tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90476212260651309472024-03-13T20:24:46.037-07:00Hubbs Movie ReviewsI like to write about movies, well I try my best.
Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.comBlogger963125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-26211587213999515292024-01-19T00:31:00.000-08:002024-01-19T00:31:17.270-08:00Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qo_sw5WKilYzNw2So8Kpmw9S2bf3SW8MLlzF8iLgYzML4nkEsSCWYuBvosq4wi-PR9kf1tPoFkqASSmicGt4Qo-ixeE-GY0HZqfde5U6_SjQ8XN-u85ucMScznSXqC06i3O5KYlo1VS7NMnfeFjQvPzJhtaEWQWjXiNMsynLlgc4fuT2JDOE69sMkLG2/s1001/IMG_6439-831754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qo_sw5WKilYzNw2So8Kpmw9S2bf3SW8MLlzF8iLgYzML4nkEsSCWYuBvosq4wi-PR9kf1tPoFkqASSmicGt4Qo-ixeE-GY0HZqfde5U6_SjQ8XN-u85ucMScznSXqC06i3O5KYlo1VS7NMnfeFjQvPzJhtaEWQWjXiNMsynLlgc4fuT2JDOE69sMkLG2/w280-h400/IMG_6439-831754.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">As we entered phase four of the MCU and started getting second (third?) tier superheroes that the majority have never heard of, both Marvel and Disney still managed to conjure up yet another overblown obvious CGI/bluescreen filled hodgepodge that felt no different from most of their other offerings. I was shocked! (I wasn't shocked).</span></p><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">So Shaun leads a secret double life if you will, as beneath his humble geeky exterior lies the son of a powerful overlord with God-like powers who runs the Ten Rings organisation. Said God-like powers come from the mysterious ten rings which bestow all the usual stuff like immortality on whoever owns them. Where do the rings come from? Don't know. Who made them? Don't know. Where do their powers come from? Don't know. How has no other Avenger thought to find these up till now? Don't know. How have these things not been mentioned until now? Don't know. Cue lots of family angst, mcguffins aplenty, a generic stage-by-stage mission leading to the big CGI finale, and of course lots of martial arts...because Chinese people!</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yep, for a movie made in this politically correct era I was actually pretty surprised at how many stereotypical Far Eastern tropes there were here. They're all here, dragons, Chinese lions, every single person being able to do martial arts, primitive rural little villages that seemingly spend all day training in martial arts, temples, wise old male Mr. Miyagi type characters etc...I mean I get it's supposed to be based around ancient Chinese culture so that kinda means you gotta have things like I guess, but I'm still surprised that it wasn't picked up on considering when this was made.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; 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font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; 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font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But whilst this movie did look admittedly sumptuous, it also looked like every other mystical fantasy historical flick based in Asia that I've ever seen and offered nothing new at all. The whole thing was so visually predictable and cliche Jesus! The entire thing was just a big trope, I felt like I was watching a PG version of Mortal Kombat it was so cheesy. And despite everything generally looking very nice, you still can't escape the nasty obvious looking CGI that we've come to expect within Marvel movies. These effects can range from grounded and cool-looking to plastic and fake-looking in the blink of an eye.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another problem with these Marvel movies is the fact there doesn't really seem to be any actual stakes at hand. There is never a time when I actually felt worried or on the edge of my seat because I know very well no one of importance will die (and even if they do chances are they'll come back anyway). The whole thing feels so very safe, devoid of any real grit. Case in point, the forest that contained the maze to the entrance Ta Lo which supposedly ''eats people'', well it doesn't. In fact I'm not really sure what the threat was there, the trees just moved and covered your tracks so you would get lost? In the end the heroes just drove through the trees so it didn't seem like they were much of a threat after all.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; 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margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Basically, for a movie that was supposed to be a kind of break from the norm offering muh diversity and a fresh outlook, it all seemed very by the numbers to me. The main character is of course perfect and invincible offering more powers that seemingly can't be matched by anyone else (especially characters like Black Widow who is merely a regular woman with no powers at all). Not sure how Simu Liu got the part seeing as he's the most generic looking guy I've seen in a blockbuster for some time. Cut n paste Asian guy number #5. ''Aquafina'' or whatever her stupid chosen name is, is predictably annoying and merely offers up stupid lines of so-called comedy. Tony Leung as Wenwu, the main antagonist, looked more like a mild-mannered middle-aged CEO than the leader of a massive criminal organisation. I also found his conflict between finding his wife (known to be dead) in Ta Lo, which is obviously a ruse, and his children rather tepid and forced . A lame attempt at some real emotion within this rather silly and childish comicbook flick.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are lots of fisticuffs involving throwing people around a lot and getting slammed into the ground which usually gets zero results for anyone. And of course there are plenty of hideous hip-hop tunes because of course there is, modern youth culture. I'm still not sure why the character of Trevor returned here either. What was the point of that? He literally did nothing and offered nothing other than a small moment of continuity from the 'Iron Man' movies. </span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Heck, this could have been a neat 'Big Trouble in Little China' type adventure, especially given all the Marvel quirks and comedy that has been its staple for some time now. But alas this is just another limp bland Marvel action & magic flick that feels like a generic brand action figure run at this point. Yes it looks pretty but that's it! There is nothing much here that I really haven't seen before in a multitude of other similar romps (including John Carpenter's 'Big Trouble' which is infinitely better in every aspect). This is the epitome of cookie-cutter or factory product line entertainment.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>5/10</b></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL85KnrTG77Iy_HqyfsdAsNpQg1kPbr2q0WzYKXwvMAS8EKa3QWLiQi64rtaMZHzf2ZMwa5fKXA8DqCLuZ9JdRBSF9LSmQCYGMtRtTNjcWmW6tygECVaTh9R4dNw3nDEfvGS_zu1xwdFIydI1JsF9I9owswVuyfElKrk7tn4GnCY7eyPzeYMWF2N1LB3lW/s1186/sc%20(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="1186" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL85KnrTG77Iy_HqyfsdAsNpQg1kPbr2q0WzYKXwvMAS8EKa3QWLiQi64rtaMZHzf2ZMwa5fKXA8DqCLuZ9JdRBSF9LSmQCYGMtRtTNjcWmW6tygECVaTh9R4dNw3nDEfvGS_zu1xwdFIydI1JsF9I9owswVuyfElKrk7tn4GnCY7eyPzeYMWF2N1LB3lW/w640-h264/sc%20(5).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></span></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-60741565280994005262024-01-03T22:15:00.000-08:002024-01-03T22:15:25.828-08:00The Island at the Top of the World (1974)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcPCy4runv_E4Kwrq8Bn4-DreB2_2Y7q6jYM8rfpqFTROoFXag32QFNAISi9EwK8fGQvchElpp5vVy8Kms70CPeI4UMsh_CNwuyLa6kFLX8EtU9gkNvuQsCA_0WsWAZuQYyOGKRDqh70H5kA7Ia8leo3YCyCKnbMUAhWR_TtWe6qjw6Z913M6bqBxI21O/s829/717e2fyz0iL._AC_SL1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcPCy4runv_E4Kwrq8Bn4-DreB2_2Y7q6jYM8rfpqFTROoFXag32QFNAISi9EwK8fGQvchElpp5vVy8Kms70CPeI4UMsh_CNwuyLa6kFLX8EtU9gkNvuQsCA_0WsWAZuQYyOGKRDqh70H5kA7Ia8leo3YCyCKnbMUAhWR_TtWe6qjw6Z913M6bqBxI21O/w265-h400/717e2fyz0iL._AC_SL1000_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The cool Disney adventure you probably never heard of (because it was essentially a '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' clone that failed at the box office).</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes another literary adaptation surrounding a tale that is very much in the same realm as Jules Verne. Initially set in England 1907, wealthy aristocrat Sir Anthony Ross sets out to find his long lost son who went off into the wild blue yonder of the Artic searching for a mystical fabled island. He hires the help of a French aeronaut who has recently invented and built a dirigible and off they sail! Destination: The Unknown! </div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Classic boys own adventure type stuff I'm sure you'll agree. Very much in the same vein as many many other adventure yarns that involve mysterious islands or lands lost to time that are either underground or beneath the sea or in a specific location etc...And in all honesty I'm sure you've all seen this type of thing before many many times. As mentioned this does indeed feel very much like a 'Leagues' clone and that is ultimately its downfall for me. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it but it plays out predictably with all your typical cliches, tropes, and results. It feels a bit too ''off the fantasy production line'' if you get me. A bit too generic despite being a big Disney project.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUVjTMPvuiS7JfwAIZVMLoeX-jM6ylJlO0Uw83Z-Z1wBfaF8hr_elWzmkQWRerEt9mhejLNyil3XoP9ttkWljSaM2xEpM6qP0hrU4mhCToWCJW6pvfxqt4Y0XXtC1JDh_G_cNJs3ktj6Fy9Rn2NrzYP6z6Wp7WKbf9t1FVyqz5luvHjglNz6Ii8zZyN8N/s714/is%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="714" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUVjTMPvuiS7JfwAIZVMLoeX-jM6ylJlO0Uw83Z-Z1wBfaF8hr_elWzmkQWRerEt9mhejLNyil3XoP9ttkWljSaM2xEpM6qP0hrU4mhCToWCJW6pvfxqt4Y0XXtC1JDh_G_cNJs3ktj6Fy9Rn2NrzYP6z6Wp7WKbf9t1FVyqz5luvHjglNz6Ii8zZyN8N/w640-h350/is%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think the one thing this movie offers originality wise is the fact the lost land and people are Norsemen. An artic island hidden by convenient clouds that in turn also hides a lush Nordic town with lots of blonde Vikings complete with long boats and horned helmets. Usually these flicks offer prehistoric tribes or made-up barbarian-type folk with the odd monsters. Nope, this time it's legit based on real people with real references to their culture and Gods etc...No monsters or oversized lizards this time. Heck the main antagonist is merely the local witch hunter-type fella, a religious zealot.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' the main hook or merchandise factor was the Nautilus submarine, with this movie it was the Hyperion dirigible. The latter was intended to become the next big thing for Disney, an iconic symbol they would use to across all their gear including their famous parks. Can't say I blamed them either, wicked design, striking with a nice realistic x steampunk vibe. This thing dominates the early part of the movie and should have had more screen time for in-depth exploration. Alas this dirigible is all this movie offers really, at least in terms of appealing fantasy visuals. Don't get me wrong the rest of the movie is packed with effects but they're all your standard generic rear screen projection type affairs (that have aged really badly) with the odd glorious matte painting (but so glorious!).</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The casting says it all really, if you ask me. Just look at the lead, Donald Sinden as Sir Anthony Ross. Now I know nothing of this actor and nothing against him but this was <b>clearly </b>a James Mason wannabe for Disney. The similarities are hilariously blatantly obvious from his beard, his elocution, right down to his attire. The rest of the team are actors I haven't really heard of apart from Mako and Jacques Marin who popped up in a few other lower-tier Disney kid's flicks. I think that was a big problem for Disney with this movie, no big stars, or at least no big star for either the main role or villain role. And that's it in a nutshell really, a nice family adventure, perfectly fine, nice and safe, but no where near as good as 'Leagues'. A poor mans 'Leagues' if I'm gonna be really truthful, but still worth seeing if you're into this type of fantasy yarn.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>6/10</b></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8QWm0y0Bkantpd1o_dHWh1GAZYBhjtCn-S5HcQx8yEdyixx_bVflZCof00gqyWvkDAupcHejArA2dwXgo02_Lt7MAIgmT3COYWeZg1H17yBeeieV7bDhv3RKqvww9H3r6Eiaz8xfIp6_T5_MPX3wmy6rltuhFQimmNyxwjE9u0mNdYGy_z7eX4_M8SA8/s712/is%20(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="712" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8QWm0y0Bkantpd1o_dHWh1GAZYBhjtCn-S5HcQx8yEdyixx_bVflZCof00gqyWvkDAupcHejArA2dwXgo02_Lt7MAIgmT3COYWeZg1H17yBeeieV7bDhv3RKqvww9H3r6Eiaz8xfIp6_T5_MPX3wmy6rltuhFQimmNyxwjE9u0mNdYGy_z7eX4_M8SA8/w640-h352/is%20(5).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-17600102270814457472023-12-07T22:11:00.000-08:002023-12-07T22:11:53.793-08:00The Flash (2023)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx4wR6xCIPXDZIKrP8JTNftgy27YXiUOXjbynGUoi-wQew3l0HI1aaRpQKZpStNcjaaN1brJPR_3X0uwFYc1iBlvKGnnqCKUN-k1dD8aFwiYkiA9OfpI0jovJ_hbeU5pqhhf-91aHRGTbQ9VebsgAa_4_cZjv5E0Jcby_JB-1JEYFP3VHUn6577c67Juo/s931/d2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="745" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx4wR6xCIPXDZIKrP8JTNftgy27YXiUOXjbynGUoi-wQew3l0HI1aaRpQKZpStNcjaaN1brJPR_3X0uwFYc1iBlvKGnnqCKUN-k1dD8aFwiYkiA9OfpI0jovJ_hbeU5pqhhf-91aHRGTbQ9VebsgAa_4_cZjv5E0Jcby_JB-1JEYFP3VHUn6577c67Juo/w320-h400/d2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So I dunno if it's because I'm getting old and whatnot but this has to be one of the most confusing convoluted messes I've had the misfortune to sit through since the last Marvel multiverse mess. Seriously what did I just watch? The current trend of having a ''multiverse'' is way way WAY out of hand geez! This all reminds me of the old days watching 'Red Dwarf' on BBC2 which would often have plots involving different versions of characters and time or dimension jumping etc...And even back then I didn't really like a lot of it as it all becomes too messy and the stakes go out the window. Well low and behold that's essentially what we have now, no-stakes movies where anything and anyone goes because it doesn't matter anymore because muh multiverse.</span></p><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The start of this movie was just bad, so so bad! The Flash has gotta save all these babies that have just been flung out of a skyscraper in the most epic case of bad CGI I have seen since the last DC CGI mess. I mean was it supposed to be dramatic? Surely you'd think it would be but apparently not judging by the crap visual gags and stupid faces the Flash is making. It's also the start of many many different cameos from many many different versions of characters with Ben Affleck as Batman (in the worst Batsuit ever) and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">From there I just felt like I was being pummeled with a never-ending stream of more and more elaborate machinations to show Barry's past, present, and his inevitable insertion into another timeline which leads to so much multiverse madness. Honestly the sheer amount of exposition crammed into this movie is insane. But this all leads to the main reason why I watched this movie (along with the majority of people my age), Michael Keaton as Batman and all his Batman stuff. Did this suffice? Well yeah it kinda did. It satisfied me to some degree. The fact they recreated various rooms in the Wayne mansion from back in the original movies was impressive. The Batcave, a glimpse of the Batmobile, the greater use of the Batwing, a very little nod to the 89 version of the Joker, and of course more Batman 89 kickassery was all pleasing to an aging warhorse such as myself.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA01kmL-U8o_mub6NtWGWKswdudj2N8TDh3u2RvS3mOwoaz8oYTN98M3wBeuZov1_LR7ZQCru0wqV_Pu95oqnF9OVoo7FMSHtwlyoEcVJnyiE268vM82eehvwpFQ8AYmGZtyJsrKONPF0wyinciaZvtOsQE4_OpdBPF1ae4ORiYtf39pFUDddrKO_6V43s/s1194/The.Flash.2023.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_006167786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1194" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA01kmL-U8o_mub6NtWGWKswdudj2N8TDh3u2RvS3mOwoaz8oYTN98M3wBeuZov1_LR7ZQCru0wqV_Pu95oqnF9OVoo7FMSHtwlyoEcVJnyiE268vM82eehvwpFQ8AYmGZtyJsrKONPF0wyinciaZvtOsQE4_OpdBPF1ae4ORiYtf39pFUDddrKO_6V43s/w640-h336/The.Flash.2023.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_006167786.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But that's as far as it went for me, the brief scenes of Batman 89 goodness were lovely and I found myself simply wanting to see more of just that. I wanted more nods and winks, I was wondering why Batman 89 didn't call up other characters from his timeline to help, Catwoman? I found myself also liking the various other brief alternate universe cameos we get in the big finale too. But here lies the problem. I enjoyed all these little cameos and was interested to see more of them, but I was completely uninterested in the actual main story surrounding the Flash. The entire Supergirl angle merely offered the worst CGI of the feature and I can't remember if that battle was in the original Henry Cavill movies or not (it's all one superhero blur to me).</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But yeah the entire sequence where one version of Barry Allen is going back in time over and over to try and get a result where Supergirl and Batman 89 survive is pretty much a good summation of this entire multiverse craziness frankly. No stakes, and even when it appears there might be some consequences, chances are they can always multiverse their way out of it somewhere along the line. Most of this movie is a huge bad-looking CGI blur with some of the worst fight sequences I have ever seen. I know it sounds cliche to say the effects were ''like a videogame'' or ''in-game videogame sequence'' but oh boy do these fit the bill here. The movie looks truly terrible half the time with obvious CGI humans being thrown all over the gaff like obvious CGI ragdolls. Everything has that horrible plastic CGI sheen to it. The effects used to paste Michael Shannon's head into his Kryptonian battle suit were laughably bad, I could go on.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This just felt overwhelming...in a bad way. It looks like there's been a lot of thought and imagination put into the feature but that's an illusion. Essentially it's a headache of a plot trying to cover lots of bases whilst sticking lots of nostalgia and nerd treasure into the fold seemingly in an attempt to please everyone. In the end this just doesn't work, or it didn't work for me. I just didn't care, I no longer care about these superhero flicks and their hyper CGI noise. Why do the effects look worse now than they did back in 2008 with the original Marvel movies? Explain this to me. And who else was more into the Nic Cage Superman universe than everything else? All this movie did was show me how much I wanted a Nic Cage Superman/Michael Keaton Batman team-up flick, and what we missed with a Nic Cage Superman franchise.</div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">4.5/10</span></b></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecAGrGRDdR4iGXhfWf66TLI4sl3XTiMFRbZC9cpTYdkH45bNMnAa12XdlMb2pjGxdMsDSWqDAVs4ufoYIfrhbp_f8KGbQgvIlgzeBgJiCFoSna0wZNowi5SYQBLG4gzDcHRowCLXlffPnq_QsGIPNaZEb54kd6mGfhTdjskM1Db5RSWl9DigIA2MNnyiq/s1189/The.Flash.2023.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_004361565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1189" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecAGrGRDdR4iGXhfWf66TLI4sl3XTiMFRbZC9cpTYdkH45bNMnAa12XdlMb2pjGxdMsDSWqDAVs4ufoYIfrhbp_f8KGbQgvIlgzeBgJiCFoSna0wZNowi5SYQBLG4gzDcHRowCLXlffPnq_QsGIPNaZEb54kd6mGfhTdjskM1Db5RSWl9DigIA2MNnyiq/w640-h334/The.Flash.2023.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_004361565.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-23721882334403518112023-11-17T00:40:00.000-08:002023-11-17T00:40:58.331-08:00A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXIzfJjoNgxWXSt8ylsFNIX-OXiK3S7oDpafUUsuSFMBU2sHQeYGtdHhxiUK83EfmSKhgSfi0ZB6Np46i4yHvJC1jqy3tzpQzdI2fmypeVxlv6bU_jfpzb_DMSiHPuV1GkTzUf_m3QY5kTiuqShZJlaHQkNXjciZ3TXFd7t615VKbcAwY-vBy0Ll3Mfjo/s1440/rh4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXIzfJjoNgxWXSt8ylsFNIX-OXiK3S7oDpafUUsuSFMBU2sHQeYGtdHhxiUK83EfmSKhgSfi0ZB6Np46i4yHvJC1jqy3tzpQzdI2fmypeVxlv6bU_jfpzb_DMSiHPuV1GkTzUf_m3QY5kTiuqShZJlaHQkNXjciZ3TXFd7t615VKbcAwY-vBy0Ll3Mfjo/w266-h400/rh4.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The third and final movie from Hammer Productions based on the legendary folk hero of Nottinghamshire, Robin Hood. As said before these movies are not connected, no story arc is contained within this trilogy. Thing is, there is no Robin Hood in this feature, so why does the title contain the name? (obviously name recognition).</p><p>In this film we are actually given more of an origin tale. Things are changed up a bit to offer a more fresh approach and this is admittedly a welcome angle as there are only so many times you can tell the same old story which everyone knows by heart. In this take Robin Hood is called Robin De Courtenay, the cousin of Henry (somewhat good) and Roger (downright evil) De Courtenay whose dying elderly father Sir John is a wealthy Norman nobleman. Upon his death bed Sir John divides his castle and wealth between the three men which unsurprisingly pisses off the dastardly Roger. Roger proceeds to murder Henry using Robin's knife in order to lay the blame on Robin. Robin thusly flees into the forest and joins up with a band of Saxons whom he had helped earlier on at the start of the film.</p><p>There are mentions of Richard the Lionheart, there is no Prince John. Robin is part of a wealthy Norman family. Will Scarlet and Little John appear to be servants or retainers of Sir John and not part of the merry men. Robin's main enemies are Roger De Courtenay and the Sheriff of Nottingham. And Maid Marian has a slight name alteration and initially isn't the object of Robin's affection! Marian's own maid appears to take that role. Other characters such as Much, Tuck, and Alan-a-Dale are present and correct.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28KgSj8aNiRbxCvrrx7KN12vJo-SBJUY87dMm7VjbVkWn_-DeSATs4YjrgMRA7NyUdEeLv4Ota_La8pm7yyTO3-Ly9mJeqP9VVcwb66XfV_IvzZRgAF_xD8WBaa02R5HndG0KEs-UY7zjHHkDP2MQqTjcqdQskFzlqdEkIkM7kSKI2OLKCT5I5CuHkDzg/s1091/rh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1091" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28KgSj8aNiRbxCvrrx7KN12vJo-SBJUY87dMm7VjbVkWn_-DeSATs4YjrgMRA7NyUdEeLv4Ota_La8pm7yyTO3-Ly9mJeqP9VVcwb66XfV_IvzZRgAF_xD8WBaa02R5HndG0KEs-UY7zjHHkDP2MQqTjcqdQskFzlqdEkIkM7kSKI2OLKCT5I5CuHkDzg/w640-h382/rh.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So they take some liberties with the story which is fine, but what about everything else? Well firstly casting for me was a bit of a mixed bag really. Barrie Ingham as Robin visually speaking was way off for me. This guy looked more like a smooth 60's lounge singer and far too clean-cut for the role. Sure I get he's supposed to be a nobleman here but the hair, sideburns etc...it all looked too modern-day (for the time). Obviously Friar Tuck's gonna Friar Tuck and Marion isn't hard to get right, but the rest of the gang all looked pretty generic to me, nothing really unique going on here. Don't get me wrong I'm not expecting 'Mad Max' in Sherwood but maybe something to distinguish the odd outlaw. Villain wise again it's pretty standard fair but with Peter Blythe looking a bit Freddie Mercury-esque as Roger De Courtenay but suitably dastardly. This was always one of Hammer's problems in my opinion, the era tended to shine through too much in their casting. You could easily guess this was probably made in the 60's down to the way the cast looks, a major negative for any historical feature.</p><p>There is swashbuckling aplenty for sure but it certainly lacks the spritely gloss of the famous Errol Flynn picture and their own second feature 'Sword of Sherwood Forest'; but it does easily defeat their first foray into the woods with the weak 'Men of Sherwood Forest'. The film starts off quite dark with Roger evilly shooting a man in the back with an arrow and then his servant trying to murder the child witness, but it all quickly devolves into the inevitable hammy affair you'd come to expect. Not much blood (if any) and plenty of fake-looking swords, heck they even battle it out with a pie fight in one scene! Don't get me wrong it all looks terrific as Hammer features often did, very reliable on that front, but boy are some of those Norman troops useless.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CKylh67bXmswklFJvjuYnVSXw-qBTcPmnVrEXtySQNyj7Z6M-pvY8DxMRq30ZOdgMWMguuC0g6MUWX4TZdXGfd9J8u7W1ZBChbaS5rSq-wqdSBizUSdZ_mn_UDAmg8rzmwu2xT1wYdbdQ7DeY1ivu9q8xXfJASWXQ7EWV3_KrQgrKVdHbDIEr-uNEhcT/s892/rh3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="892" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CKylh67bXmswklFJvjuYnVSXw-qBTcPmnVrEXtySQNyj7Z6M-pvY8DxMRq30ZOdgMWMguuC0g6MUWX4TZdXGfd9J8u7W1ZBChbaS5rSq-wqdSBizUSdZ_mn_UDAmg8rzmwu2xT1wYdbdQ7DeY1ivu9q8xXfJASWXQ7EWV3_KrQgrKVdHbDIEr-uNEhcT/w640-h386/rh3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I think the one thing that kinda threw me here was the altering of the classic folklore. I get the need for a change as you can't remake the same old Robin Hood story every time but there was something about this that felt off, like a poor man's equivalent that didn't have the full rights to the story. A lot of it for me was the casting which I just didn't really connect with. They also take the odd bit of classic lore and just give it a spin such as Robin's fight against Little John now takes place inside the castle. There is also no archery tournament here but a similar setup (a fair) which sees said Robin fight against Little John, whereupon he collects a prize (not a golden arrow). They also give a small bit of backstory for how they all end up wearing green (as up until then they are all wearing various period attire) which was cool. Shame all their attire is always spotlessly clean, ugh! </p><p>Well they're definitely men in green tights that's for sure, but there isn't a great deal of robbing from the rich to give to the poor this time. A dash of period-era political intrigue and a whole lot of Robin's gang versus Roger's gang. The bad guys are easily the more interesting whilst lounge lizard Robin's boys are all a bit cookie-cutter. I didn't hate this but I didn't really like it either. It just didn't really feel like Robin Hood. I should also point out that they appeared to film outdoor locations at Bodiam Castle, the same as they did for 'The Men of Sherwood Forest'. A bit silly as you can clearly tell it's the same location and this might fool some into thinking the films are connected. Oh well.</p><p><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><b>5/10</b></span></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-57799915014547816832023-10-27T22:42:00.000-07:002023-10-27T22:42:30.339-07:00Captain Clegg (1962)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuPh5MSMXfHsWzgi0hyphenhyphenYKTRld10pZa-RuKCNXnWi1WRl_mTw0eSEN6losxliRkOgw1d98aYjPGAHM-EoP-uvCfO7hR9dpwe4NgJ4vS67lT8gt2hQuRwRDBppnlqRYuw4OzFtEXJsAFNML6DqrUd_LQxCossH5lfM4NYJ7T-NYp9mRZJCD3lgNts8q0MYE/s455/d%20-%20Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuPh5MSMXfHsWzgi0hyphenhyphenYKTRld10pZa-RuKCNXnWi1WRl_mTw0eSEN6losxliRkOgw1d98aYjPGAHM-EoP-uvCfO7hR9dpwe4NgJ4vS67lT8gt2hQuRwRDBppnlqRYuw4OzFtEXJsAFNML6DqrUd_LQxCossH5lfM4NYJ7T-NYp9mRZJCD3lgNts8q0MYE/w264-h400/d%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>A rather unusual and not particularly intimidating title for a horror picture. The alternate US title of 'Night Creatures' sounds better but doesn't really fit the bill. I was actually quite surprised to discover this rather tacky, so-called horror, is actually loosely based on a series of adventure books which in turn were loosely based on actual historical events of the 18th Century. Lots of smuggling going on along the South East coast of Kent back then it seems.</p><p>This creepy tale revolves around a Captain investigating a potential smuggling operation in and around a small coastal village that just so happens to have a supposed ghosty problem. The village is apparently run by the seemingly inconspicuous village parson (Peter Cushing) who, behind the scenes, does actually run the smuggling operation. The village's ghost problem appears to be a ruse in order to keep people away from their smuggling activities late at night. But does the parson hold a deep dark secret in his past?</p><p>Now I know I have given the entire game away with that little plot summary but trust me, it's all pretty easy to see right from the start. This is indeed what you might describe as a charming little British horror flick. I'm sure back in 1962 it was possibly seen as quite scary but these days it's an utterly harmless affair. Again the one thing that lured me into watching this was the usual Hammer casting of Cushing and Oliver Reed. Both actors aren't exactly rocking the boat in terms of range here but both deliver exactly what you would expect in a feature like this. Cushing of course being the highlight with his bony elongated figure and deliciously calm yet devious manner perfectly fitting the conniving parson. His hairstyle (wig) also gave the character a nice religiously eerie presence.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFumojXxNjAfReAQTOz1F6Q8xyLyJcp6U1eA82qd2ta731_8-CmCtk6YSr0hmoujRADbAwP2zH-QUa1pkEgWntIdnaQc53cmBrVYeF5j4f7sJMIACfhPiP6BCdvTIJQHClEzwtwteFaIWZP_idzkLxvHr_fToWffGES1J3MT7TvbSRmtEEXLkBpfVeWZR/s1192/Night%20Creatures%20AKA%20Captain%20Clegg%20-%20Peter%20Cushing%20Hammer%20Horror%201962%20Eng%20Subs%201080p%20%5BH264-mp4%5D.mp4_002109274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="1192" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFumojXxNjAfReAQTOz1F6Q8xyLyJcp6U1eA82qd2ta731_8-CmCtk6YSr0hmoujRADbAwP2zH-QUa1pkEgWntIdnaQc53cmBrVYeF5j4f7sJMIACfhPiP6BCdvTIJQHClEzwtwteFaIWZP_idzkLxvHr_fToWffGES1J3MT7TvbSRmtEEXLkBpfVeWZR/w640-h306/Night%20Creatures%20AKA%20Captain%20Clegg%20-%20Peter%20Cushing%20Hammer%20Horror%201962%20Eng%20Subs%201080p%20%5BH264-mp4%5D.mp4_002109274.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>As with almost every Hammer film the visuals are gorgeous and really draw you in. All the sets, props, and costumes (which I'm sure are reused from other films) look wonderfully authentic although I'm also sure they're probably not entirely period-accurate. Like many Hammer productions it's all about the visuals and the thrills and not so much the historical accuracy. Nevertheless they all do the job, alas the same cannot be said for the various location shoots which border on comical at times. Clearly this wasn't filmed around Romney Marshes where the story is set and bizarrely most of the night scenes appeared to have been shot during the day and they've tried to alter the image after the fact. I guess there were issued shooting at night but boy does it detract from the atmosphere.</p><p>The ghosts or phantoms that haunt the area of actually the smugglers, and the parson, dressed in robes with skeletons painted on them with luminous paint apparently (would they have had luminous paint in the 18th Century?). These sequences reminded me very much of the silliness of 'Scooby Doo' and even an element of the Ku Klux Klan oddly enough. The scenes of these phantoms galloping across the countryside at night, their robes glowing, unfortunately looked pretty rough as the effects clearly weren't up to much. A nice idea but they weren't able to fully realise it.</p><p>Final thoughts? The film's poster is epic, it's literally the perfect hokey Halloween image for any kid's party. As for the feature itself, well I enjoyed it despite it not really living up to the creepiness the poster oh so promises. The actual story is kinda weak and you're not really sure who you should be rooting for. The big reveal surrounding the parson should have been easy to figure out within the first five minutes of the opening (making him the baddie); and the authorities investigating the town are also kinda made out to be baddies too. I guess some of the townsfolk are the goodies despite being smugglers. The atmosphere is certainly present but the final execution is lacking (along with the effects), which is a shame. The night scenes that were obviously shot during the day really spoil everything, or it did for me at least.</p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">6/10</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsQbtiooDr0_dPowHw7fnOyaZEHJovVfZNbSYgtoXgh2hydw263gR_joxLlVRBbAuHwpGceMFwc1U1sXKokcU_lLQuQUcc337SCZ1c-vF4kqUBBWOvZ8Qff5iGD-_1XbPDmUnkcOe76zmC4LHzvnBBftuWrVXbxoma4Xkr125jcWtRUuyiT4xY6FUHSkB/s1191/Night%20Creatures%20AKA%20Captain%20Clegg%20-%20Peter%20Cushing%20Hammer%20Horror%201962%20Eng%20Subs%201080p%20%5BH264-mp4%5D.mp4_000223849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1191" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsQbtiooDr0_dPowHw7fnOyaZEHJovVfZNbSYgtoXgh2hydw263gR_joxLlVRBbAuHwpGceMFwc1U1sXKokcU_lLQuQUcc337SCZ1c-vF4kqUBBWOvZ8Qff5iGD-_1XbPDmUnkcOe76zmC4LHzvnBBftuWrVXbxoma4Xkr125jcWtRUuyiT4xY6FUHSkB/w640-h306/Night%20Creatures%20AKA%20Captain%20Clegg%20-%20Peter%20Cushing%20Hammer%20Horror%201962%20Eng%20Subs%201080p%20%5BH264-mp4%5D.mp4_000223849.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b><p></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-78809697500288689822023-10-22T10:36:00.000-07:002023-10-22T10:36:19.310-07:00The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMyJf3K4fvRcHbJwE-DWSkIlmwBTbcByp1GDWNB_r_67RdrnDfr2DhNv5iRJ9xtq3peNU8redyTZFbotLQuh88NgdANUz0HTVZpwB9N5sM4CTEdF-1QgTIU528HIURfs0KH7R5lefM8amQYw4PepKhZZ33y8KyPWG36InsEhJYyLJFbzYDuJd4vTbwTgH/s500/3_worlds_of_gulliver_UKquad%20-%20Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="500" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMyJf3K4fvRcHbJwE-DWSkIlmwBTbcByp1GDWNB_r_67RdrnDfr2DhNv5iRJ9xtq3peNU8redyTZFbotLQuh88NgdANUz0HTVZpwB9N5sM4CTEdF-1QgTIU528HIURfs0KH7R5lefM8amQYw4PepKhZZ33y8KyPWG36InsEhJYyLJFbzYDuJd4vTbwTgH/w400-h299/3_worlds_of_gulliver_UKquad%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Possibly the least known movie that contained stop-motion work by the legendary Ray Harryhausen, and that's probably mostly down to the fact his work doesn't feature a great deal within the story. This is more of a classical children's feature along the lines of 'Doctor Doolittle' (1967) where Harryhausen's animal effects are only showcased twice and not for that long.</p><p>Loosely based on a classic piece of English literature by Johnathan Swift that can both be for adults and children (although that was not the intention). As with many films like this the plot has been cut down quite a bit and focuses mostly on the first two parts of the original novel (which is made up of four parts). Having never read the original novel myself and not having any clues as to what actually happened plot-wise (although I have heard of Gulliver's travels), the fact that the film is obviously missing large sections of the original novel made no difference to me. And to be honest this fact shouldn't really affect anyone else's enjoyment either unless you know the original story well. But I think they made the right choice because you probably wouldn't be able to cram everything into one film.</p><p>The story of Gulliver's travels in this film sees him getting lost at sea and washing up on the island of Lilliput where he makes friends with the Lilliputians. Not long after he discovers he's also stumbled into a conflict between the Lilliputians and the next island of Blefuscu. Upon realising he can't handle the conflict between the two Gulliver escapes to the island of Brobdingnag, the island of giants. There with the help of a young girl, he wins over the King and his court but eventually falls afoul of the Prime Minister who accuses Gulliver of witchcraft.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NbcBL2WesrQXZ7PzPGFNwOskKU_HXzybD-Lm2hgGQfepiXZjYlk1ie6V53vlvGVMPeGcoA8gzQgLdMVGmGWYu1HLtCAOhJ85ztZm4dPz9zWbS6a58-HgBoVyVlc76_W5iwazIJddO6U0dw-lU2k4fk-9u3KaOe5Wh8U4pqCtnZqQpHUhr9BDQe2apKuA/s714/The.3.Worlds.of.Gulliver.1960.REMASTERED.OAR.BDRip.x264-VoMiT.mkv_000745745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="714" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NbcBL2WesrQXZ7PzPGFNwOskKU_HXzybD-Lm2hgGQfepiXZjYlk1ie6V53vlvGVMPeGcoA8gzQgLdMVGmGWYu1HLtCAOhJ85ztZm4dPz9zWbS6a58-HgBoVyVlc76_W5iwazIJddO6U0dw-lU2k4fk-9u3KaOe5Wh8U4pqCtnZqQpHUhr9BDQe2apKuA/w640-h386/The.3.Worlds.of.Gulliver.1960.REMASTERED.OAR.BDRip.x264-VoMiT.mkv_000745745.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The original story is supposed to be a satire on Human nature, religion, war etc...the usual stuff. In hindsight I can kinda see that now but whilst watching the movie I didn't really get that vibe. Overall the movie is definitely aimed more at the younger audience and more of a spirited boy's adventure yarn. The first part of the plot which sees Gulliver in Lilliput definitely has more iconic imagery that people will recognise from the original literature such as Gulliver being restrained with multiple ropes. There is some lovely over-the-top acting, great effects, great sets and costumes, and an engaging little plot focusing on the silly conflict between the two islands. The brief sequence where Gulliver steals the warships of Blefuscu gives us a glimpse of their people who appear to be based on Asians or Chinese people. The Lilliputians seem to have an Arabic styling about them and their dwellings which is in contrast to the more medieval look of the Brobdingnagians.</p><p>The second part sees Gulliver trapped on the island of giants, Brobdingnag. The whole Lilliput saga fades away into memory as Gulliver must now try to win the favor of the rather childish King Brob. Once again the effects, sets, costumes, and acting are all top-notch. In fact the over-the-top acting is probably the highlight of the movie. Grégoire Aslan is fantastic as King Brob, his bizarre infantile portrayal is most enjoyable with his mood swings. He kinda reminded me of Richard Lewis in 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights'. This is also the part of the movie where we see Ray Harryhausen's work with a squirrel and crocodile, the crocodile obviously being the more exciting. Despite being his early work what you get is still top quality, the surrounding sets and props all adding to the illusion perfectly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9S9uCjxM1CNw6RqkQpoQBMpXF010xAK5A2zbPvKsaAwLM__8Ysn4PN1h1i9KKUTPkn05jVv91X96bUnfJkvb_xLHv46j0NxBKdyj-b-SV2ckYTMFN2U0c7p9bHHE1ew3TSeliuFMySNWpoTK9ghAbNNgrAXiVFpH9PfMqAQliUASKuHkp3gcz0GWwLzX/s713/The.3.Worlds.of.Gulliver.1960.REMASTERED.OAR.BDRip.x264-VoMiT.mkv_002192899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="713" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9S9uCjxM1CNw6RqkQpoQBMpXF010xAK5A2zbPvKsaAwLM__8Ysn4PN1h1i9KKUTPkn05jVv91X96bUnfJkvb_xLHv46j0NxBKdyj-b-SV2ckYTMFN2U0c7p9bHHE1ew3TSeliuFMySNWpoTK9ghAbNNgrAXiVFpH9PfMqAQliUASKuHkp3gcz0GWwLzX/w640-h384/The.3.Worlds.of.Gulliver.1960.REMASTERED.OAR.BDRip.x264-VoMiT.mkv_002192899.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Effects wise this film obviously is showing its age. The majority of the giant effects are simple rear projection or bluescreen effects that do admittedly look pretty ugly these days. On the other hand there is a lot of clever camera trickery being utilised to sell the illusion of size. The most obvious trick is the use of angles and positioning cameras at various heights to give the perspective of looking up or down at different scales. Surprisingly this does work a treat and with the inclusion of various props at various sizes, you have a nice overall effect. </p><p>Despite the literature this movie is based on what we get isn't really that original truth be told. The entire notion of adults acting childishly, being over-emotional and erratic, and prone to violence or anger; whilst the children in the story are much more level-headed is a somewhat common fairytale trope. Indeed this does come across much more like a classic fairytale than a sly attack on Human nature of the time, which Swift originally intended. One could argue there are offensive stereotypes within this tale but I'm guessing that was kinda the point of the original satire. It all looks like something out of a child's mind in this feature, a cobbled-together fusion of everything that almost seems LEGO-like in appearance. It all adds to the charm for sure, resulting in a very pleasant, relaxing story that's easy on the eyes and the perfect little piece of old-fashioned escapism.</p><p><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;">6/10</span></b></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-52961939001367535602023-10-14T08:59:00.002-07:002023-10-14T08:59:37.783-07:00The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSNumrVIN-L0eubPXO6NkGYw_NtgtaaRuBkFDn_6UOrKGpAlqnZGts4mPGVq9to0dvWKzkhvVNu5vPMy3LbnRa6cZNl_XBjuc7FZWeFK_urxxirT01EAdoLWPgOhGV_LDrFuoTgRRkmWxr8wvOcomenGgeGdQHRvG8k3TwLIn92sKww74ns6ujYopjFjz/s758/711JM+wbctL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSNumrVIN-L0eubPXO6NkGYw_NtgtaaRuBkFDn_6UOrKGpAlqnZGts4mPGVq9to0dvWKzkhvVNu5vPMy3LbnRa6cZNl_XBjuc7FZWeFK_urxxirT01EAdoLWPgOhGV_LDrFuoTgRRkmWxr8wvOcomenGgeGdQHRvG8k3TwLIn92sKww74ns6ujYopjFjz/w264-h400/711JM+wbctL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Okay so we finally have a Super Mario movie. Nintendo has finally allowed Hollywood to try again after the complete sh*tshow that was the 1993 attempt. The big question is, did they succeed this time? Yes, I think they did! </p><p>The Mario franchise has spanned decades so who is the target audience now? Well it's kids and rightfully so, but naturally they have included lots of little hidden gems throughout for people who grew up with this classic plumbing duo (old folks like me). This was definitely a good move as the plot is pretty darn thin on the ground let me tell you. I mean what are we looking at here? It's a movie of the Mario games, so obviously it involves Mario and Luigi having to defeat Bowser with the help of Princess Peach and Toad, game over.</p><p>One of the main issues I had with this movie was the fact I felt like I had seen it all before...via videogames obviously. Personally I felt like many of the sequences could have easily been lifted from in-game videogame sequences or simple trailers for the games. The movie looks fantastic no doubt, but that isn't really a big deal anymore, in this day and age. We come to expect stunning animation and vibrant visuals so despite it looking spot on in every sense, that fact isn't really enough anymore. Videogames these days can look just as good as movies (especially animated movies) so it didn't feel overall especially mind-blowing or original. But yeah it did kinda feel a bit like a highlights reel from various sections of various games, but hey what did I expect right?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkIHh0y1gavOitP37OiAfXhI7qW9cAzQe1tUVtErXS2LKUX5dCrp9MNhLQ6VjHs0OFEFr6viyTQJ0XdSJqlHF89QHNm5F-XagVRntcwfMYy1mIgyreFk1Hi6n62rArysYvTaXM4geqslAJbsc0q2R3LnhQP4_IbPp8CHmYqrkwWottpPtSlmkvvmyBc0g/s1386/The.Super.Mario.Bros..Movie.2023.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_004778190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1386" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkIHh0y1gavOitP37OiAfXhI7qW9cAzQe1tUVtErXS2LKUX5dCrp9MNhLQ6VjHs0OFEFr6viyTQJ0XdSJqlHF89QHNm5F-XagVRntcwfMYy1mIgyreFk1Hi6n62rArysYvTaXM4geqslAJbsc0q2R3LnhQP4_IbPp8CHmYqrkwWottpPtSlmkvvmyBc0g/w640-h266/The.Super.Mario.Bros..Movie.2023.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_004778190.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>That being said, I did find myself questioning how certain things were missed (yes I'm contradicting myself now). When Mario has to fight Donkey Kong I couldn't help but think that director Aaron Horvath missed a trick by not utilising the classic 1981 'barrels and girders' arcade classic. There also seemed to be a lack of actual classic block platforming-type action sequences for the boys, strange decision. But on the plus side, the (Mario) kart sequence was good. I liked the brief appearance of Yoshi's, obviously being held back for the sequel. The brief sequence showing kiddie versions of Mario and Luigi harked back to the game 'Yoshi's Island'. </p><p>I loved how back in Brooklyn there was another local neighbourhood character who looked and sounded exactly like the original Mario character (Jump Man) way back when; and he was playing 'Jump Man' on the arcade machine! And did anyone notice the use of the 'Super Mario Bros Super Show' opening intro song being used for the Mario Bros TV advert at the start? Gotta be a certain age kids. Of course there are many other little tit bits such as various Nintendo character portraits on the Mario family house walls, and Mario actually playing on a NES! (why not a SNES?).</p><p>Few things that griped me. Firstly, the inclusion of real-world pop songs, why??!! That completely pulled me out of the movie, a horrendous choice. Who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea to stick an A-ha tune over an action sequence? Ugh!!! Secondly, the overall score was so loud in general you couldn't really hear all those classic Nintendo videogame sound effects. All those epic little power-up, coin, 1-Up, stomp, kick, pipe etc...sound bites that are the heart and soul of the game. They got lost in the background. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYlc8BYDhdaWcKWVW9RVA9-80KXL3Nf0SwKrCrIuQgSxMq20bgc5hFJVt_iGM6PFAKKlIM8zAKtXMHKFekfEw-m7JCbnDAA92SsBKD02IjTl-mylBCJfnqteG3eI9WxxgWnSSPzuM-T823voVsfj6hifA9qFbORPD7-E4plx0PjwZhzEPcV9ZwDVfDldS/s1392/vlcsnap-2023-10-08-17h32m42s661.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1392" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYlc8BYDhdaWcKWVW9RVA9-80KXL3Nf0SwKrCrIuQgSxMq20bgc5hFJVt_iGM6PFAKKlIM8zAKtXMHKFekfEw-m7JCbnDAA92SsBKD02IjTl-mylBCJfnqteG3eI9WxxgWnSSPzuM-T823voVsfj6hifA9qFbORPD7-E4plx0PjwZhzEPcV9ZwDVfDldS/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2023-10-08-17h32m42s661.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I also didn't like having to listen to Bowser singing which I thought was only a thing simply because Jack Black (who voiced Bowser) is a singer, sheesh! Speaking of voice acting, yeah everyone was fine, no probs for me. Sure like everyone else I thought the casting of Chris Pratt was an odd choice but yeah...he was fine. Not tooooo sure how Brooklyn didn't get completely wiped out in the big finale sequence what with Bowser's castle landing on it and the huge explosion etc...I guess I'm looking too much into it now.</p><p>Can't deny I was expecting more. For all the hype and money made, I was kinda expecting one of the greatest animated movies of all time, up there with 'Toy Story'. Yeah I know I'm stupid, should never let myself get carried away like that because you know it won't end well. Obviously if you know Nintendo and Mario then you should enjoy. If you don't know Nintendo and Mario then, where have you been? And obviously you'll probably be quite lost. Anyway, I wouldn't say it's a homerun but considering the garbage we're getting these days it's definitely a big improvement.</p><p><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;">7/10</span></b></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-54113469046076904842023-10-08T08:32:00.003-07:002023-10-08T08:33:49.719-07:00Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItBvVBLiaH3kducpAelD6ZZinUwXbWjX4vEE_y3LzUtDLeiEqntJ3Kup-YVcRCsVUnETncmhWY1zaO-LKSsMGdYP6Vu4gmijuEcRKn_sEoH7QQ2y_lR8lB8elU6rdkIagP2-33A_PkUaJUjOm2YM2pps6FROrNOBpfq2ySHR7XNZ_axuR-PVjF9FRX8kL/s566/lf.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="422" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItBvVBLiaH3kducpAelD6ZZinUwXbWjX4vEE_y3LzUtDLeiEqntJ3Kup-YVcRCsVUnETncmhWY1zaO-LKSsMGdYP6Vu4gmijuEcRKn_sEoH7QQ2y_lR8lB8elU6rdkIagP2-33A_PkUaJUjOm2YM2pps6FROrNOBpfq2ySHR7XNZ_axuR-PVjF9FRX8kL/w299-h400/lf.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Unbeknownst to me Hammer Productions made three movies based on the legend of Robin Hood. They are all separate from each other (not connected, not sequels) but this particular movie does have some connections with the TV series 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' which came a few years prior. But it's the cast in this movie that grabbed my attention.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The plot is a bit wishy washy it must be said, tends to roam about somewhat. Essentially, the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham along with the help of the Duke of Newark, wants to steal the land of a nobleman who has recently died in the Crusades. The Archbishop of Canterbury is against this move which results in him becoming the target of assassination by the Sheriff. Oddly enough the Duke of Newark stumbles upon Robin Hood (who he doesn't recognise) and upon being impressed with his archery skills asks Robin to carry out the assassination. Naturally, once Robin realises what's going on he decides to help the Archbishop.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That is the main crux of the plot but there are some drawbacks. Firstly, the nobleman whose land is so precious to the Sheriff and Duke is unknown, we don't get any information on him other than he was the Lord of Bawtry (a small market town in the north of England). I should also point out that the Duke of Newark, as far as I'm aware, is a fictitious character for this movie which is disappointing considering all the real people they could have used. Secondly, it's weird how the Duke doesn't recognise Robin (the notorious outlaw of the time) immediately or at least suspect anything. It has to be pointed out to him by the Sheriff after the Duke hires him. Its also quite amusing how the Duke puts Robin through some trials to test his archery skills, hires him, and then puts him through yet more trials because apparently he wasn't entirely convinced the first time; and he </span><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>still</b></span><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> doesn't realise its Robin Hood!</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_vioS5O_i4sJBbK4kSHMLZZaNflrm8wGp1NAH3Qkkt1R6g41Cagl1TLjyiYsoWIpWQDFAw-MD4bz6s5OA-sTLTqFSQk1Q5IwBpSm5oFzDCIuoNetwPdPWWQ3dFT1O1neEJq-zRMM1Uh3WRAMvxg1sc60kpZw9gR5Shj8ovpru7pXVi4x9ABqanYVPar4/s1015/vlcsnap-2023-10-07-14h35m47s385.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="1015" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_vioS5O_i4sJBbK4kSHMLZZaNflrm8wGp1NAH3Qkkt1R6g41Cagl1TLjyiYsoWIpWQDFAw-MD4bz6s5OA-sTLTqFSQk1Q5IwBpSm5oFzDCIuoNetwPdPWWQ3dFT1O1neEJq-zRMM1Uh3WRAMvxg1sc60kpZw9gR5Shj8ovpru7pXVi4x9ABqanYVPar4/w640-h269/vlcsnap-2023-10-07-14h35m47s385.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="border: 0px; 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font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; 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margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Oliver Reed plays Lord Melton (fictitious again), a promising evil-looking character with a glorious slimy voice who doesn't really do anything, a wasted character. And lastly, one of Robin's men is murdered by the Sheriff. So Maid Marian desperately wants to get the Archbishop to grant freedom to his family, which kinda feels superfluous really considering men on both sides probably got killed quite often.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's an odd entry really, no mentions of Prince John, no mentions of Richard the Lionheart except for the Crusades. I'm not sure when this story is supposed to have been set timeline-wise or if it's just meant to be a random adventure. I can't deny it looks great though. Really rich vibrant settings that admittedly don't look anything like Nottinghamshire or Yorkshire or Derbyshire but they are attractive and green. It's the usual thing really, some shots look like they could be in the correct location, others look completely ridiculous. The movie was actually shot in Ireland but honestly I wouldn't have guessed that. Still, I enjoyed the visuals very much, the interiors of castles, places of worship, grand halls etc...all looked really nice and quite authentic. Hammer sets always looked good, especially inside rustic castles.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid675GDCfAlEtLllBSNnZ_23Gl3ipGSfNjwjom6h1OYVUrf23Hb7pZow5FFSfLEnb8Tl_r4QSxf4UjYKu5y2ZQv8TOmUi5dt1og2ycIOBbUzh4xHQvCLFy7j57h5IzZFnciJ85YrNvmd5MZaL2wP5tldygqnBDInv2MDjJzE01W8kY1e0qcviCJ3c_NzXg/s1014/vlcsnap-2023-10-07-14h40m44s673.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1014" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid675GDCfAlEtLllBSNnZ_23Gl3ipGSfNjwjom6h1OYVUrf23Hb7pZow5FFSfLEnb8Tl_r4QSxf4UjYKu5y2ZQv8TOmUi5dt1og2ycIOBbUzh4xHQvCLFy7j57h5IzZFnciJ85YrNvmd5MZaL2wP5tldygqnBDInv2MDjJzE01W8kY1e0qcviCJ3c_NzXg/w640-h268/vlcsnap-2023-10-07-14h40m44s673.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As I said originally it was the cast that piqued my interest here. As said there is Oliver Reed playing a great but underutilised baddie. Next to him you have Richard Pasco stealing every scene with bold overacting and amusing bowl haircut. Nigel Green once again plays the strongman character in Little John with that trademark hairstyle and beard of his. Richard Greene continues his role as Robin Hood from the TV series (much of the cast also starred in that series). Definitely some curious casting for me because he looked like a clean-cut middle-aged bank manager rather than a medieval outlaw. And of course Peter Cushing can simply do no wrong. I expected a stereotypical moustache-twirling villain but I was genuinely surprised at how good his Sheriff was here. I should also add that the costumes all round were really good and authentic looking. Again I expected cliched costumes in big bold colours but no! Characters have various outfits and they mostly look suitably rough, worn, and handmade.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'll be honest here, I fully expected this to be a horrendous fake-looking cliched mess with corny-as-hell acting, but I was wrong! Yes the story is kinda weak and I have no idea how it fits into the lore of Robin Hood (or if it even does, probably doesn't). I'm guessing it's just a story someone made up for the movie and not based on any historical events or folklore. That aside, the visuals overall are very pleasing from the costumes to the locations and the wonderful interior sets. This movie looks far better than most other Robin Hood movies and, dare I say, more authentic than the classic Errol Flynn adventure. Don't go expecting top-notch action of course but what you get is perfectly acceptable. Overall this is a thoroughly enjoyable romp of the Middle Ages. Look out for 007's Desmond Llewellyn as the bloke getting shot in the back with an arrow at the start. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>7/10</b></span></div><p></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-49892726720513278502023-08-20T00:25:00.001-07:002023-08-20T00:25:16.200-07:00House on Haunted Hill (1959)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HmbiqsK3dYcMydzV5FI1TCFLShzvpG3htWaFy0IOf6fsIpVzKKPUMAxkSdodhEdKQtskv7BmgjNu0Y1efIfQqFI9Kd2eK_8cLbgspE6gK3TGiqSv3LEGGE2AB2FLOl3sCmQEmcyUkTmrU47McbJPTVGPswprI4GbKUaxdLKYKFl7febJ0nb6lDmQhyfK/s836/a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="836" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HmbiqsK3dYcMydzV5FI1TCFLShzvpG3htWaFy0IOf6fsIpVzKKPUMAxkSdodhEdKQtskv7BmgjNu0Y1efIfQqFI9Kd2eK_8cLbgspE6gK3TGiqSv3LEGGE2AB2FLOl3sCmQEmcyUkTmrU47McbJPTVGPswprI4GbKUaxdLKYKFl7febJ0nb6lDmQhyfK/w400-h302/a1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">An eccentric millionaire rents a house that is believed to be haunted in order to throw a party and see who survives? This millionaire appears to be bored with life. But wait! There is of course a more sinister plot afoot, well kinda. Actually it all surrounds a simple murder attempt and no ghosts or ghoulies a tall unfortunately.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So spoiler alert then for this (at the time of this review) 64-year-old movie. Yes, for a movie about a haunted house and starring the King of Creeps Vincent Price, there is no supernatural activity going on in this entire movie, alas. Frederick Loren (Price) invites a small party of specific people over to his spooky soirée. They all share one thing in common, they crave money (don't we all). Apart from the obvious lure of money I'm not too sure why these people would accept such a bizarre and possibly suspicious offer. Looking at it from my own perspective, I would be highly suspicious, but anyway.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The house in question is an actual real location in LA (Ennis House) and it looks awful in my humble opinion. A large ugly concrete block monstrosity that looks like it's been built out of Lego with precast Mayan patterns on them. It literally looks like a Lego set and completely goes against the whole classic 'haunted house' theme. Especially when you take into consideration that the movie's poster showcases a more classic haunted house design. The interiors of the house also have the more classic haunted house style and appearance that most will come to expect, but again this goes against the house's ugly blocky exterior. Alas this contrast makes the interiors look and feel much more like the sets they actually (and obviously) are.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4emBOxtO6NmkhIkmV0m1ALwEEncDY-_NPBFRIRLWjdHOhoZ-ygNJN_sxshY_JJJsWkRudO1KUOzCJuV3VgIpfJc-30xtyJucvcAuOBi_6s5AJDxew1cdojN3vzMfrTqHGWIcjQz02D2VFJIZe74D_cKtSHgT07rFKSl-Ummr-cg_DxX7IFAhbI0H8NdfV/s1141/a4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1141" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4emBOxtO6NmkhIkmV0m1ALwEEncDY-_NPBFRIRLWjdHOhoZ-ygNJN_sxshY_JJJsWkRudO1KUOzCJuV3VgIpfJc-30xtyJucvcAuOBi_6s5AJDxew1cdojN3vzMfrTqHGWIcjQz02D2VFJIZe74D_cKtSHgT07rFKSl-Ummr-cg_DxX7IFAhbI0H8NdfV/w640-h336/a4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We are told there have been murders in this house hence why everyone thinks it's haunted, but that's as far as it goes. Not sure who owns the house or why they rent it but it does come with an eerie duo of house cleaners. One of which does seem to take presumed delight in scaring one of the female guests half to death by acting mightily scary at random times. I still don't understand why this cleaner did that, what was the point? Didn't seem to have any effect on the actual plot. <span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After a few more (but not that many) ghostly encounters we eventually discover that it's all a ruse by one of the guests and Frederick's wife in order to get his wealth, a shocking revelation. But does Frederick have the upper hand?</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For the most part the scares in this movie are mostly people disappearing in rooms, the odd plastic head in a box, a ghost floating outside of a window etc...For the time I'm sure it was intimidating stuff but obviously these days it's all very cute. The main money shot, if you can call it that, is the finale sequence where the supposed skeletal remains of Frederick pop up and floats around the room after his wife, eventually shoving her into a large vat of acid. Yes one room has a large vat of acid in it, don't question it. This sequence is legit laughable in all its absolute crudity and yet at the same time I'm actually impressed they had the gall to keep it in the movie! Heck they liked said skeleton so much it even features on the movie poster. The highlight of this sequence has to be a shot of Frederick standing there controlling the skeleton with the most ridiculous pulley contraption strapped to his body, apparently completely out of sight of his wife! (laugh out loud!).</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the end everything works out just dandy. Frederick successfully kills off his dastardly wife and her lover and proclaims he's ready to accept whatever justice is dished out to him. Yet despite the lack of any actual apparitions we are still led to possibly believe that the house is haunted and that Frederick's wife and lover now also haunt the house. Kinda disappointing we didn't actually get any spooks but despite that I can't say I didn't like the movie. I think this falls under the category of 'the poster is better than the actual movie'. Definitely the epitome of a Price horror flick but ultimately I kinda expected more and not quite as much low-budget effects.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>6/10</b></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMmCeb_d8KlR0KKPJH2zAyWCE76XRqb-lmo3jwSapR2ud76O0pcKIAqJAC9bCKr3mg5BKQ2C46sS9BQ_IHRAQ4jPbVpJwyU8JbxB1zoa3_chQ_GKaot24FXAumXpIpd3CWwfLsowyE2xIt_NEHJGrYvE-kIcbrIhBD_q0z_fjJbU6wB8yIl0zLbzeNZeR/s755/a3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="755" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMmCeb_d8KlR0KKPJH2zAyWCE76XRqb-lmo3jwSapR2ud76O0pcKIAqJAC9bCKr3mg5BKQ2C46sS9BQ_IHRAQ4jPbVpJwyU8JbxB1zoa3_chQ_GKaot24FXAumXpIpd3CWwfLsowyE2xIt_NEHJGrYvE-kIcbrIhBD_q0z_fjJbU6wB8yIl0zLbzeNZeR/w640-h440/a3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-51306148347364440472023-07-29T08:43:00.001-07:002023-07-29T08:43:10.855-07:00Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxaPyHn_2jPGh7mqnuAO-Z_RSuJqxUGzTeMHozq74F-fl8Pa39GH24ipeqVSp4NsanBaEhv5egsQEjDKsCEeizh4Xks41Vb-ce-g2HtKENc_cGRK_OBQKiOKDA7zLlfBrOo5nwaMqn0nJTFLFUxtf_N15rv_BNHPKryEyeP1zTUlL-wcxvZH398sL2Nsq/s422/le3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="422" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxaPyHn_2jPGh7mqnuAO-Z_RSuJqxUGzTeMHozq74F-fl8Pa39GH24ipeqVSp4NsanBaEhv5egsQEjDKsCEeizh4Xks41Vb-ce-g2HtKENc_cGRK_OBQKiOKDA7zLlfBrOo5nwaMqn0nJTFLFUxtf_N15rv_BNHPKryEyeP1zTUlL-wcxvZH398sL2Nsq/s320/le3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">'Attack of the Giant Leeches' or if you like...'Giant Leeches Invade Dixieland' or 'Giant Leeches vs. The Good Old Boys'.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So back to the 50's we go with the ever-popular (for the time) monster flick. Or to be more precise, giant bug attack flick. Back in those days it was either aliens, giant bugs, or mysterious monsters. I have mentioned before in previous reviews how during this period virtually every form of bug (and various other species) was used for these types of movies. Giant locusts, spiders, frogs, birds, ants, scorpions, crabs, praying mantis, lizards etc...We've even had killer rocks and trees.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have also mentioned in previous reviews how these movies tend to be generally exactly the same, and this is no different. Once again giant man-eating creatures are crawling around the outback nowhere near civilisation and terrorising some small all-American town. Usually it's out in the desert somewhere but this time it's deep in the Everglades. Nevertheless the townsfolk are still the same predictable bunch we always see. The good-looking square-jawed White male lead, his attractive White female companion, the elder wiser White male who explains everything (and gives us exposition), and of course the ugly chubby sceptic cops.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNOvT3jI58YcX4eji-e4T5cBYRu0eDoofZHauIdoPFMbCdmXnziCZy0PIRKDbCTvYbBDhTMXPkTrMMycW6t9klyIX1iwi7sYWdCv-hPZLLvKG6nvMua18fwtLO4DlYrtz2WAzt_EjRVImIJaUXc-lR5cVyeotSnCWS9inW-TWbpol3GMeMwYa81tdasQr/s467/le2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="467" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNOvT3jI58YcX4eji-e4T5cBYRu0eDoofZHauIdoPFMbCdmXnziCZy0PIRKDbCTvYbBDhTMXPkTrMMycW6t9klyIX1iwi7sYWdCv-hPZLLvKG6nvMua18fwtLO4DlYrtz2WAzt_EjRVImIJaUXc-lR5cVyeotSnCWS9inW-TWbpol3GMeMwYa81tdasQr/s320/le2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The plot? People start disappearing in the Everglades and no one knows why. The main good-looking protagonist and his attractive companion soon think they know but of course no one in town believes them. Eventually they manage to drag everyone (the hick cops) into their way of thinking and save the day, the end.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The monsters in question? Well they are supposed to be leeches...but they don't look like leeches. They kinda look like large squid/octopus tentacles and pretty much act like it too. The monster outfits in question are, predictably pretty bad even by B-movie standards. They appear to be simply large black bin bags or black raincoats stitched together. Yes I know that's what wiki says but that's pretty accurate. Unfortunately we don't even see them enough to enjoy their cheesy appearance, add to that how dark the picture was and it's a bit of a bust really. When we do see them you are clearly able to see it's just men in costume, especially when they 'carry' their prey away.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To be fair the acting all round is actually pretty solid considering. The budget was obviously non-existent but the cast actually do a good job and fit their roles. Leading man Ken Clark was actually pretty buffed up, can't deny a good-looking man with his Brad Pitt-esque locks. As for everything else less said the better really. The way they deal with the leeches is absolutely hilarious (just dropping dynamite randomly into the lake), and all the sequences within the leech lair are quite quite farcical to say the least. But if you're after hokey 50's schlock then you definitely can't go wrong with this one. Really could of done with more leech action though.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;">3<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">/10</span></span></b></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Dz-1ioxR2_Xciv4IC8KrcKbkFzC5Xj83Ku7RN50EH_Oc7lvESZZBJmVwv37DjAz2860RkqbnADeWkY0XyzcuD9nrGaCayqJn_sSuHK46ySbF8lwV11aDRFmHnnsJYX7B842-BGhBvsk1WczO0OQ9KF_QG1eo6W_0OurvHTN8xZG2C7QqNZE9U-4ehmR/s405/le.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="405" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Dz-1ioxR2_Xciv4IC8KrcKbkFzC5Xj83Ku7RN50EH_Oc7lvESZZBJmVwv37DjAz2860RkqbnADeWkY0XyzcuD9nrGaCayqJn_sSuHK46ySbF8lwV11aDRFmHnnsJYX7B842-BGhBvsk1WczO0OQ9KF_QG1eo6W_0OurvHTN8xZG2C7QqNZE9U-4ehmR/s320/le.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-43205759177637961932023-07-14T09:16:00.004-07:002023-07-14T09:16:50.291-07:00Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsxwd0qCzNswfQpnzUcmsIML9bvPzt7SjVCFykg1k6paP9STNRov_nasIZnxosKYWSCoEBdjjlDsMHYeZ8UxXHr8ItULRiZ3EylZ2zC6kMGXmT-Nzy3hhhV5lL7izfR3ZFTEaBHWS2yY2Y_ZhItZQyPq9CQM0R1kuDzRao0f6CEvs5EplnPgAznniMboD/s509/new-movie-poster-for-dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsxwd0qCzNswfQpnzUcmsIML9bvPzt7SjVCFykg1k6paP9STNRov_nasIZnxosKYWSCoEBdjjlDsMHYeZ8UxXHr8ItULRiZ3EylZ2zC6kMGXmT-Nzy3hhhV5lL7izfR3ZFTEaBHWS2yY2Y_ZhItZQyPq9CQM0R1kuDzRao0f6CEvs5EplnPgAznniMboD/s320/new-movie-poster-for-dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Fear not Ranger. Barbarian, Magician, Thief! Cavalier and Acrobat. I am Dungeon Master, your guide in the realm of </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><i>Dungeons & Dragons</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">.</span></p></span><p></p><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Admittedly I'm not too sure if I would have liked an actual live-action recreation of the classic 80's cartoon going by Hollywood's track record on these things. I mean take a look at the small cameo we get of the classic team in this new movie. Yes we do actually see Dungeon Master's teen team pop up in this wannabe franchise. I'm sure it will have flown over younger viewers heads but to those in the know it was a fleeting moment of joy. But taking a closer look and you can see how Hollywood always manages to mess things up. Firstly the team are bizarrely older than they are supposed to be. Bobby the barbarian, Diana, and Presto all looked like middle-aged parents in costumes. Hank and Sheila looked okay but Eric they somehow managed to race-swap...sigh! Why Hollywood? The actual costumes looked pretty good though, Hank the Ranger especially.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As for this movie, well it's a pretty bog-standard mission (or level) based mcguffin search scenario. Find a person to ask for information, follow information to specific location for an item or another person. Go to next location for another item or another person etc...Eventually it all leads to end of movie showdown with end of movie big boss. That isn't necessarily a problem with this movie though as it's based on the Dungeons & Dragons franchise and that's what you tend to do. However, it does come across as somewhat overly basic and more like a generic videogame adaptation. </div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Visually speaking it was a mixed bag really. Like many movies these days the effects swing from being impressive in one scene to downright terrible in another. Case in point here; whilst there are some really good makeup and prosthetics effects for various fantasy characters along with some really nice-looking sets, there are also some blatantly obvious greenscreen shots and God-awful CGI. I still don't get how this happens in these big-budget movies. An obvious greenscreen shot or sequence always pulls me out of the movie, or moment.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlbm6C3JHFK5njSg468oBYbJc8zqLnWqsJlt3LpbhuopJlCW0DVocdnQGZg8lA8lxbgtCyT_wOG_i0kO7XKltxwvmg0u3l9drpwnHoLMA1fRig_YI5QNqp9ZBf0tlN-DM0hogZW0KwZh2b44EPnTpCN_qQIVJdWRPAC71BvzJGprX0dRlKcy2JTqSzgno/s1186/vlcsnap-2023-06-18-19h03m42s546.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1186" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlbm6C3JHFK5njSg468oBYbJc8zqLnWqsJlt3LpbhuopJlCW0DVocdnQGZg8lA8lxbgtCyT_wOG_i0kO7XKltxwvmg0u3l9drpwnHoLMA1fRig_YI5QNqp9ZBf0tlN-DM0hogZW0KwZh2b44EPnTpCN_qQIVJdWRPAC71BvzJGprX0dRlKcy2JTqSzgno/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2023-06-18-19h03m42s546.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The casting was poor all around in my opinion. Once again there seems to have been an outright obvious push to make the movie as diverse as possible whilst sacrificing quality choices. Most actors here are unknown to me but their acting skills didn't really impress, nor did their appearances in their costumes. Justin Smith, Rege-Jean Page, and the overly-used tough female character actress Michelle Rodriguez all looked completely out of place. Smith was a Black half-elf apparently, was this to rub in the faces of all the LotR's fans? I'm sorry but Elves aren't Black and neither are Dwarves. And yes I didn't like Pine's casting either, for me his face just didn't fit his character or this world. The only casting that did work for me was Hugh Grant as the slimy smarmy double-crossing Fitzwilliam, a far better villain than the actual main villain.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There were other aspects I found all too silly. I really didn't like the overweight dragon which was obviously CGI. Was this for comedy purposes? Swing and a miss. I also cringed at the all-too-common trope of using bald men with head tattoos as some kind of villainous horde of cult-like er...villains. How many fantasy movies have used that lazy idea? Geez!! Alas we also got the same for the main female baddie, bald with head tattoos...ugh! Because a powerful female sorceress has to be bald with head tattoos? She also turned out to be a really weak villain and got a blatantly nasty looking CGI ending courtesy of the CGI owlbear.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I couldn't really decide whether I liked this movie or not really. Some aspects I really enjoyed such as the various D&D species/races you see throughout, some of which looked great. I liked the settings or locations throughout, a nice range that showcased the world or realm. The hero roster was a good selection and overall the plot moved along nicely. But apart from the few things I've already mentioned there was a little too much that brought the movie down in the end. Close but overall not quite enough to grab me.</span><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>5/10</b></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcN9lYIXmUDAg6cl8Z95mMrOu_Fuw2_YeP9ksspjGhVGXxESQf_aV6rVwqQfdRJVR3Av8LRJLKAQKmk4-UmME2pDYONuSMOfhTcftLcXgKPRpy5Q5OK4itw7TFPPSno25HYTOyx7FdymR5HVu9o5P7Evn1XRz-bvVzMn6AHLz-wlKGScUT98iZUv9pRAZ/s1184/vlcsnap-2023-06-18-19h08m50s991.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcN9lYIXmUDAg6cl8Z95mMrOu_Fuw2_YeP9ksspjGhVGXxESQf_aV6rVwqQfdRJVR3Av8LRJLKAQKmk4-UmME2pDYONuSMOfhTcftLcXgKPRpy5Q5OK4itw7TFPPSno25HYTOyx7FdymR5HVu9o5P7Evn1XRz-bvVzMn6AHLz-wlKGScUT98iZUv9pRAZ/w640-h266/vlcsnap-2023-06-18-19h08m50s991.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-23363697789498082892023-06-22T09:04:00.000-07:002024-01-03T22:31:33.131-08:00Prey (2022)<p>So what have we here? Well it's a Predator movie so there isn't really that much to explain. One difference with this latest entry is the fact there aren't two different tribes of Predators runnin' around. This time we're going back to the original in terms of plot and tone (although they said that about 'Predators'). This time it's Predator versus primal man...woman...girl. This time it's back to booby traps, mud, and hunting. This time it's a Predator versus a Native American girl, yup, welcome to 2023.</p><p>Now don't get me wrong, I have no issues with strong female characters, we've had many of them in many classic movies, but it's actually getting a bit old now. To add to that this female character is supposed to be really young, not sure how old exactly but she looks like a damn teenager to me. Kinda like taking Newt, adding some years, and then pitting her against a Predator. Actually that could work! Anyway the main crux (or carrot) for this entry is the fact it's a Predator vs. Native Americans. To be honest this sounds like the perfect idea for a Dark Horse graphic novel series for sure, but a full-blown movie? I just find it cheesy because you can swap out the Indians and use ANY period warriors and it would be exactly the same. Predator vs. Vikings. Predator vs. Knights. Predator vs. Samurai. Predator vs. Spartans. Predator vs. Mongols etc...The list goes and every idea would literally be the same albeit the locations obviously.</p><p>And here lies the problem, this movie isn't actually very original at all and once again pales in comparison to both the 1987 original AND the 1991 sequel (I said what I said). The plot is completely predictable naturally. The young female (with an awkward American accent) wants to be a warrior but the rest of the tribe poo poo this idea (present-day social commentary!), so she has to prove herself. At first she fails but after much perseverance and the arrival of a Predator she manages to do just that. Along the way we get various callbacks to the original including dialog, shots, and scenes. The main difference is this is a prequel so the Predator is using dated tech and for some reason looks completely different...again.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kShllIljwvmRjx_PMoHxaLOmTTGE5A1XTHJOybZ8USU6qW5DV5rUx7wHwOdeNR1WjXXoEmmJk3zud286BpCrR_aW1x3y1JGDHzNLxuF1Yc-f0FoTHrJK30ouZGTxiQw_brkysyiMrexTzlYqZ_6GO6OyCYjbkj_KUOjeOgy5Ih8xqiK5M1MXuol-u9QB/s1190/vlcsnap-2023-06-21-20h26m31s216.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="1190" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kShllIljwvmRjx_PMoHxaLOmTTGE5A1XTHJOybZ8USU6qW5DV5rUx7wHwOdeNR1WjXXoEmmJk3zud286BpCrR_aW1x3y1JGDHzNLxuF1Yc-f0FoTHrJK30ouZGTxiQw_brkysyiMrexTzlYqZ_6GO6OyCYjbkj_KUOjeOgy5Ih8xqiK5M1MXuol-u9QB/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2023-06-21-20h26m31s216.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>But yeah I wasn't really impressed here. The movie is surprisingly dark so you actually don't see that much gore. I get that they tried to make it look natural with natural light in the wilderness and adding to the suspense factor, but it didn't work for me. The movie wasn't suspenseful and I couldn't see a great deal because a lot happens at night. There is gore but it's almost entirely CGI which is just pathetic I'm sorry. This is why older flicks are so much better, real blood effects, practical effects, squibs etc...This is why Paul Verhoeven movies are so God damn epic. You don't ever really see the Predator's face that well again because much is set at night, and I didn't really like the new design. His mouth is HUGE! Takes up half his face and his eyes are almost on either side of his face! Didn't like the bone-esque looking mask either. Couldn't really see how it stayed on his face to be honest.</p><p>I also didn't like seeing all these wild animals getting killed frankly, kinda depressing. I get the gist of the Predator obviously but I really don't see why he would be killing wolves or snakes (I get the bear). The Predator is an intelligent species, it can tell the difference between another creature being a threat and another creature merely hunting for its own survival, right? So why would it kill these animals unless they actually attacked him, especially creatures that are so small. I mean, does the Predator have to kill every flippin' predator species it comes across in order to prove itself or conquer that particular planet??</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxxRUHprG5WiMprdJKqWD3Bmh2bA_MeTJV0XAaS5KIubhxajxN56PHNCubOHbFHnXdufpkpy5yGpsS3gSIsctm44prZCbKf6Dg6n3GNpk1sZi7WVExPHXhwrNBg76NiTUEKCzwMgpGZYadRUrkVxr3cM2YZYdDlMj2sYE98fYc_GbTWKkw6BedfG8k8zl/s1189/vlcsnap-2023-06-21-20h19m35s203.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1189" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxxRUHprG5WiMprdJKqWD3Bmh2bA_MeTJV0XAaS5KIubhxajxN56PHNCubOHbFHnXdufpkpy5yGpsS3gSIsctm44prZCbKf6Dg6n3GNpk1sZi7WVExPHXhwrNBg76NiTUEKCzwMgpGZYadRUrkVxr3cM2YZYdDlMj2sYE98fYc_GbTWKkw6BedfG8k8zl/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2023-06-21-20h19m35s203.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Around the halfway mark a load of French voyageurs turn up because of course they do. Naturally these guys all turn out to be a really nasty bunch of White guys (of course) and cannon fodder for the Predator. At first it seems like there's only a handful of them but as the Predator starts wiping them out their number seems to grow rapidly (cannon fodder required for action sequences as there aren't many Natives and the Natives are of course goodies). Once again the visuals are disappointing because you don't actually see any of the kills and all the blood is CLEARLY CGI. It's also around this point where our female protagonist turns out to be a martial artist of sorts and is able to take out multiple grown men at the same time...ugh!!</p><p>Spoilers but the Predator kills himself in, what seems to me, like a really dumb way. His mask houses his laser targeting system and his wrist gauntlet fires these darts things now. So wherever the triangular red dots point that's where the darts go (homing). Well it seems the Predator forgets this and tries to shoot the female Native point-blank range without his mask on (which has been cunningly placed facing the back of his head by the female Native) so naturally the darts just home in on the back of his head and boom. Then there's the ending where our female protagonist arrives back at her camp and throws the Predator's head on the ground in front of her tribe, all of whom seem totally unfazed by the alien head at their feet. The fact she almost kills herself by trying to kill a bear when she totally didn't need to because it was just minding its own business. I get she's trying to be a hunter but come on! Weigh up the situation girl!</p><p>So yeah...overall this was a mixed bag for me. In general the visuals are nice with some lovely atmospheric location shots. The Natives all look and sound authentic as do the French men whilst the Predator certainly sounds good and comes with those nice infrared optics. Alas the movie is packed with terrible CGI, bad acting, dim visuals at key moments, and the Predator doesn't look as good as it should. They keep changing the look but the original simply cannot be beaten so why try? The real issue here is the movie is simply another retread of the same old formula but merely with Native Americans. They have to move this franchise forward, maybe into space? Maybe onto the Predator home world? They cannot keep doing the same thing over and over geez!</p><p><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><b>5.5/10</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FVPFgzS_5YCI2pizYnUoTTlP8Gr9s0YMu5gKRJO5damc6IFEVn62ukXb_KWyyThl8-S9L-w7jA1HOa4phaH_ksy866FdJ6G97WRcZ_riL3cJ1kHOGStQ1hvEKUV2Ip4dx8Vz9hIK-1HUKEMqvVhmf2InRsPzL8V40al9kLGU-7rEraOzOkQ4q0Qw9ec_/s1186/vlcsnap-2023-06-21-20h23m17s675.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1186" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FVPFgzS_5YCI2pizYnUoTTlP8Gr9s0YMu5gKRJO5damc6IFEVn62ukXb_KWyyThl8-S9L-w7jA1HOa4phaH_ksy866FdJ6G97WRcZ_riL3cJ1kHOGStQ1hvEKUV2Ip4dx8Vz9hIK-1HUKEMqvVhmf2InRsPzL8V40al9kLGU-7rEraOzOkQ4q0Qw9ec_/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2023-06-21-20h23m17s675.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-51742318866398663212023-06-19T10:24:00.002-07:002023-06-19T10:24:50.353-07:00Black Adam (2022)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So if this movie confirmed anything it was one thing, Dwayne Johnson isn't a real movie star, he simply cannot carry a top-tier movie. Johnson merely seems to be the ultimate ensemble actor who can boost a franchise, but on his own, he simply ain't got the chops. The new Arnie he certainly is not, confirmed.</span></p><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This character was supposed to be in the original 'Shazam!' movie but due to Johnson's ego he managed to get his own project focusing purely on his muscles...I mean the character. Further to that, this version of the movie was originally gonna have the character Shazam (from the original movie) as the protagonist/antagonist for Black Adam to fight, but again Johnson's ego got the better of him as he wanted the story to focus on him and Black Adam. And thus a problem was born. Add to the fact that DC movies generally don't do well anyway and voila!</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Plot wise the whole thing is so basic and generic with little imagination in my opinion. Black Adam is accidentally resurrected from his tomb by a strong female character trying to uncover an ancient mcguffin. Black Adam is seen as a bad guy thusly the Justice Leag...sorry Justice Society (a precursor to the League) is called into action to bring him down. After much terrible CGI fighting Black Adam is found to not actually be evil but somewhat misunderstood (shocking) and they now need his help to take down the generic big evil end-of-level boss (at the end of the movie). So essentially it's just the same old guff with different characters (imagine that).</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXGNED-_Bk3qCMfPgJGDaIyoK-XtMJEQ_CKe8qK8EE2qJ-BLsu2dL3PnvwI6PnXZgP5gITg2g2N6VrCn1wgvMD8o3dzezMcJqit2K5tW7PnEYgJziIBaicjEarDeaEzKz-DKUaZV5b_liNJS29DsvCVw5Qrk66K4BvtK0ySwdPLy5W9ygPP5MCT2fSCO3/s1187/Black.Adam.2022.REPACK.1080p.BluRay.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_002634965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1187" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXGNED-_Bk3qCMfPgJGDaIyoK-XtMJEQ_CKe8qK8EE2qJ-BLsu2dL3PnvwI6PnXZgP5gITg2g2N6VrCn1wgvMD8o3dzezMcJqit2K5tW7PnEYgJziIBaicjEarDeaEzKz-DKUaZV5b_liNJS29DsvCVw5Qrk66K4BvtK0ySwdPLy5W9ygPP5MCT2fSCO3/w640-h264/Black.Adam.2022.REPACK.1080p.BluRay.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_002634965.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The main issue I found with this movie was the simple fact that most of the runtime is made up of the Justice Society fighting Black Adam, and that's it! The entire movie is set within this fictional ancient city which merely looks like somewhere in Egypt or the Middle East and nothing much else really happens. We just get lots of the usual superhero battle sequences involving lots of super punching and super throwing either into things or through things. No one ever seems to realise that these attacks aren't working but they just keep doing it because there's nothing else they can do, ugh! (wash rinse and repeat). The CGI effects are overall pretty terrible to boot which doesn't help matters. Everything is SO obviously CGI with that nasty plastic rubbery-looking gloss stuck alongside obvious-looking bluescreen shots and obvious sets. It sounds cliche but everything just looks like a videogame sequence. It just doesn't look convincing at all and in this day and age I simply expect more because I know it can be so much better.</span></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Black Adam himself suffers the same problem any Dwayne Johnson movie suffers, Dwayne Johnson. In that I mean Johnson simply cannot act beyond his persona and he ALWAYS comes across as Dwayne Johnson in a costume, whatever that might be. You want a fun comedy romp in a jungle, or a ridiculous action flick with glimmering muscles then he's perfect, but that's it. Johnson trying to play it dark and murdering people just doesn't work because it just doesn't suit him. For the time being, he simply doesn't have the range.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As for other characters, let's quickly talk about the Justice Society. Boy oh boy do these guys suck ass. I mean seriously, talk about the poor man's Avengers. The bottom-of-the-barrel superheroes. We couldn't afford any decent characters or there weren't any good ones left so we had to use these guys, geez!! Hawkman looks ridiculous with his bird-shaped helmet adorned with feathers, he's also been race-swapped. I guess his super power is mainly flight? I guess that's useful for...flying. As her name suggests Cyclone controls the wind (Ugh!). Seems kinda useless and funnily enough she doesn't really do much in the movie because how's that effective against a Superman-type character like Black Adam? She's also race-swapped. Atom Smasher has the ability to grow to an enormous size like a giant, again pretty useless in the movie. And last but not least the poor man's Dr. Strange...Doctor Fate who funnily enough has virtually the same set of powers, I think, I'm not a comic expert. And yes I realise some of these characters appeared before their Marvel counterparts but I always found it funny and stupid how both Marvel and DC have essentially characters that mirror each other. They even have their X-Men-type ship to fly around in that is stored in their own X-Men-type mansion.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz2FKj91_YItGQtpHfmeehS2FCHOHiMsBwx3yw0rAxhcJGdYbj1l4SoF2la1IIcMSBbTDhyffodRSGTBCPQGBCTIGXdTAg-kKpiJmCl49Hag6yG7gcvIGpn7nmFASpSdD1tyLp-80wdTexz8e43jU_PuGIuFKxOX_bHvvBL_6iuShgTSw1oifcHo_GOFO/s1187/Black.Adam.2022.REPACK.1080p.BluRay.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_007020972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1187" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz2FKj91_YItGQtpHfmeehS2FCHOHiMsBwx3yw0rAxhcJGdYbj1l4SoF2la1IIcMSBbTDhyffodRSGTBCPQGBCTIGXdTAg-kKpiJmCl49Hag6yG7gcvIGpn7nmFASpSdD1tyLp-80wdTexz8e43jU_PuGIuFKxOX_bHvvBL_6iuShgTSw1oifcHo_GOFO/w640-h264/Black.Adam.2022.REPACK.1080p.BluRay.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_007020972.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I guess the biggest disappointment here is after all the cookie-cutter crap I had to sit through to get to the cookie-cutter finale, the big bad guy turned out to be this laughable looking Devil/Satan-esque character that looked like he was getting ready to fight Sub-Zero. Talk about videogame looking nonsense Jesus! Literally everything in this movie was the most generic of generic superhero poop I've seen so far. You could have literally had ANY superhero character in here and it wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever. The human characters were completely inconsequential, much like the plot really. And naturally you had Marvel-esque quips (which totally underscored the tone) because DC is always playing catchup despite that Marvel aspect now losing favour.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn't really expect much here, at this point it merely feels like they are churning out superhero movies of any and all characters simply to keep the wagon rolling. This movie is literally the epitome of cookie-cutter, paint by numbers, off the factory line etc...There is nothing here that is original and nothing here that needed to be shown. This movie simply didn't need to be made. A Dwayne Johnson vanity project that admittedly could have been something as we've all been wondering how The Rock would fair in a cape, but somehow he screwed it up and all we have left is a plain boring superhero clone of a movie. That Superman credit scene will also go down in cinematic history as one of the biggest 'what if' dead ends ever (bit like Skeletor in 'Master of the Universe'). An open ending to something that will probably now never happen.</div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;">4/10</span></b></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="elementToProof" style="border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYH5JWVfq6fuFCtdkroE4GxlRxQ9SxjGwFV0djbpk7Lhi3WnM34eQcOre0LNdXvQ__v8yNCRewCetqk8O-RBNK6Yw7riWiaqKb6ihdvs3TJMQP27LJdP3Oxsj9iTTU0wljfg0fWeHZ56Uu9g8glUgA5PC1PDJksl7d3rarxDLfhKStN9OfHkwxCzcmkWv/s1188/Black.Adam.2022.REPACK.1080p.BluRay.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_006747782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1188" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYH5JWVfq6fuFCtdkroE4GxlRxQ9SxjGwFV0djbpk7Lhi3WnM34eQcOre0LNdXvQ__v8yNCRewCetqk8O-RBNK6Yw7riWiaqKb6ihdvs3TJMQP27LJdP3Oxsj9iTTU0wljfg0fWeHZ56Uu9g8glUgA5PC1PDJksl7d3rarxDLfhKStN9OfHkwxCzcmkWv/w640-h264/Black.Adam.2022.REPACK.1080p.BluRay.x264.AAC5.1-%5BYTS.MX%5D.mp4_006747782.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-22458525599786952642023-05-03T23:33:00.002-07:002023-05-03T23:33:14.309-07:00The Purge (2013)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GjmhVhMhNRezGpehQmuEAT8W5KzQ4E7dLq6_O_rL4fqPW2YVfAXW7EGUPm68KE3lVTpb1vg6Wq-so37xsKujUm04-iDxLKfC4rcFRVH-QOAiOe6bBYgCEWHwZP6oaHCsgCDUOoGfEABP-BPPyJNpgqCDSVuJ4ZUV0R-ykFmzeCvcxOmGmGoxZSYWTw/s791/MV5BMTQzNTcwODEyM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjM1MDI0OQ@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GjmhVhMhNRezGpehQmuEAT8W5KzQ4E7dLq6_O_rL4fqPW2YVfAXW7EGUPm68KE3lVTpb1vg6Wq-so37xsKujUm04-iDxLKfC4rcFRVH-QOAiOe6bBYgCEWHwZP6oaHCsgCDUOoGfEABP-BPPyJNpgqCDSVuJ4ZUV0R-ykFmzeCvcxOmGmGoxZSYWTw/s320/MV5BMTQzNTcwODEyM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjM1MDI0OQ@@._V1_.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>For the longest time I mistakenly thought this franchise was some kind of horror or torture porn series like the 'Saw' or 'Hostel' franchises. For me this franchise just kinda blurred into all the other horror flicks that were being churned out around the same time. They all seemed the same with bland movie posters etc...Because of this I didn't bother with it because those things aren't really my cup of tea. Boy was I wrong!</p><p>So the plot is pretty simple. After economic collapse in the US a new political party comes into power and introduces 'purge night' or 'the purge'. An annual event where all crime is allowed for one night only with all emergency services suspended during the night. Somehow this has allowed the US to become almost crime free with almost no unemployment, dunno why. On this night a wealthy family, against all well-known recommendations and advice, allow a stranger (who is being hunted) into their home. Thusly the entire family come under siege and must survive the night from a group of 'purgers' who want the stranger (so they can 'purge'/execute him).</p><p>So overall I do actually like this movie, which surprised me. I fully went into this expecting some silly violent nonsense but I actually found myself getting sucked in and enjoying the thrills. The story is actually quite intriguing with its (admittedly) obvious social allegories but does get you thinking. Could this actually happen in reality? Yeah it could, you could actually see something like this coming about in the distant future. It's not out of the realms of possibility for sure, and that's what's so intriguing about it. It's very much like the game shows and tech we see in the Arnie action vehicle 'The Running Man' which, apart from the violence of course, have actually come to fruition. Granted it's not a big stretch or anything but the violent aspect of it could easily (and worryingly) turn up in decades to come.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSDDuxcdqxLROOjVUmFvCid2Dy_SySzbaZb0CF2JpTX0_AE29F_iIY3k-FOt2XVG4o6jUiQGmbhVQ7QysPThrRSKw-i8IlK9gdU3iekMBHakJpXAsjwVyU-fkM8zLvnmgEcksRrukawpC5xd5ymqN2YcjeeZyan4Ab0CezgJp4LczRGSdKE409v9zoQ/s1190/vlcsnap-2023-04-24-15h10m03s727.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1190" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSDDuxcdqxLROOjVUmFvCid2Dy_SySzbaZb0CF2JpTX0_AE29F_iIY3k-FOt2XVG4o6jUiQGmbhVQ7QysPThrRSKw-i8IlK9gdU3iekMBHakJpXAsjwVyU-fkM8zLvnmgEcksRrukawpC5xd5ymqN2YcjeeZyan4Ab0CezgJp4LczRGSdKE409v9zoQ/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2023-04-24-15h10m03s727.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The purge is seen as a way for the masses to vent their pent-up anger and for the rich to purge the undesirable (poor people). I don't really understand how that would reduce crime across the nation though. And I don't really get how erasing poor people would help because you need all levels of people for a society to function, it can't be solely rich folk. And as for the notion that everyone just stops killing each other at the sound of a loud siren is kinda daft because we all know it wouldn't stop, people would keep on going. You know you'd have to forcefully stop people. Plus I would imagine the overall damage and destruction to infrastructure would be immense. To the point that by the time you'd fixed it all back up it would be time for the next purge and it would get all wrecked again.</p><p>It is all a bit on the nose to be honest though. The affluent family are all White and pretty generic, nothing to speak of really. The only surprise to me was the young boy who suffers from a guilt trip and allows the homeless man on the run into the house. I would have expected the young girl or mother to do that seeing as women tend to be a bit more forgiving and liberally minded. As for the poor homeless man being hunted, he's Black, so yeah...on the nose with the social commentary and allegories. The purgers are also all White and from wealthy backgrounds themselves. A bunch of young adults, probably in their early twenties, their leader a blonde guy (cos blonde haired blue-eyed males are always evil apparently). So overall you have all White folk. The innocent family is White. The demented purgers are White and could easily be seen as Klan-esque in nature. And the lone character being hunted is Black (in this area at least), you getting the message?</p><p>Violence wise it's actually not as bad as I thought it would be. Standard stuff really, as you would expect, but effective. The movie doesn't need to be ultra-violent but it does need to show hints of the raw brutality that would occur under such circumstances. The finale is also quite good. I enjoyed the twist with the neighbours, the small somewhat obvious twist with the boyfriend was okay too. The fact that the homeless man turns out to be the hero in the end isn't much of a surprise though (come on people twas obvious!).</p><p>So yes like I said I did actually get on with this movie okay. Whilst it's not the most original story ever it does lure you in and keep you interested, despite being mostly predictable. The key is obviously the hot-button social allegories which back in 2013 were pretty spicy, but now in 2023 even more so! So essentially our present day is the perfect time to first-time watch or revisit this movie/franchise as (unfortunately) the plot is highly relevant.</p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">7/10</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKjTbCndIN9oFt7dXcbmee1u713tawWe6NlDAHSDPfYOcgx82g8B0lmblJ_zlR77dxjA2BFmnHufMv3y0THKd8FuMaREZamM9Jg8-NG4M7yKwEb0WVmGPzO38zp8DPU200Nt2St7Ua_o3oAkRLq66KVFlEroDAb4oKAfmCWjFPBcggI6M_q9bRsR30w/s1185/vlcsnap-2023-04-24-15h14m31s252.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="1185" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKjTbCndIN9oFt7dXcbmee1u713tawWe6NlDAHSDPfYOcgx82g8B0lmblJ_zlR77dxjA2BFmnHufMv3y0THKd8FuMaREZamM9Jg8-NG4M7yKwEb0WVmGPzO38zp8DPU200Nt2St7Ua_o3oAkRLq66KVFlEroDAb4oKAfmCWjFPBcggI6M_q9bRsR30w/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2023-04-24-15h14m31s252.png" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b><p></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-55860279769176079112023-04-29T08:53:00.005-07:002023-04-29T08:56:47.798-07:00Monster Hunter (2020)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujP3PNYQyAh8c2TeGRYF-8dZifhjQ6VFf8VmNLJ7bgkRYdUzriUumIjaNxxjNk9RKQeGS_8lYpnDebfpT5VVSh86pu0aUkLRq7vywwKgvPs79lrB6VJBdUX1uWu8X7e91Z6pA6f_xOJ3huG28BE8Ipeet0-fJF1C_zAx8cAQ5n0Nb_YKQ1nzHlt7pfg/s978/monster-hunter-148922.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="660" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujP3PNYQyAh8c2TeGRYF-8dZifhjQ6VFf8VmNLJ7bgkRYdUzriUumIjaNxxjNk9RKQeGS_8lYpnDebfpT5VVSh86pu0aUkLRq7vywwKgvPs79lrB6VJBdUX1uWu8X7e91Z6pA6f_xOJ3huG28BE8Ipeet0-fJF1C_zAx8cAQ5n0Nb_YKQ1nzHlt7pfg/w270-h400/monster-hunter-148922.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Holy pop tarts what have we here?? Another videogame adaptation <span style="color: #6fa8dc;">AND</span> directed by Paul W. S. Anderson??!! You're yanking my chain? Wait, and Anderson's wife Milla Jovovich is the star?! Again??!! How did I never hear about this until now? Until two years after the fact? If this was the mid-90's to early 00's this would have been <span style="color: #6fa8dc;">EVERYWHERE!</span> And probably would have done quite well too.</p><p>So this movie is based on a Capcom videogame series that I have never heard of where you run around battling monsters I guess, I dunno. So obviously I cannot talk about game accuracy or anything as I have no idea. As for the plot it's your standard videogame spiel really. A group of modern-day soldiers are accidentally thrown into another dimension where monsters exist and they have to try and find their way home via various subplot macguffins. You know the type of thing here, reach an ominous tower by crossing a deadly desert. Defeating big dragon-type beasts. Learning how to fight a specific way in order to defeat said big dragon beasties. Gaining the trust of various oddball locals in order to get to places so they can get home etc...</p><p>The first thing that struck me here was the visuals and special effects. There has clearly been quite a lot of effort put in here as everything looks really good. The location shooting pays off as you can actually believe the characters are in another dimension and not just a Californian desert. The combination of real-world locations and CGI works nicely here. Add to that the creature effects are also top-notch in my opinion. It's easy to think this could be a cheesy-looking videogame adaptation but no, the various otherworldly creatures all look really decent. Alas the main creature the goodies battle tends to look like any old regular dragon that could easily have leaped out of any swords 'n' sorcery-themed flick, but it looks good.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYSvCKBsU-27TJf-jskKgGl8ET_CN9rrY1Hl8vZTAeCuR7rfBy5QKHr-FA9fAmV7UYzUn6cLecish3_8FkhNcKmdg3DU_X4iTs3l59Yg02d8x58dpVIHBUK9URieo8lk0lZ2Q0DnRAZpjsoF5-c8Lj8LWjjpJQXDp-4YPkS43xGyjH8g0Rold2rK2oA/s720/vlcsnap-2023-04-10-05h16m51s713.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="720" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYSvCKBsU-27TJf-jskKgGl8ET_CN9rrY1Hl8vZTAeCuR7rfBy5QKHr-FA9fAmV7UYzUn6cLecish3_8FkhNcKmdg3DU_X4iTs3l59Yg02d8x58dpVIHBUK9URieo8lk0lZ2Q0DnRAZpjsoF5-c8Lj8LWjjpJQXDp-4YPkS43xGyjH8g0Rold2rK2oA/w640-h267/vlcsnap-2023-04-10-05h16m51s713.png" width="640" /></a></p><p>One thing that did bug me was how easy it was for bad-ass Jovovich's character Artemis to beat said monsters. We are led to believe these creatures are almost legendary and impossible to kill, hell they look it. The desert dragon thing is meant to be almost impossible to kill, yet Artemis manages it after a few hours of training from Tony Jaa's Hunter character. I mean, if he knew how to kill these things so easily, why hadn't he done it himself already?? He is the 'monster hunter' after all. It's also kinda tiresome and yawn-inducing that Artemis is such a Mary-sue character but let's be honest here, what was I expecting?</p><p>The best monsters are easily the goosebumps-inducing spider creatures that swarm all over the desert when it gets dark (naturally). These things essentially act like spiders by cocooning their prey and inserting larvae into their hosts. You then get the inevitable sequence of a cocooned soldier getting overcome and eaten alive with these spider hatchlings.</p><p>Character wise the US troops are as you would expect. A typically diverse little team of guys n gals that all act exactly as you expect them to. Jovovich is doing her best Ellen Ripley here but in all honesty she does a solid job and works well within the movie. Other characters that pop up within this outworld are obviously taken from the videogame judging by their appearances and ridiculously oversized absurd weapons of choice. Ron Perlman's character looks like the epitome of a Japanese anime character, as does Tony Jaa's character and his sword. Overall it's a typical casting roster for this type of flick. A mishmash of various cult classic/pop culture names in order to gin up more attention.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN_W8_Gtir6aMP0Uv01ONyJHRzetbvUJL3UznQwi0LgeIXeX2I5o0aKN5FFfctzNUnE1kWgRhscHrBUEcYKq6mdpGWg6U_MuqNCmJUp-KI3y1ZteL7RB0mwyCWwEHk-Jo_JF6D5ANt91hwdSECLuwlFhM0V_lYEkbGk74H2_aOD8g-bFgT_ETOoDHMg/s720/vlcsnap-2023-04-10-05h25m06s826.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN_W8_Gtir6aMP0Uv01ONyJHRzetbvUJL3UznQwi0LgeIXeX2I5o0aKN5FFfctzNUnE1kWgRhscHrBUEcYKq6mdpGWg6U_MuqNCmJUp-KI3y1ZteL7RB0mwyCWwEHk-Jo_JF6D5ANt91hwdSECLuwlFhM0V_lYEkbGk74H2_aOD8g-bFgT_ETOoDHMg/w640-h266/vlcsnap-2023-04-10-05h25m06s826.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>For a videogame adaptation with lots of popular CGI action that you'd think would be aimed at a younger audience, the movie is actually quite dark at times. Well the first part is at least. They certainly haven't held back too much with the violence and gore and the movie is better for it. But overall the general theme here is pretty mixed. What starts off as a semi-decent 'Aliens' type clone, quickly descends into a slightly hokey Mortal Kombat-esque clone and ends up with a decidedly iffy Lord of the Rings-esque finish. Heck they even leave it completely open for a sequel, a little too open really. Why can't we have actual complete movies with a start and finish anymore?</p><p>Don't get me wrong this isn't exactly a bad movie, far from it, it's actually not too bad all things considered. There is a lot of issues here and the entire thing is unbelievably generic taking tonnes of elements from other (better) movies. But for a mindless action monster fest, it's definitely a good outing in my opinion. Definitely a surprise, especially in the visuals department.</p><p><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><b>7/10</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqerFkTNRrxqzRWFPgFQcvWvQRgWrNnSFN2uoRokVu7ySuD93i0V6xgTnL_5y6RSAj7M_ju0qZRacmIwdjq7u5tQfvCU4j3d9_kwfSe1IP96fvND3_RUVmrNe7c1wzWA2lIfermkmmmS0Nzn9IzdZiQ2bvuk3dr2rNh_nQydzCw7yIzYNQz721I5uJDw/s720/vlcsnap-2023-04-10-05h35m54s164.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqerFkTNRrxqzRWFPgFQcvWvQRgWrNnSFN2uoRokVu7ySuD93i0V6xgTnL_5y6RSAj7M_ju0qZRacmIwdjq7u5tQfvCU4j3d9_kwfSe1IP96fvND3_RUVmrNe7c1wzWA2lIfermkmmmS0Nzn9IzdZiQ2bvuk3dr2rNh_nQydzCw7yIzYNQz721I5uJDw/w640-h266/vlcsnap-2023-04-10-05h35m54s164.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-42387457358682746342023-04-27T08:11:00.003-07:002023-04-27T08:11:31.595-07:00In Search of Darkness III (2022)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIjQ5hs0_jkaPzNiEw_2zzOp_PD9TSxGyA3m6qtYBz1AgNBBkoHHMcm9wI72oiyiBjodOrDZdnvsjFL_RP9NGVhVFYafBZ--xLoqBdQFrIRLErx1cw53OUwfa95Sp0gUEilgG9Ibrp2n2tOjK7YK8bEY5VlSPkbRM80VB7W96NH-SZuWg65wXAkrDsw/s848/12b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIjQ5hs0_jkaPzNiEw_2zzOp_PD9TSxGyA3m6qtYBz1AgNBBkoHHMcm9wI72oiyiBjodOrDZdnvsjFL_RP9NGVhVFYafBZ--xLoqBdQFrIRLErx1cw53OUwfa95Sp0gUEilgG9Ibrp2n2tOjK7YK8bEY5VlSPkbRM80VB7W96NH-SZuWg65wXAkrDsw/s320/12b.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>The search for Darkness continues and presumably ends with this third part of this quite epic documentary into the 80's horror film genre. Whereas part one covered the more famous and infamous horror flicks, and part two covered the more obscure; part three seems to cover everything in between from the familiar to not so familiar (for me at least).<p></p><p>By now anyone watching this documentary will be well aware of how it plays out and prepared for the onslaught of information, any newbies out there buckle up! Once again the background information to every aspect of all these movies comes thick and fast like a rollercoaster. As before the doc is presented in a year-by-year format and each movie is given its own little segment which in some cases doesn't really delve deep enough, unfortunately, leaving you wanting. But in other cases you get a nice dollop of info that is just enough to satisfy. Whether or not you already know about this information is obviously the key factor in how pleasing it will be. </p><p>As I said in my review of the first two parts, the issue these days is background information for movies is (and has been) easily available either on DVD, Blu-ray, or YouTube etc...for years. Unlike the old days when behind-the-scenes footage/docs/interviews etc...were like gold dust, these days it's beyond common practice. Heck you could even argue that people aren't that bothered anymore with the advent of streaming. Actual physical copies of movies that would have extras aren't the mainstream anymore, strange as that may sound. So essentially, there is a possibility that with many of the movies you may well have seen or heard the information before, although that is less likely with some I'm sure.</p><p>Despite this the overall celebration and sheer scope of this series (and this third part) are undeniably impressive. The amount of horror actors, both famous and obscure, that are interviewed is impressive alone. The writers, effects people, horror experts/historians, directors etc...The snippets from all the movies covered or merely referenced. The larger context chapters that dig that bit deeper into specific aspects of the genre, specific actors, specific controversies etc...International horror movies and their effect on the genre. All here crammed into one documentary. I say crammed but they aren't really, this doc is over 5 hours long! But that isn't an issue either as it's perfectly fine to stop and come back another time. The segmentation of the series allows for viewings to be split.</p><p>There isn't a great deal to say here that I didn't say already for the first two parts. That's not a negative, it's merely because this is a continuation of the documentary and if you've been watching then you're obviously a fan and know what to expect. But yeah, this is a documentary on all aspects of the horror genre during the 80's and it's flippin' epic. If you like horror then this is for you. If you like some horror movies/franchises but aren't too bothered about horror overall, then you might find this a bit too much and could find yourself tuning out.</p><p>The question is, will this documentary carry on and dive into the 90's decade of horror? I hope it does as the 90's is now probably just as iconic for the genre with many true gems.</p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-large;">9/10</span></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-62528988774794662262023-01-20T21:53:00.001-08:002023-04-29T08:54:55.157-07:00Red Notice (2021)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1gmFBcHVEjy0Ot2Ix8cgktHzZWRzHoFLA--dY4FGZzwQzonnGD90mrZf880OAh1YzktuNT1Fs-b2D9zuJ-rpw9lcaSjGU_5RovwRDLBMCVCZYmcnO4ic3XuFZfvS_FtvRi8i5tITmi7iUHIIiCc2dd_czArc733wrj8Ilb9F4tniDxv-O6IoWijjfg/s424/xl_7991608_9cc62c28.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1gmFBcHVEjy0Ot2Ix8cgktHzZWRzHoFLA--dY4FGZzwQzonnGD90mrZf880OAh1YzktuNT1Fs-b2D9zuJ-rpw9lcaSjGU_5RovwRDLBMCVCZYmcnO4ic3XuFZfvS_FtvRi8i5tITmi7iUHIIiCc2dd_czArc733wrj8Ilb9F4tniDxv-O6IoWijjfg/s320/xl_7991608_9cc62c28.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Well this was the most Hollywoodist of Hollywood movies I've been subjected to for quite some time. Not that I'm surprised really, I mean look at the cast, literally the most generic Hollywood A-list casting you could sloppily throw together without trying. Yeah these big names should easily bring us in some dough, story? Plot? Who cares, anything will do.</p><p>So what we have here is yet another James Bond-esque, Mission: Impossible-esque action comedy (even with some blatant Indy clonage) with all the usual trimmings. Just take a look at this thing. We skip from one exotic location to another like a videogame. An artic fortress, a dense jungle, sunny Spain, tropical islands, a temple, an underground mine etc...All the while our three main characters, Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds look super glossy and sexy. The entire movie is literally one super slick highly choreographed action sequence after another with terrible CGI effects and blatantly obvious greenscreen shots.</p><p>What's more, the action sequences are so mind-numbingly stupid and again so generic it's boring. Gal Gadot's character is obviously the best at everything because of course. Johnson is Johnson like he is in absolutely everything. Whilst Reynolds merely does his mind-mannered soft <em>Deadpool</em> comedy routine which is admittedly amusing at times but not original. Nothing here is original, we've seen all this before time and time again. The whole thing plays out and looks like a videogame for of pretty people with nice bods. And the entire double-cross surprise angle which occurs numerous times is not clever despite how much the writers and director think it is.</p><p><!--wp:paragraph-->
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<!--/wp:paragraph--></p><p>So yeah, cookie-cutter, run-of-the-mill, factory production line, wash rinse repeat etc...All these terms cover this overly unexciting mundane star-studded makeup-heavy bonanza. It's virtually 'True Lies' for 2021 except it rips off a multitude of other movies and franchises and has absolutely no edge to it, no kills, no blood, nothing. Painfully soft safe glossy fluff.</p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">5/10</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdN7rlXTqaq6fX5xtIOYjjC8AjHTzIBX4iD68ZZPDsRCHcCS1LCGwcEoyVp4UmXfLsXf5ZeGJzqpLER7QU9eF59htW1OhpYs0bPRUEI-n5MZ_6mwAglVjj8FkA1GPqCN7GWaLErJk8x4PK4Z5-yYnx6wEGX5OmfrEG6Fpf47vqnNNmWM83H7kvUzPZQ/s600/attachment-RN_20201012_30091r2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdN7rlXTqaq6fX5xtIOYjjC8AjHTzIBX4iD68ZZPDsRCHcCS1LCGwcEoyVp4UmXfLsXf5ZeGJzqpLER7QU9eF59htW1OhpYs0bPRUEI-n5MZ_6mwAglVjj8FkA1GPqCN7GWaLErJk8x4PK4Z5-yYnx6wEGX5OmfrEG6Fpf47vqnNNmWM83H7kvUzPZQ/w640-h426/attachment-RN_20201012_30091r2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><p></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-89860388161615214342022-06-06T08:18:00.003-07:002023-04-29T08:54:35.279-07:00Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwp4wtOQCmFZ7RE-oucewsvhLrIF1epmvny67rl25xLeufCxh4szTNUCW28-b85JrtKwLMoCXU4NXRWnEND1hA-OgINvzmQLJUU9w8PAT98-U-8D3C9qzP9_vkihmqRvyCQKDFJT-uI7qtEov66OS2MuHLHWynuVtYshGFlrP2s5ozv4rl-Zox5lYjvw/s625/gh.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwp4wtOQCmFZ7RE-oucewsvhLrIF1epmvny67rl25xLeufCxh4szTNUCW28-b85JrtKwLMoCXU4NXRWnEND1hA-OgINvzmQLJUU9w8PAT98-U-8D3C9qzP9_vkihmqRvyCQKDFJT-uI7qtEov66OS2MuHLHWynuVtYshGFlrP2s5ozv4rl-Zox5lYjvw/w320-h400/gh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;"><p><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Muppets Haunted Mansion you say? A nifty idea of Muppets in a haunted mansion scenario? I've always wanted to see a Muppet Dracula movie (following in the same literacy vein as previous Muppet flicks like Treasure Island, the Wizard of Oz and Christmas Carol), but alas what we have here is literally Muppets Haunted Mansion: The Ride (ala those special mini-movies made for theme parks).</span></p>This had potential, but alas they missed the mark again. Visually the movie is decent and it does capture all the famous elements of the classic Disney ride, but that's about it. Once again they have gone for a very silly spoof-type of approach with no proper story (much like the two recent modern Muppet movies).</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">Yes all your favourite Muppets are there and yes it is entertaining to a degree (if you can also look past the horrendously bad new voice acting of certain characters), but I YEARN for a proper Muppet movie with an actual plot...you know, like a movie should be. They have also incorporated far too many songs in the more recent Muppet flicks, this is no different. We just move from one famous ride scenario to the next with a new song, ugh!!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13px;">At the end of the day this simply feels like an extended advert for the actual Disney ride and not an actual movie (was it??). Still, at least it's better than the 'Muppets Wizard of Oz', yeesh! A far cry from the heights of 'A Muppet Christmas Carol' and 'Muppet Treasure Island'. What's the problem here?</span></span></span><p></p><p><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">3/10</span></b></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f6f6f5;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtKA5n60uewAEBTiNudw7L7SpMX-qbOJ27xbNdeosCTAwTvHEMoWQTmw_ucvLzbBwcUHf3OjN4rzzb5c5eOkdju0UbCf_vvzFu4png8gLzFpZ9BL_aukcx8iqKxqkOSQwWjmGQRXTML8V5BKXs8YiIQEIUyzOIHB3i-4jNi4Qv-8nxOi01BdCWn_yNg/s1189/vlcsnap-2022-06-05-14h09m12s033.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="1189" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtKA5n60uewAEBTiNudw7L7SpMX-qbOJ27xbNdeosCTAwTvHEMoWQTmw_ucvLzbBwcUHf3OjN4rzzb5c5eOkdju0UbCf_vvzFu4png8gLzFpZ9BL_aukcx8iqKxqkOSQwWjmGQRXTML8V5BKXs8YiIQEIUyzOIHB3i-4jNi4Qv-8nxOi01BdCWn_yNg/w640-h316/vlcsnap-2022-06-05-14h09m12s033.png" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p><span face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f6f6f5;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><p></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-91037108837004079202021-08-09T18:47:00.003-07:002021-08-09T18:47:47.569-07:00The Suicide Squad (2021)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dc0p0NOznqQ/YRHZHZ7w3BI/AAAAAAAAiVY/fZMUarAZijILI-GKdn8vB7TJf_WJF5A-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1153/The-Suicide-Squad-Online-Quad-1200%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="1153" height="390" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dc0p0NOznqQ/YRHZHZ7w3BI/AAAAAAAAiVY/fZMUarAZijILI-GKdn8vB7TJf_WJF5A-gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h390/The-Suicide-Squad-Online-Quad-1200%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">So here we are again with another superhero movie and this time it's a reboot. No wait it's a sequel. Is it in the DCEU? I dunno, who cares anymore!</span><p></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">'The Suicide Squad' is the second attempt (because the first didn't get through to Hollywood apparently) to make a movie about a gang of classic, or not so classic, DC villains. You could even call it the third attempt after 'Birds of Prey' which was essentially the same shit but with female villains...because muh diversity and representation. So what's it all about? Gang of supervillains are brought together to help a shady section of the government with a shady operation. That's it!</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So the big carrot on a stick with this new movie (exactly the same as the first) is of course the roster of villains. The first movie roster was essentially crap bar Deadshot (and this was ruined with the casting of Will Smith), this second movie roster is somewhat better, visually at least. Unfortunately we still have to put up with the most overrated character and performances ever with Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Feck me I hate this character and spent the entire time (same as the first) wishing she would just get killed, horribly.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But apart from the useless character of Quinn (whose special power is merely being the Joker's bit of fluff) this time we have Rick Flag, again. Yup, same boring character and same boring actor in Joel 'not Robocop' Kinnaman. Bloodsport, another flippin' merc with gun skills. Haven't seen that before (Deathstroke, Deadshot, Deadpool etc...). Idris Elba looking like a tired middle-aged dad is Bloodsport. Peacemaker, another merc-type character just like all the rest and meaning there are two on the team, ugh! John 'I bent the knee to China along with LeBron James' Cena plays Peacemaker. The Thinker, a sort of crazy-ass equivalent to Professor X. Polka-Dot man, the gimmicky team member who they have made darker. Ratcatcher 2, a young who controls rats? What? And finally the token team monster in King Shark who admittedly looks cool but is ridiculous (and apparently impervious to bullets and falling from heights?).</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3gC7A6pJf0/YRHZoPE07hI/AAAAAAAAiVk/AdwDqx24Qo4Aw_PqQaYgLjKj0XMlPq5OQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1186/vlcsnap-2021-08-10-02h26m18s827.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1186" height="334" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3gC7A6pJf0/YRHZoPE07hI/AAAAAAAAiVk/AdwDqx24Qo4Aw_PqQaYgLjKj0XMlPq5OQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h334/vlcsnap-2021-08-10-02h26m18s827.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Yeah so I totally get </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">the gist of this movie don't get me wrong. I know this is a comicbook flick and it's not to be taken seriously, but seriously? Firstly the movie is exactly the fecking same as every other comicbook movie, especially the first one! Like come on people! They made another movie identical to the first literally to have another go and hope this time they sell more tickets. It's the same movie!!! Secondly, it's dumb as hell. You have the same problem from the first movie wherein some characters don't even need to be there. Why would you need a young woman who can control rats? Setting aside the inevitable deus ex machina moment of course, why would you need a pied piper? The Thinker does nothing throughout, literally. I felt Polka-Dot man could and should have been more useful with his polka-dot throwing powers but he barely uses them. And as I said before, King Shark looks cool but it is again rarely used and seems to be just there for the overall quirkiness of the team.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh I forgot about Weasel, a humanoid, mutant...weasel? Like what the feck is the story of this thing? And he murders children?? What. The. Feck? Is it me or was he stuck in just to try and ride the coattails of Rocket Raccoon somewhat? Albeit in a much darker and tragic way. You know what I mean. I actually found this thing to be kinda disturbing actually, and not in a fun way.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I just can't help but feel the entire plot of these two movies is cool in thought (probably works better in comicbook form), but just doesn't work on film. A shady government organization needs elite teams to help save the world from epic-level threats, so they use people who don't really have the right powers or skills to do so. Random mercs, marksmen, introvert polka-dot guys, a pied piper of rats, insane women who happen to be girlfriends of much bigger badder villains etc...Let's be honest here, almost all of these characters (in both movies) are in no way suited to battle the enemies they have to face. At least the Guardians of the Galaxy had space tech and a big powerful alien tree mutant. What have these Suicide Squads got? Regular guns, polka-dots, rats, javelins, people who can climb walls, a hungry fish mutant that might eat members of your own team...errr...baseball bats. </div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6EhGKi72krE/YRHaCcU_yjI/AAAAAAAAiVs/WMuwNkrfVSwS2Ot0_-O7bbNW7qf5NIgfACLcBGAsYHQ/s1187/vlcsnap-2021-08-10-02h20m04s953.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1187" height="332" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6EhGKi72krE/YRHaCcU_yjI/AAAAAAAAiVs/WMuwNkrfVSwS2Ot0_-O7bbNW7qf5NIgfACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h332/vlcsnap-2021-08-10-02h20m04s953.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I liked ho</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">w they try to remain faithful to the comicbooks but again that causes some issues (for me). Like why the hell would Peacemaker be wearing a bright red shirt, sparkling white pants, and a shiny metallic toaster on his bonce?? Conspicuous much? And did Polka-Dot man actually need to wear a polka-dot patterned suit? Looked like something from a children's Saturday morning TV show. Yes I know what the arguments will be here and I fully understand them. This doesn't mean I think all the characters should be running around in black armour or whatever, but maybe just a touch of realism in some costumes to go with the dark realistic aspects of the movie. Just a touch.</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes I admit this was definitely better than the first movie, but that ain't much to shout about. The opening sequence being a ruse was bloody obvious from the get-go seeing as we know those weren't the characters we've been told about for months and months. Good thing too because they looked even worse than the ones we actually got. The main villain they fight was...a space starfish...so there's that. Actually appreciated how original that was for once. Although it was just another 'large CGI monster destroying everything' finale (haven't seen that before...sigh!). </div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The fact that the squad won the day via a literal tidal wave of rats that apparently had no issues with eating an alien starfish from the inside out, was a bit bizarre. Yeah I know they are rats and wouldn't have too many qualms about what they're eating but...yikes! And that many rats?<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The effects were very good, unsurprisingly. King Shark looked very cool, very realistic, very scary. Some people's worst nightmare I'm sure. I wouldn't go anywhere near the thing. The giant starfish looked pretty sweet. A nice hokey throwback to sci-fi of the 1950's, in my opinion. Acting was fine, nothing special. The humour felt strained to me, reaching, trying to mine that Marvel gold but failing (not that I'm a Marvel fan). But as said the plot was throwaway trash. The concept has been milked to death and despite what you might hear there are zero surprises anywhere. It's all been done now people, the moment has well and truly passed.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh and in the end, after all that action, two of the characters you thought were dead, aren't. So there you go. Nothing mattered, no tension, no consequences, no one dies meaning they can come back again for the inevitable sequel which will inevitably be the same shit all over again (except that probably won't happen because the movie has tanked). I'm shocked! (I'm not shocked).</span><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">5/10</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: inherit;"> (Harley Quinn is a shit character)</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNIYvzIaRls/YRHakn1NbfI/AAAAAAAAiV0/oAJ6b5P9YX8ZJwPvVGYifRVRGB8dV9VNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1186/vlcsnap-2021-08-10-02h29m00s587.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1186" height="332" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNIYvzIaRls/YRHakn1NbfI/AAAAAAAAiV0/oAJ6b5P9YX8ZJwPvVGYifRVRGB8dV9VNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h332/vlcsnap-2021-08-10-02h29m00s587.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white;" /></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-45303704326712131482021-05-08T05:50:00.002-07:002021-05-08T05:50:56.703-07:00In Search of Darkness (2019)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iZ2suObL28I/YJaIAJM2GyI/AAAAAAAAiM4/yq6UqGyF1YkKzsXbfkDH56OBxcZG9QnAwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/npmc4bigoedrhwznfyqq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iZ2suObL28I/YJaIAJM2GyI/AAAAAAAAiM4/yq6UqGyF1YkKzsXbfkDH56OBxcZG9QnAwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h336/npmc4bigoedrhwznfyqq.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Well what can I say? This documentary is split into two parts and overall is over 8 HOURS long! If that doesn't tell you just how much it will cover then I don't know what will (covers lots!).</p><p>What is so impressive about this doc is that it covers almost every aspect of horror, every genre, every sub-genre, even videogames for a small part. Whether you're into the classic 80's bogeymen, Italian clones and rip-offs, horror-comedy, creature features, psychological stuff, mutants, the early blocks of torture porn, or the much-hyped controversial video nasties and apparent snuff flicks, it's all covered here baby.</p><p>It really is quite impressive just how many movies get covered in this epic feature. Obviously not everything but virtually a good bulk of it. Each one accompanied by interview sound bites from various people across the board such as makeup artists, the actors, the directors, writers, fans, reviewers etc...</p><p>If a movie isn't actually covered then chances are there will be a clip in here somewhere as a reference. The only obvious downside to all this material is quite simply not every movie is given the same amount of time. Some of the more famous and infamous flicks get better longer coverage whilst others are merely skimmed over briefly.</p><p>On the other hand, for minor horror fans like myself it's a goldmine for movies I've never heard of and have piqued my interest. Admittedly many of these flicks do look pretty terrible (they haven't dated well in all honesty) but there are definitely some that grabbed me by the ghoulies.</p><p>Interspersed throughout this massive highlight reel are segments where specific people are interviewed more in-depth. There are only about four or five of these I think and mostly focus on a few big players like Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Tom Savini etc...</p><p>Again admittedly the info you get here will be either wickedly interesting or so-so. I say this because in this day and age if you're a movie lover (or fan of anything really) then chances are you'll have probably seen and heard much of the stories and behind-the-scenes info/footage from the various people involved. After years of DVD and Bluray extras alongside loads of other documentaries, retrospectives, and YouTube content most folk will probably have seen much of this all before. That was the main issue I had with the sister documentary 'In Search of the Last Action Hero'. There was nothing new, literally seen and heard it all before, multiple times.</p><p>So don't go into this expecting all new footage from behind the scenes or groundbreaking stories from beyond the grave, a lot of it is nothing particularly new, for much of the more well-known movies at least. As for the lesser-known titles chances are it's all new, for me anyway.</p><p>Overall it's the scope of this thing that impresses so much. The number of people interviewed. The number of clips used. The editing must have been a bitch! And then there's all the copyright tomfoolery! Jesus! Or maybe not? I dunno, seems like it would be.</p><p>So, in hindsight, this is well worth your time if you're a horror fan or movie fan basically. It may take you a few sittings to get through it though, but well worth it. Oh and all footage used is uncut, all the blood and gore is right there so all the real fanboy freaks will definitely get their rocks off I'm sure.</p><p><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: large;">9.5/10</span></span></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-90249502166205237192021-04-11T12:05:00.001-07:002021-04-11T12:05:05.096-07:00Coming 2 America (2021)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JkjIZX1smYw/YHNGpQARxnI/AAAAAAAAiLk/Cn2DvSqrTEAD2D1uwXnN4YZSg-ieaRaiACLcBGAsYHQ/s1396/kjjk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1396" height="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JkjIZX1smYw/YHNGpQARxnI/AAAAAAAAiLk/Cn2DvSqrTEAD2D1uwXnN4YZSg-ieaRaiACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h299/kjjk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">It seems Hollywood just doesn't learn a thing as movies continue to devolve into a state of complete and utter irreversible decay. Don't get me started on the tiresome superhero genre we're having to put up with.</span></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">So, someone thought it would be a good idea to make a sequel to a comedy that came out back in 1988. Now don't get me wrong, 'Coming to America' is easily one of the best comedies of the 80's, a sheer classic with a stellar cast, but a sequel? Well actually the idea of a sequel here works, for once. Yes the obvious story arc for this comedy does mean a sequel could be made and made well if done correctly. In fact the plot and title are so obvious it beggars belief how anyone could possibly feck this up (they still managed to feck this up...sigh!).</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Without beating around the bush here, they have simply made the same movie again with all the same beats, jokes, and lines. Seriously!! I mean sure the plot reversal was always gonna be obvious but they didn't have to copy the original line for line. Do any of these writers have any imagination? And they get paid tonnes of money for this highly privileged and easy gig, Jesus!</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPYlwFcPkQU/YHNHfm2dbTI/AAAAAAAAiL0/fxVqIOfNPtoH4x0hjn6Sq9M5brKxIz7OACLcBGAsYHQ/s1269/vlcsnap-2021-04-11-19h50m52s851.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1269" height="316" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPYlwFcPkQU/YHNHfm2dbTI/AAAAAAAAiL0/fxVqIOfNPtoH4x0hjn6Sq9M5brKxIz7OACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h316/vlcsnap-2021-04-11-19h50m52s851.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We find out that Akeem had an illegitimate son back in Queens in the original movie. Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is now the King and requires an heir so this bit of news turns out to be quite fortuitous for him. So it's off to America to find and bring back his long-lost son in order to prepare him for his place on the throne.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The movie starts off in Zamunda pretty much the same way the original started. We meet King Akeem with his sweetheart Queen Lisa (Shari Headley) on the morning of their wedding anniversary (in exactly the same way we met Akeem at the start of the original). Akeem practicing his combat, another big dance number, this time for the funeral of Akeem's father King Jaffe Joffer etc...As the day progresses we meet many of the origjnal cast again along with a few new ones such as General Izzi (Wesley Snipes) who is the brother of Imani from the first movie (the bark like dog lady). And a witch doctor type character that genuinely looked like something out of a Sam Riami flick. General Izzi is the leader of a presumably corrupt militant nation next to Zamunda, hence the name 'Nexdoria' (ugh!). He wants Akeem's daughter to marry his son for obvious reasons that don't go anywhere.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There is also a small flashback sequence from the nightclub in the original with all the weird Queens women. Not only was this an obvious move to incorporate some of the old laughs of the original (seeing as this new one is devoid of much laughter), but it also allowed for a quite obvious CGI de-aging sequence of Murphy and Hall to showcase how Akeem ended up having a bastard son. Spoiler alert, it's because the quite awful Leslie Jones character drugged and fecked him (umm...controversial much?).</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPH3OUl4oyQ/YHNHqlK0yQI/AAAAAAAAiL4/NoW6fuvZO7w26bhRLVtX6uqenE0kx3BNACLcBGAsYHQ/s1267/vlcsnap-2021-04-11-19h37m27s855.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1267" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPH3OUl4oyQ/YHNHqlK0yQI/AAAAAAAAiL4/NoW6fuvZO7w26bhRLVtX6uqenE0kx3BNACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h318/vlcsnap-2021-04-11-19h37m27s855.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Back in America we eventually meet Akeem's long-lost son, and it's some random guy I've never heard of who looks exactly like Chris Tucker. Cue the inevitable old black barbers again (who are somehow still alive in this universe), and Akeem somehow dressing up in the exact same 'common American' outfit he wore in the first movie. You know the one, the NY Yankees jacket covered in badges with New York baseball hat? How and where in the hell, did he get that ensemble from?? It's at this point you know things are going downhill fast.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Back in Zamunda we now get the obvious reversal of the original movie which was to be expected and is fine. Akeem's son Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler) must acclimatise to the cultures and customs of an African country. This does lead to some of the more original aspects of this movie which work in comparison to the original, without feeling like the same shit all over again. Alas the writers still couldn't quite break away and ended up merely giving Lavelle the same moral/emotional quandary as Akeem had. He is supposed to have an arranged marriage but ends up falling in love with someone else, what to do?</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Obviously you know what happens in the end because its bloody obvious. This movie is exactly the same as the first movie. I realise I have been comparing this movie to the original a lot but quite frankly what do you expect? All they have done here is merely stuff in a load of famous cameos from various famous black singers and celebs which makes everything feel more fake. There are loads of (overly sexualised) dance numbers to presumably appeal to the younger hip generation (because overly sexualised content is for youngsters now?). There's a touch of ''white privilege'' throw in there at the start just to appease the woke crowd. And of course they had to brand the classic creepy Reverend Brown (Arsenio Hall) character as a sexist, because woke Twitterati.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQGDR2NSOzg/YHNH-4nvbjI/AAAAAAAAiME/oP__TgxOyegOLJQzVlmoOXEO-O-T7nGWACLcBGAsYHQ/s1268/vlcsnap-2021-04-11-19h38m07s500.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1268" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQGDR2NSOzg/YHNH-4nvbjI/AAAAAAAAiME/oP__TgxOyegOLJQzVlmoOXEO-O-T7nGWACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h318/vlcsnap-2021-04-11-19h38m07s500.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">All that aside, the real problem here is just how fake and small in scope the whole movie feels. It looks like everything was filmed on sets with CGI backgrounds. In the original we saw lots of New York, the movie gave you a real taste of the city/borough. I always loved how it was snowy when they filmed it, always gave the location some added realism. You tend to think of cold weather with New York. Just like John Landis did with 'Trading Places', also look out for another nod to that movie. But this new movie offers none of that, it's all enclosed on obvious sets, it looks like a TV movie. Even the sets were quite small!</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This movie should have been called 'Coming to Zamunda' or 'Back to Zamunda'! Come on people!! It was bloody obvious! Or if you wanted to use the numeral then how about 'America 2 Zamunda'? Hire me Hollywood geez!</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">4/10</span></b></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white;" /></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-13736513148734237822021-01-24T09:05:00.001-08:002021-01-24T09:05:33.813-08:00Rambo : Last Blood (2019)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nsbHki5ah8E/YA2nGfyO0nI/AAAAAAAAiAQ/yXZanrKLHRc2hiwcwCuphW7AvHflW05pACLcBGAsYHQ/s885/MV5BNTAxZWM2OTgtOTQzOC00ZTI5LTgyYjktZTRhYWM4YWQxNWI0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNDgzNjc%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nsbHki5ah8E/YA2nGfyO0nI/AAAAAAAAiAQ/yXZanrKLHRc2hiwcwCuphW7AvHflW05pACLcBGAsYHQ/w271-h400/MV5BNTAxZWM2OTgtOTQzOC00ZTI5LTgyYjktZTRhYWM4YWQxNWI0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMwNDgzNjc%2540._V1_.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Holy schnitzel they're still making these movies?! So now we have 'Last Blood', a continuation from 'First Blood'. K I see what they did there...ugh! Am I to presume this is the final movie in this long-drawn-out milked franchise? Probably not.</p><p>So John Rambo is essentially retired from killing people and is now living a peaceful life on his Arizona ranch. He lives there with help from an old friend and her granddaughter Gabriel. So everything is dandy until Gabriel discovers the location of her biological father somewhere in Mexico through her friend (also in Mexico). Despite warnings from her Gran and Rambo she runs off anyway to find him. Low and behold she gets herself kidnapped by some stereotypical bad guys and Rambo must save the day.</p><p>The problem with this movie is it doesn't feel like the right kind of send-off for the franchise, if it's meant to be that? The plot is incredibly trashy and felt more like an old throw-away, top shelf, lower-level sequel. This felt more like the type of sequel that would result from franchise fatigue further resulting in the franchise getting axed. In no way did this feel like a grand send-off for a legendary cinematic hero like John Rambo.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GZaVwGUx72Y/YA2n37NMmsI/AAAAAAAAiAY/KjKeMRWQgvwJk7uO32RodsE9UJwHnKoTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1195/vlcsnap-2021-01-19-15h58m16s435.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="1195" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GZaVwGUx72Y/YA2n37NMmsI/AAAAAAAAiAY/KjKeMRWQgvwJk7uO32RodsE9UJwHnKoTgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2021-01-19-15h58m16s435.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Everything moves very quickly in this movie with little time for you to care about anything. Before we know it Gabriel is off ignoring advice and getting kidnapped. Rambo is then off to rescue her, gets beaten, heals up, and he's back again to amp things up. Then before we know it the bad guys have driven all the way from Mexico to Arizona to kill Rambo. Apparently the border didn't stop multiple cars with lots of armed men in tactical gear? Am I to presume the border guards were crooked? Or maybe they didn't go through an armed border section? Also I get that Rambo is a tough guy but why didn't he call the police?</p><p>Rambo's ranch has lots of self-made tunnels underneath which obviously come into play for the big finale. The whole thing is so painfully predictable and cliche really. Like Rambo has to have all these tunnels just so he can do his homemade booby trap thing à la his Nam days. And they are really big and extensive too! But yeah this is all an excuse to have lots of nasty gruesome booby trap deaths and so Rambo can use a multitude of weapons. It's also amusing how the number of bad guys seems to grow in the finale as Rambo kills them. At first there seemed to be around twenty bad guys but it seems never-ending as Rambo kills them in various ways. At least it seemed that way, could be wrong.</p><p>The cliches really quite numerous throughout. The area of Mexico Gabriel goes to is typically rundown with armed thugs hanging around on street corners. The first time Rambo approaches the bad guys main HQ he is spotted and dealt with quickly. The second time when he comes back for revenge he infiltrates the place with no problems. Where did everybody go? The female journalist character that helps Rambo after he gets beaten goes nowhere. She's just there to help him in that moment. When Gabriel dies Rambo apparently doesn't inform the authorities and just buries her in the backyard. And the bad guys treat the girls so badly that I wouldn't really have thought anyone would want to go with them in the state they are in. Just seemed counterproductive and needlessly brutal for the sake of it. Surely you'd want the girls to be attractive? Not beaten to a pulp.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KubkIujkO3A/YA2ofn_TdtI/AAAAAAAAiAg/d10xBK5VeIEhGb72BIZWrsTkiqBLRSsqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1191/vlcsnap-2021-01-19-16h07m03s490.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1191" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KubkIujkO3A/YA2ofn_TdtI/AAAAAAAAiAg/d10xBK5VeIEhGb72BIZWrsTkiqBLRSsqQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h262/vlcsnap-2021-01-19-16h07m03s490.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Addressing the over-the-top violence and xenophobia accusations. Is it violent? Yes. Is it overly violent? I didn't think so. I've seen much worse and frankly I think the previous Rambo movie was far more violent than this. What's more much of the violence was set in the dark and at times felt more akin to a horror flick. As for xenophobia, don't be silly people. It's just a stupid cheesy action flick with stereotypes. We see this all the time, I don't get the issue.</p><p>This movie felt cheap and tacky to me, but not in a good way. Some horror flicks feel (or are) cheap and tacky but in a fun way which can lead to them becoming cults. This just felt dark, dingy, depressing, and cheap. Stallone is clearly too old for this which made things even more stupid. He looks grizzled and cool sure but clearly too old. The movie also hangs on people knowing Rambo's history from previous movies, so any young folk who haven't seen the older Rambo flicks could be confused about certain things (the tunnels for instance). But the worse thing about this is it could have been any character as the protagonist. This doesn't really feel like a Rambo movie, it could have been anyone. Stick in Denzel Washington or Liam Neeson and there you go, another 'Taken' or 'Equalizer', the plot fits those characters better. The previous movie was far better than this and it should have ended there.</p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">4/10</span></p>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-20486693553417289722021-01-04T21:44:00.003-08:002021-01-04T21:45:26.017-08:00Transformers: The Movie (1986)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8348pgMDqI/X_P7l0hL5nI/AAAAAAAAh_I/VobAJYtqo4EUKwvwIoF12UkOE6sWiyaigCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Transformers_the_movie_poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8348pgMDqI/X_P7l0hL5nI/AAAAAAAAh_I/VobAJYtqo4EUKwvwIoF12UkOE6sWiyaigCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h400/Transformers_the_movie_poster.jpg" width="266" /></a></div> <p></p><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>No this isn't the turdy Bayformer trash, this is the original animated movie from 1986. The original cartoon series that was based on the Hasbro toy franchise (before that a Japanese toy franchise from Takara) appeared on TV back in 1984 with a three-part miniseries introduction and then followed by the first season. After much success a second season followed that debuted in 1985. Once that had wrapped up along came 'Transformers: The Movie' which would lead into the third season.</p><p>Believe it or not but I have only recently managed to watch all of the first two seasons of the cartoon franchise (giving me insight into the story leading into said movie). The reason for this simply being, back when I was a kid I'd watch the cartoon but obviously I'd miss them from time to time. And being a kid you didn't really know about seasons/series or follow the stories that closely. You'd just watch the cartoon when you could and enjoy whatever you got, simple.</p><p>So basically, this movie takes place 20 years after the second TV series ended in the distant future of 2005 where the Decepticons have taken Cybertron. In the following battle on Earth the Autobots are virtually wiped out after a large-scale battle where they actually lose Optimus Prime. From there Autobot leadership passes on to Ultra Magnus as the Autobots try to regroup and hold off the Decepticons. In the meantime, a massive planet-sized being is making its way through space devouring planets. Eventually both Autobots and Decepticons must stand together (or try to) in order to stop the mighty Unicron from destroying their homeworld of Cybertron.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-toz4f44hvzM/X_P8GFyvIwI/AAAAAAAAh_Q/OP-SipZraQch63wW-amK01rpA3BXVBeyACLcBGAsYHQ/s1192/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h12m39s920.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1192" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-toz4f44hvzM/X_P8GFyvIwI/AAAAAAAAh_Q/OP-SipZraQch63wW-amK01rpA3BXVBeyACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h358/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h12m39s920.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>So despite the fact I hadn't watched half the cartoon series before seeing this movie it was still obvious that there were dramatic changes afoot. In the first battle on board a space shuttle, many of the regular Autobots that we had grown up with got wiped out! Yep that's right, Autobots Brawn, Prowl, Ratchet, and Ironhide all got blown away. Now this was shocking on many levels. Firstly it was shocking because we had been following these guys for what seemed like eons. We knew these guys, they were old school, we cared about them, sorta. To see them get shot down was quite astonishing frankly. Secondly, the fact that these guys got taken down with a few laser bolts was really really odd. Why? Because up to now all Transformers took laser blasts on a regular basis and either shook them off there and then or went to Ratchet for some medicare. Bottom line, up to this point Transformer warriors didn't die.</p><p>So we now had one-shot kills, plus Megatron mercilessly blew Ironhide's head off (gulp!), but another obvious change for this movie was the blatant introduction of various new characters. For two seasons we had a small selection of warriors that we had grown accustomed to. Admittedly I do recall it being a little boring just seeing the same old characters cartoon after cartoon and the obvious fact that I hadn't seen all episodes meant continuity was out of the window. Nevertheless, the introduction of new characters out of the blue was still welcome if somewhat confusing at times. Of course we all know now it was simply a cheap tactic to introduce a new line of toys. Ka-ching!</p><p>Of course, you can't help but ask where a multitude of old characters were and why they didn't show up in this movie. Where did the Protectorbots go to? What about the Combaticons? How about the Aerialbots? Where did Jetfire go? How about the Stunticons? Etc...Obviously it would be impossible to fit everyone in but it's also impossible not to wonder where the hell all these guys were. And I have to ask, why did Wheeljack and Ratchet make the Dinobots stupid? I never understood that. Dinosaurs were probably dumb creatures, but why make the Dinobots dumb also? Literally made no sense and served no real purpose to the Autobots.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqaA22JvFQA/X_P8M08IEcI/AAAAAAAAh_U/obd42g6gILoeG4boI4vJdAKe0dMIL2AcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1191/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h13m00s970.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1191" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqaA22JvFQA/X_P8M08IEcI/AAAAAAAAh_U/obd42g6gILoeG4boI4vJdAKe0dMIL2AcgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h356/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h13m00s970.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Speaking of new characters, I never actually liked the new guys. The regular guys had a more angular look with traditional colours and vehicle modes. So apart from the odd cameo in various episodes (Dinobots, Insecticons etc...) many of the new characters we see on Cybertron have more futuristic vehicle modes with more outrageous colours schemes. Characters such as Arcee, Kup, Springer, Blurr, Hot Rod etc...all were visually unappealing to me then and still are today. The only new guy who seemed to keep a more retro appearance was Ultra Magnus and he was easily the best looking of the bunch, Things didn't get any better for all the other various robot characters we meet throughout. The Junkions weren't too bad but I have always hated the spikes thing they had going all over themselves. Looked a bit too Mad Max-esque to me. </p><p>I really hated (and still do) the Quintessons design as it just looks impractical on every level. Why the need for multiple faces?? The Sharkticons didn't look like sharks, just fat bulbous robots with dinosaur-like club tails. And finally, the new robotic forms that the Decepticons got from Unicron were ugly in my personal opinion. Again they were all crappy looking futuristic designs with too many silly additions like bat-like wings and facial hair. Why would robots have metallic facial hair?? Many of these designs didn't look like they could transform into the vehicles they should be. With the original guys you could almost see how they transformed, that's why they were so cool because they actually looked like they could actually work. The new guys just became outlandish in shape and totally unrealistic, if you get me.</p><p>Another aspect of this robotic universe I still can't get my head around is the apparent cannibalism and the fact that every lifeform seems to be robotic. So yeah, since when do robots need to eat other robots? Why would a robot need to eat anything? We know they need energon for 'food' or fuel so why do certain robots appear to eat each other? The Sharkticons seem to enjoy eating other robot lifeforms (at the behest of the Quintessons), but why?? Just for fun? For devilish pleasure? A fetish? Also, are the Sharkticons individual sentient beings or do they have some kind of mindless hive mentality? Unicron floats through space and eats entire planets, but why? Surely he only needs specific materials for food/fuel, not entire planets! Then there is the fact that every lifeform we see across multiple planets appears to be robotic, odd. Hell we even see a robotic Earth-like squid in one sequence.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ER3VNe5OS2k/X_P8S7jikAI/AAAAAAAAh_Y/NAREkVUX0X0iBgfy6VBfOgjX4O3BJlRIACLcBGAsYHQ/s1190/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h14m05s657.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1190" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ER3VNe5OS2k/X_P8S7jikAI/AAAAAAAAh_Y/NAREkVUX0X0iBgfy6VBfOgjX4O3BJlRIACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h356/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h14m05s657.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Unicron himself was probably the most unique and impressive creation within this movie's new roster of characters. An entire planet sized transformer is pretty mindbloggling and the design was hella cool it can't be denied. Was kinda interesting in a perverse way to see that his innards was akin to a robotic hell of sorts. Obviously all sorts of mechanisms and whatnot but also lifeforms being executed in a huge vat of some bubbling erosive liquid was pretty disturbing. By this point the plot had gone somewhat awry truth be told and the ease at which the Autobots managed to destroy Unicron did seem rushed but hey. Have to point out that the death of Starscream was pretty epic here too. Again disturbing but also a real game-changer, much like the death of Prime, but we all know about that (it never bothered me).</p><p>Whilst I will gladly take this animated feature over any Michael Bay trash any day of the week, this was still a mediocre offering truth be told. Looking back there are many cool elements here, the animation is actually really sweet, and the fact that it is dark throughout does boost my overall rating. Add to that the stellar cast for voice work (Leonard Nimoy and Orson Welles!) alongside the stoic regulars and really this should and could have been a genuine classic. Alas things didn't really work out that way. </p><p>The plot is essentially nonsense and feels like 100% filler after the initial battle. Many characters are killed off for a new toy range...and that's it! They clearly struggled for ideas. Unicron should have killed everyone in the blink of an eye. Most extra characters are rubbish. The whole Quintessons part wasn't even needed really, that added nothing to the story. And to add insult to injury the soundtrack, despite being cool, felt completely out of place. Nostalgia is a curious thing isn't it. Don't get me wrong it's still a guilty pleasure of sorts and it's still better than anything Bay came up with. And when this movie kicks off to that rockin' 80's track over the opening credits, you'll swear to yourself that it's gonna be amazeballs. For some it will still be of course, but for me it doesn't quite hold up...on its own. Within the cartoon series it fairs a bit better, ahem, if you ignore continuity errors.</p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><b>6.5/10</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thj0IvKV8eQ/X_P8Xmx4pJI/AAAAAAAAh_g/_WYUPmvhe3UL4r-kRqNFMsr6XuHjYrrYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1189/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h27m13s765.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1189" height="356" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thj0IvKV8eQ/X_P8Xmx4pJI/AAAAAAAAh_g/_WYUPmvhe3UL4r-kRqNFMsr6XuHjYrrYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h356/vlcsnap-2021-01-05-05h27m13s765.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><div><br /></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-77781392050597224102021-01-01T08:56:00.003-08:002021-01-01T20:06:03.238-08:00John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFwkooUSxVw/X-9Rv3BBYrI/AAAAAAAAh-o/WL4AeZ5u3QU4bWMfb6PoP2P6lQCjKNVXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s279/download.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="181" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFwkooUSxVw/X-9Rv3BBYrI/AAAAAAAAh-o/WL4AeZ5u3QU4bWMfb6PoP2P6lQCjKNVXwCLcBGAsYHQ/w259-h400/download.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><span face="Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Punch, shoot, kick. Wash, rinse, and repeat...for a third time. The first movie wasn't anything particularly original but it was a master class in fight choreography and stunts. Nothing much else, just that. The second merely gave us more of the same with a slightly beefed-up plot. Again nothing particularly original but it actually got more confusing. Now we have the third (but not final) entry. And once again its simply more of the same only ratcheted up to another level and with the plot getting even more convoluted.</span><p></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Continuing from where the sequel left off sees Wick basically in deep doo doo for the unauthorised killing of a High Table crime lord and for doing it within the Continental Hotel. He has merely one hour before being labelled excommunicado and therefore open season to every bounty hunter in the world, literally. What follows is essentially a long drawn-out chase flick as Wick must escape America to find the Elder (the highest rank in this world of assassins) and get his hit status revoked. That's basically it, nothing more.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">OK so the first movie was a solid gritty revenge flick. The second movie expanded a few ideas which was nice but it got slightly ridiculous and became CGI heavy. Now this third movie goes above and beyond into the realms of nonsense as far as I'm concerned. The first thing that bugs me is how insane this world has become since the first movie. We're now in a situation where Wick literally cannot turn a corner without some random gang of thugs trying to kill him. If not on foot then roaming motorbike gangs. The movie moves from one set piece to the next without any real sense of reality anymore, it's like a showreel. There don't appear to be any normal people in the city, no police, no emergency services etc...Fights break out, people are killed, blood gushes everywhere, no one bats an eye. Where are the police??? Do the High Table control the cops?</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Granted most of the fights are still well done but with this being the third movie things are getting a tad repetitive...and daft. In one early fight Wick and his enemies just happen to stumble into some kind of museum full of weapons behind glass, lots of glass. As said we get more motorbike jousting, and speaking of jousting Wick actually fights on horseback this time too. Original yes, but signs of desperation for originality? Yup. Still not sure what this place was in the middle of New York that had an open stable. I also failed to see how the bad guys couldn't bring Wick down when they were on motorbikes.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4HkXftqTXis/X-9SPs1Bg2I/AAAAAAAAh-0/_SqwmQ1T-OEazgRPbPHgalIvOARuPQLNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1193/vlcsnap-2021-01-01-04h04m34s231.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="1193" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4HkXftqTXis/X-9SPs1Bg2I/AAAAAAAAh-0/_SqwmQ1T-OEazgRPbPHgalIvOARuPQLNQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2021-01-01-04h04m34s231.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Another issue with the fighting was once again the heavy use of CGI for almost all blood. I understand that it's probably more cost effective instead of using actual live squibs but boy does it look crap. That's the difference between old action flicks and modern ones. Then add to that the simple fact that Wick is nigh on invincible no matter who he fights or how badly injured he is which I just can't get on with. Plus I just can't believe how useless everyone is in this movie. No matter who the bad guys are they are useless, depending on the scene. All the bounty hunters are useless. All the elite High Table henchmen are useless.<span style="background-color: black;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: black; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">All the elite assassins are essentially useless but manage to offer somewhat of a battle.</span><span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: black; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>All the Continental Hotel men are useless. You'd think the Continental staff would be badass all things considered, nope. Oh yeah and when the hotel is announced as deconsecrated it was full of people, next scene its empty! Apart from a handful of useless staff members. You'd think there would have been many more staff members ready to defend the premises. <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And when I say useless I mean Stormtrooper levels of useless, no matter how much weaponry they have.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">How come the top echelons/the Elder of the High Table are a bunch of Arabs in a tent in the middle of a desert? Seemed a bit random. I'm guessing this entire sect of assassins possibly dates back to the medieval period? Twas also amusing how Wick managed to survive walking through said desert without any food or water to find said echelons too. Before that we got some pointless scenes with Halle Berry, in an obvious Caucasian wig, as an old friend of Wick who helps him get info from some other pointless character to find the Elder (seemed like totally drawn out filler). Essentially this was just an excuse to have a strong female character fight sequence...because equality. This merely exposed how bad these fight sequences can be when you have someone who doesn't really do movies like this much (the fight choreography becomes obvious). It was also an excuse to add some dog action in there which was also stupid because how did those dogs not get shot??</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQHUPYgOJLo/X-9T2j6MLaI/AAAAAAAAh-8/3jK3Ye57lFoxVdUJ9FsqkQeYfimHdMI6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1190/vlcsnap-2021-01-01-03h59m17s425.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1190" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQHUPYgOJLo/X-9T2j6MLaI/AAAAAAAAh-8/3jK3Ye57lFoxVdUJ9FsqkQeYfimHdMI6ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2021-01-01-03h59m17s425.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And finally, yawn! We get a big fight sequence between Wick and yet more so-called elite assassins from the High Table led by Zero (Mark Dacascos). This tiresome affair takes place in some hall of mirrors setup or something. It's an entire floor within a skyscraper made of glass, for no apparent reason. But you can guess one thing, its decked out with tonnes of glass just right for throwing people through, ugh! Clearly using ideas from Bruce Lee. I should also point out that The Bowery King (Lawrence Fishburne) is back again simply to set up the story for the inevitable fourth movie.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And thusly in the end we go right back to where we started. Winston and co help Wick, the High Table seem to give up and offer a deal, Winston seemingly betrays Wick to save his place of power within the hotel. So does this mean it's back to Wick versus everyone yet again? Possibly, although I'm sure Winston and co are merely covering their true intentions and will possibly help Wick in taking down the entire High Table organisation (with the help of Laurence Fishburne's artful dodger types) in the fourth outing.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So yeah, I don't really get the hype over this franchise. Probably because I firmly believe it shouldn't have become a franchise. The first movie was a simply gritty affair, it didn't need any more, it didn't need milking (think 'Taken'). But since then we've gotten two more movies and they have taken the whole idea into this inane videogame-esque world where reality has gone out the window. Sure it looks pretty and the fights still look good (for the most part), but this is the third movie people, and they're doing another one! Geez!</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><b>5/10</b></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgOdU3g2TIM/X-9SHzb3kHI/AAAAAAAAh-w/zeYqD-p5l7wWLtBoAWi7s0MCOpWyi3bKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1191/vlcsnap-2021-01-01-04h16m22s449.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1191" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RgOdU3g2TIM/X-9SHzb3kHI/AAAAAAAAh-w/zeYqD-p5l7wWLtBoAWi7s0MCOpWyi3bKACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h264/vlcsnap-2021-01-01-04h16m22s449.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047621226065130947.post-28874961971033598782020-12-28T19:03:00.001-08:002020-12-28T19:03:08.962-08:00Time After Time (1979)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CmPp-4bchs/X-qbtLh3mwI/AAAAAAAAh9s/3H88yrZutu8k9xvfcQJLDqeyWZlYaQ1vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s345/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="230" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CmPp-4bchs/X-qbtLh3mwI/AAAAAAAAh9s/3H88yrZutu8k9xvfcQJLDqeyWZlYaQ1vwCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h400/4.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It appears I have stumbled across another Twilight Zone-esque film. Once again this feels more like an extended episode of said show (or many similar shows) which isn't necessarily a bad thing but...it's hard to get away from thinking that. Twas directed by </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Star Trek's</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Nicholas Meyer though, one of his earlier offerings, which I found intriguing.</span><p></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Plot: It's pretty straight forward. Famous British science-fiction writer H.G. Wells has invented a time machine. Around the same time the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper is on the loose in London. One evening as Wells entertains dinner guests police knock on the door. It appears the Ripper has struck again and might be in the vicinity. After some investigating it appears that one of Wells dinner guests could be the Ripper. But before you can say 'he's gonna escape in the time machine'...he escapes in the time machine. The Ripper sends himself into the distant future of 1979 and it now falls on Wells to go after him and bring him back to face justice. </span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What follows is your typical out of time adventure as the British gentleman from 1893 must navigate San Francisco circa 1979 to find the hideous Victorian killer. </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Obviously despite the fact this film uses real historic people the story itself is completely fictional (duh). But I did like how Meyer fit this fantasy into a realistic timeline. I should quickly point out that Meyer's screenplay and this film is actually based on an actual book of the same name and year (1979). As I was saying, the film takes place in 1893, two years before Wells would actually write his famous time-travelling story in 1895. Thusly in this film Wells invents the time machine for real, has his chaotic adventure, and then follows it up by writing the story.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As for the chaotic time-travelling adventure, well it's a tad predictable and tame really. Wells is portrayed by a young Malcolm McDowell who, unfortunately, doesn't really pull it off in my opinion. For starters he doesn't really look the part with an obviously fake moustache, blonde hair, and he's far too slim both in stature and face. Secondly he comes across as a complete drip frankly, not that I know anything about the real Wells as a young man but McDowell's performance felt so soft and timid. On the other hand there are plenty of nice little touches from McDowell such as examining surfaces made out of new materials (to him). Trying to work out how to open a car door. Trying to understand the difference in 1979 speech patterns etc...I like that he struggled to get along for a time and had to sell bits and pieces of his attire to raise cash for food. That felt like people had actually thought about this instead of some stupid easy get-out clause (like him meeting a hot girl straight away who just takes him in and looks after him).</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CLtKbd7Eack/X-qb-2ljX2I/AAAAAAAAh90/pJFdWWFRDVAN2RuW9avRYBTc1NbMigAbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s711/vlcsnap-2020-12-29-02h41m35s813.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="711" height="280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CLtKbd7Eack/X-qb-2ljX2I/AAAAAAAAh90/pJFdWWFRDVAN2RuW9avRYBTc1NbMigAbQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h280/vlcsnap-2020-12-29-02h41m35s813.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On the flip side the Ripper (David Warner) conveniently doesn't seem to have the same issues, that we see anyway. Maybe it's because he's the villain but things don't really seem to faze him as much. He seems more intent on continuing his killing streak in this new futuristic world. This was something that bugged me because why would he do that? I get that he's a psycho but he managed to escape from his murderous past and obvious eventual presumable capture and has given himself a fresh new start. Yet he gets straight back to killing again which would presumably land him right back in the same eventual outcome, capture and imprisonment. Many serial killers are supposed to be quite intelligent, apparently. Well this doesn't come across as a logical move to me, surely he'd be amazed by the future and wanting to discover more about that? I dunno.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Time travel is of course a very hard subject to tackle because who knows how one might react to a whole new world with new inventions. Especially from someone in our distant past because with basic things (to us now) like plastics, travel, architecture, communication etc...would be mind-blowing to them. It might not be too bad for people in our present going forward because we would be more likely to adapt to greater technology, maybe. </div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Have to mention the casting of Mary Steenburgen as Wells love interest here. In all honesty her performance isn't exactly ground-breaking but it's the circumstance that's interesting. In this film she plays a 20th-century woman who falls in love with a man from the past and eventually follows him back in time. In 1990 Steenburgen played a character from the past who falls in love with a man from the future and eventually follows him into the future ('Back to the Future III').</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pPYibWcDpk/X-qcIrvegWI/AAAAAAAAh94/H211jUFsoMsji0DSq6vZ0QClr2IEMuyYACLcBGAsYHQ/s918/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="918" height="290" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pPYibWcDpk/X-qcIrvegWI/AAAAAAAAh94/H211jUFsoMsji0DSq6vZ0QClr2IEMuyYACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h290/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are many things in this film that are quite quaint these days. The main factor of course being the distant future being 1979, one year after I was born. This naturally makes <span style="color: #00a2ff;"><b>everything</b></span> incredibly dated to the point of hilarity whilst watching. The outfits David Warner wears in some scenes are priceless. The young girl wearing literal transparent trousers in front of Wells was bizarre as I've never seen that before myself. The fact that the US banks were happy to exchange British currency from the 1800's! Really?? All the cars and technology we see throughout the film. I also liked the obvious visual homage to the 1960's time machine with this film's time machine. Actually I thought this offering was better and had more of a sensible look really. This time machine actually had a little pod you sat in that would protect you from any possible dangerous effects of travelling through time. The fact the time machine in the old 1960's version was essentially an open sled always bugged me.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So anyway the film predictably moves along and we watch the Ripper kill various women only to eventually kidnap Wells love interest in order to obtain a special key from him. Said key is one of two special functions on the time machine. This key stops the machine from automatically going back to its time of origin, which would result in any time traveller being stranded. Without said key the machine won't go at all, I think. Not really sure why anyone would build this function into your machine. The same could be said for the second key. Apparently when you remove this important key it sends the time traveller hurtling into time and space and unable to be saved. This was something I still can't quite get my head around. I assume you have to be in the machine for this to work, but I don't get how the removal of this key sends you into oblivion. And again, why would you build this into your machine?? Seems dangerous.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Anywho overall this film is an enjoyable little time-travelling romp that any time-travelling TV series would be happy to showcase during its run. Admittedly this film would merely be seen as generic time-travelling filler for any TV series, I mean there's nothing ground-breaking here to be honest. It's a very simple story with a very simple outcome that could be retooled for any number of characters from any number of time periods. Think along the lines of 'Quantum Leap' I guess.</div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><b>6.5/10</b></span></div>Hubbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04897344651758083589noreply@blogger.com0