July movie thread?

[aggie94]

Did I miss one? Surely a week into the month, someone's got some movies to review! ;)

Last weekend, we watched About a Boy, which I had seen before. DH hadn't, and he enjoyed it as much as I did. I was glad, since I rented it hoping he would like it.

We also watched The Shipping News. It was much too slow-moving for me, and I just wasn't touched by any of the characters. DH, however, really liked it. I didn't hate it, but it didn't wow me either.

There's nothing in the theaters right now that we're in any hurry to see, so it's all about rentals for us. Next up is American Beauty. Yes, yes, I know. I'm waaaaaay behind the times. :o

[RebeccaT]

I saw T3 over the weekend... TERRIBLE!! It felt like such a long movie, but it was only 100 minutes!

There just wasn't anything new or interesting going on... now new effects, no new story... and I missed Linda Hamilton. A lot of chasing. A lot of terrible writing. I had a friend ask me what the new "catch phrase" was from this one - the first one was "I'll be back," the second had "Hasta la vista, baby." This one... "Talk to the hand." yep. You heard me correctly. That was the best they could do. :rolleyes:

On a more redeeming note, I have now seen Finding Nemo TWICE! Love that movie. Love love love it.

"I shall call you Squishy, and you shall be mine. And you shall be my Squishy."

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming swimming swimming..."

:D :D :D

[linsleyd]

Hello! I'll jump in, if I can remember ...

We watched Gangs of New York and both DH and I really liked it. Especially the commentary and Discovery channel show which are both on the dvd.


Last week we watched
Ice Age it had us both laughing out loud. Great film for kids and adults!

This week, I'd like to see Punch Drunk Love and we'll see what else there is.

Is About a boy a girlie movie? I want to see it but I don't think I could convince DH!

[aggie94]

Originally posted by linsleyd
Is About a boy a girlie movie? I want to see it but I don't think I could convince DH!

Most definitely not! When I saw it last year with Robyn(cz), I left thinking, "DH would really like that!" It's about the relationship between a self-absorbed superficial bachelor and an uncool teenage boy with self-esteem issues. It's funny and touching, and I don't think it's girlie at all. But that's JMHO. I guess some guys might think it's girlie, but I'm not sure how, since the two main characters are male. There is a peripheral romantic story line, but it's very secondary to the main plot.

[lisas3575]

Thanks for getting us started, Eva!

We watch waaaaaay too many movies, so I don't review everything we see. We did watch The Pianist this weekend, and I need to go dig up the reviews of this while it was in the theater. I found it kind of.... boring! Like I wasnÕt sure what I was supposed to be taking away from it. The whole middle of the film where heÕs in survival mode didnÕt have anything to do with his music, and I couldnÕt tell what the point was, other than showing a guy starving and isolated, waiting for the Russians to come. I wanted more character development (ideally through his music). And I thought it was so strange at the end how it was like the whole war didnÕt happenÑ heÕs back at the radio station, playing the piano, and then it talks about the Russian soldier, who was in 2 minutes of the movie, but doesnÕt mention if he ever found any of his family.... Anyway, I wasnÕt overly impressed for a movie that garnered two Oscars and several nominations. :o

We also watched Brassed Off! this weekend, which is really old, but very fun. Ewan McGregor looks about 12 years old! :p

[gertdog]

We went to see The Italian Job this weekend- I enjoyed it. A perfect hour and a half (or however long it was) of air-conditioned fluff. I love those Mini-Coopers!

DH refused to see Finding Nemo so I will either see it without him or wait for video.

There is absolutely nothing else out right now I want to see, but I am looking forward to Seabiscuit!

[aggie94]

Lisa,

Sorry you weren't impressed by the Pianist. I thought it was an incredible film, and easily in my list of Top 5 best movies ever made.

[Pico]

See it! It was so cute. :D

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by gertdog
DH refused to see Finding Nemo ...

:( Silly DH! He doesn't know what he's missing! Stephanie, tell him that my DH loved it so much, not only did he see it twice with me, but the second time he made all of his friends see it with us (they were rebelling, it wasn't MANLY enough for them) and they loved it too! One of them actually thanked DH for making him see it, because he wouldn't have otherwise!!!

I'd see it with you if I lived in NJ!!! :D

[lisas3575]

Originally posted by aggie94
Lisa,

Sorry you weren't impressed by the Pianist. I thought it was an incredible film, and easily in my list of Top 5 best movies ever made.

Well, I'm obviously in the minority. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind. And, I really enjoyed The Shipping News. So much so that I bought and read the book on my flight to Paris. With Julie gone, you need someone to disagree with about movies! ;)

[beckms]

We rented Ice Age last week. Eh. It was OK. Some nice digital effects, and the requisite characters did well (the funny doofus, the reluctant straight man, the bad-guy-turned-nice-guy...), but overall I was not wowed by the movie. I think animated films have such a high standard to live up to nowadys, especially after Toy Story and Shrek. Can't WAIT until Finding Nemo comes out on DVD!

We also rented Catch Me If You Can. Kind of hard to believe it's a true story, but I guess it is. I thought Leonardo DiCaprio was awesome, and usually I steer away from anything he's in. Tom Hanks, on the other hand, gave possibly his worst performance ever. Why on EARTH did they make him do that horrendous Boston accent? He butchered it! I was so distracted by the accent that I couldn't enjoy his acting.

Overall, though, a very enjoyable movie.

[gertdog]

Originally posted by RebeccaT


:( Silly DH! He doesn't know what he's missing! Stephanie, tell him that my DH loved it so much, not only did he see it twice with me, but the second time he made all of his friends see it with us (they were rebelling, it wasn't MANLY enough for them) and they loved it too! One of them actually thanked DH for making him see it, because he wouldn't have otherwise!!!

I'd see it with you if I lived in NJ!!! :D

:D I passed on the message to DH. Maybe I'll get him to go next weekend.

I'd love to have you as a movie date, though I'm not sure I could afford you (plane ticket to NJ plus movie ticket plus popcorn!) :p

[Kristine]

Eva - I loved About a Boy too! It is one of my favorites...such a sweet movie.

On the 4th I saw Legally Blonde 2 - I thought it was cute and pretty funny. It's just a basic feel-good comedy. I thought the first Legally Blonde was good too, so if you liked that one then you will probably like the second one as well.

Let's see what else....oh ya, I saw Catch Me If You Can on an airplane recently. It's so amazing that it is a true story - that guy must have been a genious! I really liked this movie too, and was happy to have a good movie on my flight. :)

[1MegMeg]

Last Saturday we saw Legally Blonde 2. I like Reece Witherspoon a lot and thought this was very cute, just as cute as the first one. The Saturday before that we saw The Hulk, at DF's request. It was actually pretty good. Jennifer Connolly is in it and I like her a lot.

In the netflix world...we recently watched Maid in Manhatten and neither one of us liked it. Granted, I wasn't expecting it to be some thick-plotted thought provoking movie, but even I (the queen of cheesy romantic comedies) thought it was a little too cheesy. Up next are Nurse Betty and White Oleander.

:)

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by gertdog

I'd love to have you as a movie date, though I'm not sure I could afford you (plane ticket to NJ plus movie ticket plus popcorn!) :p

You wouldn't have to buy my popcorn... I could sneak some in my purse! ;)

[linsleyd]

Eva, Thanks for the thoughts on About a Boy. I'll get that next time we rent movies.

I'm also looking forward to watching Finding Nemo on DVD. And believe it or not, DH was the one to suggest seeing it! His taste in movies definetly run the gamut!

[Guest]

Not too much to report here. Most of the new summer releases just don't appeal to me. DH is aching to see The Hulk, the new Terminator movie, but I have no interest in seeing them and have told him to go by himself.

We did so the Italian Job this past weekend. I would call it a good summer movie. Fun to look at, but not too much too think about. We also saw Nowhere In Africa a few weeks ago and thought it was very good. It is about a family in Nazi Germany who are able to flee to a remote part of Kenya at the early stages of the war. It is about loss, both of the German family and the native peoples who have lost their land to the British, making new lives and the way people connect and react. The movie is beautiful to watch.

All, DH, DD and I,loved About A Boy and none of us like "girlie" movies.



DD, who is in love with all things English, and I are working our way through Brideshead Revisited. I saw it ages ago, but didn't remember more than the basic outline. We have four more hours to go! We finished up Pride and Predjudice which gets watched at least once a year in our house.

Have any of you seen Whale Rider? It is at the top of our list.

Editing to say I forgot about 25th Hour. We saw it in Los Angeles when visiting my brother. It has styed in my mind. Very serious, moody and reflective about post September 11 America.

[colleency]

DH and I felt apathetic about Ice Age. It was so formulaic. I think I liked Count of Monte Cristo better than he did. It was very action-y and adventure-y! The only thing about it that bothered my was Guy Pearce. He was playing a foppish character, almost very close to the one he played in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, so I kept flashing on that role.:rolleyes:

[JHolcomb]

Originally posted by aggie94
Next up is American Beauty. Yes, yes, I know. I'm waaaaaay behind the times. :o

Don't feel bad. We just got around to watching A Beautiful Mind. I'd rebelled against seeing it because I hate Ron Howard (think he's an evil manipulator of moviegoer's emotions) and the only thing I'd seen Russell Crowe in was Gladiator, possibly the worst movie ever. Anyway, I liked it. It made me really, really happy that I'm not schizophrenic. Neuroses are quite enough, thank you. I don't know how much of the love story between he and his wife was true (my emotions felt totally manipulated at the end), but if it is true, and if he really gave that speech at the Nobel Academy, it's quite sweet.

We saw The Hulk a couple of weeks ago. It was a steaming hulk of something...Gawd what an awful movie. It was beyond stupid. That scene at the end with his dad and the energy and just what the he!l was that?? It was painful to watch. DH was seriously upset that I didn't like it, like it was an affront to him. I told him it wasn't his fault Ang Lee made such a crappy film.

We rented Kiki's Delivery Service and watched that Sunday night. It was a good film. Not Mishazaki's(sp) best, but still very nice and enjoyable. Would have been happy if it had lasted another 15 minutes to add a little more background/character development/closure. But good, all in all. I wish My Neighbor Totoro would come out in a decent US version (cannot stand to hear dubbed English), and am hoping against hope that The Return of the Cat will come out here, too.

Hoping to get DH into the theatre for Finding Nemo. He's hoping to get me into the theatre for Terminator 3. I was totally against that idea until I read Filthy Critic's review of the film, and he liked it, despite never having seen either of the first 2 films, so I may cave. However, after reading Rebecca's review, I may hold out (Talk to the Hand...). Next up on the rental side of things is Stranger than Paradise and something from the Samarai series of films w/Toshiro Mfune (can't remember which one).

[Clover]

Originally posted by MWS


Have any of you seen Whale Rider? It is at the top of our list.


Yes, I was really eager to see Whale Rider, but I was a little disappointed in it. I liked it, and am glad I saw it, but it just didn't come up to my expectations. I think it would have been better if the grandfather had been a more complex and sympathetic character. Also, I guess I was looking forward to seeing more of the Maori dancing and battle ritual that was in the trailer, but the footage in the trailer was pretty much all of it.

The best movie I've seen recently is Winged Migration. If I hadn't seen the beautiful trailer I would have been hesitant to go in spite of the great reviews because 1 hour and 40 minutes of birds flying just seems like maybe 40 minutes too much. However, it was fascinating. The birds were filmed from gliders, balloons, helicopters, and remote control operated decoys with cameras attached that flew with the birds, so it's like flying with them--seeing the other birds in the flock and the land below as the birds would see them. It was filmed all over the world, in North America, Europe, China, Africa, the Arctic. There's an avalanche and icebergs breaking up. Loved it.

I enjoyed The Italian Job as a summer fluff kind of movie, but I had trouble suspending my disbelief in the chase scenes and in the initial transportation of the loot where it seemed to have become weightless. And it was hard to care much about the characters, a bunch of self-absorbed thieves. Nice to see Donald Sutherland again. I liked Hollywood Homicide a lot more. I found the characters a lot more likeable and it's funny.

I seem to be a minority on Finding Nemo. I was bored. It's very well done visually, but I didn't think the story or characters were interesting. I would call it definitely just a children's movie. Everyone else seems to like it, though.

[shoefling]

DH dragged me to T3 this weekend. It was a movie that I had no desire to see and had no expectations about. I thought it was ok. The plot never really seemed to go anywhere and just left it open for another sequel. Similar to the the previous Terminator movies which I was not impressed with either. I am glad that we at least went to the matinee and saved a few $$$.

I really want to see Leagally Blonde 2 . I thought that the first one was really cute and I love Reese Witherspoon. And I think that I have DH talked into going with me.

I would also like to see Finding Nemo , but will probably wait until it comes out on DVD.

I am anxious for Seabiscut to come to the theaters. I am close to finishing the book and am excited for the movie. I need to get the book finished so DH can read it before we see the movie.

[lorilei]

Mmm... we rented a couple over the weekend in an effort to bring ourselves forward into the present time. It's been forever -- but finally I can contribute a spot to this thread :) :

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days -- I expected to hate this movie, but really enjoyed it. It's absolutely nothing cerebral -- but it is sweet and VERY funny at points. There are elements of cheesiness (e.g. two charicatured women working at ad agency)... but there's also a great deal of heart. And Kate Hudson made a respectable character with a (hot!) counterpart.

The Hours - Loved this movie. Love all things dark and depressing too, I suppose... so maybe that makes some sense. I thought the movie was thoughtful and provoking, and I really enjoyed ALL of the women's character portrayals (especially and surprosingly, Nicole Kidman's... go figure).


Have also rented Red Dragon -- but haven't touched it yet. So, don't post spoilers or crummy reviews ... yet :) I'm still hoping Ed Harris (AHEM... Norton) makes up for any of the movie's other faults.

Can't wait to see Finding Nemo -- but it will probably be a renter for us. And am also looking forward to Charlie's Angels II -- for a bit of summer comic relief.

[lisas3575]

Natasha, hope you're not disappointed but it's Ed Norton, not Ed Harris, that's in Red Dragon. ;) Did you read the book?

[lorilei]

Ahhhh... Lisa. Good catch :) (and I'm flattered that you think I'm Natasha)

Ed Harris was in The Hours -- I must have gotten my "eds" turned around!

No, I didn't read the book. I'm a bad girl.

[lisas3575]

Originally posted by lorilei
Ahhhh... Lisa. Good catch :) (and I'm flattered that you think I'm Natasha)

:o :o :o Don't you love it when you answer a typo with one of your own? I knew it was you, Lori, but my fingers had a mind of their own! :o

[RD chef]

I too, saw Whale Rider , and thought it was good, but could have been better. It was a decision between that or Owning Mahoney, and I'm wondering if the latter would have been a better choice.

Last night we rented How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days. I love Kate Hudson, and she does well in these cute romantic comedies. The best part was the song at the end, by my favorite band of all times, the Gin Blossoms. When Ben is chasing the taxi, the song, "Follow You Down," is playing in the background. :) That made the movie for me.

We saw Finding Nemo , and DBF loved it. I thought I'd have a hard time talking him into going, and once it was over he couldn't stop talking about what a cute movie it was.

Still on the list "to see" is Hollywood Homicide.

[lorilei]

Originally posted by lisas3575
:o :o :o Don't you love it when you answer a typo with one of your own? I knew it was you, Lori, but my fingers had a mind of their own! :o

Absolutely love it, Lisa... and, as I said, I was flattered. You couldn't have picked a nicer person to mix me up with.

Natasha -- are you looking??

[linsleyd]

I had to get About a Boy last night without DH (or he would have stopped me):D but he really enjoyed it! I don't think he's a huge Hugh Grant film since he generally does some cheesy films.

This is definetly a really good movie and I'm glad you all recommended it, esp. Eva. Both DH and I were trying to figure out why we thought it was a girly film, but I think its because of the way they marketed the film.

Anyway, definetly a good rental to check out!

[claire797]

So far this month we've watched Drop Dead Gorgeous and How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days. I had low expectations for Drop Dead Gorgeous, but it turned out to be much funnier than How To Lose A Guy, which was just okay.

We rented Gangs of New York but haven't had time to watch it yet. From what I've heard, it's mostly fighting.

[rinsav]

DH and I have seen the following so far this month:

T3 - Not very good at all...I agree with Rebecca that it seemed longer than it was...that's never good!

Hulk - Also not good. We really didn't like this one.

Finding Nemo - This was great...so cute and fun!

Anyone going to see Pirates of the Caribbean or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? I think both come out this weekend.

[JHolcomb]

Originally posted by rinsav

Anyone going to see Pirates of the Caribbean or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? I think both come out this weekend.

Yes!!! We're going to see Pirates of the Carribbean either this week or next (we'll be out of town most of the weekend). I looooove Johnny Depp (the only actor I get seriously swoon-y over) and DH thinks he's brilliant, and it got good reviews. Finally, a movie we can both agree on seeing.

[britneyelise]

I absolutely hated Hollywood Homicide . I hated it so much that I walked out on it after 45 minutes. To me it was like they took clips from other movies and tried to string them along to make a plot. Harrison Ford must've called in his performance over the telephone. This is coming from a person that sat through "Weekend at Bernies" and "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" many times. Prior to this I had prided my self on staying through even the worst or most boring movies ever. But after 45 minutes of this I had to leave.

I did love 28 Days Later . It was phenomenal. I don't reccomend it how ever if you are at all squeamish about violence, gore, or nudity. There is a lot of the first two in it and full frontal of the latter (although not at all in a sexual manner). It is about so much more than what it seems at first. I would love to go on and discuss it, but I don't want to give anything away. I also really admired and loved the way it was shot (on the cheap with digital cameras) it gave this amazing gritty effect that added so much to the story. You should probably have a good grasp on English accents though as some people in the theater seemed to be constantly asking their companions "What did he/she say?". Having watched "Are You Being Served?" on PBS for years, I didn't have a problem. I highly reccomend this to anyone with a strong stomach.

Shannon
*Up next: Pirates of the Carribean" (okay so I'm an English Major and I can't spell!)

[Terrytx]

Saw Pirates of the Caribbean today. It was fantastic! Johnny Depp outdid himself. Two thumbs up. Great acting and lots of adventure (pretty funny also.)

[Beth H]

I saw a neat movie over the weekend called Spellbound - it is a documentary about the National Spelling Bee. It follows 8 kids from around the country as they compete in the 1999 Bee. It was really touching, funny, and compelling - the kids the filmmaker chose all had very interesting stories.

This isn't playing in a lot of theaters, but if it is in your town, I would really recommend it. I think it was nominated for an Oscar this past year.

[lisas3575]

Beth, I'm interested to see that movie. It's gotten such great reviews.

We watched Donnie Darko this weekend. It was really great. I really enjoy films that are a puzzle, and they let the viewer come to their own conclusions (a la Mullholland Drive). This was a great (and creepy) movie, with interesting spiritual overtones. Anybody see this? Em, I know you did, and when you get back I'll be asking you about this one! :D

[Meganator]

We saw THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN this weekend - I thought it was awful. Even accepting the fact that it was fantasy, there were just too many things wrong with it.

We also watched PHONE BOOTH. I thought it was pretty good, although DH didn't like it as much. For the majority of the movie, it is just one scene - Colin Farrell at the phone booth - which sounds dull, but I thought he did a great job. Keifer Sutherland is the evil, mysterious voice on the phone. Basically Colin Farrell plays a very shallow, not-very-nice guy who ends up recogizing his faults.

Recently we watched THE RECRUIT (Colin Farrell week at our house?). I thought it was great - eye candy for the gals if nothing else. Al Pacino as a CIA guy who recruits Colin Farrell. Intrigue and spy stuff - one of those where you never know who's on which side.

MR. DEEDS was very funny, although I know Adam Sandler can be a love or hate thing (incidentally, we didn't like PUNCH DRUNK LOVE). John Turturro is in it, and he always plays an oddball interesting character. "I am berybery sneaky." "I fear you underestimate my sneakiness." For John Turturro fans, has anyone else ever seen "Box of Moonlight"? Obscure netflix rental, but very entertaining.

Count of Monte Cristo awaits...

[Babs73]

I HIGHLY recommend "Bend it like Beckham". It's probably showing at the more art-y theatres, but it's so good. Both DH and I really enjoyed it. I am seeing Legally Blonde 2 tonight, and can't wait! Chick flick night!

[lorilei]

Originally posted by Meganator
We saw THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN this weekend - I thought it was awful. Even accepting the fact that it was fantasy, there were just too many things wrong with it.


Meg -
Can you go into more detail? My DH REALLY wants to see this one...

[greysangel]

Saw Pirates this past weekend...LOVE LOVE LOVED IT! Adventure, comedy, Johnny Dep rocked, great effects and Bloom is a cutie pie too. It was such a fun movie and I was pleasantly surprised that the story was a good one!

From what I hear, League is terrible. I've heard it's sort of along the lines of Dungeons and Dragons the movie...trying hard with effects and no real threads of substance to keep it going. I'm sort of curious because it really looked promising, but I have yet to hear a positive review. :(

JeAnne

[colleency]

The League of Extraordinary Sean Connery was truly AWFUL!

I hope you didn't see it, Lorelei!

I didn't really want to see it, but we had an out-of-town guest who wanted to.

What follows is details of its awfullness and may be spoiler-y:

I've read the graphic novel, and it is WAY better. The movie doesn't follow the graphic novel at all. The movie added Tom Sawyer, because the cast was too English, I guess, which was dumb.

The script and direction were bad, IMHO. The casting was fine. Mina Harker was way too vampire-y, and the characters were blah.

It should have been more Steampunk (Edwardian looks with cool machinery). The Nautilus was shiny and smooth. In one scene it had holes in it, and then they said, "it's fixed," but there were no marks.

I can usually suspend my disbelief, but believing that a submarine that is wide enough for a large room and a hallway that two people can very comfortably pass in could drive through the Venice canals is a little bit much.

On a brighter note, I can't wait to see Pirates. It's playing at a Disney run theater in Hollywood, where we found out that DH's high school drama teacher plays the Mighty Werlitzer organ as a pre-show!

[keg64]

I would also have say that The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was really awful. Should have go to see Pirates...:mad:

[RebeccaT]

You MUST see Pirates! We saw it over the weekend, and it was probably the most fun I have had at the movies in a long time! I absolutely adored Johnny Depp's character, Jack Sparrow... it was the perfect summer mindless entertainment!

[rinsav]

I'm with you all...Pirates was so good! Johnny Depp was unbelievable!...so funny!

[KristinK]

DBF and I rented The Life of David Gale last night. We both enjoyed it, though I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. I remember wanting to see it based on the previews, but the so-called 'shocking ending' (or whatever) was pretty predictable. Plus, Kate Winslet came across as pretty annoying - though Kevin Spacey was good, as usual IMHO. Oh and I'm glad I didn't wait to rent it this weekend with my family - the two sex scenes were uncomfortable enough.

Maybe a not-so-great review, but I did say we enjoyed it - though I'm glad we waited for it on video.


Originally posted by colleency
The League of Extraordinary Sean Connery
Was this a typo? :p I also heard it was terrible - sorry your guest missed the reviews!

[colleency]

Not a typo.:o DH and I started calling it League of Extraordinary Sean Connery after we saw the previews. Here's a movie about a group of people and all the trailers showed was him. We felt like the movie announcer should have said, "Sean Connery IS the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." The movie didn't focus totally on him, but that's how we felt from the previews.:rolleyes:

[Beth H]

Another huge thumbs up for "Pirates." Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom -yum. I certainly wouldn't mind being stranded on a deserted island with either of them.

If you haven't seen this one yet - go - it's a really fun movie.

I'm looking forward to "Seabiscuit" this weekend!

[KristinK]

Originally posted by colleency
Not a typo.:o DH and I started calling it League of Extraordinary Sean Connery after we saw the previews.
I thought that might be it ;)

[Kristine]

I went to the theater last weekend planning to see Pirates of the Carribbean, but it was sold out - so we ended up at Bad Boys II instead. It was what it was.....the action scences were so pathetically overdone that it was actually somewhat amusing. :) It seemed to be more of a spoof of other action films, so if you look at it that way it really wasn't bad, but still not my type. I did laugh quite a bit though, as Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are pretty funny.

Anyways, I'm hoping to see Pirates tonight or tomorrow night. :D

[honeygirl1971]

I haven't been to the movie theater in a while, so I'm trying to convince DBF to go see Seabiscuit tomorrow afternoon. All the critics say it's fabulous, but DBF still wants to see The Hulk. We'll see if I can convince him...Anyone seen it already (Seabiscuit)? I scanned the thread but didn't see it mentioned (except in anticipation).

[jlo_of_hotlanta]

hmmm ... i've seen a lot of movies recently, something that is rare for me, but here's my $.02... (might as well start with the bad news first)

The Ugly :
Charlie's Angels II ... omg. The worst movie EVER. And I liked the first one! A pathetic excuse for three girls to wear skimpy clothes and shake their butts - there was NO plot. At all. I'm sorry if anyone liked it, but I knew it was going to be awful when cameron diaz walked in that skirt and rode the mechanical bull. gross.

The Bad :
Pirates of the Caribbean ... Should have been about thirty minutes shorter. The last fight scene took toooooo long. BUT on the up side, I need some of that eyeliner Johnny Depp wears - it never came off! after water and everything! How exciting.

Somewhere in between good and bad:
Bad Boys II ... I liked this way more than I thought I would - the chase scenes were AWESOME! There were some degrading "jokes" (aka not funny ones) about women. But at least it had a plot (see Charlie's Angels).

The Good:
The Italian Job .... mmmm, me gusta. Perfect length, the chase scenes were great, I just wish Mark W. had taken his shirt off.

Legally Blonde II ... Funny funny and cute. Almost as good if not just as good as the first. And her car was sooo cute!


and ... I heard Bend it Like Beckham was AWESOME, as was Nemo, but The Hulk is supposedly awful. And I think that's all folks! :-)

[Guest]

Haven't seen anything in the theater for the past few weeks, but I managed to find a rental copy of Waterloo Bridge, one of my all time favorite films. I saw it on late night TV many years ago and I have never forgooten it. It was made in 1940 and stars Vivian Leigh and Robert Taylor. The movie is breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreaking. Leigh is exquisite and such an amazing actor. This film followed her work in Gone With The Wind. The movie takes place in London at the start of WWI. If you are interested in a great love store with intelligent dialogue, this is worth searching for.

[tigermorris]

DH and I saw BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM last night. We really like it. If you saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding and enjoyed it, then I think you will enjoy BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM!!!!

Terri

[KristinK]

Originally posted by jlo_of_hotlanta
The Ugly :
Charlie's Angels II ... omg. The worst movie EVER. And I liked the first one! A pathetic excuse for three girls to wear skimpy clothes and shake their butts - there was NO plot. At all. I'm sorry if anyone liked it, but I knew it was going to be awful when cameron diaz walked in that skirt and rode the mechanical bull. gross.

Female empowerment my @ss! I didn't like the first one and I'm not even thinking of watching this one - thanks for the reinforcing review ;)

[lorilei]

Very happy. :)

We saw PIRATES over the weekend, and were truly enamoured. Depp was delightful, as always, and I didn't even notice the length of the movie (truth be told). I thought the costuming was great and was impressed by the fact that they didn't bugger up the storyline TOO much with the love interest...

Another wildly avid thumbs up!

[honeygirl1971]

I saw Seabiscuit! It was really wonderful! I loved the way they wove the photographs and history of the Depression into the story about a few individuals who had experienced both economic and emotional setbacks during that period. It was definitely the best movie I've seen in a long time. DBF took me out for Indian food afterwards, so it was a great Sunday afternoon and evening. :D :D :D

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by jlo_of_hotlanta

Charlie's Angels II ... omg. The worst movie EVER. And I liked the first one! A pathetic excuse for three girls to wear skimpy clothes and shake their butts - there was NO plot. At all. I'm sorry if anyone liked it, but I knew it was going to be awful when cameron diaz walked in that skirt and rode the mechanical bull. gross.


I actually had a really good time watching this movie. It is not moving, it is not uplifting, it has absolutely nothing to say about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity... but I thought it was a lot of fun. I am not a better person for having seen it, but hey, it was entertaining!

My favorite scene was when all three of them dance to "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer. That was my favorite song in the 8th grade. :cool:

[mrswaz]

OMG! I went and saw Pirates this weekend. It was fabulous! The story was fun, the swordplay and fighting were not gory and bloody, and Johnny Depp was incredible. There also wasn't any vile language- so if anyone is looking for a fun family movie- go see it. It may be a bit scary for the under 7 crowd- but I think anyone older would love it.

I also didn't notice that the movie was 2 1/2 hours long until we left the theater. It is very nicely paced, and doesn't have any of those "get on with the story" spots.

[sunberst]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
"I shall call you Squishy, and you shall be mine. And you shall be my Squishy."dbf & i both loved finding nemo!!! awesome, awesome movie. we went to the late show & there were no children- just couples & groups of friends. i am getting that on dvd when it comes out. my favorite animated film in a long time.

also went and saw pirates of the caribbean. mediocre plot, but i thought it was awesome acting. especially with johnny depp. it was a 2 hour+ movie, but time flew by. i was laughing a lot.

saw young frankenstein from 1974. or shall i say "fron-ken-shteen". :) this was so fun!

how did i miss this thread earlier?

[sunberst]

Originally posted by Clover
The best movie I've seen recently is Winged Migration. If I hadn't seen the beautiful trailer I would have been hesitant to go in spite of the great reviews because 1 hour and 40 minutes of birds flying just seems like maybe 40 minutes too much. However, it was fascinating. The birds were filmed from gliders, balloons, helicopters, and remote control operated decoys with cameras attached that flew with the birds, so it's like flying with them--seeing the other birds in the flock and the land below as the birds would see them. It was filmed all over the world, in North America, Europe, China, Africa, the Arctic. There's an avalanche and icebergs breaking up. Loved it.this was at the music box theatre and i was very interested in it. now i really want to see it! the trailer was spectacular so if the movie is anything like that...

[kim21]

Ditto on honeygirl1971's review of SEABISCUIT-a richly interwoven story of challenge, loss, relationship, loyality, and spirit. Well done! In addition to the story, I also loved the period furniture, textiles, clothing, cars, etc. The racing announcer character is a hoot! I'm eager to also read the book; as it too has gotten such good reviews.

Has anyone seen Respiro? Kim

[gertdog]

We saw Seabiscuit this weekend too (side note: it has been SO long since we've seen a movie on the weekend it's released- had forgotten how much fun it is to have the whole audience break into applause when good things happen in the movie).

I liked it very much. The racing scenes were wonderful. I'd read and enjoyed the book; there is a lot the movie leaves out (Seabiscuit's tremendous handicaps in the races, Red's alcoholism and marriage, etc.), but I can see why they had to do that. That said, I thought they carried one main theme of the book over very clearly- as honeygirl said, the social environment of the Depression was nicely interwoven with the story of Seabiscuit's triumph and how it renewed the human spirit at a time when the country really needed it.

[colleency]

Pirates of the Carribean was so wonderful! I love, love, loved it! Yay Pirates! I didn't think it was too long. (The credits were too long, but it was worth it to see the little "extra" at the end. Johnny Dep is fabulous! All of the in-jokes about the ride at Dland were so much fun, too. I was so impressed with how much the movie felt like the ride.