[Salt-Man Z]

Saw it yesterday, and it was just as amazing as I had hoped. So much fun. Bradley Cooper's Rocket was probably the standout performance IMO, although everyone was really good.

If I had one complaint it would be that

Spoiler

I wish they had foreshadowed Groot's ability to die earlier on. For most of the movie he seemed nigh-indestructible, then when he forms his protective cocoon around everybody and Rocket suddenly freaks out, it felt rather shoe-horned in.

[Studlock]

Seriously Man of Steel was the worst. You don't do that to Superman, or Clark Kent, you don't take that symbol of everything good in the world and throw mud at it. I kind of hate Zack Snyder, and I'm worried what he does with Wonder Woman.

But yeah Guardians did a better emotional clue and guilty free action and destruction than even the Avengers (and it pains me to defend Joss Whedon) but even Joss had the good sense to at least make it look like the Avengers gave a shit about the civilians.

[Studlock]

Salt-Man Z, on 11 August 2014 - 04:44 PM, said:

Saw it yesterday, and it was just as amazing as I had hoped. So much fun. Bradley Cooper's Rocket was probably the standout performance IMO, although everyone was really good.

If I had one complaint it would be that

Spoiler

I wish they had foreshadowed Groot's ability to die earlier on. For most of the movie he seemed nigh-indestructible, then when he forms his protective cocoon around everybody and Rocket suddenly freaks out, it felt rather shoe-horned in.

Spoiler

Groot definitely didn't die. He was dancing pre-credit scene and in the comics he is routinely reduced to a splinter and grown again.

[Salt-Man Z]

Studlock, on 11 August 2014 - 05:11 PM, said:

Spoiler

Groot definitely didn't die. He was dancing pre-credit scene and in the comics he is routinely reduced to a splinter and grown again.

Spoiler

Of course he didn't actually die, but both the characters and audience were made to think he did.

Honestly, the entire Heroic Sacrifice/Not Really Dead After All trope could stand to be retired. (Though it was worth it for dancing mini-Groot.)

[McLovin]

FINALLY seeing this in a few short hours.

[QuickTidal]

Studlock, on 11 August 2014 - 05:09 PM, said:

Seriously Man of Steel was the worst. You don't do that to Superman, or Clark Kent, you don't take that symbol of everything good in the world and throw mud at it. I kind of hate Zack Snyder, and I'm worried what he does with Wonder Woman.

But yeah Guardians did a better emotional clue and guilty free action and destruction than even the Avengers (and it pains me to defend Joss Whedon) but even Joss had the good sense to at least make it look like the Avengers gave a shit about the civilians.

I still quite enjoy MAN OF STEEL, don't get me wrong, but I'm much more circumspect about my defenses of it when it comes to the final act. GotG proved to me that all they needed was a line of dialogue about evacuating Metropolis when things began to go south....and bingo bango, no need for the civilian casualties. You can still have Perry White and Co. staying in the city (under the assumption that they wish to report the news, embedded journalists if you will), and then even the family that Zod threatens could just be stragglers or people who chose to stay behind and ignore the warnings...but major city life loss would be minimal. All the rest of the ending can still stand as it is.

It's just a small tweak, but it serves a large purpose. And I don't know if I lay that at Snyder's feet, or if I lay it at the writer's feet. Either way, it's much more glaringly obvious to me now in hindsight.

[D'rek]

Salt-Man Z, on 11 August 2014 - 05:18 PM, said:

Studlock, on 11 August 2014 - 05:11 PM, said:

Spoiler

Groot definitely didn't die. He was dancing pre-credit scene and in the comics he is routinely reduced to a splinter and grown again.

Spoiler

Of course he didn't actually die, but both the characters and audience were made to think he did.

Honestly, the entire Heroic Sacrifice/Not Really Dead After All trope could stand to be retired. (Though it was worth it for dancing mini-Groot.)

Spoiler

Does mini-groot = Groot? I saw it as he did die, but at least he had a baby to continue the species, sort of thing.

In any case, I didn't find it felt all that shoehorned. Groot resisting bullets, giant fists, etc without taking much damage is very different than surviving being bounced around the insides of an exploding ship after it falls from 20 000 feet. The difference in scale of damage was obvious enough that it was immediately believable to me that this was a circumstance Groot could not survive despite previous events.

[A Demon Llama!]

Entertaining movie. Just one thing I didn't like how the evil pie maker never actually did anything. For being the main villain in the movie all he did was look at things unfold until he got his ass kicked. Uhhh you have a stone that destroys pretty much anything if you want it to.... maybe use it?

[QuickTidal]

D, on 11 August 2014 - 08:01 PM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on 11 August 2014 - 05:18 PM, said:

Studlock, on 11 August 2014 - 05:11 PM, said:

Spoiler

Groot definitely didn't die. He was dancing pre-credit scene and in the comics he is routinely reduced to a splinter and grown again.

Spoiler

Of course he didn't actually die, but both the characters and audience were made to think he did.

Honestly, the entire Heroic Sacrifice/Not Really Dead After All trope could stand to be retired. (Though it was worth it for dancing mini-Groot.)

Spoiler

Does mini-groot = Groot? I saw it as he did die, but at least he had a baby to continue the species, sort of thing.

In any case, I didn't find it felt all that shoehorned. Groot resisting bullets, giant fists, etc without taking much damage is very different than surviving being bounced around the insides of an exploding ship after it falls from 20 000 feet. The difference in scale of damage was obvious enough that it was immediately believable to me that this was a circumstance Groot could not survive despite previous events.

Spoiler

Same Groot. Rocket carries the last branch of him till he can plant it.

[Studlock]

It was just so Snyder of a film. I couldn't handle it. I enjoy his vision usually, when I go see a film of his I know it's going to be at least interesting to watch. But it was grim, like it's Superman, I go see Superman things when I want to feel good about humanity!

Anyways I don't know is any goes on Comicsalliance.com but they have a pretty awesome write up about the psychological deficits of the Guardians and how it's a good thing (as in honestly displaying them):

http://comicsallianc...alyisis-trauma/

[Illuyankas]

Spoiler

[amphibian]

I'm fully ok with the destruction and loss of life in Man of Steel. That's the scale of enemies Superman needs to deal with and the costs to both Earth and Clark are high enough that he's driven to be better, instead of coasting on his natural abilities.

That's more important to Superman than it is to ragtag teams bumbling around in a comedy.

I also wish the Joker had just blown up both boats in The Dark Knight. That rescue by Tiny Lister was jarring and felt fake.

[McLovin]

I think the whole point of MAN OF STEEL has been missed. Supes can't be the bright beacon of hope if he doesn't know who he is. This movie was about him earning that knowledge.

But anyway, back to topic. Saw GUARDIANS. Didn't hate it but didn't love it. Liked the actors and the humor, and am interested to see where they take it from here, but I'm in no rush to see this one again. Within the MCU this ranks slightly above THOR 2 for me.

[blackzoid]

I don't agree with the GoTG/Man of Steel comparisons. Look at how much slower Ronan's ship descends compared to how fast that phantom Zone Gravity thingie acts in Man of Steel. If all those bacground people did die, there simply was not enough time for them to get out. (Plus Xander been tech advanced and Metropolis is not, makes it faster and somewhat dramatically less exciting that the city is now sans people). I'm reminded of all the collapsing buildings you see in the background of the Justice League and Superman the Series DCAU shows. How many were in those buildings. Thousands of dead animated extras. In a kids show.

I think Vern has a good piece on the Man of Steel hate:
http://www.outlawver...gets-a-bum-rap/

And this line from his review of GoTG is great.
"Because really what is the point of enjoying a movie unless you use it as a vehicle for saying that you didn’t enjoy a different movie. F*** YOU GEORGE LUCAS YOU HURT ME AND I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU EAT A D*** FOREVER NOT MY SUPERMAN."

This post has been edited by blackzoid: 12 August 2014 - 01:19 PM

[QuickTidal]

I've never hated on MAN Of STEEL, I just see the choice of not including a line about evacuation as a missed opportunity, in hindsight.

In fact I loved MAN OF STEEL and still do. This notion of evacuation is probably the only thing I've ever brought up about it to be honest. I have no problem with anything else. I have no problem with the destruction porn, nor with him killing Zod, nor with McLovin's point (which is also how I see it) as Superman growing into the hero by learning lessons like he did in MAN OF STEEL. I like and agree with all that. I just think a line of dialogue would not have gone amiss. I care little about the differences between Metropolis and Xandar technology or organization-wise...an evacuation order is an evacuation order. Plain and simple.

I'm just saying it would not have gone amiss in MoS to reference that...and the fight begins in Smallville, and the destruction didn't come to Metropolis till at least a while later. During that time the military watching things became aware that Zod was going to use his ship as the other end of the weapon (that was already on the other side of the globe working) and he slowly brings it into place above metropolis...during that alignment, you evac the city as best you can...or at least give the order.

It's a small nitpick, I'm aware.

[blackzoid]

Its a very small nitpick if all you are looking for is a single line of dialogue.
A single line of dialogue is hardly a "missed opportunity" in my mind.
But different tastes etc.

This post has been edited by blackzoid: 12 August 2014 - 04:25 PM

[polishgenius]

I finally got to see this. Great fun, but not the SUPERMEGAAWESOME that some people found it- though fair enough, I think this movie has a similar effect on some people that Kick-Ass did on me, so yeah.



The best about it was the humour, and also how as an ensemble piece it allowed every character to breathe, be distinctive and all that. That was one thing it did much better than the Avengers. Groot and Drax were particularly great, and I liked Yondu a lot too.

However, I'm definitely on-side with the people who were very disappointed by the villains. And the pacing lagged occasionally in the action scenes because of having too much going on at one time- but that always bugs me in films, when you have to cut between several different spots of action in the climax.

[Abyss]

polishgenius, on 20 September 2014 - 10:36 PM, said:

I finally got to see this. Great fun, but not the SUPERMEGAAWESOME that some people found it- though fair enough, I think this movie has a similar effect on some people that Kick-Ass did on me, so yeah.



The best about it was the humour, and also how as an ensemble piece it allowed every character to breathe, be distinctive and all that. That was one thing it did much better than the Avengers. Groot and Drax were particularly great, and I liked Yondu a lot too.

However, I'm definitely on-side with the people who were very disappointed by the villains. And the pacing lagged occasionally in the action scenes because of having too much going on at one time- but that always bugs me in films, when you have to cut between several different spots of action in the climax.

The flic had Rocket Racoon standing on Groot's back firing a chain gun. Snarling. During a prison riot. A space prison. In space.

I don't care what anyone says, this was the greatest comics movie ever.

[polishgenius]

Abyss, on 21 September 2014 - 04:01 AM, said:

The flic had Rocket Racoon standing on Groot's back firing a chain gun. Snarling. During a prison riot. A space prison. In space.

I don't care what anyone says, this was the greatest comics movie ever.

Were they played by Chloe Moretz and Nic Cage? No? Then it's not the greatest comic movie ever.



(well, the greatest one overall is probably Oldboy, but that's a different sort of thing)

[Illuyankas]

I will take awkward dancing in front of a supervillain over some asshole pretending to be gay to hang out with the girl he stalks fancies any day.