Box office roundup

[Velorath]

Watched Live Free or Die Hard at work last night.  I think the last time I watched a Die Hard movie was when I saw the last one in the theater.  Never been a huge fan of the series, and as such, I can't really recall the other movies well enough to make any sort of comparison.  To say that some of the action sequences are over-the-top would be an understatement.  Most notable in that respect would be one of the scenes near the end that involves Bruce Willis in a big-rig being attacked by an F-35.  John McClane's ability to bounce back from what would cause a normal person serious injury rivals that of Looney Toons characters or Tom & Jerry.  In other words if you're looking for anything remotely believable, this movie isn't for you.  Also just have to mention that the main bad guy in this movie is a complete bitch.  On the plus side, there's some amusing dialogue here and there, and the action sequences look good, even while shattering your suspension of disbelief.

For similar amusement, watch the John Rambo trailer for a few laughs.

[WayAbvPar]

As long as Willis kicks the shit out of a few bad guys and makes a few wisecracks I will be sufficiently entertained. I am certainly not expecting anything more than that, although some gratuitous female nudity (not more than 25-30 minutes) would be a plus.

[Margalis]

I liked Event Horizon, good actors and basically a haunted-house movie in space. I too prefer my horror a little more horrific rather than just bloody.

[Lantyssa]

Yeah, but the last fifteen minutes turned it into fun-house.

[Selby]

Yeah, but the last fifteen minutes turned it into fun-house.

Honestly I'd say it was probably the last 5 minutes for me.  I didn't mind how it was going even up until things are explained more in detail, but in the scene right before the closing credits I just wanted to scream and yell at them for cheaping out a good ending.

[Abagadro]

Also just have to mention that the main bad guy in this movie is a complete bitch.

How dare you say that about Sheriff Bullock.

[Velorath]

Also just have to mention that the main bad guy in this movie is a complete bitch.

How dare you say that about Sheriff Bullock.

He's also playing Agent 47 in the Hitman movie (the trailer for which, my theater had attached to the prints of Die Hard).  That didn't stop him from being a complete bitch in this movie.

Edit: Hitman trailer availble here btw.

[ahoythematey]

Die Hard 4 fucking delivered, as far as I'm concerned.  I came in not expecting much, and walked away as satisfied as I was after seeing 300.

[MrHat]

Die Hard 4 fucking delivered, as far as I'm concerned.  I came in not expecting much, and walked away as satisfied as I was after seeing 300.

/agree

It was fucking great.  But I love all the Die Hard movies.  Over the top is the way it's written.  Big recommendation.

Edit: I should note that there is some obvious dubbing in places to bring it down to PG13 level I believe.  Also, no titties.  If this was R it would have been 1.5x better.

[murdoc]

PG-13? Serious? So they can't even say Yippe-kai-ya-motherfucker?

[schild]

PG-13? Serious? So they can't even say Yippe-kai-ya-motherfucker?

Correct.

[murdoc]

Boo.

John Maclean not being able to swear is almost as sad as John Maclean not being able to reduce a bad-guys knee caps to a bloody mess, or stabbing them in the face with an icicle.

[MrHat]

Boo.

John Maclean not being able to swear is almost as sad as John Maclean not being able to reduce a bad-guys knee caps to a bloody mess, or stabbing them in the face with an icicle.

Ya, the dubbing makes me excited for the DVD.

[Venkman]

I thought he did say the whole thing at the end. Maybe I just filled in the bad part.

I loved the movie. He's definitely showing his age, but that was offset by Tim Olyphant (the sidekick, the Mac from the Mac/PC commercials, probably been mentioned) and the chief bad guy. I kept cracking up at his interactions with the team, like at the end when McClane's daughter shoots the henchman in the foot.

"Jesus Christ!"
"You got it?"
"Are you sure?"

Just a funny flat delivery. Somebody told me he's the sherriff in Deadwood too. Never saw that series so have no idea.

Also, what was that jet? Is that a VTOL like the Harrier or just something that can hover after take off? Awesome thing.

Oh, and explosions, bridges, theft, all good.

I hope they don't make a sixth though. Considering it went from a single building to a small town (including airport) to all of Manhatten to the whole country, the next one has to be global and the last something featuring him in a spacesuit or sommat.

[MisterNoisy]

Also, what was that jet? Is that a VTOL like the Harrier or just something that can hover after take off? Awesome thing.

Haven't seen the movie, but the one in the trailer it looks an awful lot like the F-35.

[Velorath]

PG-13? Serious? So they can't even say Yippe-kai-ya-motherfucker?

When he says it, the fucker part gets somewhat covered up by the sound of a gunshot.

[Hayduke]

I loved the movie. He's definitely showing his age, but that was offset by Tim Olyphant (the sidekick, the Mac from the Mac/PC commercials, probably been mentioned) and the chief bad guy. I kept cracking up at his interactions with the team, like at the end when McClane's daughter shoots the henchman in the foot.

The guy that played the sidekick was Justin Long, he was also in that movie Dodgeball or something.  Timothy Olyphant was the bad guy, and yeah he was in Deadwood.  Haven't seen the movie, but didn't recognize him in the previews without facial hair.  Deadwood was a pretty good show I thought.

[Merusk]

... the next one has to be global and the last something featuring him in a spacesuit or sommat.

It was called "Armageddon"

[LK]

PG-13? Serious? So they can't even say Yippe-kai-ya-motherfucker?

When he says it, the fucker part gets somewhat covered up by the sound of a gunshot.

Die Hard 4 without the R is Terminator 3 without the R.  Muddling the franchise for fucking marketing and money.  Terminator 3 was extremely guilty of this.

[Oban]

It was called "Armageddon"

Why does every thread on this forum have to shift in to a discussion of SWG?

[Chimpy]

I guess I am a jaded old fart, but watching the trailers for Die Hard whatever the fuck number this is gives me the feeling that this is a one man League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Something in which suspending disbelief requires a lot of concious effort.

It really is sad, Die Hard was such an awesome movie. Even the second one was really good. But the action movie genre just really has not done much in the way of anything good in the last 15 years it seems.

I blame CGI fighter jets.

[schild]

15 years? Nah. The action genre just hasn't recovered from The Rock.

[Chimpy]

15 years? Nah. The action genre just hasn't recovered from The Rock.

Which was almost 15 years ago. Sure, 11 is closer to 10, but it sure FEELS like 15 years ago to me.

Michael Bay killed the genre. True story.

[Merusk]

Y'know I've never seen The Rock. Was it really that awful? (It was only 11 years ago, btw. 1996)

Michael Bay... let's see.  The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys, The Lionel Ritche video collection.  Yeah I can see that.

IMDB also lists him as doing Prince of Persia.  Ick.. and Transformers2 (in talks). Putting the cart before the horse there, aren't they? 

[Riggswolfe]

OK, I saw two sneak previews this week. Die Hard 4 and the Transformers. (Just got back from the last one.)

Die Hard 4 was good. It wasn't as good as the first one but it was better than the last two. The DvD had better be the Yippee Ki Yay Mother Fucker edition. I'll leave it at that. Still, there was alot of swearing and violence. Some of the main bad guys henchmen were doing that monkey, jump around fighting from France which I found kind of annoying and distracting but fun at the same time.

Ok...Transformers. To give this review some background, I don't hate Michael Bay. I hated Pearl Harbor, loved the Rock, sometimes enjoy Armageddon even if it's not in any way subtle, and liked Bad Boys 1 and can't stand Bad Boys 2.

Ok...I loved the Transformers. The audience I saw it with clapped and cheered after it was over. The guy next to me was one of those annoying talking assholes when the movie first started and was dead silent and literally on the edge of his seat during the major action finale. There were some parts I didn't like. The humor was too over the top and one man who is basically a Man in Black was corny when he should have been menacing. His lines were cheesy and over the top and didn't fit the rest of the movie. There were a few scenes that were played for a bit too much humor in other parts as well. Also the macguffin of the movie was...weird in how it worked.

But, Optimus Prime and Megatron throwing down over the fate of humanity was awesome.

Some minor comments, no spoilers:

- Sometimes it was hard to tell the various Transformers apart with the exception of Bumble Bee and Optimus Prime. You always knew who they were. I think the colors on the others were sometimes too subdued.
- A few of the personalities were "off" from my memories. But it's been 20 years so who knows.
- I liked how Sam and Bumblebee met. I also liked Bumble Bee`in general. He was spot on, as was Optimus and Megatron.
- Megan Fox is fucking hot. There was also a British sounding blonde chick who was just as hot even if I have alot of mixed feelings about her character.
- The movie was sooo not politically correct. There were various jokes that played on racial stereotypes which honestly surprised me. It seemed like a ballsy move to make in this day and age.
- This movie is more like the 1985 movie than the old TV series, and probably more like the comic book than the 1985 movie.

There were alot of plot holes in this movie. But don't go to it for the plot. Go to it for robots fighting robots done right. Go to it for the hot chicks. Go to it because it is just a fun fucking movie. It's my favorite movie this far though honestly, that's not saying alot, even 300 doesn't hold up well with repeat viewings.

[Ironwood]

 :-D

[Bunk]

Y'know I've never seen The Rock. Was it really that awful? (It was only 11 years ago, btw. 1996)

Michael Bay... let's see.  The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys, The Lionel Ritche video collection.  Yeah I can see that.

IMDB also lists him as doing Prince of Persia.  Ick.. and Transformers2 (in talks). Putting the cart before the horse there, aren't they? 

Hmm, well, I will say that The Rock was my favorite of Micheal Bay's movies. In comparrison, I rank Bad Boys 2 up there with the best of the Uwe Boll collection.

[Murgos]

The Rock is great if you watch it for Sean Connery and realize that he is playing a James Bond who spent 30 years in an American prison.  Try to ignore Nick Cage's over-dramatic flailing and you should come through it ok.

[schild]

What the hell are you talking about. Nick Cage is great in the Rock. You don't ignore his overdramatic flailing. It's What Nick Does. You embrace it.

[Ironwood]

The Rock was poo.

Then again, there's really only one Nic Cage film I can even stomach.

[Miasma]

He overacts most of the time, if he just dialed it down a couple notches he'd be great.

[schild]

I watch Cage for his overacting.

It's better than the Al Pacino impersonation that Al Pacino has been pushing for the last 15 years or so.

[Riggswolfe]

What the hell are you talking about. Nick Cage is great in the Rock. You don't ignore his overdramatic flailing. It's What Nick Does. You embrace it.

I'd say Nic Cage is the best thing about the Rock. Sean Connery acts like he just wanted the paycheck in that movie and is slightly embarassed to be there. Nic Cage is enjoying himself and it shows.

Then again, Sean Connery usually acts like he's just there for the paycheck in most films he has been in from the '90s on.

[HaemishM]

I liked the Rock, but I wouldn't want to watch it again. Hell, I liked Independence Day when I saw it in the theaters, but it was shitty shit shit shit that I refuse to watch now other than for something to laugh at. The Rock was ok, but it was the purest example of a Michael Bay movie ever. Pretentious, I'm rubbing my balls in your face machismo, combined with pointless action scenes and long, slow-motion scenes for dramatic effect. The ending scene with the fighter jet was badly shot, badly edited and just bad.

But it was a fun boom boom BLEARGG!!! movie. And at least Cage didn't say "Put the bunny down." in the worst Alabama accent I've ever heard.

Also, Nic Cage infuriates me. He'll have a decent movie like The Weather Man and then he'll put out super-dooper shitty shit like Ghost Rider. He needs some qualudes.

[LK]

In comparrison, I rank Bad Boys 2 up there with the best of the Uwe Boll collection.

I don't remember how I feel about the whole movie but I always found the scene where Will Smith was scaring Martin Lawrence's daughter's date on his doorstep was comedy gold.

"Have you ever made love to a man?"
"No sir!"
"Do you want to?"

Also I just came back from Die Hard.  If this movie had a PG-13 rating I didn't notice.  Good amount of swearing, the Yippie-Ki-Yay didn't lose any impact just because the Fucker was muffled by the gunshot.  I really enjoyed the movie.  McClaine's attitude made me realize I missed John McClaine.  It followed some formula elements of the first (The whole Ginero / McClaine thing).  But the way McClaine's like "Fuck this shit, I'm going to kill you Mr. Helicopter with a car." was great.