Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[Ricky]

I didn't think it was choppy but I did think the middle dragged at times. The first half is easily a journey/"road trip" movie, which I generally dislike, so that structure didn't really do it for me. I really loved Bad Ape, though. And Nova. And Maurice's more involved role. Actually, I liked pretty much all the new characters. War did the smart thing that most trilogy-enders don't in that it only added a few new characters.

Thought on the next (if there is a next) film:

Spoiler:

I think we need to be done with human antagonists by now. I think I'd like to see a time jump where the apes are keeping humans prisoners, which divides the apes (some approve, some don't, and the two factions can be at war with each other).

[fernandito]

Yeah, it gets a 7 from me as well. The structure of the film didn't work for me in some areas - the middle-third seemed to drag on at times - but the first and last acts definitely made up for it.

What soured me the most was that this film didn't really have anything new to say, which is a shame. Woody Harrelson's character felt too much like a Marlon Brando caricature to be fully effective.

Still, Ceasar was far and away the film's best character and having him as the driving force behind the film was a smart move. The weakest of the 3 to be sure, but still a worthy film to sink your teeth into.

[Ricky]

What soured me the most was that this film didn't really have anything new to say

You said what I couldn't put into words. Yup, that's exactly it. Though Caesar evolved as a character, the bones of the plot itself wasn't all that different from Dawn in that apes are presented with a human threat, both sides eventually clash, ending with a "battle" that has us rooting for the apes while the humans are defeated or forced to retreat.

[Heather19]

I agree with you guys. I'd probably give it a 7/10 at best. I loved the first two but this one was lacking something. Maybe I just expected a different storyline based on the title. I thought it was going to be more apes vs humans. But it's definitely more of a revenge film. While the monkey from the mountains made me laugh, it seemed like an odd addition. Wasn't really fond of the addition of Nova either for some reason.

[fernandito]

I liked Nova's inclusion (even if it felt a little perfunctory at times). It was a nice parallel to the first film; Ceasar being thrust into the world of humans and Nova getting thrust into the world of apes.

[webstar1000]

I liked Nova's inclusion (even if it felt a little perfunctory at times). It was a nice parallel to the first film; Ceasar being thrust into the world of humans and Nova getting thrust into the world of apes.

Agree with you on this. I also hope we see more films.. and with the apes / humans reversing the rolls

[Ricky]

Maybe I just expected a different storyline based on the title. I thought it was going to be more apes vs humans.

Yeah, with "war" in the title, I expected a little more of it.

[St. Troy]

Dunkirk

Very good. It had more "in the event" than explanation about it, which is fine.

[Tommy]

War isn't just battles though. War is covert missions, prison camps, needless killings, brutality, insanity (the wall), enslavement, charismatic leaders etc.

I liked the biblical parallels made between Caesar and Jesus/Moses.

spoiler

Caesar is betrayed, crucified, whipped and stabbed in his side like Jesus and then he leads his apes through the desert into the Promise Land but cannot enter himself like Moses.

[St. Troy]

War isn't just battles though...

But a war film might be - narrative and time constraints and all.

[Ricky]

Good point. I guess I was anticipating the more fast-paced aspects like battles, etc.

Also, saw Atomic Blonde today. The mood was fantastic, Charlize was great, and the music was killer. Hope to post a full review soon.

[St. Troy]

Of course, there are many, many war films out there, but I really haven't seen many. I think I might enjoy one that focused (this may sound strange) only on the meetings - you just see the conversations, planning, etc., as it all goes on. Seems like there's fuel for drama there. Perhaps it's been done (if so, let fly the recommendations).

[Tommy]

War isn't just battles though...

But a war film might be - narrative and time constraints and all.

I was referring to War for the Planet of Apes, haven't seen Dunkirk yet. One of the greatest war films ever is The Best Years of Our Lives, doesn't have a single battle.

[Ricky]

My Atomic Blonde review.

[DoctorZaius]

Took the family to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge last night - can't believe I found a theater still playing it. I gotta tell ya, I was not looking forward to it, but my oldest daughter loves Orlando Bloom, so we had to go. I don't know if it was my low expectations going in, the $4.00 ticket price, or what, but I really enjoyed it. The first half hour or so was atrocious, but the latter half, and the especially the finale, which had a creative 10 Commandments touch to it, was really fun. 7/10

[St. Troy]

I was referring to War for the Planet of Apes, haven't seen Dunkirk yet

Gotcha.

One of the greatest war films ever is The Best Years of Our Lives, doesn't have a single battle.

Thanks; I'll look it up.

[Still Servant]

Dunkirk

Every great director needs his epic war masterpiece. Kubrick had Full Metal Jacket, Spielberg had Saving Private Ryan, Tarantino had Inglourious Basterds. For Christopher Nolan, this is his.

Dunkirk is a triumph of the human spirit. A tale of survival against all odds. It's beautifully shot and the sound truly makes you feel like you are in the battle with the soldiers.

That being said, if you like your war films more traditional by nature, you might want to temper expectations. Dunkirk is certainly unconventional. We never see the face of a German soldier. There is very little dialogue the entire film and many of the characters don't even have names. We don't get a backstory that helps us learn who these people are, which is the whole point of the film. These soldiers can be anyone. We should root for them to live because they are human, not because we know they have a pregnant wife back home.

The other part of the film that might turn some people off is the way Nolan tells the story. If you're familiar with some of Nolan's other films like Memento, Inception and Interstellar, then you know he loves to mess with time and perception. In Dunkirk, Nolan tells 3 overlapping stories at the same time. This storytelling technique pays off in the end, but is sure to confuse some people.

Overall, Dunkirk is a fantastic war film that rightly takes its place among the very best that the genre has to offer.

[Tommy]

I strongly argue that Kubrick's war masterpiece is Paths of Glory and not Full Metal Jacket.

[Still Servant]

My Atomic Blonde review.

"But if an Atomic Blonde franchise is on the horizon, to paraphrase an artist whose songs aren’t featured in the film: a little less espionage, a little more action, please."

Well done, Ricky. Very clever ending.

Your review has renewed my interest in Atomic Blonde. I was really hyped for this one since last year when the trailer first dropped, then reviews started coming in and some of my favorite critics were so-so on the film. It's interesting to hear you say that the soundtrack worked for you because that's the one constant negative I've heard about the film. A lot of people have cited how well Baby Driver used music and how Atomic Blonde used it in a more arbitrary manner. I'll be interested to see how this all works out.

Nice job.

[webstar1000]

Shot Caller.... one of my favourite prison movies of the last decade. It is brutal and brilliant. 8.5/10


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[Ricky]

Well done, Ricky. Very clever ending.

Your review has renewed my interest in Atomic Blonde. I was really hyped for this one since last year when the trailer first dropped, then reviews started coming in and some of my favorite critics were so-so on the film. It's interesting to hear you say that the soundtrack worked for you because that's the one constant negative I've heard about the film. A lot of people have cited how well Baby Driver used music and how Atomic Blonde used it in a more arbitrary manner. I'll be interested to see how this all works out.

Nice job.

Thanks, Mike! I really appreciate that.

I think you would enjoy it. As for the music, I read a few people say it wasn't implemented well so I specifically looked for that in the film. The songs have organic placement, starts, and stops (except for one that I noticed), and really pair well with what's on screen. I have a feeling the viewers who weren't a fan of the music implementation were expecting the songs to match the action beat-by-beat.

[Still Servant]

I strongly argue that Kubrick's war masterpiece is Paths of Glory and not Full Metal Jacket.

Good point. I always forget Paths of Glory was directed by Kubrick.

[Randall Flagg]

The Dark Tower-Incredible let-down. Prior to the movie they showed a trailer for "Flatliners". Flat-line is how the movie was. Dead on arrival. Others have mentioned it, but perhaps Eldra and McConaughy should have swapped roles. The only real enjoyment was looking for all of the subtle DT references throughout the movie.

2/6 beers on the RFSRS.

[NeedfulKings]

The Dark Tower

As a stand-alone piece for the average movie fan, it would probably be fine. I won't know since I went in as a tower junkie. Like RF, I enjoyed picking out the subtle SK references:

Spoiler:

The picture of the Stanley Hotel (Kubrik's version) in the shrink's office, a girl walking a Cujo-type dog, a toy car of Christine, and probably others I missed

I did enjoy the acting, although considering the age of some of the actors, I don't see this standing up well to a sequel. As a stand-alone movie, I'll be generous with a 6.5 out of 10.

As a DT Junkie:

Spoiler:

I'm disappointed that they covered such a broad arc of the story without so many of the key characters present. They could have stayed within the confines of The Gunslinger and still embellished Walter's role and added a "we saved the world" ending with some other made-up crisis. Not Thunderclap.

[mae]

I'm thinking the TV series could actually serve as a backdoor reboot. Start with Wizard and Glass for one or two seasons, then do The Wind Through the Keyhole, with maybe some of the Marvel comics flavor sprinkled in, and then go into The Gunslinger, and so forth.