Last Film You Watched

[Whistlin' Dixie]

ANT MAN (2015)

The rise of the Marvel Universe has been a long time in the making. Since the 1960's Stan Lee has been hawking the Marvel staple of Super heroes to anyone who will listen. Projects for every character have been drawn out, re written, binned and done all over again.

Enter Ant Man. First appearing in 1962, six months before Spiderman, Ant Man was an instant success and became an original member of the Avengers.

Ant Man signals the end of 'Phase 2' for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and from the way it has been going so far, the whole thing is shaping up superbly. Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Spiderman and Captain Marvel will join 'Phase 3' as well as the continuation of Guardians, and the finales of Captain America, Thor and The Avengers. Ant Man marks the 12th Marvel Studio film and cost about $130m to make, which is the cheapest of the films made so far. Avengers Age of Ultron cost about $250m.

Spoiler: plot

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has just come out of prison and is determined to go straight. His plans are quickly wrecked and so embarks on a 'job' recounted hilariously through his flat mate Luis (Michael Pena). When the Break and enter looks a bust, one thing leads to another and we realise that Legendary Science Recluse Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) has orchestrated the whole thing to find an 'expendable' man to pull off the heist he has planned. Pym's former company Pymtech has been taken over by his former protege Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) and his Pym's daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily) who hates her Father for their Mothers loss. Cross is trying to recreate Pym's work in miniaturisation, and Pym is trying to keep the technology under wraps. Pym must train Lang to infiltrate PymTech, steal the Tech Cross is developing, and blow the place up.

First up, I love what they are doing with these characters and stories. Infusing well trodden plot lines from established characters and placing them in the hands of talented actors and film makers is key to the films success, and they know this. I would however, agree with with what I read from George RR Martin on the weekend, that they have a Baddie problem. To the loveable Rudd they add Michael Douglas, Judy Greer, Michael Pena, Bobby Cannavale and the amazingly awesome Evangeline Lily. With every new film, the Special Effects get better and here is no different. There's a scene early involving Shield in 1989 and the face replacement on Michael Douglas is truly immaculate. You actually believe a 45 year old Douglas is strutting about the screen like he's just done in Glenn Close. Mrs Mcb was shocked that he didn't look like that anymore. The shrinking and action that follows is done superbly, the editing and thought put into a teeny tiny man beating people up is first rate.

What also struck me was the design of the suits. They look superb. They are real and fantastic at the same time. The right amount of wear but designed with a futuristic freshness, the Wasp Suit in the Mid Credit sequence is one of the best outfits I've seen in the MCU since Iron Man or Cap 2.

The film is fun, fresh and I like the supporting humour. A great cameo by Falcon and the New Avengers facility entices of future adventures, but the dynamic between Rudd, Douglas and Lily is at the Films Heart. Check your baggage at the door, forget about what you've seen before and have fun with it.

Really enjoyed this one.

Will watch this (sans-spoiler) tonight.

I will make my thoughts known as to whether such a glowing tribute is/was appropriate.

 

[Whistlin' Dixie]

Will watch this (sans-spoiler) tonight.

I will make my thoughts known as to whether such a glowing tribute is/was appropriate.

Put it on, on kodi - only to find all the streams were from cameras inside the cinema. Big no-no. Will wait for a while until there's a dvd copy on there.

Put 'Child 44' on instead; and only lasted about 20mins before I nodded off. Will have to resume tonight.

 

[millsy]

Watched pawn last night. Another run of the mill film. Last at the cinema was Antman And that bored me to. Think I have had my fill of comic book films, way too many of them. Looking forward to watching southpaw though.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Watched American Sniper over the weekend... "Meh" sums it up.

It's yet another Marine Corps/SEAL wankfest with more "Hoo-ra's" and "get some's" than you can shake a drone at. If you've seen any of the other 900 similar films (Jarhead, Hurt Locker etc) then you'll know what to expect.

The interchangeable plot device this time is the story of supposedly legendary Yank sniper 'Chris Kyle' who headshots his way through every man woman and child that appears in his line of fire.

It's directed by Clint Eastwood and tbh I expected better from him. Instead it's a run-of-the-mill Iraq war, US back patting exercise.

I give it 3 dead children out of 10

I saw the movie as well recently and after the way Eastwood treated war in Flags of our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima I expected much more from this than I got. Like you say, it's an incredibly gunho movie both in its America is great narrative and also the extreme gun love shown in the movie, culminating in the bizarre scene where he's pointing a gun at his wife in the kitchen for shits and giggles.

Not one I'd recommend or will be watching again.

 

[Azzurri]

just watched Skyfall again , great movie. Reminded me how much better that movie would have been better had M was killed. Hope she is chalked off in the next one.

SPOILER:


She was, wasn't she? At the end?

 

[thirdmantackle]

Gone Girl

Meh.

 

[Brennan]

SPOILER:


She was, wasn't she? At the end?

There's a spoiler function you massive tit

 

[Azzurri]

There's a spoiler function you massive tit

Still don't know where and the film came out years ago so nea tbh ginge ygm?

 

[Nobby Nobbs]

Gone Girl

Meh.

Read the book after the first few pages I new what was to happen, so obvious watched the film and I'm with you Meh.

 

[millsy]

Read the book after the first few pages I new what was to happen, so obvious watched the film and I'm with you Meh.

Thought the book was much more powerful and disturbing than the film. Hollywood seems to want to make films without their edge to get that lower certificate.

 

[BluePeadar]

SPOILER:


She was, wasn't she? At the end?

Dude so right I'm a tit. I watched it to a point and then fell asleep as usual.
It was the scene in the court room where she should have been killed. would have made it better I think, anyways she was chalked off eventually.

 

[thirdmantackle]

Thought the book was much more powerful and disturbing than the film. Hollywood seems to want to make films without their edge to get that lower certificate.

i thought the casting was terrible.
absolutely terrible

 

[millsy]

i thought the casting was terrible.
absolutely terrible

Agree

 

[jaycee]

UNFRIENDED- a very MTV type horror waste of 90 minutes dont bother watching it

 

[TippEverton]

Phil Spector, with Pacino and Mirren, Pacino class as per, good show, fairly short though.