[OT] The Movies Thread III: Watch, Discuss and Have Fun! No Open Spoilers!

[Spartan 117]

Also, I have started a blog. IT is just about reviews of whatever I watch or play. It is easier for me since referring back to old reviews becomes hectic when they are spread out everywhere. Now they can be in one place, so check it out: Reviews Reactor

 

[Spartan 117]

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

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The Conjuring 2 is a sequel to the conjuring (2013), once again directed by James Wan, and is about another case of the warrens where a family in England is being terrorized by a supernatural force. I loved the first one, and this one is probably even better.

There are two parts to the story: One being the family being haunted, and the other related to the warrens. And they were intertwined really well. James Wan once again proves that he is the master of this craft in the current times. While the setting is nothing new, it is the execution that sets it apart and somehow makes it feel fresh, and terrifying.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their role as the warrens, the monster hunting couple, and their chemistry has only been improved over the last film. Both delivered great performances, especially Patrick Wilson. Another great performance was from the girl who was being tormented and she did a terrific job, and carried a lot of this movie.

The best compliment one can give about a horror movie in my opinion is that you cared about the characters, and this did just that. I felt bad for the family, and especially the girl. I cared about the warrens and I didn't want anything bad happening to them. You know a horror movies is great when it does that.

Also, I loved the fact that the movie didn't do the usual long slow build up of supernatural occurrences, and the ghost being shy and all till the climax. After the opening, movie jumps right into the scary stuff, and the ghost was bold AF. I just loved that.

It also felt like James Wan has learned from his previous experiences and has improved his craft. The sound design was fantastic. The use of music was perfect. And the cinematography, WOW. This is a beautiful looking film. The camera angles, the lingering shots and long takes, it all made for a great watch. The pacing was really tight too, I mean the duration is long for a horror film but it went by so quickly. And while there are jump scares, they were properly used.

My main complaint with the movie was how the crooked man moved. The combination of real live movements and CGI enhancements made for a really wonky feel, that felt too cartoon-ish and definitely didn't belong in the movie. It always took me out of the moment. Gladly, there wasn't much of him in the movie, and whatever scene there was, was short.

The Conjuring 2 is the best horror movie I have seen in years. It gave me genuine creeps. Good horror sequels are very rare as it is, but a horror sequel that might even surpass the original is unheard of. GG James Wan, GG.

8.5/10

Blog Link: The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Movie Review

 

[sumair007]

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2...................(8/10) watched in HD, finally the conclusion of this series! Nice movie overall but for me Catching Fire was the best!

Divergent: Allegiant.............................(3/10) watched in HD, this series is getting worse and worse! Pathetic CGI, pathetic story, pathetic plot. avoid the whole series!

 

[shahbakht]

Also, I have started a blog. IT is just about reviews of whatever I watch or play. It is easier for me since referring back to old reviews becomes hectic when they are spread out everywhere. Now they can be in one place, so check it out: Reviews Reactor

Awesome, man! I can't seem to drudge up the energy to start a blog. Kudos to you!!

 

[Spartan 117]

Awesome, man! I can't seem to drudge up the energy to start a blog. Kudos to you!!

Thanks man. It is just a simple blog, nothing fancy, so doesn't really require that much energy to be honest.

I am doing what I have been doing all this time i.e writing reviews as a hobby, but instead of writing it here and then posting them on Facebook and Letterboxd etc, I now start from my blog.

 

[shahbakht]

Thanks man. It is just a simple blog, nothing fancy, so doesn't really require that much energy to be honest.

I am doing what I have been doing all this time i.e writing reviews as a hobby, but instead of writing it here and then posting them on Facebook and Letterboxd etc, I now start from my blog.

That's a start, brother.

 

[Spartan 117]

That's a start, brother.

Yeah. Since I have graduated, why not have this as a side thing.

 

[manigamer]

Bastille day: 6.5/10
well finally idris elba is james bond well atleast his role in this movie is similiar just name not bond but same thing, action was good, thrilling etc but kinda bored me at times but the chases etc were good.

attack on titan part 2: 6/10
well was just lying on my pc for months and finally decided to watch it, it was OK mostly action etc the first part was very weird this was also weird but OK

imperium: 7/10
daniel radcliffe is an FBI desk agent but is pushed into going into the field to go undercover in the NAZI gang etc and found out their plot etc... good thrilling/suspense movie


narcopolis: 4/10
man this movie was disappointed ! i was expecting more but it didn't impress

 

[Fkhan]

The Little Death 2014: Anthology, 5 of many likely recoils, for having gratuitously guilty fantasies behind closed doors that are largely mocked as anomaly. Nobody dares to speak of it or just shy away post-petrified touch on these taboos in disguise of either perversive or comical narrative, which this movie defies to fair extent. Its ACTUALLY 5 SHADES OF CHARCOAL GREY (50 shades meet Love actually). A must see for movie explorers, longing a bit of change in this declining Hollywood era.

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[puppet]

room 2015 - 8/10

 

[puppet]

jungle book - 6/10

 

[mac007]

Yeah. Since I have graduated, why not have this as a side thing.

good work bro :GL:

 

[sumair007]

The Boss...................(6/10) watched in HD, Kristen Bell and Peter Dinklage were the only good things here, mediocre to say the least! Maybe for time pass!!

Central Intelligence......................(7.5/10) watched in HD, Dwayne Johnson turned out to be a nice comedy actor, his chemistry with Kevin Hart was hilarious!!

 

[manigamer]

popstar never stop stopping: 7/10
haha this one was good fun ridiculous and out of sense and too obnoxious but fun..

the model: 6.5/10
not that my type but ok drama movie, the way the girl manipulates and stuff

ghost team: 6/10
wanted this to be good but it felt a bit short but still an ok fun watch, tries to be thrilling but is actually funny haha

secret life of pets: 7.5/10
haha another good animated movie, kevin hart as the rabbit is awesome that laugh and sh*t hehe

 

[puppet]

popstar never stop stopping: 7/10
haha this one was good fun ridiculous and out of sense and too obnoxious but fun..

the model: 6.5/10
not that my type but ok drama movie, the way the girl manipulates and stuff

ghost team: 6/10
wanted this to be good but it felt a bit short but still an ok fun watch, tries to be thrilling but is actually funny haha

secret life of pets: 7.5/10
haha another good animated movie, kevin hart as the rabbit is awesome that laugh and sh*t hehe

never stop poping BR came out?

 

[puppet]

experimenter 2015 - 6/10

 

[manigamer]

never stop poping BR came out?

yeah i always watch HD or br prints, its out web dl i think

 

[mac007]

ARQ 2016 6/10

Based on science fiction (Time travel)

 

[Spartan 117]

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) ​

X-Men Apocalypse is another entry in the franchise, acting as a sequel to Days of the Future Past (DOTFP), with Bryan Singer once again returning as the director. Now, I always liked the X-Men movie franchise, and the ones directed by Bryan Singer are my favorites, especially DOTFP, which is my favourite of the franchise and one of my favourite super hero movie to date. So I was naturally very excited for Apocalypse.

The movie is about Apocalypse, an ancient mutant believed to be the very first of his kind, with unimaginable powers. He wakes up in current times, and decides to rule the world again. Only thing standing in his way are, ofcourse, the X-Men.

Now there was a lot of stuff that happened in the movie, a lot of characters to introduce, storylines to develop etc. And I think the movie managed to handle most of it quite well, instead of crumbling on its weight. I liked the build-up, and I liked the middle act. The flow felt fine to me, and everything was building up to the final act, which I was so into. But the last act kinda felt apart in areas, which I'll get to in a bit.

As always, the emotional core came once again from Magneto and Professor X, again portrayed excellently by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Magneto especially had a very heartbreaking arc, which I was not expecting, but loved it all the same. The younger cast worked quite well too. Since Singer was at the helm, it was no surprise the young versions of Jean, Cyclops and such felt right, as he did direct the first two X-Men films with the older versions. Quicksilver was back again, this time with an even more amazing sequence, and he stuck around too, which was awesome.

The cameo sequence was pure entertainment. I was so happy with it. BUT I fucking hate the marketing team for ruining the surprise. If you don't know about it yet, just watch the movie, don't watch any more of the trailers etc.

The action scenes were mostly good, with quicksilver's and cameo sequence obviously being the standout. But there were times, especially near the end, where it felt sloppy. The CGI followed the same suit. For the most part, it was good (Not great), but there were times were too much green-screen usage was very apparent, and took me out of the moment.

My main issue with the film was with Apocalypse. Oscar Isaac was good, but it was the way they used this character that bothered me at times. He was 50/50 for me. There were times where he worked and I was excited to see him as the villain, but there were times where he didn't, especially given the nature of his being. There were just too many conveniences and stupid decisions in the last act, that parts of it didn't manage to hook me in like I really wanted to. Going into detail will put this into spoiler territory, so I'll stop.
Also, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique didn't work for me this time. It felt like she just wasn't into this role anymore. Whatever the actual reason, I hope they don't make her a big role in the next film. And with so much in the film, some characters were completely neglected.

All in all, not as good as DOTFP, or even X2 for me, but still a solid entry in the franchise. The good far outweighs the bad, just like it did for BvS, for me. So ultimately, I had a good time watching it. And if they make a sequel (I Wish), I hope singer returns because once again he has shown interest in a particular saga(Originally hinted in X2), and I would love to see him direct it finally.


8/10

Blog Review Link: http://reviewsreactor.blogspot.com/2016/09/x-men-apocalypse-2016-movie-review.html

 

[Spartan 117]

Train To Busan (2016)
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Train To Busan is a South Korean zombie apocalypse film that has been getting a lot of buzz lately. And being a huge fan of zombies, I had to watch it asap. The movie is about a group of people that are caught amidst a zombie outbreak while travelling on a train.

Now the movie has some similar zombie flick beats that one would expect, but along side with certain Korean cinema layer of flare, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. The movie starts out slow, with a typical build up of the main characters, and then shit hits the fan, after which it becomes a thrill ride.

The train being the main setting of this film, I really liked how the movie used it for different sequences. There were tense and chaotic sequences, and there were quite and claustrophobic ones, giving a nice mix of all around thrill. The thing I loved most though was the fact it wasn't a plain old gore fest. There wasn't even that much violence for a zombie film owing to the fact that no one had guns or weapons with them, so they all made do with blunt items, which was a nice change.

The zombies looked good for the most part. They had the World War Z feel to them, swarming up in speed and whatnot. The movements were sometimes quite freaky, and awesome. The CGI however, was shoddy when they fully used it, understandably so, given the budget.

The characters, and the acting was a mixed bag. Some characters were fine, while some were too exaggerated to the point of being silly. Sometimes the acting was pretty good, but there were times where it was awful. Something would happen and people would be standing like lifeless dolls, or an emotional scene would become too over-dramatic.

Which brings me to the biggest issue with the film. Drama for Drama's sake. There were moments in the film where it just felt like the director threw in those sequences to add extra drama, and it didn't work for me. It felt forced and the movie could have done without it, especially in the last act. That's not to say there weren't any good ones, because there sure were, feels inducing ones.

A good zombie movie overall, which I would definitely recommend to any fan of the genre. Not breathtaking or amazing like the buzz had me believe, but a good watch nonetheless.

7/10

Blog Review Link: http://reviewsreactor.blogspot.com/2016/09/train-to-busan-2016-movie-review.html