[dxanex]

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug -8/10
 
Better paced than the first Hobbit movie, much more memorable action sequences too. Cuberbatch once again delivered a fantastic performance as the voice of Smaug.
Smaug is also a total badass. Actually looking forward to the conclusion.

 

[Achmedisdead]

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug - Quite enjoyable, although I understand that the "purists" will not approve of some aspects. As if any book can really be made into a proper movie....just not possible. 
 
Furious 6 - A wild ride, and if you know what to expect and you don't approve, don't watch...lol. Simple as that. A worthy and exciting addition to the series, with there really being only one bit of the film I have trouble with suspension of disbelief....the airport runway scene that was even teased in the trailers.
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

How long would that runway have to be for that scene to have played out? Miles and miles, methinks....but it was exciting nonetheless.

 

[Makiah S]

  The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug - Quite enjoyable, although I understand that the "purists" will not approve of some aspects. As if any book can really be made into a proper movie....just not possible. 
 
Furious 6 - A wild ride, and if you know what to expect and you don't approve, don't watch...lol. Simple as that. A worthy and exciting addition to the series, with there really being only one bit of the film I have trouble with suspension of disbelief....the airport runway scene that was even teased in the trailers.
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

How long would that runway have to be for that scene to have played out? Miles and miles, methinks....but it was exciting nonetheless.

good to hear Fast 6 is doing well... might have to pick it up 

 

[jackwess]

   
 
Furious 6 - A wild ride, and if you know what to expect and you don't approve, don't watch...lol. Simple as that. A worthy and exciting addition to the series, with there really being only one bit of the film I have trouble with suspension of disbelief....the airport runway scene that was even teased in the trailers.

 
I have the Blu-ray and love it. Shame that Paul is not going to be on the next one. 
 
Is Lucas black making a return? 

 

[Achmedisdead]

   
I have the Blu-ray and love it. Shame that Paul is not going to be on the next one. 
 
Is Lucas black making a return? 

 
I believe Paul had already shot a lot of scenes for the next one, so I think we will see him in it. And yes, I believe that we are going to see Lucas Black in the movie.

 

[gamefreak054]

Man of Steel 8/10: I enjoyed it, but its not a perfect movie. I do not understand some of the critic's hate for it. However if you are expecting it to be like the past superman movies mythologies it will throw you off a bit.
 
Monsters University 9.5/10: I had no expectations going into this movies as I thought pixar has started to give up (cars 2 was horrible imo, and was the last one I have seen). The movie started off corny, but then some quality writing and humor kicked in. That is when the movie became incredibly enjoyable. It still had some corny predictable plot parts, but it is a kids movie.
 
Furious 6 1/10: I hated this movie. Its incredibly corny, and defies physics at every corner. I still do not understand how a tank can out run a prius let alone any sort of sports or muscle car. Being a car enthusiast does not help me enjoy what little racing there is as most of the outcomes of the races are nearly impossible. I'll spare the bashing as people are enjoying the movie and I do not want to be a Debbie Downer. Just ignore me if you do not mind the corny side of an action flick once in a while (like the current stallone movies being produced).
 
Pacific Rim 9/10: Very enjoyable movie, acting is a little lacking in parts. I also found that they went a little over kill with 2 brains sharing thoughts. 
 
Red 2 6/10: Kinda disappointed with this one, as I thoroughly enjoyed the first. The writing felt a bit lacking. Acting felt decent however it felt like the actors were missing some kind of spark between each other that the first one certainly had. It also became a bit formulaic, and almost dragged on a bit.

 

[tdockweiler]

Hobbit part 2 - 7.75/10
 
Liked most every minute of this, but you definitely felt like they went out of their went to make the action scenes 10x more entertaining than they should be. They just got a bit ridiculous...but still fun to watch.
It's almost like they escaped death about 100x during the last part. Reminded me almost of the movie "2012". It's more like a video game almost..
 
I do like how they took their time with some scenes and didn't rush things. Of course I love long movies..
 
You might hate this, but I would have been OK if they made each part of the originals into 3 episodes each

The storyline and character development suffered a bit in the original theatrical versions..
 
I did see the extended versions and it's a little better..
 
BTW so glad they released this as 3 movies. Yep, I think money played a role here as well!
 
Also..are any of those action scenes tacked on and not in the book? I wonder how accurate the Hobbit movies are and if they left out much.

 

[mutabor]

The Hobbit Part 2 ( 8.5/10)
 
Deliberately watched it in 3D + 48 frames per second aka soap opera effect. The show didn't deliver this kind of effect that you get from LED TVs with Motion flow technology. Usually such an effect is more pronounced in fast movement scenes. I was a bit disappointed that technology didn't really work as I was expecting. Also my eyes were tired. Still I think that this movie should be watched in 3D.
 
As many others I much preferred the second part to the first. In the first part I found that some important characters were over the top in their ugliness ( Gollum and those big creatures) and silliness ( Radagast). In the second part there were just orks, big spiders and a psychopath dragon who had nothing outlandish in appearance - though all with their threatening power did nothing harmful to gnomes. The latter I came to a conclusion were very dangerous and badass creatures. I kind of feel sorry for the dragon whose intellectual indecisiveness, inclination to sarcastic biting remarks and posturing in a Stanislavsky system of acting prevailed over his direct animal instincts.  

 

[metalsonata]

  Hobbit part 2 - 7.75/10
 
Also..are any of those action scenes tacked on and not in the book? I wonder how accurate the Hobbit movies are and if they left out much.

 
I (not entirely jokingly) told a friend that the second movie is about 20% book and 80% jollies. In actuality it's probably not quite that extreme, but I don't think I'm too far off, either.

 

[tdockweiler]

Atonement - 8/10
 
I was pretty much WOWed by everything in this movie, especially the cinematography until one major spoiler that kind of ruined the experience.
Once you know what happens it just made the movie feel like oscar bait.
 
I would say it's still 90% better than most Hollywood junk out there.
 
Love the one take 5 minute scene from Dunkirk found here:
 
http://www.steadishots.org/shots_detail.cfm?shotID=298
 
The movie kind of reminds me of the South Korean film "Failan". Anyone remember that?

 

[Old Pa]

“The Separation” (9/10) is an Iranian film in (I believe) Farsi with English subtitles about a family with common conflicts and how some of these play out in modern Iran under Sharia law (where Islam is both religion and the public justice system).  The family is pretty well off with a large modern apartment and two small cars.  The wife obtained visas for her daughter, husband and herself to leave Iran, but the husband is unwilling to abandon his aged Alzheimer-ridden father, whom they have been caring for in their home, so the wife wants a divorce.  The daughter comes off as old beyond her thirteen years, trying to reconcile her polarized parents.  The wife leaves the family to return to her parents, the husband tries to hire help to take care of his father during the day, and unintended consequences ensue.  I’m not sure it’s appropriate to say I “enjoyed” the film, but I was very much enriched by it even in all the conflicts that were left unresolved.  Excellent acting and direction, development of characters and story line within the realities of the modern Iranian Islamic republic.  

 

 

[Audio-Omega]

Bram Stoker's Dracula and Twilight are a world apart.  

 

[metalsonata]

Northanger Abbey (2007): 6/10
 
Fluffy, cheap, and utterly inconsequential, but damn is Felicity Jones adorable. That and Jane Austen's trademark wit are enough to save this from a 4 or a 5. 
 
Sense and Sensibility (1995): 9/10
 
I'm not terribly convinced by the actual story here, which relies too heavily upon contrivance to be truly satisfying in and of itself, nor am I convinced by Austen's male characters, or at least the screenplay's treatment of them. These problems would be enough in most instances to seriously drag a movie down, but director Ang Lee paces and shoots this story incredibly well, and the actors are all pitch-perfect in their roles, even if nearly every character here is a caricature of one sort of another. The key to this film's resounding success is how it rarely takes itself seriously--nearly every scene is laced with dry humor and border-line farcical elements, two elements that more Austen adaptations would do well to incorporate, or at least to emphasize. Plus, Alan Rickman. The man manages to chew the scenery here without being over-the-top or without even being a villain. Rickman is one actor I don't think I could ever tire of watching or listening to. Easily one of the finest Austen adaptations out there.
 
American Hustle (2013): 10/10
 
Director David O. Russell gifts us with his take on the heist movie, incorporating stylistic elements from Scorsese, Tarantino, and Paul Thomas Anderson, all without losing his own sensibilities. This is a generous film--absolutely thrilling and absolutely comical, stuffed to the brim (and this is a long movie!) with characters who love to talk and who are a joy to listen to, all of whom are ensnared in a typically convoluted heist movie plot in which they take turns pulling the strings and having their own strings pulled. O. Russell is smart enough to know that characters who are entertaining to watch and listen to are far more interesting than likable characters--I don't know that you'll come to care about too many of the personalities here (nearly all of which are played way over-the-top), but you'll sure love spending time with them. Fantastic use of music (not wholly unlike Goodfellas), absolutely insane wardrobe and makeup design (Amy Adams' cleavage deserves an Oscar), a couple of great cameos, and Jennifer Lawrence's role as Chaos Personified (is there nothing this woman can't do?) are just icing on a pretty much perfect cake. An instant classic, and one of the best times I've had in a theatre all year. 

 

[Tangster]

Frozen 8/10
Classic Disney animated film. Liked the detour from romantic love to sisterly love. Nice twist. I did feel the ending was rather abrupt but then it's a nice change from overly long ending sequences*cough*man of steel*cough*.

 

[tdockweiler]

American Hustle - 4/10
 
Sorry, I know this one got a lot of good reviews but I hated every rotten minute of this. From start to finish. Why didn't I leave? Well, I had time off work to relax and it cost me $9.
Basically I hated all the characters and all it's terrible dialogue. It felt like watching a boring talk show where people yaked my ears off for 3 hours about nonsense I don't care about.
 
I basically sat there with my brain off and a blank expression on my face the entire time. It's like nothing registered for me and none of it was funny/entertaining/amusing. This rarely happens..
Felt like that one guy on the roller coaster with the caption of "I had fun once..I hated it".