What was the last movie you watched?

[ManUnderMask]

So far the only ones I think are weak are Thor 2 and Iron Man 3.

I thought Iron Man 3 was awesome, but I agree with Thor 2 being a little weak. I thought the scope was too small. Still a great movie, and I enjoyed it a lot, but could have been better.

[Quantum Vagina]

Iron Man 2 and Thor 2 are my picks for the weakest Marvel Films. Iron Man 2 is just kind of bland to me, and has the second act meander that is really boring and unengaging. Thor 2, on the other hand, is weak to me because I feel there was a LOT that was left on the cutting room floor to chop it down to action movie run time. I really want there to be a director's cut of it, because I think seeing the stuff that was cut out would give the stuff that WAS there a lot more weight.

I don't remember why DG thinks IM3 was mediocre. I thought it was by far the best of the solo Iron Man films. I think it added a TON of depth to Tony Stark as a character, as well as having one of the best plot twists I think I've seen. It was interesting, fun, and above all, entertained me throughout.

Captain America: First Avenger was my favorite pre-Avengers film. I thought pretty much everything in it was note perfect. I think Steve Rogers is an incredibly compelling character. I thought the Red Skull having a backstory that he was too evil for the NAZIS was awesome. I'd never liked Captain America before that movie. A dude wearing a flag as his uniform? Sounds incredibly stupid to me. Chris Evans was perfectly cast to portray Steve Rogers, though. I mean, if you look at every other character in the Marvel Universe, they've all got some reason they're the way they are. Tony Stark is a diva with an unlimited bank account. Spider-Man gets royally screwed by everything all the time(except that one time he made a deal with the devil that TOTALLY was in his favor). Steve Rogers? He's just an incredibly good human being. The line that always gets me is when Erskine asks him if he wants to kill Nazis, and his reply is that "I don't want to kill anybody. I just don't like bullies." Something fun about Marvel comics is that NO MATTER WHAT, Captain America is ALWAYS on the "good" side. Doesn't matter if he starts out on the bad side and there's not really another option. His joining a side always ends up showing that it's the good side.

I haven't seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but everything I've seen about it makes me really want to. Complete change in tone, from what I understand, to all the other Marvel movies to date, especially FA, which is awesome. I love that Marvel continually takes risks with their property, knowing that it's going to make a gajillion dollars on the name alone. I wish DC would do that rather than shove everything into a Superman sequel to a movie that WASN'T ANY GOOD. Give the Man of Steel time to get his character sorted and established before throwing everything together! UGH /rant

[mrbasehart]

I saw Frozen.  I thought it was lovely, but I think that maybe I still prefer Tangled.  I think I'll watch both a bunch to find out.

I also saw the ULTIMATE DIRECTORS CUT of Watchmen.  Terrific opening credits sequence, but after the fiftieth music montage, I was getting a little tired of its style. 

[BathTub]

I also saw the ULTIMATE DIRECTORS CUT of Watchmen.  Terrific opening credits sequence, but after the fiftieth music montage, I was getting a little tired of its style. 

I want to see it but it doesn't appear to have been released in NZ. Pretty annoying.

[Darth Geek]

Really enjoyed Captain America 2. Especially that in a more complex time they made his Boy Scout attitude a plus and not treat it like a weakness.
I do think the movie felt a little long. But I think a lot of that is because the middle action sequence, the fight with Winter Soldier on the highway, was by far the best and felt like it should have been the finale yet the movie kept going.

[lassieface]

I also saw Winter Soldier. Really loved it. It was one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen. It just hit all of its beats perfectly. The fight scenes were intense and well choreographed. You really felt the weight of every punch. It had some genuinely funny comic relief. Only Thor 2 did that better in my opinion. And the story was strong too. I liked that it had a real conspiracy theory vibe and totally parallel the NSA/national security fiasco currently happening. Also, Marvel managed to make a compelling villain out of the Winter Soldier...because they tend to be pretty weak in the villain department.

[Relaxing Dragon]

I also saw Winter Soldier. Really loved it. It was one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen. It just hit all of its beats perfectly. The fight scenes were intense and well choreographed. You really felt the weight of every punch. It had some genuinely funny comic relief. Only Thor 2 did that better in my opinion. And the story was strong too. I liked that it had a real conspiracy theory vibe and totally parallel the NSA/national security fiasco currently happening. Also, Marvel managed to make a compelling villain out of the Winter Soldier...because they tend to be pretty weak in the villain department.

This is pretty much how I feel. While the first Captain America was much more character oriented (to the point that the rest of the movie felt somewhat weak around it), this one hit all the right notes. The characters were great, the action was top-notch, and it actually manages to pull in a few major shake-ups for the Marvel universe. I really want to see it again, just to try and catch more little things I might've missed the first time around (Dr. Strange reference anyone?).

Since we're all ranking Marvel movies, I put this one in my Top 3 with Iron Man and The Avengers, with those three just ahead of my Middle 3 of Iron Man 3, Captain America 1, and Thor 2.

[wurwolf]

(Dr. Strange reference anyone?).

My husband cackled with glee at that. He had to explain it to me.

Add me to the list of folks who thoroughly enjoyed The Winter Soldier. The Cap is my favorite of the Avengers so I went into this movie with high hopes and was not disappointed. The reveals were fun and surprising (although I did already know who the Winter Soldier really was because I live with a comic book nerd).

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The reveal in the bunker in New Jersey should have been, in hindsight, obvious, but it took both my husband and me by surprise and was our favorite part of the movie.

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Also, at one point there is a scene where Natasha, Nick Fury, Steve, Falcon and Colbie Smulders (don't remember her character name, and she was far less annoying to me in this movie than in others, though) were in a room discussing their next moves. I got  little thrill out of the fact that I was watching a movie where two black men, two women and a white man were hashing out plans, all of them on the same field, each of them respected for their own contributions and opinions. Even though Steve wound up leading the team at the end of the discussion, it still felt right to see that.

The romance angle was handled really well, I thought. Natasha suggesting chicks for Steve was cute and good-natured, and we got closure on the whole thing with Peggy Carter. Loved that, but also glad it was kept to a minimum.

My only complaint was that the fight scenes were filmed too tightly. There were a lot of times that I couldn't tell what was going on because everything was too close and jerky. Which is a shame, because the fight scenes are my favorite parts of these superhero movies.

But for the most part we loved it and found it super enjoyable. It's a great start to the 2014 movie season.

[Johnny Unusual]

Saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier yesterday.  Quite good and I think a great example of how adaptable the Marvel Universe is.  Cap has been on 3 big screen adventures and none have felt like the others but it still feels consistent with the character and the world of the Marvel Universe.  The part I was least interested in was the Winter Soldier himself, but those fight scenes with him are pretty well done.  Looking forward to Gaurdians of the Galaxy next.

Oh and...

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Anyone think in the last coda with Bucky that it should have been revealed that he either had a big gulp or a box of jube jubes that he could eat/drink dramatically.

[doggans]

Watched "Friends with Kids" on Netflix, a cute indie romantic dramedy. Never laugh-out-loud hilarious, but it has a killer comedic cast, including Adam Scott in the lead, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and a surprisingly decent turn from Megan Fox. Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but worth a watch if you like the cast.

[MightyJack]

Though I do try to hide most there might be some SPOILERISH material within...

Nebraska (2013) Tomatometer: 8.0 – 92%
This is one of Alexander Payne’s road pictures, a kin to my favorite from the writer/director (About Schmidt). Several Paynian elements are present; you have the theme of family legacies. There’s a person at a crossroads, or in this case, near the end off their life. There are the awkward situations, as well as the banal and the uncomfortable ones (family and friends can be greedy, even reprehensible). There’s a healthy dose of black humor, but also some genuine moments of warmth. The journey Payne’s characters are on can get pretty rough, but eventually they reach a moment of zen… with Nebraska it’s a final moment of personal dignity restored.

So yeah, this isn’t breaking new ground, but that doesn’t change the fact that it still makes for a hell of film. Interestingly, as much as this feels like Payne and Taylor wrote it, they didn’t. Bob Nelson is the screenwriter, and the dialog is razor sharp, bitingly funny but also thoughtful (I love the bit near the end

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when a woman asks if his father has Alzheimer’s, he says “No, he just believes what people tell him.” And the woman responds, “Oh, that’s too bad”. Film quote of the year, there)

Performances are all amazing, especially Bruce Dern. I also admired the score and the B&W cinematography.

I’ve liked, but not been overwhelmed by Oscars best picture nominees this past year. Thankfully this one met and exceeded expectations. Alexander Payne hasn’t disappointed me yet.  (At least while he’s wearing his director’s hat)

Blacanieves (2012) Tomatometer: 7.8 – 94%
Spanish spin on Snow White… and the 7 dwarf bullfighters? Done as a silent, with gorgeous B&W photography and imaginative direction. The story is fanciful, heartfelt and sad. Aside from the bits with a pet chicken (which came off a bit too goofy) the film was engaging start to finish. I was completely enthralled.   

The Hunt (Jagten 2012) – Tomatometer: 7.9 – 93%
Devastating Dutch film about a Schoolteacher accused of molesting several children. Mads Mikkelsen is wonderful -- giving a rather understated performance, as he almost seems in a trance, unbelieving that everyone, even his dearest friends, could turn on him.

The “one year later” coda brought a ‘too abrupt’ change in fortune… I would have rather seen how this played out on screen. How did they go from where they were from point A to point B. But other than that, this was a gut wrenching film experience. It ran me through an emotional wringer.

Blue Jasmine (2013) – Tomatometer: 8.0 - 91%
Watched it again and it strikes me that Allen took elements from Streetcar Named Desire and retooled it. Blanchette’s Jasmine has some Blanche DuBois in her: She’s damaged, lost in her own world, putting on airs… And Cate is brilliant -- the way her fractured mind shifts from one thing to another: At times tragically sad and fragile, and at others irritatingly self-absorbed and meddling. The actress displays a deft comedic hand, and frequently cracked me up, especially in those moments when she suddenly becomes self-aware (and Allen gifts her with some killer dialog). The lies people tell to others and to themselves, is a constant theme, and the ending had me empathizing for someone who really wasn’t very pleasant...

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There’s no one to catch her fall, no ‘kindness of strangers’ to rely upon. As heartbreaking as Streetcar was, Woody doesn’t grant us even the small comfort of knowing that Jasmine will be cared for by someone, somewhere.

[BathTub]

Veronica Mars

Well that was a huge helping of fan service, as expected of course. But I probably shouldn't have binge watched the tv show and then immediately watched the movie, the transition was super jarring, you don't expect people to change that much but wow they really did. I don't understand why they made Veronica look like she was 45 years old though, I guess it was pregnancy related. It was fun to see 99% of the cast back, I think only 1 person was actually replaced. And given how liberally Rob Thomas

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killed off characters

there was genuine tension as to the outcome.

Now onto the audiobook!

[BathTub]

Ghostrider 2, or Nick Cage's European Vacation.

This wasn't a serious movie was it? I think this is exactly the sort of performance people had in mind when they coined the term self parody.

[Relaxing Dragon]

The Raid. Somehow, despite me watching it far too often over a short period of time back when it was released, this movie still retains all its incredible energy. The stripped-down narrative still flows great, the simplistic characters still draw us in after only a scene or two, and the fight scenes are still the outstanding mix of choreography, camerawork, and editing that make them among the best of the genre. This time I mixed things up a bit by watching the movie with the original Indonesian score. It was much more dour than the US score, and tries to make the movie a bit more of a thriller. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't seem to fit, so overall I'd say I prefer the new version. A small nitpick, though, since in the end it's still the same amazing action movie that it's always been.

The Raid 2. Pretty much take all the praise in my above blurb and multiply it by ten for this one. Seriously, this totally floored me in every way. Unlike the first movie's totally raw and simple plot structure, this one opts for a grand crime saga, complete with gangster family struggles, multiple sides playing against each other from differing angles, and our main character from the first movie being tossed down a very dark rabbit hole. Admittedly the film gets a bit too twisty at times, and it can be tough to keep track of all the various motivations, but it's still very well done. That is to say, it would still work a solid crime movie on its own, and isn't just a case of plot padding tossed in to space out the fight scenes.

Not that that would really be an issue, though, given the quality of the fight scenes. Because... well, there's really no non-hyperbolic way to describe them. They are, without a doubt, some of the most exciting, hardest-hitting, cringe-inducing martial arts fight scenes ever committed to film. Each one takes on a new approach to how the fight goes down, whether it be a group brawl (in a tight space or a wide open one), intimate affairs with different kinds of weapons, a super crazy car chase with fighting going on in individual cars on top of the actual chasing, and even more. It's all pretty nuts at times, and it keeps your eyes glued to the screen with some seriously intense hits. And by intense, I mean straight-up gruesome at times. The violence and gore levels of this movie are considerably higher than the previous film, to the point of being comparable to the likes of I Saw the Devil. It actually might be a bit much for some folks to sit through, but I was enraptured the whole time, because I'm a sick fellow like that.

So, it's every bit as amazing as we all hoped it would be, and then some, to the point of being one of the most jaw-dropping action movies I've ever seen. I'm dying to watch it again with a fresh crowd, because the reactions alone are worth the price of admission. For those of you who want a taste, have this deleted (for pacing reasons only) scene featuring a lot of guys shooting up a lot of other guys: http://vimeo.com/90092972

[MightyJack]

Wadjda (2012) 
This is the first film entirely shot in Saudi Arabia, not only that but the director is a female. Which is significant when you consider the overall message of the picture. It's about a free spirited little girl with a dream and the roadblocks that stand in her way. Throughout the story, we are constantly reminded how women are marginalized (their names are not even allowed on the family tree). In the end though, it's suggested that change is possible. And considering that the movie even exists, and who it was directed by, that's certainly fitting message.

Its pacing is measured, the script intelligent -- it has a good heart. And it features an assured performance from Waad Mohammed in her first feature.