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The "Look Out For This Movie" Thread

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
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There are quite a few of us that are here that seem to be rather big movie buffs, so I decided to start this thread because of that. Basically you can tell people if there have been any movies that you have seen recently and whether it is worth watching or if we should avoid it like the plague. It doesn't have to be a new release cinema viewing either. just any movie that you have seen recently and want to warn people to look out for.

Try not to insult each others tastes. We all have our views and opinions :)

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I have seen three new movies in the past week or so. I will descibe them from worse to best (to finish on a happy note :) ).

Underworld
I love vampires as much as the next self respecting computer nerd (hell, I have a few Vampire Source books and I don't even play it). I wasn't expecting much going into this movie, and boy did it deliver.

Good Points - Kate Bekinsale looks really hot and plays a hero quite well. The costumes kick arse. The scenes where Salene jumps off a high building, lands on the ground and just keeps on walking casually look really sweet :) Some of the characters were quite cool, but...

Bad Points - ...They went no where. The vampires were presented as nothing more than humans with guns and pointy teeth :( The post production work was really badly done, and the colour correction has been changed to give everything a blue tint. This means that every time you see an outfit that should be a really nice crimson colour, it ends up as some terrible desaturated purple colour. The story was crap and they shouldn't have done what they did (trying not to give away too much).

This movie is probably worth seeing if you aren't a big vampire fan. Vampire fans will probably end up pissed off. Not really a cinema watching. Wait for a DVD version to come out.

Battle Royale 2
For those who have never heard of Battle Royale, you are really missing out. It is one of the most contriversal Japanese movies to have come out in recent years. It is one of my fav movies of all time and not because of the extreme amount of violence in it, or the many attractive school girls. The first one revolves around a class of Year 9 students who are kidnapped and sent to a deserted island to kill each other off. They recieve a random weapon and provisions to last for three days. At the end of the three days, there can only be one student left alive. If there are any more, then everyone who is left is killed instantly and there is no winner. They also have electronic tags around their necks to track their life signatures and pin point their position. The colars also have little explosives in them. In the three days, you get to know some of the students and how they deal with being told they have to kill their friends. It has a great story line and really leaves you thinking at the end.

Number two takes place after it, and has slightly updated rules. You now have a partner, and if they die, you die. It is team based as well. Weapons aren't random this time. Overall it is a good movie but doesn't touch the original. Seeing as many Western viewers didn't see into the sub plots, they explain everything flat out and leave you with nothing to think about. The characters aren't as cool as in the original (although actress Kou Shibasaki makes a welcome return :) ). I recomend seeing number one, but this one is cool as well.

The Returner
Another Japanese film. This time it is a Japanese take on a holywood style action flick. The basis of the story sounds really cliched, but here it goes. The movie is about a Returner (merc for hire) called Miyamoto. He is on a mission when he accidently shoots a young girl. He takes her back to his house and finds out that she has come back from the future to save the human race (Terminator anyone?). So, dressed in his leather pants and full length leather thrench, Miyamoto teams up with the young girl to save the future. As the movie progresses, the story line becomes more original -and quite frankly- very cool. For an action movie, there is very little violence and not too many action sequences. When there are action scenes though, they are quite well done, and have some effects that have the ability to show the Matrix up quite nicely. The Returner also has effects by Robot (the company responsible for the awesome Onimusha 3 intro). The effects are cool, but the compositing isn't extremely well done (although that could have been because it was on VCD). The characters are cool and actually look like they could kick arse. The bad guy is arse hole and really makes you want to see him die. I really recomend this film.

--------------------

Has anyone seen Once Upon A Time In Mexico at all? I would like to know what it is like before I go and see it in the cinema.

Submitted by inglis on Fri, 16/04/04 - 12:51 AM Permalink

"what?chu talkin about willis?" ....

lol

Submitted by palantir on Fri, 16/04/04 - 1:30 AM Permalink

I haven?t seen Kill Bill, so I can?t comment on that. I just wanted to say that I just saw the I, Robot trailer, and I am so disappointed! Pretty much like Souri said, it didn?t look very remarkable, and Smith is in his usual wise cracking role.

I?m hoping that the trailer is designed just to get the attention of the mass public (like they usually are) and not a true representation of the film. They paid a lot of money for the rights to the Asimov licence, and it would be a shame to see such a potentially great story be turned into another mindless sci-fi action flick.

I still have hope that it could approach the greatness that was Blade runner (similar concept to I,Robot), but with Will Smith and all those shots of robots fighting people (which is not at all what Asimov was about), I?m not expecting anything too great.

Submitted by ScORCHo on Fri, 16/04/04 - 1:59 AM Permalink

Damn..I didnt even think, I should have said it like that. A great opportunity to be funny missed. :(

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Wed, 05/05/04 - 11:51 PM Permalink

Weeeeell, following on from Souri's lead I'm recycling this post, it's better for the environment you know.

So what's it all about? VAN HELSING! Saw it on Monday night, recommend it to all action movie fans, it's like a super fun blast upside your head. It doesn't take itself too seriously (unlike some other recent flicks *cough* matrix *cough*) and is so chock full of digital effects that your eyes will bleed!

Anyone else seen it yet? I'm interested in other opinions.

Submitted by MoonUnit on Thu, 06/05/04 - 1:25 AM Permalink

ill be seeing it this weekend i think, cant wait! btw has anyone seen the animie "hellsing" (not a coincidence).

Submitted by Makk on Thu, 06/05/04 - 1:39 AM Permalink

I dont wanna see it.
It just appears to be like eeveryother action movie (Underworld, league of crappy gentleman, lots of cg effects) maybe its jsut me but it looks unoriginal. Im getting tired of those kinda movies

*shrugs*

Submitted by bullet21 on Thu, 06/05/04 - 3:12 AM Permalink

Yeah, i agree with makk, a kind of rip off Blade. I'm waitin for TROY! yeah now that's a movie.

Submitted by palantir on Thu, 06/05/04 - 7:47 PM Permalink

I'm really not all that keen on Troy anymore - to me it kind of looks like a "Lets make a big fantasy epic right on the heels of Lord of the Rings with big names and massive special effects to cash in on the success of Lord of the Rings" kind of thing...
I'll still see it though.
But Van Helsing has been getting good reviews as something a bit different, and a change from the clich?. It's hard to believe because it looks very clich?d from the preview, but you can never trust a preview. I'm looking forward to that more then Troy.

Submitted by MoonUnit on Fri, 07/05/04 - 12:59 AM Permalink

its funny that you say its a rip off of blade bullet because neither were original creations. Blade was a marvel comic book character created a few decades ago and hellsing is based on the original story by bram stroker (which was actually based on dracula, not hellsing as such).

as for troy, looks good to me, does have a bit of a roman LOTR feel to it but none the less should be a entertaining watch. Unless bloody pitt stuffs this up, ive never actually thought much of him as an actor.

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Fri, 07/05/04 - 1:04 AM Permalink

Hell yeah Palantir, couldn't agree with you more, Troy looks like a total bore fest to me, I mean, Eric Bana, really (great in Chopper though).

Trust me people, Van Helsing is different because it has this underlying sillyness to it which works in it's favour. I'm not saying it's revolutionary, just a good couple of hours entertainment.

Submitted by Makk on Fri, 07/05/04 - 8:48 AM Permalink

Troy looks like they are trying to steal the epic battles of LOTR with a bit of Gladiator thrown in there. I'll pass on that too.

Submitted by ScORCHo on Fri, 07/05/04 - 7:22 PM Permalink

Troy is a story with huge epic battles in it.....work it out guys.
Palantir: Troy has been in production for a long time....its not like they decided to make a friggin huge epic movie last december.
Moonunit: what they hell is a roman lotr feel? doesnt make sense......

Submitted by Aven on Fri, 07/05/04 - 7:45 PM Permalink

I just saw 'Van Helsing' last night, and I have to go with WOM on it. It is very corny and fun to watch. Bullet, it is nothing like 'Blade'. They have three things in common, they have the same director, they are both action films, and there are vampires in both of them. They have different styles, looks, times, places and stories. Anyway, here is a rundown of it.

Good points.
- Has Kate Beckinsale :D
- It was just a good light hearted film to watch. It felt a lot like 'True Lies' because of that (ie. something that could have been made really serious, but they didn't).
- The action scenes are pretty damn cool.
- The Special FX are well done as a whole, but the creature effects are really bloody cool (best Warewolves EVER :D).
- Kate Beckinsale looks even hotter in this than in 'Underworld' (although her costume and character were cooler in Underworld).
- More clevage in this than in your average episode of 'Baywatch'. My friend walked out and said 'Man, that guy is the king of directing clevage. He even makes a woman appear upside down on camera just so their breasts will bulge more' :D
- I'm hoping this doesn't give away too much, but it is really nice to see a movie where they know what it means to kill off a character. They stay dead.
- Dracula is cool B)
- His wives are hot.
- The story line fits it, and isn't difficult to follow. Means that you get to watch what is happening on screen a bit more... but...

Bad Points.
- ...The story line is really simple. There are very few parts in this movie that will make you say 'Wow. I really didn't see that coming'.
- Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckensale actually try to act in this movie. Everyone else seems to be acting in a rather simple manner. Although it does fit the movie to have them act a little more over the top, it does make them look like worse actors than what they actually are. Pity, as most of the support cast actually have parts where they are acting, and acting well.
- This isn't really that much of a bad point, but I still don't know if Van Helsing was a very cool action hero. He is cool as he gets on screen and kicks arse. He doesn't spout the usual one liners before he kills someone (I think that it is a good thing in his case). But he doesn't demand as much screen presence as the usual action hero.

Overall it was a really good film, and I think that I will be watching it again. Don't expect something really serious or though provoking. Just go and watch it and have fun.

I also just saw 'Clueless' the other day. Pretty fun for such a stupid movie. Sad thing is, I think I would rather watch that again than go and see 'Troy'...

Also (finally) saw 'One Night At McCools'. A very... interesting movie. Another light hearted movie that really made me laugh out loud (the light clapper). Worth watching as it has Liv Tyler. Also watching as it has Liv Tyler washing a car wearing practically nothing :0~~~~~~ (yeah, I'm a guy). It is also worth watching as you get to see Paul Reiser in fetish gear. I don't hink that image will ever leave my head :)

Submitted by MoonUnit on Fri, 07/05/04 - 9:58 PM Permalink

ScORCHom by a roman LOTR feel i ment that it looks like LOTR in a roman setting.

Submitted by Kalescent on Fri, 07/05/04 - 10:13 PM Permalink

Havent seen van helsing, nor troy - but will definately see both, to much analysis on movies nowadays, just go an enjoy it rather than brand somethnig crap and never give it a chance.

I dont think brad pitt is a bad actor - fightclub with him and edward norton was a brilliant movie , maybe it didnt get LOTR or titanic ratings - but the movie in itself was IMO brilliant - and he had a big part in making it so.

who cares if troy looks like lotr - now that ive seen that from people ill go and see it even more, just to see the similarities / differences and see if it comes anywhere near as close.

I cant help myself i just like to watch movies - despite critics / reviews / friends ramblings about a certain film sucking. BAH to it all i say, just go watch the bastards and form your own oppinion., if it sux then moan and groan!

Submitted by TyKeiL on Sat, 08/05/04 - 2:24 AM Permalink

van helsing is cool watched it last night,
troy is going to be good aswell
most movies are good, exept species which dies in the ass at the end,

go and watch an anime called "spirited away"- freaky movie, and not for gore its just freaky esp granny

fight club rocked so totally, anyone who dowsnt like that movie just isnt human enough.

Submitted by palantir on Sat, 08/05/04 - 2:50 AM Permalink

Don't get me wrong, Troy looks awesome! And I am looking forward to seeing it. But when I say it's trying to be like LOTR, I'm mainly talking about the MASSIVE battle scenes - with unrealistically huge numbers of bad guys. That worked in LOTR because that's how it goes in the book, but Homers Illiad, the book which Troy is supposedly based upon, is not like that. The battles were much smaller then depicted in the preview, and the majority of it was about the incredible story, not the battles. Also Troy looks to be very inaccurate historically. I mean, they seem to have forgotten that it?s set in the Bronze Age, running around with shiny steal swords and all that. It just looks to me like they are going to do an average job of an incredible story, which is not what happened with the LOTR story.

But I?m just a nerd, I think most people will love all the (unrealistic) action.

Submitted by bullet21 on Sat, 08/05/04 - 7:09 PM Permalink

But i think the gross exageration of the battles is goin to make it more interesting. No one wants to see a movie where the battle scene only contains a few swords and and rafts. And moonunit about that roman LOTR comment i completely disagree mainly cos it's Greek :P

It sounds to me like you guys think that cos LOTR had massive war scenes no other movie is allowed to. I am actually realyy looking forward to this movie.

Submitted by stonedwal on Mon, 10/05/04 - 8:56 PM Permalink

quote:They have three things in common, they have the same director

Actually, Blade and Van Helsing did not have the same director. Van Helsing was directed by Stephen Sommers, while Blade was directed by Stephen Norrington, and Blade II was directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Van Helsing looked bloody woeful if you ask me - another brainless popcorn flick which successfully massacres the source material. A DVD rent on a cheap Tuesday at best.

I'm not totally sold on Troy yet - but I could probably justify paying the cheap fare down at Indooroopilly. Did anyone find the first teaser to be rather amusing - I think there were more triemes in that scene than men who fought in the battle :)

Submitted by palantir on Mon, 10/05/04 - 10:45 PM Permalink

quote:Originally posted by stonedwal:
Did anyone find the first teaser to be rather amusing - I think there were more triemes in that scene than men who fought in the battle :)

Exactly! That image really soured my thoughts of the movie. It was like they only did it because they could. Think about how that would actually work in real life - a few boats at the front would engage the enemy, while the dozens near by would be waiting for the guys up front to get out of the way, while the hundreds of guys at the back would be going:
"Um, what are we doing? Hey, wait for us!?
How could anyone possibly coordinate an attack like that? Sorry, but they didn't have radio back then!

quote:Originally posted by ScORCHo:
Palantir: Troy has been in production for a long time....its not like they decided to make a friggin huge epic movie last december.

Of course not, but LOTR has been in production for over 8 years, and it?s due to it?s successfulness that the cinema epic is now popular and viable again. To me, I get the impression that the producers pitch for Troy was something like:
?See how popular these classic tales are ATM? Lets make one based on the Iliad!?
To which the studio replied:
?Cool, but only if you use lots of big name pretty boys and over the top massive special effects!?.

/end rant

Sorry - I just find it really silly. God, I haven't even seen it yet! It is silly when people get so adamant about movies that aren?t even out yet! After all this, it?ll probably be a really exciting movie (and I am looking forward to seeing it) ? I?m just big on realism, especially when it comes to historical events.

Submitted by ScORCHo on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:11 AM Permalink

Im sure thats exactly how they pitched it.....
Its silly to think they make a movie just to cash in on the success of another....shows how much faith you have in the dumb masses who must think..."Oh, is Troy another one of those cutsie hobbitses!!..I likes them. Look at him fighting all thos nasty 'orrible orcses again, nasty 'orrible creatures....and look at all the pretty boats!!"
Most ppl arent that dumb tho...

When i hear about a new movie that is being made, i look it and and find out about it, i dont just watch a 3 minute trailer and say "Oh what crap! Look they is it has lots of people fighting each other just like that other popular movie i saw....what a ripoff!!"

Just enjoy a movie for what it is, and appreciate the coolness that there are ppl making these movies and the effort that goes into them, and stop comparing each movie to either a book, or another movie. Egads man!!

just a smiley to say all in good humour.. :)

Submitted by Aven on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:31 AM Permalink

quote:Originally posted by stonedwal


quote:They have three things in common, they have the same director

Actually, Blade and Van Helsing did not have the same director. Van Helsing was directed by Stephen Sommers, while Blade was directed by Stephen Norrington, and Blade II was directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Damn, you just beat me too it. My friend pointed it out to me just before. Thanks for the fix up :) There you go though, another thing that Blade and Van Helsing don't have in common :)

Submitted by bullet21 on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:34 AM Permalink

I totally agree with you scorcho about enjoying a movie for what it is. But i dont get Palantir when you say, Im really big on realism especially in historical events, when the Trojan War was a myth. :P

Submitted by MoonUnit on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:58 AM Permalink

a movie which does have the same director as hellsing (or was it creater... producer?) is "the mummy." You remember, action and humour with some nice special effects. Awesome movie. Thats what i expect from hellsing, its not really supposed to be an "epic" or anything like that i dont think.

Submitted by palantir on Tue, 11/05/04 - 1:37 AM Permalink

Yeah, the Trojan war is ancient Greek mythology, but that doesn?t mean a movie based on it doesn?t need to be realistic. When I said ?I?m just big on realism, especially when it comes to historical events? ? I should have said historical periods, meaning I like to see films that portray the period convincingly. Both Homer and Tolkien had extremely realistic and believable books, despite all the fantasy/mythology. I?d just love to see that translated on film.

@ ScORCHo: LOL, nice Gollum impression! [:D]
My point about how the producers pitched it and how the studio would have responded was just to try and show that the producers just wanted to make a cool movie, while the studio just want to cash in on the success of things like LOTR (probably). Most of the time what the studio want (the people paying for it) is paramount to any artistic influence.

And of course this discussion is all in good humour! [:)]

(I really need to be clearer and get to the point in my posts quicker! [:P] )

*Seeing Van Helsing tomorrow - can't wait!*

Submitted by Stu on Wed, 12/05/04 - 3:41 AM Permalink

Saw Van Helsing laast night. I was actually quite impressed, some of the virtual stunt men/women looked a little dodgy but overally I thought the special effects were quite good, and the story line was really impressive.

Stu

Submitted by souri on Wed, 12/05/04 - 10:20 PM Permalink

I saw Van Helsing a few nights ago - I didn't actually want to see it but was forced to since we just missed the Kill Bill 2 session and nothing else was on. I was expecting a huge cheesefest, but the movie was actually quite ok. The story wasn't too outstanding, the action was ok, but I loved the sets and some of the special effects were nice. Oh, and all the aussie actors were great. [:)]

Submitted by Kane on Wed, 12/05/04 - 10:34 PM Permalink

I saw Van helsing on Monday and I thought it was good as well...

Like most have said, it wasn't outstanding or awe-inspiring, but good in most aspects...

I especially liked the fight scene between Helsing and Dracula at the end...twas mighty kool...[8D]

Also, just thought I'd share my thoughts on Kill Bill..I got the first on video the other day and am yet to see the second...but I am not entirley sure whether or not to waste my money...

Kill Bill 1 was quite strange...the only thing I though made it good was the exaggerated blood-gushing, and the fight scene with the crazy, ball and chain wielding teenager...cult movie, I say crap...[xx(]

Submitted by ScORCHo on Wed, 12/05/04 - 11:04 PM Permalink

Kane: You just said the keywords "quite strange"....thats whats makes it cult....plus it is the ultimate homage certain types of cult movies...

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Forum

There are quite a few of us that are here that seem to be rather big movie buffs, so I decided to start this thread because of that. Basically you can tell people if there have been any movies that you have seen recently and whether it is worth watching or if we should avoid it like the plague. It doesn't have to be a new release cinema viewing either. just any movie that you have seen recently and want to warn people to look out for.

Try not to insult each others tastes. We all have our views and opinions :)

--------------------

I have seen three new movies in the past week or so. I will descibe them from worse to best (to finish on a happy note :) ).

Underworld
I love vampires as much as the next self respecting computer nerd (hell, I have a few Vampire Source books and I don't even play it). I wasn't expecting much going into this movie, and boy did it deliver.

Good Points - Kate Bekinsale looks really hot and plays a hero quite well. The costumes kick arse. The scenes where Salene jumps off a high building, lands on the ground and just keeps on walking casually look really sweet :) Some of the characters were quite cool, but...

Bad Points - ...They went no where. The vampires were presented as nothing more than humans with guns and pointy teeth :( The post production work was really badly done, and the colour correction has been changed to give everything a blue tint. This means that every time you see an outfit that should be a really nice crimson colour, it ends up as some terrible desaturated purple colour. The story was crap and they shouldn't have done what they did (trying not to give away too much).

This movie is probably worth seeing if you aren't a big vampire fan. Vampire fans will probably end up pissed off. Not really a cinema watching. Wait for a DVD version to come out.

Battle Royale 2
For those who have never heard of Battle Royale, you are really missing out. It is one of the most contriversal Japanese movies to have come out in recent years. It is one of my fav movies of all time and not because of the extreme amount of violence in it, or the many attractive school girls. The first one revolves around a class of Year 9 students who are kidnapped and sent to a deserted island to kill each other off. They recieve a random weapon and provisions to last for three days. At the end of the three days, there can only be one student left alive. If there are any more, then everyone who is left is killed instantly and there is no winner. They also have electronic tags around their necks to track their life signatures and pin point their position. The colars also have little explosives in them. In the three days, you get to know some of the students and how they deal with being told they have to kill their friends. It has a great story line and really leaves you thinking at the end.

Number two takes place after it, and has slightly updated rules. You now have a partner, and if they die, you die. It is team based as well. Weapons aren't random this time. Overall it is a good movie but doesn't touch the original. Seeing as many Western viewers didn't see into the sub plots, they explain everything flat out and leave you with nothing to think about. The characters aren't as cool as in the original (although actress Kou Shibasaki makes a welcome return :) ). I recomend seeing number one, but this one is cool as well.

The Returner
Another Japanese film. This time it is a Japanese take on a holywood style action flick. The basis of the story sounds really cliched, but here it goes. The movie is about a Returner (merc for hire) called Miyamoto. He is on a mission when he accidently shoots a young girl. He takes her back to his house and finds out that she has come back from the future to save the human race (Terminator anyone?). So, dressed in his leather pants and full length leather thrench, Miyamoto teams up with the young girl to save the future. As the movie progresses, the story line becomes more original -and quite frankly- very cool. For an action movie, there is very little violence and not too many action sequences. When there are action scenes though, they are quite well done, and have some effects that have the ability to show the Matrix up quite nicely. The Returner also has effects by Robot (the company responsible for the awesome Onimusha 3 intro). The effects are cool, but the compositing isn't extremely well done (although that could have been because it was on VCD). The characters are cool and actually look like they could kick arse. The bad guy is arse hole and really makes you want to see him die. I really recomend this film.

--------------------

Has anyone seen Once Upon A Time In Mexico at all? I would like to know what it is like before I go and see it in the cinema.


Submitted by inglis on Fri, 16/04/04 - 12:51 AM Permalink

"what?chu talkin about willis?" ....

lol

Submitted by palantir on Fri, 16/04/04 - 1:30 AM Permalink

I haven?t seen Kill Bill, so I can?t comment on that. I just wanted to say that I just saw the I, Robot trailer, and I am so disappointed! Pretty much like Souri said, it didn?t look very remarkable, and Smith is in his usual wise cracking role.

I?m hoping that the trailer is designed just to get the attention of the mass public (like they usually are) and not a true representation of the film. They paid a lot of money for the rights to the Asimov licence, and it would be a shame to see such a potentially great story be turned into another mindless sci-fi action flick.

I still have hope that it could approach the greatness that was Blade runner (similar concept to I,Robot), but with Will Smith and all those shots of robots fighting people (which is not at all what Asimov was about), I?m not expecting anything too great.

Submitted by ScORCHo on Fri, 16/04/04 - 1:59 AM Permalink

Damn..I didnt even think, I should have said it like that. A great opportunity to be funny missed. :(

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Wed, 05/05/04 - 11:51 PM Permalink

Weeeeell, following on from Souri's lead I'm recycling this post, it's better for the environment you know.

So what's it all about? VAN HELSING! Saw it on Monday night, recommend it to all action movie fans, it's like a super fun blast upside your head. It doesn't take itself too seriously (unlike some other recent flicks *cough* matrix *cough*) and is so chock full of digital effects that your eyes will bleed!

Anyone else seen it yet? I'm interested in other opinions.

Submitted by MoonUnit on Thu, 06/05/04 - 1:25 AM Permalink

ill be seeing it this weekend i think, cant wait! btw has anyone seen the animie "hellsing" (not a coincidence).

Submitted by Makk on Thu, 06/05/04 - 1:39 AM Permalink

I dont wanna see it.
It just appears to be like eeveryother action movie (Underworld, league of crappy gentleman, lots of cg effects) maybe its jsut me but it looks unoriginal. Im getting tired of those kinda movies

*shrugs*

Submitted by bullet21 on Thu, 06/05/04 - 3:12 AM Permalink

Yeah, i agree with makk, a kind of rip off Blade. I'm waitin for TROY! yeah now that's a movie.

Submitted by palantir on Thu, 06/05/04 - 7:47 PM Permalink

I'm really not all that keen on Troy anymore - to me it kind of looks like a "Lets make a big fantasy epic right on the heels of Lord of the Rings with big names and massive special effects to cash in on the success of Lord of the Rings" kind of thing...
I'll still see it though.
But Van Helsing has been getting good reviews as something a bit different, and a change from the clich?. It's hard to believe because it looks very clich?d from the preview, but you can never trust a preview. I'm looking forward to that more then Troy.

Submitted by MoonUnit on Fri, 07/05/04 - 12:59 AM Permalink

its funny that you say its a rip off of blade bullet because neither were original creations. Blade was a marvel comic book character created a few decades ago and hellsing is based on the original story by bram stroker (which was actually based on dracula, not hellsing as such).

as for troy, looks good to me, does have a bit of a roman LOTR feel to it but none the less should be a entertaining watch. Unless bloody pitt stuffs this up, ive never actually thought much of him as an actor.

Submitted by Wizenedoldman on Fri, 07/05/04 - 1:04 AM Permalink

Hell yeah Palantir, couldn't agree with you more, Troy looks like a total bore fest to me, I mean, Eric Bana, really (great in Chopper though).

Trust me people, Van Helsing is different because it has this underlying sillyness to it which works in it's favour. I'm not saying it's revolutionary, just a good couple of hours entertainment.

Submitted by Makk on Fri, 07/05/04 - 8:48 AM Permalink

Troy looks like they are trying to steal the epic battles of LOTR with a bit of Gladiator thrown in there. I'll pass on that too.

Submitted by ScORCHo on Fri, 07/05/04 - 7:22 PM Permalink

Troy is a story with huge epic battles in it.....work it out guys.
Palantir: Troy has been in production for a long time....its not like they decided to make a friggin huge epic movie last december.
Moonunit: what they hell is a roman lotr feel? doesnt make sense......

Submitted by Aven on Fri, 07/05/04 - 7:45 PM Permalink

I just saw 'Van Helsing' last night, and I have to go with WOM on it. It is very corny and fun to watch. Bullet, it is nothing like 'Blade'. They have three things in common, they have the same director, they are both action films, and there are vampires in both of them. They have different styles, looks, times, places and stories. Anyway, here is a rundown of it.

Good points.
- Has Kate Beckinsale :D
- It was just a good light hearted film to watch. It felt a lot like 'True Lies' because of that (ie. something that could have been made really serious, but they didn't).
- The action scenes are pretty damn cool.
- The Special FX are well done as a whole, but the creature effects are really bloody cool (best Warewolves EVER :D).
- Kate Beckinsale looks even hotter in this than in 'Underworld' (although her costume and character were cooler in Underworld).
- More clevage in this than in your average episode of 'Baywatch'. My friend walked out and said 'Man, that guy is the king of directing clevage. He even makes a woman appear upside down on camera just so their breasts will bulge more' :D
- I'm hoping this doesn't give away too much, but it is really nice to see a movie where they know what it means to kill off a character. They stay dead.
- Dracula is cool B)
- His wives are hot.
- The story line fits it, and isn't difficult to follow. Means that you get to watch what is happening on screen a bit more... but...

Bad Points.
- ...The story line is really simple. There are very few parts in this movie that will make you say 'Wow. I really didn't see that coming'.
- Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckensale actually try to act in this movie. Everyone else seems to be acting in a rather simple manner. Although it does fit the movie to have them act a little more over the top, it does make them look like worse actors than what they actually are. Pity, as most of the support cast actually have parts where they are acting, and acting well.
- This isn't really that much of a bad point, but I still don't know if Van Helsing was a very cool action hero. He is cool as he gets on screen and kicks arse. He doesn't spout the usual one liners before he kills someone (I think that it is a good thing in his case). But he doesn't demand as much screen presence as the usual action hero.

Overall it was a really good film, and I think that I will be watching it again. Don't expect something really serious or though provoking. Just go and watch it and have fun.

I also just saw 'Clueless' the other day. Pretty fun for such a stupid movie. Sad thing is, I think I would rather watch that again than go and see 'Troy'...

Also (finally) saw 'One Night At McCools'. A very... interesting movie. Another light hearted movie that really made me laugh out loud (the light clapper). Worth watching as it has Liv Tyler. Also watching as it has Liv Tyler washing a car wearing practically nothing :0~~~~~~ (yeah, I'm a guy). It is also worth watching as you get to see Paul Reiser in fetish gear. I don't hink that image will ever leave my head :)

Submitted by MoonUnit on Fri, 07/05/04 - 9:58 PM Permalink

ScORCHom by a roman LOTR feel i ment that it looks like LOTR in a roman setting.

Submitted by Kalescent on Fri, 07/05/04 - 10:13 PM Permalink

Havent seen van helsing, nor troy - but will definately see both, to much analysis on movies nowadays, just go an enjoy it rather than brand somethnig crap and never give it a chance.

I dont think brad pitt is a bad actor - fightclub with him and edward norton was a brilliant movie , maybe it didnt get LOTR or titanic ratings - but the movie in itself was IMO brilliant - and he had a big part in making it so.

who cares if troy looks like lotr - now that ive seen that from people ill go and see it even more, just to see the similarities / differences and see if it comes anywhere near as close.

I cant help myself i just like to watch movies - despite critics / reviews / friends ramblings about a certain film sucking. BAH to it all i say, just go watch the bastards and form your own oppinion., if it sux then moan and groan!

Submitted by TyKeiL on Sat, 08/05/04 - 2:24 AM Permalink

van helsing is cool watched it last night,
troy is going to be good aswell
most movies are good, exept species which dies in the ass at the end,

go and watch an anime called "spirited away"- freaky movie, and not for gore its just freaky esp granny

fight club rocked so totally, anyone who dowsnt like that movie just isnt human enough.

Submitted by palantir on Sat, 08/05/04 - 2:50 AM Permalink

Don't get me wrong, Troy looks awesome! And I am looking forward to seeing it. But when I say it's trying to be like LOTR, I'm mainly talking about the MASSIVE battle scenes - with unrealistically huge numbers of bad guys. That worked in LOTR because that's how it goes in the book, but Homers Illiad, the book which Troy is supposedly based upon, is not like that. The battles were much smaller then depicted in the preview, and the majority of it was about the incredible story, not the battles. Also Troy looks to be very inaccurate historically. I mean, they seem to have forgotten that it?s set in the Bronze Age, running around with shiny steal swords and all that. It just looks to me like they are going to do an average job of an incredible story, which is not what happened with the LOTR story.

But I?m just a nerd, I think most people will love all the (unrealistic) action.

Submitted by bullet21 on Sat, 08/05/04 - 7:09 PM Permalink

But i think the gross exageration of the battles is goin to make it more interesting. No one wants to see a movie where the battle scene only contains a few swords and and rafts. And moonunit about that roman LOTR comment i completely disagree mainly cos it's Greek :P

It sounds to me like you guys think that cos LOTR had massive war scenes no other movie is allowed to. I am actually realyy looking forward to this movie.

Submitted by stonedwal on Mon, 10/05/04 - 8:56 PM Permalink

quote:They have three things in common, they have the same director

Actually, Blade and Van Helsing did not have the same director. Van Helsing was directed by Stephen Sommers, while Blade was directed by Stephen Norrington, and Blade II was directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Van Helsing looked bloody woeful if you ask me - another brainless popcorn flick which successfully massacres the source material. A DVD rent on a cheap Tuesday at best.

I'm not totally sold on Troy yet - but I could probably justify paying the cheap fare down at Indooroopilly. Did anyone find the first teaser to be rather amusing - I think there were more triemes in that scene than men who fought in the battle :)

Submitted by palantir on Mon, 10/05/04 - 10:45 PM Permalink

quote:Originally posted by stonedwal:
Did anyone find the first teaser to be rather amusing - I think there were more triemes in that scene than men who fought in the battle :)

Exactly! That image really soured my thoughts of the movie. It was like they only did it because they could. Think about how that would actually work in real life - a few boats at the front would engage the enemy, while the dozens near by would be waiting for the guys up front to get out of the way, while the hundreds of guys at the back would be going:
"Um, what are we doing? Hey, wait for us!?
How could anyone possibly coordinate an attack like that? Sorry, but they didn't have radio back then!

quote:Originally posted by ScORCHo:
Palantir: Troy has been in production for a long time....its not like they decided to make a friggin huge epic movie last december.

Of course not, but LOTR has been in production for over 8 years, and it?s due to it?s successfulness that the cinema epic is now popular and viable again. To me, I get the impression that the producers pitch for Troy was something like:
?See how popular these classic tales are ATM? Lets make one based on the Iliad!?
To which the studio replied:
?Cool, but only if you use lots of big name pretty boys and over the top massive special effects!?.

/end rant

Sorry - I just find it really silly. God, I haven't even seen it yet! It is silly when people get so adamant about movies that aren?t even out yet! After all this, it?ll probably be a really exciting movie (and I am looking forward to seeing it) ? I?m just big on realism, especially when it comes to historical events.

Submitted by ScORCHo on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:11 AM Permalink

Im sure thats exactly how they pitched it.....
Its silly to think they make a movie just to cash in on the success of another....shows how much faith you have in the dumb masses who must think..."Oh, is Troy another one of those cutsie hobbitses!!..I likes them. Look at him fighting all thos nasty 'orrible orcses again, nasty 'orrible creatures....and look at all the pretty boats!!"
Most ppl arent that dumb tho...

When i hear about a new movie that is being made, i look it and and find out about it, i dont just watch a 3 minute trailer and say "Oh what crap! Look they is it has lots of people fighting each other just like that other popular movie i saw....what a ripoff!!"

Just enjoy a movie for what it is, and appreciate the coolness that there are ppl making these movies and the effort that goes into them, and stop comparing each movie to either a book, or another movie. Egads man!!

just a smiley to say all in good humour.. :)

Submitted by Aven on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:31 AM Permalink

quote:Originally posted by stonedwal


quote:They have three things in common, they have the same director

Actually, Blade and Van Helsing did not have the same director. Van Helsing was directed by Stephen Sommers, while Blade was directed by Stephen Norrington, and Blade II was directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Damn, you just beat me too it. My friend pointed it out to me just before. Thanks for the fix up :) There you go though, another thing that Blade and Van Helsing don't have in common :)

Submitted by bullet21 on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:34 AM Permalink

I totally agree with you scorcho about enjoying a movie for what it is. But i dont get Palantir when you say, Im really big on realism especially in historical events, when the Trojan War was a myth. :P

Submitted by MoonUnit on Tue, 11/05/04 - 12:58 AM Permalink

a movie which does have the same director as hellsing (or was it creater... producer?) is "the mummy." You remember, action and humour with some nice special effects. Awesome movie. Thats what i expect from hellsing, its not really supposed to be an "epic" or anything like that i dont think.

Submitted by palantir on Tue, 11/05/04 - 1:37 AM Permalink

Yeah, the Trojan war is ancient Greek mythology, but that doesn?t mean a movie based on it doesn?t need to be realistic. When I said ?I?m just big on realism, especially when it comes to historical events? ? I should have said historical periods, meaning I like to see films that portray the period convincingly. Both Homer and Tolkien had extremely realistic and believable books, despite all the fantasy/mythology. I?d just love to see that translated on film.

@ ScORCHo: LOL, nice Gollum impression! [:D]
My point about how the producers pitched it and how the studio would have responded was just to try and show that the producers just wanted to make a cool movie, while the studio just want to cash in on the success of things like LOTR (probably). Most of the time what the studio want (the people paying for it) is paramount to any artistic influence.

And of course this discussion is all in good humour! [:)]

(I really need to be clearer and get to the point in my posts quicker! [:P] )

*Seeing Van Helsing tomorrow - can't wait!*

Submitted by Stu on Wed, 12/05/04 - 3:41 AM Permalink

Saw Van Helsing laast night. I was actually quite impressed, some of the virtual stunt men/women looked a little dodgy but overally I thought the special effects were quite good, and the story line was really impressive.

Stu

Submitted by souri on Wed, 12/05/04 - 10:20 PM Permalink

I saw Van Helsing a few nights ago - I didn't actually want to see it but was forced to since we just missed the Kill Bill 2 session and nothing else was on. I was expecting a huge cheesefest, but the movie was actually quite ok. The story wasn't too outstanding, the action was ok, but I loved the sets and some of the special effects were nice. Oh, and all the aussie actors were great. [:)]

Submitted by Kane on Wed, 12/05/04 - 10:34 PM Permalink

I saw Van helsing on Monday and I thought it was good as well...

Like most have said, it wasn't outstanding or awe-inspiring, but good in most aspects...

I especially liked the fight scene between Helsing and Dracula at the end...twas mighty kool...[8D]

Also, just thought I'd share my thoughts on Kill Bill..I got the first on video the other day and am yet to see the second...but I am not entirley sure whether or not to waste my money...

Kill Bill 1 was quite strange...the only thing I though made it good was the exaggerated blood-gushing, and the fight scene with the crazy, ball and chain wielding teenager...cult movie, I say crap...[xx(]

Submitted by ScORCHo on Wed, 12/05/04 - 11:04 PM Permalink

Kane: You just said the keywords "quite strange"....thats whats makes it cult....plus it is the ultimate homage certain types of cult movies...