I know this pops up periodically, but I couldn't find anything in the past few pages, so I decided to start one. Over the past few weeks I've seen:
Ghostbusters: I know that this one has been divisive, should they have rebooted Ghostbusters, how would the new cast do, etc. but I decided I'd go see it. It's no where near the classic that the original is, but there are some funny parts throughout. Part of my problem with the movie was it treated the franchise as a brand new entity (which is what reboots do), but they kept making reference after reference after reference to the original film. Each cast member from the original, with the exception of Rick Moranis, had a cameo in some form, they reference the theme song, they reference "I ain't fraid of no ghosts," they reference the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and on and on and on. I found that to be distracting. It would be like if in James Bond, you saw every actor who has ever played Bond pop up in the movie. It's fine to have a couple of easter eggs or references, but they just did a lot. Overall, it's fine, but because they had to opportunity to be great, you feel a little underwhelmed.
Star Trek: Beyond: I really liked this movie. I have been a fan of this new wave of Star Trek movies, and this one is a lot of fun. This feels a lot like a classic Star Trek adventure where you can just have fun with the characters you've known forever. Also, I liked Idris Elba as the villain, but I kind of wish he wasn't in so much makeup because I think he could have added a little more nuance to the role. I understand if they didn't want to do motion capture and go full cgi, but I think that would have captured his acting ability just a little better. I should add, if you're a fan of early 90's hip-hop, particularly the Beastie Boys, you should enjoy this movie.
Suicide Squad: I know a lot of you are burned out on the comic book movie thing, but I am not, haha. I went in to this movie hopeful that it would be better than Batman v Superman, which I was disappointed in, and I left feeling like it accomplished that. It's not a perfect movie by any means, and it can get lost in the plot at times, which is both somehow over and under complicated depending on the scene, but it was a fun ride. The characters are fun, the acting is solid (Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, and surprisingly, Jai Courtney are standouts), and the action should keep you engaged. It feels like a step in the right direction for DC, because it still has a darker vibe than Marvel, but it has fun as well, which is what comic book movies should be. Sure, the Dark Knight trilogy is dark, but there are one-liners here and there, there are moments of levity, and it's not miserable dark. I'm hoping that this trend continues for DC. Plus, it has a great soundtrack.
As for movies not in theaters:
Goon: If you have Netflix, check this movie out. I watched it for the first time this week, and I thought it was awesome. Basically, Seann William Scott (Stifler from American Pie) plays a guy who becomes a minor-league hockey player after he beats up a player who comes in the stands. His job is to be the resident tough guy on the team and fight whoever is the toughest on the other team. There is a rival legendary goon played by Liev Schreiber, and he is also great. I know some of you may think a hockey movie starring the guy who played Stifler isn't that appealing, but trust me, it's really solid. He is a very different character in this, and I really enjoyed it.
In the Loop: Another Netflix movie, this is from the guy who created Veep. It stars Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, and some other familiar faces from Veep and Silicon Valley. It's basically a foul-mouthed look into the US and British Governments having a series of miscommunication on the precipice of a fictional Middle Eastern skirmish. If you watch and like Veep, I think you'll like this, if not, then it's probably not for you. Also, it was predominately made by the British so if you don't particularly enjoy that sense of humor, you also might not like this.
Anyway, that's what I've seen lately, what about you guys?
Ghostbusters: I know that this one has been divisive, should they have rebooted Ghostbusters, how would the new cast do, etc. but I decided I'd go see it. It's no where near the classic that the original is, but there are some funny parts throughout. Part of my problem with the movie was it treated the franchise as a brand new entity (which is what reboots do), but they kept making reference after reference after reference to the original film. Each cast member from the original, with the exception of Rick Moranis, had a cameo in some form, they reference the theme song, they reference "I ain't fraid of no ghosts," they reference the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and on and on and on. I found that to be distracting. It would be like if in James Bond, you saw every actor who has ever played Bond pop up in the movie. It's fine to have a couple of easter eggs or references, but they just did a lot. Overall, it's fine, but because they had to opportunity to be great, you feel a little underwhelmed.
Star Trek: Beyond: I really liked this movie. I have been a fan of this new wave of Star Trek movies, and this one is a lot of fun. This feels a lot like a classic Star Trek adventure where you can just have fun with the characters you've known forever. Also, I liked Idris Elba as the villain, but I kind of wish he wasn't in so much makeup because I think he could have added a little more nuance to the role. I understand if they didn't want to do motion capture and go full cgi, but I think that would have captured his acting ability just a little better. I should add, if you're a fan of early 90's hip-hop, particularly the Beastie Boys, you should enjoy this movie.
Suicide Squad: I know a lot of you are burned out on the comic book movie thing, but I am not, haha. I went in to this movie hopeful that it would be better than Batman v Superman, which I was disappointed in, and I left feeling like it accomplished that. It's not a perfect movie by any means, and it can get lost in the plot at times, which is both somehow over and under complicated depending on the scene, but it was a fun ride. The characters are fun, the acting is solid (Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, and surprisingly, Jai Courtney are standouts), and the action should keep you engaged. It feels like a step in the right direction for DC, because it still has a darker vibe than Marvel, but it has fun as well, which is what comic book movies should be. Sure, the Dark Knight trilogy is dark, but there are one-liners here and there, there are moments of levity, and it's not miserable dark. I'm hoping that this trend continues for DC. Plus, it has a great soundtrack.
As for movies not in theaters:
Goon: If you have Netflix, check this movie out. I watched it for the first time this week, and I thought it was awesome. Basically, Seann William Scott (Stifler from American Pie) plays a guy who becomes a minor-league hockey player after he beats up a player who comes in the stands. His job is to be the resident tough guy on the team and fight whoever is the toughest on the other team. There is a rival legendary goon played by Liev Schreiber, and he is also great. I know some of you may think a hockey movie starring the guy who played Stifler isn't that appealing, but trust me, it's really solid. He is a very different character in this, and I really enjoyed it.
In the Loop: Another Netflix movie, this is from the guy who created Veep. It stars Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, and some other familiar faces from Veep and Silicon Valley. It's basically a foul-mouthed look into the US and British Governments having a series of miscommunication on the precipice of a fictional Middle Eastern skirmish. If you watch and like Veep, I think you'll like this, if not, then it's probably not for you. Also, it was predominately made by the British so if you don't particularly enjoy that sense of humor, you also might not like this.
Anyway, that's what I've seen lately, what about you guys?
