|
|
Post by The Curmudgeon on Apr 8, 2008 22:48:44 GMT 2
Lord knows I've been let down by films in the past. Maybe its my own fault, I get caught up in the great hype machines and go into the cinema with the highest of hopes, but then the likes of Superman Returns, T-3, Godzilla, Spider-Man 3 and.. well, many more, leave me feeling hollow and cheated.
For me, though, the ultimate crushing blow came from Star Wars Episode One. The whole new trilogy actually made me HATE Star Wars, and the incessant, pointless tinkering and altering George Bastard Lucas did with the original films only helped soil the legacy.
This wasn't a sequel we waited a few years to see. This wasn't the Bourne trilogy - this was a film we pretty much waited our entire childhood to see. And it was unspeakably bad. TERRIBLE characters, banal banter, Jar Jar Binks, and the best character, Darth Maul, being in it less than that flying Jewish bug monster thing. An absolute travesty. I came out of the cinema feeling like I'd been raped.
Well, that's me digging up some bad memories - how about you?
|
|
|
|
Post by trashcanman on Apr 8, 2008 23:05:58 GMT 2
My expectations weren't sky-high for the NT so I actually enjoyed it for what it was: fun, but not nearly as good as the originals. "Spider-Man 3" has got to take the cake because my expectations were ridiculous for that one. The movie wasn't terrible, but it was a mere shade of what of it could have and should have been. And the "Saturday Night Fever" scene? Cribbing a dance sequence from "The Mask"? The chick feeding Peter cookies? Gwen Stacey as a throwaway plot device? Venom with Topher Grace's face? The EMO!?!?!?!?!? Maybe it was terrible, I haven't had the guts to watch it again since the first midnight showing.
|
|
Isis
Walking Meatloaf
Posts: 80
|
Post by Isis on May 17, 2008 12:48:31 GMT 2
I cant stand any of the new Star Wars movies, i have slept through them all they held my attention that well, and I LOVED the original ones, just goes to show if it aint broke dont try and fix it!!!
i dont get the hype for American Beauty.......
The Beach was the biggest let down ever - but then i am a reader more than a movie watcher and had read the book before watching the film!
I was a little disappointed by the Alien v Predator 2 movie, as I loved the 1st one - im now waiting for the backlash for admitting all that ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by The Curmudgeon on May 17, 2008 13:25:58 GMT 2
Actually, I quite liked the first AvP too. I think because I'd read how bad it was before actually seeing it my expectations were so low it would have to have been the worst film ever to disappoint me.
But no - there were Aliens fighting Predators. Worked for me.
American Beauty I did enjoy but I don't understand the hype and fuss about. I always remember a quote from the Adam and Joe show that parodied it (SPOILER WARNING!!!)
"By the end of this movie I will be dead. And you'll wish you were too."
I can't think of a lot of books I've read which have become movies. In fact, thinking about it, I really can't think of any. But yeah, they always say the book is better. Certainly with comic book films I spend the majority of it ticking off boxes in my head, like, "yes.. that's right. That's supposed to happen..."
|
|
Isis
Walking Meatloaf
Posts: 80
|
Post by Isis on May 17, 2008 14:27:20 GMT 2
just thought of another...... Blair Witch......am i the only one who found it funny? I sniggered all through it, amused at the ingenuity of the production team setting all the actors up, brilliant!!!! not so brilliant when it was supposed to freak me out  |
|
|
|
Post by The Curmudgeon on May 17, 2008 15:05:37 GMT 2
I LOVED Blair Witch. The sequel sucked, but the original was just brillaint, I thought. Fair enough, the whole "camera crew film what happens" thing had been done before in Cannibal Holocaust, but while that went for all out shock value (and succeeded), I just love the fact Blair Witch was so effective (for me, anyway) by showing nothing.
So you laughed all the way through it? You must have been a treat to sit next to in the cinema.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ben on May 17, 2008 16:22:46 GMT 2
I remember when Episode I came out. My parents (well, my dad at least) were all excited and went to see it opening night. When they came back my dad was very upset to say the least. He must have had about 5 glasses of Jack Daniels before bed, and all he could talk about was how much he hated it and how badly they messed it up.
I didn't feel the need to see it until it was out on DVD for a good 6 months. My expectations were so low it actually came across as average to me, and not as terrible as everyone said it was.
My vote for biggest let down is the Peter Jackson version of King Kong. Just about everyone I know thought it was at least solid, if not amazing. I thought it was complete shit. The stupidity of everyone in that movie just made me laugh. The pilots trying to shoot Kong were idiots. The crew who ventured onto the island were idiots. Jack Black was too, but at least he held his own as an idiot, giving us viewers a solid acting performance, which is more than I can say for the rest of the actors and actresses.
It averages 4 stars on Amazon, so when I wrote a 2 star review for it (1 star because it's a movie, another because it made me laugh) it (inevitably) got shredded by Kong lovers.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Curmudgeon on May 17, 2008 18:23:50 GMT 2
Hmmm. No, I watched King Kong and actually quite liked it, even if the cast were as interesting as watching a tap run. I thought the initial impact of seeing Kong was totally ruined though, because the adverts for the film (that were on every 15 seconds, or so it seemed) showed pretty much the pivotal scenes of the film, so by the time we came to see the film itself, we weren't wondering what Kong looked like or shocked by how good he looked, we were pretty much sick of the sight of him.
Compare that to the appalling Godzilla remake, though - lousy film, GREAT advertisment. They showed his foot, his eyes (I think) and that was it. So when he DID show up you were pumped and ready for it.
I actually preferred the King Kong game for the PS2. Man I fucking loved that game.
Oh, and your dad taking 5 shots of JD to get over Star Wars ep1? I want to hang out with your dad - now!
|
|
|
|
Post by Benjamin Haines on May 17, 2008 23:16:59 GMT 2
I'd have to say X-Men: The Last Stand was one of my biggest disappointments as far as movies go. Knowing of the ridiculous plot and the fact that Brett Ratner was directing in Bryan Singer's stead beforehand, I passed on seeing it in the theater and waited nearly a year before I caught it on HBO. I sat down to watch it with very low expectations, and it still managed to disappoint me. I knew the storyline was going to be stupid, but I couldn't believe how completely inept the characters were made, how cringeworthy it was written, and how juvenile the directing was. "Let's have all the good guys in a line over here and all the bad guys in a line over there! And then we'll have Iceman shoot ice and Pyro shoot fire and it'll hit in the middle! It'll be cool, man!!!!" That's the kind of stuff I would have put on screen when I was 12 years old and thought it was totally cool TO THE MAX!!!!1 As for the plot.... A liquid serum that changes a person's entire genetic structure within seconds of being injected? Come on now. Even in a comic book movie, that's just stupid. And then at the end (*SPOILER WARNING*), Magneto finds that he still retains his magnetic powers. So the serum doesn't work after all? Okay... then what was the point of the movie? The impact of Rogue's decision just lost all of its drama there. And then there's the totally flatlined Phoenix storyline, the complete wasting of the characters of Cyclops and Professor Xavier, Storm being overly shoehorned into the proceedings (though that was Halle Berry's fault), and the newly introduced mutant characters which go nowhere. This whole movie was just a disaster in every way.
|
|
|
|
Post by trashcanman on May 17, 2008 23:18:29 GMT 2
I must be a complete tool because I liked all those movies (sans GINO and the idiotic/preachey/hypocritical "The Beach"). I especially enjoyed "American Beauty". I just watched AVP2 and I don't get the hate, aside from the rasta predalien and the same thoughtless inconsistencies that plagued the first. But the idea of a Predator "cop" tailing the Aliens to atempt to halt an outbreak was awesome though not executed as well as it could have been. Why bother skinning the guy and hanging him from the tree in this scenario? Because he did it in the original "Predator", stupid!
Here's the secret to enjoying any film based on a book: if at all possible don't read the book first.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ben on May 18, 2008 1:20:53 GMT 2
I also enjoyed AVP2. Sacrificing plot for action, gore, and swears was a spectacular move. I mean, how much plot do we really need when there's predators and aliens?
Curmudgeon: After my dad was good and drunk he started babbling to anyone who would listen about how Episode I was an insult to his childhood and the Star Wars he grew up with. He may be the only person I know who hated it more than you.
|
|
Isis
Walking Meatloaf
Posts: 80
|
Post by Isis on May 18, 2008 2:04:14 GMT 2
I also enjoyed AVP2. Sacrificing plot for action, gore, and swears was a spectacular move. I mean, how much plot do we really need when there's predators and aliens? Curmudgeon: After my dad was good and drunk he started babbling to anyone who would listen about how Episode I was an insult to his childhood and the Star Wars he grew up with. He may be the only person I know who hated it more than you. Ben, I am so liking the sound of your Pa!!!!! we are probably about the same age thats why  but I so know where he is coming from!!!! I wasnt pissed when I babbled about how shite they were, however, there is a miniscule chance I am now  |
|
Isis
Walking Meatloaf
Posts: 80
|
Post by Isis on May 18, 2008 2:12:43 GMT 2
I must be a complete tool if the cap fits and all that......  Here's the secret to enjoying any film based on a book: if at all possible don't read the book first. sorry hun, but i totally disagree, so many movies miss out the most important parts of a book, prime exmple being The Beach, it so missed out the darker side of things in the movie, it was all very Lord of the Flies if you ask me!!!! I would rather read the book any day, compared to someones interpretation of said book!!! Your own imagination is far better than any special effects a movie can offer, regardless of how mega the budget is!!! |
|
|
|
Post by trashcanman on May 18, 2008 8:54:11 GMT 2
You misunderstood me. The book is ALWAYS better than the film. That is why reading the book first almost always ruins the movie. So if possible, I try see the movie first so I can enjoy it with a blank slate and not fixate on how much better the book was. THAT'S what I meant.
|
|
Isis
Walking Meatloaf
Posts: 80
|
Post by Isis on May 19, 2008 16:04:37 GMT 2
You misunderstood me. The book is ALWAYS better than the film. That is why reading the book first almost always ruins the movie. So if possible, I try see the movie first so I can enjoy it with a blank slate and not fixate on how much better the book was. THAT'S what I meant. Ahhhh I get ya, sorry, I wasnt paying attention properly (this happens often, you'll get used to it, i blame all the pain medication im on!)..... Once i have watched the film I wouldnt be able to read the book - I have done in the past, but perfer it the other way round now, also, I have been struggling with the old attention span so have only watched 3 movies in the last 2 years, Finding Nemo, Alien v Predator 2 and St Trinians....and they have all been on TV or DVD - I cant do the cinema anymore as my back is fecked after 2 lots of surgery and the seats are shite in most cinemas! |
|
but I so know where he is coming from!!!!
