Toaster Retribution Posted January 26, 2019 Report Share Posted January 26, 2019 Personal opinion regarding the Oscars: Infinity War should have gotten a Best Picture nod. It is that good. I am happy for Black Panther though. Also, Mortal Engines should have gotten a special effects nod. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaywalk Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 On 1/26/2019 at 8:14 AM, Toaster Retribution said: Also, Mortal Engines should have gotten a special effects nod. Yes! For CG Shrike alone! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunamor Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) Ok, so I know that this is really late, but there is something that I just really need to vent about. Why on earth did they reveal that Hulk was in the movie and would fight Thor in the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok?!?!? In the movie they were building up to it and kept Hulk out of sight until the very last moment, making it seem like it was supposed to be a big and shocking reveal. So why the heck did they put it in the trailer?! No one knew where Hulk was until the trailer came out! It could have been this huge surprise! But they spoiled it in the trailer!!! Edited January 28, 2019 by Lunamor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsam Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 15 hours ago, Lunamor said: Ok, so I know that this is really late, but there is something that I just really need to vent about. Why on earth did they reveal that Hulk was in the movie and would fight Thor in the trailer?!?!? In the movie they were building up to it and kept Hulk out of sight until the very last moment, making it seem like it was supposed to be a big and shocking reveal. So why the heck did they put it in the trailer?! No one knew where Hulk was until the trailer came out! It could have been this huge surprise! But they spoiled it in the trailer!!! Yeah, this is what finally pushed me to stop watching trailers, at least for Marvel movies. Not because Marvel movies are particularly bad about spoilers (this being a frustrating exception), but if I'm going to see them anyways, I may as well not watch the trailer. I'm not sure it'll work, in practice, as any big reveals will probably get spoiled by memes, or titles of reddit posts, or off-hand mentions in threads like this; but I'm not feeling a great loss in my life by not participating in the huge trailer hype cycle, anyway. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snipexe Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 17 hours ago, Lunamor said: Ok, so I know that this is really late, but there is something that I just really need to vent about. Why on earth did they reveal that Hulk was in the movie and would fight Thor in the trailer?!?!? In the movie they were building up to it and kept Hulk out of sight until the very last moment, making it seem like it was supposed to be a big and shocking reveal. So why the heck did they put it in the trailer?! No one knew where Hulk was until the trailer came out! It could have been this huge surprise! But they spoiled it in the trailer!!! Are you talking about Thor:Ragnarok? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunamor Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) Just now, Snipexe said: Are you talking about Thor:Ragnarok? Oh, sorry! I should probably add what movie I am talking about. And yes, I am. Edited January 28, 2019 by Lunamor 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man moomba Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 21 minutes ago, Snipexe said: Are you talking about Thor:Ragnarok? More like Bore: Ragnarok, am I right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snipexe Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 Just now, Dr. Dapper said: More like Bore: Ragnarok, am I right? No 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man moomba Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 It's a refrence to the YouTube channel CallMeKevin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted January 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 Glass is the newest film by M. Night Shyamalan and is nearly twenty years in the making. This is a movie that I have been looking forward to for a long time. I think Unbreakable is one of the best films ever, and Split was awesome, albeit a bit disturbing. The third entry in this trilogy combines both casts of the films, except for Robin Wright, because she's way too expensive these days (or she just said no). To see Bruce Willis return is great and is made even better because he is actually acting. Samuel L. Jackson doesn't much except sit there for the first hour or so, but once the plot kicks into gear, he's awesome. And of course, James McAvoy just blows it through the roof as "The Horde". In Glass, he plays 21 of his 24 personalities and adds enough to set them apart as different characters. Spencer Treat Clark and Charlayne Woodard return from Unbreakable, and Anya Taylor-Joy returns from Split. They all give great performances, but especially Spencer Treat Clark. His arc in the movie is really good. Do not believe the Rotten Tomatoes percentage for this movie. I encourage everyone to decide for themselves. I really enjoyed the movie, until an event in the third act. After that, it sort of fell apart for me. But overall, I highly recommend you see this movie because it is really good until what happens. SPOILERS: Spoiler As soon as it became apparent that David Dunn was going to die by drowning in a pothole, I kind of checked out. Going into the movie, I knew that both villains were going to die. So I wasn't surprised by their deaths. However, the "police officer" begins to drown David, and then David touches Dr. Staple and discovers the truth about Shyamalan's version of the League of Shadows. I just couldn't buy it. The third act of Glass feels like the end of a different movie. I would have preferred if Mr. Glass and the Horde attacked that building. After that, David finds out about the organization, and another movie could've focused on his battle to reveal them. Then he dies, and the secret is revealed. That would've been fine. But killing off the one we are supposed to be rooting for does not help the movie. David was just getting started, and then goes out like a wimp. I was disappointed, almost angry with that. But I still recommend it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toaster Retribution Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 In Ragnarok, Thor fighting Hulk was known ages before the movie came out. Marvel even showed the Hulks armor at a con. So I don’t think the trailer spoiled anything. The reason for why the movie keeps it a secret is basically so that Thor can be surprised. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunamor Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 9 hours ago, Toaster Retribution said: In Ragnarok, Thor fighting Hulk was known ages before the movie came out. Marvel even showed the Hulks armor at a con. So I don’t think the trailer spoiled anything. The reason for why the movie keeps it a secret is basically so that Thor can be surprised. Oh, I didn’t know that they had revealed it before the trailer. But still. They shouldn’t have revealed it at all in the first place, as it would have worked really well as a big surprise. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Wax Posted January 31, 2019 Report Share Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) On 30/01/2019 at 5:32 AM, Captains Domon said: Do not believe the Rotten Tomatoes percentage for this movie. I encourage everyone to decide for themselves. I had the same issue with Rotten Tomatoes. Reading actual reviews of the reviewers I like, it is nowhere like the rating rotten tomatoes give the movie. Edited January 31, 2019 by Wax 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted February 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2019 Some Brandon characters described by anime themes: Kelsier: Battlecry by Nujabes from Samurai Champloo Szeth-son-son-Vallano: Debilman no Uta by kensuke ushio from Devilman Crybaby Stephen Leeds/Legion: A Cruel Angel's Thesis by Yoko Takahashi from Neon Genesis Evangelion Wayne: Tank! by Yoko Kanno from Cowboy Bebop Waxillium Ladrian: Rain by Yoko Kanno from Cowboy Bebop Vivenna: Styx Helix by Myth & Roid from Re:Zero Bridge Four: Guren no Yumiya by Linked Horizon from Attack on Titan Vasher and Nightblood: the WORLD by Nightmare from Death Note Hoid: Space Lion by Yoko Kanno from Cowboy Bebop 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Wax Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 I can recommend Instant Family if you are into inoffensive comedies that everyone can watch.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted February 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2019 Things that Made Me Happy About the Oscars: Spike Lee winning his first competitive Oscar and Samuel L. Jackson's enthusiasm in announcing and awarding him. Olivia Colman's acceptance speech for winning Best Actress. Rami Malek's win and acceptance speech. Guillermo del Toro presenting Best Director to his close friend, Alfonso Cuaron. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse winning Best Animated Feature. First Man winning Best Visual Effects. Mirai being nominated for Best Animated Feature. No cringy host this year. Thank all things holy. Things that Made Me Angry (or Cringe) About the Oscars: Bohemian Rhapsody winning all the Editing awards. The fact that Mission: Impossible-Fallout was not nominated for anything. Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler presenting Best Supporting Actress. Black Panther winning Best Original Score. The Favourite only won 1 Oscar out of the ten nominations it received. Won't You Be My Neighbor? was snubbed by the Academy for Best Documentary. Black Panther winning 3 Oscars. Bohemian Rhapsody led the ceremony with 4 Oscars. (What??) Serena Williams presenting A Star Is Born. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted March 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 On 5/22/2017 at 0:13 PM, maxal said: pretty much Jean-Claude Van Dam entire filmography. A little defence against my boi Jean-Claude, I do like Hard Target and Timecop, but yeah the rest of his movies are pretty unbearable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted July 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2021 Hello, everyone. (If anyone cares) Some years ago now, a friend of mine and I created a hive mind account for this forum titled "Captains Domon". We had a lot of fun discussing various Sanderson topics and other things with all of you. Then we both graduated and went our separate ways for a while. Now one of us has returned to manage the account. I'm excited to get back into the Cosmere after a two-year absence (I have not read Rhythm of War yet and I highly anticipate it) and I'm glad for the next step! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted September 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2021 Free Guy is a movie in theaters now and it was fine. I found it funny that one of the screenwriters, Zak Penn, also helped write Ready Player One, a movie that is essentially a worse version of this. Free Guy wisely does not try to take itself very seriously and its humor is especially funny. I would say that is the strongest thing about this movie. Ryan Reynolds is delightful as always and a lot of the best jokes are either his or involve him. Jodie Comer is also very good in the movie and I hope this means she'll be in more movies now and not just Killing Eve. Taika Waititi didn't feel very genuine to me and unfortunately, he is not very funny nor threatening as the villain. There are also a lot of cameos in this movie and some of them work and some of them don't. Tina Fey and Channing Tatum have absolutely hilarious cameos. But several YouTubers and streamers like Jacksepticeye, Pokimane and Ninja appear in the film and they were all super distracting. And they weren't very entertaining either. It's a fun movie to watch with friends and it's very entertaining overall. It's no masterpiece but it's pretty good for what it is. 7/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbondsmith Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 22 hours ago, Modal Seoul said: Free Guy is a movie in theaters now and it was fine. I found it funny that one of the screenwriters, Zak Penn, also helped write Ready Player One, a movie that is essentially a worse version of this. Free Guy wisely does not try to take itself very seriously and its humor is especially funny. I would say that is the strongest thing about this movie. Ryan Reynolds is delightful as always and a lot of the best jokes are either his or involve him. Jodie Comer is also very good in the movie and I hope this means she'll be in more movies now and not just Killing Eve. Taika Waititi didn't feel very genuine to me and unfortunately, he is not very funny nor threatening as the villain. There are also a lot of cameos in this movie and some of them work and some of them don't. Tina Fey and Channing Tatum have absolutely hilarious cameos. But several YouTubers and streamers like Jacksepticeye, Pokimane and Ninja appear in the film and they were all super distracting. And they weren't very entertaining either. It's a fun movie to watch with friends and it's very entertaining overall. It's no masterpiece but it's pretty good for what it is. 7/10 I felt having gaming streamers as cameos made more sense than having famous actors, considering it's a movie about a video game. I didn't know any of them, but it made sense. Spoiler I did feel like they didn't put as much emphasis on the 'first artificial intelligence' part of the movie as they could have done, but that may have pushed it into being more of a drama than it meant to be. I spent the climax thinking 'is no-one going to bring up that Antwan is going to murder the first digital lifeform in existence?' 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted September 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2021 When it comes to Marvel movies, I've developed a critical eye for them because most of them follow a standard formula. Most of them have a weak villain. And they don't have anything of significance to say about the world around us. So when I say Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the best Marvel movies in years, I don't say that lightly. I think Shang-Chi succeeds where Black Panther falters. It's not bogged down by its existence in the MCU, its themes and message are clearly developed and shown and all of the characters have some sort of importance to the story. I wasn't sure how I felt about this movie leading up to its release. I think I was afraid it would be another misstep like the aforementioned Black Panther or Captain Marvel, movies that Marvel insisted were going to be culturally significant but were held back by the Marvel formula. Shang-Chi proves that Marvel needs to give more creative freedom to its creators like Destin Daniel Cretton, who was obviously given a lot of freedom to tell the story he wanted. This film feels more like a Chinese martial arts film that is given a Marvel twist rather than a Marvel film given an Asian twist. The fights are extremely well-choreographed and well shot, making them look great to watch. The visuals are also very good, and there are some shots that look amazing. You can tell a lot of care went into this production and a lot of care went into the story as well. Every major character in this movie has something to do and a great character arc to match it. Every one of them is relatable. Simu Liu puts a lot of energy into his performance, which is also helped immensely by the fact that he did most of his own stunts and fights. Tony Leung is great as Wenwu (or the Mandarin, but even the characters in the movie don't call him that) and I would hesitate to even call him the antagonist because he is much more complex. Meng'er Zhang also is great as Xialing, Shang-Chi's sister. I think I enjoyed her arc the most in the movie. The biggest risk in this movie is Awkwafina. She's a great comedian but she's given a lot of the overbearing Marvel humor, which makes her character seem less interesting. But being an Asian-American myself, I related a lot to her position and her struggle in life. I think her arc is a great message for Asian-Americans but the film should have put more emphasis on it rather than the humor. She does have some funny lines, but they could have toned it down. The only other issue I have is the amount of exposition in the film. Because Shang-Chi is introducing a new world and part of this universe, there's a lot of explaining that it has to do. Fortunately, a lot of information is presented in a good way, but there are just a couple of scenes that could have used some work. If you like movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, chances are you'll like this film. It has a lot to appreciate and a lot that Hollywood can learn from. It is a wonderful representation of Asian culture (a good 30-40 minutes in total is completely spoken in Mandarin) and has many things that can entertain international audiences. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gets a 9/10 from me and you should go watch it in a theater, on the biggest screen you can. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted March 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2022 The Batman was a film that I anticipated for a long time, ever since that first trailer. And I must say, it lived up to my expectations. Matt Reeves is one of the most consistent directors working today and he was a great choice to direct the movie because he just knows how to make one properly. There is a lot of in-camera action and movement, the special effects and CGI are used as supplements rather than crutches and the action sequences are well-choreographed. Robert Pattinson is terrific as Batman, so quit trash-talking him. Twilight was forever ago and I'm just more surprised that people keep talking about it. Pattinson brings a lot of emotion to Batman from just the way he looks, moves and reacts to things. While I would have liked to see just a little more of him as Bruce Wayne, this is understandably a Batman movie and it knows that. If you still don't like him after this... I don't know what to tell you, maybe just don't watch any Batman movies for a while. The rest of the cast brings amazing performances to the table as well. Zoe Kravitz is wonderfully mysterious and coy as Catwoman, Paul Dano is intimidating and terrific as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright plays the best Gordon ever (yeah, it's true), Andy Serkis brings a soulful and somber Alfred into the light and Colin Farrell completely vanishes behind prosthetics and voice to become the Penguin. You won't even remember that's him until the credits. This was a real, genuine movie from beginning to end. And hopefully Hollywood will take notes, because The Batman is the kind of movie I want to see more of. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Wax Posted March 17, 2022 Report Share Posted March 17, 2022 So interesting, no one posted here in 2020 or the first half of 2021. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbondsmith Posted April 30, 2022 Report Share Posted April 30, 2022 On 3/18/2022 at 1:42 AM, Wax said: So interesting, no one posted here in 2020 or the first half of 2021. Well, if I can do it retrospectively for stuff I played: Prey (2017) a worthy comrade of the Bioshock games, and arguably did a better job of achieving some of its goals. I find myself wishing I could live in Rapture, Columbia or Talos 1, before I remember the horrible things that happen during the games and underpin the whole community from the start. Spoiler Its deconstruction of the idea of gaming doesn't stop working after the reveal, and I liked the fact that my superpowered character isn't defeated by a waist high wall The Dishonored series is great, and I would say it definitely did a better job of achieving the goals of the Last of Us Part 2. Spoiler If I'm meant to be lectured about how bad violence and revenge are, give me an option to choose otherwise. I think I first played Horizon Zero Dawn during early 2021, when Playstation gave it out for free. It cemented itself as one of my favourite games, and I've easily put over 100 hours into it (to be fair, a lot of that is repeatedly dying against bosses while under-equipped or searching for collectables). I love the lore and the writing, but the facial animation really needed work. I'd heard the Guerilla was a European developer and I thought the lips were out of sync etc because they were being dubbed into English, but I'm pretty sure it started as an English-language game, and the faces were incredibly wooden anyway. Fortunately, they worked towards fixing the issue in the DLC and sequel. Spoiler Also, I would love to see a tv series of the Old Ones, except that it's a complete secret that it's a Horizon prequel and a season finale is the unleashing of the Faro plague (maybe the penultimate season, then the final season is all about Zero Dawn/Enduring Victory? More of a general thing, but is anyone else frustrated by the camerawork in a lot of modern internet-based TV? I first noticed it in the Witcher Season 1, where someone's eyes can be in focus but their hairline is blurry as hell. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modal Seoul Posted March 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2023 Howl’s Moving Castle has always been a Ghibli film that I appreciated but I could never understand why so many people love it. While there is plenty to admire about the film, there is also plenty of elements that make it a disjointed and confusing experience. I’m going to alternate between positives and negatives. The other times I’ve watched this movie, I’ve never found Sophie to be an interesting character. She felt empty and emotionless and her old self felt completely different. But now that I actually pay attention to dialogue, her arc is so much more relatable and sweet. Growing out of her insecurities feels very natural and the fantasy element is a very strong motivation for her progression. After all this time, I can say with confidence that she is a very good protagonist. Howl, unfortunately, does not receive the same level of attention. His personality feels as bland and pale as his complexion. Many of his relationships with the other characters are left to interpretation, as well as his motives. Out of nowhere, he has a tantrum about his looks. It felt extremely abrupt. Princess Mononoke does an excellent job of developing both sides of its romance but Howl’s severely struggles to establish and maintain it. In the end, it feels like Sophie puts in all the effort for it. It’s not very fulfilling. The animation in this movie is gorgeous. While Miyazaki’s previous work in Spirited Away is more memorable, Howl’s Moving Castle certainly displays its merits. The European-inspired designs are very aesthetically pleasing, and Howl’s castle is an impressive example of steampunk style. You can always find beauty in a Ghibli movie. My other major issue with this film is the anti-war subplot. It feels ham fisted and random. In context, the war is started and ended for flimsy reasons. Who cursed the prince to be a turnip scarecrow? Why? If the king is actually disregarding the lives of his citizens, why is he running the country? What relevance does Madame Suliman have? There are so many questions and none of them are answered. A lot of this is pertinent information that should be given to the audience. The reveal of the prince’s identity at the end of the movie has massive “Somehow, Palpatine returned” vibes. I deeply respect Miyazaki, but maybe he should have let Takahata do this. He has a good sense of what an anti-war film is. And it is never subtle either. The war is always called “dumb”, “idiotic” and “pointless”. I have hands. I can eat this pie myself, thank you very much. Joe Hisaishi’s score is excellent as always, and might be one of his best. It’s hard to decide, since he has never made a bad score, but this one definitely stands out in a very different way, which is a good thing. In the end, rewatching this made me understand the appeal. I see it now. I appreciate it. But I personally would pick four or five other Ghibli movies to watch before I picked this one up again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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