What film did you watch last night?

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I finally watched Blade Runner 2049.

As a huge fan of the original move, I freely admit I've been biased against this movie without even watching it. I idealised the original and to a lesser extent the original Electric Sheep book for decades and found the 1997 PC game to be one of the best movie games I ever played at the time.

Main issue is my own personal opinion, I've never liked pampered, coddled child star Gosling in anything he's ever been in, I just don't buy it. Compare that to Harrison Ford in the original, a ex carpenter from the school of hard knocks, just been in one of the most influential films ever, about to play Indiana Jones and to reprise Han Solo many times, at his peak in one his best ever performances showing multi faceted layers of vulnerability.

Then you get former Mickey Mouse Club star Gosling doing his best young circa Romancing the Stone era Michael Douglas 'badass' voice impression. Unfair? That's my honest rating of his acting in this. Just my opinion.

Without giving spoilers the pacing and visual style didn't match up to the original film in any of it versions, the original film has got an incredible sense of pacing and visual continuity that 2049 lacks, by far the most potent scenes in 2049 basically ape the original movie, even using the same soundtrack or similar remix.

Ridley Scott has nothing to worry about in terms of being outshone, nothing at all.

In many ways a new director taking up Blade Runner was always going to be a poison chalice, and I still think Villenueve did a decent job overall, it's not a bad movie, but lightning didn't strike twice this time for me. Direction aside the story and screenplay just aren't as good as the original, the original didn't dwell that much, it moves quickly for the most part so the slow moments really mean something. There's more for the viewer to have to fill in the blanks with their own imagination. 2049 is more bluntly stated.

Ridley Scott had Ford and Hauer at their peak, both giving Oscar worthy performances with an incredible supporting cast, I just didn't feel that this time round. Ironically, in Dave Bautista they had someone you could have built the whole movie off, he should have been the star, someone with the hard knock life experience and complex charisma to give what the role needed.

For me 6/10, as as someone less invested in the original, I can see it deserves higher, but not by much.

I know plenty of fans really liked it and I respect their opinions, but to me it doesn't hold a candle to the original.
 
Soldato
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@PC777 good review.

It's odd for me as I wanted to dislike it, posted as much last week in this very thread and I detest Reynolds. Blade Runner also in my top movies of all time and from moment 2049 was announced, I dismissed it as an unneeded sequel. Came out of the cinema being unable to fault much of it aside from a poor villain(s)
 
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Thanks man, and to be clear I do totally respect anyone that liked it. I watched Prometheus at the cinema and it was a lot better on the big screen even though that movie has a huge amount of problems as well.

But you're right about the villain , totally forgettable, many of us shed a tear for Roy Batty and never forgot that moment decades later. You can't say that about anyone or any moment in 2049.

As for the end:
They couldn't come up with anything better than a tears in the rain ripoff? But this time it was a Gosling in the snow, all with the same music? So lame

As for casting, all the interesting actors he could have gone for, Sam Rockwell, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, even Benedict Cumbersnatch, someone with a sense of ambiguity just like Ford in the first movie, not some cheesy peer of Britney Spears.

Again, this is all my ranting opinion, I do respect anyone else's that differs. I'm frustrated as I wanted to write a sequel to it myself one day, I kind of wish I'd kept that dream going having seen 2049, maybe I was good enough after all.
 
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Unhinged.

Could have been anyone as "Russell Crowe"
Playing the "over the edge nutter."
It's a fine forgettable throw away film at a merciful 90 min ISH runtime.
I laughed at all the scares, crashes, stabs, burns, shots and I'm sure many others will.
Totally predictable but just fine...
 
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The Shining 9/10

Have not watched it in years, from the opening scene, I forgot about the music!

A cracking horror, a proper spooky film, although I kept thinking of the Simpsons episode :D

This and the 'Dead Zone' from the same time, awesome Stephen King adaptions. Up with classic's such as The Exorcist.
 
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Might be worth checking out the TV show spin off if you haven't seen it.
Season 1 is pretty much a remake of the first film.

I'll echo this, i'll even go so far as to say it improves on the movie. Sure it doesn't have the typical Tarantino quick wit and OTT styling but from a fleshed out story perspective, it's much better. The brother isn't a disgusting rapist in the series either.
 
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I'll echo this, i'll even go so far as to say it improves on the movie. Sure it doesn't have the typical Tarantino quick wit and OTT styling but from a fleshed out story perspective, it's much better. The brother isn't a disgusting rapist in the series either.

I re watched the film a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed.

Gave the TV show a go when it first dropped and don't think I made it past four episodes. It felt as if they had force the story by trying to flesh out the film's events to stretch to fill ten episodes.
 
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From Dusk Till Dawn is one of my favourite movies ever. I keep coming back to it every few years. Tarantino gold.

I watched Absolutely Anything last night, Hadn't seen it since cinema. Good lighthearted comedy with lots of familiar faces and voices. And the very lovely Kate Beckinsale too :cool:
 
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I re watched the film a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed.

Gave the TV show a go when it first dropped and don't think I made it past four episodes. It felt as if they had force the story by trying to flesh out the film's events to stretch to fill ten episodes.

It does drag at the start and feels more drawn out for sure. Imo though this is purely due to like for like comparisons with the movie which become lessened as you proceed through the series.

I still think the movie is better, it's just that the series is a better story overall. That said...I haven't watched season 2 and 3 so it could easily **** the bed further along :)
 
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Saw Star Trek: Beyond a couple nights ago.

-7/-10

I'm really not sure how you'd go about making it any worse than it is. They were really close to releasing the perfect steaming pile of crap. With a little more determination they could have possibly made the worst film ever.

Of course it's still miles better than Prometheus.
 
Caporegime
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GoldenEye. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113189/

Due to the James Bond thread and my memories of playing GoldenEye on the N64, I fancied seeing this again.

I actually nearly turned it off after a few minutes; as far as I'm concerned, the only one that can do corny remarks very well is Moore, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did.

Very good film and Brosnan is a solid Bond. The opening sequence is great.
 
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From Dusk Till Dawn is one of my favourite movies ever. I keep coming back to it every few years. Tarantino gold.

I watched Absolutely Anything last night, Hadn't seen it since cinema. Good lighthearted comedy with lots of familiar faces and voices. And the very lovely Kate Beckinsale too :cool:

*Robert Rodriguez gold.
 
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