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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated X2: X-Men United (2003) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 20, 2019)

X2: X-Men United (2003)

2003 | Action, Sci-Fi

7.7

(38 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

A strong follow up

X-Men 2 builds upon the first in pretty much every way possible - were introduced to new characters (Brian Cox as William Stryker being a stand out here) and some really thrilling set pieces.

Notable amongst them - the opening scene of Nightcrawler attacking The White House (set to Mozart's Requiem in D Minor) is honestly one of my top scenes in a comic book film ever.
The scene where the mansion is attacked at night - we see Wolverine a lot more feral here than in the first film, and we're introduced to Colossus.
And the almost everything on Alkali Lake - the glimpses into the Weapon X project, the hints at Dark Phoenix - are all comic book ticks (until they were a bit shat on in future sequels)

There are still faults - the biggest one here for me is Lady Deathstroke - second X-Men movie in a row that backbenches a classic Wolverine villain in favour of a fairly useless mute version.

I remember and appreciate X-Men 2 for what it was at the time - a movie for a young franchise brimming with future possibilities. It still stands strong as far as Marvel adaptions go.

Kudos

Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies

Jul 16, 2019

Snowpiercer (2013)

2013 | Sci-Fi

7.9

(59 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Overall everything (1 more)

Chris Evans, John Hurt, and an ensamble cast from all over the world

Length.... Most films get hurt by length, and this is one of them (0 more)

International Star Fest

Not knowing what to classify this movie as has been difficult. It has many aspects and genres attached to it. From horror to action to drama and nail biting thrills, Snowpiercer is an absolute ride that takes its viewer on a twisted and winded road through ice caps and snow drifts, culminating with a catastrophic turn of events that left me wondering what the fuck could happen next.
I recognized a few of the foreign to me actors. Seeing Tilda Swinton in an almost comedic role was awesome. Chris Evans left no inclination that he had ever played the wholesome Captain America with this part. Admiting to canibalism, while shedding tears of regret and shame, a truly awesome performance.
This film keeps it coming through its length, but there were moments of boredom about half way through, hence the 9 rating.
If you're looking for something thrilling to kill an afternoon with, I highly recommend Snowpiercer.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated Midway (2019) in Movies

Nov 12, 2019

Midway (2019)

2019 | Action, Drama, History

6.8

(17 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Wallowing historical re-enactment is technically an independent movie but certainly feels like a by-the-numbers Hollywood war film. On one level this is a decent attempt at a more even-handed re-telling of the first part of the war in the Pacific, including events like the raid on Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle attack on Tokyo, and the battle of the Coral Sea before moving on to the battle of Midway itself. However, this just results in a bloated narrative which struggles to stay focused and often feels repetitive.

Much money has obviously been spent on special effects, but the film is too often becalmed in the nautical equivalent of the uncanny valley. Too much of it takes place at the pitch of a single note of macho, stoic patriotism. There are some good performances amongst the cast, but Ed Skrein's lead character is difficult to warm up to. It's never actually dull to watch, but neither is it especially thrilling or moving. In the end it passes the time, but I can think of other Emmerich movies which are less respectable but much more fun.