancer, this is not a cancer movie and it's not evne mentioned or shown in any detail apart from to bookend the movie. This is about his quest to become a father. I like how brave this movie was, taking a pretty damn serious issue and making a funny movie out of it, but still with some serious undercurrents to it. Part of, or rather, the main reason for this being pulled off so well is Ryan. He is known for being a total babe with one hellova body, but he has a really adorable and sincere face and a really sweet persona about him that makes you root for him and believe in what he's setting out to do.
As you might expect, there are some sexy sex scenes, but they are shown in one go about half way through the movie, with some nice ass shots (for the pervs out there) I liked how they showed these scenes, not just the sex, but all the various routes you can go about having kids, they showed them in kinda of chunks so you get the impression that Jonah (Ryan's character) exhausts each method before moving on to the next one. It also helps that he is a pretty likeable fella too.
There is the inevitable will they wont they with Sarah's character which is actually pretty well played throughout the movie, it's clear they belong together but neither of them know it or want to admit it.
One thing I wasn't expecting was the way the movie ended, it didn't have the ending that you'd expect from the way the movie played out and as the end credits got nearner I found myself willing things to happen that never did, althoug certain things I wanted to happen did, so that was nice.

Best scene: As already mentioned, I have to go for the ending, for the reasons explained before. The movie did not have a typical nicely tied up ending, there were some questions left unanswered but none that would leave you disappointed or annoyed. They are kind of "I wonder what they'd do next?" which is what you want from a movie I think, you go on the journey that these characters do and you get invested and want to know what happens after the end. Sure I like a tied up ending where you can leave it be, but this is a good break from that formula and you get the feeling that Jonah gets his "happily ever after" even if it's not what he or the viewers thought it would be.
No scenes on youtube so enjoy another gif, cause, Ryan.


Rating:

Posted by: HarryEzra Mar 22 2016, 06:14 PM

Oh I have heard of this never seen it though laugh.gif

Posted by: Ultraviolence1989 Mar 22 2016, 06:56 PM

Oops never heard of either of those ohmy.gif
Jackie and Ryan sounds quite good though so may check that out! However both actors (Heigl in particular) are so hit and miss so if I do watch it, I hope they are good in this.

Posted by: jsilv Mar 28 2016, 10:15 PM

Only seen Her so far of all of these, one of my favourite films of all time so it saddens me when people write it off because of its concept which may sound silly, my Dad turned it off halfway through for being too unrealistic :'( Amy Adams isn't my highlight in it (think that may bs Scarlett Johansson for making Samantha seem so real) but all the cast were fantastic too.

Speaking of Amy Adams, been getting my fix of her recently and watched Doubt, The Fighter and Junebug all in the past two weeks, would love to see your write-ups on them! Only got The Master left from her Oscar nominations now biggrin.gif Junebug is by far her best performance yet, so sweet and engaging all the way through and then so heartbreaking during the hospital scenes, I know she's great but I was so impressed, shame she didn't win with her first nomination really. It was a cute little film too but she was definitely the highlight.

I liked The Fighter but it wasn't one of my favourite movies, boxing just has no appeal whatsoever for me so I was bored a few times. She did a great job and it was a fair way from her comfort scenes but I think she was outshined a few times, it was difficult to keep up with Bale and Leo because they were such big characters and so well acted/deserving of their wins. Amy really needs an Oscar soon though, hope she has something in the pipeline this year.

Posted by: Regina Mar 30 2016, 12:44 PM

QUOTE(jsilv @ Mar 28 2016, 11:15 PM) *
Only seen Her so far of all of these, one of my favourite films of all time so it saddens me when people write it off because of its concept which may sound silly, my Dad turned it off halfway through for being too unrealistic :'( Amy Adams isn't my highlight in it (think that may bs Scarlett Johansson for making Samantha seem so real) but all the cast were fantastic too.

Speaking of Amy Adams, been getting my fix of her recently and watched Doubt, The Fighter and Junebug all in the past two weeks, would love to see your write-ups on them! Only got The Master left from her Oscar nominations now biggrin.gif Junebug is by far her best performance yet, so sweet and engaging all the way through and then so heartbreaking during the hospital scenes, I know she's great but I was so impressed, shame she didn't win with her first nomination really. It was a cute little film too but she was definitely the highlight.

I liked The Fighter but it wasn't one of my favourite movies, boxing just has no appeal whatsoever for me so I was bored a few times. She did a great job and it was a fair way from her comfort scenes but I think she was outshined a few times, it was difficult to keep up with Bale and Leo because they were such big characters and so well acted/deserving of their wins. Amy really needs an Oscar soon though, hope she has something in the pipeline this year.

Glad you are liking Amy cheer.gif my influence *.* Agree with Junebug being a lovely film and that hospital scene is indeed heart breaking. I recommend some of her non-nominated roles too, most will feature here.

She has a sci-fi kind of movie with Jeremy Renner this year which is getting some kind of early buzz and sounds really good. She also has a dark thriller with Jake Gyllenhaal which I think might get more attention since it's a bigger movie and cast.

Posted by: Joe. Mar 30 2016, 01:07 PM

Agree with pretty much everything on Her. Add some Regina star ratings pls biggrin.gif

Posted by: Regina Mar 30 2016, 01:19 PM

Sebby's biceps/5 ratings added magic.gif

Posted by: Regina Mar 30 2016, 05:43 PM



Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)

Director(s): Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson


In a nutshell: Following on from the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers is working for S.H.I.E.L.D and being an all round kick ass hero, with the help of Black Widow. They team up to tackle a mysterious mercenary who has seemingly been alive for over 50 years and has a metal arm, somone who has a link to Steve and his past.

It took me long enough to do a Sebby film, but TBH, he's been in a few stinkers. I will likely be covering some of them soon.
Anyway, of all the current MCU movies that I have seen, the Captain America ones have been the ones to stick to their source material with the most loyalty and not screw around too much to make them relevant to today's movie goers. With 70 odd years of material to go on, they had a tough job with the first one to not only introduce the characters but also make sure there was enough action and development, they managed this perfectly, mainly down to casting, Chris Evans IS Captain America to me, he captures the personality of a man fighting for justice and seeking to fight for peace and protect those around him perfectly and has the presence to carry a movie and indeed lead a franchise. Sebby was also a perfect casting as Bucky and while he didn't get much screentime in the first movie, he played Bucky perfectly, despite being older than Bucky was in the comics.
Now, onto the second movie. This is one of the few Cap story arcs I have read in full along with The Death of Captain America, I was more into him as an Avenger rather than a solo. The basic story is covered in this movie perfectly and all the key plot points (Hydra, the soviet connection, Bucky being the Winter Solider, the experiments on him, etc) and none of them get waterred down or blocked out by the new storylines set up from this movie interpretation of Cap. This is a major story line in the comics and I, as a purist, wanted it to be a good representation and it was.
Sebby as the Winter Solider was just perfect. I am clearly biased, but even if i seperate myself from the lust, I can still come to this conclusion. He nails the dark and mysterious nature of this killing machine. The fact that he has so few lines in the movie but manages to convey SO many different ranges of emotions and carry the story forward with just his facial expressions and the way he presents himself shows just how good of an actor he is and how well researched this role was. The little glimmer of the real Bucky that comes at the end was emotional and so well done. Something I love in an actor is the ability to act with their eyes and no speech, Seb is one of the best I've seen.
Chris as Cap is once again brilliant, he is clearly trying to get used to the 21st century and the sheer amount of change there is in the world. The comic interludes regarding this were well placed and it didn't feel like they were forced. His sense of duty begins to waver and the way he fights for justice is just so in tune with the comic version and he acts the way the Cap I know from the books would. Scarlett is a good Widow, but maybe not quite as ruthless as her counterpart, and obviously not Russian. Her scenes with Sebastian were well played out and I am really interested to see if they decide to go ahead with the Bucky/Natasha relationship that they have in the comics, as they make a great couple in the comics and with their similar pasts and skills, they make a fab combo.
Anthony Mackie as the Falcon is the only part that lets this down, but only a little. In the comics, Falcon and Cap are BFF's and I didn't quite get enough of the strong friendship I would expect, but since they have only just met, this could develop. I don't like Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, but I can put up with him. I don't really like how they went with the Ultimate universe's version of Fury, but then, I can't think of an actor who could pull off the "main" universes one.
A brilliant soundtrack too, a good one can really enhance the emotion in a scene and this was perfectly matched to all of the movie.
The fight sequences in this are so well thought out and executated, they feel so real and look so natural, the people behind it did a fabulous job. The way this story plays out stuck well to the comics and also managed to blend into the MCU so that it can lead nicely into Civil War and beyond. Not quite my favourite ever Superhero movie, but not far off.

Best Scene: Shirtless Sebby The scene where the Winter Soldier fights Cap, Widow and the Falcon is easily the best scene in the movie and one of the best scenes in any superhero movie ever IMO. Everything about this was perfect. The setting of a highway is always great for a fight. Sebby speaking in Russian was hot AF and seeing him show off his various skills and powers with that arms of his was so cool. Seeing him almost getting beaten but then managing to turn the tides despite being outnumbered. The sheer amount of work that must have gone into setting this up and training for it, kudos to everyone involved. Obviously the "Who the hell is Bucky?" line is iconic in the nerd world and the way that it was almost an exact frame by frame match to the comic version wa s agreat touch. This was the moment all Cap fans were waiting for so to have it so close to the comics made it even more powerful, any tampering would have ruined it. Also, Seb's thighs omg.



Rating:

Posted by: Joe. Mar 30 2016, 06:56 PM

Yesss at the arms.


Captain America: The Winter Solider is still my favourite Marvel movie by a long shot!

Posted by: SamJudd Apr 1 2016, 06:36 PM

'Captain America - Winter Soldier' was awesome, definitely better than the first CA movie, which was also decent. The Marvel movies are quickly becoming firm faves of mine and can't wait too see the next one.

Posted by: Regina Apr 4 2016, 08:59 PM

Got another one coming tomorrow, starring Canada's second greatest export

Posted by: Regina Apr 5 2016, 12:54 PM



X-men: The Last Stand

Director: Brett Ratner
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Shawn Ashmore, Famke Janssen.


In a nuthsell: A "cure" for mutants is discovered, which ignites a war between mutants and humans and also between mutants and other mutants. Meanwhile a mutant thought dead reappears more powerful than before.

Okay, so, this wasn't the Shawn Ashmore movie I was gonna review, but I am kinda in a superhero mood, so I'll postpone that one. Now, I am a massive X-men fan, I used to be hooked on the animated series from the 90's and have tons of the comics. The movies are fairly decent and certianly get better as time goes on, despite some dire cast choices (looking at you J-Law and James McAvoy) and the 3rd one, despite getting a rad rep, is one of my favourites.
This doesn't mean it is without flaws. Other than maybe Days of Future Past (which still has some flaws), most of them deviate a bit too much from the source material. I can kinda get over Rogue not having the powers of Ms Marvel since that would take way too long to introduce and explain, and I can kinda get over her not being Mystique's foster daughter, as that would also take too long to introduce, but what I can't get over is how she is made out to be a total...loser? She has NONE of the southern sass her character is known for, none of the get up and go and none of the fighting spirit she needs to have. The relationship with Iceman is a bit too teen love saga for me too.
NOW, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey is one of the BEST choices for a superher movie ever. She has the look, the personality and the general feel of Jean down perfectly. Dealing with the Phoenix was always gong to be tough, especially if you decide not to introduce the Phoenix Force and it's tie with the Shi'ar. I actually quite like the way they went in this movie, it being a cause of her full power potential being unleashed, it makes sense since Jean is a very powerful character. However, she seems a bit too subdued and easily led, I wish she was just a bit more indipendant and evil when her full powers were unleashed. Maybe they wanted to show her having a bit of a breakdown and seeking help?
Cyclops was way too much of a pissy wimp so seeing him bumped off was no real loss. Hugh Jackman is a good Wolverine, but as in the comic world, far too overused. Halle Berry is a fab Storm but she never gets a good chance to show off the strong leader that she should be. There are hints of it in this movie which I liked.
The story itself is decent and something covered in the X-men comics and it made sense for the most part. I had no real problems with it and it gave way to some epic battle scenes, like the one at the end. Some of the new mutants introduced get overlooked and underused as a result of there maybe being too much going on, but since none of them were well cast or developed, I didn't mind. Juggernaught was a complete misfire, other than being strong he had no resemblence to his comic version and Vinnie Jones can't act for shit. Callisto was decent though, I give her that. It was also nice to see Iceman and Colossus getting more screentime, two really good characters with two actors who seem to grasp what they are about, seeing Iceman actually using his powers for something other than flirting with Rogue was nice.
All in all, this movie has a decent story, good-ish characters and leaves room for sequels, but there was still a lot missing and wrong with it. This is a common theme with the X-men movies and seeing how other Marvel movies are being made now, it makes me like them less and less. Days of Future Past was a major move in the right direction and Apocalypse looks incredible. So there seems to be hope.

Best Scene: The scene where Phoenix gives a real taste of just how powerful she actually is stood out for me. Seeing how easily she manages to affect the area around her while not letting any harm come to herself or certain others really shows off what kind of power she has. Also, seeing her kill Prof. X without any hint of emotion or regret is pretty scary, him being someone who was in her life for so long. The fear in Magneto's face too, seeing what has been unleashed and what could happen if some sort of control isn't maintained, powerful stuff.


Rating:

Posted by: HarryEzra Apr 5 2016, 01:19 PM

Not my favourite of the X-Men Series but still a good movie just wish it was a bit more memorable (I can remember some things in the movie but not loads)

Posted by: Regina Apr 14 2016, 09:58 PM

I hope to continue soon, my life has been all video gaming and puppets this past week or so. Any requests that people might wanna see my opinions on?

Posted by: Regina Apr 17 2016, 05:02 PM



Leap Year (2010)

Director: Anand Tucker
Starring: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode


In a nuthsell: When her boyfriend doesn't propose as she expected, a woman decides to follow him to a conference in Dublin in order to take advantage of the Leap Year tradition of a woman proposing to her boyfriend, but various incidents delay her journey. She is aided by a grumpy yet handsome stranger.

I'm gonna begin by saying that this is my all time favourite movie. Not only because of Amy Adams, it helps, but the whole package is 10/10 brilliance. Who cared about box office and critics anyway?
Firstly, the actors. Amy plays every character superbly, and this is no exception. Her character Anna is the kind of woman who knows what she wants and does what she needs to make it happen. I enjoyed seeing how she had her plans for her future all sorted and seeing her bore a priest on the plane with her home improvements was pretty amazing. Adam Scott as her BF wasn't in it much but I really didn't like him much, I guess you weren't supposed to, seeing how different he is to Matthew Goode's character and how Declan (Matthew) was actually the better fit was predictable but still a nice thing to witness.
Speaking of Matthew, he played a grump so well and his accent was spot on. What I loved about him was the fact he didn't hide the fact that Anna annoyed the crap out of him and that he initially only helped her for the money, but he does still watch out for her and as the movie progresses it's kinda obvious he grows fond of her and cares less about the money (as noted at the end when he refuses payment) The two had pretty amazing chemistry and even though they argued for most of the film there was a sexual tension underneath the bickering. The way they interact in the movie was really touching and seeing them grow so close was lovely, yes you expect it, but maybe not in the way it actually happens.
The Irish countryside is gorgeous and I loved seeing it play such a big part in the movie. The people were kinda stereotypical, but in these kinds of movies it was to be expected.
The little additions, like Anna's designer suitcase Louie, the ever increasing debt she owes Declan and the fact she keeps getting into trouble ensures that the laughs come throughout the movie, emotional scenes pop up too and they never seem forced or chucked in and they rank amongst the best in the movie.
As I said, the ending was pretty predicable but I liked how it played out and how it references parts from earlier in the movie and the way that even when they are getting together as a couple, Anna and Declan find a way to bicker, perfection.
More John Lithgow as her Dad would have been good, he was oddly lacking from the party at the end, but the deleted scenes seem to sort this out.


Best Scene: I could put the whole movie here, but for now, I will put the small scene at a wedding they attend since it combines comedy and emotion so well. It's the second scene in the below video, the first one is good too. Seeing Anna drunk and spouting everything on her mind is so funny and seeing her move quickly to being tender and kind of flirty was a good move IMO, it moved the plot on a bit and showed that she is beginning to care for him. Having her throw up on him rounded the scene off perfectly.



Rating:

Posted by: Mack Apr 17 2016, 06:06 PM

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice for a review please?


Posted by: Regina Apr 17 2016, 06:12 PM

I haven't seen it.

Posted by: Regina Apr 20 2016, 06:56 PM



Red Eye (2005)

Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox


In a nutshell: A woman is targeted by a stranger on a plane to help him in a political asassination or he will kill her father.

I didn't think this would be my kind of movie at all, thrillers rarely do much for me, but I saw this on Netflix once and love me some Rachel McAdams so gave it a go. It's still there so go watch.
Anyway, I have an odd attraction to movies set mainly on planes, the height, small space and lack of escape make for a good plot and story so most of this being on a plane got me interested. Rachel is highly underrated as an actress.
She manages to carry this movie and easily manages to engage you and move you through the plot. She has a nack for getting the right mix of scared and, as the movie goes on, sheer determination and bravery in every fibre of her being. Cillian is bloody scary and utterly charming at the same time so really was a perfect casting for this role. The plot, while not your everyday kind of issue, wasn't so farfetched that you couldn't take it seriously and they way it all unfolded was pretty intense and perfectly timed. Brian Cox was underused but really delivered in what scenes he got.
Seeing Rachel's character deal with her situation and make use of the people and things around her was so coo to see, what was also interesting was how most of the time, Cillian's character outsmarted her, but she kept going and with the help of a ballpoint pen, eventually got the leverage she needs.
There was enough tense moments to make your heart leap a few times, although the ending kinda came and went a bit too fast, but I guess the whole point was the lead up to it.
This being a Wes Craven movie, the soundtrack obviously married perfectly with the movie and totally sold it and made the tense scenes even more of a "hide behind the sofa" moment. The scenes off the plane were your typical action movie stuff and seeing Rachel getting fighty was pretty damn amazing, she could really work well in a more violence based movie, not that she needs to stop doing amazing Rom Coms though. There even managed to be a few laughs, but none of them seemed forced or stuck out for bad reasons, something Wes did perfectly in the Scream movies.

Best Scene: There could only be one. The pen scene. This was totally unexpected and when I saw it I fell out of bed with shock. It was so quick and intense and omg the sight of the pen in his throat. I did wonder why there was no blood but then I realised where she had stabbed him. Seeing this seemingly passive woman do something so violent was pretty shocking but you couldn't help but cheer her on as she made her escape.



Rating:

Posted by: Regina May 26 2016, 10:30 PM

My recent Screengrabbed! has inspired me to ressurect this thread, be prepared.

Posted by: Regina May 29 2016, 06:46 PM



The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, Dominic Monaghan, Sir Ian McKellen, other irrelevents.


In a nutshell: The last part of the might trilogy. As Frodo gets closer to Mordor and his goal of destroying the ring, bad guys march upon Gondor to try and destroy the world of men. Eowyn breaks down gender stereotypes and Pippin does his best to impress Denethor and get to the next round of Gondor's Got Talent.

Since this movie is about 100 hours long and stars almost every single actor in the world, I'm gonna highlight my personal favourite bits after my brief intro. Okay, so. Peter Jackson went to shit with the Hobbit movies and other movies, but he did a fab job with this movie. Obviously with such a large book he had to cut some stuff but moreso than the other two movies, I think this one flows really well and has all the necessary content in it. The scenery and music, always a big part of movies like this and they really delivered. Howard Shore is a genius with music and New Zealand is just a gorgeous country.
Now, onto my more in depth bits.

Miranda Otto. Queen of Life. Eowyn has long been a favourite of mine, when I read the books I was totally mad for her. Miranda did a fab job in The Two Towers, what little time she got (don't even start me on the cut scenes of her killing Uruk Hi in Helms Deep) and she was just mind blowing in this movie. Seeing her fight so strongly (in vain) for Merry to be able to go to war and eventually taking matters into her own hands. It shattered any stereotype of women not being able to fight. Speaking of Merry, I loved the relationship between the two of them. With so much in common, the whole not being allowed to go to fight and seeing those they love go off instead thing gave them a bond that no other characters shared. The way she comforts him when they get to Gondor too; "Courage Merry. Courage for our friends" "Whatever happens, stay with me, I'll look after you" really melted my heart, especially when she puts her arm around him and he grabs it back and lets out a little smile. Also worth a mention, his speech at the camp, so sweet.
Seeing her go badass soldier always gives me goosebumps. Also. her bitchslapping Gothmog *.* Her famous scene with The Witch King is different than in the books and her speech is shortened but just as powerful.
Someone I wished was shown a bit more was her relationship with Faramir, it always feels so rushed in the movie when in the books they got a whole chapter (and what a chapter) Even a few minutes more would have helped. They go from talking about the weather to suddenly being all in love. Still, a really emotional minute or two of movie.
Let's move onto the most underrated bit of the movie; Eomer finding Eowyn on the battlefield. That part of the movie has loads of emotion (Eowyn being with Theoden when he dies, Gandalf comforting Pippin etc) but this one beats them all. That scream he lets out when he sees her, it breaks your heart. He comes off as a bit cold and brutish, but he is clearly protective of his sister and doesn't want any harm to come to her, so seeing her near death, would send anyone a little mad.

Did I just do this review to talk about Eowyn? Yes. Deal with it.

Best Scene: Tempted to go for the death of the Witch King but this one has more badassness in it. In a few minutes, you see Eowyn and Merry slaying so many orcs and proving their haters wrong. Also, it's epic to see how much better at sword fighting Merry is here than in the first movie.




Rating:

Posted by: Iz~ May 29 2016, 06:57 PM

Favourite movie of all time <3 I did pop in here because I figured you were going to be talking about it. Eowyn is a pretty great character, she has one of the biggest and most important subplots in there with equality and her and Merry stabbing the Witch-King is definitely among the best moments. And he is definitely best hobbit, he copes well with being out of his depth and his reactions to being nearly left behind in this movie is very well done.

I'd have liked a bit more of the Faramir-Eowyn stuff, I could have used a bit of a longer ending (that's not sarcasm, I adored the detail they went into to wrap it up and more would have been welcome).

I think my absolute favourite moment is Aragorn's speech just before the Black Gate battle, that never fails to give me chills and Viggo Mortensen captures that role perfectly. Although them and the Dead arriving at Pelennor, and the Rohirrim arriving at Pelennor, and the beacon-lighting sequence, and the final Grey Havens sequence all come very close, a wonderful conclusion to an epic.

Posted by: Regina May 29 2016, 07:00 PM

I read that they actually filmed the wedding for Eowyn and Faramir and the costume designer said her dress was the most beautiful dress she made for all 3 movies sob.gif

Posted by: Regina Sep 29 2016, 11:09 AM

imma be getting back on this soon tbh, get ready.


Posted by: Regina Jan 22 2017, 02:02 PM

QUOTE(Regina @ Sep 29 2016, 12:09 PM) *
imma be getting back on this soon tbh, get ready.



...

Posted by: Regina Jan 22 2017, 06:36 PM



The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016)

Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt


In a nutshell: Set before and after Snow White & The Huntsman, we are introduced to Freya, Ravenna's icy sister and the woman behind the hunstman and his skills. The magic mirror goes missing and a race between Freya and Eric ensues.

Let's start off by saying that this film had a lot to live up to after the first one. It was perfectly paced, visually stunning and flipped the classic fairytale on it's head. So did this prequel/sequel meet these standards? Yes and no.

Chris Hemsworth suits these roles well, playing strong, warrior like powerhouses. He's a fine actor but outside of these genre movies has yet to find a worthy role of his talents. He was in his element here and his Scottish accent was pretty spot on, he never noticeably broke out of it.
Jessica Chastain is a dynamo actress but I never pictured her in a role like this, but she smashed it. Again, spot on accent and she totally sold me on being the badass female warrior. The two of them have solid chemistry and sold all of their emotional scenes and the lighter moments flowed well and never seemed too forced.

Emily Blunt was EVERYTHING in this movie. Much like Elsa in Frozen, you are meant to view her as a villain but the reasonings behind her actions kind of justify them I felt, You can't help but secretly root for her and find it hard to hate her. She manages to strike the perfect balance between cold bitch and caring mother figure. Despite not having as much screentime as others, her story and character felt fleshed out. Seeing her cut loose with her powers was a sight to behold, sadly not enough. And as for her polar bear, epic. I actually felt really sad when she died at the end, but seeing her watch her past self was a touching way to say goodbye to her.

Nice to see Charlize back but not taking over too much. She looked gorgeous when she appeared and was every bit as evil as before.

As with the first, the visuals, especially anything to do with Freya, were spot on, as was the music.

Now, onto the bad. The dwarves. Fine in the first one, necessary even, but here, they felt too forced. Rob Brydon is a pain in the arse and I hated him so much. Everything with them felt so shoved in that it ruined a lot of the movie. They did help move the plot i guess, but that's all they had going for them.

I also felt it a bit odd that in the first one, there is no mention between Ravennaand her brother of Freya and in this, there is no mention of said brother. A little niggle.

Best Scene: HAS to be the battle at the end. Might be on a smaller scale than the one in the first but IMO it packs much more of a punch. Everything is spot on here; the contrast of black and gold in Charlize's outfit, Emily having that burst of rage and emotion after finding out the truth about her sister, the huntsmen coming together, the ice, the final few scenes. SO GOOD.

*spoilers ahead*


Rating:

Posted by: Josh. Jan 23 2017, 06:57 PM

I adored Hunstman too and Emily Blunt was my huge highlight too, she was so cool to watch and the ice powers never fail to be old. I loved seeing Charlize Theron back too because she is wicked in the right role and she really suits Ravenna *-*


Looking forward to more Regina!

Posted by: Regina Feb 12 2017, 12:53 AM



Nocturnal Animals review coming tomorrow.


Posted by: Regina Feb 12 2017, 02:47 PM



Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Director: Tom Ford
Starring: Amy Adams, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Jake Hyllenhaal, Michael Shannon


In a nutshell: After receiving a manuscript from her ex-husband, a woman is thrown into a world of terror and mystery while also being forced to confront her past.

There's a lot to cover here, so I'm gonna split it up into acting, visuals and plot. Okay, let's go.

As I write this I'm brought back to 2013 when Amy also had two awards worthy roles in awards worthy movies (Her and American Hustle) but unlike then, it's the more meatier role that is getting overlooked by the more subtle one.

Despite the fact that she spends a large chunk of the movie reading a book on her own, Amy manages to outact every other person in this movie, bar Aaorn, more on him later. The way she so effortlessly manages to convey her emotions in a few movements is a true testimony to her acting skills. Amy goes from being a somewhat closed off woman, to a more happy younger woman, to a woman on the verge of an emotional breakdown seamlessly. Susan is not the most sympathetic character but you still manage to feel for her as the movie goes on, much like Syndey in American Hustle. Also gotta admire how Amy manages to have a rapport with Jake and Armie, you can believe that she loved them and was in turmoil at certain points.

She is amazing in Arrival of course, but on repeated viewing, this performance stayed with me more and she is really convincing in every scene. I was totally heartbroken at then end in the restaurant when it looks like she realises Edward isn't coming and she finally knows what he went through and she has a new start.. Again, she doesn't say anything, it's all in her face.

Her looks in this movie too, stunning. Especially the dark lips and eyes in the present. One of my favourite moments was near the end when that "mask" is taken off, as if she is ready to move on.

Jake is a great actor, no denying, but there was sometihng about Tony and Edward that I really disliked. Even after everything he goes through in the movie, I still found it hard to feel anything for him and most of the time he kinda annoyed me. There's a lot of ways to interpret why Edward did what he did to Susan, for me he was just wanting her to feel the kind of emotions he went through when she left him. The ending of the book also kinda made me think that once Susan messaged him, he knew his plan had worked and so killed himself after replying to her.

Michael Shannon is also a fab actor and he plays his role well, but for me, it's kinda Michael by the books. Every movie I've seen him in he's bene this tough, badass kinda guy with something of a heart. Only difference being that this time he was a "good guy". Worthy of praise, but not an Oscar nod.

Aaron. My god. What a performance. I've recently gone back through his filmography and he's a damn underrated actor, or he was till this. At no point did I ever see Aaron, he was Ray all the way through. Totally psychotic, yet oddly charismatic. Even after all he does, I came away finding him my favourite character in the movie. He is so unhinged, you never know what he could do which makes his scenes even more entertaining to watch. Certain little movements or noises add to the whole character and made him worthy of the Golden Globe and makes me bitter about the Oscar snub (moreso than Amy)

Isla and Armie, what little they were on for, both really did well to support the cast and story. Never seen Isla do serious roles before so this was a nice change. Perfect casting since she looks and acts a lot like Amy.

Visually, a stunning movie, but with Tom at the helm that was expected. I loved the rich colours used, and the use of red, the colour of passion/love/rage. A nice touch. Susan always looked gorgeous and the grunge look for the novel portion really added to the tone of the story. Stunning soundtrack too, so eerie and emotional.

Plotwise, there were a few little niggles, two scenes stuck out for me. The board meeting came out of nowhere (although the way Amy delivered the change isn't good line had me in stiches) and the whole Ray on the toilet scene, nice as it was to see Aaron naked, was odd.

My take on the meaning is probably way off, but I think the story is about revenge, the giant sign in the gallery suggest that. Isla and Ellie represnt Susan and their child (even though we see her at the clinic, I think maybe she didn't go through with it and her daughter we see in the movie is Edward's who he never got to raise) so their murder was a metaphor for how he felt when she left him. The rape might signify the fact that Susan moved on with Hutton who loves Susan and raises their daughter, thereby currupting them in a way. The whole gang thing and revenge is a ploy to break Susan and make her see how much she hurt him. Whether he intends for her to have regret and change her ways remains to be seen, I think maybe he wanted that for her, a part of him still cares. The way Tony dies in the novel makes me think Edward kills himself, as mentioned.

Best scene: SO much to choose from, but for me it's the openeing scenes of the novel, it sets up the story so well, and the cut backs to Susan and her reaction show how much it's affecting her. No youtube clips yet obv, but here's a gif. Aaron's laugh haunts me here, so full of mad joy



Rating:

Yes, 6 out of 5. Deal.

Posted by: HarryEzra Feb 12 2017, 03:42 PM

I desperately need to see Nocturnal Animals I have heard amazing things about it

Reading your review (Avoiding the spoiler parts ofc kink.gif) multiple people have said Amy's acting is amazing in this film so i have no idea why she didnt get an oscar nom for it likewise Aaron Taylor Johnson pretty strange laugh.gif I will watch it at some point and let you know what I think! I hope it is a gripping drama as those are my favourite type of dramas.

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