The Unofficial Ongoing Current Movies in Theaters thread

[MontuckyFried]

3 hours is too long, when the movie isn’t based on a book, and even then, I’m glad we saw it at a movie and dinner place.

All the theater needed was a chamber pot included under each seat and we'd be all set!

[Jacques Strap]

Like I said, a hot mess ..... but yeah, technically .......

Still, Deadpool 1 and 2 are fucking fantastic movies, I'll absolutely agree with you on that.

3 hours is too long, when the movie isn’t based on a book

are invested in the Marvel Universe already

Yeah, that point is critical. If you go into the movie with the expectation of a capstone epic that will close the chapter on over a decade of movies, expecting anything less than three hours is ridiculous. Hundreds of movies are over three hours long; some great, some terrible, most middling.

And while Endgame wasn't based on a book (or even a specific comicbook story, uncharacteristically), the source material it's birthed from is far longer and far more complicated (not necessarily in a good way) than any book or even book series.

How many times does Spiderman and Batman (DC, I know) need to be 'rebooted'?

Many of the contracts for character movie rights have a stipulation that if a given number of years lapse between releases, then the movie rights will revert to their previous owners. That's why we got so many Fantastic Four and Spider-Man reboots, Fox and Sony (respectively) were trying desperately to keep the rights by releasing new movies before that time period elapsed. We've already seen a number of reversions (Punisher, Blade, Ghost Rider, etc.)

Batman is a little different in that he's a cultural icon separate from his comicbook fame. But, if you consider a "reboot" to be when a characters origin is shown (like it was in all those Spider-Man reboots), then he's only been rebooted three or four times in ~80 years. His origin was never shown in the '40s serials, nor in Batman '66 or the '60s TV show. Although, those are distinct enough that Batman '66/TV would clearly be considered as a new take, I'm not sure it counts as a "reboot". His origin was shown in Batman '89, but not in Returns, Forever, or Batman and Robin, and I would contend those four are all related. Batman Begins was clearly a reboot, and so was Batman v Superman.

too random who will have the best superpower in any specific fight

Not trying to defend it (I think Endgame really mishandled Captain Marvel in general), but this is certainly the heritage of the comics. The answer to the question of "Who would win in a fight: Spider-Man or Wolverine?" is "Who's name is on the cover?". I've got a buddy who likes the movies well enough but is always asking specific questions about power levels and I keep having to explain to him that because those comics have had multiple writers for decades, there are no clear-cut power rankings; it's all arbitrary and the only thing that matters is if you can tell a good story. My leniency extends to the movies too, as long as a plot hole or inconsistency doesn't pull me out of the experience then I don't really care.

[dookeyXXX]

I’m w/ dookey on “Avengers Endgame”...

???
I have not seen Avengers: Endgame yet and probably won't until next week, nor have I posted any comments about it...

[Elkhound Odin]

I think plug is saying whatever you think, he agrees with


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[dookeyXXX]

HELLBOY
2.5 / 5

The film was actually better than I anticipated, but it was still equal parts semi-awesome and then semi-shitty. Lottsa nerdgasm stuff (that is if you've read any of the comics) and it features lottsa characters from pretty much every period of Hellboy, but while that was cool (Lobster Johnson!!!!) it was also a bit all-over-the-map, thus making the film feel uneven more often than not.
Plus the ultimate story--an evil sorceress trying to take over the world-- has become all too familiar in too many comic book films (Thor: Ragnarok; Suicide Squad; Justice League; even Avengers: Ultron (okay, not a sorceress, but a computer, which, if you think about it, is like an electronic wizard)).
I was impressed by the FX, though. First time CG blood looked thick and gooey like practical blood.
Worth a rental if you are a Hellboy fan.
Methinks this character would be better served as a series a la Daredevil or Walking Dead.
If you do take a chance on it, stay all the way through the credits. There are two post-credit epilogues.

[dookeyXXX]

GLASS - 4/5
Saw this at the second-run cinema in Reno yesterday for $4...
I was really surprised by this one.
I am not a fan of M. Night by any stretch (I think he is overrated and conceited, at least in regards to his films, dunno about him as a person), but this film rocks (with the exception of the director's lame cameo that continues to prove that he cannot act and that he should give up trying to be Hitchcock...even DePalma, one of the great Hitchcock wannabes, had the good sense not to place himself in his films!).
That said, I really dug some of the camera angles, the off-center close-ups, and the metaness of the story, which plays around nicely with the whole comic book mystique and mythos.
I never really liked Unbreakable that much (may have to revisit it, though), but I kinda dug Split, the two previous entries in what is now a trilogy. I think this entry is better than either of those; it's a nice surprise.
Granted, the ending is a bit trite (they could have ended it about 10-minutes earlier, but I have a feeling that M. Night felt the need to placate the audience, I guess (either that or he just thought we were too stupid and needed clarification...I actually wouldn't put that thought past M. Night...)).
At any rate, solid acting, great directing, well paced, and a nice alternative to all the Marvel/DC superhero movies (a lot darker and had a decidedly non-sterile/non-homogenous look and feel to it).
I believe it's at Redbox now, too.

[Supermoon]

Saw Us last night. Thought it was really good. Jordan Peele is super good. Very intense and creepy throughout

[plugboots]

???
I have not seen Avengers: Endgame yet and probably won't until next week, nor have I posted any comments about it...

I was referring to this:

Truth be told, I’m getting a little bored with all the intergalacticness of the current spate of Marvel movies.

and should have said Marvel movies and not specifically Avenger's Endgame.

As to CS2-6's point, I'll disagree about summing up a decade's worth of movies, etc. Is there a book, (comic or not), that "Endgame" is based on? That is where the expectation comes from. Hey IJMO, but Endgame was about an hour too long. Like gratuitous additions of the girl superheroes standing together and saying they've got it, (even though they don't), or making sure all the assorted heroes get screen time, etc. All that crap should have been cut.

Does the scene move the story forward? If not, cut it. There often are fun exceptions, but usually not.

[4matic]

Avengers Endgame:

Not for me. That’s what people want? I liked Alita better.


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[dookeyXXX]

SHAZAM
3.5/5

Holy shit if Shazam ain’t a hoot.
On paper this film should not even work, but it does. Broken down to the core its story is like a Hallmark Original Movie candy spanked an ABC After School Special that was secretly having a tryst with a Lifetime Movie of the Week. There’s what could very easily have been the most treacle-laced “family is everything” undercurrent in the story that somehow works. There’s cliched humor and hi-jinx that somehow work. There’s cringe-worthy dialogue that somehow works. All the obvious tropes are present and very few of them are tweaked, but they work (the long segment with Shazam trying to figure out his powers brought back memories of Hayden Panettiere’s Heroes character doing the same thing). There are precocious kid actors galore, but they work. There are so many things in this film that shouldn’t work that do, which is why it’s so fun. Toss in some creative camera wrangling and tons of nods to John Hughes, Home Alone, and Big, just to name a few obvious influences, and you get a whiz-bang comic book movie par excellence. I gotta admit that I was not even checking for this film based on the trailers. Heck, I thought that Zachary Levi was the wrong choice for Captain Marvel, erm, I mean Shazam (he's not squinty eyed or square-jawed enough). And yes, there’s the omnipresent and terribly overused evil deities as villains (c’mon Hollywood, come up with some different types of villains for our heroes to do battle with, it can’t be that hard, can it?) and plenty of kinda ho-hum CGI flying battles. But it all just seems to work. I think a large part of it is that the film feels like it was made with genuine care and love for the characters; it has, dare I say it, heart. Oh and they take lottsa digs at fellow DC heroes such as Superman, Batman, Aquaman, and the rest of the Justice League, which I can’t ever recall happening in a Marvel film. This may be one of the best superhero movies to date, definitely in the Top 10, and despite a few liberties taken, remains pretty faithful to the source material. Lottsa nerd “easter eggs” lurking in the film, too (I caught a few, more than likely missed a ton).
Worth the price of admission for sure.

PS
I'm still catching up on my superhero films before seeing Endgame. Aquaman tomorrow night! Woot.

[mcski]

By the power of the immortal elders! I always enjoyed the crime fighting road trips Billy Batson took in that old beater Dodge RV w the creepy old guy he called "Mentor" It was an under appreciated Saturday morning offering.

[dookeyXXX]

By the power of the immortal elders! I always enjoyed the crime fighting road trips Billy Batson took in that old beater Dodge RV w the creepy old guy he called "Mentor" It was an under appreciated Saturday morning offering.

I was more partial to Electra Woman and Dyno Girl...

[mcski]

I don't recall that one at all, but I'm sure it was better than Bigfoot and Wildboy

[Elkhound Odin]

Avengers Endgame was satisfying. A proper conclusion and send off to the past decade MCU. (Although Captain Marvel was pretty pointless- solo & endgame)

If only the clowns in charge of GoT could have accomplished the same.


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[Jacques Strap]

Is there a book, (comic or not), that "Endgame" is based on?

While there are a lot of parallels to individual moments in comics, no, there isn't a storyline that Endgame is based on. Which I think is a strength of the movie. With ever other comicbook movie I've seen, I can see the comics that inspired and informed the plot, but not with Endgame. That's exciting for me.

Endgame was very long, and I can see that being an honest barrier for a number of people. And I also agree with you, that in the sense of "art for art's sake" if a scene doesn't advance the plot, develop the characters, or provide comedy, it should ruthlessly be cut from the proceedings. But unfortunately the screenwriters and directors don't have that luxury with The Avengers. This is the final send-off (I don't like the word "culmination" since it suggests all the movies have been leading to this moment... and they weren't really intending that, it just developed organically that way, remarkably similar to how it did in the early days of Marvel) to a number of characters that audiences have been following for over a decade. Yes, about 1/3rd of this movie is fan service, but I think it's necessary fan service and we (us who have been watching these stupid movies since Iron Man) would feel disappointed and cheated if those parts were cut out. Also, Disney has to figure out how to move forward after this phase of the Marvel movies and adapt to our ever-changing social climate, and about 1/5th of Endgame was basically screen-testing ideas for future IP investment. While I wish it wasn't in there, I can pragmatically understand the necessity.

Holy shit if Shazam ain’t a hoot.

No joke!!! It took DC soooo many tries, but they finally made a movie that is better than the worst MCU movie. I agree completely with your review, it's blast, and I'm eager for some Mister Mind villainy.

[ezreal15]

real good. I think I will install the Netflix in mobidescargar to see

[seano732]

real good. I think I will install the Netflix in mobidescargar to see

You should install pics of your girlfriends tits instead.....

[dookeyXXX]

AVENGERS: ENDGAME
3/5

Finally saw the new Avengers flick today (it was raining, so I scrapped skiing and went to the movies instead).
I don't know what all the hoopla is about as the film was just average imho.
I had a lot of problems with the plot (not revealing the intricacies so as not to spoil it for those who have yet to see it) and I felt that for every honest, heartfelt moment in the film there were at least two calculated and manufactured moments, so I felt that the film bounced between being really cool and really contrived.
Also, with an ensemble cast like this one it felt a bit all over the place, not really giving any serious time to any one character (again, that's the nature of a picture of this magnitude, but it also tended to work against the overall flow and feel a bit).
A lot of the humor felt forced, too.
In the end it was a decent enough popcorn flick, but I don't know if I'm compelled enough to see it again, even if some of the things in it left me scratching my head and thinking "did I miss something?".
I definitely liked the first part (Infinity Wars) better.

And while I have seen all the MCU movies in order, I still felt like I had missed something. I wish they would do a quick recap at the beginning of the film(s), much like Stan Lee used to do in the comics (usually the splash page would be a quick recap or the first page after the splash would have a "in case you missed last issue dear readers..." blurb). I don't have the time to go back and re-watch every MCU movie prior to the release of a new one!

[Bobby Stainless]

Is Kurt Russel playing the character from Death Proof?

[dookeyXXX]

Is Kurt Russel playing the character from Death Proof?

Saw something in passing on the Webz which insinuated that he's playing Stuntman Mike's brother...

[Jacques Strap]

plot holes

Interesting. I've been anticipating your review and am a little surprised that it wasn't at least a 3.5/5. I liked it a little more than you, although I didn't love it either; it doesn't make it into my top 5 MCU movies. I think I respect it more than I liked it. As such, I seem to have become a bit of an apologist for Endgame.

Yes, Endgame has plot holes; as does nearly every story (and every single story involving time travel). Plot holes only tend to really bother me when they seem to be the result of lazy writing, and they don't bother me at all when I can't figure out a way to fix them without ruining a meaningful thematic or character moment. I think all the plot holes in Endgame kinda have to be there to tell the story they wanted to tell.

A lot of the humor felt forced, too.

It's funny that you say that. I thought the humor in Endgame was very conversational and saw many instances where the movie avoided making a joke; places where other writers would've dropped one in, and made it feel like a sitcom.

I felt almost exactly the way about Ragnarok as you feel about Endgame. I thought the humor in Thor 3 often felt manufactured, like a comedy and sometimes like an outright parody or spoof. But, Ragnarok is easily my least favorite MCU movie. And yes, I know the rest of the internet disagrees with me on that.

[toast2266]

GLASS - 4/5
Saw this at the second-run cinema in Reno yesterday for $4...

Gonna have to agree to disagree on this one. Watched it on an airplane. Should've just stared at the flight tracker.

It's classic M. Night - plot holes and choppy dialogue are overlooked just to force the movie towards the inevitable twist.

[buttahflake]

Yeah, what gives dookey? You are pretty good at this, but man, what steaming pile of crap. I rented this turd because of you!

[dookeyXXX]

Interesting. I've been anticipating your review and am a little surprised that it wasn't at least a 3.5/5. I liked it a little more than you, although I didn't love it either; it doesn't make it into my top 5 MCU movies. I think I respect it more than I liked it. As such, I seem to have become a bit of an apologist for Endgame.

Yes, Endgame has plot holes; as does nearly every story (and every single story involving time travel). Plot holes only tend to really bother me when they seem to be the result of lazy writing, and they don't bother me at all when I can't figure out a way to fix them without ruining a meaningful thematic or character moment. I think all the plot holes in Endgame kinda have to be there to tell the story they wanted to tell.

It's funny that you say that. I thought the humor in Endgame was very conversational and saw many instances where the movie avoided making a joke; places where other writers would've dropped one in, and made it feel like a sitcom.

I felt almost exactly the way about Ragnarok as you feel about Endgame. I thought the humor in Thor 3 often felt manufactured, like a comedy and sometimes like an outright parody or spoof. But, Ragnarok is easily my least favorite MCU movie. And yes, I know the rest of the internet disagrees with me on that.

Naw, I was rather non-plussed by Ragnarok. I thought the humor in it was really forced. But then I didn't really much cotton to the director's previous film, What We Do In The Shadows, which everybody else seemed to love (enough for it to get made into a TV series, no less!).

Gonna have to agree to disagree on this one. Watched it on an airplane. Should've just stared at the flight tracker.

It's classic M. Night - plot holes and choppy dialogue are overlooked just to force the movie towards the inevitable twist.

Perhaps I just have a really low expectation for M. Night films. I dunno why I keep seeing his films as I think he's an over-blown, bloated, self-infatuated director (dude, even Hitchcock didn't put himself in long speaking scenes in his films, rather he just had himself walking in a crowd or viewed as a shadow), but I liked it. I didn't see any plot holes or have any that stuck out like a sore thumb to me. I enjoyed the camera angles and shots and the acting was solid. Again, I went in with next-to-zero expectations and they were greatly exceeded.

Yeah, what gives dookey? You are pretty good at this, but man, what steaming pile of crap. I rented this turd because of you!

I dunno what to say. man. I appreciate that you hold my reviews in such high esteem, but at the end of the day they are just reviews and should be taken with a grain of salt. My only way to relate to your "anger" is to think about my buddy who is a critic for The San Francisco Examiner (amongst other outlets). He and I have known each other for close to 20 years. We have very similar tastes in films (we are both horror and genre junkies), yet we tend to disagree on more movies than we agree on. Most recent example: Destroyer. I hated the film because I felt that Nicole Kidman was severely miscast. He, on the other hand, loved the film and particularly loved Kidman's part in it. We've disagreed on other films, too, but we're still good friends and still respect each other's viewpoints.

Next time you find yourself in Tahoe, I'll buy you a beer to pay you back for the rental cost!


PS
I'm pretty sure that both you and Toast have given high marks to films I thought sucked (I'm too lazy to go back through this post, the Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Redbox posts, but can rest a bit assured that both of you have probably loved films that I thought were meh). To quote the late, great Doris Day: Que Sera Sera...

[dookeyXXX]

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3: PARABELLUM
2.5/5

The third installment in the John Wick saga falters and slips following in the footsteps of its predecessors. While the two earlier entries in the series contained their fair share of violent action, they also hid a buried a sense of subtelty and mystery lying just underneath all the gun fire and blood spatter. Here, however, it’s all about one over-the-top action sequence after another, after another, after another... Sure, the early action sequences bristle, but there’s nary a break in the mayhem over the course of the 130- minute running time which means that by the second act you’re easily as exhausted as Wick looks throughout the film itself. In short: the seemingly non-stop barrage of bullets and fisticuffs soon escalates into a mind-numbing game of one-upmanship in the form of number of guns fired and asses kicked.
To add to the action-on-auto-pilot vibe we get tossed some serious miscasting (Angelica Huston as a Russian mob matriarch and Halle Barry as a former assassin-turned-Morocco hotel manager), a kind of groveling John Wick casually begging for foregiveness and his life at every turn, and the complete destruction of the mystique of the underworld created in the first two installments. The end result is a film that pales in comparison to either of the previous entries in the series.
This isn’t to say JW3 a complete waste of your time. The first act is visually kinetic, both in terms of choreography and cinematography; it’s teeming with slick imagery--NYC drenched in rain and neon-- plus some engaging and creatively gonzo fight sequences.
Things start to fall apart, however, once Wick leaves The Big Apple and journeys to the assassin mecca of Morocco. Once there, the inevitable ensuing gun fight is long, laborious, and filled with “magic bullets” (Barry’s character never once reloads her gun during the extended battle!). If that weren’t enough, Wick ends up wandering in the desert and is eventually granted an audience with the head of the High Table in a scene cribbed from Lawrence of Arabia; this segment of the film is obviously intended to be somewhat existential, but instead is rather hokey.
By the film’s end everything is on overkill, even down to the Enter The Dragon-by-way- of-The Lady From Shanghai-influenced final fight, which, while visually intriguing, ultimately feels lackluster and anticlimactic (not to mention just a tad too long). It’s all capped off with an ending that blatantly screams “John Wick 4 Coming Soon!” (the fourth chapter was recently greenlit, btw) as opposed to the more enigmatic endings of the two previous films.
All of this said, I have half a mind to go see it again just to make sure I didn’t miss anything lurking between the flying bullets and broken bodies.