Movie-mania

[astri13]

Since I have a hard time finding people to go to the movies with (movies I actually want to see, that is) and I hate going alone while my best friend has the same problem where she lives, we get together at least once a year for a fun movie weekend.

This year's nominees, as watched, were:

Avengers - I had seen it before but not in 3D. Okay, seeing as 3D effects are lost on me thanks to some eye-surgery I had as a toddler, it was like seeing it in 2D but what the hell. :D Still really love the movie. My friend wasn't quite as impressed but liked it overall.

Snowhite and the Huntsman - Hm, definitely something I expected more of because of the trailers. My friend and I were still entertained but I always waited for the story to really get going yet somehow it never did. Performance-wise I liked Hemsworth and his Huntsman character best. Charlize Theron did a bit too much scenery chewing for my tastes but overall I liked her too. Unfortuantely I wasn't taken with Stewart's performance. Which, granted, was not helped by the writing IMO. She is beautiful but lacks spark for me. I saw no difference between Snow White and Bella Swan (the characters in Twilight in general tend to put me to sleep). What I liked best about her character was the interaction with the Huntsman.

It never went into full-bloom romance for some reason, was more of a vibe all through to the end. Which I was kind of disappointed by, I thought they worked well as a "couple" if you will. And I did expect more after he basically confesses his love to her dead/comatose self and then kisses her back to life (though walks away before she wakes up) but there is no direct follow-up scene adressing that. Instead she wakes up, gives her speech to the masses and they only have minor interaction after that.

Somehow it looked as if the writer wasn't sure if he wanted to give them a love story within this movie or not. Which ended up being half-baked. I prefer that choice to be made beforehand and then carried out.

Dark Shadows - Wasn't as bad as I had feared from the trailers but it wasn't the heights of Sleepy Hollow either. Some gags that worked, at times too goofy to me and the genuine parts of horror seemed ill-placed because of it. Either a geeze-could-they-put-more-make-up-on-him Johnny Depp as Barnabas was supposed to be the funny fish out of water (or his time) nice vampire who tries to help out his family or he is a blood-thirsty killer who bleeds out a couple stoners in the woods but not frigging both at the same time.

Hunger Games - Wow, I had heard good things about it. Which is why I dragged my friend with me - she was dubious about a movie with "child" characters. But we both loved it. Jennifer Lawrence acted the hell out of it. It was suspenseful and daring. I mean the concept of basically gladiator games to the death for the amusement of the debauched, bored masses? Not new. Only usually the movies take prisoners on death row for that, at best a special forces soldier innocently incarcerated. Taking kids? Age 12! and up? I hated every single people in this Capitol, especially the Prez and I'm unfamiliar with the books and the world they build. The movie alone managed to invoke that reaction. Kudos.

We were very disappointed Prometheus isn't out yet because the trailers looked awesome. And btw, it only comes out in August here? Two whole months after everywhere else? Fuck that.

Interestingly enough the new Spiderman didn't look too bad from the trailers either. I had heard it bombed with test audiences? Hm.

Not sure about Dark Knight Rises. I totally want to see it but I wasn't sold on the trailer.

Comments

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm SO glad you liked The Hunger Games (seeing as I've been mildly obsessed with it since February :D ). Speaking of Hemsworth, I find it endearing how Liam looks just like Chris, only...younger :-)

IDK but the trailer of Snow White looked to me like this film would be the love child of Twilight, Red Riding Hood and Van Helsing. Which...didn't exactly make me want to see it :-) (I'd probably omly go for Chris Hemsworth. He's George Kirk, dammit! And I'm just a girl :D)

Still haven't seen The Avengers. I'll probably wait for the DVD. I wanted to see it but all the OVs were in 3D :-/

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Hunger Games was fantastic. And I'm happy that it did well at the box office so they are going to make the sequels. I haven't read the books but maybe I will now. :)

IDK but the trailer of Snow White looked to me like this film would be the love child of Twilight, Red Riding Hood and Van Helsing.

Hee. It wasn't terrible, definitely better than the movies above but my main impression was: wasted potential. The approach to the story was perfectly fine and with a tighter script (and maybe a recast), I think a great movie could have been made from it. As it was, it ended up being an okay movie. Which is frustrating.

I'd probably omly go for Chris Hemsworth. He's George Kirk, dammit! And I'm just a girl :D)

You know it was so funny because last night the Star Trek movie was on and during the teaser sequence, I poked my friend and remarked on how we'd seen him aka Chris Hemsworth three times this weekened and she went "huh?". She had totally not made the connection to either Thor nor the Huntsman because of the short hair. And even more funny was a bit later in the movie when it's already Chris Pine as James Kirk and she looks at him weirdly and goes "hm, I STILL don't see Thor in him". Teehee.

Still haven't seen The Avengers. I'll probably wait for the DVD. I wanted to see it but all the OVs were in 3D :-/

You don't like 3D? Like I said, myself, I don't even notice the difference. But it's really a movie you should see on the big screen at least once.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

Me, too :) Even if they have to get a new director but the runner-up seemed promising. At least the first film has set the tone quite nicely, so I hope they'll try to use it as a model for the sequels... (the day they cast Finnick we break the internet. Just sayin' :D ) (Oh and yes--Jennifer Lawrence gave one Hell of a performance and I have a bit of a girl crush on her now; she's so awesome in interviews :-) )

Ah, I hate nothing more than wasted potential. (HELLO SEASON 2 OF DARK ANGEL)

Awwwww, bless :-) I liked him in "Thor", I thought he was adorable. AS someone on my flist put it: I never knew whether to hug him or climb him like a tree :D Then again I'm the one person who actually didn't give a damn about Loki's story (or Tom Hiddleston) and mainly watched because the bits on earth were fun.

No, I don't like 3D. That is I haven't seen a whole movie yet but I never liked 3D shows and I didn't like the 3D film they shwoed at the Doctor Who Experience. I get scared easily so I kept looking away which...sort of ruined it for me :-) Too, I'm an old-fashioned gal. I don't need 3D, I don't even need HD. I just want to watch a movie, I don't need to feel like I'm in one. (Except if they ever make Holodecks happen.)

[astri13.livejournal.com]

the day they cast Finnick we break the internet. Just sayin' :D

I have no idea who that is, just that this Ted Casadingsda guy posited Jared Padalecki as a good fit for him. Not exactly my cuppa that. :/

I liked him in "Thor", I thought he was adorable.

Me too. Thor started out as quite brash and arrogant but he never seemed mean-spirited.

I really did like Loki though. Thought he had the best part in the movie in terms of "family drama".

No, I don't like 3D. That is I haven't seen a whole movie yet but I never liked 3D shows and I didn't like the 3D film they shwoed at the Doctor Who Experience. I get scared easily so I kept looking away which..

I went to a couple nature movies in 4D. Which was movie because water was sprinkled on you when you were "on the ocean" and little things from your seats poked you as a surprise when something was coming from "behind". It's actually the only way for me to get any kind of "D" experience because visually you could put a thousands of those glasses on me and I'd still never perceive the movie as being right in it. :(

[legoline.livejournal.com]

I have no idea who that is, just that this Ted Casadingsda guy posited
Jared Padalecki as a good fit for him. Not exactly my cuppa that. :/


WHAT? NO. No. No. No. No. NONONONO. NO. NO. DID I MENTION NO??? NO NO NO. NO. JUST NO. Actually--he's being described as being naturally beautiful with piercing green eyes, and he's a bit cheeky and you never quite know what to make of him but he has a very interesting back story. Personally, I think Alec!Jensen would have been the perfect fit--both lookswise and agewise. It should be someone like that or someone like Matt Bomer (too old as well), someone who's naturally pretty and charismatic. Not Steroid Boy. NO.

Me too. Thor started out as quite brash and arrogant but he never seemed mean-spirited.
Exactly. He never meant to harm anyone. He just thought he was the greatest :-)

I dunno, that drama just seemed forced on me.

I HATE these things. Like I said, I scare easily :-)

[astri13.livejournal.com]

WHAT? NO. No. No. No. No. NONONONO. NO. NO. DID I MENTION NO??? NO NO NO. NO. JUST NO. Actually--he's being described as being naturally beautiful with piercing green eyes, and he's a bit cheeky and you never quite know what to make of him but he has a very interesting back story. Personally, I think Alec!Jensen would have been the perfect fit--both lookswise and agewise. It should be someone like that or someone like Matt Bomer (too old as well)

Ah, so another young character? I think we'll be safe then because they'll probably cast in the late teen/young twen age bracket and JP does not fit this anymore.

With your description, though, no teen actor comes to mind readily. Granted, I don't know that many anymore but all the "OMG, so beauitful" actors I can think of are simply too old.

[legoline.livejournal.com]

He's 24 in the books, so comparatively old in regard to Katniss and Peeta but he's not as old as Haymitch. (He's from District 4 and a winner of an earlier HG.) My flist and I have been wrecking brains about who could be casted but seriously, I have no idea as well because I have no idea who's young and hip in Hollywood. I think, and I'm ashamed to admit this, Zac Efron might work because he's got that charming surfer-boy thing going for him but he might be too old as well. obsessive24 and I are crossing fingers they'll simply cast someone amazing no one has ever heard of before :-)

JP is definitely too old. Thank God.

[gypsy-atavari.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of lucky that I have a bunch of friends I can go out with to watch films I like. :-)

We just watched Snow White and the Huntsman and thoroughly enjoyed Chris Hemsworth in it. Charlize makes the queen interesting though sometimes the acting is a little OTT. I think it was good that they hardly gave Kristine Stewart any lines. I liked that Snow White was a strong female character though.

Dark Shadows was darker than I thought it would be and uneven in a lot of parts.

We were just talking about Hunger Games and how awesome Jennifer Lawrence was in it. And a bit about the Game of Thrones finale.

Also not excited about Spiderman. It feels like they've already done that storyline before.

Excited about Dark Knight Rises - again because it's Chris Nolan and he's yet to fail me. Hehe.

We like the same films apparently. :-)

[astri13.livejournal.com]

We just watched Snow White and the Huntsman and thoroughly enjoyed Chris Hemsworth in it.

A perfectly understandable reaction. :D

Dark Shadows was darker than I thought it would be and uneven in a lot of parts.

Agreed. It's like they couldn't decide what they wanted to be. The comedy and horror aspects definitely blended much better in Sleepy Hollow for me.

Also not excited about Spiderman. It feels like they've already done that storyline before.

I had no interest in it either because another reboot? So soon after the last ones? Geeze, at least put in a decade or two. But the trailer really did look half decent. I expected Peter Parker to be the geeky kid lacking self esteem again but from the trailers he looked pretty content in his skin, with a decent sense of snark and humor, too. I liked that.

Excited about Dark Knight Rises - again because it's Chris Nolan and he's yet to fail me. Hehe.

I may be one of three people on Earth who loved Batman Begins more than Dark Knight but I'm totally pumped for the sequel, too. Just found the trailer a bit, I don't know, confusing? All over the place? Then again, trailers can be misleading.

Overall, Prometheus had by far the best ones out.

We like the same films apparently. :-)

A soft spot for genre maybe? *g*

[gypsy-atavari.livejournal.com]

I had no interest in it either because another reboot? So soon after the last ones? Geeze, at least put in a decade or two.

According to the hubby Sony had to make a new Spiderman flick otherwise the rights to make the new film would revert back to Marvel. That would have been cool to see - what Marvel would do with a Spiderman movie. Hehe.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Ah, legal matters then. And presumably a fourth movie of the last reboot would have been too pricey. Not that I would have been particularly interested in that movie either.

Too bad because I agree with you, a Marvel-done Spidey would have held more appeal to me.

[xkatjafx.livejournal.com]

Snowhite and the Huntsman

The only good thing I can say about this movie, is that is was pretty. Otherwise I think it was one of the worst scripts I've seen in years.

Somehow it looked as if the writer wasn't sure if he wanted to give them a love story within this movie or not.

It's meant to be a trilogy, which explains why there's no solution to the love triangle. Nevertheless even knowing that I find the ending extremely unsatisfying.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Otherwise I think it was one of the worst scripts I've seen in years.

I think it lacked a classical build up of suspense to a point when the movie/story would kick into high gear. Like on Hunger Games, I wasn't bored throughout the first act or anything but I definitely waited for the moment the games would start to go to another level. And that's what the movie did.

In Snow White you get her escaping and then Huntsman sent after her to the Dark Woods. When he turned against the Queen's men and they fled together, I thought "excellent, surely, now it gets going". Only, it didn't. Then they went to Fairyworld and met the dwarves and again I thought "okay, but NOW it gets going". Instead they were singing. Twice. Ugh.

Then you more or less get the final battle and that was it. Um...okay.

It's meant to be a trilogy, which explains why there's no solution to the love triangle.

A trilogy? Seriously? I did not know that, nor get that impression from the movie. I just thought the ending was aprupt and unsatisfying. A trilogy. Good god.

!

[xkatjafx.livejournal.com]

I think it lacked a classical build up of suspense to a point when the movie/story would kick into high gear. Like on Hunger Games, I wasn't bored throughout the first act or anything but I definitely waited for the moment the games would start to go to another level. And that's what the movie did.

I was pretty much bored all the time during Snow White *g* Nothing interesting ever happened. They were just going through the motions: CGI! Action! Cute animals! CGI! Dwarves! Action! We need a Prince! Action! More cute animals! Singing Dwarves! CGI! The Apple! Action! Shit, we need the kissing scene! Final!CGI!Battle! Pointless coronation!

The queen was the only character in which somebody invested ANY thinking at all - still, nothing new there. Show White was like a white blank page of nothing... And the Huntsman, well, while Hemsworth didn't annoy me per se, the character was certainly lacking in oh so many places - and I could not see why he suddenly proclaimed his love for Snow White, since they never developed *any* chemistry in the first place. You were basically only rooting for them because it was Hemsworth and prince had even less chemistry with her.

But hey, annoying unfunny singing dwarves!! Snow White's strange pointless! healing magic which neither worked on bad teeth - nor apparently once it got important. (At least one annoying dwarf less.) An let's not forget the scene where she learned to fight - in two minutes!! And she also must have taken lots of riding lessons up in her room...

A trilogy? Seriously? I did not know that, nor get that impression from the movie. I just thought the ending was aprupt and unsatisfying. A trilogy. Good god.

Yeah, and just think about the movie in the middle. Where there there's nothing happening besides more SINGING! Maybe this time by the animals *g*

Re: !

[astri13.livejournal.com]

CGI! Action! Cute animals! CGI! Dwarves! Action! We need a Prince! Action! More cute animals! Singing Dwarves! CGI! The Apple! Action! Shit, we need the kissing scene! Final!CGI!Battle! Pointless coronation!

This sounds suspiciously like the script. *g*

You were basically only rooting for them because it was Hemsworth and prince had even less chemistry with her.

I didn't know why the Prince was even there. Usually, if you set up a "and they loved each other as kids" backstory, you give them the adult love story as well or you combine the two by making him be the Huntsman, all grown up after an equally shitty life. I didn't expect a love triangle.

And she also must have taken lots of riding lessons up in her room...

For someone who had spent her formative years in a dungeon, she was amazingly well-adjusted as it was. :D

and just think about the movie in the middle.

Let me guess, the evil Queen (or her even evil-er mother) comes back?

Where there there's nothing happening besides more SINGING! Maybe this time by the animals *g*

Nooooooooo.

Re: !

[xkatjafx.livejournal.com]

I didn't expect a love triangle.

Neither did I. Once he turned up as an adult, I was: "However will they find a solution for this?" Well, turned out, they didn't have to. *rolls eyes* On the other hand, if they really thought there would be THREE movies, it's probably not the stupidest move. But then I'm still baffled how they came to the conclusion, this would make a good trilogy O.o Honestly, looking at the script, I don't even get why they did the first movie.

Let me guess, the evil Queen (or her even evil-er mother) comes back?

Maybe it can be her annoying idiot!brother. I bet he still impaled somewhere...

Re: !

[astri13.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, if they really thought there would be THREE movies, it's probably not the stupidest move.

Heh. It's the only thing they left "open" after all. And even so the ending came across more like "that's it? okay weird" but the story itself got resolved.

If something is conceptionalized as a trilogy (or even as a story with sequel potential), I expect some actual plot point to be left open, the bad guy getting away or another threat being established in the end. If they had shown the evil Queen rematerializing somewhere in the Dark Forest, smirking evilly, at least I would have gone "jeeze, another one?"

Maybe it can be her annoying idiot!brother.

Don't even say that. *knocks on wood against evil spirits*

[katikat.livejournal.com]

I liked SWATH a lot. Snow and Huntsman made the movie for me. I was glad that they didn't become a couple, that would've disappointed me. For me, it was enough that his was the true love's kiss and that he stayed with her. That her crowning and her Jean D'Arc arc wasn't overshadowed by their romance.

I liked the different shades they showed, Snow and William, Snow and Huntsman. William's was a puppy dog love, he was in love with a girl who didn't exist anymore. She and Huntsman, on the other hand, were both damaged and they clicked. It was more mature. That was perfectly done.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

Well, different strokes as they say. :)

It's definitely not that I hated it but I had some severe disappointments. Maybe because I had been looking forward to it for quite a while after seeing the trailer, hearing about the concept. With lesser expectations, it might have done a bit more for me.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

I didn't expect anything, to be honest. But I was very happy with the end result. Sure, the film as a whole was only average but the characters made it up for me. Similar to Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

I'm afraid you'll be very disappointed with Prometheus then, just a fair warning.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid you'll be very disappointed with Prometheus then, just a fair warning.

Oops, not good? I'm not expecting much character work, though. Just a CGI spectacle with some decent mystery and action. Something like "Alien vs. Predator" or "Predators", both of which I really enjoyed. And I know, wrong Sci-Fi fandom but the Alien movies never did all that much for me. Maybe I'll like this one then. :)

[rheasilvia.livejournal.com]

I had heard it bombed with test audiences?

Oh, did it? Huh... not that that really tells me anything, because I'm pretty sure what the average movie-goer likes is not what I like, but still, very interesting.

I don't really have strong feeling about Spiderman, but I really hope Mary Jane will actually get to have a personality this time. Yes, I'm still incredulous and enraged at what the previous Spiderman did with her, not because I'm a fan but because she was such an incredibly boring token damsel in distress who literally did nothing but stand around, be pretty and need to be rescued. JFC.

/rant

Ahem, sorry. :-)

[astri13.livejournal.com]

not that that really tells me anything, because I'm pretty sure what the average movie-goer likes is not what I like

Agreed. Though I gotta say with the big blockbuster movies, I usually tend to like those that worked well with a general audience, too. With a few exceptions, of course. Transformers? Was bored to hell through it. Avatar? Liked it okay but will never understand why it grossed nearly 3 billion dollars.

I don't really have strong feeling about Spiderman, but I really hope Mary Jane will actually get to have a personality this time.

Ahem, that could be difficult because she won't be in it. *g* They are going for Gwen Stacy as a love interest. And I don't know enough about the comic book canon to know much about her other than her name.

[rheasilvia.livejournal.com]

They are going for Gwen Stacy as a love interest.

I don't care who it is, but: Whoever the love interest is, she needs to have an actual personality, and preferably an actual life outside of "love interest". Mary Jane, Gwen, Princess Sparklypoo from Planet Sue - don't care about that part. :-)

[mareen.livejournal.com]

I am surprisingly un-excited about Dark Knight Rises. I'm looking forward to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but that's about it.

[astri13.livejournal.com]

I don't know right now. Not that I ever waited with baited breath, in fact not so long ago I wasn't even aware a new movie was coming out this year but once I heard about it, I got really interested. Maybe it's a good thing the trailer didn't get me all fired up, though, better to manage expectations this way.

Besides, movies I'm really pumped about are the Star Trek and XMFC sequels. At least the former took one year too long for my tastes

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

You went to see all those movies in one weekend? Wow. I wish they weren't so bloody expensive!

I loved the Hunger Games, as well. I highly recommend the books!

[astri13.livejournal.com]

You went to see all those movies in one weekend?

Yup, it's basically my one "cinema" weekend in the entire year because otherwise I hardly get to go.

I loved the Hunger Games, as well. I highly recommend the books!

I'm very tempted right now but I have a "books I wanna read" list a mile long. Sigh.

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

The books are a very quick read. I read all 3 in a week!

[nachekana.livejournal.com]

It never went into full-bloom romance for some reason, was more of a vibe all through to the end.

For whatever reason, I just assumed the writers didn´t have the balls to go against the "classic" ending of Snow ending up with the Prince, so they just made the Snow/Huntsman attraction very obvious without making it canon. But then again, they changed a lot of other stuff, so that explanation didn´t make much sense.

Someone in the comments said it was supposed to be a trilogy. I really don´t see the point, as everything EXCEPT the love story is resolved. *shrugs*