Action packed: good and bad movie reviews

[BeStill&Know]

Star Wars Rogue was a disappointing re-cycle boring movie. We've watched every one that's come out, but hubby slept through most of this one and I could'nt wait for it to be over.
The Accountant is by far one of the BEST written movies I've seen this year.
Well developed characters and flawless screen writing, directing, and acting.
But if you don't care for violent content this one is not for you.
Assassin's Creed was ok, but violent as well, and needed some tweaking.
It's not one I would watch again.
BTW when a violent scene is coming I just close my eyes.
I've never been into chick flixs.

 

[Larniavc]

I really enjoyed Rogue One. I thought it would have been better as a 15 because the subject matter was a bit heavy and could have done with some more gravitas but I rank it as the second best Star Wars film (ESB being the best, obviously).

 

[John Hyperspace]

The Accountant is by far one of the BEST written movies I've seen this year.
Well developed characters and flawless screen writing, directing, and acting.

The Accountant was brilliant. Also perhaps the best movie I saw during the year.

 

[archer75]

I thought Arrival was sadly boring and a little empty. And if anyone wants to discuss it in more detail, I'm up for it.

La La Land was almost not a movie, by my lights.

 

[BeStill&Know]

I really enjoyed Rogue One. I thought it would have been better as a 15 because the subject matter was a bit heavy and could have done with some more gravitas but I rank it as the second best Star Wars film (ESB being the best, obviously).

IMO yes, your right. It just needed a lot of tweaking, but the acting was excellent.
Since I've seen all the others I guess I'm expecting the next one to TOP the previous one : ))) Hubby commented it was dark, meaning there were few if any balanced light hearted moments in it like the first ones.

 

[BeStill&Know]

The Accountant was brilliant. Also perhaps the best movie I saw during the year.

Totally! I will see it again on Netflix, when it's free of course ; )
I also saw the 2 Christian based movies Ben Hur and He is Risen.
Both were OK, some of the acting was good to great, some characters renditions were so bad I just nodded my head in frustration : (
Both could have used the screen writer, director, and (I forgot) who ever it's called who selects the cast members? of The Accountant, and my favorite modern movie "Avatar'. If the cinematography would have been close to being as good as Avatar, what a statement to the world Ben Hur and He is Risen would be.

 

[BeStill&Know]

I thought Arrival was sadly boring and a little empty. And if anyone wants to discuss it in more detail, I'm up for it.

La La Land was almost not a movie, by my lights.

I didn't see either. My instincts said they would bore me.
I like some alien movies, but I don't find drama in some like Independence Day< the latest one. Lots of action but little character development.
Hey! I'm female I think I need a little character development.

 

[archer75]

Arrival had almost no action and almost no character development. So I would expect no one to like it. But I would be wrong in that!

The aliens seemed pretty friendly, though. I liked them.

 

[RDKirk]

Star Wars Rogue was a disappointing re-cycle boring movie. We've watched every one that's come out, but hubby slept through most of this one and I could'nt wait for it to be over.

That was your opinion. I thought Rogue One was a fine war movie in the mold of some of the best, and it's Star Wars connections were right-one. Iv'e seen it twice, and I was just as involved the second time as the first.

I also enjoyed Arrival, which was a good thought provoking science fiction for people who like having something to discuss on the way home.

 

[BeStill&Know]

Arrival had almost no action and almost no character development. So I would expect no one to like it. But I would be wrong in that!

The aliens seemed pretty friendly, though. I liked them.

Ahhh ! you're probably to young to have seen "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".
Little action but great acting, good special effects for that day, lots of character development, very good cinematography and suspense.

 

[BeStill&Know]

That was your opinion.

No, it still is.
Elaborate : ) What did you enjoy about it, ? comparing it to the others Star Wars or other such type films?

 

[RDKirk]

Ahhh ! you're probably to young to have seen "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".
Little action but great acting, good special effects for that day, lots of character development, very good cinematography and suspense.

I thought that except for the last act, Close Encounters was rather illogical and goofy. But the last act was great. Character development? Not really--all the characters finished the movie as the same persons they were when it started--no development, just movement.

 

[RDKirk]

No, it still is.
Elaborate : ) What did you enjoy about it, ? comparing it to the others Star Wars or other such type films?

Pretty much the same elements that make most war movies interesting. Yes, it was essentially "The Dirty Dozen Saves Private Ryan from the Guns of Navarone," but the formula works just fine.

 

[archer75]

I have seen Close Encounters, but I don't know it well enough to comment.

I would say Arrival not only lacked character development, but character. The aliens were the best and they could only talk in ink circles.

 

[Aryeh]

I thought Arrival was sadly boring and a little empty. And if anyone wants to discuss it in more detail, I'm up for it.

I

Was

Absolutely


Disgusted

With

The

Quality

Of

Arrival.


That is all.

 

[Aryeh]

Arrival had almost no action and almost no character development. So I would expect no one to like it. But I would be wrong in that!

The aliens seemed pretty friendly, though. I liked them.

Yep. The movie really showed how big of "colons" humans can be when dealing with the unknown.

Independence Day Resurgence touches on that, also (for those who have seen it.)

 

[John Hyperspace]

I thought Arrival was sadly boring and a little empty. And if anyone wants to discuss it in more detail, I'm up for it.

La La Land was almost not a movie, by my lights.

I thought it was alright, but only saw it one time. What I can say is that it was very unique in the mode of presenting the "flashbacks" of the daughter. I also liked the question it raised concerning predetermination and free will: if you know what was in store, would you have chosen what the protagonist chose at the end? Does free will affect predetermination? Or, would would freely choose the predetermined, even when that which is to come will bring pain, yet also, joy?

 

[John Hyperspace]

Totally! I will see it again on Netflix, when it's free of course ; )
I also saw the 2 Christian based movies Ben Hur and He is Risen.
Both were OK, some of the acting was good to great, some characters renditions were so bad I just nodded my head in frustration : (
Both could have used the screen writer, director, and (I forgot) who ever it's called who selects the cast members? of The Accountant, and my favorite modern movie "Avatar'. If the cinematography would have been close to being as good as Avatar, what a statement to the world Ben Hur and He is Risen would be.

The Accountant was so good. I really enjoyed the subversion of the action movie's standard tropes. A lot of people are hoping for a sequel, but I hope it remains a stand alone for full subversion of trope. I was a bit iffy with it until the scene with the hostage silver-haired woman on the porch calling, "Christian! Chris!" and then, fwip! *KABLOOM!* and I was all in. Just excellent all the way around.

Did you see either twist coming at the end? I saw neither, and was surprised. But the second time I watched it I couldn't help thinking, "How did I not see the first twist coming a mile away?" The movie goes out of its way to practically spell it out, but somehow I missed it.

Also saw Ben-Hur and liked it enough.

 

[John Hyperspace]

Pretty much the same elements that make most war movies interesting. Yes, it was essentially "The Dirty Dozen Saves Private Ryan from the Guns of Navarone," but the formula works just fine.

Pretty much my take on it as well. I'm still processing. It's difficult with a stand-alone since I'm used to three movies of character-building and such. Such a quickly moving "episode" and then it's over. I think I liked it rather well, though. The way it connected and wove into Episode 4 was really well done.

 

[RDKirk]

Pretty much my take on it as well. I'm still processing. It's difficult with a stand-alone since I'm used to three movies of character-building and such. Such a quickly moving "episode" and then it's over. I think I liked it rather well, though. The way it connected and wove into Episode 4 was really well done.

Remember that Rogue One is only the second Star Wars movie that was not intended from the beginning to be part of a trilogy.

The only other movie shown as a one-off was A New Hope, and character development/backstory was pretty scanty in that.

For instance, the characterization of Han Solo was shown in a single scene--Han shoots Greedo first, so we see what kind of guy he is. We don't learn in A New Hope why he's pals with a hairy alien or anything else about him.

We don't learn much about Leia, either, except "rebel princesss." Okay. Anything about Vader? Nope. Anything about Tarkin? Nope. Very little about Luke, for that matter. IOW, characterization is not done any better in A New Hope than in Rogue One...that's the way it is for pretty much any action movie developed as a standalone.