I Just Watched (Films)

[Raid]

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I wasn't really expecting this to be any good. I was a massive fan of the 2014 Godzilla film, but I really expected it to be a fluke. Kong didn't really grab me, but then I never rated King Kong as a particularly good movie monster. Godzilla: King of the Monsters though is the Aliens to Godzilla's Alien; it's an over the top action film, the suspense and beauty of the first film aren't as prevalent, but the action is fantastic. The Kaiju battles take place both in human-scale and from more distant angles, and you never feel like it's obfuscating the fight with shaky cam or effects that otherwise distract. Ken Watanabe is back chewing the scenery for all its worth, and there's an excellent version of the original Godzilla theme (which is a favourite piece of movie soundtrack for me). The visuals are excellent once again (they're a real highlight in this Monarch series). I just think it's a shame that Millie Bobbie Brown's character is a little irritating, but then a child frustrated with her parents was always going to be a low point in a film about city-destroying monsters.

I really enjoyed it, in fact much like the 2014 original, it had me grinning like an idiot in parts. Giant monsters are cool, especially when they're portrayed as well as these.

[Mantis]

Saw it at the cinema and thought it was pretty great too. I have a soft spot for all these monster movies though.

[Animalmother]

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Enjoyed that. Sort of an anthology of horror stories involving a group of teens in a 60's town. Genuinely creepy in places and some good body horror effects.

Spoiler

That poor bastard still gets sent to Vietnam in the end, that's just cruel

[Animalmother]

Brotherhood of the Wolf
Haven't watched this in a very long time. I only had an old dvd copy on a 4K tv, unfortunately that made it look like a 90's TV movie which is a shame. I'd imagine a proper 4K version would look gorgeous.

Very French, very early 2000's with fantastic fight scenes and heaving bossoms aplenty. Vincent Cassel strutting about the place and Mark Dacascos kicking the shit out of people. Still an absolute belter of a film.


(Shamefully the vid is an English dub..)

[Sly Boots]

Brotherhood of the Wolf
Haven't watched this in a very long time. I only had an old dvd copy on a 4K tv, unfortunately that made it look like a 90's TV movie which is a shame. I'd imagine a proper 4K version would look gorgeous.

Very French, very early 2000's with fantastic fight scenes and heaving bossoms aplenty. Vincent Cassel strutting about the place and Mark Dacascos kicking the shit out of people. Still an absolute belter of a film.


(Shamefully the vid is an English dub..)

Yeah, used to love this. Also features the coolest sword ever

[Raid]

I forgot to post last night's review of John Wick: Chapter 2. There's not a lot more to say over and above my review of the original; the things I loved about the original were the same things I loved about the sequel. I just love how the world is built up but never really explained, that there's just a secret underground society of assassins that you're introduced to as an outsider, but kept on the outside as much as possible. You see these customs and trinkets and rules, but the mystery is largely preserved. I loved the scene wherein Wick and one of the named opponents are walking hurriedly through a packed metro station, just occasionally firing silenced pistol rounds at one another and nobody in the crowd they're in notices. Once again the choreography is exceptional, though I have to admit I felt a little like they used a few practice takes, as it occasionally looks like Reeves is just going over the scene in his head rather than acting the character. It doesn't detract too much though, and it's still a great film.

[Sly Boots]

The best compliment I can pay the John Wick films is that even as someone who tired of action films and rarely watch them these days, I adored them. The third one us good too

[Wrathbone]

Stowaway (Netflix)

6/10. For everythig it does right, there is something it does wrong but overall I did like the fact it approaches the subject matter in a realistic (given the nutty premise) manner. There are lots of plotholes, however the acting and special effects are good. The story is not original as I read a short story Breakpoint (1947) which is very familiar and the anime show, Planetes, had an episode along the same lines. The film is getting slated on IMDB, but I found it engaging and towards the end it kept me on the edge of my sofa. It could be better, but its not that bad. I have seen far worse.

Saw it this weekend after a friend told me the ending was a masterpiece. Turns out he was trolling me because the ending, if it can be called that, is a dumpster fire. It starts with some promise but the characters never seem to fully engage with the central problem they’re facing, and then the film just pulls the ripcord and bails.

Spoiler

I can just about accept the lazy way they brush off how Michael ended up on board, although “he fell asleep and nobody found him” is damn weak. Whatever, it’s not really important to the story. What I can’t get on board with is how none of them ever contemplate that anybody except Michael should be the one to die. It apparently wasn’t his fault that he was there, so why should he automatically be the forfeit? The question isn’t even raised, which astounds me. Ultimately Anna Kendrick sacrifices herself, but it’s not out of a noble gesture so much as a practical necessity. Or at least I think it is - Jin from Lost had terrible cardio, Michael was apparently hapless at climbing a pole and the captain... er... couldn’t be bothered? Who knows? It’s a moot point, because Anna Kendrick’s already been microwaved by magic space waves and the credits are rolling before anybody can question the decision.

4/10

[2Channelwonder]

Peninsula

Basically this film is Zombie Baby Driver Panic Source with a bit of Fast and Furious and a homage to GTA thrown in as well not to mention a visual homage to elements from one of the World War Z novel's interviews crossed with Survival of The Dead but as before, with a different angle. The remake of Death Race 2000 with Jason Statham was another heavy influence one of the longer action scenes. Thankfully they've all been woven into a South Korean approach rather than outright ripping off the American or videogame influences.

In the first film all hell was breaking loose and the world was ending but aside from two of the most stupid Scary Movie-influenced moments that make you think you're watching a parody, both revolving around

Spoiler

wasted ammunition, in one case wasting 90 out of 120 rounds making you wonder who the hell would agree to partner up with Mr Death Magnet when he's meant to be the hero?

, -Peninsula basically casts its zombies as something of an inconvenience moving slowly to medium speed until the plot demands their appearance in crowds so the writer makes it clear that the Zombies aren't the only threat. The filmmakers take an Easternised view of some of the variations of the Zombie rules from Romero's Land Of The Dead but focus on the Dawn of the Dead 2004 version of the main rules alongside 28 Days Later and also there's the South Korean version of the combination of Land of the Dead's and Walking Dead's using Zombies for entertainment in a bear pit arena like Woodbury in TWD. Sadly there was also one unrealistic conversation that fed into that scene that was a Korean version of Survival of the Dead and made zero sense at the end although they worked in a quick homage to Treasure of The Sierra Madre whilst referencing all these games and modern action films. It was also annoying that part of the ending was a good opportunity for much more cinematic action but they opted for trying to get an emotional aftermath instead of making sure there was action all the way to the end, leaving you with an ending that just paid final homage to Predator.

So despite spotting all these references it was a decent enough film for Watch With Amazon Prime. If I'd paid cinema money or more than £1.99 extra rental I would've hated having less action than the trailers implied but the action that was there, naturally I'd have liked the bigger screen so still a potential for either cheap Blu Ray or later possible Netflix viewing (just because I could then stream it to the TV and not just the computer which showed up the UHD filming, I could've adjusted the TV picture mode and the night scenes wouldn't have been slightly brighter due to the HD). Basically it was a bit lazy to make only a verbal reference to the first film turning that film's ending into another interlude unless they loop back around in any second sequel if the "Busan trilogy" including animated Seoul Station aren't intended to have connections to each other.

[Animalmother]

Been meaning to watch Peninsula but most reviews are pretty unimpressed by it.

Raw Deal
I remember this being shite the one and only time I watched it back in the 90's. People on here have confirmed as much but I still decided to have another look. It's much better than I remember and actually isn't that bad a film, it just moves at a snails pace. Like in Red Heat, Arnie is totally miscast and it would have been a much better film with someone else in the lead. With a better cast, director and budget this could have actually been a great film about an a disgraced former FBI agent infiltrating the mob and starting to like the lifestyle. Anywho, slow pace kills it but the gun fights are fun in that brutal 80's Arnie style (everyone appears to be using explosive tipped bullets and only hip fires wildly).

[Alan]

Was it Red Heat that he drives a bulldozer though a pub with a big shit eating grin on his face? I love that scene so much!

[Animalmother]

Was it Red Heat that he drives a bulldozer though a pub with a big shit eating grin on his face? I love that scene so much!

Raw Deal he drives a tow truck through a gambling den after kicking the shit out of half the patrons

[Hatredsheart]

Been meaning to watch Peninsula but most reviews are pretty unimpressed by it.

I heard that too, what I'm really interested in is it's predecessor, Train to Busan.

[2Channelwonder]

Train To Busan? [EDIT] PM'd you with all the links, the Ratuken rental stream for £2.49 is cheapest unless you're on Amazon Prime and then the SD is the same but the HD is £3.49, and £5.99 to buy the licence to view on Amazon.

If you stream it that way then you get to watch it as intended without breaks, trying to watch it on Film4 I just gave up even if Film4 might do a Phone Booth and try to have lots of early breaks then less once the tension begins.

[Hatredsheart]

Train To Busan? [EDIT] PM'd you with all the links, the Ratuken rental stream for £2.49 is cheapest unless you're on Amazon Prime and then the SD is the same but the HD is £3.49, and £5.99 to buy the licence to view on Amazon.

If you stream it that way then you get to watch it as intended without breaks, trying to watch it on Film4 I just gave up even if Film4 might do a Phone Booth and try to have lots of early breaks then less once the tension begins.

Cheers mate.