Movies Of 2017 - October Recapped
Already getting this month off to a good star by pre-booking my Thor ticket, and the Unlimited screening of The Death Of Stalin. Although I have since seen the 3D trailer of Thor and, well, ladies... I feel like it needs to be seen in 3D... no reason. Honestly. Purely for cinematic values... not for perving reason... we'll see. I've got the 2D ticket, but I've worked out I can come out and then go to the 3D screening too. Ha. Anyway, I need to stop drooling at that.
---
Blade Runner 2049
It's 2049 and bioengineered humans are a mainstream part of society, essential to keep the human race going. Newer models have been created to obey humans, and K works for the LAPD as a blade runner. K's investigation leads him to a farm where he retires an old model replicant. While searching he finds a box buried beneath a tree that contains the bones of a human body, a woman who died in child birth. When the lab investigates the remains they discover that they are in fact of a female replicant, which leads to questions as replicants aren't supposed to be able to get pregnant.
K is told to destroy the evidence for fear that the knowledge is too dangerous, but he continues to investigate the replicant through the manufacturer's head quarters. This leads him on a trail, but unbeknown to him he's now not the only one looking for the answers.
I've been searching the depths of my brain... it's pretty scary down there... but I'm almost certain that I haven't seen the first Blade Runner. But having seen this one I'm fairly confident that you don't miss anything if that happens to be the case. Obviously, with Harrison Ford in this one as his older self there are some moments that appear to reflect his past, but through the context of the scenes everything seems to make sense.
The film sits at around the 2 hours 45 minutes mark, and I was a little concerned that it was going to feel long. During movies I tend to check the time the first time I get a little distracted, and I went for my phone thinking I must be only an hour or so in... and there were only 30 minutes left. Honestly, it was a great movie. At no point did I really get bored and look off round the cinema, which is one of my usual habits.
As my Unlimited card has gone premium and I get 3D tickets for free I went to see that showing as it was the handiest one. Yet again, I'm left wondering what the point of the 3D was. I am really not sold on it at all, I haven't seen a film where I was wowed by it. My only reaction has been "this was terrible and unwatchable" (see Valerian) or when I get up to leave when it's over "oh yeah, I've got 3D glasses on. Huh."
Ryan Gosling... much to my friend's shock, I have worked out that I've never seen him in any film. And he doesn't really do it for me, I'm all about the other Ryan... the best one. He was good in this though, he managed to play the part well, even through the points where he was in crisis. I probably wouldn't say no to seeing him in another film... apart from La La Land. [05/10]
K is told to destroy the evidence for fear that the knowledge is too dangerous, but he continues to investigate the replicant through the manufacturer's head quarters. This leads him on a trail, but unbeknown to him he's now not the only one looking for the answers.
The film sits at around the 2 hours 45 minutes mark, and I was a little concerned that it was going to feel long. During movies I tend to check the time the first time I get a little distracted, and I went for my phone thinking I must be only an hour or so in... and there were only 30 minutes left. Honestly, it was a great movie. At no point did I really get bored and look off round the cinema, which is one of my usual habits.
As my Unlimited card has gone premium and I get 3D tickets for free I went to see that showing as it was the handiest one. Yet again, I'm left wondering what the point of the 3D was. I am really not sold on it at all, I haven't seen a film where I was wowed by it. My only reaction has been "this was terrible and unwatchable" (see Valerian) or when I get up to leave when it's over "oh yeah, I've got 3D glasses on. Huh."
Ryan Gosling... much to my friend's shock, I have worked out that I've never seen him in any film. And he doesn't really do it for me, I'm all about the other Ryan... the best one. He was good in this though, he managed to play the part well, even through the points where he was in crisis. I probably wouldn't say no to seeing him in another film... apart from La La Land. [05/10]
---
The Lego Ninjago Movie
Lloyd Garmadon, like every teenager, hates going to school. But unlike every other teenager he's hated by pretty much everyone because of his father... Lord Garmadon. Not a day goes by where he doesn't try to destroy Ninjago, and they always say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
He's not entirely alone though, with his five friends he's actually part of a special ninja team that protect the city and thwart Garmadon's evil plans.
When a new plan emerges, and it looks like Garmadon might win, Lloyd decides it's time to use the ultimate weapon. A truly devious device that in the wrong hands could see the destruction of everything.
The Lego Movie was amazing, and it's still one of my go to feel good films. Lego Batman was funny, and well, superhero-y so of course I enjoyed it. Lego Ninjago was amusing, but I really feel like it missed something. I'm trying to think of something more to say about it than "amusing", but I'm coming up a bit blank... which I think is only slightly to do with the brain melt due to man flu. [07/10]
---
The Death Of Stalin
Several Russian politicians desperately attempt to solve the question (by scheming, plotting and conspiring) of who is to assume leadership of the Soviet Union after the death of dictator Joseph Stalin in 1953.
I'm amazed at how many films that come out I haven't heard of in advance. This being one of them. It's not my sort of film, and yet it is, all in one go. The trailer was amusing and intriguing, and I knew I had to see it. Then, as if by magic, it appeared as an Unlimited Screening.
With such a varied cast I honestly had no clue what to expect. From Michael Palin to Steve Buscemi... come on! But I, just like everyone else in the screen, was amused and left laughing. I'm not entirely sure we knew what we were watching though, not because it was confusing, but because it is a weird combination of all sorts of different things. You leave and you wonder what you really watched. One thing's for sure, I really want to read the graphic novel now. [12/10]
Groundhog Day, but a little more kick ass. Theresa wakes up on her birthday on Monday, September 18th in a strangers bed. She heads back to her house dismissing everyone she sees, she throws out her roommate's cupcake, she carries on with her professor, and then gets murdered by a hooded figure wearing the mask of their campus mascot.
Groundhog Day, but a little more kick ass. Theresa wakes up on her birthday on Monday, September 18th in a strangers bed... well you get the idea. She runs through her day, but instead of heading to the tunnel that led to her death the night before (tonight?) she heads back to her sorority house where, you've guessed it, she gets murdered.
As she loops through her birthday over and over she gets to know Carter, the guy who's bedroom she keeps waking up in, and he encourages her to try and work out what's going on in the hopes that she might be able to change the outcome.
Yet another one that I hadn't seen anything about until a couple of days before I saw it... and you know what? It was really entertaining. It's down as a slasher movie, but there's a bit of everything in it. I jumped in my seat, which doesn't happen very often. I just really enjoyed it. I was so wrapped up in it that I didn't even see the twist coming.
My only quibble, and this really isn't a major thing (I noticed it, so for me to do that I guess it is a little bit major), was when she was admitted to hospital. Her professor/doctor/lover (talk about conflict of interest) says that she's showing signs of trauma, which as we and she knows is because of how she died in the last loop. If she's showing signs of that trauma, and she says that she's feeling weaker with each loop... then... well... how does she make it too the end of the movie? Admittedly she's going to be running on a lot of adrenaline, but... well, it bugged me a little. [23/10]
With such a varied cast I honestly had no clue what to expect. From Michael Palin to Steve Buscemi... come on! But I, just like everyone else in the screen, was amused and left laughing. I'm not entirely sure we knew what we were watching though, not because it was confusing, but because it is a weird combination of all sorts of different things. You leave and you wonder what you really watched. One thing's for sure, I really want to read the graphic novel now. [12/10]
---
The Mountain Between Us
Dr. Ben Bass and photojournalist Alex Martin are stranded in Boise Airport when their flight is cancelled due to a storm. In an attempt to get home Alex hires a local pilot to fly them back so they can both make their appointments. The three of them, plus the pilot's dog, take off for home in Baltimore, Maryland. But mid-flight Walter the pilot suffers a stroke.
The plane loses control and crashes on a mountain top, leaving Alex unconscious, and Ben and the dog to fend for themselves. While Alex recovers, Ben tends to her wounds, buries Walter in the snow, and turns the wreck of the plane into a shelter.
When Alex wakes up she's a realist, there was no flight plan, the tracker was in the plane's tail which is missing, and they've been there a long time without someone already finding them. She wants to leave the safety of the plane but after Ben makes an unsuccessful search he doesn't want to risk it. While he sleeps she sneaks out of the plane with the dog and heads out into the snowy hills.
The movie certainly got me in the feels, just as well I had the screen all to myself really! I'm not sure that I'd be desperate to see it again, but it was an enjoyable way to pass the time. My only real issue is that it was a very predictable story line. Oh... and the fact that they kept the dog on a leash while trekking across the mountains.
It's currently sitting around the 50% mark on Rotten Tomatoes for both critics and us regular plebs. (Slightly lower for the critics, obviously.) That seems about right, nice film but I don't think I'd need to see it again. [20/10]
The plane loses control and crashes on a mountain top, leaving Alex unconscious, and Ben and the dog to fend for themselves. While Alex recovers, Ben tends to her wounds, buries Walter in the snow, and turns the wreck of the plane into a shelter.
When Alex wakes up she's a realist, there was no flight plan, the tracker was in the plane's tail which is missing, and they've been there a long time without someone already finding them. She wants to leave the safety of the plane but after Ben makes an unsuccessful search he doesn't want to risk it. While he sleeps she sneaks out of the plane with the dog and heads out into the snowy hills.
It's currently sitting around the 50% mark on Rotten Tomatoes for both critics and us regular plebs. (Slightly lower for the critics, obviously.) That seems about right, nice film but I don't think I'd need to see it again. [20/10]
---
Geostorm
I'm not going to go all out description on this, because honestly you should just see it.
The world now has a net of satellites that control the weather on Earth. Something goes wrong and there's a battle against the clock to find the person behind it and to stop the oncoming Geostorm.
I saw this one in 3D as it coincided with getting out of work. Yet another film that makes me think I don't need to see 3D films, and I certainly wouldn't if I was paying full price for them.
I love natural disaster films... what's not to love? Catastrophic volcano/tornado/earthquake/snow storm/tsunami... any combination of those... add some sharks... bingo! Are any of them going to win best movie? No. Do I care? Also, no. They're good fun, they're action filled, they like to take the piss out of themselves a little bit. I will be buying this when the DVD comes out, and I will love it all over again. [20/10]
The world now has a net of satellites that control the weather on Earth. Something goes wrong and there's a battle against the clock to find the person behind it and to stop the oncoming Geostorm.
I love natural disaster films... what's not to love? Catastrophic volcano/tornado/earthquake/snow storm/tsunami... any combination of those... add some sharks... bingo! Are any of them going to win best movie? No. Do I care? Also, no. They're good fun, they're action filled, they like to take the piss out of themselves a little bit. I will be buying this when the DVD comes out, and I will love it all over again. [20/10]
---
Earth: One Amazing Day
This truly does deserve the word amazing in its title. This is the BBC Earth film of the Earth's changing patterns over the space of one day. It's interesting and beautiful to watch.
On the big screen the images are like nothing I've ever seen before. One of the first shots of snakes hunting baby lizards looks like it's CGI, it's unbelievable that something like that could happen in nature.
I'm really trying to stop myself from gushing about how much I loved this. It was so amusing, the person who decided on the music really needs an award. It was dramatic, it was thoughtful, and it was hilarious. Particularly the bears. [21/10]
On the big screen the images are like nothing I've ever seen before. One of the first shots of snakes hunting baby lizards looks like it's CGI, it's unbelievable that something like that could happen in nature.
I'm really trying to stop myself from gushing about how much I loved this. It was so amusing, the person who decided on the music really needs an award. It was dramatic, it was thoughtful, and it was hilarious. Particularly the bears. [21/10]
---
The Snowman
When Harry Hole, an elite crime squad’s lead detective, investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer nicknamed "The Snowman" may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit, the detective must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit this unthinkable evil before the next snowfall.
Another adaptation of a popular book. this one by Jo Nesbø in the Harry Hole series. As is becoming tradition (as I can only read so many books in a year) I haven't read it, but I was aware of it being very popular when it came out. So it wasn't really surprising that this one was made.
I can't work out if it would have been better if it hadn't been a book first. Serial killers are right up my alley so at some point I would have watched this one, but while I enjoyed it, it was somewhat predictable. I will definitely go and read the book, as consensus seems to be that it was much better. I was just left feeling a bit... meh... at the end of it. [22/10]
I can't work out if it would have been better if it hadn't been a book first. Serial killers are right up my alley so at some point I would have watched this one, but while I enjoyed it, it was somewhat predictable. I will definitely go and read the book, as consensus seems to be that it was much better. I was just left feeling a bit... meh... at the end of it. [22/10]
---
Happy Death Day
Groundhog Day, but a little more kick ass. Theresa wakes up on her birthday on Monday, September 18th in a strangers bed. She heads back to her house dismissing everyone she sees, she throws out her roommate's cupcake, she carries on with her professor, and then gets murdered by a hooded figure wearing the mask of their campus mascot.
Groundhog Day, but a little more kick ass. Theresa wakes up on her birthday on Monday, September 18th in a strangers bed... well you get the idea. She runs through her day, but instead of heading to the tunnel that led to her death the night before (tonight?) she heads back to her sorority house where, you've guessed it, she gets murdered.
As she loops through her birthday over and over she gets to know Carter, the guy who's bedroom she keeps waking up in, and he encourages her to try and work out what's going on in the hopes that she might be able to change the outcome.
My only quibble, and this really isn't a major thing (I noticed it, so for me to do that I guess it is a little bit major), was when she was admitted to hospital. Her professor/doctor/lover (talk about conflict of interest) says that she's showing signs of trauma, which as we and she knows is because of how she died in the last loop. If she's showing signs of that trauma, and she says that she's feeling weaker with each loop... then... well... how does she make it too the end of the movie? Admittedly she's going to be running on a lot of adrenaline, but... well, it bugged me a little. [23/10]
---
I truly adored this film. It was so funny. In the Marvel scheme of things it's much more on the Guardians side than the Avengers. The opening sequence that we see a bit of in the trailers where Thor is suspended from a chain... amazing. Hulk coming into his own because he's been himself for two years... amazing. All of the cast working together... meh, okay... no, who am I kidding? It was amazing too.
Thor has always felt like he had the comedy side in him and I love that he got his bromance moments with Hulk in this movie.
Highlight for me apart from those I mentioned above has to be the Led Zeppelin fuelled fight scenes. Low point was that there weren't more Valkyrie scenes, the trailers made it seem like a much bigger part of the movie. [24/10]
Thor: Ragnarok
Thor has always felt like he had the comedy side in him and I love that he got his bromance moments with Hulk in this movie.
Highlight for me apart from those I mentioned above has to be the Led Zeppelin fuelled fight scenes. Low point was that there weren't more Valkyrie scenes, the trailers made it seem like a much bigger part of the movie. [24/10]
---
I was enthralled by this film. It popped up on my listings and I went to it without knowing anything more than the fact it was a biopic. Just like Hidden Figures, this was an interesting, heart-breaking and moving tale.
Chadwick Boseman, who some of us will know as Black Panther in the Marvel Universe, was a brilliant lead. Josh Gad felt like such an odd choice, I've only ever seen him in comedy films or staring as our favourite feathered or Frozen friends, but the two of them together brought this powerful story to life on the screen.
There aren't many films where I come out knowing that I didn't miss a second of what happened, but this one had me on the edge of my seat. Not so much for the guy across the aisle though, I'm fairly certain that he was snoring at one point. [25/10]
Marshall
Marshall is the biopic of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, and it focuses on one of the first cases of his career.
I was enthralled by this film. It popped up on my listings and I went to it without knowing anything more than the fact it was a biopic. Just like Hidden Figures, this was an interesting, heart-breaking and moving tale.
Chadwick Boseman, who some of us will know as Black Panther in the Marvel Universe, was a brilliant lead. Josh Gad felt like such an odd choice, I've only ever seen him in comedy films or staring as our favourite feathered or Frozen friends, but the two of them together brought this powerful story to life on the screen.
There aren't many films where I come out knowing that I didn't miss a second of what happened, but this one had me on the edge of my seat. Not so much for the guy across the aisle though, I'm fairly certain that he was snoring at one point. [25/10]
---
Ten films this month, I might have over done it seeing 7 in 6 days... nah, maybe not. I've already got five films lined up for November, that's not including Justice League which will obviously be on the recap.
Happy watching everyone.
Comments
Post a Comment