Quote from: Ratman_tf on December 28, 2021, 05:45:02 PM

Quote from: Shrieking Banshee on December 28, 2021, 12:47:02 PM
But back to the Matrix ReR-ed, Id wager they just don't get directing gigs no more because all their films have been bombs. So this is like Shamamalama getting a big 'blockbuster' if its based on a older property.

Watching the trailers for Matrix 4, I kept thinking "From the team who brought you Jupiter Ascending!"

Hey, I like Jupiter Ascending. 

Quote from: Pat on December 28, 2021, 07:48:22 PMHey, I like Jupiter Ascending. 

I liked it too but in the same vein as Battlefield Earth.

Quote from: Pat on December 28, 2021, 07:48:22 PM

Quote from: Ratman_tf on December 28, 2021, 05:45:02 PM

Quote from: Shrieking Banshee on December 28, 2021, 12:47:02 PM
But back to the Matrix ReR-ed, Id wager they just don't get directing gigs no more because all their films have been bombs. So this is like Shamamalama getting a big 'blockbuster' if its based on a older property.

Watching the trailers for Matrix 4, I kept thinking "From the team who brought you Jupiter Ascending!"

Hey, I like Jupiter Ascending. 

Nothing personal, man.

Quote from: Shrieking Banshee on December 28, 2021, 07:52:21 PM

Quote from: Pat on December 28, 2021, 07:48:22 PMHey, I like Jupiter Ascending. 

I liked it too but in the same vein as Battlefield Earth.

Neh. Jupiter Ascending is nonsense, but it's pretty romantic nonsense with a touch of charm. Dog-ears, bees, scrubbing toilets, skating through the air, gorgeous gowns, dealing with cosmic bureaucracy, cool spaceships... it's not a great film, but it's fun if that appeals and you can turn off your brain. Even the completely passive nebbish of a heroine works, because she's more of an everywoman stand-in for audience projection than a real character.

There's a quote from Neil Gaiman about Moby Dick that I can't be bothered to look up, but it essentially says that for some people Melville's masterpiece is about the end, and for other people it's about the journey. I'm 100% in the journey camp, because I got lost in the imagery and the word play and the allusions and the segues and the colorful characters... and I never really cared for or paid much attention to the tale of revenge that framed all the verbal and seafaring eddies and excursions that were much more important to me. Jupiter Ascending nowhere near the same quality, but the type of appeal is similar. It's just fun to watch and get lost in, without worrying about petty details like plot or coherence or whether Mila Kunis actually does anything.

Can't say that about Battlefield Earth. Though I can say the two films compete on the bad overacting front (it's a tossup between John Travlota and Eddie Redmayne).

Quote from: Pat on December 28, 2021, 08:12:07 PMCan't say that about Battlefield Earth. Though I can say the two films compete on the bad overacting front (it's a tossup between John Travlota and Eddie Redmayne).

I have said before: I like battlefield Earth Borderline unironically. Its the film I think I have genuinly watched the most in my lifetime. It generally has cool visuals. When its stupid its funny, and its good moments stand as well. What I like from EB I can get in few other media pieces.

I like Jupiter ascending for a similar reason. I really liked the presentation of its massive space beurocracy, and call me a sucker, but I really liked the family telescope scene at the end. I just like happy families.

I reactivated my Disney+ (and turned off my Netflix).

So far I've watched:

- Black widow (Not bad, but not good)
- Hawkeye (binge-watched, actually pretty good. Jeremy Renner has still got it, Hailee Steinfeld puts in a solid performance, and Florence Pugh does a guest shot as Yelena and totally steals the show.)

Book of Boba Fett drops tomorrow.

On Netflix I watched:

- Squid Game (Must-see, your players will be riffing on this, guaranteed. Kinda brutal, though.)
- Red Notice (shlock, but pretty fun shlock. Reynolds and The Rock have great chemistry, Gal Gadot is good, but somewhat underused.)
- Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (Fan-service-y as all get out, the story and background don't hold together all that well.)
- Blackpink: Light Up The Sky (pretty solid documentary on the KPop girl group.)
- Gundam: Hathaway (anime sequel to Char's Counterattack, adapted from part 1 of a Yoshiyuki Tomino light novel. Gorgeous animation, a bit too much fanservice, and kind of a weak storyline. Still, if you're a fan of Sunrise Animation, you'll enjoy the ride.)

Quote from: Shrieking Banshee on December 28, 2021, 08:52:55 PM

Quote from: Pat on December 28, 2021, 08:12:07 PMCan't say that about Battlefield Earth. Though I can say the two films compete on the bad overacting front (it's a tossup between John Travlota and Eddie Redmayne).

I have said before: I like battlefield Earth Borderline unironically. Its the film I think I have genuinly watched the most in my lifetime. It generally has cool visuals. When its stupid its funny, and its good moments stand as well. What I like from EB I can get in few other media pieces.

I like Jupiter ascending for a similar reason. I really liked the presentation of its massive space beurocracy, and call me a sucker, but I really liked the family telescope scene at the end. I just like happy families.

Can't object to that. Maybe I'll give BE another chance.

There's a touch of Terry Gilliam in the bureaucracy. Not a lot, but a bit.

The thing about Battlefield Earth is that while the book isn't terrible (although there's a chunk of zeerust from Hubbard's weak grasp of physics), the movie is... not well done. There are massive plot holes, the Dutch tilt is EVERYWHERE, the Psychlos look bizarre, and the guy playing Johnny has about as much emotional range as a cabbage.

Quote from: Lurkndog on December 28, 2021, 09:12:31 PM
I reactivated my Disney+ (and turned off my Netflix).

So far I've watched:

- Black widow (Not bad, but not good)
- Hawkeye (binge-watched, actually pretty good. Jeremy Renner has still got it, Hailee Steinfeld puts in a solid performance, and Florence Pugh does a guest shot as Yelena and totally steals the show.)

Book of Boba Fett drops tomorrow.

On Netflix I watched:

- Squid Game (Must-see, your players will be riffing on this, guaranteed. Kinda brutal, though.)
- Red Notice (shlock, but pretty fun shlock. Reynolds and The Rock have great chemistry, Gal Gadot is good, but somewhat underused.)
- Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (Fan-service-y as all get out, the story and background don't hold together all that well.)
- Blackpink: Light Up The Sky (pretty solid documentary on the KPop girl group.)
- Gundam: Hathaway (anime sequel to Char's Counterattack, adapted from part 1 of a Yoshiyuki Tomino light novel. Gorgeous animation, a bit too much fanservice, and kind of a weak storyline. Still, if you're a fan of Sunrise Animation, you'll enjoy the ride.)

For me Black Widow was very meh. Hawkeye had its moments and at least wasnt as ham handed as Falcon & Winter Soldier.

Squid Game was interesting in its execution. But Im really getting tired of all these "Death Game" movies.

Which is funny as just recently came across the Werewolf Game movie series and its actually not bad in some of the movies, and so-so in others. Each move plays around with one or more rules changes. The get alot done with so little. Villager Side follows the villagers and is the roughest of the set being the first. I liked Werewolf Side though as it followed the werewolf players and it became a matter of will they be found out or not. Crazy Fox was a pretty good one too as it all hinged on if the Fox player could survive to the end or not. The Lovers was interesting but a bit disjointed and Mad Land had some rather perplexing things happen that still make no sense. But guess thats par for the course with this set. Think they are up to 8 movies now.

Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: I have the first season and have to say its bot very fan servicy really. It seems like it could at any moment but actually tends to veer off just about every time you think something will happen. I agree though its a confusing as all hell setting and you really have to either take notes whenever the "gods" are talking... or read the books which fill in more gaps. 2nd season is where things start to heat up as some of the things hinted at begin to take form.

Gundam is a really odd series. Some of the series is solid, some is not so much and others you need scorecards to keep track of whos doing what. I had the first couple of episodes of the first series on VHS way back. Interesting and not what expected really. Also had War in the Pocket which is well done and takes things in another unexpected way. Zeta though is the one most famillar with as it was fairly popular during the anime boom. Though never came to the US far as know. Had Wing but just didnt eally like it. And Im still trying to figure out what the heck that weird Gundam superhero series was. Aside from weird!

  Took the family to see the new Spider man movie a few days before Christmas.  I am NOT a fan of the Tom Holland movies (I have not watched any of them, but I do enjoy his cameos in other movies as spider man) and I was not a fan of the Garfield movies (did not watch them). 

   I saw a few non spoiler reviews that said it was good.  Had some plot holes and some odd behavior for heroes that made problems, but I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I was pretty much done with super hero movies (capstone to the series with endgame was my last one), and do not look forward to any (did not look forward to this one) these days, but this movie entertained me the entire time.  I strongly recommend it if you have even a passing interest.

Well. High Guardian Spice, against all odds, came out to everyones surprise and whooo-eeeee is this one 'special'...

Most glaring is the animation. Arts fine in a Steven Universe meets (fake)She-Ra sort of way.
But actual animation is a mess. I spotted bad flash techniques that were bad back in the early 2000s and somehow they actually used it worse. Walking animations sometimes match the ground, But I am starting to suspect that is accidental. Sometimes the mouths do not match the words and I am not sure, but I could swear sometimes in long shots they do not even bother to animate the mouth at all. To a lesser degree, and this might be personal due to my need to key off expressions to understand what people say... But the eyes of characters have this weird tendency to just kind-of stare into the void as it were at odd moments. Then again I've seen this in alot of other animation. But for some reason it stood out a little in this. Possibly because of the occasional off kilter lip movements? Who knows.

Most appalling is that the characters will "clip" through scenery. Because the the backgrounds are flat and apparently no one in the animation department ever learned to add pass-through cells to cover that. Or just not have objects in the path of motion that the characters might cross. Doesnt happen often that I recall. But this is something that basic animation should have caught.

Then theres the story. What a mess. I have to agree with some other reviews that far as I could tell. They not once actually explain what a "Guardian" is in the show. Then theres the LGBT elements that in one case was really well done. Only to be undone by the main female character going off on this hateful little rant about how guys can never have real feelings of friendship like girls can, and other antics. It says alot when your side character has more depth than the main characters. And in competent hands this guys struggle with his sexuality and the choice of if to go trans or not would be great. Here one of the teachers later reveals He used to be a She and that they did it with a spell that needs to be renewed. Which undermines their prior advice that changing gender was something that one should consider carefully. When this character can just stop any time and go back. gah!

Another weird thing is the settings magic system. You have old magic which takes time to learn and uses the casters own energy to power far as can tell. With alot of alchemical elements tossed in. Then you have new magic which seems to be better in every way. Easier to learn. More powerful. Has no cost to use. etc etc. Personal guess is that whats really going on is some sort of Dark Sun Defiler magic or Dragon Storm Necro magic process as its shown that parts of the land are being effected by some sort of corrupting blight.

Then theres the tone of the show. Crunchyroll slaps a "This is an adult animated show" warning on it. But the art and overall tone is bog standard kids show. Theres occasional blood, occasional death, and swearing for no reason other than to toss it in. And some inuendo some of the older side characters/teachers are getting it on. But thats about it. Remove those brief elements and it would fit right in on Nickelodeon.

Overall I liked the voicing. Some odd choices here and there, but it worked. But theres occasions where certain characters talk or are recorded in a way that for me is near unintelligible. Might be they are meant to be that way and even not understanding some of what one character was saying. He was still funny.

I think had the show been not in the hands of at least two women who are totally reprehensible and the promotional vid not been an agenda screed. AND not been using money supposedly meant to promote and help anime... it would not have gotten a then the flack it deservedly got and is still getting.

Wasted potential.

Quote from: oggsmash on January 01, 2022, 06:19:45 PMHad some plot holes and some odd behavior for heroes that made problems, but I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It looked to me that this movie was written with the end in mind. To try and come up with a story that 1) brought back all the spider-men and villains from the Sony movies, and 2) completely separate the Tom Holland Spider-Man from the MCU so that Sony doesn't have to give away 25% of their profits.

Because of these two goals, I can see why the story was a bit shaky in parts.

Watched A Quiet Place Part 2.

Not bad, essentially more of the same as Part 1 with just a bit more talking. Setup for a third.

No further explanation of the aliens, just "here are some Tyranids, enjoy." If you liked the first one, you'll like this one.

Quote from: Thornhammer on January 11, 2022, 09:08:13 PM
Watched A Quiet Place Part 2.

Not bad, essentially more of the same as Part 1 with just a bit more talking. Setup for a third.

No further explanation of the aliens, just "here are some Tyranids, enjoy." If you liked the first one, you'll like this one.

Hm. I really liked A Quiet Place, but I don't think I'm interested in a sequel. It's fine as it is.

Quote from: Omega on January 01, 2022, 08:56:09 AM
Gundam is a really odd series. Some of the series is solid, some is not so much and others you need scorecards to keep track of whos doing what. I had the first couple of episodes of the first series on VHS way back. Interesting and not what expected really. Also had War in the Pocket which is well done and takes things in another unexpected way. Zeta though is the one most famillar with as it was fairly popular during the anime boom. Though never came to the US far as know. Had Wing but just didnt eally like it. And Im still trying to figure out what the heck that weird Gundam superhero series was. Aside from weird!

There are a lot of weird things under the Gundam umbrella. Like the SD Gundam kiddie cartoons they did with the superdeformed versions of the characters. But it was a mega-franchise, with all kinds of spinoffs.

War in the Pocket is great, I also liked 008th Mobile Suit Division, and Char's Counterattack is a must-see.