Past Movies: Part Deux

[SnowAngel]

It's good thing for us that we have only seen three superhero movies. Because otherwise little sister would have driven us all nuts by now, as it is she is still working on it. She has talked about Captain America (both TFA and TWS, and the next one, personality types of the characters, etc.) every single day from the last few weeks (even before we watched The Winter Soldier). And I even put the Blu-ray in my dresser out of sight.

My older brother has seen Guardians of the Galaxy, he's currently planning to buy it when it's released on DVD/Blu-ray because he says we girls need to see it. Oh, and I think maybe he kind of liked it.

SnowAngel

[SnowAngel]

This past weekend my family and I got back for visiting family for a week. While hanging out with the cousins, we watched Captain America: The First Avenger, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, How To Steal A Million, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Could someone please tell why I bothered to watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug? The movie didn't seem to resolve anything.

I love the both of the Captain America movies just as much on the second watch. We had to watch both of them because one of my cousins hadn't seen either of them and my little sister talked her into wanting to watch them. However I don't think cousin was really watching the first one, because she didn't know who Bucky was.

SnowAngel

[PrinceCor004]

Could someone please tell why I bothered to watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug? The movie didn't seem to resolve anything.

Umm.... for Evangeline Lily? Or maybe because of Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug? Or the coolness of Smaug himself?

Seriously though, there's not a whole lot good going for PJ's Hobbit trilogy. Outside of the visuals (sometimes) and Howard Shore's score (all the time), this whole endeavor feels more like an exercise in excess. Which is really sad given that the LotR Trilogy was at least good as films.

[johobbit]

Could someone please tell why I bothered to watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug? The movie didn't seem to resolve anything.

Haha, amen, sistah! Plus, it made me even more frustrated than ever how such an adaptation could be so demeaning and stupid from its very beloved book-counterpart.

Definitely not for Evangeline Lily. Or for any of the characters, for that matter, except possibly a few choice moments with Bilbo and Balin. Other than that, pffft.

Which is really sad given that the LotR Trilogy was at least good as films.

Too true. It appears the great success of PJ's LotR went to his head and now he thinks he is Tolkien the Second.

[Shadowlander]

I took a lot of heat from the beginning by calling Jackson out on making 3 epic length feature films from a single book a fraction the size of Fellowship of the Ring, and with a much simpler plot. I watched the first film with trepidation but still so very much wanted it to succeed. I mean imagine having a 20 hour Tolkien movie festival of sorts by watching the Hobbit films and then proceeding onto the Extended cuts of LotR. It's be almost like watching Wagner's Ring Cycle, but without the singing .

It appears the great success of PJ's LotR went to his head and now he thinks he is Tolkien the Second.

Amen sister. Succinctly put and dead on accurate. I think he has it in his head that he is the sole mouthpiece for Middle Earth or something. And to be fair his first 3 Tolkien films were really quite good and surprisingly faithful to the source accounts. But sheesh...I really do think the man has popped his cork or something. I look forward to seeing the first "Fan Edit" when they excise the miles of needless footage into a more consumable, concise, and accurate representation of the film. Running time 2 - 2.5 hours.

[Shadowlander]

My little girl was having some trouble sleeping and so she came out to the living room to sit with me (I'm a night owl) and we watched the first half of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I wasn't really sure if she'd like it but she seems to have really taken to it. She was fighting sleep off to keep on watching (she likes Lucy and the Beavers ) so I put her back in bed, where hopefully she's dreaming of lanterns and snow and Father Christmas bringing her her own compound bow and red-feathered arrows for Christmas. . I read the whole series to her when she was still in womb so I have to wonder if she likes it because of that.

[SnowAngel]

Aww, that is so cute, SL!

My younger sisters are working their way through Lord of the Kings for the first time. At our house you have to read the books before you are allowed to watch the movies, the girls have read through the books more than once in the last year and one of them read everything each time (even the stuff in the back!). They are loving the movies and can't wait to watch The Return of the King. They are really hoping big brother will let them watch it this weekend (it's his theatrical edition Blu-ray that they have been watching) and if they do, they will have watched the whole trilogy in just over two weeks.

SnowAngel

[stargazer]

I saw The Monuments Men last weekend with friends. It's based on the real-life Monuments Men, a small group of soldiers whose job was to protect and recover works of art stolen by the Nazis in World War II.

It has an all-star cast, including George Clooney (who also directed), Bill Murray, John Goodman, Matt Damon, and Cate Blanchett.

I see online that it's taken some criticism for its musical score and that it's entertaining but just not quite as good as it could be given the cast. I'm inclined to agree, but I did enjoy it. What was almost more interesting were some of the extras, which included the stories of and comments from the original Monuments Men. One touch I liked is that the movie focused on recovering a couple works of art ("Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by Jan van Eyck and the Madonna of Bruges by Michelangelo) which were among those the real people worked on.

This article discusses the real people, touching on the movie adaptation.

[220chrisTian]

I really want to see this movie because I love history and World War II. Is it on DVD yet? My local public library needs to order a copy!

[fantasia]

I watched Godzilla a few weeks ago. I must give kudos to the filmmakers for throwing in a plotline that I did not know existed and was completely unexpected. Mothra and she-Mothra At least I don't recall seeing anything about that in the trailers and such.

On the flipside, I thought it had more unrealistic moments in it than Pacific Rim, and that's saying something.

But for the mindless, action, popcorn flick that it was, I enjoyed it.

[fantasia]

I saw Elf last night. I'm very behind, but this is my first time watching it. I got a kick out of it, it was pretty funny. I actually belly laughed at the part where he goes to put the star on the top of the tree.
This was a bit of a switch for Jon Favreau from Iron Man and Cowboys and Aliens. Or I guess those two movies were the switch since he directed Elf first.

[stargazer]

220, Monuments Men is out on disc now.

I haven't seen Elf lately, fantasia, but recall that I enjoyed it when I did see it.

[220chrisTian]

Thanks, stargazer. But the public library can take as much as 3-6 months to purchase new DVDs.

A few nights ago, I watched "Mary Queen of Scots" (1971) with a young Vanessa Redgrave on DVD and I really liked it. The script explored the political relationship between Mary and Elizabeth I. Some historical parts were made up, like their meetings in the forest and the day before Mary's death. Still...

[SnowAngel]

Last night after the younger people left the family room my older brother and I were decided what to do, both he and I had already played video games. He told me to pick something off his shelf, so I did and we watched Black Hawk Down. I am still a little shocked he watched it with me. Anyway, after BHD was over he asked me what I thought and my reply was "WOW". A great movie, but a very hard movie to watch. I am glad I watch it with my brother.

I am off to watch an episode of Get Smart with my siblings.
SnowAngel

[220chrisTian]

SnowAngel: I haven't seen that film yet, but I'd like to.

Stargazer: I finally watched Monuments Men, sometime since the New Year, and I really liked it. Some details weren't quite accurate though.

[Shadowlander]

Blackhawk Down is a hard film for me to watch. I like to think I keep myself together emotionally but when it gets to the Shughart and Gordon sequence I never fail to start bawling. I actually own it and have been thinking about slipping it into the DVD player but I haven't worked up the nerve yet. I don't know how I'm thinking I'll handle Lone Survivor. I'm kind of hankering to watch a good WWII movie, although most of what I own I've already watched multiple times. I see The Longest Day is on Netflix though...one I love and highly recommend! 220, if you haven't seen that one it's a great classic, accurate, and while there is violence it's of the typical 50's and 60's bloodless variety, but it still packs an emotional wallop, especially at the Omaha Beach sequence. There's also the great Tora, Tora, Tora, equally excellent film and, to date, the best and most accurate Pearl Harbor flick out there. Now, if I can just find A Bridge Too Far....