What was the last movie you've seen?

[AppleQueso]

Keep in mind i'd be thrilled if i'm proven wrong and this turns out to be great.

Not gonna judge something based on whether it meets some perfect movie in my head.

[Cronozilla]

Saw Man on a Ledge and The Grey.

The Grey was very good, but depressing.

[Nintendork666]

[Dakinggamer87]

I just saw The Amazing Spiderman yesterday which was pretty good but I still prefer the original trilogy in general. It was very enjoyable nonetheless.

[dsheinem]

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – When it comes to Wes Anderson films, I’ve been more partial to the quirkiness of something like The Life Aquatic and The Royal Tenenbaums than I have been to the coming-of-age and slightly less quirky Rushmore or Bottle Rocket (all quirky, of course, but less so). This is arguably his best film – it nicely brings together the best parts of both kinds of films into a beautifully shot and expertly told tale that manages to be witty, touching, memorable, and smart. It is perfectly cast, the children in the lead knock their roles out of the park, and the score is among the best of those across his films. The location shooting adds a lot to the feel of the film, and everything from costuming to props shows a very careful attention to detail that pays off nicely. Probably the best film I’ve seen so far this year.
Grade: 4.5/5

Paul (2011) – I like Pegg and Frost as much as the next guy, but this is probably their weakest effort by far. It isn’t that the story has no potential – it is that the story itself is pretty boring and, in and of itself, fairly vacant of humor. Sure, the film has its share of excellent cameos and clever, well-laced lines ripped from the genre it is paying homage to, but these things don’t sustain the film itself. I thought Rogen’s “Paul” was completely vapid and uninteresting, but that Wiig was much funnier here than she was in Bridesmaids (her performance is the standout). There were some nice touches (like the Star Wars cantina song played by a C&W band), but there wasn’t enough humor driven by the plot/characters to make this approach Pegg/Frost’s best work.
Grade: 2.5/5

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) – This film is absolutely ridiculous, but once I came to accept that, I quite enjoyed it for what it was. What little acting exists is not worth talking about, and the CGI monkeys are more distracting than impressive, but damned if I didn’t find the whole thing compelling anyway. This is a big budget B-movie. There is lots of spectacle to enjoy, San Francisco is always an excellent setting for a film, and the action scenes are just over-the-top enough to feel a bit tongue in cheek. If it took itself more seriously it would be a train wreck, but it toes the line nicely.
Grade: 2.5/5

Batman Begins (2005) – I am rewatching the Nolan Batman films in anticipation of Rises later this week, and so I popped this in the other day. It really is an excellent superhero film and probably the best one based on a major, well-known hero to date at the time of its release (Sin City, released two months earlier, is probably still the best graphic novel-based film- what a good year!). Bale is convincing, the story is fresh and interesting, the set pieces and effects are mesmerizing, and it is just a lot of fun. It loses some points for being a little too long (it feels even longer than it’s 2 hours and 20 minutes) and I still don’t buy the casting of Liam Neeson as a skilled warrior who might function as a worthy foe for the vastly-more-physically fit and agile Batman. Otherwise, there’s not much room to complain with this one.
Grade: 4/5

[Luke]

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Moonrise should be prescribed as medicine to the clinically depressed.

Nolan suggested watching the previous two Batman installments to make more money *cough* I mean to see how every choice "Bruce" makes has an impact in RISES. And I agree. BEGINS drags a lot.

[AppleQueso]

I always felt Begins was rather brisk actually.

[dsheinem]

I always felt Begins was rather brisk actually.

Really? I mean it does move around a lot from plot point to plot point, but theres's just a LOT of plot to cover and it FEELS like it takes forever to finish up. That said, I struggle to think what I would want to cut out from the story in interest of time...

[AppleQueso]

I always felt Begins was rather brisk actually.

Really? I mean it does move around a lot from plot point to plot point, but theres's just a LOT of plot to cover and it FEELS like it takes forever to finish up. That said, I struggle to think what I would want to cut out from the story in interest of time...

I never found myself checking my watch or wondering "geez when is this going to be over?"

I suppose that counts for something. I was totally enthralled every step of the way.

[dsheinem]

I always felt Begins was rather brisk actually.

Really? I mean it does move around a lot from plot point to plot point, but theres's just a LOT of plot to cover and it FEELS like it takes forever to finish up. That said, I struggle to think what I would want to cut out from the story in interest of time...

I never found myself checking my watch or wondering "geez when is this going to be over?"

I suppose that counts for something. I was totally enthralled every step of the way.

That's true - it probably feels much longer in subsequent viewings...