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Gladiator (2000)
8.3
Rate It
Movie Watch
A man robbed of his name and his dignity strives to win them back, and gain the freedom of his...
David (771 KP) rated Alien: Covenant (2017) in Movies
May 4, 2018
Evolution of the Xenomorph (1 more)
More backstory
I hope there is another one
Contains spoilers, click to show
I see from most of the reviews that this film wasn't favoured but in my opinion I love back and origin stories. Alien to resurrection were how the Xenomorph species expanded and developed. This film and it's predecessor explore where the deadliest creature in the universe came from. I do hope there is another to link up with the 1979 Alien film.
I know with Alien franchise it's all about the horror and suspense but a story and plotline is important too. I am glad Ridley Scott did get the opportunity to fill in the gaps unanswered in the preceding films.
Bring on the next one, me want more!
I know with Alien franchise it's all about the horror and suspense but a story and plotline is important too. I am glad Ridley Scott did get the opportunity to fill in the gaps unanswered in the preceding films.
Bring on the next one, me want more!
Karl Urban recommended Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) in Movies (curated)
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Alien: Covenant (2017) in Movies
Jul 25, 2017
Michael Fassbender (1 more)
Better than Prometheus
Well at least it's better than Prometheus...
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'll be honest, I hated Prometheus. It had potential, but was completely ruined by nonsense and plot holes. Alien: Covenant is the film Prometheus should've been, but it still isn't anything to shout about.
There are still plot holes, although nowhere near as many as Prometheus, and some very dodgy action choices from supposedly expert characters. For example, going out onto an unknown planet without any sort of protective suit?! Advise anyone to hit up YouTube for more plot holes and stupidity if you didn't spot these yourself.
Character development was lacking. The CGI was surprisingly bad in parts. The first and last parts of the films were very similar to Alien and Aliens, which may not necessarily be bad. However there's a fine line between being an homage and being a carbon copy, and I don't think this film quite pulls it off.
Finally, the whole nonsense about David being the creator of the Xenomorphs? Utter nonsense. Personally I hate the idea of a homicidal android having created the Xenomorphs and I hate that Ridley Scott has gone down this route.
I also can't stand that Ridley has said there will be 2 more prequels before the events of these films link up to the events of Alien - is that really necessary?
There are still plot holes, although nowhere near as many as Prometheus, and some very dodgy action choices from supposedly expert characters. For example, going out onto an unknown planet without any sort of protective suit?! Advise anyone to hit up YouTube for more plot holes and stupidity if you didn't spot these yourself.
Character development was lacking. The CGI was surprisingly bad in parts. The first and last parts of the films were very similar to Alien and Aliens, which may not necessarily be bad. However there's a fine line between being an homage and being a carbon copy, and I don't think this film quite pulls it off.
Finally, the whole nonsense about David being the creator of the Xenomorphs? Utter nonsense. Personally I hate the idea of a homicidal android having created the Xenomorphs and I hate that Ridley Scott has gone down this route.
I also can't stand that Ridley has said there will be 2 more prequels before the events of these films link up to the events of Alien - is that really necessary?
Taboo - Season 1
8.1
Rate It
TV Season Watch
Set in 1814, Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney, a man who has been to the ends of the earth and...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated All the Money in the World (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
You can’t take it with you.
The big talking point of this Ridley Scott film is not of course the film itself but the fact that the disgraced Kevin Spacey (“Baby Driver“) was ‘airbrushed’ out of the movie, replaced by the legend that is Christopher Plummer. With that background, and the fact that the re-shoot only took 9 days (NINE DAYS!!!!), I must admit to having been a tad scornful when Plummer was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. “Oh” I thought “…it’s Judi Dench’s minimalistic performance in ‘Shakespeare In Love’ all over again”.
But actually on watching the film I take it all back. Plummer’s role is not, like Dench’s, a mere eight minutes of screen time, but extensive and pivotal. Not only was his nomination richly deserved (his performance is cold, eerie and magnificent!) but Ridley Scott deserved an award for getting so much great footage in the can in such a short space of time.
The film tells the true story of the feckless John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer, no relation), grandson to the richest man in the world John Paul Getty I. While in the Piazza Farnese in Rome, JPGIII is kidnapped and a $17 million reward is sought for his release. Whilst claiming to love his offspring, the tycoon is basically a ‘tight git’ and the film concerns the battle of the young heir’s mother Gail (Michelle Williams, “Manchester By The Sea”; “The Greatest Showman”) to persuade JPG1 and his right-hand negotiator Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg, “Patriot’s Day”, “Deep Water Horizon“) to shake the money tree* and get JPGIII released.
*To be fair, JPGIII hasn’t exactly helped his case as it emerges he had previously joked about getting himself kidnapped to get his grandfather’s ransom money!
As I didn’t remember the historical outcome of this, I was in a suitable amount of suspense as to where it would go. It is clear though, from the wiki version of the story, that the ending was significantly ‘sexed-up’ for the movie.
Ridley Scott sensibly balances the views of the Getty’s with the views of the kidnappers, with a semi-sympathetic Italian (Romain Duris) being the focus of those scenes in rural Calabria.
But it’s the scenes with Plummer that really engage. The man as portrayed is an enigma, eccentrically washing his own clothes to save a few pennies and always (ALWAYS) trying to get 20% more on even the most personal of decisions. It makes me really intrigued to see Spacey’s portrayal now… I wonder if the alternate cut might make it onto the Blu-ray? I actually think though that Plummer was the better choice for this: I could see Spacey bringing far too much of Frank Underwood to the role.
Elsewhere in the cast, I think Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg are both solid without ever being spectacular and it’s nice to see the talented Andrew Buchan (“The Mercy“; “Broadchurch”) in a more memorable big screen outing as JPG2: his drug-addled son (and JPG3’s father).
Overall, it’s an interesting watch and had me sufficiently engaged to want to watch it again. But without Plummer’s role it wouldn’t really amount to nearly as much.
But actually on watching the film I take it all back. Plummer’s role is not, like Dench’s, a mere eight minutes of screen time, but extensive and pivotal. Not only was his nomination richly deserved (his performance is cold, eerie and magnificent!) but Ridley Scott deserved an award for getting so much great footage in the can in such a short space of time.
The film tells the true story of the feckless John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer, no relation), grandson to the richest man in the world John Paul Getty I. While in the Piazza Farnese in Rome, JPGIII is kidnapped and a $17 million reward is sought for his release. Whilst claiming to love his offspring, the tycoon is basically a ‘tight git’ and the film concerns the battle of the young heir’s mother Gail (Michelle Williams, “Manchester By The Sea”; “The Greatest Showman”) to persuade JPG1 and his right-hand negotiator Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg, “Patriot’s Day”, “Deep Water Horizon“) to shake the money tree* and get JPGIII released.
*To be fair, JPGIII hasn’t exactly helped his case as it emerges he had previously joked about getting himself kidnapped to get his grandfather’s ransom money!
As I didn’t remember the historical outcome of this, I was in a suitable amount of suspense as to where it would go. It is clear though, from the wiki version of the story, that the ending was significantly ‘sexed-up’ for the movie.
Ridley Scott sensibly balances the views of the Getty’s with the views of the kidnappers, with a semi-sympathetic Italian (Romain Duris) being the focus of those scenes in rural Calabria.
But it’s the scenes with Plummer that really engage. The man as portrayed is an enigma, eccentrically washing his own clothes to save a few pennies and always (ALWAYS) trying to get 20% more on even the most personal of decisions. It makes me really intrigued to see Spacey’s portrayal now… I wonder if the alternate cut might make it onto the Blu-ray? I actually think though that Plummer was the better choice for this: I could see Spacey bringing far too much of Frank Underwood to the role.
Elsewhere in the cast, I think Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg are both solid without ever being spectacular and it’s nice to see the talented Andrew Buchan (“The Mercy“; “Broadchurch”) in a more memorable big screen outing as JPG2: his drug-addled son (and JPG3’s father).
Overall, it’s an interesting watch and had me sufficiently engaged to want to watch it again. But without Plummer’s role it wouldn’t really amount to nearly as much.
Second Look: Hitchcock: The Birds; Edwards: The Party; Scott: Blade Runner; Ruzowitzky: Anatomy; Scott: Gladiator
Book
Text in English & German. Like literary texts, films often tell stories on multiple levels. Ridley...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Exodus: Gods and Kings is a new movie directed by Ridley Scott.
With other great films under his belt such as Alien, Gladiator, GI Jane, and many many more, I had high hopes for this film.
The cast includes Christian Bale as Moses, Ben Kingsley as Nun, Joel Edgerton as Ramses, John Turturro as Seti, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, and Aaron Paul as Joshua.
At 2 hours and 22 minutes long, I actually FELT the movie dragging in places, and yet I was less than thrilled with the ending.
The 3D didn’t add anything to the movie. During scenes where the 3D should have been a major asset to the film, enhancing the viewing experience, and drawing the audience into the story, it really didn’t add anything to the story, nor did it seem to add any “wow factor”.
Being completely non-religious myself, I cannot speak to many of the other seemingly negative comments regarding the films lack of “following the true story”, but I can say that the story presented was rather…. Lackluster.
In previews it seemed as if the whole movie would be set on a grand grand scale, and that it was worth paying to see on the big screen.
In actuality, while the movie does seem to be set on a grand scale, it just didn’t grab me in enough, didn’t capture my feelings and make me root for one side or the other, didn’t make me CARE enough about the characters or the story to want to bother to see it again, on the big screen or even on the tv.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “horrible”‘ or even “bad”, but I couldn’t tell someone “this is a movie you simply MUST SEE on the big screen”, either.
If I’d have paid to see it, I’d have been annoyed.
The best summation that I might be able to give this movie is…. “Meh”.
I’d give this movie a reluctant 2 out of 5 stars, and only as many as 2 to give Ridley Scott the benefit of the doubt.
With other great films under his belt such as Alien, Gladiator, GI Jane, and many many more, I had high hopes for this film.
The cast includes Christian Bale as Moses, Ben Kingsley as Nun, Joel Edgerton as Ramses, John Turturro as Seti, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, and Aaron Paul as Joshua.
At 2 hours and 22 minutes long, I actually FELT the movie dragging in places, and yet I was less than thrilled with the ending.
The 3D didn’t add anything to the movie. During scenes where the 3D should have been a major asset to the film, enhancing the viewing experience, and drawing the audience into the story, it really didn’t add anything to the story, nor did it seem to add any “wow factor”.
Being completely non-religious myself, I cannot speak to many of the other seemingly negative comments regarding the films lack of “following the true story”, but I can say that the story presented was rather…. Lackluster.
In previews it seemed as if the whole movie would be set on a grand grand scale, and that it was worth paying to see on the big screen.
In actuality, while the movie does seem to be set on a grand scale, it just didn’t grab me in enough, didn’t capture my feelings and make me root for one side or the other, didn’t make me CARE enough about the characters or the story to want to bother to see it again, on the big screen or even on the tv.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “horrible”‘ or even “bad”, but I couldn’t tell someone “this is a movie you simply MUST SEE on the big screen”, either.
If I’d have paid to see it, I’d have been annoyed.
The best summation that I might be able to give this movie is…. “Meh”.
I’d give this movie a reluctant 2 out of 5 stars, and only as many as 2 to give Ridley Scott the benefit of the doubt.
Kieran Harvey (51 KP) rated Prometheus (2012) in Movies
Jul 18, 2017
Great storyline (5 more)
Effectively creates suspense
Good action
Fantastic visuals
Great cast
Very well directed
Some bad characters (1 more)
A bit cheesy in some places
Much better than everyone thinks
Prometheus is a prequel to Alien and a lot of fans weren't happy that it didn't include alien in the title however it's just a name at the end of the day and this film is very very good in my opinion.
The acting is great specifically from Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshal Green and Charlize Theron and the action is great despite coming in small amounts. The whole atmosphere of this world is fantastic because it really feels genuine despite all coming from the mind of Ridley Scott but it is evident that he is very passionate about this series and that makes the film better as it feels honest and dark and legitimately tense. It has some scenes in which I found hard to watch because of the high gore/ horror levels but apart from that it starts well and it ends terrifically as well.
The acting is great specifically from Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshal Green and Charlize Theron and the action is great despite coming in small amounts. The whole atmosphere of this world is fantastic because it really feels genuine despite all coming from the mind of Ridley Scott but it is evident that he is very passionate about this series and that makes the film better as it feels honest and dark and legitimately tense. It has some scenes in which I found hard to watch because of the high gore/ horror levels but apart from that it starts well and it ends terrifically as well.