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[quote=""Olorin""]I guess my issue with Pacific Rim is that my e xp ectations were too high, because it was coming from Guillermo del Toro. Bear in mind, my e xp erience with him is limited to the two HellBoy movies, but I thought they were great. I didn't think Pacific Rim hit that level and was, alas, only a popcorn movie.

And I don't eat theater popcorn.[/quote]

lol... I don't eat popcorn in the theatre either, though my wife loves it and can't have a movie outing without at least some. Now with the popcorn lung thing though, I wonder how bad it is. :huh:

Yeah, Pacific Rim wasn't exactly a movie that made you leave the theatre with deep philosophical or existential questions on your mind, and yes, coming from del Toro, one would e xp ect something a little more refined and groundbreaking. However, he can and does deliver fun movies, and this one did not really aspire to be anything more than. Definitely not a Pan's Labyrinth type of flick. One has to wonder where At the Mountains of Madness will fall in the spectrum of what he puts out.
This Space for Rent

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I just finished Pacific Rim for the first time, credits are still rolling. I agree with Olorin, I e xp ected bigger but it was very corny and filled with stereotypes. It wasn't terrible, monsters fighting robots is cool. But the character development and basis was chessy. Good for what it was I guess, it was fun.

I'm curious as to what Nerdanel's scientific quips are with Godzilla, I missed that discussion.
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

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[quote=""Fingolfin""]I'm curious as to what Nerdanel's scientific quips are with Godzilla, I missed that discussion.[/quote]

She posted them in the tv thread for whatever reason, and a discussion ensued, also involving Pacific Rim. I'm about to merge those posts into this thread so they will mesh into the correct topic.

Edit: and done. Just scroll up on this page to catch up.
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This Space for Rent

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[quote=""Valkrist""]lol... I don't eat popcorn in the theatre either, though my wife loves it and can't have a movie outing without at least some. Now with the popcorn lung thing though, I wonder how bad it is. :huh:

Yeah, Pacific Rim wasn't exactly a movie that made you leave the theatre with deep philosophical or existential questions on your mind, and yes, coming from del Toro, one would e xp ect something a little more refined and groundbreaking. However, he can and does deliver fun movies, and this one did not really aspire to be anything more than. Definitely not a Pan's Labyrinth type of flick. One has to wonder where At the Mountains of Madness will fall in the spectrum of what he puts out.[/quote]

Popcorn lung thing? If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, I think that only applies to microwave popcorn.

I doubt del Toro will ever make At the Mountains of Madness. He was at an impasse with Universal...they wouldn't give him the kind of money he was asking for unless he guaranteed a PG-13 rating, which he wouldn't do because he felt it would eviscerate the movie or at least tie his hands. Later on, he said it could now never be made because he felt it would be deemed too similar to Prometheus.

That said, I would totally hope and e xp ect it to be at the Pan's Labyrinth end of the spectrum (oh yeah, I've seen that one too, now that I remember!). Anything less would be an injustice.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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[quote=""Valkrist""]She posted them in the tv thread for whatever reason, and a discussion ensued, also involving Pacific Rim. I'm about to merge those posts into this thread so they will mesh into the correct topic.

Edit: and done. Just scroll up on this page to catch up.[/quote]

Thanks Val. I didn't know this thread existed, I only posted in "What are you watching?" because Godzilla was what I was watching. :)

[quote=""Fingolfin""]I just finished Pacific Rim for the first time, credits are still rolling. I agree with Olorin, I e xp ected bigger but it was very corny and filled with stereotypes. It wasn't terrible, monsters fighting robots is cool. But the character development and basis was chessy. Good for what it was I guess, it was fun.

I'm curious as to what Nerdanel's scientific quips are with Godzilla, I missed that discussion.[/quote]

I know there was that unpopular astrophysicist who went on a twitter rant about the problems with the film Gravity. I absolutely loved that movie, and he (can't think of his name at the moment) pretty much came across like a pompous jerk. So it's never my intent to sound like that, and that's why I didn't get specific. If you are curious about the things that bothered me about the film, I will black them out below so no one has to read them if they don't want to. :|

Just a few minutes into the film, we get the classic time lapse error, "Oh no something really fast is coming towards me!" Camera cuts away. "Oh no something really fast is still coming towards me!" Camera cuts away. "Oh no something really fast is still coming towards me...hasn't caught up with me yet????" Nitpicky, but only a few minutes into the film and with all the other mistakes? I was enjoying the film but as the mistakes and predictable nature of the film continued, it became harder and harder to ignore it.

And, this was really the first time I'd seen a Godzilla film - I went to see it because of the rave reviews. So if this is how they e xp lain the biology of these organisms in every Godzilla film, now I know. And note, I watched the film a week ago now, so things might be a bit fuzzy.

The whole premise of these creatures was a little silly to me. I liked that they address competition of resources between predators. That does happen, though I doubt they'd be bothered to cross oceans to compete.

For Godzilla's biology, there's no known biological material that could support that much mass without collapsing under it's own weight. Godzilla is supposedly 355 ft tall. The largest known theropod (bipedal dinosaur) is the Spinosaurus (estimated 40-60 ft). The well-known T. rex is only 40 ft tall. And these both lived a generous 120 to 60 million years ago. Organisms and biological materials don't hold up well over time. That's why they're all fossils now, and why we don't have DNA for dinosaurs (sorry Jurassic Park, it just decays too quickly).

I'm not aware of any deep-sea reptiles, past or present, if that is indeed where Godzilla has been hiding out all these years. And what exactly is an animal that large eating in the deep sea? And even if he is finding food, are we supposed to believe he's really survived millions of years and multiple mass extinction events?

I'm not sure what the "radiation" breath is supposed to be. Not biologically based at all. And his eyes look distinctly mammalian to me, not reptilian.

For the MUTOs, I think it gets worse. I have absolutely no idea what they are based on. It looks like art and design departments had way to much fun blending animals together (bat + gorilla + insect + spider). None of these features/traits/characteristics should be present in the same organism. And males have 6 limbs and females have 8 limbs (6 walking legs + 2 wings)? What on earth are those glowing red eyes based on? And female insects would carry eggs and pupae, not mammalian embryos.

Then the cross over to plot holes. Just because an animal has adapted to survive increased levels of radiation, it does not mean they actively seek out radiation nor consume radioactive materials! And if a MUTO crosses the entire Pacific to seek out more radioactive material, you mean to tell me it conveniently only consumes one warhead and leaves the other to safely transport to San Francisco? It has wantonly destroyed everything for the past hour and a half for a radioactive snack. And you knowingly store a "spore" right next to all your radioactive waste?

On the subject of warheads, the bomb has a blast radius of 20 miles. They drive that boat for a few minutes (the blast is very close to the camera, maybe a quarter- or half-mile tops) and yet everyone (including the city SF) is fine?

I thought the fight scenes were poorly done. We wait 2 hours to see the giants clash, and they cut away just as they are starting to dance? They repeatedly destroyed and redestroyed the same buildings in San Francisco. (Wasn't that building down a second ago? Nope, it's back up again!) When Godzilla lands in Hawaii, he causes a huge tsunami. No tsunami in SF? And his exit was sadly predictable. He lies there awhile (how long, hours, days?) and then walks back into the sea?

There were other things I didn't like. Back at the Brody's house, everything is in shambles, and a taped birthday sign from 20 years ago is still there? I wasn't buying the tug at the heartstrings. Poor Davis Strathairn. Why does he always end up playing the unlikable, predictable military/intelligence officer who makes a bad decision because he can't listen to the advice of others?


Okay, okay I'll be done and I [think I can] promise to never do this for a movie again. I also promise I did not list everything, there were plenty of other problems with this movie. I was just SO letdown by it, I don't think it deserves the ratings it's getting.

[quote=""Valkrist""]As for X-Men, I can hardly wait. [/quote]

I can hardly wait either, I am SO excited for this movie. I really hope it delivers! :crazy:

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Nerdanel, I agree with a lot of what you are saying, however much of what you say is true about many movies in general nowadays. Hollywood does have some goofs/errors/situations that they just can't seem to grasp or do away with (ex. outrunning radioactive contamination down an infinitely long corridor, or a simple time vs distance traveled equation). However, as much as 'Godzilla' is just a monster movie, the original was that and much more. It was actually developed last minute at demand from the studio, but at the time also became a symbol for nuclear holocaust. Much of the film draws parallels to the real world and events that took place; Bikini Atoll, US Castle Bravo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The monster's attack on the city was made to symbolize a nuclear attack; just slower, yet equally unavoidable once it happens. Now this doesn't excuse some of the plot holes or 'Keanu Reeves-style blank-stare-acting' but it hopefully gives you a little insight on the origin of the franchise, and where some of the concepts came from.

I personally enjoyed the new Godzilla, but I am also slightly biased as I have a bit of nostalgia for the originals and am a fan of the genre. Could it have been better? Of course, they should have called me when they were looking for a director; but I still enjoyed watching it.
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

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I can barely stand the wait to see X-Men, I think I am gonna go Sunday Morning, early bird feature... cheaper with all the old people :) .

I WANT to love this movie so much, but I know when it comes to Marvel movies, I turn into Val against JJ Abrams' Star Trek, meaning that I will find every flaw, etc. For instance, I thought the interpretation of the Phoenix in XMen The Last Stand was a travesty, what is so hard about Phoenix being an alien being that hid Jean Grey's body in a cocoon in the ocean and took her form, not a split personality of Jean herself??? The Animated Series got it pretty good! I am hoping for something as satisfying for DoFP as the animated series gave me back in the 90s. I am also hoping that Marvel will have heard my prayers and tease Mr Sinister being in the Age of Apocalypse movie :)

and I LOVE movie theater (yes, down here in Texas the E comes BEFORE the R ) popcorn, but since my weight loss I tend to not get it everytime, maybe every few trips to the movies I will splurge (that and I am cheap and thats just extra money I am spending)
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The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Lol I like my popcorn home-popped, plain white, nothing on it. Or drenched in caramel. ;) But you can't get either of those things at a movie theater, so I only get it for my girlfriend if I have a gift card or free voucher. :crazy:

THIS IS GOING TO BE FILLED WITH SPOILERS. You have been warned!


Nerdanel, I won't comment on everything you said, and while I do value your opinion as (I presume) someone who works or has knowledge of science, someone like me who studies human interactions and stories instead of science and math finds value in most of the things you disliked. :P


Godzilla's name roughly translates into two words meaning "gorilla" and "whale", so comparing him to any actual living creature and e xp ecting it to hold up is slightly silly. He basically is a mix of reptile, mammal, and fish (a real big one!), so that's where you get the design elements that you noticed from.

They do in fact consume radioactive materials. I'm fairly certain that was e xp lained, and that was again (I think) a call back to the original Godzilla. He consumes radioactive materials and his breathe is nuclear. All call backs to the classic film and it's storytelling elements. If they had changed everything, all the film fans would be tearing it to pieces, so I guess they can't win either way. But the premise is that Zilla lived during an ancient time when earth was more radioactive, and that's why they fed off of it.

Similarly, this was the reason for "sporing" one within the old reactors. It cleared out all of the radiation in the environment for them, and even if they wanted to kill it, they'd risk all of that radiation seeping out into the environment and toxing everyone within several hundreds of miles. This was used as a storytelling element to show us how some of our most powerful creations, like the harnessing of nuclear energy, can harm us; humans do not have total control of our environment and we are not bullet proof. That's part of the point of Godzilla, is to humble us and remind us that we're only one species on one planet out of millions.

Also, that nuclear warhead didn't come from Hawaii. It came across land, transported on the train from the inland. That's why it was on its way via train, not via ship.

I did not think that the exit was predictable. But, maybe I'm very gullible. I genuinely thought he was going to die when the sky scraper went down on him. And then he got up, finished the job, and fell again. I really, seriously believed that he was dead that time. I thought that was the tie up, all three monsters are down, the only monster left to remove being the one we created, the warhead. So I was really pleasantly surprised when Godzilla got up, roared, and left them in peace. I guess I'm just a massive sucker for a cinematic ending. :|

That whole fight scene was supposed to draw parallels between the monster characters and the human characters. I think this was in an effort to again show that we are not masters of the world but just a part in it. There's a connection, and some vendettas, between Godzilla, MUTOS, and the main character, which I really liked. Ford has a beef with the male MUTO because it killed his parents. He gets his revenge by killing its family: he burns the nest to hell and back. That is why, in my opinion, I think the sacs were filled with embryos. They wanted you to SEE her "babies". They wanted you to have one tiny, little tinge of feels for the female MUTO when he blasted them all into flames, getting his personal revenge for the loss of his parents. That, and, you know, saving the world from hundreds of MUTO spawn flying around everywhere.

There's a beef between these two. She comes to get him personally, and she's about to get him when BAM, Godzilla saves him. So now there's a connection between Godzilla and Ford. They share that quick look of empathy when Godzilla goes down, and you realize that, while he's unpredictable, he's not out to kill humans. He's more than just a monster, he's a character, and that is something monster movies, especially modern ones, always miss out on. The monster is just a monster. But not Godzilla, he's a living character with a personality and you have a connection with him now as an audience member. That's storytelling at its finest, and I don't care which buildings have gone down in Frisco or what the MUTOs eat.

I thought the fighting was pretty killer, but I already e xp ressed that. Tons of tension, anxiety, tragedy throughout the whole movie and then, wham! Curbstomp! Heads ripped off! Nuclear breathe! I fist pumped in my seat several times, but again, maybe I'm just an odd man out.

And the scene in the house...nothing had been there for 15 years. No one had touched anything, no reason to believe a couple of tacks stuck in a wall with some paper on them couldn't have stayed there. There's abandoned houses near me that have stuff like that hung up in them, nothing changes, nothing moves. Seems realistic to me, and it made me very sad. And that's what it was supposed to do, make you very sad. And it did; the first half of the movie was practically a depression trigger. It was such a downer that I wanted to leave at times, but it only made your connection stronger with the characters later on when stuff started to go down. That's the human element of the movie.


So there's all of that!


I hope that doesn't come across as harsh, I value your opinion on the movie. Sometimes you just can't dig something no matter how hard you want to, and your friends who love it just aren't buying what you have to say. That's frustrating, but if you don't dig it, ya just just don't dig it! But this is just my honest, gut reactions to the movie. The more it sits in, the more I like it. It respected the originals, had (what I thought was) enough basis in science to seem believable, more so than all the other apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic movies coming out these days (which I'm really sick of, a lot of them just bring me down), and it had a really good message that we're not invincible no matter how hard we try. After turning around and watching Pacific Rim, it made me really appreciate just how good the writing was in Godzilla. Although it's not going to become the new classic, I think that it can stand the test of time.
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

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*More spoilers herein* Thanks for weighing in with your opinion Fin. :) I never want to be the troll of the forum so I hope nothing I say has come across that way. I think you may have misunderstood a few of my problems with the film, but it's not worth beating a dead horse.

I haven't seen any other depiction of Godzilla, so I had no e xp ectations as far as content or subtext. If the film was supposed to be an allegory for our creation of nuclear warheads, that was completely lost on the casual viewer. My main science problems were that no animal or its offspring can survive 120 million years let alone in the deep sea (that why dinosaurs are fossils now), these animals (especially the MUTOs) are not based on any organism that has ever roamed the planet, solar radiation is not to be confused with nuclear radiation (completely different), and nuclear radiation is not a food source. Someone on their writing team made an egregious mistake indeed if they thought the increased strength of solar radiation millions of years ago equated to the radioactive decay you get from uranium or plutonium. The best I can come up with is that's like confusing radio waves for gamma rays. And as far as eating radioactive materials, just because I can survive being temporarily e xp osed to heat or fire (but not without consequences) it does not mean I seek it out as a food source. Probably all moot points by now, but when you start chalking these up, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The movie is about big monsters, and to me the monsters were completely unbelievable. It's probably less that I'm not a fan of an average movie, and more that I am not a fan of Godzilla and his counterparts. :P Don't worry, you won't hear anymore from me regarding Godzilla. *current forum film curmudgeon rumbles away*:beatdead:

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I see where you're coming from, no trolling here. :) If I knew that much about science, it would probably bug me too, to be honest! But, seeing as I slept through chemistry and passed physics thanks to the friends sitting next to me, all of that is way over my head. :laugh:

On the other hand, if I have to see a conductor in a film proudly waving his baton in his left hand, heads will roll. :crazy:
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

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[quote=""Fingolfin""]I see where you're coming from, no trolling here. :) If I knew that much about science, it would probably bug me too, to be honest! But, seeing as I slept through chemistry and passed physics thanks to the friends sitting next to me, all of that is way over my head. :laugh:

On the other hand, if I have to see a conductor in a film proudly waving his baton in his left hand, heads will roll. :crazy: [/quote]

Exactly! That is precisely how it feels! If that happens, you'll know where I'm coming from! :crazy:

Anyone planning to see X-Men tonight? I really really really want to see it but don't think I can swing it tonight. Hoping I can go Monday (Memorial Day).

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[quote=""Nerdanel""]

Anyone planning to see X-Men tonight? I really really really want to see it but don't think I can swing it tonight. Hoping I can go Monday (Memorial Day).[/quote]

I, as a general rule, do not go to movies on opening Friday night, usually not even opening weekend, but I think with the holiday, it shouldnt be too crowded on Sunday.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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I don't think that Godzilla implied that the world had more radioactivity in the past due to higher levels of solar radiation. I think it was just stated that it was more radioactive. I accepted that because it would have been more radioactive then than it is now...we start off with a certain amount of radioactive material and over time, it goes away.

As for eating radiation, how realistic are these creatures, etc., you can't try to hold a movie to that standard. It's supposed to be Big Entertainment...put your brain in park, and watch things get blowed up real good, as Ebert used to say.

As for X-Men and the Jean Grey arc in the third movie, I had no problem with it whatsoever. I have never read an X-Men comic book and I carry absolutely no preconceptions into these movies. I suppose that since they have not dealt with aliens in the series, and the series is not predominantly about fighting with aliens, they did not want to introduce one as the e xp lanation for the Phoenix.

My biggest problem in the X Men series is that I felt the circumstances of Jean's "death" at the end of X2 were completely contrived. Why couldn't she have done what she did from on-board the plane?
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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[quote=""Olorin""]

As for X-Men and the Jean Grey arc in the third movie, I had no problem with it whatsoever. I have never read an X-Men comic book and I carry absolutely no preconceptions into these movies. I suppose that since they have not dealt with aliens in the series, and the series is not predominantly about fighting with aliens, they did not want to introduce one as the e xp lanation for the Phoenix.

My biggest problem in the X Men series is that I felt the circumstances of Jean's "death" at the end of X2 were completely contrived. Why couldn't she have done what she did from on-board the plane?[/quote]

I get that, the storyline they used it much more simple than the Phoenix force taking Jean Grey's form, and with that comes the intergalactic Shi'ar Empire, etc. If you ever want to see how it "really" is, I am sure all the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix sagas are on youtube. But yes, adding aliens to a generally alien-free universe is difficult. Although, if Fox tries to do a Fox Cinematic Universe with Fantastic Four, its going to be hard to do FF without aliens.

I am also glad the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't shying away from the cosmic things, of course with Thor and Loki and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy and The Collector and eventually Thanos.

As far as Jean's death in X2, I thought it was cheesy, she could have done it from the plane, she also probably had the power to turn the water into vapor if she wanted. But they wanted that cheap emotional moment and to tease the Phoenix in the next movie.

Another thing that irked me overall with the Xmen movies, and this is also coming from when I was a kid, was that A. Cyclops in the comics and cartoons was awesome and strong willed leader and was my favorite and in the movies he is a whiny little dork and B Cyclops should be about a foot taller than wolverine, clearly wrong in the movies :)
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Sorry for the double post, but I havent read any spoilers, but my facebook feed is going crazy over Xmen, even from people that usually are more critical than me... one person I know is even saying it is the greatest comic book movie of all time. I might have to go see it tomorrow afternoon.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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If you want the spoiler of the post credits scene... highlight the following text: The post credits scene featured a desert scene from Ancient Egypt, you hear hundreds of people chanting "En Sabah Nur" which is Apocalypse's real name, a man, Apocalypse is standing above on a sandy hill controlling with his mind, giant blocks, constructing a pyramid, off to his side are 4 "men" on horses, I assume they are his Four Horsemen. Thus setting up the next movie "Age of Apocalypse"
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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I'm not seeing it till tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to watch The Wolverine and X-Men: First Class, then go see the new one tomorrow. So let's keep this thread spoiler free a while longer! :thumbs_up
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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Will do! I just couldnt wait any longer. i was going to take advantage of my day of and figuring everyone around here would have gone to either the lake or the beach for Memorial day, so it would be less crowded, but after hearing people I know and the reviews online, I ended up going yesterday for the "early bird" feature, when the movie is only $5.50 instead of $9.00. It probably was 3/4s full.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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A week later than I wanted to see it, but I finally got out to see X-Men: Days of Future Past yesterday. Most everyone has already echoed my thoughts on it: :crazy:

Man, did Bryan Singer ever bring his A-game to redeem the franchise. For as much as I loved the Avengers, even it is starting to pale in comparison. I can't say enough about the superbly talented actors in this film. Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Sir Ian McKellan were joys to watch. :thumbs_up I hope the physical release contains a lot of extra behind the scenes content. It looks like everyone took their job so seriously this time around, like the franchise really rested on their shoulders.

I'm afraid to get my hopes up for any forthcoming X-Men films. When you've seen the best, nothing else comes close. I'm exactly sure how I feel about the direction of the next film either. Only one way to find out though...

On another note, the next film I'm hoping to see is Edge of Tomorrow. I've really enjoyed Tom Cruise in his recent films, I hope this one delivers.

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[quote=""Nerdanel""]A week later than I wanted to see it, but I finally got out to see X-Men: Days of Future Past yesterday. Most everyone has already echoed my thoughts on it: :crazy:

Man, did Bryan Singer ever bring his A-game to redeem the franchise. For as much as I loved the Avengers, even it is starting to pale in comparison. I can't say enough about the superbly talented actors in this film. Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Sir Ian McKellan were joys to watch. :thumbs_up I hope the physical release contains a lot of extra behind the scenes content. It looks like everyone took their job so seriously this time around, like the franchise really rested on their shoulders.

I'm afraid to get my hopes up for any forthcoming X-Men films. When you've seen the best, nothing else comes close. I'm exactly sure how I feel about the direction of the next film either. Only one way to find out though...

On another note, the next film I'm hoping to see is Edge of Tomorrow. I've really enjoyed Tom Cruise in his recent films, I hope this one delivers.[/quote]

My DREAM is that DOFP gave everyone so much confidence in XMen that it will launch an X-Cinematic Universe with X-Factor/X-Force/Excalibur movies :crazy:

and I beg of the Xmen movie people... PLEEEEASE put Mr Sinister in a movie... PLLEEEEEEASE preferably played by Bill Nighy!
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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[quote=""BladeCollector""]My DREAM is that DOFP gave everyone so much confidence in XMen that it will launch an X-Cinematic Universe with X-Factor/X-Force/Excalibur movies :crazy:

and I beg of the Xmen movie people... PLEEEEASE put Mr Sinister in a movie... PLLEEEEEEASE preferably played by Bill Nighy![/quote]

Ha, that would be good, though I always thought that John Travolta would have been an ideal Mr Sinister (he's getting a little old and soft for the role now I think). There are plenty of good choices out there, but of course we want the best! For example, Mr. Hugh Wolverine Jackman; yes that is his real full name.
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

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[quote=""RosereIII""]Ha, that would be good, though I always thought that John Travolta would have been an ideal Mr Sinister (he's getting a little old and soft for the role now I think). There are plenty of good choices out there, but of course we want the best! For example, Mr. Hugh Wolverine Jackman; yes that is his real full name.[/quote]

If you wanna get super technical, Hugh Jackman was waaay too tall, and really, James Marsden was waaay too short to be Cyclops, but I guess those are the tiny things that can slide.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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I just got back from seeing Maleficent. I must say I enjoyed it quite a bit. The effects were pretty good, the only thing that was a little hokey for me was the women's faces on their tiny pixie bodies, just wasn't quite on at times. But overall it was great, the designs were done great, costuming was neat, and the story was fantastic. I really love the "true love" theme throughout the story, and the story told from this prospective. And Angelina did a fabulous job. :coolsmile

Also, definitely ordering the soundtrack to this one! :O A great one by James Newton Howard, I was very impressed.
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

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[quote=""Olorin""]Guardians of the Galaxy was fun.[/quote]

I heard some good reports on it.
Any particular reason to see it at the theatre, or can this one wait for the DVD/BD release?

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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[quote=""Olorin""]I'd say eye-popping effects and huge vistas are a good reason![/quote]

OK! Good enough reason for me!

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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Saw Guardians of the Galaxy yesterday... must say it was a lot better than I was anticipating. I didn't know much about the comic book storyline, but the trailers seemed like it was going to be a cheesy, almost comic book spoof-ish movie with your arrogant leader of a band of misfits, and with the 60s-70s pop music from the trailers... I didnt know how it would fit in the MCU.

Glad I was wrong, very solid movie, Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) was great. The music from the trailers made sense in the storyline (gotta see it, won't spoil it here). The characters were great, Rocket looked like a real walking talking raccoon. I must say, I was even impressed with Drax, I mean I couldnt get past it was Batista (WWE pro wrestler) playing the part, but I thought it was really good.

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill was fantastic. Not to mention he must have been on the Thor diet plan for this movie, apparently he lost 60lbs and beefed up the muscle.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Took my nephew to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles this past weekend. I was a huge ninja turtles fan when I was a kid. I thought the movie was pretty good overall, I know there have been lots of criticisms, especially from people I know. The way I look at it, the memories I have, I have to remember that i was a little kid when I watched the turtles, so I am a LITTLE bit more mature nowadays :) .

I enjoyed the movie, and I was entertained. I actually, may be one of the few, liked the look of the turtles. I have heard people complaining that they didn't look realistic, but, what does a real mutant turtle look like. If you wanna get really picky, red eared sliders, which are usually the turtle species depicted as getting mutated have more than 3 "fingers" and 2 "toes" which is how the ninja turtles are commonly depicted in cartoons and media. Until we figure out how to make a real mutant ninja turtle, I guess we will never know what one will realistically look like.

I also liked how they did look different from each other, as opposed as mainly in the past, they were basically carbon copies of each other, just with the different color eye masks and different personalities.

The standard personalities are present, Leo being the leader, Donnie being the scientist (actually wears glasses in the movie), Mikey being the more immature, skater type and Raf being the cocky, short tempered one.

Another criticism the movie has had from the get go of casting was Megan Fox, I actually thought she was a decent April O'Neil, no she doesnt look like the one from the cartoons, but neither did the 2 women who played April in the 90s movies. Don't get me wrong, she isn't going to be winning any Oscars any time soon, but I thought she was a good April.

This really isnt a criticism to the movie, but I wish they would cast, Hiroyuki Sanada as The Shredder, I mean, is it too much to ask. This guy would be the perfect Shredder in my ninja turtles movie.


In other news, I have debated going to see Guardians of the Galaxy again, I really did enjoy that one. I also am looking forward to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, I've been waiting for that movie since Sin City came out 9 or so years ago!
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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[quote=""BladeCollector""]I also am looking forward to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, I've been waiting for that movie since Sin City came out 9 or so years ago![/quote]

That's one I'll definitely be skipping. After I saw the first one, I felt like I needed to take my brain through the car wash....
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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[quote=""Olorin""]That's one I'll definitely be skipping. After I saw the first one, I felt like I needed to take my brain through the car wash....[/quote]

Haha, I've never heard that one. I thought the look of it was pretty cool, to me, it looked like a real moving graphic novel.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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I have always loved the Sin City graphic novels. The movie was really well done, some of the scenes matched pages from the novels almost exactly. Really looking forward to this new one too. Glad to hear you enjoyed the new ninja turtle movie BC. I too actually really enjoyed watching it. All of my friends seem to have an intense hatred of Megan Fox for absolutely no reason, to the point where 'she ruins movies just by being in them'. Such a sad view, as it keeps them from enjoying a perfectly enjoyable movie.
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

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[quote=""BladeCollector""]Haha, I've never heard that one. I thought the look of it was pretty cool, to me, it looked like a real moving graphic novel.[/quote]

Visually, it was brilliant. It was the story that made me want to wash my brain.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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So, Interstellar. Wow.

I'm still absorbing it and trying to decide if its reach exceeded its grasp, but it was a stunning movie, especially in IMAX. The subwoofers in that place have probably never had a better workout.

One negative: the volume of the sound effects and even the music often drowned out the dialog. This will definitely be a bluray to watch with the subtitles on.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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I saw it on Friday with a friend from university and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very intense :P I remember gripping onto the arm of my chair during a few scenes just because of how loud the sound was :P it felt like I was in the spaceship with them.

I was surprised by the ending. Not in a bad way, I was just e xp ecting the movie to go in one direction because of what they had e xp erienced throughout their journey and it felt like that was the only way it could go. I don't think it needs a sequel. Like Inception, it works great as a stand alone movie.

Love the soundtrack too! :)
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

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I went Friday night to see Interstellar with my ladylove, sisters and their husbands. Everyone walked out with a different opinion of it.

I really enjoyed it. I thought the acting was stellar (pun intended), and I like that Christopher Nolan cycles through the same actors without any washover from their roles in his other films. I took exception to the plot twist at the end, as none of us could come up with a logical e xp lanation for the "First Timeline Trip." I would definitely purchase this on BluRay.

The rest of the group either took issue with the length (almost three hours), the plot (some holes but overall solid), or the e xp lanations..

I will say this, I find it fascinating that the special effects team and scitentists working on the film actually had a scientific breakthrough. Here's the article if anyone cares to read (limited spoilers): http://www.wired.com/2014/10/astrophysi ... lack-hole/

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We saw in in Imax last night. Beautiful film. We really liked it. You have to turn your brain off for some of the ham fisted dialogue e xp laining physics for the layman, and some questionable science in a few places, but that does not detract from enjoying and getting caught up in the film. It's an emotional roller coaster.

Cool robots too. Nice little nod to 2001 A Space Odyssey with the robots 'obelisk' shape.
KRDS

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[quote=""BladeCollector""]i have been hearing mega mixed reviews about Interstellar. I typically don't like to sit in the theater for 3+ hours, unless there is a hobbit involved :) [/quote]

It is getting somewhat mixed reviews but don't let that put you off. It's Chris Nolan so it's intelligent scifi that shoots for a higher level than most movies of any genre. Its reach may occasionally exceed its grasp but when you aim high, that happens.

[quote=""Nasnandos""]You have to turn your brain off for some of the ham fisted dialogue e xp laining physics for the layman, and some questionable science in a few places, but that does not detract from enjoying and getting caught up in the film.

Cool robots too. Nice little nod to 2001 A Space Odyssey with the robots 'obelisk' shape.[/quote]

He had astrophysicists consulting on it, so I'd hope most of the science was reasonably accurate. It'll go over the heads of 99% of its audience anyway.

Totally did not catch the 2001 reference. I was too caught up in marveling over the way they moved and unfolded like Swiss Army knives, and lamenting that they were a little too wise-*** for my liking.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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Unfortunately, having a science advisor rarely guarantees the film will be scientifically accurate. Gravity being a Prime example. I really had to switch my brain off to enjoy that film, but I did, and did enjoy it immensly.

Nolan and his bro wrote this long before they brought on the consultant. In a superficial way, they got things right, but a few huge problems would actually make the story impossible. Not going to go into them here though, as even discussing them would be huge spoilers. As you say, it's over most people's heads anyway. I do my best to ignore the glaringly obvious stuff so it does not take me out of the film, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
KRDS

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Well, there were some things about it that bothered me, but it was mostly in certain elements of the plot, and ultimately they were more or less resolved.

I would be interested to hear what you thought its big deal-killers were, if you would post them in black text to keep them from being spoilers.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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I haven't seen Interstellar and will probably wait to rent it.
Ive found I'm not quite the movie goer I once was.

I'll definitely be going to BOFA, though this series hasn't done for me what LOTR did.
The trailer tells me I was right about PJ going over the top on epic battle film.
I'm in the camp with all those who prefer non CGI characters. They could have and should have gone with make-up/costumes.

I am really excited about Exodus Gods & Kings.
I bumped into something not long ago that tells me Ridley Scott returned to his faith after the loss of his brother, but it is conjecture on my part.
Someone named scottfree sent an email discussing a return to his roots after the death of his brother, to a radio broadcast about life being seeded on earth by extra terrestrials (Prometheus?), and now Ridley's new film is biblical story.

Anyway, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be the best special effects for a 10 COmmandments/Prince of Egypt film.
I'll be going to the theater for this for sure as well.
I have my fingers crossed on story line.
"and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut stones, to work in wood, and engage in all kinds of craftsmanship"

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[quote=""Olorin""]Well, there were some things about it that bothered me, but it was mostly in certain elements of the plot, and ultimately they were more or less resolved.

I would be interested to hear what you thought its big deal-killers were, if you would post them in black text to keep them from being spoilers.[/quote]

SPOILERS BELOW - Do not highlight if you have not seen the movie.
If a planet was close enough to a black hole that size that the time dilation effect slowed every hour down 20 earth years (they said that in the film), the gravitational field on the planet would have to be enormous, nothing even close to earth-like, and so strong the ship and anything in it would be crushed if it were to land on it. Yet in the film it was stated to be slightly more than Earth's. I don't think a planet that close to a black hole could be Earth-like anyway, let alone stable.

The biggest problem is the massive X-rays that black holes emit. If a planet was close enough to slow time down that much, it would be bombarded with enough X-ray energy that anything alive would be roasted. It would not even be considered a candidate to send an e xp edition too. They had to do this to get the main character to fly into the black hole though, as the plot hinges on this.

The only logic I can apply to make sense of it is, the beings that created the stable wormhole to the other universe also modified the singularity and the physics surrounding it to make this scenario possible. The tesseract they created was in fact inside the event horizon of the black hole, so one could assume they worked some other magic here with physics to make a black hole not a black hole. But then again, if that were the case, the scientists would have noticed that all of the data from the singularity, orbital and landing calculations - everything would have been off.

At that point I just switch my brain off and enjoy the story :)

Then he throws a frozen cloud in the sky, solid and stationary, that the ship bangs into...oh brother. Hard to just ignore that one.
Last edited by Nasnandos on Sun Nov 09, 2014 6:13 pm, edited 5 times in total.
KRDS

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OK Kit, you and I are on the same page about your plot quibbles. ;) I thought about all of that too. In fact, HIGHLIGHT TO READ: As you approach a black hole, gravity grows so strong that at some point, the gravity pulling on the side of you nearest the black hole is not only greater than the gravity pulling on the side of you farthest from the black hole, but it's also greater than the cohesion of your body, and you'd be pulled apart. They didn't show that in the movie!

Waxing metaphysical, and a little scary, for a moment, here's something I've thought of in the context of the Large Hadron Collider, for which the physicists have said there's only a small chance of accidentally creating a singularity and destroying Earth. What would it be like if that did happen? The singularity would sink to the center of planet and slowly devour it. At the end, as we are pulled in, we'd be pulled apart by those tidal forces I mentioned. And since according to relativity, time slows down and may seem to stop, this horrific being pulled apart would last for eternity. Would that not be...Hell?
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

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