Topic: The Movie Thread

Just watched Detective Pikachu with the fam this weekend and gotta say i enjoyed it. Never thought o would have bit it was great. I think watching movies/playing games without any expectations before hand definitely results in a much better experience

Black Cauldron isnt the only horror movie that Disney took a risk on

Watcher in the Woods and Something Wicked This Way Comes they were and still are pretty scary.

and I still love Black Cauldron. Yeah Disney thinks that movie is a flop or whatever but the movie has fans + cult following yada yada.

Disney is just too chicken ***** anyway to try to dabble in more horror

the Blue Lagoon (Amazon Prime Video) - Set during the 1800's it follows a pair of kids who survive a shipwreck (initially with the help of a salty old sailor called Patty), and must learn the realities of life & love by themselves as they grow up on the island.

I remember liking it when I was around 12-14 (probably because of all the nudity), but going back to it now it's a dreadfully dull film (especially post-Patty). Pretty shots of wildlife, though.

Bumblebee (Amazon Prime Video) - Prequel of the Transformers films that follows the titular Autobot as he first arrives on Earth, and with the help of a human teenager protects the planet (and the future of his own race) from Decepticon invasion.

Pretty standard popcorn flick. All the 80's music is great, but overall I'd peg it about the same quality as all the other Transformers movies (though I had no particular attachment to the franchise as a kid, so keep that in mind).

A Goofy Movie (Disney+) - Feeling his teenage son Max is pulling away from him, Goofy decides to drag him along for a cross country fishing trip (a family tradition), but Max has different ideas for their destination as he lies about the nature of the trip in an effort to salvage a fledgeling relashonship with the girl he likes.

I always caught the sequel to this, An Extremely Goofy Movie, as a kid & always wanted to see the original but never found it on. I'm glad I was finally able to see it, as while it's probably just because it tugged at all the right nostalgia strings (our own family used to take annual summer fishing trips), I really found myself connecting with & enjoying it.

Gunbuster (HiDive via VRV) - A condensed film version of the classic anime OVA series from the creator of Evangelion that follows a young teenage girl who goes from bumbling recruit to a key figure in defending humanity from an alien threat.

Animation is absolutely fantastic & there's definitely strong story & themes behind it (I liked the consequences of the flow of time being different for space travellers, so her friends back on Earth became middle aged while only a few months passed for her), however it feels supremely rushed as you can tell tons have been chopped out in order to fit it in movie form (unfortunately this seems to be the only version legally available to stream or buy in the US), and for some reason the subtitles cut out during the last 10 minutes which was infuriating (even after backing out & trying to restart, they keep cutting out at the exact same spot).

Star Wars Episode 1: the Phantom Menace (Disney+) - the first of the prequel films which follows how a young Anakin Skywalker first got involved in the struggles of a galaxy far, far away.

I won't have much to say on it since I believe I did a big write up on it last year when I watched it, but it's one of the first movies I remember going to the theater to see, so it'll always hold a special place for me despite it's flaws.

Finished watching the recent live action Sonic the Hedgehog movie and it was really good! People tend to say that movies based on video games are generally awful but this one might just be one of the best. I loved the actor voicing Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Eggman is pure brilliance. In fact, this whole movie just felt like something you'd expect to see from the 90s in terms of the overall vibes. Like if a Sonic movie had been made in the 90s, I could absolutely see Jim Carrey starring as Dr. Eggman as well since he was in so many amazing movies during that period. That was probably the main reason for why I was so compelled to watch it since I typically dislike watching movies.

Also, I'm really glad that they're making a sequel and that more Sonic characters will be showing up in the next one. I'm definitely looking forward to watching it as well!

@LtSarge that movie was great! The whole family is looking forward to the sequel. We all enjoyed the detective Pikachu as well. Last weekend we watched the Mitchell's vs the Machines on Netflix and all the adults were busting a gut laughing.

@Krzzystuff Oh yeah, I completely forgot that I had also watched Detective Pikachu. That one was really good as well! It feels like we're now entering an era of excellent live action movies based on video games. Would love to see more of this from other franchises in the future.

This conversation actually reminded me that the CGI Resident Evil movie is coming out in just a couple of months on Netflix. I'm definitely looking forward to watching that one as well!

@LtSarge i think they just released the next Castlevania season on Netflix as well....i forgot which season i finished off at. Haven't watched to many shows as my personal time has just been consumed by gaming

Gas Pump Girls (Amazon Prime Video) - 70's comedy that sees a young high school graduate (along with a small group of her friends) running her uncle Joe's gas station over the summer after he's laid out by a minor heart attack (induced due to anxiety over the fact that his mom n' pop operation is threatened by the sleek new corporate outfit across the street taking his business).

A pretty standard story of the little guys standing up to the big conglomerate, though with any deep acting or heavy themes sidelined in favor of a lighthearted vibe, mostly centered around nudity & sexual innuendo. Not the worst way to spend an afternoon as long as you know what you're getting into & take the time era into consideration.

Is it Wrong to Try to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon? Arrow of the Orion (HiDive via VRV) - Film adaptation of the Light Novel/Anime series that takes place between the anime's first two seasons. Here, our hero Bell obtains a legendary weapon (sword in the stone style) and as such he and the gang are called off to slay a powerful monster that threatens the entire world.

It's okay, though it kinda just feels like an extended episode due to the fact that the animation/style doesn't really hit any highs that seem above & beyond what you see in the tv series. That's not necessarily a shot, as the show can look absolutely gorgeous, but given that the film's narrative is an aside unrelated to the core story, it means there's no reason to really check it out unless you've watched the anime & want more.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones! (Disney+) - Middle entry in the prequel trilogy of the legendary franchise, that continues to follow the exploits of young Jedi Anakin Skywalker and how he slowly starts taking steps to a dark future...

It can be really slow & has some aged CGI elements, but overall I still enjoyed it.

Star Wars: the Clone Wars (Disney+) - Taking place inbetween episodes 2 & 3 of the prequel trilogy, this animated feature covers some exploits of Jedi such as Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi (including the former grudgingly taking on an energetic young apprentice, Ashoka) during the titular "Clone Wars".

Released in advance of the Clone Wars animated television series, the film was actually made by taking a few episodes intended for the forthcoming series and stapling them together for theatrical release. It shows, but is a decent enough time if you're in a Star Wars mood.

Memento great movie that starts from the end and works its way back about a guy who cant remember anything new for longer then a minute I would really recommend it.

Went to the cinema for the first time since COVID began to watch Ghostbusters Afterlife.

I thought it did a good job of passing things on to a new generation & vibe (even if that vibe was just Stranger Things: Ghostbusters Edition, what with a small group of tweens/teens unravelling a supernatural conspiracy in small town America) while tying it in & paying respects to the originals (though I can see some thinking it ultimately leans into the original's story a bit too much, I for one enjoyed every second of it).

Finally got around to Ralph Breaks the Internet. Not as good as the first, but as someone who grew up watching Reboot I always liked the concept of cyberspace being represented by some sort of futuristic cityscape, so I still mostly enjoyed it.

I do think it started to lean a bit too much into the stereotypical girl power theming that dominates a lot of core Disney's animated films these days, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, after the Frozen duo, Moana, Raya, & presumably Encanto, that seems to be more & more their thing this past decade (though admittedly this isn't taking Pixar's output into account).

@RR529 reboot was such a mind blowing show when it first came out. And then when they did the second part where Enzo was the guardian... massive generational leap. You ever watch the beastwars or beasties....the Dino bot transformers show? That was also big for me growing up.

@Krzzystuff, I think I barely remember Beastwars, but I never really got into it.

Even Reboot I don't think I watched during it's original run (though I think my older brother did), but when it was replayed alongside Dragon Ball Z when Toonami first premiered.

I was excited about the Netflix reboot (no pun intended) until they ruined it by having real world kids traveling between cyberspace & the real world (though there were attempts to bridge it to the original by having Mainframe be a place that still exists & by bringing back Megabyte as a primary antagonist).

@RR529 lol i had no clue they did a new show on Netflix. Definitely no need for live action in it.

Watched Eternals this morning.

Certainly very visually accomplished and the fight scenes could definitely be kinetic, but it felt a little slow & bloated (and I don't think any of them really stood out in terms of personality other than Kingo).

I feel like if you're the kind of person to really like the first two Thor movies, you'd probably like this. More of an epic/drama feel without much of the trademark MCU humor/quips (though there is some).

Rookie of the Year - More of a kid centric Baseball film that sees 12 year old Henry able to pitch at the professional level after recovering from a broken arm, and his talents may just be the answer to the Cubs ailing season.

It's ultimately just fluff & a bit uneven (for example his mom's boyfriend seems like a nice enough guy at the start, then they seemingly forget about him for a large chunk of the movie so the mom can form a romance with one of the Cubs players, only to randomly drop him back in again later as a mustache twirling villain conspiring to end the mom's budding romance & trading the kid off to another team for a big payout for himself without much of a buildup between the two), but hey, I like going back and watching these old 90's movies I missed as a kid, and it makes a nice change of pace from all the meticulously produced modern blockbusters.

Watching injustice on hbomax.

the Good Dinosaur - I don't think it'll go down as anything particularly memorable, but it decent enough time with a few chuckles & cute moments, and the almost photorealistic environmental shots were absolutely gorgeous.

Blank Check - It's not realistic in the slightest, but I think if you were a kid in or around the 90's I think there's some fun to be had in the way it absolutely indulges in all the materialistic fantasies a kid of the era would have. While I wouldn't go as far to say I found it offensive, I will say the "romantic" subplot simply doesn't make much sense (I can't imagine the intended audience would care about it in the slightest), and his obsession with it would have made more sense if he was his older brothers' age (lamenting that he's only a couple sweet years away from adulthood & all that). I think it's also somewhat compounded by the fact that while he's supposed to be 12(?) he could easily pass as under 10.

I liked this movie, even though I'm not a fan

I saw the batman earlier this week and man it was amazing. The riddler was amazing....like Heath Ledger joker amazing. If you're expecting a kiddy Marvel movie you will be disappointed. I'd highly recommend it.