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Post by Richard on Jan 9, 2006 13:26:12 GMT -5
Hi everyone!
Well, we have a Non Potter Book Discussions, but as I am a big fan of movies, I thought perhaps this was an interesting subject as well. I hope many more of you like other movies than HP.
OK, the last movie I saw was 'King Kong'. I saw it last week and found it a bit of a disappointment. I had high anticipations after reading a lot of very positive reviews, and the statements made by Peter Jackson himself.
What I disliked most was the length (+3 hours), as I felt many subplots could have been cut (especially in the first part). Also, I thought 'Yeah right' a lot of times during the movie. If the island + huge creatures really existed, than I doubted anyone would have left the island alive. I felt they pushed it a bit too far. Sure, the visual effects looked great, but I just sometimes had the feeling the story was made to show the audience they had great visual effects in store.
Has anyone else seen 'King Kong', and if so, what was your opinion?
Richard
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Post by * amanda on Jan 11, 2006 0:04:42 GMT -5
I have a few friends who saw King Kong and liked it... but I can't comment because I didn't see it! I did, however, see "Memoirs of a Geisha" recently. I expected to like it but was disappointed. I read the book and enjoyed it, but the movie fell flat. It wasn't the storyline that bothered me so much because it was reasonable for a film adaptation (minus the ending, which they made cheesy and Hollywood-ish without leaving in the finality that the book had). It was the visuals of the film had been hyped so much that I was expecting to impressed by at least that aspect of it, but I've seen much more impressive visuals in other movies and it did not at all even approach my expectations for what I thought they could have conveyed on screen. The music was by John Williams, who I usually love, but the soundtrack took over the film. The depiction of the characters seemed detached, further discouraging my interest in the movie. Of course, my review may not be 100% fair because I wasn't quite feeling my best the night I saw it... I didn't know it at the time, but I was coming down with the flu.  The fact that I wasn't feeling my best may have skewed my opinion of the movie slightly. :/ However, critics and reviews that I've seen seem to generally fall in line with how I felt about the film. I recently got The Sound of Music DVD. Watching that movie again for the first time in about 10 years made me wonder, with the incredible resources that today's films have at their disposal, why movies that are made now can't seem to attain the breathtaking sublimity that movies like TSoM once demonstrated. |
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Post by Fins on Jan 11, 2006 10:14:00 GMT -5
I saw both KK and MoaG and here is my take.... KK was a good movie.... since there were two other versions out there, you can't help measuring it against the others. Here is what I liked about the movie.... Jackson did a wonderful job capturing the depression era in NYC. It was quite enthralling. Watts and Black did a wonderful job in their respective parts. The special effects were second to none... one of the best in any movie. Here's what I didn't like about it.... the LENGTH!!! They could have cut out at least a half hour in the jungle alone. I think this could have been a great movie if they would have cut it down a bit. Also thought the way they filmed the girl climbing on top of the Empire State building was sort of a stretch. Overall, it was good... B or B- IMHO  I was also a bit disappointed in Memoirs of a Geisha. I guess I expected more plot, something more to expect at the end. Since I didn't read the book, I don't know what it should have been. The best part of the movie was certainly the music. John Williams was at his best. Yo Yo Ma and Itzak Perlman had great performances with the Cello and Violin parts... very emotional music. This was the best part of the movie. The actors' performances were very good... I just think the screenplay needed some help. |
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Post by * amanda on Jan 11, 2006 21:45:16 GMT -5
*spoilers of MoaG*
fins, in the book, Sayuri and the Chairman do confess their love to one another and the movie more or less showed it as it was in the book. But where the movie stops, the book goes on to tell about how the Chairmain became Sayuri's Danna, and Sayuri lived under the Chairman's wing so to speak for the rest of her life. In the book it was specified that the Chairman was married (I guess it was ok for a man to be married and be a danna to a geisha) so they could never live together, but the Chairman puts Sayuri up in an apartment in NYC because he needs to travel there often for business. They more or less see each other for the rest of his life, and things are happy for Sayuri, though it was not the sugarcoated fantasy ending that the movie portrayed. The book touched upon the idea that even though Sayuri "got" the Chairman in the end, it wasn't happily ever after so much as it was a "happy sort of union ever after," because the Chairman did have things in his life other than her so she had a somewhat lonely existence. In other words, it didn't have the perfect, sugary Hollywood ending and I guess I liked that because it was more realistic.
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Post by Richard on Jan 13, 2006 9:23:44 GMT -5
I saw 'Saw 2' yesterday. I thought it was a good movie. It has some major plot twists (especially in the end) that come very unexpected. The usual bloody scenes are there too, but it's not overdone. I think that's good. I know some people go to this kind of movie to see lots of blood and torture, they perhaps find it to be disappointing.
Fins, I agree with what you said about King Kong doing a good job in capturing the NYC of that time.
Has anyone seen Narnia? I want to go but none of my friends are really interested in seeing it. If anyone has seen it, please post your thoughts on it. Thanks!
Richard
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kats
Head Girl/Boy
Posts: 113
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Post by kats on Jan 13, 2006 13:25:00 GMT -5
Richard,
I took my son to Narnia. He read the first four books before we went. I have never read the books. It was beautifully done. My son told me that it is faithful to the book. There is not a lot of plot to it and what there is is very obvious but it was worth the time and money to me. It is much more of a children's book/movie to me than HP.
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Kit M.
Head Girl/Boy
I'm hoppy, cuddly and adorable!
Posts: 104
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Post by Kit M. on Jan 13, 2006 16:54:18 GMT -5
I saw that! Right now I'm reading the book Prince Caspian. Sjr didn't like it much.
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Post by Tonks on Jan 14, 2006 11:20:47 GMT -5
Hmm, critiques for MoaG and KK are duely noted. Once I see them, I'll put my two pence in! I haven't seen Narnia yet, but don't expect I will until it comes out on DVD. Saw 2...totally out of the question for me *now where did that sick smiley go.....guess this will have to do*  On New Years Eve Sis, a friend of ours and myself went to see Walk the Line. Has anyone seen that yet? All in all, I give it an A/A- for the wonderful performances Phoenix and Witherspoon gave. It was very well played out, you could feel the emotional struggle of Cash and Carter, and you really felt bad for Cash's wife who was watching her husband fall in love with someone else in the public eye and couldn't do anything about it really. I've never been a big Johnny Cash fan, but after my coworker had a sort of JC marathon, I was able to watch the movie and sing along to some of the songs, and I enjoyed it! It was also a biography of his life and brought up facts that I've never known about him. His painful struggle throughout his life, in particular, of blaming himself for his older brothers death when it wasn't his fault. The "good one" as Johnny refered to his brother and basically was backed up by his fathers actions. And his life long struggle to prove himself to his father. You also saw how JC had a thing for June Carter since he was a little boy, I thought that was interesting. The one downfall of the movie (and it's not really the movies fault), the performances did not capture the essense of JC. Phoenix did an outstanding job with the role, he amazingly transformed his voice to sound just like JC, but the tone just wasn't there. But, like I said, it's not necessarily the actors fault....JC is just a very hard person to peg and a very unusual personality to grasp. |
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kats
Head Girl/Boy
Posts: 113
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Post by kats on Jan 14, 2006 17:57:40 GMT -5
I saw Munich with my husband. It was a very interesting movie but the violence got in the way for me. I actually started to close my eyes or look away whenever I knew something bloody was going to happen.
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Post by phoenix73 on Jan 31, 2006 13:29:54 GMT -5
saw good night and good luck, which i loved and thought was so excellent and clever. and that's all i'm saying about that extremely relevent bit of celluloid.  |
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Post by phoenix73 on Jan 31, 2006 13:32:01 GMT -5
conversely, saw the brothers grimm, which i enjoyed on an entirely different level. loved heath ledger ever since 10 things i hate about you and knight's tale (LOVE). would like to see memoirs, as well as P&P.... and capote, and so many others. too many to name!!!
really hoping the rumors of keith richards in the new pirates of the caribbean are true. would be too, too perfect as depp's daddy.
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Kit M.
Head Girl/Boy
I'm hoppy, cuddly and adorable!
Posts: 104
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Post by Kit M. on Feb 5, 2006 13:09:45 GMT -5
Hi peeps. Catching up since haven't been here for while.
Has anyone seen Nanny Mcphee? I went to see our fav. actress playing Trelawny. It actually was quite entertaing.
I have no idea of what choo peeps talk about. I really don't. Just like conversing. Bye-Bye.
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kats
Head Girl/Boy
Posts: 113
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Post by kats on Feb 6, 2006 16:43:29 GMT -5
I just went with my children. It was very cute but also very formula. We've come to expect so much more. I quite enjoyed to movie until the end. The end did drag a bit.
It was interesting to see the actress who plays the cook as she will be Umbridge. She'll do a good job.
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Post by * amanda on Feb 6, 2006 19:46:28 GMT -5
OH! She was Umbridge? hehe - she will do a good job.
I saw Nanny McPhee a few weekends ago. I agree with kats - it was good, but predictable. Still worth watching. I loved the visuals. The vivid colours were amazing! Anything with Colin Firth and Emma Thompson is always amazing. (They definitely need to find Colin Firth a part in HP!) The oldest boy (the one from "Love Actually") was also totally adorable. (again, he needs something in HP!).
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Post by sapphire on Feb 6, 2006 20:33:14 GMT -5
Hiya MUGWUMPIAN moviegoers. I am enjoying your comments. Personally, most of my movie going time has been to one particularly fantastic movie concerning a certain boy wizard, but I have seen Narnia, and found it both quite true to the books, which I read as a young adult and beautifully filmed. The little girl who played Lucy was just amazing. She is another who needs a role in HP.
I was inspired to pick up the books again, but was surprised to find myself disappointed with Prince Caspian, which was the first one I had on hand. It's not really fair to compare, but I didn't like the tone the storyteller used. It seemed really condescending after JK Rowling. I wonder if they will really make all 7 of that series.
Didn't see MoaG, and I am glad, reading your remarks. The book was quite interesting.
King Kong doesn't appeal at all, so thank heavens you guys sat the 3 looooooong hours instead of me.
I adored Pride and Prejudice, but haven't read the book, so can't compare those.
Last night I went to see Last Holiday with Queen Latifah, which was cute, but not too meaty and fairly full of holes in plot. Nice message but I suggest waiting for the rental, if you are interested. Queen Latifah fans will enjoy it, but for a real QL blast, see Chicago, then see this. (See Chicago anyway! ;D)
Speaking of movies, anyone know if that film Dan made in Australia is going to be released here?
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Kit M.
Head Girl/Boy
I'm hoppy, cuddly and adorable!
Posts: 104
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Post by Kit M. on Feb 13, 2006 13:04:23 GMT -5
Hey y'all.
Yesterday I just saw Pink Panther. I've seen the original and the new one did not follow the old, but it was enjoyable. He blows up a bathroom! ;D
Wait the cook in Nanny McPhee plays Umbridge? She's stumpy and ugly, she'll do.
~Kit~
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Post by Brian Newman on Aug 14, 2008 13:20:06 GMT -5
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The fact that I wasn't feeling my best may have skewed my opinion of the movie slightly. :/ However, critics and reviews that I've seen seem to generally fall in line with how I felt about the film.
