What Films Have You Watched This Week - The Sequel.

[PaTaito]

I did enjoy Warhorse, though it felt like a story about a horse told from the viewpoint of its many owners rather than from the viewpoint of the horse, which I think made the film feel a bit too episodic and stop start, and not the epic tale it should have been.

Yes this, along with being completely OTT in the emotional dept.

In E.T it works because its a story about child friendship, told through the eyes of a child, and pretty much targeted at a child audience....just without treating the audience like a child.

[originalbadboy]

What's now known as the director's cut of Close Encounters is terrible, there's no reason for that version to be watched to be honest.

I don't know each version inside out so I couldn't say, as stated previously the only bit I miss is the additional piece inside the space ship from the special edition. Otherwise the directors cut seems fine to me.

The Bluray has all three versions on one disc so at least you get a choice.

[Baseley09]

V\H\S, I've seen a certain high profile critic give this found footage horror a bashing, but I really liked it, some of the "episodes" are bat ****, imagine a horror outer limits/twilight zone. Plenty of decnet death and no cg gore.

[Kit]

Watched Skyfall last night. Really enjoyed it from start to finish. In fact, I have all the Daniel Craig bonds - think he's been fantastic.

Next up is Dredd. Zero expectations going in other than it'll be a bit like The Raid.

[QualityChimp]

Super

Enjoyed it more this time around which is great, the missus still hasn't forgiven me for putting it on though...

Although I enjoyed Super, I preferred God Bless America.

I found the main characters really interesting and their relationship was really touching, without the need for actual touching.

The satire was pretty funny too and although it has the awkwardness of Super, it feels more put-upon than self-inflicted.

If you liked Super, give this a go as there are similarities, but came away more satisfied with the film as a whole.

[Neon Ignition]

Hadn't even heard of that one, will give it a looksee

After a long time I finally watched John Carter. I felt like it would be best to approach it with an open mind and just see how it goes. Well, I tried, but it is crap. There's no single aspect that screams appaling, more just that everything is below par and put together makes for a dull, lifeless experience. It's shocking to think that Pixar was ever involved at all with it as at times you just can't fathom how it made it to screen as there is so much work needed on the script, cast, direction etc needed. Still, Lynn Collins is a FOX. Giggety!

[PaTaito]

Watched Blue Velvet on bluray last night.

Amazing movie as ever... fantastic dream/nightmare, innocence/perversion duality with a great cast and some really memorable moments.

Frank is one twisted man, albeit with great taste in music.

[Kieran76]

Iron Sky - had very low expectations for this and it didn't even meet those. Complete mess of a film.

[originalbadboy]

Looper

Excellent film, ok the premise itself is not exactly original though. I have seen enough time travel in films and TV to know pretty much that firstly, it never makes sense (although it does here for the most part) and secondly that generally the way to end the story and close the causality loop is to

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kill off the characters causing the loop in the first place.

The whole of the premise of

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The Terminator

films could be solved by

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John Conner simply shooting himself in the head

- Causality loop fixed, as an example.

In that regard its hardly imaginative, 12 Monkeys did a better job of telling a time travel story that left a little more to ponder on, unlike most of the reviews I disagree in that it is hardly thought provoking or original.

However putting that aside the film was very well written, directed and acted so it doesn't really matter all that much if its not that original an idea, when a film is done as well as this it works, it doesn't need to be original. In the case here it works very well, with some surprising amount of depth and some actually quite disturbing moments.

Excellent stuff, and along with Source Code one of the better scifi films to come out in recent years.

[originalbadboy]

Natalie Portman in particular is ****ing dreadful in it, just as she is in everything.

Really you are obviously forgetting Leon (or The Professional) and Black Swan then ...

[rmoxon]

Looper

Excellent film, ok the premise itself is not exactly original though. I have seen enough time travel in films and TV to know pretty much that firstly, it never makes sense (although it does here for the most part) and secondly that generally the way to end the story and close the causality loop is to

->Open Spoiler<-

kill off the characters causing the loop in the first place.

The whole of the premise of

->Open Spoiler<-

The Terminator

films could be solved by

->Open Spoiler<-

John Conner simply shooting himself in the head

- Causality loop fixed, as an example.

In that regard its hardly imaginative, 12 Monkeys did a better job of telling a time travel story that left a little more to ponder on, unlike most of the reviews I disagree in that it is hardly thought provoking or original.

However putting that aside the film was very well written, directed and acted so it doesn't really matter all that much if its not that original an idea, when a film is done as well as this it works, it doesn't need to be original. In the case here it works very well, with some surprising amount of depth and some actually quite disturbing moments.

Excellent stuff, and along with Source Code one of the better scifi films to come out in recent years.

If its such an excellent film why does the plot completely gloss over elements and in some instances simply ignores things that the script previously sets up?....

For example how when

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Emily Blunt has the looper guy at gunpoint she states she has heard of loopers.... Not only does Levitt's character simply not question why she knows this, but the film never explains it to the audience either.

.

That's just one example of many, it actually really has a terrible script, as well as a story that not only doesn't go anywhere, but the film features a pretentious air that makes it seem like the film makers think they are cool for making what basically amounts to a badly scripted 12 monkeys rip off once you take out all the gun fights and over the top posturing from its cast.

Having said all that Joseph Gordon Levitt still does an amazing Bruce Willis impression, it's probably worth watching just for that.

[originalbadboy]

For example how when

->Open Spoiler<-

Emily Blunt has the looper guy at gunpoint she states she has heard of loopers.... Not only does Levitt's character simply not question why she knows this, but the film never explains it to the audience either.

.

I would consider that nitpicking considering you could quite easily level that argument at pretty every film ever made. There is always going to be a piece of dialog a character action or a sequence of events that doesn't necessarily make sense. Lets put it this way I didn't get to the end of the film pondering that question, because in all honesty if I did I don't think I would enjoy any film.

We don't know enough about the 'universe' that inhabits the film to know why that was the case, and the film makers took the choice that it wasn't required, personally I don't have a problem with that.

The story doesn't go anywhere? Really I can't see how you come that conclusion, again you could level that criticism at a lot of films. I don't see how you can say that considering film ends with the

->Open Spoiler<-

death of the main character, thus closing the causality loop, thus changing the future hopefully for the better, possibly even removing loopers altogether.

Sorry I just don't understand that.

[Neon Ignition]

I enjoyed Looper, its pretty much only the ending that causes concern in the big picture as its unclear if its intentional or not that

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young Bruce killing himself causes another loop that would lead the films events to happen anyway rather than a happier outcome

. The cynic in me thinks its not intentional though and just not thought out.

[Neon Ignition]

The Last Stand
Seen this get 6/10 which seems about right. It was ok at being a reasonable action film, Arnie is still rusty but not as much as in Ex2. Easily add a point if Knoxville hadn't have been in it.

[rmoxon]

I would consider that nitpicking considering you could quite easily level that argument at pretty every film ever made. There is always going to be a piece of dialog a character action or a sequence of events that doesn't necessarily make sense. Lets put it this way I didn't get to the end of the film pondering that question, because in all honesty if I did I don't think I would enjoy any film.

We don't know enough about the 'universe' that inhabits the film to know why that was the case, and the film makers took the choice that it wasn't required, personally I don't have a problem with that.

The story doesn't go anywhere? Really I can't see how you come that conclusion, again you could level that criticism at a lot of films. I don't see how you can say that considering film ends with the

->Open Spoiler<-

death of the main character, thus closing the causality loop, thus changing the future hopefully for the better, possibly even removing loopers altogether.

Sorry I just don't understand that.

You cannot level the argument at every film ever made, a well written film will not completely ignore elements of the plot it has set up, especially when they seem so important, it was like the writers just forgot certain elements of the film had actually taken place, It was very bad writing with a script that just felt like it had been lumped together without thought.

Story doesn't go anywhere because after it has ended it has no real outcome. The film has no message or any point. All it does is seem like its trying to be clever but.... Well it's not clever at all really and just left me feeling empty inside.

And yeah, there are plenty of other films that have plots that don't really go anywhere, but then they are crap too.