Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Black Panther

Honestly didn't like it, had huge expectations due to the reviews but it all fell flat for me. Sort of liked the villain though.

Worst part about it was the attempts at bantz between Black Panther and his techie sister, so unfunny it hurt watching it.

5/10
 
American Assassin

By the numbers action thriller, most of the plot you could see coming a mile off. Action sequences were decent enough though. And Michael Keaton is good value in anything he is in.

6/10
 
noodlehair said:
Ready Player One

There is now a type of person out there, who has genuinely come to believe that being good at computer games/the internet, makes them some kind of genius, who is superior to other human beings. Grown adults, living in their mum's attic/spare room, offering nothing of actual value to society whatsoever, lording their superiority over you with irrelevant cult film references, and ability to shoot you in the face in some computer game you haven't dedicated 5,000 hours of your life to.

This film is a 2 hour attempt to ram this pretence down your throat in a vaguely entertaining and yet somehow almost constantly insulting way. Encouraging real life super nerds to carry on not sorting their lives out by giving them the perception of being cool. Creating a fictional scenario where being good at computer games makes you relevant in the real world, which is so farfetched it is a completely pointless exercise, and also at no point actually explains why anything that's happening, IS relevant in the real world. It just for some reason is.

The film's attempts to portray the characters as uber smart nerds with Einstein level thinking power, falls down on such instances as expecting you to believe than none of them, for a period of years, could figure out to try going round a computerised racing track backwards. Even though if you play literally any racing game online, there is ALWAYS some prick doing this for no other reason than to be annoying.

Added to this, a sub plot of trying to tell you about people's inner beauty, by having the main character fall in love with a girl, who he only knows from her internet persona, then not caring when the real life version of her, instead of being good looking, is...erm, good looking, but with a cool looking mark on her face, or something. So basically the message is "It's your inner beauty that matters, as long as you're not ugly"

A generous 4/10 - Reminded me of when I played Destiny on the PS4...could have been fun. Instead it's just an annoying experience of realising you've become too much of a grown up to understand what on earth is going on.
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Not read the book noods? Absolutely shits on the film, as books tend to do.
 
Black Panther - I don't even know where to start.. I really wanted to like it but it was just absolute garbage, like most Marvel films. Only good ones so far were Deadpool and Thor Ragnarok. At one point I thought I was watching one of those shit star war films. Don't bother with this crap. 3/10
 
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition (2016)

Available on Amazon Prime Movies and coming in at an exhausting 3 hours+, we get an additional 30 mins to the Theatrical Release. After recently watching Avengers: Infinity War, I needed some point of reference to assess which franchise was holding up better, even though DC have come very late to the party.

I will say that BvS is visually superior and possibly only rivalled by Thor: Ragnarok and Deadpool from the Marvel stables. It was also definitely better on second viewing. I prefer the darker overtones and the absence of the cheesy jokes which ruin most of the Marvel films, though Eisenberg's portrayal of Luthor is a bit of a disappointment and a right turn off. My only other major criticism is that I will never accept Batman as a proper superhero when in the company of other-worldlies like Superman, Wonder Woman and Doomsday. He really should stick to antagonists of his ilk like Bane, Joker, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn etc.

Dovetailing neatly with the ending of Man of Steel, BvS continues with the introduction of Batman...not too impressed with the new guy and the destruction he caused during his battle with General Zod. With the additional footage, the films feels more like a complete story but it does mean you have to wait a long time for things to get going, with the actual smackdown starting at the 2-hour mark. Yes, the first part does drag a bit but builds up nicely to the climax. Still a ridiculous plot with tons of plot holes and a crappy CGI'd Doomsday but at least the violence is more satisfying.

Introducing Wonder Woman into the mix adds to the dynamic of the final conflict and makes for better viewing and although,as I said, I enjoyed this film second time around, it still fails to deliver that knock out punch at the end. Surprisingly, this is a big step down from Man of Steel, which is infinitely better. I think this would have been great if Snyder employed the cinematographic style of his 300 and Sucker Punch films to really give it that comic book feel. It's also just a shame that Thanos is wasted in the Marvel/Avengers franchise as he would have made more of a worthy adversary in the DC Universe, but hopefully Steppenwolf will 'step' up to the plate! (see, what I did there?).

Obviously the cuts were necessary to make the film more palatable to the movie going public but their inclusion is welcomed here.

I'm giving this a 7/10.
 
Vato said:
Black Panther - I don't even know where to start.. I really wanted to like it but it was just absolute garbage, like most Marvel films. Only good ones so far were Deadpool and Thor Ragnarok. At one point I thought I was watching one of those shit star war films. Don't bother with this crap. 3/10
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You're a bit late with this advice seeing as you're about the last person on earth to watch it.
 
Dirty Schwein said:
Prince Of Darkness
A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world. Decent work by John Carpenter. The setup was far better than the resolution but overall, the journey was fun… or maybe I liked it because of the shower of shit I watched before it 7/10
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That was a really surprising flick. One of the most rigorously scientific fiction horror films I've watched.Plus the typical Carpenter elements such as head realignments , that we all know and love.
 
Watched Black Panther, thought it was pretty good. The set and costumes are enjoyable, the story is quite interesting? or it at least has elements that might have made for a slightly more complex superhero movie than usual, if they were given space to develop. For all the good ingredients though it's still clearly a product of Marvel's McDonald's approach to moviemaking; Shoddy CGI, lacklustre action choreography, poorly judged tonal shifts and Office Tim.

There are some interesting political things bubbling beneath the surface, regarding interventionism, the legacy of colonialism, sovereign rule and the Leviathan. None of which is properly explored and none of it holds together in the giant fudge. After all you still have to sell it with a giant popcorn-coke combo and the characters are ultimately there to serve Iron-fascist's Avengers in the overall McDonald's Universe.

I felt like it got itself in a real muddle when Wakanda seemed to be highlighted for it's lack of action and perhaps complicity during the colonial years, and the way in which the bulk of the responsibility now must fall on a black African state to help rebuild what was robbed and raped by Western powers. Very much a Kanye Kim-Kardashian observation.

So yeah Black Panther is good, it's nice and refreshing to see an action movie with so many non-white faces and Marvel is still shit. Byee.
 
The Firestarter said:
That was a really surprising flick. One of the most rigorously scientific fiction horror films I've watched.Plus the typical Carpenter elements such as head realignments , that we all know and love.
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It has the usual Carpenterisms, like claustrophobia, but I remember being underwhelmed that nothing really seemed to happen.
Nice Alice Cooper cameo though.
 
Brighton Rock (2010)

British Crime thriller, Charting the headlong fall of Pinkie, a razor-wielding disadvantaged teenager with a religious death wish.
It was OK , nothing special.
Helen Mirren was good , the rest pretty average.

5/10
 
Mockney said:
I never got the wankfest over Drive. It’s a good film, but it’s no masterpiece. And if, like me, you find the ubiquitous creepy staring and endless dramatic pauses more amusingly naff than artistically evocative, the whole thing kinda loses its punch.

Plus his “I’ll only give you 5 minutes” rule is a hugely impractical and needless handicap for a professional getaway driver.

But I suppose some 80s synth and a neat retro jacket = high art to this nostalgia junkie generation, so, whatever I guess.
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I utterly hated it.
 
Downrange.

Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends become targets for an enigmatic sniper.
I did not hate it, it had a good amount of blood and guts flying around.
The acting was OK , what there was of it.
The ending was just daft and pretty much saw it coming.

5/10
 
For years, every time I've trawled past Ry Cooder's name in record stores I've been hoping this would pop up and last weekend it finally did...It's even got Harry Dean Stanton's monologue on it. :drool:

KbpA8YF.jpg
 
Coco - The best Pixar, don't @ me.
 
Sudden Death
A former fireman takes on a group of terrorists holding the Vice President and others hostage during the seventh game of the NHL Stanley Cup finals. Fun 90s action if you're into that sort of thing. Don't think it has aged too well and you'll probably not like it if you are watching for the first time in this day and age 5/10

Game Night
A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery. Really enjoyed this. The comedy was good and so was the mystery elements in the film. Plus, really enjoyed watching these actors play off of each other, felt very natural. Meth Damon was also on point in this movie! Just a pleasant watch to be honest, especially if you just want to relax and watch something that's not too serious but a whole load of fun. Plus, Rachel McAdams is so hot 8/10

You Were Never Really Here
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. I loved the subject matter, the way the film was shot and most of the gritty location and feel of the movie. Was very raw and visceral. However, it was really slow and hard to follow because every character, especially Joaquin Phoenix, just mumbled their dialogue so I had to constantly rewind to hear what's going on. That made this 90 minute movie nearly two hours long. Plus, it has that padding bullshit of people waiting 10 seconds before and after each line of dialogue 4/10

Time Trap
A group of students become trapped inside a mysterious cave where they discover time passes differently underground than on the surface. Really enjoyed this low budget sci-fi adventure. Was really invested in the story and the mystery. Main issues were the title of the film that gives away what's going on far too early, when it would have been more engaging figuring things out with the characters. The ending was also a bit silly 7/10
 
A Quite Place

Was really looking forward to this after reading the review and I think it did somewhat live up to the hype. It's a interesting premise, a short intense film with barely any spoken words. It's quiet an experience more than a story - could hear a pin drop in the cinema. (although some poor sod was rustling a bag of popcorn at the start before realising it probably wasn't the best place!)

It doesn't waste time going into how they got into this situation, what happened etc. it's not about the "world" they are in and how to save it, just purely one families struggle to survive. The Daughter being deaf is key to why they have lasted as long as they have - already knowing sign language and stuff and it's enough explanation for me.

It's a very well directed film. Worth a watch.

7.5/10
 
I've watched a lot of French films in recent weeks.

Du côté d'Orouët - A thumping delight, almost as if Rivette in his usual improvisational fashion were to have made a breezy Rohmer film. Perfect vacation film.

Femmes femmes - Like a French, female version of Withnail & I where they never went on vacation plus some added musical numbers. Pasolini was so impressed that he ended up casting the two actresses in Salo, kinda wanna rewatch it now just to get a glimpse of them.

Muriel, or the Time of no Return - A nice puzzle to piece together, looking forward to watching it again at some point. Delphine Seyrig just lovely as always.

That Most Important Thing: Love - First Andrzej Zulawski film I've thoroughly liked, I've been wanting to get into his films due to their visual splendour but the hysterical acting has always killed it for me. This was a fairly low-key one by his standards. Georges Delure and Romy Schneider brought a lot to the table.
 
Dirty Schwein said:
You Were Never Really Here
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. I loved the subject matter, the way the film was shot and most of the gritty location and feel of the movie. Was very raw and visceral. However, it was really slow and hard to follow because every character, especially Joaquin Phoenix, just mumbled their dialogue so I had to constantly rewind to hear what's going on. That made this 90 minute movie nearly two hours long. Plus, it has that padding bullshit of people waiting 10 seconds before and after each line of dialogue 4/10
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Yeah I was really disappointed with this. It was just so...forgettable.
 
SteveTheRed said:
A Quite Place

Was really looking forward to this after reading the review and I think it did somewhat live up to the hype. It's a interesting premise, a short intense film with barely any spoken words. It's quiet an experience more than a story - could hear a pin drop in the cinema. (although some poor sod was rustling a bag of popcorn at the start before realising it probably wasn't the best place!)

It doesn't waste time going into how they got into this situation, what happened etc. it's not about the "world" they are in and how to save it, just purely one families struggle to survive. The Daughter being deaf is key to why they have lasted as long as they have - already knowing sign language and stuff and it's enough explanation for me.

It's a very well directed film. Worth a watch.

7.5/10
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Was this on purpose? :mad:
 
SteveTheRed said:
A Quite Place

Was really looking forward to this after reading the review and I think it did somewhat live up to the hype. It's a interesting premise, a short intense film with barely any spoken words. It's quiet an experience more than a story - could hear a pin drop in the cinema. (although some poor sod was rustling a bag of popcorn at the start before realising it probably wasn't the best place!)

It doesn't waste time going into how they got into this situation, what happened etc. it's not about the "world" they are in and how to save it, just purely one families struggle to survive. The Daughter being deaf is key to why they have lasted as long as they have - already knowing sign language and stuff and it's enough explanation for me.

It's a very well directed film. Worth a watch.

7.5/10
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I enjoyed it too. Parenthood eh?
 
Dirty Schwein said:
You Were Never Really Here
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. I loved the subject matter, the way the film was shot and most of the gritty location and feel of the movie. Was very raw and visceral. However, it was really slow and hard to follow because every character, especially Joaquin Phoenix, just mumbled their dialogue so I had to constantly rewind to hear what's going on. That made this 90 minute movie nearly two hours long. Plus, it has that padding bullshit of people waiting 10 seconds before and after each line of dialogue 4/10
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Didn't like it one bit. Guy always talked about how brutal he could become, but they never showed anything significant. Watching him hammer some paedos would atleast have been mildly satisfying. The movie as a whole was certainly not.
 
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)

That was surprisingly...boring. I expected a haunting mystery but the movie never truely managed to grip me in any way.
 
R.N7 said:
For years, every time I've trawled past Ry Cooder's name in record stores I've been hoping this would pop up and last weekend it finally did...It's even got Harry Dean Stanton's monologue on it. :drool:

KbpA8YF.jpg
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He did the theme to Southern Comfort which is a great little film.
 
The Great Beauty

Not sure whether it was meant to be a tourist advert for Rome or something that'd make you never want to go. Beautifully shot but a lot on the decadence of modern life etc. A lot of influence from Fellini. Most of the characters are kinda pretentious, but then there's a definite suggestion that they're meant to be perceived in that way. Liked it.

Persona

Bit lost at certain parts but wonderfully made psychological thriller.
 
Rampage (2018)

A typical Dwayne Johnson entertainer. Lots of giant animals, actions and some pretty cool CGI fight sequences which kinda papers over the thin story and loose plot. Jeffrey Dean Morgan has a nice cameo. Nothing to critically acclaim, but an 100% popcorn entertainer.

I'll probably watch it again in a couple of weeks.

6/10
 
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
Make America Bait Again

As a hardcore fan of the Sharknado series, I'm to blame for missing the sequel for this long. Finally caught up to it and it's as mind numbing as ever. Lots of cliched dialogues and a plot that would make a amoeba dizzy! The movies pokes a stick at many other franchises like Iron Man, Indiana Jones etc. If you've seen any of the previous movies, you can expect the same.

Just heard Sharknado 6 is coming out in July and has time travel and Nazis. Can't wait for it. Go Sharknado!

* / 10 as it's too good to fit into any conventional rating. ;)
 
Dirty Schwein said:
You Were Never Really Here
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. I loved the subject matter, the way the film was shot and most of the gritty location and feel of the movie. Was very raw and visceral. However, it was really slow and hard to follow because every character, especially Joaquin Phoenix, just mumbled their dialogue so I had to constantly rewind to hear what's going on. That made this 90 minute movie nearly two hours long. Plus, it has that padding bullshit of people waiting 10 seconds before and after each line of dialogue 4/10
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CassiusClaymore said:
Yeah I was really disappointed with this. It was just so...forgettable.
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Did you watch this on a big or small screen? I watched it in the cinema and reckon that you need that immersement/pumped up sound system to get the most out of it. I reckon I would have been fairly bored/distracted if I watched it on my tv but I thoroughly enjoyed it in the cinema.
 
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