The Last Movie(s) You Watched... (quick one or two sentence reviews)

[kinnikuman]

Snow Maverick: "I can't shake these Russian Snow Bunnies! ...I'm going inverted!"
Snow Goose: "WHAT?!"
Snow Maverick proceeds to ski upside down, slipping through the Russians' legs so artfully that they bug out.
Back at the ski lodge, Snowman tells Snow Maverick, "You can be my tandem any time!" The whole ski school celebrates in and around the jacuzzi.

In the bathtub “hey guys let’s go play shirtless hockey as the sun goes down !! “

 

[Possessed]

The Super Mario Bros Movie:

Pretty good. Very aware of what it is. Aimed towards children obviously but also very aware that many adults will watch it as well so doesn't go obnoxious and given the large amount of ridiculous material in the mario universe to work with they were able to make kid friendly jokes that actually still land for adults and are genuinely funny. Humor was actually pretty solid. If you've got a child it's a great option that won't annoy you and you'll probably enjoy it too. Even if you don't I still think it's worth watching at least once. 8/10.

 

[kinnikuman]

Terminator genesys- I always hope for a great terminator movie but I’m always disappointed….I don’t know why I keep falling for it. Film was almost a comedy - they decided to make the Arnold character funny and sassy which was just sad. Kyle and Sarah are arguing the whole movie and it’s just annoying no chemistry whatsoever. Looked pretty cool at points and they almost did a time travel movie but then decided to stay in “modern days” i Imagine to save budget? Overall adds nothing to terminator world and i think it’s no longer canon ? Didn’t the last one undo this one ?

 

[Eyepainter]

Terminator genesys- I always hope for a great terminator movie but I’m always disappointed….I don’t know why I keep falling for it. Film was almost a comedy - they decided to make the Arnold character funny and sassy which was just sad. Kyle and Sarah are arguing the whole movie and it’s just annoying no chemistry whatsoever. Looked pretty cool at points and they almost did a time travel movie but then decided to stay in “modern days” i Imagine to save budget? Overall adds nothing to terminator world and i think it’s no longer canon ? Didn’t the last one undo this one ?

I've never seen Genisys myself, so I don't know for sure if it did undo the damage, but I have seen Dark Fate, and my feelings about it are mixed. I suppose I liked seeing Linda Hamilton again. I enjoyed the scenes between her and another T-800. I liked the Rev 9 as a villain. And in a rare blue-moon scenario, I actually thought all three of the leading women in the film did a great job. But with that said, the plot is still an inferior female-driven version of Terminator 2 if you ask me. Worse yet, I have no idea who the main character is among the three (unlike T2, where it seemed clear that the T-800 was the main protagonist). And the film suffers from way way way too many false endings in the final act. I can't say that I hated it, but it's still a far cry from those first two classics.

 

[kinnikuman]

I've never seen Genisys myself, so I don't know for sure if it did undo the damage, but I have seen Dark Fate, and my feelings about it are mixed. I suppose I liked seeing Linda Hamilton again. I enjoyed the scenes between her and another T-800. I liked the Rev 9 as a villain. And in a rare blue-moon scenario, I actually thought all three of the leading women in the film did a great job. But with that said, the plot is still an inferior female-driven version of Terminator 2 if you ask me. Worse yet, I have no idea who the main character is among the three (unlike T2, where it seemed clear that the T-800 was the main protagonist). And the film suffers from way way way too many false endings in the final act. I can't say that I hated it, but it's still a far cry from those first two classics.

Genesys is now on Amazon - I was wondering if anyone here thinks it can be saved . I was watching it thinking “I would cut this or I would cut that “ but then you might be left with a hollow 1:20 minute movie and then what’s the point ?

 

[Eyepainter]

Genesys is now on Amazon - I was wondering if anyone here thinks it can be saved . I was watching it thinking “I would cut this or I would cut that “ but then you might be left with a hollow 1:20 minute movie and then what’s the point ?

Better to have an 80-minute movie that doesn't waste too much of your time than a 140-minute movie that does. There are plenty of Star Wars edits that are less than 100 minutes (Including most of my own, thank you) that I will take over the originals any day of the week. Personally, I'm not a fan of the idea that a movie has to be a certain length just because all the others were x minutes long. The best runtime for a movie is whichever one brings the film to an equilibrium where nothing can be added or subtracted from the film. The running time for Alien is only 116-117 minutes depending on which cut you're watching, and it's perfect for that movie. However, I could never live without the 150-minute long Special Edition of Aliens, which gets my vote as the definitive way to see it. On a more kid-friendly note, one of my favorite movies from my childhood was The Land Before Time, which is ridiculously short at only 69 minutes. Zillions of sequels later, and that really short first one is still the only one worth seeing. And likewise, my favorite Marx Brothers film is Duck Soup. Also 69 minutes, but still so much funnier than even most of today's comedies. And finally, my favorite Batman movie will always be the animated Mask of the Phantasm at a brisk 76 minutes.

 

[mnkykungfu]

Genesys is now on Amazon - I was wondering if anyone here thinks it can be saved

I don't. It's by far the worst of several bad sequels, with a nearly incomprehensible plot that's full of holes, and a lot of bad dialogue and mis-casting and misuse of cast. It's super easy to just watch 1, 2, and Dark Fate as a really solid trilogy though.
I basically agree with what @Eyepainter said, though I liked Dark Fate a lot better overall. It doesn't get enough credit for drawing parallels with illegal immigrants being hunted down in the US and with some subtle socio-political commentary simmering throughout, though you totally don't have to pay attention to any of that to enjoy the film. Still, which other Terminator movies have actually managed to be about something other than just the pure Sci-Fi of it all?

Critters 3 (1991)
My annual Easter series watch was fun enough with a couple beers but this series has declined exponentially. Oh, you best believe I'll be watching them the next two years though!

Malignant (2021)
I did actually manage to find some enjoyment and keep watching Critters 3 though, which is more than I can say for this p.o.s. Easily in the top 10 worst films I've ever seen, because unlike trash like Critters 3, James Wan seems to think he's making a good movie here and that his ideas are clever. Critters 3 at least knows it's trash.

The Way Back (2020)
Ben Affleck's semi-autobiographical turn as a functional alcoholic ex-Catholic schoolboy turned washed up wonder boy is a pretty fantastic performance. The film itself is an oddly-balanced drama and inspirational sports film that can edge into pretentiousness, but I found a lot to appreciate here.

 

[kinnikuman]

Saw mulholland drive for a second time - pretty good, starts great sort of buddy mystery in Hollywood. Then gets kind of hot and heavy and then just gets really weird. I like directors that are smarter and artsier than me, even though my favorite movies are kinda dumb, but sometimes I just have to admit I could never get this even if I read the wiki. Maybe it just can’t be got??

 

[kinnikuman]

I don't. It's by far the worst of several bad sequels, with a nearly incomprehensible plot that's full of holes, and a lot of bad dialogue and mis-casting and misuse of cast. It's super easy to just watch 1, 2, and Dark Fate as a really solid trilogy though.
I basically agree with what @Eyepainter said, though I liked Dark Fate a lot better overall.

after fighting the t1000 in 1984 they were like we gotta go to 1997 I was so excited - I was imagining like back to the future 2 thing. But no. And Kyle and Sarah arguing about everything ! And Arnold doing the smile gag at least 3 times! Sad

 

[mnkykungfu]

Saw mulholland drive for a second time - pretty good, starts great sort of buddy mystery in Hollywood. Then gets kind of hot and heavy and then just gets really weird. I like directors that are smarter and artsier than me, even though my favorite movies are kinda dumb, but sometimes I just have to admit I could never get this even if I read the wiki. Maybe it just can’t be got??

It just can't be got. As hard as Lynch's narratives are to understand using any sort of traditional logic, this one is even more untrackable. It was supposed to be a TV series, but had to be converted into a film. So from the original story that was planned, Lynch took bits and pieces and slammed them together to make a sort of hallucinatory trip through the dark side of Hollywood, a journey that partly followed threads originally intended, but partly became something different because footage simply wasn't available and a new throughline had to be designed.
Ironically, I think it may work better than most other Lynch projects that he was less concerned about trying to make sense of. For me, this is a film like JAWS where the problems the director encountered actually brought out a higher level of creativity.

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

It just can't be got. As hard as Lynch's narratives are to understand using any sort of traditional logic, this one is even more untrackable. It was supposed to be a TV series, but had to be converted into a film. So from the original story that was planned, Lynch took bits and pieces and slammed them together to make a sort of hallucinatory trip through the dark side of Hollywood, a journey that partly followed threads originally intended, but partly became something different because footage simply wasn't available and a new throughline had to be designed.
Ironically, I think it may work better than most other Lynch projects that he was less concerned about trying to make sense of. For me, this is a film like JAWS where the problems the director encountered actually brought out a higher level of creativity.

I’m on the other side of the fence. I think the seams are all too readily apparent. I think the first 2/3 would’ve made a great pilot. But it had a clearly visible point where it is no longer that pilot and becomes something much less compelling IMO. Sort of like finding Bobby Ewing in the shower.

 

[Eyepainter]

Saw mulholland drive for a second time - pretty good, starts great sort of buddy mystery in Hollywood. Then gets kind of hot and heavy and then just gets really weird. I like directors that are smarter and artsier than me, even though my favorite movies are kinda dumb, but sometimes I just have to admit I could never get this even if I read the wiki. Maybe it just can’t be got??

It's a David Lynch film. Trying to "get it" is like trying to rationalize that dream you had last night. Also, if you think Mulholland Drive is weird, wait 'til you see Eraserhead.

 

[addiesin]

One can "get" Eraserhead though. I like Lynch's imagery and often his characters are extremely memorable, but I also like being able to understand what I'm experiencing. Much of what I've seen of pure Lynch feels to me like pieces are missing unintentionally, while everyone around me says no no, everything is intentional, every frame a painting, he's a genius, he's literally telling us this and that specifically, there are no mistakes, yadda yadda. I am of two minds with it all, I am intrigued by his setup, but know the payoff is non-existent in a traditional sense.
Eraserhead was his first film. It has that art house feel but the plot is there, even if thin. Twin Peaks was far more collaborative, even if he didn't want it to be, and as a result I got a lot out of that. Twin Peaks The Return, while self indulgent, again does actually have a plot you can mostly follow, and it's the most recent thing he did that I'm aware of. A lot of time invested to get there though.

 

[Eyepainter]

Batman Returns (1992)

When I first saw this movie, I unapologetically loved it, and considered it my favorite of the pre-Nolan Batman films. Yes, I liked it even more so than the first Batman. Unfortunately, watching this film on repeat viewings hasn't been as rewarding as I'd hoped. This is my third viewing, and the biggest issue I'm starting to have is with the Penguin. I liked the whole sympathetic angle they played with him for the first half, but then the writers just flat out turn him into a villain around the halfway point. If it were up to me, I would've kept him completely sympathetic. At the end of the film, the Penguin's fate seems like it's supposed to be more tragic than it actually is. And I guess I'll agree with everyone that Max Schreck isn't a very memorable villain in the long run. With that said, I still like the Batman and Catwoman relationship, and Michelle Pfeiffer will always be Catwoman in my opinion. However, I think this movie could use a light fanfix. Perhaps a few trims and re-arrangements of scenes could fix this one. Maybe I'll give this one a trip through the editing booth in the future.

 

[LoveMoviesandTV]

Batman Returns (1992)

When I first saw this movie, I unapologetically loved it, and considered it my favorite of the pre-Nolan Batman films. Yes, I liked it even more so than the first Batman. Unfortunately, watching this film on repeat viewings hasn't been as rewarding as I'd hoped. This is my third viewing, and the biggest issue I'm starting to have is with the Penguin. I liked the whole sympathetic angle they played with him for the first half, but then the writers just flat out turn him into a villain around the halfway point. If it were up to me, I would've kept him completely sympathetic. At the end of the film, the Penguin's fate seems like it's supposed to be more tragic than it actually is. And I guess I'll agree with everyone that Max Schreck isn't a very memorable villain in the long run. With that said, I still like the Batman and Catwoman relationship, and Michelle Pfeiffer will always be Catwoman in my opinion. However, I think this movie could use a light fanfix. Perhaps a few trims and re-arrangements of scenes could fix this one. Maybe I'll give this one a trip through the editing booth in the future.

I actually somewhat agree, I do think The Penguin despite the potential to be sympathetic is very much played as just being evil and disgusting. But overall I think the biggest issue is that the movie gets fairly wrapped up in it's plotting, which could have been helped via perhaps condensing Max Schreck and the Penguin into one character. That should have been done in the writing but you could get close to that via editing. Leave all the Catwoman stuff in, that's fantastic and to me is the core of the film.

 

[mnkykungfu]

^I also loved Batman Returns as an early teen... not so much when I got older. I realized that it was full of big emotions and big moments, but the camp turned to cheese for me and the humor hit less and just made it all ridiculous. I'm not so much into "superhero" films where it's clear the filmmaker thinks it's all preposterous so they're having a laugh at the character's expense. Burton clearly has always been more interested in showing the dysfunctional, insane villains of Batman than he has in Batman himself. That's never more apparent than in this movie. Catwoman has a compelling story which mostly holds up. Penguin is completely over the top, which may work for some people but overwhelmed the movie for me... his gags like missile-carrying penguins put this on the level of the old 1960s Batman for me. Then this Schreck, who would be a great villain on his own if he were allowed to be the biggiest, most scenery-chewing character in the film...maybe in a Nolan version. But here he disappears into the background like a Billy Dee Williams Two-Face, never to be fully-realized. It's a movie overwhelmed by blatant toy-marketing and product tie-in gags, and the Gothic sensibilities have become everything I disliked about the '90s comic book Batman as well. Really, this movie is best watched by just fast-forwarding to the Batman/Catwoman scenes, which is how most people remember it anyway.

 

[kinnikuman]

It's a David Lynch film. Trying to "get it" is like trying to rationalize that dream you had last night. Also, if you think Mulholland Drive is weird, wait 'til you see Eraserhead.

I’ve seen eraserhead - trippy as well. I love how lynch can make something like a straight story and proves he can make a great traditions film if he wanted

 

[kinnikuman]

It just can't be got. As hard as Lynch's narratives are to understand using any sort of traditional logic, this one is even more untrackable. It was supposed to be a TV series, but had to be converted into a film. So from the original story that was planned, Lynch took bits and pieces and slammed them together to make a sort of hallucinatory trip through the dark side of Hollywood, a journey that partly followed threads originally intended, but partly became something different because footage simply wasn't available and a new throughline had to be designed.
Ironically, I think it may work better than most other Lynch projects that he was less concerned about trying to make sense of. For me, this is a film like JAWS where the problems the director encountered actually brought out a higher level of creativity.

I think the end suffers a little bit it seemed a little rushed ? Or like some scenes were missing? Unless lynch wanted vague and unresolved ? Who knows maybe he did.

 

[Eyepainter]

But overall I think the biggest issue is that the movie gets fairly wrapped up in it's plotting, which could have been helped via perhaps condensing Max Schreck and the Penguin into one character. That should have been done in the writing but you could get close to that via editing. Leave all the Catwoman stuff in, that's fantastic and to me is the core of the film.

Surprisingly, the only scene in the movie that came across as overcomplicated (for me, anyway) was the first big action sequence. It's the only scene in the film where the audience is forced to focus on too many things. We're supposed to focus on Schreck because of his speech. But we're also supposed to focus on Selina because she forgot his speech notes. But we're also supposed to focus on the Penguin (who we haven't seen yet at this point). But then the speech gets hijacked by the Red Triangle Gang, so we have to focus on that, too. And now because of the gang, we have to be introduced to Batman too. So now we have to focus on Batman. That's a lot of stuff for the audience to focus on in the first 10 minutes of the movie, and I think if that scene were re-edited to have a clearer focus, it would fix a lot of wrongs with the rest of the movie. The constant back-and-forth editing of that scene didn't help either.

With that said, though. I agree on Catwoman. The more uncut her performance is, the better.

^I also loved Batman Returns as an early teen... not so much when I got older. I realized that it was full of big emotions and big moments, but the camp turned to cheese for me and the humor hit less and just made it all ridiculous. I'm not so much into "superhero" films where it's clear the filmmaker thinks it's all preposterous so they're having a laugh at the character's expense. Burton clearly has always been more interested in showing the dysfunctional, insane villains of Batman than he has in Batman himself. That's never more apparent than in this movie. Catwoman has a compelling story which mostly holds up. Penguin is completely over the top, which may work for some people but overwhelmed the movie for me... his gags like missile-carrying penguins put this on the level of the old 1960s Batman for me. Then this Schreck, who would be a great villain on his own if he were allowed to be the biggiest, most scenery-chewing character in the film...maybe in a Nolan version. But here he disappears into the background like a Billy Dee Williams Two-Face, never to be fully-realized. It's a movie overwhelmed by blatant toy-marketing and product tie-in gags, and the Gothic sensibilities have become everything I disliked about the '90s comic book Batman as well. Really, this movie is best watched by just fast-forwarding to the Batman/Catwoman scenes, which is how most people remember it anyway.

It's funny that what bothers you about Batman Returns is the humor and campiness, because this was the movie that got both Tim Burton and McDonald's into a lot of trouble with families who were upset over how excessively dark this movie was for their kids (and who shouldn't be watching PG-13 movies, but that's my opinion). This was one of the big reasons Joel Schumacher was hired to replace Tim Burton for the later Batman films, so that Batman could be targeted to a more family-friendly audience. And we all know the rest of the horror story that resulted from that.

Sure, we're free to laugh however we want to, but back then, those first two Burton-directed Batman movies were hardcore for their time, and not just because Catwoman dressed in that grungy leather outfit. Most people were not familiar with the comics at the time, and only knew the Adam West TV series, where the most evil thing about Burgess Meredith's Penguin was his overuse of quacking noises. So, it's no surprise that Danny DeVito's Penguin came across as quite a shock. I also thought the Penguin's plan at the end was more disturbing than cartoonish. Especially with the whole killing of the firstborn part of the plan which springs to mind a lot of dark biblical comparisons from the book of Exodus.

 

[Editzilla]

This was one of the big reasons Joel Schumacher was hired to replace Tim Burton for the later Batman films, so that Batman could be targeted to a more family-friendly audience. And we all know the rest of the pure cinema that was Forever that resulted from that.

Agreed 100%

And Robin may have been lame, but Joel was cooking there haha