Let's All Go to the Movies

[LurchingBeast]

Catching up on the Oscars:

Chase Infiniti... jesus christ

"This is the first Oscar win and 14th nomination for Paul Thomas Anderson" is the dumbest fucking sentence I've ever heard.

 

[boogercrack]

It's fine but also kind of nothing. I went with two fans of the book who felt the same way.
I guess I expected more existential sci-fi with some cool action instead of a saccharine buddy cop all-ages comedy. Stakes felt surprisingly low. Movie starts on one note and stays there throughout its runtime. I've seen other somewhat recent space exploration movies explore similar ideas much more effectively. What if Interstellar or High Life was filled to the brim with quippy bullshit?


The Martian is MUCH better than this.

Well that's quite disappointing having really enjoyed the book

 

[Litheum94]

Well that's quite disappointing having really enjoyed the book

If you liked the book, you’ll like the movie. The tone is pretty much the same.

 

[Lutter]

Well that's quite disappointing having really enjoyed the book

To be fair this is the first review I've heard from someone where they weren't absolutely creaming themselves about this movie.

 

[LurchingBeast]

Well that's quite disappointing having really enjoyed the book

It's made by the guys who did Lego Batman and the 21 Jump Street remake. If you don't mind having that tone throughout you'll enjoy it more than I did.

 

[Litheum94]

the book was pretty corny at times to me, and the movie felt the same. I thought it was a pretty good adaptation. It also looks great. Some of those space scenes are beautiful.

 

[sameasiteverwas]

It's fine but also kind of nothing. I went with two fans of the book who felt the same way.
I guess I expected more existential sci-fi with some cool action instead of a saccharine buddy cop all-ages comedy. Stakes felt surprisingly low. Movie starts on one note and stays there throughout its runtime. I've seen other somewhat recent space exploration movies explore similar ideas much more effectively. What if Interstellar or High Life was filled to the brim with quippy bullshit?


The Martian is MUCH better than this.

it sounds like the movie followed the book in tone but couldn't capture the enjoyment of the tension + resolution that drove the book, being what the kids call "competency porn." It's not a book that widened its focus beyond the immediate story, as far as I recall. Basically a bit of Sherlock Holmes meets McGyver in space. I really enjoyed the book, moreso than The Martian, but I never felt like it would make a great movie. I never saw The Martian.

 

[sameasiteverwas]

I'm pretty surprised that Greenwood didn't win Best Original Score for OBAA.
I didn't see Hamnet, and I'm sure Buckley was great, but I have a hard time imagining anyone being better than Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You for Best Actress.

 

[OceanOfMead]

I'm pretty surprised that Greenwood didn't win Best Original Score for OBAA.
I didn't see Hamnet, and I'm sure Buckley was great, but I have a hard time imagining anyone being better than Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You for Best Actress.

I read several people say they ugly cried watching Hamnet. Plan to see both at some point I guess.

 

[dan]

it sounds like the movie followed the book in tone but couldn't capture the enjoyment of the tension + resolution that drove the book, being what the kids call "competency porn." It's not a book that widened its focus beyond the immediate story, as far as I recall. Basically a bit of Sherlock Holmes meets McGyver in space. I really enjoyed the book, moreso than The Martian, but I never felt like it would make a great movie. I never saw The Martian.

I like the premise of the The Martian but found the book to be a novel-length instruction manual written by the Cleverest Boy Who Ever Lived. In contrast, I really enjoyed the movie. More time spent with the other characters meant less time with Damon's character which was a theme throughout: between Scott and Goddard, they took what worked in the novel and made it better and limited what was crappy.

 

[LurchingBeast]

I'll put it out there again that I went with two big fans of the book and they were also lukewarm on it. I stole the "buddy cop" line from @ehammond.

 

[Litheum94]

I'll put it out there again that I went with two big fans of the book and they were also lukewarm on it. I stole the "buddy cop" line from @ehammond.

I also went with 2 people who read the book and they loved it. There was also quite a bit of applause at my viewing and a lot of laughing along. I don’t think calling it a buddy cop film is that far off what the book felt like for me.

 

[sameasiteverwas]

I'll put it out there again that I went with two big fans of the book and they were also lukewarm on it. I stole the "buddy cop" line from @ehammond.

I also went with 2 people who read the book and they loved it. There was also quite a bit of applause at my viewing and a lot of laughing along. I don’t think calling it a buddy cop film is that far off what the book felt like for me.

Have either of you even considered the possibility that you both saw the film with the same other two people and that they flawlessly executed a new interpretation of the classic sitcom trope “going on two dates at once?”
For instance, did one of you ask for popcorn but instead your two friends returned, after a suspiciously long time, with a box of goobers?

 

[LurchingBeast]

There was also quite a bit of applause at my viewing and a lot of laughing along. I don’t think calling it a buddy cop film is that far off what the book felt like for me.

Yeah but that's standard at these event type early showings. Even happened at Jay Kelly.

I do think it's the type of "four quadrant", all ages, borderline marvel-esque movie that will do pretty well at the box office.

 

[boogercrack]

Have either of you even considered the possibility that you both saw the film with the same other two people and that they flawlessly executed a new interpretation of the classic sitcom trope “going on two dates at once?”
For instance, did one of you ask for popcorn but instead your two friends returned, after a suspiciously long time, with a box of goobers?

Ur a goober

 

[Matterhorn]

Saw OBAA when it was released and while I really liked it, I came away saying that Penns' performance was so juiced up and unnecessarily over the top that it took away from the movie. And I like Penn. Dead Man Walking is an all-time favorite performance for me. Just thought he was absolutely horrible in this one.

I'm just in shock that people in the industry though it was award worthy. I guess I really have no idea what good acting is.

 

[LurchingBeast]

Sensible chuckle magazine

 

[BigFrank]

Saw OBAA when it was released and while I really liked it, I came away saying that Penns' performance was so juiced up and unnecessarily over the top that it took away from the movie. And I like Penn. Dead Man Walking is an all-time favorite performance for me. Just thought he was absolutely horrible in this one.

I'm just in shock that people in the industry though it was award worthy. I guess I really have no idea what good acting is.

Agreed. Felt the character was an over the top parody.

 

[OceanOfMead]

Agreed. Felt the character was an over the top parody.

Ethan Hawke's specialty.

 

[SAISON FUCK]

Agreed. Felt the character was an over the top parody.

But wasn't that the point? I thought so anyway.

I still liked Benicio's performance more.