The Film Review Thread

[dan_tbm]

Film - War of the Worlds

Verdict - Did Spielberg even read the book? The plot is thin at best. Tom Cruise wooden as usual. Special effects OK although my Russian (I think) copy wasn't the best of quality.

2/10.

[Bench]

Made the terrible of mistake of going to watch War of the Worlds last night. If you're a fan of the original Jules Vern classic, then my advice would be to steer well clear. Now some of you would have done so anyway, noting that a certain Mr Cruise is the lead actor, but I went with an open mind - and Tom Cruise has done a few good films in the past amongst some real clangers (MI2?).

Anyway, in true American-style, they've almost ripped the original story to pieces. The only surviving elements of this classic is the voice over at the beginning and the end. Everything in between is just another excuse for huge epic landscapes, lots of CGI and special effects to marvel at and Tom Cruise running away from it all.

Seriously - its terrible. Cruise plays a very two dimensional character - which I think is more down to the script in this case than his acting ability. He's left with his two estranged kids while his ex-wife and hubby jaunt of to Boston to go to her 'mothers'. They obviously hate him, or at least have very little in-common or understanding of their father, and he wants to take the line of least resistance in terms of any parenting or family values.

And thats about it. Just as you are getting used to this very one-demsional middle-America dysfunctional family th'aliens land in their tripods and start to wipe everyone and everything out for no discernible reason. Cruise grabs kids and a box of food, jumps in the car and travels across America to Boston just so he can drop of his kids with his ex-wife. Yep - I didn't really get that either.......

Normally I'm a fan of Spielberg, but this did not compare in any way, shape or farm to his cult classic Close Encounters of The Third Kind, at least this was believable in its relative simplicity. Spielberg has taken classic science fiction, taken the parts that define the original story (the beginning and the end) and rewritten everything in between for the sake of a few special effects in the hope of winning an award or three.

You'll note that I haven't bitched yet about the fact that the film is no longer set in Victorian England and the story transplanted in middle America. Americans are so insular it makes me furious. Its bad enough that they have ruined a classic, but I'll never forgive them for the travesty of that film U-571, which portrayed a British mission that captured the Enigma machine as being solely American. In gfact, their ieas of superiority are summed up in a couple of lines during the film, just after the Tripods have landed......

Tom Cruise: These things.....they came from......

Cruise's Son: Are they terrorists?

Tom Cruise: No, they're not terrorists......they came from.....somewhere else......

Cruise's Son: Like Europe?

See what I mean?

Glad to see you share my views on this travesty of a film...........

[Frankie Wanderer]

Film - War of the Worlds

Verdict - Did Spielberg even read the book? The plot is thin at best. Tom Cruise wooden as usual. Special effects OK although my Russian (I think) copy wasn't the best of quality.

2/10.

War of the Worlds. Fantastic for 75% of the film. IMO.

Then died a sudden death like the Aliens. Over and out.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

@ Tom Cruise thingy....I think the guys a prick...after all he LEFT Nicole, that alone should disqualify him from any praise....he's a top pillock :aveit:

He's traded her in for a younger model. Well played sir.

[InsaneApache]

He's traded her in for a younger model. Well played sir.

suit yourself...I know who I have in my bed

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

Has anyone seen The Descent? if so is it any good? Horror movies over the last 10 years have been pretty bland with the odd exception (The Ring, The Grudge etc) but the rumour is that this film blows them all away. Would I have to watch this film alone so I dont make a big Jessy out of myself in front of the wife

[dan_tbm]

Secret Window

A good performance from Johnny Depp, brings his character to life well, quite a sinister little film this with a good twist at the end.

7.5/10

[Luna]

just a quick question; could i post my coursework review and see what you guys think?

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

just a quick question; could i post my coursework review and see what you guys think?

Sure, but you make want to put it as a thred. Im sure you would get more responce, its an original post so it should do well. I look farward to marking your homework young man

[plodder]

Course work??

Anyway back on topic. Saw Oceans Twelve last night. I'll put a warning out........2/10 only because Brad Pitt is cool.

[Luna]

Review Of X-Men 2

“We’ve lost all power!” The talking puppet that is Halle Berry states the obvious once again. And yet, even the wooden, emotionless acting of Berry doesn’t take the impressive sheen of X-Men 2 away. The huge hype that surrounded the movie didn’t prompt the director to take the easy way out and make a poor, money-spinning sequel. Instead, this proves to be a pleasant surprise. There is more action, humour, amazing effects and more depth to the story line.

Fans of the “X-Men” franchise will be pleased to see a new, unique mutant in the form of Kurt Wagner (or as he was known in the Munich circus, The Amazing Nightcrawler), played by Alan Cumming. Nightcrawler is an impressively made-up, tattooed, blue teleporter, who, of course, has a German accent, which at first seems a little unnecessary, but it does help us relate with him (well as much as we can relate to a camp, God-fearing, blue mutant) and gives his character more depth. Female fans will also be pleased to hear that Wolverine returns in all his hairy, grunting glory.

However, Female fans may be disappointed by the fact that Wolverine is obviously bored with his love life and decides to have a pointless, tacked-on love affair with Jean Gray (Famke Janssen). A couple of scenes culminate in a two second kiss later, it has hasn’t done anything for the plot except break up the main storyline and makes things that bit more complicated,

The movie, however, has a serious theme of separation, which is used several ways; good v evil, mutant v human, good acting v Halle Berry. The director never forgets this, despite having everything he needs to make this into a plot-less, non-stop action flick, brimming with special effects. The action is all there, the special effects are all there and yet, this is my no means a mindless shoot-‘em-up. In fact, you may need to watch the movie twice to fully understand it. So you choose what you want to see. An action film bursting to the seams with special effects or an action film bursting to the seams with special effects and an engaging storyline. The answer isn’t a hard one.

[Luna]

just a quick question; could i post my coursework review and see what you guys think?

Sure, but you make want to put it as a thred. Im sure you would get more responce, its an original post so it should do well. I look farward to marking your homework young lady :smooth:

im a boy you moron lol

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

Course work??

Anyway back on topic. Saw Oceans Twelve last night. I'll put a warning out........2/10 only because Brad Pitt is cool.

Agreed. You would think that these people had never met before, and all of them seamed to be struggling with there characters. Really bad plot!!!

[plodder]

Course work??

Anyway back on topic. Saw Oceans Twelve last night. I'll put a warning out........2/10 only because Brad Pitt is cool.

Agreed. You would think that these people had never met before, and all of them seamed to be struggling with there characters. Really bad plot!!!

There was a plot??

Last nights viewing...

House of Flying Daggers 7/10.

Visually stunning, I even forgot the subtitles. Good film.

[dan_tbm]

Last nights viewing - Cold Mountain.

Quite enjoyed this, didn't think I would but I did. Bit like Grizzly Adams as in it involves a long trek through cold pine forests where everyone wants to kill you.

Plus Nicole Kidmans in it.....

[keveh]

Film - War of the Worlds

Verdict - Did Spielberg even read the book? The plot is thin at best. Tom Cruise wooden as usual. Special effects OK although my Russian (I think) copy wasn't the best of quality.

2/10.

go watch it at the cinema if you want to see the special effects. they were amazing.

i quite liked it from an entertainment point of view, mainly because i was loving the special effects. I haven't seen the previous film or read the book, so didn't know what to expect.

the ending was bullshit though.

[plodder]

National Treasure today, its amazing how many films you can watch sat on your arse.

Not bad, a nod to the masons/templars but nothing special really. A bit of a filler. 4/10

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

just a quick question; could i post my coursework review and see what you guys think?

Sure, but you make want to put it as a thred. Im sure you would get more responce, its an original post so it should do well. I look farward to marking your homework young lady :smooth:

im a boy you moron lol

Corrected, see above

[Luna]

you are not forgiven!!!!! *ninja attacks*

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

you are not forgiven!!!!! *ninja attacks*

I SHALL HAVE YOUR FORGIVENESS (counters with cricket bat to the side of the head)