[HoosierDaddy]

Thor 2 was great. Better than the first and probably my 3rd favorite Avengers movie (Iron Man 1, Avengers, Thor 2).

This is the End had me laughing throughout. So much meta comedy taking place, but I loved it.

Pacific Rim was entertaining. Probably better in the theater, but still fun on the big screen t.v., if not predictable.

[tiam]

Defiance, on 14 November 2013 - 03:09 AM, said:

Watched Seven Samurai and Apocalypse Now recently. Both now number among my favorite movies.

At the risk of sounding like a heathen I didnt really like Apocalypse Now. I watched the month long version (Redux or something) and thought it wasnt really that good. Maybe because it had been built up all these years but I actually preferred Platoon for a comparison.

[amphibian]

You seen The Deer Hunter? That's the Vietnam movie to end all Vietnam movies.

[Aptorian]

I also liked Hamburger Hill.

[worry]

If we based our opinions of wars on the movies they inspired rather than the brutal human toll -- and perhaps we should -- Vietnam was truly America's most worthwhile military venture. All of the above, plus First Blood, Casualties of War, M*A*S*H (in spirit, not setting). What does the Civil War have? Glory? Ppfffft.

[Jakovasaurus]

Thor 2: The Dark World was entertaining enough. Tom Hiddleston's performance as Loki dominated each scene.

I enjoyed seeing Benicio Del Toro "collected" a bit part <--- see what I did there .

[amphibian]

The Vietnam war time period was perhaps the easiest time for the ease of portraying soldiers in terms of dress and equipment (no worrying or pricing of period-specific gear, no hiding of modern technology and ability of purchase). Giant battles weren't in style, shooting on location could be cheap and audiences were interested in trying out new stories and directors. It also came around when filmmakers were being given fairly decent budgets to tell stories, rather than to build the biggest profit making blockbuster.

Basically, that won't happen again for a long, long time.

[worry]

You're right, plus there was the immediacy and the sheer amount of real-time and post-war documentation, and self-reflection. It's probably the easiest war to have an "angle" on, given the variety of controversies/horrors/nihilistic behaviors juxtaposed with the personal stories of the vets, "band of brothers" stuff, genuine acts of heroism. I guess "juxtaposition" is the key word, because it lends itself to artistic endeavor.

[Jakovasaurus]

One of the best Civil War movies is Two Thousand Maniacs.

[Abyss]

Totally enjoyed THOR DARK WORLD. Took everything that worked in the first film and amped it up to 11. Nicely done.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 12 November 2013 - 12:09 PM, said:

NoOneExpectsThetiamishInquisition, on 12 November 2013 - 09:13 AM, said:

Anyway I enjoyed Thor 2 and am looking forward to the new Cap America as that looks good, aslong as it stays away from beating me over the head with political allegory as the trailer suggests it might.

CAP 2 is being touted as a political thriller though.

Not in the elevator preview.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 15 November 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 12 November 2013 - 12:09 PM, said:

NoOneExpectsThetiamishInquisition, on 12 November 2013 - 09:13 AM, said:

Anyway I enjoyed Thor 2 and am looking forward to the new Cap America as that looks good, aslong as it stays away from beating me over the head with political allegory as the trailer suggests it might.

CAP 2 is being touted as a political thriller though.

Not in the elevator preview.

Sorry, the backbone of it is a political thriller...there will still be oodles of action.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 15 November 2013 - 11:16 PM, said:

Abyss, on 15 November 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 12 November 2013 - 12:09 PM, said:

NoOneExpectsThetiamishInquisition, on 12 November 2013 - 09:13 AM, said:

Anyway I enjoyed Thor 2 and am looking forward to the new Cap America as that looks good, aslong as it stays away from beating me over the head with political allegory as the trailer suggests it might.

CAP 2 is being touted as a political thriller though.

Not in the elevator preview.

Sorry, the backbone of it is a political thriller...there will still be oodles of action.

It's a marvel comic movie. It will be about as much of a political thriller as Thor 2 was a pontification on man's relationship with god.

[HoosierDaddy]

Abyss, on 16 November 2013 - 05:39 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 15 November 2013 - 11:16 PM, said:

Abyss, on 15 November 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 12 November 2013 - 12:09 PM, said:

NoOneExpectsThetiamishInquisition, on 12 November 2013 - 09:13 AM, said:

Anyway I enjoyed Thor 2 and am looking forward to the new Cap America as that looks good, aslong as it stays away from beating me over the head with political allegory as the trailer suggests it might.

CAP 2 is being touted as a political thriller though.

Not in the elevator preview.

Sorry, the backbone of it is a political thriller...there will still be oodles of action.

It's a marvel comic movie. It will be about as much of a political thriller as Thor 2 was a pontification on man's relationship with god.

The backbone, from what I've seen, does seem to be what sort of role SHIELD should have and is having, with the Rising Tide (perhaps?) or something else trying to bring SHIELD down a peg or two.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

Re: war movies.

I think The Thin Red Line was the best, and Band of Brothers is spectacular, though not a movie.

Vietnam movies, i really liked Full Metal Jacket the most.

[McLovin]

Saw Thor 2. I didn't love it, didn't hate it either, Not sure what was the point of having Christopher Eccleston in a movie if you don't really give him amything to do.

The mid-credit cookie got me jazzed though.

[tiam]

Abyss, on 16 November 2013 - 05:39 AM, said:

QuickTidal, on 15 November 2013 - 11:16 PM, said:

Abyss, on 15 November 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 12 November 2013 - 12:09 PM, said:

NoOneExpectsThetiamishInquisition, on 12 November 2013 - 09:13 AM, said:

Anyway I enjoyed Thor 2 and am looking forward to the new Cap America as that looks good, aslong as it stays away from beating me over the head with political allegory as the trailer suggests it might.

CAP 2 is being touted as a political thriller though.

Not in the elevator preview.

Sorry, the backbone of it is a political thriller...there will still be oodles of action.

It's a marvel comic movie. It will be about as much of a political thriller as Thor 2 was a pontification on man's relationship with god.

This is what I thought after scouting a couple of trailers. Would they really jeopardise a kid friendly franchise by putting an out of place political thriller in the middle of it? Im sure theyll be some post-9/11 government greater good invasion of privacy themes throughout but I think thatl be it. Like Iron Man 3 isnt exactly a PTSD Born on the Fourth of july social commentary.

Spoilsport Stonny, on 16 November 2013 - 10:04 PM, said:

Re: war movies.

I think The Thin Red Line was the best, and Band of Brothers is spectacular, though not a movie.

Vietnam movies, i really liked Full Metal Jacket the most.

Band of Brothers is the best thing ever.

[QuickTidal]

NoOneExpectsThetiamishInquisition, on 17 November 2013 - 02:01 PM, said:

Like Iron Man 3 isnt exactly a PTSD Born on the Fourth of july social commentary.

No, but it still IS a PTSD film through and through. It's not even attempting to be anything BUT the fallout for Tony from almost sacrificing his life in AVENGERS. It's even a comment on Tony taking Cap's jab at him ("Take away the suit, and what are you?") more to heart than he admits, and begins deconstructing that...which is why we get the remote suited IRON MAN's.

And that's what makes it compelling. That's why inserting a heavy political plot device with SHIELD HQ and Cap's dislike of it is a good thing.

If all these movies were JUST superhero movies they'd have burnt out already with audiences.

The reason they succeed is because Marvel places their characters into other film genres at the same time as making them action-packed enough to entertain.

IM 1: Political terrorist movie and a diatribe about weapons technology and warmongering.
CAP 1: Historical WWII action/drama
IM 2: US Homeland security, big brother is watching you film.
HULK: Surprisingly, a relationship drama (of all things) and about individual alienation.
THOR 1: Shakespeare coupled with fish out of water action movie.
AVENGERS: This is the culmination of all the above and therefore doesn't need to be anything other than a superhero fun fest...and it was.
IM 3: Fallout. PTSD Tony Stark dealing with the loss of everything minus Pepper.
THOR 2: Drama about family ties mostly, through and through. It's about the Asgardian family dynamic more than anything else. It's a historical throne-game film.
CAP 2: Political action thriller where Cap appears to deal with how SHIELD HQ appears to be running things through fear and intimidation (echoed on AoS on TV).


Sure they all have action in them, and superhero leads...but they aren't just run of the mill superhero comic storylines (fight the bad guy, save the world). Marvel is smarter than that so far.

[tiam]

QuickTidal, on 17 November 2013 - 03:06 PM, said:

If all these movies were JUST superhero movies they'd have burnt out already with audiences.

The reason they succeed is because Marvel places their characters into other film genres at the same time as making them action-packed enough to entertain.

They are super hero movies though. Like I never walked out of Captain America thinking that it was a historical WWII action drama. That there not like the fantastic 4 films from a while ago or the Batman films before Nolan doesnt mean we have to categorize these films as spectacles of drama. I mean the Hulk film being about relationship drama? I must have missed these themes in between a GIANT GREEN MONSTER throwing tanks about . Seriously these are not the Shakespearean dramas your portraying nor are they meant to be.

[QuickTidal]

NoOneExpectsThetiamishInquisition, on 17 November 2013 - 04:44 PM, said:

I mean the Hulk film being about relationship drama? I must have missed these themes in between a GIANT GREEN MONSTER throwing tanks about .

THE INCREDIBLE HULK...not Ang Lee's HULK. Ang Lee's HULK is not canon with the rest of the Marvel Phase movies...only Ed Norton INCREDIBLE HULK is.


And in that vein, THE INCREDIBLE HULK is mostly about Bruce Banner hiding from humanity to save them from him, and to learn how to control his anger. The rest of the film, before the climactic battle in the street, is mainly about re-adapting to life with Betty, and her father and trying to see his way around having a relationship with her, controlling himself, and controlling his beast around his woman (not to mention humanity). If you don't see the relationship parallels in that, then we must have seen different movies.

But that's cool. I see these films as more than just superhero flicks. You don't. Agree to disagree.

And note, Kenneth Brannagh is on record as directing the Asgardian segments of THOR 1 with Shakespeare foremost in his mind and with various nods to stage directions of that style.