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Awix (3310 KP) rated Deadpool 2 (2018) in Movies
May 17, 2018 (Updated May 17, 2018)
More of the same as the first one, really, as Ryan Reynolds' violent sociopath engages in various graphically destructive and deeply ironic escapades, while Josh Brolin looks stoically bemused in the background. The plot, such as it is, basically revolves around a soldier from the future targeting a young mutant whom Deadpool has kind of taken under his wing. But this is to imply that the plot is of any real significance in a Deadpool movie, and it is not.
What the film is really about is a succession of jokes, many self-reflexive and self-referential, others simply crass and puerile, mixed in with the kind of FX-driven fights and chase sequences you would expect to find in a conventional superhero movie. I should point out that many of the jokes are either repeated from the first film or fairly predictable. All good fun, and there are many very funny bits, but one really wonders why they bothered to include scenes about the characters' emotions which are seemingly played wholly straight and are apparently intended to be taken seriously, because the whole point of the film is that it's not meant to be taken seriously.
Probably just about scrapes a 7 on the strength of the closing credit sequence gags, but a very uneven film that doesn't have the novelty value of the first one and struggles to find anything to replace it.
What the film is really about is a succession of jokes, many self-reflexive and self-referential, others simply crass and puerile, mixed in with the kind of FX-driven fights and chase sequences you would expect to find in a conventional superhero movie. I should point out that many of the jokes are either repeated from the first film or fairly predictable. All good fun, and there are many very funny bits, but one really wonders why they bothered to include scenes about the characters' emotions which are seemingly played wholly straight and are apparently intended to be taken seriously, because the whole point of the film is that it's not meant to be taken seriously.
Probably just about scrapes a 7 on the strength of the closing credit sequence gags, but a very uneven film that doesn't have the novelty value of the first one and struggles to find anything to replace it.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Deadpool 2 (2018) in Movies
Oct 18, 2019
Deadpool 2 sits firmly and comfortably somewhere between 'good' and 'average'.
The main problem is that it's not as funny as it thinks it is. The first 30 minutes or so just seem like a constant barrage of recycled jokes from the superior first film, and a lot of the jokes don't land that well.
That being said, there are some genuinely laugh out loud moments when the film eventually finds it feet, but it does feel like the writers just threw everything toward the audience to see what would stick.
Humour is only one element of Deadpool though.
The action exceeds the first film in every way, and the movie really shines in this aspect when Cable is introduced. Josh Brolins portrayal of the badass mutant from the future is pretty engaging. His serious nature gels fantastically with Ryan Reynolds quippy Deadpool.
It's nice to see Domino turn up for the ride as well. Everyone else is (quite literally) pretty disposable, but the inclusion of X-Force gives us a fantastic blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo.
The narrative leans towards a message of accepting people for who they are, which is a nice spin in a superhero blockbuster, and of course keeps the R rating good and present with some stupidly violent moments.
Overall, Deadpool 2 is a perfect example of more not always meaning better, but is still an enjoyable ride.
The main problem is that it's not as funny as it thinks it is. The first 30 minutes or so just seem like a constant barrage of recycled jokes from the superior first film, and a lot of the jokes don't land that well.
That being said, there are some genuinely laugh out loud moments when the film eventually finds it feet, but it does feel like the writers just threw everything toward the audience to see what would stick.
Humour is only one element of Deadpool though.
The action exceeds the first film in every way, and the movie really shines in this aspect when Cable is introduced. Josh Brolins portrayal of the badass mutant from the future is pretty engaging. His serious nature gels fantastically with Ryan Reynolds quippy Deadpool.
It's nice to see Domino turn up for the ride as well. Everyone else is (quite literally) pretty disposable, but the inclusion of X-Force gives us a fantastic blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo.
The narrative leans towards a message of accepting people for who they are, which is a nice spin in a superhero blockbuster, and of course keeps the R rating good and present with some stupidly violent moments.
Overall, Deadpool 2 is a perfect example of more not always meaning better, but is still an enjoyable ride.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Deadpool (2016) in Movies
Feb 13, 2018 (Updated Feb 14, 2018)
My inner 17 year old self loved DEADPOOL. It had everything that any 17 year old boy would want in a movie - sex, violence and a smart-alec attitude, all wrapped up in an unapologetic package that reveled in - and did not shy away from - these traits.
At this point in the review, you are either saying "f#*$ yeah! this movie is for me!" or you have stopped reading, will never see this movie, so it doesn't really matter what I write.
For the rest of you still reading, grab your raunchy comedy sense of humor and head to the theaters to see DEADPOOL, you won't be sorry. DP pokes fun at itself and the genre it represents right from the get-go. Get there early for the opening credits, they aren't quite like any opening credits you have seen before.
First time director Tim Miller cut his teeth on animated short films (most notably, the Oscar nominated animated short, GOPHER BROKE) and it shows in this film. DEADPOOL plays like a 100 minute Road Runner cartoon with star Ryan Reynolds constant patter sounding more and more like the RoadRunner's "Beep, Beep" as the film progresses.
Don't get me wrong, Reynolds does a nice job as the lead and brings humor and charm to the character, but after awhile it just didn't matter as it was just an excuse for fights, car chases, mayhem, violence and explosions - and I didn't mind one bit.
There are some interesting characters in this film, most notably played by Morena Baccarin and T.J. MIller - two actors who I felt FINALLY got decent roles to play, but they, too, take a back seat to the action and smart-assery in this film Even the great Leslie Uggams is brought in as an old, blind, smartass, and she acquits herself quite well.
The smartest things the filmmakers did with this movie is that they did not back away from what they were trying to do - make a superhero movie that was a mash-up of THE AVENGERS and DIRTY GRANDPA, they didn't flinch from this mission, which is why it is successful. They accomplished what the set out to accomplish - make a Superhero movie that any teenage boy would love.
7 (out of 10) stars - 10 out of 10, if you listen to my inner 17 year old - and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)
At this point in the review, you are either saying "f#*$ yeah! this movie is for me!" or you have stopped reading, will never see this movie, so it doesn't really matter what I write.
For the rest of you still reading, grab your raunchy comedy sense of humor and head to the theaters to see DEADPOOL, you won't be sorry. DP pokes fun at itself and the genre it represents right from the get-go. Get there early for the opening credits, they aren't quite like any opening credits you have seen before.
First time director Tim Miller cut his teeth on animated short films (most notably, the Oscar nominated animated short, GOPHER BROKE) and it shows in this film. DEADPOOL plays like a 100 minute Road Runner cartoon with star Ryan Reynolds constant patter sounding more and more like the RoadRunner's "Beep, Beep" as the film progresses.
Don't get me wrong, Reynolds does a nice job as the lead and brings humor and charm to the character, but after awhile it just didn't matter as it was just an excuse for fights, car chases, mayhem, violence and explosions - and I didn't mind one bit.
There are some interesting characters in this film, most notably played by Morena Baccarin and T.J. MIller - two actors who I felt FINALLY got decent roles to play, but they, too, take a back seat to the action and smart-assery in this film Even the great Leslie Uggams is brought in as an old, blind, smartass, and she acquits herself quite well.
The smartest things the filmmakers did with this movie is that they did not back away from what they were trying to do - make a superhero movie that was a mash-up of THE AVENGERS and DIRTY GRANDPA, they didn't flinch from this mission, which is why it is successful. They accomplished what the set out to accomplish - make a Superhero movie that any teenage boy would love.
7 (out of 10) stars - 10 out of 10, if you listen to my inner 17 year old - and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)
JT (287 KP) rated Green Lantern (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
You feel that had The Green Lantern arrived on the scene in 2011 not competing with a host of other super hero films, such as Thor, X-Men: First Class and Captain America, it might have had a better welcome.
For me the super hero genre really is bordering a mass overkill, what with this years upcoming Avengers getting so much press its hard to turn a corner without seing one of Iron Man, Hulk or Thor adoring a billboard or poster somewhere.
So it’s a shame then that Hollywood’s Mr. Nice guy, Ryan Reynolds, was given a role so bland and pointless it was almost insulting.
Director Martin Campbell’s previous outings Casino Royale and Edge if Darkness were deep gritty affairs and he really should have carried that over into this, there was so much flamboyant colour you wondered if Joel Schumacher had some how been a part of it.
That isn’t to say that during some stages the film was not enjoyable. Test pilot Hal Jordan is given the power bestowed on him by a mysterious ring with a back story shoe horned into an opening five minute monologue, if you’re not paying attention its going to be a little confusing.
The action and special effects are very good, with the Green Lantern able to concoct a wide range of objects from his mind ranging from missile launchers, swords and even a necklace, all transferred through the power and energy of the ring.
The less so, well Reynolds is surrounded by characters that only really dip their toe into the water of the film. With thousands of Green Lanterns we only really here from two, Tomar-Re and Kilowog voiced by Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan respectively.
Mark Strong as Sinestro on first glance has the look of someone bound to step over to the evil side, and maybe that is to come if a sequel is due at some point.
Peter Sarsgaard’s large headed villain only serves as an entrée before Hal has to tackle the large bellowing cloud that is Parallax, an entity that thrives on sucking out the fear of its victims.
The film has its moments, but it never really has the energy that so many other super hero films have. Perhaps that fact that the back story of Hal is not nearly as exciting as say Spider-man, Batman or any of the Avengers for that matter.
For me the super hero genre really is bordering a mass overkill, what with this years upcoming Avengers getting so much press its hard to turn a corner without seing one of Iron Man, Hulk or Thor adoring a billboard or poster somewhere.
So it’s a shame then that Hollywood’s Mr. Nice guy, Ryan Reynolds, was given a role so bland and pointless it was almost insulting.
Director Martin Campbell’s previous outings Casino Royale and Edge if Darkness were deep gritty affairs and he really should have carried that over into this, there was so much flamboyant colour you wondered if Joel Schumacher had some how been a part of it.
That isn’t to say that during some stages the film was not enjoyable. Test pilot Hal Jordan is given the power bestowed on him by a mysterious ring with a back story shoe horned into an opening five minute monologue, if you’re not paying attention its going to be a little confusing.
The action and special effects are very good, with the Green Lantern able to concoct a wide range of objects from his mind ranging from missile launchers, swords and even a necklace, all transferred through the power and energy of the ring.
The less so, well Reynolds is surrounded by characters that only really dip their toe into the water of the film. With thousands of Green Lanterns we only really here from two, Tomar-Re and Kilowog voiced by Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan respectively.
Mark Strong as Sinestro on first glance has the look of someone bound to step over to the evil side, and maybe that is to come if a sequel is due at some point.
Peter Sarsgaard’s large headed villain only serves as an entrée before Hal has to tackle the large bellowing cloud that is Parallax, an entity that thrives on sucking out the fear of its victims.
The film has its moments, but it never really has the energy that so many other super hero films have. Perhaps that fact that the back story of Hal is not nearly as exciting as say Spider-man, Batman or any of the Avengers for that matter.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Michael Bryce is a triple A rated executive protection agent. Well... he was, up until he lost one of his high profile clients. Now he's living in the less than luxurious life, with less than A rated clients. What he needs is to get his reputation back, and when his ex appears asking for his help, he could get more than his reputation back.
It's just another job, until he see's who he's supposed to be protecting. Darius Kincaid. Master assassin.
Kincaid needs to get to The Hague to testify against Vladislav Dukhovich, merciless dictator of Belarus. With all the other witnesses dying he's Interpol's last hope. But with Kincaid and Bryce both thinking they know the best way to survive the trip, will they both get there in one piece?
Honestly, I love all the trailers for this film, but this one has the song in it. There's just something catchy about Samuel L. Jackson singing along with a bunch of nuns.
Anyway, to the film. Straight off the bat I'm going to say I loved it. Award winner? Nope. Dramatic master piece? Nope. Hilarious? Abso-motherf***ing-lutely. Reynolds and Jackson play really well off each other all the way through, but for me, the highlight was Salma Hayek. She really was an unexpected gem.
I read views of this online and it made me a little mad... some people just need to lighten up. Some films are just made to be entertaining, and this one had the bases covered... excessive mindless violence, car chases, romance, singing nuns... you couldn't really ask for more... apart from maybe more nudity of Ryan Reynolds. (Just me? Never mind then)
Probably the most entertaining Unlimited screening I've seen, and I think everyone else agreed. I haven't been in a cinema where that many people have been laughing out loud. I honestly think that is a great achievement in a film.
I'll be buying this one on DVD when it comes out, I think everyone should, it'll really brighten up your day and help you relieve some stress... if like me you enjoy seeing random things getting destroyed. (Only on screen, not in real-life, no need to panic!) Possibly not for those of you who don't like swearing though, as Samuel L. Jackson does get to use swearing like punctuation... and the writers were clearly fond of excessive commas.
It's just another job, until he see's who he's supposed to be protecting. Darius Kincaid. Master assassin.
Kincaid needs to get to The Hague to testify against Vladislav Dukhovich, merciless dictator of Belarus. With all the other witnesses dying he's Interpol's last hope. But with Kincaid and Bryce both thinking they know the best way to survive the trip, will they both get there in one piece?
Honestly, I love all the trailers for this film, but this one has the song in it. There's just something catchy about Samuel L. Jackson singing along with a bunch of nuns.
Anyway, to the film. Straight off the bat I'm going to say I loved it. Award winner? Nope. Dramatic master piece? Nope. Hilarious? Abso-motherf***ing-lutely. Reynolds and Jackson play really well off each other all the way through, but for me, the highlight was Salma Hayek. She really was an unexpected gem.
I read views of this online and it made me a little mad... some people just need to lighten up. Some films are just made to be entertaining, and this one had the bases covered... excessive mindless violence, car chases, romance, singing nuns... you couldn't really ask for more... apart from maybe more nudity of Ryan Reynolds. (Just me? Never mind then)
Probably the most entertaining Unlimited screening I've seen, and I think everyone else agreed. I haven't been in a cinema where that many people have been laughing out loud. I honestly think that is a great achievement in a film.
I'll be buying this one on DVD when it comes out, I think everyone should, it'll really brighten up your day and help you relieve some stress... if like me you enjoy seeing random things getting destroyed. (Only on screen, not in real-life, no need to panic!) Possibly not for those of you who don't like swearing though, as Samuel L. Jackson does get to use swearing like punctuation... and the writers were clearly fond of excessive commas.
JT (287 KP) rated Buried (2010) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Shot with a low budget and entirely in one location (inside Paul’s coffin), Buried is a very intense and gripping movie, which plays on the age-old human fear of being buried alive and takes it to whole new levels.
Paul not only has to deal with thoughts of his almost imminent demise, but he also has to endure the psychological torment that comes with realising that your loved ones are in terrible danger and that the people whom your life depends upon don’t really care about your fate. This is the story of Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), an American contractor working on an assignment in Iraq, who wakes up in something which looks like a makeshift wooden coffin, alone, and with no recollection of when and how he ended up there. All he remembers is that he and his colleagues were attacked by a group of Iraqi insurgents.
Understandably, he begins to panic, frantically trying to escape before realising that he won’t be able to do it on his own. Whoever buried him left a mobile phone, a lighter, a knife, a torch and some glow sticks in the coffin, and such items quickly become Paul’s connection to the outside world and his only hope of survival.
This situation is so exceptional (thankfully) that the film’s real challenge is to try and represent it as realistically as possible. What would you do? Would you let the nerves get the better of you, or would your will to live step in instead, and make you stay focused in trying to save yourself?
Ryan Reynolds does an excellent job in this, his Paul Conroy is human, desperate, scared, with no superhero pretence. The direction, by Rodrigo Cortes, is vivid, realistic, and makes good use of the limited space that the coffin setting allows to show; anxious people should try watching this anyway because, while it is undoubtedly claustrophobic, Paul’s determination to stay alive and the pull of wanting to know what’s going on outside keeps the mind occupied.
The voice of Hostage Work Group operator Dan Brenner (Robert Paterson) is possibly a little too “staged” and “actorish”, making it sound somewhat fake but also sinister, going to heighten the feeling of dread. Buried manages to be scary, tense, and yet ironic in representing the ignorance, incompetence and cowardice behind the behaviours of people we are supposed to trust in dangerous situations.
The whole film maintains a focused and realistic eye on the suffering of the protagonist – because we are supposed to feel what he feels, to be there with him in his fight for life- except maybe in a few moments when it slips into “mainstream”, cheap stratagems to reiterate that Paul is a good man who doesn’t deserve his fate (for example, when he calls his ill, senile mother who lives in a home and can’t even remember him).
Definitely best watched in a cinema screen rather than on DVD, this is a film which is very well done, and interesting; you will want to see what happens of Paul but also how his story is told from the confines of his coffin buried underground.
Paul not only has to deal with thoughts of his almost imminent demise, but he also has to endure the psychological torment that comes with realising that your loved ones are in terrible danger and that the people whom your life depends upon don’t really care about your fate. This is the story of Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), an American contractor working on an assignment in Iraq, who wakes up in something which looks like a makeshift wooden coffin, alone, and with no recollection of when and how he ended up there. All he remembers is that he and his colleagues were attacked by a group of Iraqi insurgents.
Understandably, he begins to panic, frantically trying to escape before realising that he won’t be able to do it on his own. Whoever buried him left a mobile phone, a lighter, a knife, a torch and some glow sticks in the coffin, and such items quickly become Paul’s connection to the outside world and his only hope of survival.
This situation is so exceptional (thankfully) that the film’s real challenge is to try and represent it as realistically as possible. What would you do? Would you let the nerves get the better of you, or would your will to live step in instead, and make you stay focused in trying to save yourself?
Ryan Reynolds does an excellent job in this, his Paul Conroy is human, desperate, scared, with no superhero pretence. The direction, by Rodrigo Cortes, is vivid, realistic, and makes good use of the limited space that the coffin setting allows to show; anxious people should try watching this anyway because, while it is undoubtedly claustrophobic, Paul’s determination to stay alive and the pull of wanting to know what’s going on outside keeps the mind occupied.
The voice of Hostage Work Group operator Dan Brenner (Robert Paterson) is possibly a little too “staged” and “actorish”, making it sound somewhat fake but also sinister, going to heighten the feeling of dread. Buried manages to be scary, tense, and yet ironic in representing the ignorance, incompetence and cowardice behind the behaviours of people we are supposed to trust in dangerous situations.
The whole film maintains a focused and realistic eye on the suffering of the protagonist – because we are supposed to feel what he feels, to be there with him in his fight for life- except maybe in a few moments when it slips into “mainstream”, cheap stratagems to reiterate that Paul is a good man who doesn’t deserve his fate (for example, when he calls his ill, senile mother who lives in a home and can’t even remember him).
Definitely best watched in a cinema screen rather than on DVD, this is a film which is very well done, and interesting; you will want to see what happens of Paul but also how his story is told from the confines of his coffin buried underground.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021) in Movies
Jun 22, 2021
No tension in the thriller elements (1 more)
Some shoddy special effects.
A movie that’s a pain in the A-double-dollar sign.
Struck-off bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is plagued with nightmares about his failures, brought about by his nemesis Darius Kincaid (Samuel L Jackson) and his potty-mouthed wife Sonia (Salma Hayek). On doctor’s orders, he ‘retires’ from the business. But when Europe’s infrastructure is threatened by Greek megalomaniac Aristotle Papdopolous (Antonio Banderas) he is rudely dragged away from his briefly peaceful life and pitched back into utter mayhem.
Positives:
- As a comedy thriller, it does pass the '6 laughs test' in terms of the 'comedy' element. Some of these are minor chuckles. A few are really good belly laughs.
- Among these are some of the outrageous tirades of Salma Hayek: her accent makes some of the dialogue unintelligible, but given its X-rated nature, that's not necessarily a bad thing! As a mid-50's actress (Oh God - - don't tell her I mentioned her age!), Ms Hayek indeed has an arrestingly attractive form.
- Seeing Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman on the screen is never anything other than a positive. (Although Banderas is like Sean Connery in failing to tailor his natural accent to any role he's ever in!)
Negatives:
- A general problem I have with 'comedy thrillers' is that the comedy nearly always negates any of the thrills. Ryan Reynolds is not playing Deadpool in this one, although he might as well be doing so based on the number of times he is hit by cars and other solid objects. The result is that although it has the trappings of a Bond or a Bourne - exotic locations (here, mostly Italian ones) ; exotic woman; car chases; heavily-armed henchmen; huge explosions - it delivers none of the tension or excitement. When matched with some rather dodgy post-shoot special effects, the effect is generally underwhelming.
- If there was an award for the clumsiest movie title of 2021, we may already have a winner.
Summary Thoughts on "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard": Sequels are very occasionally better. Often they are much worse. This one, I have to say, delivers very much "more of the same". Given that the writer/director team of Tom O'Connor and Patrick Hughes are in the driving seat, that's not much of a surprise. The shtick is mildly diverting, occasionally downright funny, but quickly outstays its welcome. The 100 minute run time felt, for me, much longer.
Looking back at my 2017 review of the first film, I think I was being over-kind giving it 6/10. I think this is neither better nor worse. So if you want to average the two and give each 5/10, I wouldn't object! But, again, it's one I will struggle to remember much about in a few month's time.
(For the full graphical review, please check out the One Mann's Movies review here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/06/22/the-hitmans-wifes-bodyguard-a-movie-thats-a-pain-in-the-a-double-dollar-sign/. Thanks).
Positives:
- As a comedy thriller, it does pass the '6 laughs test' in terms of the 'comedy' element. Some of these are minor chuckles. A few are really good belly laughs.
- Among these are some of the outrageous tirades of Salma Hayek: her accent makes some of the dialogue unintelligible, but given its X-rated nature, that's not necessarily a bad thing! As a mid-50's actress (Oh God - - don't tell her I mentioned her age!), Ms Hayek indeed has an arrestingly attractive form.
- Seeing Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman on the screen is never anything other than a positive. (Although Banderas is like Sean Connery in failing to tailor his natural accent to any role he's ever in!)
Negatives:
- A general problem I have with 'comedy thrillers' is that the comedy nearly always negates any of the thrills. Ryan Reynolds is not playing Deadpool in this one, although he might as well be doing so based on the number of times he is hit by cars and other solid objects. The result is that although it has the trappings of a Bond or a Bourne - exotic locations (here, mostly Italian ones) ; exotic woman; car chases; heavily-armed henchmen; huge explosions - it delivers none of the tension or excitement. When matched with some rather dodgy post-shoot special effects, the effect is generally underwhelming.
- If there was an award for the clumsiest movie title of 2021, we may already have a winner.
Summary Thoughts on "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard": Sequels are very occasionally better. Often they are much worse. This one, I have to say, delivers very much "more of the same". Given that the writer/director team of Tom O'Connor and Patrick Hughes are in the driving seat, that's not much of a surprise. The shtick is mildly diverting, occasionally downright funny, but quickly outstays its welcome. The 100 minute run time felt, for me, much longer.
Looking back at my 2017 review of the first film, I think I was being over-kind giving it 6/10. I think this is neither better nor worse. So if you want to average the two and give each 5/10, I wouldn't object! But, again, it's one I will struggle to remember much about in a few month's time.
(For the full graphical review, please check out the One Mann's Movies review here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/06/22/the-hitmans-wifes-bodyguard-a-movie-thats-a-pain-in-the-a-double-dollar-sign/. Thanks).
Sarah (7798 KP) rated R.I.P.D. (2013) in Movies
Oct 24, 2018
So bad it’s actually vaguely enjoyable
I remember watching this when it first came out at the cinema and I wasn’t particularly impressed, however on watching it again recently I can admit that this is definitely one of those films that’s so bad it’s actually quite entertaining. Mostly due to Jeff Bridges.
Let’s start with this obvious: I know this is based on a comic, but this is such a blatant rip off of Men in Black, it’s just a shame it comes off as a much poorer relation. Everything about this from the plot progression to the deados just echoes MIB, and that’s high expectations to live up to.
The main humour from this film comes from how the characters look normally versus how they appear in the real world, which admittedly is pretty hilarious but this is the only decent attempt at humour. The plot is completely dull and the Kevin Bacon as the villain is uninteresting too. The special effects are surprisingly good in parts, but then ruined by the downright terrible effects used on the deados. The true saviours of this film are Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds. The relationship and communication between their characters is the most entertaining thing about this film and Jeff Bridges is in fine form hamming it up to the max as Roy. He may be going a little over the top, but it’s damn funny to watch. Just a shame they couldn’t have put more effort into the rest of the story.
Let’s start with this obvious: I know this is based on a comic, but this is such a blatant rip off of Men in Black, it’s just a shame it comes off as a much poorer relation. Everything about this from the plot progression to the deados just echoes MIB, and that’s high expectations to live up to.
The main humour from this film comes from how the characters look normally versus how they appear in the real world, which admittedly is pretty hilarious but this is the only decent attempt at humour. The plot is completely dull and the Kevin Bacon as the villain is uninteresting too. The special effects are surprisingly good in parts, but then ruined by the downright terrible effects used on the deados. The true saviours of this film are Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds. The relationship and communication between their characters is the most entertaining thing about this film and Jeff Bridges is in fine form hamming it up to the max as Roy. He may be going a little over the top, but it’s damn funny to watch. Just a shame they couldn’t have put more effort into the rest of the story.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) in Movies
Dec 16, 2020
Kind of shit, but a total blast where it counts. I have so many grievances, firstly - did this honestly have to take the form of one of those trite, throwaway kids' films from the 90s/2000s where some obnoxious animal/alien has to team up with a bland cardboard cutout fuck and they learn to love alone the way? Gag, I feel deep shame that my peer group has such devout nostalgia for such a bastardized, lazy corporate gash-grab of a film era - which is of course is only exacerbated more so here by Fowler shooting this thing about as blandly as can be. Not to mention Marden absolutely sucks in it doing - what I can only assume is - some sort of scuffed, bored Ryan Reynolds impersonation. But it's easy to forgive a film that gives such ample time to Jim Carrey (in like his... third or fourth "return to form" now?) giving the single greatest performance of 2020 in a loving homage to the OG elastic, hyperactive roles of which he built his career upon. The action is fair, and for all its deafening faults the final showdown between Sonic and Eggman is exhilarating (even if I find Ben Schwartz's Sonic voice to be mostly a non-presence). Cute and fun enough to suffice - frequently hilarious too - but not really the resuscitator of video game movies when we got the sumptuous and similarly nonsensical 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 just over three years before it. Truthfully I think this would have been better if they kept that monstrous abomination Sonic from the first trailer.
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Once Upon A Deadpool (Deadpool 2 PG-13 Version) (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Taking what was old making it new again as long been criticism that is been levied against Hollywood. With abundance equals flooding the theaters as well as reboots; people often cynically ask if Hollywood has run out of new ideas. The latest film to fall under these criteria would be “Once Upon A Deadpool” where audiences are presented with a sanitized version of “Deadpool 2” accompanied by approximately 11 min. worth of new footage at the beginning and spread throughout.
The PG-13 take on what was definitely a very “R” rated film is been met with skeptics who see this as a sign of the pending Disney acquisition of Fox to test the waters to see if audiences will accept a more subdued take on the hero us paving the way for future adventures to be the more box office friendly “PG-13″.
The film cleverly opens with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), having kidnapped or as he likes to refer to it” involuntary relocation assistance”; Fred Savage as he attempts to re-create the opening of “The Princess Bride” and reads to him a family-friendlier version of “Deadpool 2”.
The film plays out as it did earlier this summer safe for much of the language being removed and use of pixels and cutaways to remove objectionable or an adult content to preserve the “PG-13” rating. What makes it enjoyable are the new seems where Reynolds and Savage exchange banter and debate topics ranging from Nickelback to the pending Disney acquisition of Fox.
I found myself looking forward to the next cutaway to hear what comments would be coming next including a very clever discussion of possible outcomes of Deadpool’s regenerative properties; and how they were not explored in the film due to “lazy writing”.
For me it was mostly a mixed bag as I enjoyed seeing the new footage as any new Deadpool content is always a treat and Reynolds seem to be having a great time returning to the character in an abbreviated fashion.
While the film basically played out as before; I found a sanitized version to not be as appealing simply because one of the joys of the character and the series is not knowing what will come next. How far will a joke be taken, how much Gore is going to be used for comedic effect, what invented a new profanity is going to spew from Deadpool? Much of this is been taken away to what I believe is a detriment to the franchise. One of the joys about the films is that the wise comments come at the audience and a rapid-fire approach. This makes you want to see the film again in order to catch what you witnessed previously. It felt like I was being deprived of this opportunity because while in many ways it was the same film, much of the adage that made the film stand out has been subdued.
While it is great that younger audiences will have an opportunity to experience the character; those of us who’ve seen him and his full uncensored glory will undoubtedly feel that this is a direction that should not be pursued for the future and that audiences want and deserve a fully uncensored Deadpool.
However for a little bit of family fun and a cute new laughs; “Once Upon A Deadpool”, is a pleasant enough distraction.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/12/once-upon-a-deadpool/
The PG-13 take on what was definitely a very “R” rated film is been met with skeptics who see this as a sign of the pending Disney acquisition of Fox to test the waters to see if audiences will accept a more subdued take on the hero us paving the way for future adventures to be the more box office friendly “PG-13″.
The film cleverly opens with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), having kidnapped or as he likes to refer to it” involuntary relocation assistance”; Fred Savage as he attempts to re-create the opening of “The Princess Bride” and reads to him a family-friendlier version of “Deadpool 2”.
The film plays out as it did earlier this summer safe for much of the language being removed and use of pixels and cutaways to remove objectionable or an adult content to preserve the “PG-13” rating. What makes it enjoyable are the new seems where Reynolds and Savage exchange banter and debate topics ranging from Nickelback to the pending Disney acquisition of Fox.
I found myself looking forward to the next cutaway to hear what comments would be coming next including a very clever discussion of possible outcomes of Deadpool’s regenerative properties; and how they were not explored in the film due to “lazy writing”.
For me it was mostly a mixed bag as I enjoyed seeing the new footage as any new Deadpool content is always a treat and Reynolds seem to be having a great time returning to the character in an abbreviated fashion.
While the film basically played out as before; I found a sanitized version to not be as appealing simply because one of the joys of the character and the series is not knowing what will come next. How far will a joke be taken, how much Gore is going to be used for comedic effect, what invented a new profanity is going to spew from Deadpool? Much of this is been taken away to what I believe is a detriment to the franchise. One of the joys about the films is that the wise comments come at the audience and a rapid-fire approach. This makes you want to see the film again in order to catch what you witnessed previously. It felt like I was being deprived of this opportunity because while in many ways it was the same film, much of the adage that made the film stand out has been subdued.
While it is great that younger audiences will have an opportunity to experience the character; those of us who’ve seen him and his full uncensored glory will undoubtedly feel that this is a direction that should not be pursued for the future and that audiences want and deserve a fully uncensored Deadpool.
However for a little bit of family fun and a cute new laughs; “Once Upon A Deadpool”, is a pleasant enough distraction.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/12/once-upon-a-deadpool/