Lost Continent:
AKA the one where Caesar Romero climbs rocks for 20 minutes of the movie. One of the worst and most boring movie I've ever seen in my life.

2/10

 

So.....what was at the top? Lol

 

Tomb Raider (2018)
7.5
First time I’ve seen this one. It was good. I liked it, but I think I still enjoy the 1st Angelina Jolie one more. More fun. This one is still good though, with lots of great moments and action bits.
Her dad in the movie looked like he was supposed to be a tribute to James Mason in Journey to the Center of the Earth. I kept getting that vibe.

Anyway- fun ride. Still like the original more.

 

That movie is incredibly underrated. I skipped it when it was in theaters and passed on home video for a long time, based largely on the vitriol of the universally negative reviews of its day. But it turned out to be a very fun movie, and I agree Davis was robbed. She was maybe a decade ahead of her time when this came out.

 

Pacific Rim - 8.5/10

Got a craving to rewatch Pacific Rim. I was obsessed with this movie back when I first saw it as a teenager, and I still freaking love it. When I say I want more original ideas not based on existing properties, this is the sort of thing I'm asking for. Sure, it takes inspiration from a lot of things, but the characters and world are all original and come straight from the imagination of the filmmaker. We need more stuff like this. Especially fun pulpy adventure movies that emphasize worldbuilding.

Pacific Rim is a gorgeous movie. The visuals still floor me. More so as an adult, actually. And not just the effects on the robots and monsters. Even shots of two people talking are pretty to look at. The lighting and depth-of-field are stellar. The shots feel like they have a lot of depth. The sets are detailed and immersive. And the action choreography and digital stunts are great too. There's a momentum and pacing to the action that makes it really intense and engaging. It could easily become excessive and numbing (like some of Bay's action...or even some superhero movies), but they keep the action very grounded and make each punch feel important.

While the story isn't anything too complex or new, it fits the movie perfectly. I really like that the story takes place at the end of this war...it's not an origin story about the monsters invading and humans learning how to stop them. All that typical expected stuff is summed up in a tasteful flashback, and the present story is much more engaging and dire. That allows for more interesting worldbuilding, since the world is already set up. More movies really need to take this approach...jumping into an already set up world instead of telling an origin story. This is also what made Star Wars great.

But the movie isn't flawless by any means. My main problem is that the supporting characters are far more entertaining than the leads. I love Pentecost, Newt, Gottlieb, Hannibal Chou, and even the Australian pilots. But Raleigh is sort of bland. Not awful (or even bad) by any means, but he doesn't really click as much as he should. Mako is definitely the better of the two, but I still wish she had a bit more oomph. It's weird that all the supporting characters are so instantly memorable and lovable, and the leads are sort of average. With fantastic standout leads, I think this movie would be stellar. But as it is, I don't think they rise above serviceable, and I think the movie is held back because of it.

Overall, I think the movie is great. It's a fun pulpy adventure movie that knows what it is and avoids a lot of typical traps that these sort of blockbusters fall into. While it doesn't rise quite as high as it could have, I really applaud Del Toro and these filmmakers for giving us something super creative and different....which I argue mostly succeeds.

 

I need to rewatch Pacific Rim. I love that movie.

 

Finished knives out and I think the direction is great, the performances are wonderful, and the pace is mostly good and the movie is a completely enjoyable, highly recommended.

 

You were a teen when this came out? Well this makes me feel older than I usually feel.

I went to this film in theaters three times. Twice in 3D. The depth they used in certain scenes worked really, really well. It might be one of the better I've ever seen for its use of 3D. Those ocean scenes late in the film have fish all over the 3D space and it just feels so incredibly immersive.

While Charlie Hunan's character was a little bland, the thing I love about the film aside from it being the ultimate live-action kaiju, big mech anime love letter, was that the ensemble cast was far greater than the sum of its parts. Raleigh introduced us to this world, and then the rest of the cast get most of the spotlight. Which is such an anime thing to do.

I still remember going opening night and just being completely overwhelmed with that initial launch sequence as the head dropped into place and the music swelled. It was such a breath of fresh air to see a giant robot film that treated the audience with so much respect and the subject matter with so much reverence.

It was such a shame that Del Torro couldn't do the second one too. I mean, I enjoy the second film as well, but it's missing some of the magic of the first film and feels much more cookie cutter. Which is odd as the first film was literally just playing on the tropes of the genres it pulled from. But the second one literally just stole the same story we've seen a thousand times from Hollywood and then slammed it into Pacific Rim's universe. The characters in the second don't really pull you in and they ultimately end up feeling more hollow and less real for it.

Such a shame. That universe had so much potential in film form.

Has anyone heard if the Netflix cartoon ever got produced? It was supposed to come out this year, but I know a ton of things got shelved when the year turned out to be what we got.

 

From Paris With Love 2010

9.5/10

 

I was an older teen, I was about 17. I was kind of shocked when I realized Pacific Rim came out seven years ago. In some ways it feels more recent than that to me. But at the same time it feels sort of distant. I've been through 6 years of college since then, so it sort of feels like a different era. It's a weird feeling.

Sadly I never saw Pacific Rim in theaters, I saw it when it hit DVD. I would love the chance to see it in theaters, if they ever bring it back. I enjoyed the sequel quite a bit, although I haven't seen it since its original release. I'm actually going to watch it tonight, because I want to see how the sequel will age for me, especially directly after revisiting the first film.

I actually looked up the Netflix cartoon the other day. I couldn't find anything recent on it. I'm assuming it's been pushed back to next year (possibility because of the virus)...but streaming shows aren't always marketed until soon before they're released. They might still be able to get it out by the end of the year. I guess we'll see.

 

Pacific Rim: Supermassive Robot Attack - 7/10

I'm really mixed on this movie. When it came out, I loved it. At one point I think I even said it was better than the first film. But after a couple years...and having rewatched it directly after the first film...I must say it's not nearly as good as I remember. But I also don't think it's nearly as awful as some people make it out to be.

As for positives, I feel like it has great aspects. I actually like the protagonists. I think Jake and Amara are more interesting and memorable than Raleigh and Mako. They're not prefect, but I feel like they have more presence. As with the first film, I feel like Newt and Gottlieb steal the show. And although it's controversial, I like the twist with "evil Newt". It's cheesy as heck and so much fun. Especially his commentary during the end battle. I think this movie could have used more goofiness like that.

Another positive is that I feel like the action is quite cool. Sure, it's not as tasteful or engaging as the action in the first film...but it's a different style of cool, and I enjoy watching it. Thankfully it still avoids being obnoxious and numbing. I like how there are more holographic displays to connect the interiors of the Jaegers to the surroundings (like missiles flying by and whatnot)...that feels like a nice progression of the first film's technology. I actually like that this movie is trying to be something different. It feels like half direct sequel, half "world of Pacific Rim" spinoff. It does good at the latter...but doesn't entirely succeed at the former.

My main complaint is that this movie lacked the atmosphere of the first. Not that it needs to have the exact same atmosphere, but it just feels super generic. Everything is overlit and bland-looking. All the gorgeous lighting and detailed sets are gone. The robots don't look as distinct and cultural as the robots in the first movie did. It wouldn't be as big of a problem is this were a standalone movie....but it's following up an extremely gorgeous and stylistic movie.

I was sort of bored rewatching Pacific Rim: Uprising. Which is weird, because I recall it being super fast-moving and engaging when I saw it in theaters. I guess it's a movie that benefits from being seen on the big screen. The action scenes and plot developments are fun, but some of the interpersonal talking scenes are kind of slow. Not awful, but there's some bad dialog and lame humor. While I like the leads, sometimes their bickering can be a bit much. The conflicts the characters experience aren't terribly engaging. And the supporting cast (aside from Newt and Gottlieb) are bland...there's no one like Hannibal Chau here. Even the other pilots/cadets are boring.

Overall I would say I like the movie, but I don't love it. With some tweaking, I think it could have been a lot better. But as it is...it's a fine B movie. It's okay, but on the better side of okay. It still gets a thumbs up from me...just not as enthusiastically as when I first saw it. I would actually like to see this director (Steven DeKnight) do a Transformers movie (maybe the next big ensemble). I think this less-grounded style of action would really suit a Transformers movie...he knows how long the action should go for, and he likes giving the robots cool gadgets and weapons and whatnot. It would be a load of fun. Maybe just give him a stronger script.

 

Tomb Raider (2001)
8/10
So after watching the reboot, had to rewatch the original. It’s cheesier, heavy on the supernatural, whereas the reboot was grounded in reality as much as possible, but you know- I still love the original more. It’s just more fun. We started the movie late & I didn’t especially want to end at midnight, but it just sucks you in & then it keeps moving at a fast pace & next thing you know, those credits are rolling!

Very quotable, very cinematic & just good fun.

 

I just watched this animated movie from 1986. You guys may have heard of it, may not have. It’s called “The Transformers: The Movie”. It’s about these alien robots who can physically alter their forms to turn into cars and stuff. If you haven’t seen it and want a silly scifi action flick with a ton of hair metal arena rock music, you should check it out.

8/10

Amazing music, bizarre plot, great cast, and a surprisingly shocking opening act that I won’t spoil for those interested.

 

Garfield (2004)- 10/10 it’s a cinematic masterpiece

Garfield and the tale of two kitties (2008)- 10/10 another cinematic masterpiece

 

The End of Watch - 6/10

I would've given it an 8/10 but the ending ruined the movie for me.

 

King Kong Lives - 4/10

 

The Legend of Zelda the Sage of Darkness (fanfilm) - 2020 9.5/10

This one surprised me. It's very classic Zelda which is nice, but it tells the story in a new refreshing way. Link was perfectly cast. The final battle was really good. The post credits scene confused me though.

 

Small Soldiers. Even for the 90s this was a weird film. It’s too kiddy to be a “proper” mature adult film and it’s also too mature (not to mention kinda creepy) to be a kiddy movie like Toy Story (which this film is kinda similar to in premise). It periodically shifts between being a cliched teen flick and a sci-fi action film. Still enjoyed it. For one thing, the effects are still pretty great 20 years on. 6/10

Mitt. A Netflix documentary about Mitt Romney's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. The entire thing (a bunch of home videos of the Romneys chatting and praying, some taped campaign rallies, primary Republican debates and the 2012 presidential debates, that's actually it) seemed kinda vacuous and sloppy, regardless of what you thought about the guy politically. I found myself skipping minutes many times. At least have him sit down for a one on one interview for once. 3/10

 

The thing I remember most about that movie was Tommy Lee Jones as Chip Hazard. It was a fuckin' weird movie.

 

Critters Attack - 2/10
Wow this was bad. I like the other critters films, but this was awful. It just felt off. It like a lot of other recent DTV films is shot in South Africa. Yet this seems like it is supposed to be the US. Stuff just feels weird. Basic plot is 19-20 year old girl wants to get into fancy local college because her dead mom went there. She works at a strip mall sushi place. While delivering to the campus, a former friend sets her up with a job with someone on the admissions board. But it is baby sitting her two kids. Her brother tags along. Meanwhile a Critters spaceship lands in the nearby park a day before. Two actually. The girl takes the the group to the park and the discover a female Crite. It is white and more cutesy. It is very off putting. Seeing it injured the girl being baby sat wants to take it to be fixed by the park rangers. The rest of the film is them running from evil critters. Dee Wallace from the first film returns as a T2 Linda Hamilton anti Critter bounty hunter.

there is so much weird stuff. The critters now explode when subject to high pitched sounds for a few seconds. The kids ages are off. The brother i think is said to be twelve, but is clearly 14-15 at least. The little girl is at least 13 and younger boy is about 12, yet commented as 9. The critters all look way off.

Creed 2 - 8.5/10
Creed version of Rocky 4. Drago is back. Overall pretty good film.

Tremors 3 - 7/10
A good entry in the series. Lots of fun. CGI looks bad, but it is 20 years old and DTV quality, so i give it a pass.

Shocker - 6.5/10
Ok horror film from Wes Craven. Wants to be the next NoeS, but fails.