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Post by slayrrr666 on Mar 29, 2009 10:20:26 GMT -5
Earth vs the Flying Saucers-1956
Well, there's not a whole lot to say here, as there's just an overwhelming sense of cheese present here. The invasion of the ships and their takeover attempts, as well as the special effects of the planned fighting back, are just prime 50s-era cheese of the best caliber, though there are certain scenes where it's not so bad at all and somewhat realistic looking. The human drama, which does take up some rather healthy amounts of time, do lower this by taking away from the fun and action present in the scenes with the aliens, but it's not that bad as they more than make up for those areas.
7/10
Independence Day-1996
Forty years later, there's a huge difference in the same exact sort of story. Gone is the cheese, gone is the rather low-budget look to the special effects, though the story, action and excitement remains. Pretty much Day 1 and Day 2 are the best elements here, as they are just so much fun, Day 1 being loaded with the element of mystery about the ships and the realistic manner of invasion they undertake, followed up by the jaw-dropping first attacks in New York and Washington that offers what I enjoy most: lots of things blowing up really good. Day 2 brings up the action again with the really fun air battle that practically does the same thing the first movie did just with a budget and no cheesy effects. The scenes at Area 51 aren't bad, especially once they reveal the alien itself and get the plan into motion, but frankly, Day 3 is pretty much a minor let-down with the emotion and sentimentality present. They're needed and realistic in the moment, just not something I really care for as they're just eye-rolling moments for me. Overall, not that bad at all, as the length allows for more to say and enjoy.
8.5/10
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Post by ZapRowsdower on Mar 31, 2009 21:59:53 GMT -5
Hold on... I think I got one...
Monsters Vs. Aliens (2009, Rob Letterman; Conrad Vernon)
Hilarious Dreamworks animation comedy. Not quite as funny as Kung Fu Panda or the first two Shreks, but still pretty damn good. Great voice work all around, and it was a real treat to see Stephen Colbert as the president.
I also think I have another, but I can't really name it without spoiling the movie (because that actually is... sort of... the ambiguous surprise ending).
If you'd like, Heineken, I could PM you what movie it is and then we could determine whether or not it's a spoiler... or if it counts.
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Mar 31, 2009 22:57:13 GMT -5
PM away, Zap. But do it soon, new category/genre tomorrow.
WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005)
Outside of the forced happy ending, and saddling Cruise's character with a couple of annoying kids, this is a pretty engaging remake by Spielberg. The effects are gee whiz awesome with some cool looking tripod vehicles, interesting alien designs, and lots of people getting "blown up real good" as slayrrr would say, leaving only ashes and their clothes floating in the air. Not a classic, but I wasn't bored.
7.5/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Apr 1, 2009 17:56:55 GMT -5
Ironically Zap, the one film you watched for last month's genre is one of the main reasons I picked this month's genre.
The genre/category for April is...
COMPUTER ANIMATION
Animation has come a long way since the days of Disney's SNOW WHITE and since then, animation has continued to evolve and grow, but when Pixar released it's first computer animated full-length feature, TOY STORY in 1995, it was a whole new renaissance of animation. Now it seems, there's a brand new animated film in theaters every few weeks as opposed to once a year or so. While Pixar is clearly the frontrunner in this field, there are a few other studios releasing some decent films too, with Dreamworks (SHREK, MADAGASCAR) being the main competition. Last year's WALL-E was one of the most highly acclaimed films of 2008, animated or not, and this past weekend saw the release of Dreamworks' huge box office hit, MONSTERS VS. ALIENS in 3D, continuing the evolution of animation. And Disney has just announced that it plans to release the two TOY STORY films as a double feature in 3D, for a couple of weeks, later this year.
Some rules or guidelines, if you will:
1. All movies have to have been theatrical releases. No made for tv or made for cable movies, ie: HBO, Sci-Fi Channel, etc., and no direct-to-dvd releases.
2. Whenever you watch one, feel free to post it in "Just Watched Movies" like you normally would, or even write a review for "Review Hell" if so inclined, but post here also, so we can see what everyone's watching within the genre. Feel free to tell us what you thought of the film and score it using the 1 to 10 system, ie: 1 being just awful, 5 is average and 10 being perfect. Half points, ie: 8.5/10 are also allowed.
3. You have until April 31st, and then on May 1st I'll announce the next genre or category.
4. Like I mentioned in the original post, try to watch at least four, one per week, but watch as many, or few, as you feel comfortable with.
Hopefully at the end of it all, you'll feel like you saw some movies you might not have watched otherwise and actually enjoyed some of them.
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Post by slayrrr666 on Apr 3, 2009 10:04:41 GMT -5
The Incredibles-2004
I just wanna say, I quite enjoyed this one when I first saw it, and time has been kind to it. Maybe that there's more action and stuff blowing up (which is what I'm used to) or it's just genuinely funny at times or possibly, since my baby-sitting days, I'm more tolerant of Disney Channel fare than I normally would be, but whatever the case, this one was a lot of fun. As I said before, I like action and things getting destroyed, which this one does with reckless abandon for a kiddie film, which is a nice sight and allows for a different tone when compared to the usual kiddie jokes and slapstick, which this one does well with a couple of inspired gags that can only work with the plotline and other elements present. Quite enjoyable, if a little overlong at times.
8.5/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Apr 6, 2009 9:06:12 GMT -5
BOLT (2008)
Bolt is the canine star of a sci-fi/action tv series who thinks that his weekly adventures, along with his "super powers", are real. When he is accidentally shipped from Hollywood to New York City, he has to try to make his way back home and to his owner, Penny, who is also his costar on the show. Along the way, he picks up a couple of friends/helpers, Mittens, a streetwise alleycat, and Rhino, a hilarious hamster in a plastic ball, and Bolt also comes to the realization that his life and abilities have all been fabricated for television.
Really enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. It was really funny, had some interesting characters and it didn't talk down to the audience. I thought John Travolta was really well cast as Bolt, not your typical cartoony voice. And of course the animation was perfect.
8.5/10
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Post by slayrrr666 on Apr 7, 2009 10:08:20 GMT -5
Cars-2006
I'm not really into the NASCAR/racing/car scene at all, I have no interest in it and I don't really care if I don't know anything about either of those areas, which meant that there was a lot of moments here that I really didn't get. They were obviously intended to be jokes about the situation (mainly the opening race or the early scenes in the town where he's out racing the dirt-track in the outskirts) but when it got to the more broad-style stuff, I felt a little better about it and laughed at it a little bit. A little long for my sake (which goes back to the not-really-getting-the-influences part) but it was serviceable for what it was.
7.5/10
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raina
Junior Member
Posts: 77
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Post by raina on Apr 7, 2009 11:28:44 GMT -5
Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Orphaned child genius Lewis is having a problem finding a family, so he creates a memory scanner that will help him find the mother that abandoned him years ago. But the invention is stolen from the science fair by a villain called Bowler Hat Guy, and he meets Wilbur, a kid from the future that insists he has to go back with him to get his invention back or the consequences to the future could be dire. Unfortunately (or not) the time machine breaks down, leaving him stranded for awhile with the wacky Robinson family.
Its a sweet, sometimes fun story, but I didn't laugh nearly as much as I thought I would. Bit of a disappointment, but hey, I still enjoyed it for the most part.
6/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Apr 8, 2009 7:24:00 GMT -5
TOY STORY (1995)
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are a scream as Woody, a talking cowboy doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a sci-fi action figure. They're part of a group of toys that also includes Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, little green "Army Men", and several others, who come to life whenever their human owner, a little boy named Andy, isn't around.
The animation, especially on the human characters, is starting to show it's age, but it's now become part of it's charm. The story, script and voice work are so great that frankly, this one could be drawn in crayon and it would still be an incredibly entertaining movie.
One of the greatest animated films of all time and the one that started it all, as it put Pixar and computer animated features on the map.
10/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Apr 11, 2009 10:20:57 GMT -5
MONSTERS VS ALIENS (2009)
On her wedding day, Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is hit by a meteorite that causes her to become a giant ala Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. She is renamed Ginormica by the government, and locked up with some other "monsters". Besides Ginormica, the rest of the monsters are all modeled on classic horror monsters: Dr. Cockroach was a brilliant scientist who was transformed like The Fly, Link is a half amphibious-half man hybrid like Creature from the Black Lagoon, B.O.B is a gelatinous mass based on The Blob and Insectosaurus is loosely based on the giant Japanese monster, Mothra.
When Gallaxhar, a power-mad alien from another planet, decides to do a War of the Worlds type attack on the earth, the government let's the monsters loose to fight off his invading forces.
While it's not as funny as it could've been, and the plot offers no real surprises or twists, this one won me over with it's likable characters and amazing visuals. I'm sure it would've looked great in a regular theater too, but the added bonus of 3-D really puts it over the top.
All the creatures have their moments to shine, but B.O.B. (Seth Rogen) especially, steals every scene he's in.
There are also lots of throwaway lines and sight-gags referencing classic monster and alien movies, everything from THE BLOB to CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, which are kind of fun.
If you like classic monster movies, alien movies, comedies, and groundbreaking animation, then this just might be the movie for you.
On the DreamWorks Animation-Meter I wouldn't rate this one as high as the original SHREK or KUNG FU PANDA, but it's way better than SHARK TALE.
8/10
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Post by slayrrr666 on Apr 13, 2009 10:11:20 GMT -5
Madagascar-2005
Saw this one with my sister, and it wasn't all that terrible of a film, I have to admit. Funnier in places than I expected (me and my sister loved the penguins, and the monkeys were giving off some good lines here and there) the story was entertaining and in the end, it seemed like a fun-enough time. The only thing we both agreed on was that the main cast wasn't that funny (she doesn't know who Chris Rock is, and she hates 'Friends' so she doesn't think David Schwimmer is funny, as I do) and we both ended up liking the supporting cast more than the main four characters here. Mix that in with a feeling during the majority of the time where it's-not-funny-but-I-don't-feel-like-changing-the-channel and it just comes off as mediocre.
6.5/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Apr 16, 2009 8:25:08 GMT -5
THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX (2008)
Despereaux (Matthew Broderick) is a little mouse with huge ears who fancies himself a hero like the ones he likes to read about in fairy tales.
Great cast, ie: Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, Tracy Ullman, Emma Watson, Frank Langella, Christopher Lloyd, etc., but so-so animation and I was never able to get into the slow-paced story. Frankly, I found my mind wandering quite a bit.
Even my 4 year old daughter lost interest after about 20 minutes, and she sat enthusiastically through all the other Genre movies I've watched this month.
5/10
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Post by slayrrr666 on Apr 19, 2009 10:05:47 GMT -5
Shrek-2001
I always liked this one, it's one of the few animated movies I can see myself owning and not feeling bad about it sticking in next to hardcore horror stuff as it's pretty much the kind of movie I enjoy. It's goofy, stupid and makes me laugh, which is what I like about these kinds of films. Sure, some of the jokes are dated (The Matrix rip hasn't aged well at all, and some of the one-liners don't really hold up well) but it's still hitting more than missing. I really enjoyed it then, and it's still fun now, even with a couple extra viewings under my belt since then.
9/10
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Post by Heineken Skywalker on Apr 21, 2009 10:24:10 GMT -5
TOY STORY 2 (1999)
This time Buzz and some of the other toys go on a rescue mission to get Woody back from an unscrupulous toy collector who plans to sell him, along with several other toys, to a Japanese museum. Turns out Woody is a rare collectible and part of a much larger toy line of characters and memorabilia based on a 50's children's tv series.
A sequel that in many ways is just as good as the original, and in several ways even improves on it.
More epic in scope, and you can already see the improvements in animation in just the few short years from when the original was released.
Features some more great in-jokes and site-gags spoofing everything from the STAR WARS trilogy to JURASSIC PARK. Also look for cameos from classic toys like Barbie and the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.
An excellent entertainment in every way.
10/10
HORTON HEARS A WHO (2008)
Based on the beloved children's book by Dr. Seuss about an elephant who tries to protect the Whos, a microscopic society, from the other animals in the jungle.
I've been reading a LOT of Seuss to my four-year old daughter, a book a day, everyday, before naptime, so I was kind of looking forward to the two of us seeing this computer animated version, but almost from the beginning, it was very different from the book.
It's a double-edged sword because I realize that they have to pad the movie in order to fill it out to a feature-length running time, but all the new characters and situations, not to mention pop culture and modern references, just didn't do much for me. The movie looks fantastic and the voice work, especially Jim Carrey as Horton and Carol Burnett as Kangaroo, was very good, but the film just left me kind of cold and detached.
Unlike the snarky live-action CAT IN THE HAT movie, it's not terrible and it's heart seems to be in the right place, I just never did really warm up to it and I completely expected to.
6/10
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Post by slayrrr666 on Apr 23, 2009 10:10:23 GMT -5
Dinosaur-2000
Well, I have two ways of approaching this one: first as a dinosaur enthusiast, or as a movie fan. As a dinosaur enthusiast, this one is pretty wrong for most of the time. Besides getting species' looks wrong (the Carnotaurus is pretty much just like Speilberg's raptors, completely unlike the real life creature) they also get time-frames and country-of-origins wrong, and while the idea is solid, it's a little distracting to know that two different species represented here never made contact in real life, separated by a large geological gap between appearances. However, the movie fan allows me to pass over those flaws, as most would likely not know the difference or not care altogether and instead focus on the fast-paced story, fun battles or the big action scenes at the end. Not nearly as funny as other entries, but still good enough to help out the movie fan win out, even if only slightly, over the dinosaur enthusiast.
7.5/10
Happily N'Ever After-2007
Talk about a fun surprise. This I had almost no expectations for and came away with a hilarious take that really made this one quite fun. From the gut-busting reworkings of famous fairy tales to the great story that is perfectly ripe with one-liners and physical gags, this one just gave me a lot of laughs, and felt like the original Shrek when I first saw it in that it was such a unique tale I was surprised it hadn't been done before. Really, really enjoyable even if it does slightly drag in the middle.
8.5/10
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