Topic: The Movie Thread

Avatar: the Way of Water (IMAX 3D) - the blue cat people are back, now joined by new & improved green cat-fish people.

First time I've ever been to an IMAX screening, and this was an absolutely magnificent theatre experience.

Story was pretty simple in themes like the first (family drama, can't run away from your problems, obvious environmental angle), however it worked to hold things together, though there were a few interesting wrinkles as well. Without getting into spoiler territory, they made a decision about a certain character I wasn't expecting them to commit on, and in expecting sequels one of their adopted kids (Kiri) has a mysterious origin & abilities that weren't fully explored here.

Of course being an Avatar movie it was absolutely triumphant from a technical & visual standpoint. I'm a bit undecided on how I feel about the enhanced framerate (not that it's an inherent negative, but at times it felt like a video game cutsene, albiet one several generations ahead of what's currently available), however the 3D is magical and a few steps above found in the original. From an aesthetic/artistic perspective I'm not sure how they're going to top the underwater scenes in this one though. It often felt like a religious experience & I want to give a special shout-out to a scene from inside a mini sub who'se immersion was bordering on what VR provides.

Really interested in how it's going to hold up in a 2D home viewing though. While the climax is an absolute tour de force that'll probably still entertain in that inferior viewing arrangement, the middle of the film (where the family is learning "the Way of Water"™) I could see being a lot slower without that 3D magic elevating it.

Also, crab mechs.

My 2022 movie ranking (people are starting to do this on the NL movie thread, so I figured I'd just paste over my post since I spent so much time on it).

12. Thor: Love & Thunder (Theatre 3D) - Had some cool moments, but leaned way too heavily into comedy (that didn't always work). Gorr could have used some more fleshing out too. The black & white scene on that moon looked dope though (especially in 3D).

11. Morbius (Netflix) - This wasn't even all that terrible IMO. Just felt like an average 00's superhero flick, and they've evolved so much so by now (I think it could have hit harder had they been allowed to get a bit gorier, but as a Spider-Man adjacent property that was never going to happen).

10. Jurassic World: Dominion (Theatre 3D) - While it was cool seeing most of the old cast again & there is an inherent level of fun with dinos, this was very been there seen that & it's disappointing because it didn't have to be. The big premise is that the dinos are finally out of the park/reserve, then they go ahead and reign it in to our heroes having to escape a dino reserve anyways.

9. the Bob's Burgers Movie (Hulu) - Bob's Burgers isn't one of my favorite adult animated comedies, but it's still pretty okay & this is pretty much a really long, better animated episode of the show. One for the fans.

8. Chip N' Dale: Rescue Rangers (Disney +) - A bit more of a B-grade Disney film, but it was still a pretty good time with some fun cameos.

7. Turning Red (Disney +) - As someone who was a young teen in the early 2000's with a taste for anime I thought this was pretty fun too. Not being a girl it didn't connect with me as well as it could have, but I'm glad it exists.

6. Lightyear (Theatre 3D) - Maybe the most controversial thing in this ranking, but I actually kinda liked this. Now, it probably didn't need to be a Toy Story tie in (though it made a few references) and I get why it could be a bit slow for young kids, but as someone who enjoys deep space sci-fi I thought it was actually a pretty good time (and had some cool 3D scenes), and is the best thing Pixar has released in awhile.

5. Prey (Hulu) - Really solid, back to basics Predator prequel, with some suitably brutal kills.

4. Doctor Strange & the Multiverse of Madness (Theatre 3D) - Maybe a bit high because I thought it made really good use of 3D, but I thought this was really fun & I liked the light horror elements.

3. Blonde (Netflix) - Parts of this were hard to watch (and from what I understand, it plays very fast & loose with the facts for drama's sake), but it was absolutely excellently shot & one of the most memorable things I've seen this year.

2. Top Gun: Maverick (Theatre) - The quintessential summer blockbuster. With a narrative that pays homage to the original without being overbearing with it, it's an absolute thrill on the big screen.

1. Avatar: the Way of Water (IMAX 3D) - The visuals & 3D are an absolute religious experience, and while the middle might be a tad slow the climax is a tour de force of thrilling action, and the story is quite a bit improved over the original with a family angle that gives it a more personal stakes.

Honorable mention to the Avatar rerelease (Theatre 3D), which while technically not a 2022 film was a fantastic theatre experience in it's own right (it'd easily fit there alongside Blonde or Maverick if I had to place it.

Street Fighter II: the Animated Movie (Blu-Ray)

Solid adaptation of the game series.

Narrative isn't particularly engaging but does an admirable job setting up a reason for the central characters to be in conflict, and it does a great job making sure every playable character shows up at least once (usually making sure they're involved in a fight at that). I want to particularly point out the E. Honda/Dahlsim bout that briefly takes on a "side view" emulating the viewpoint of playing the game, and the Chun-Li/Vega encounter which has a genuinely tense buildup (and the shower scene is certainly a plus), and then is absolutely the most intense, exhilarating fight in the entire film. I will say that for some reason I kinda start to lose a bit of interest by the time the final confrontation with Bison rolls around, but ultimately I'd say it still sticks the landing.

Repost from NL

Okay Puss in boots 2 was phenomenal. The story characters and animation are all beautiful. It’s the kind of movie where you should just go in blind. Puss in boots 2 not only surpasses the first and somewhat mediocre first movie but is arguably the best film in the entire Shrek franchise. It is a treat and I recommend it fully don’t skip out on it
Animation; the best looking CGI film since Spider verse. Which it definitely cribbed the animation style from. It’s equal to Klaus, pinnocio (Del toro)and spiderverse visually. The frame drops in the fights, stylized animation and the choreography of the fights all blend together. You could enjoy it based off the visuals alone like another cat movie however its story and characters are awesome too
Characters
Puss - experiences his mortality and his character developes alot in during the movie. He’s humbled by the events of the movie
Kitty soft paws; actually fun her relationship with puss is interesting
3rd party member I’m not spoiling; one of the most positive/naive characters I’ve seen despite a tragic past. The highest honor I can give him is he resembles Emil from Nier who is one of gamings best characters of all time
Villains; fleshed out characters with motivation and development. Probably the best ones in the shreck franchise you’ll find yourself rooting for them
Plot; while not the darkest plot in the shreck franchise the honor still going to shreck 4 it’s existential and complicated in a good way. It’s written for the adults who grew up with shreck. It follows puss grappling with his own mortality and questioning what life really means as he tries to find a way to extend his lifespan. It’s incredible
Overall puss in boots 2 is one of 2022’s best movies and easily the best animated movie of 2022 and not just by default even with stronger competition it would still be a serious contender for best animated picture or even best film if the Oscars gave those to animated movies
The movie dosen’t rely on shreck nostalgia it dosen’t need to it stands on its own 4 feet. I cant recommend it enough

If anyone needs any selling on the quality of puss in boots 2 as a movie Dreamworks has posted it’s first 10 minutes on YouTube. If you are divided on seeing the movie or unconvinced it will be good I highly recommend watching this video. It’s the best animated movie in ages and your doing yourself a disservice by not giving it a chance

In a bit of a surprise turn we rewatched Avatar: the Way of Water again at the theatre over the weekend. My brother wanted to see it again (it's his favorite film series) & he said he'd pay if I went with him so I figured why not. Still managed to absolutely engross me the second time around. The underwater scenes are nothing short of magical in 3D.

Also got to see the first Mario movie trailer in 3D (the one with the penguins) this time around as well, which was a nice perk.

@RR529 I think were the only ones who actually use this thread

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika I don't offer to many suggestions but i love reading the ones you guys offer keep them coming. I have watched so many movies @RR259 has suggested I probably wont watch the avatar stuff but we watched both puss in boots movies thanks to your review.

This weekend my wife and I watched a bunch of Christopher Nolan movies. I have to say that interstellar for whatever reason really speaks to me I really enjoy it. Memento is good and so is Tenet and inception I have yet to watch dunkirk. The one movie I have watched more than anything is the darknight I used to just let it run over and over while playing games. Of all his movies though interstellar is my favorite.

@VisitingComet1 thanks that was my main goal try to support a movie that needs it. I just find the forums here move significantly slower than those at Nintendo life and push square

Project A-Ko (Blu-Ray)

Got this in on Blu-Ray as I remembered finding it pretty humorous when I watched it online at some point in the distant past.

It's... fun. An action parody of the anime tropes of the mid-late 80's, it probably won't win you over if you aren't already an anime fan (especially a fan of the era it was berthed from), but if you are it's worth a shot.

It was nice seeing it remastered in HD, some of the shots still hold up pretty well (I personally loved the space ship & most of the mecha design), it still holds a few chuckles (I laughed my rear off during a reveal during a theatre scene while the characters were watching a horror film), and the presence of fan service is a nice touch as always.

For the Blu-Ray itself it gets props for being absolutely stuffed with about the most special features I've seen in an anime release (especially for a film), and it even has a reversible cover.

A Man Called Otto (cinema)

Tom Hanks plays a grumpy old man lost in life who makes trouble for everyone in the neighborhood, however thanks to a young family that moves next door (& a cat) he gets a new lease on life.

Not typically the kind of thing I'd see in theatres, but we went as a family & I'm glad I saw it. It bounces between comedic moments & dark, emotional ones, and while it may not be the most unique idea I can't really find anything to fault with it. The leads put in great performances, it was shot well, and it had me both laughing & bawling my eyes out throughout it's runtime so it did something right.

Watched three films this weekend.

All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix).

Film that follows the lives of a group of German soldiers during WWI from time of recruitment to the end of the war.

It does a stellar job throwing you into the muck of the war, with powerful scenes & moments that'll make you squirm. It may not be entirely original in showing how gruesome this war was (1917 also comes to mind), but that makes it no less effective, and the viewpoint from the "other" side is an inspired take that shows that war is hell for everyone involved. Not a fun film, but one that's well worth watching.

Ghost in the Shell (4K UHD Blu-Ray)

I'll admit I can be a bit overwhelmed by the narratives/themes the GitS franchise tends to have (for example the Arise line, which I've heard is a bit more narratively "streamlined" compared to the franchise at large, still starts to elude me by the 3rd OVA), however I've always loved the original film, and that holds true with the 4K Blu-Ray release.

With absolutely stunning animation & design that still holds up (& looks fantastic in 4K) and a narrative that explores exactly what it means to be alive/human, there's nothing not to love about it.

Operation Mincemeat (Netflix)

Film based on a true story of how British intelligence attempted to convince the Nazis that the allied Invasion of Europe was going to go through Greece (instead of Sicily) by planting fake invasion plans on the corpse of a vagrant they dressed up like an officer (with a complete made up history to boot) and floated ashore to Spain (being neutral, it had a lot of spies on both sides, so they hoped the Nazis would pick up & fall for it).

It's perhaps a bit too padded out (with the romance drama), but it's produced well enough & is an interesting story that goes to show that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

@RR529 Have you seen the original all is quiet on the Western Front? If you have how does the new one compare? The original for me when I watched it in seventh grade took most of the romance out of war it was not gory but was very intense and slow burn. Like you said seeing it from the side of the German soldier not policy maker really has an eye opening affect on you.

The show I am currently watching is the Expanse on prime its really a good sci fi space show. I tried typing what it is about but it is really hard not to give away spoilers so go watch it for yourself.

Movies I watched this weekend.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney+)

One of the better MCU efforts from 2022.

It's perhaps a bit too long and some of the night scenes are way too dark (I think this is more of a Disney+ problem than one of the film itself as I've had the problem in some of their series, though the scene where Namor first snuck up on Shuri & her mother was so dark it was almost like just watching a bunch of disembodied voices, lol), however the tributes to T'challa (and Chadwick Boseman himself) were well done & emotional (I was almost tearing up by the after credits scene), and when it got around to it the action was fun (Namor in particular was pretty badass).

Return of Godzilla/Godzilla 1984 (Blu-Ray)

Original Japanese version.

80's (soft) reboot of the classic Kaiju film series that acts as a direct followup to the 50's original, aiming to bring it back down to it's roots as more a grounded warning of the power of nuclear power, in contrast to the campy monster "vs" movies the series had become over the past couple decades.

After the titular monster awakens from a decades long slumber it attacks a Soviet nuclear submarine & Japan finds itself in the middle of Cold War drama as the Soviets & Americans jointly agree that the best course of action would be to nuke him out of existence right on Tokyo's doorstep, and the Japanese must find a way to neutralize the threat before real catastrophe strikes.

It mostly still holds up, all things considered. It does feel like there was at least some level of pressure to shoehorn in some toy marketing material with the whole "Super X" subplot (a futuristic flying war machine with laser blasters & the like), but otherwise the more political elements & pretty grounded military capabilities make the effort successful.

@VisitingComet1, I actually haven't seen any of the other versions of All Quiet on the Western Front, so unfortunately I won't be of any help there. I will say it does a great job showcasing how hopeless it all seems from one on the front lines.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) - 8 / 10
Didn't know what what going on for most of the film but managed to work it out by the end. Michelle Yeoh is excellent in her part as well as James Hong.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6710474/

Jurassic World Dominion (2022) - 1 / 10
By far and wide the worst film ever made in this dinosaur franchise. It's the 'pits of the earth' to put it mildly.

Movies I watched over the weekend.

Sin City (Blu-Ray)

For the extended version.

While I wasn't a fan of every design choice it went with, this is still one of the most visually striking films I've ever seen. Also certainly never boring to watch, with a blatant edginess that is oftentimes unintentionally hilarious with how hard it goes. It'd most definitely be considered "problematic" in this day & age, but it's so over the top with it that it's fun.

Consisting of 4 (or really, 3) different independent storylines that occasionally cross paths, it has a structure that still feels pretty unique as well, though it has a full on credits roll after each one which kinda messes with the pacing (at least the extended version does this, it's been awhile since I've seen the theatrical cut).

InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time (Blu-Ray)

Pretty much just a longer, generally better animated, episode of the TV series. Now, that's not inherently a bad thing, but there's really no reason to watch it (& probably the other movies) if you aren't already a fan of the show.

I do wish I could have given it a higher score though. Not that a 3/5 is bad or anything, but InuYasha was THE anime for me in middle/high school (and I'm currently going through the show again & still love & connect with it), & while I liked the movie, I wasn't in love with it. Maybe it's because I used to watch all the movies annually & there's a bit of burnout, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood, who knows.

FYI, I mention a score because I just copied over my Letterboxed review, & the only (modern) trailer I could find is for the 4 in 1 Blu-Ray release, so I'll probably re-embed it for every single one of these when I get around to the others, lol.

Movies I watched over the weekend.

Basic Instinct (Blu-Ray)

For the "Unrated" Director's Cut version.

Despite being aware of a certain infamous scene I've actually never seen this until now. Actually a pretty decent murder mystery film with a couple decent twists all things considered (and yeah... I enjoyed all the trashy sex bits, sue me, lol).

City Hunter: Magnum of Love & Fate (Blu-Ray)

Movie in the City Hunter franchise that sees the cast finding themselves protecting a concert pianist who gets caught up in an espionage struggle between West & East Germany (well, it calls them Gariela... but they're Germany) when she begins looking for her father.

It pretty much feels like a longer, somewhat better animated episode, of the City Hunter/City Hunter 2 era. It does make some good use of the higher budget when they assault the bad guys' HQ during the climax though, and is still a fun time if you're a fan of the series.

Also commonly subtitled as .357 Magnum, but I think we can all agree that Magnum of Love & Fate stomps.

City Hunter: Bay City Wars (Blu-Ray)

Movie in the City Hunter franchise where terrorists take over a newly built hotel in order to take command over the supercomputer which controls the facility, because it can give them control over US military systems for some reason (okay, maybe it doesn't make complete sense, but this is just an excuse to have Ryo do a "Die Hard", so let's forgive it, lol).

Maybe a bit short than what you'd typically expect from a movie, but I think that works in it's favor in this case. It takes no time at all to get into the thick of it & is pretty much wall to wall action from beginning to end (though of course it takes just enough time out to get in some of the series' trademark gags). This is elevated by a level of animation that's becoming of the format & noticeably a couple steps above any of the TV series at their best, which really makes the action shine.

It may not be as transformative as some of the Lupin films are for that franchise, as it's still ultimately something best appreciated for existing fans, but it's about as good as it can be for that type of project. Just really super fun.

City Hunter: Million Dollar Conspiracy (Blu-Ray)

Yet another City Hunter movie. This time Ryo gets hired by an American woman who claims she's being hunted by the Mafia, & promised him $1 million for the job. Of course things aren't as simple as they seem, and he finds himself embroiled in a mystery involving the CIA.

Quality wise it's a lot like "Bay City Wars" which I also recently watched. A bit short, but it really knows how to use it's budget & animation to be an entertaining watch. Preference will probably depend on whether you want more wall to wall action (Bay City Wars) or a bit more mystery with a little more time dedicated to Ryo's antics (Million Dollar Conspiracy).

Unfortunately I couldn't find a good trailer for any of the City Hunter stuff.

Just one movie for me this weekend.

City Hunter: the Secret Service (Blu-Ray)

A City Hunter movie which sees Ryo hired to protect a secret service agent who herself is part of a detail protecting a visiting South American political candidate (she is secretly his daughter, and his political opponents are targeting her to get to him).

It's not as tightly paced as the shorter films (Bay City Wars, Million Dollar Conspiracy), but it's still a fun time if you're a fan of the series.

Fun Easter Egg: at one point late in the film, right before the big climax, a character opens a map which holds some "Star Trek: TNG" references. If you pause & look at it, you have Mount Picard, Riker River, Jean-Luc Point, & Worf Point (you can see the former two again, & more clearly, whenever someone else opens the map again a few minutes later).