Which movie did you watch today and how would you rate it?

[DBT]

How convincing is Elliot Page as an ancient Greek warrior?

 

[ZiprHead]

We watched the movie "Dog" the other day and it was really good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_(2022_film)

Dog is a 2022 American comedy drama road filmdirected by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin, both making their respective film directorial debuts, based on a story by Carolin and Brett Rodriguez. The film stars Tatum as an Army Ranger who is tasked with escorting the military dog of his fallen friend to his funeral. The film also stars Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Q'orianka Kilcher, Ethan Suplee, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Nicole LaLiberte in supporting roles. The film was produced by Free Association on a budget of $15 million.[5]

The film was released in the United States on February 18, 2022, by United Artists Releasing. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praising Tatum's direction and performance, and was also a box office success, grossing $85 million worldwide.

Plot​

Jackson Briggs, a former U.S. Army Ranger suffering from PTSD, tries to apply for a rotation position in Pakistan, but is deemed unfit for service due to a brain injury. He is notified that his friend and former partner, Riley Rodriguez, was killed in a car crash the night before. The morning after attending a memorial service at a local bar, Briggs is called in to Fort Lewis on a special assignment to escort Riley's military dog, Lulu, a female Belgian Malinois with a history of aggressive behavior, to attend his funeral in Nogales, Arizona, after which he is to bring her to White Sands, where she will be euthanized. Initially hesitant, Briggs agrees when his former company commander, Captain Jones, promises to recommend him for the rotation position.

On the road, when Briggs stops at a shooting range, Lulu is disturbed by the sound of gunfire due to her military experiences. She breaks out of her cage, and destroys the passenger seat of his 1984 Ford Bronco. Frustrated, Briggs gives her Benadryl hidden in a hot dog, causing Lulu to fall asleep. In Portland, Oregon, Briggs tries to hit on various women at a bar, but most are repelled by his brash personality. Outside, Lulu draws the attention of two friends, Bella and Zoe, who invite Briggs back to their house. While he is inside, Lulu's barking alerts a neighbor. Believing her to be the victim of abuse, the neighbor smashes the rear windshield, but she promptly attacks him. Briggs runs outside and pulls them apart, but Bella and Zoe are disturbed by the display and lock Briggs outside.

I'll leave it at that because I don't want to spoil the ending, but it's streaming somewhere, maybe Paramount or Peacock or Disney. it's quite a good comedic drama.

PS. We watched "Strays" for the 3rd time and couldn't stop laughing again. Love that crazy movie.

I absolutely do not like dogs being used for police or military work. They have no idea of the danger they could be in at any time. I thinks it's cruelty to the animals.

If properly trained, working dogs usually love their work, so I'm not so sure that it's cruel to train one to do police work. Most end. up retiring at a fairly early age, and are either adopted by the person they worked with or someone else. I'm basing that on the many books I've read about dogs. War is cruel regardless if dogs are involved or not. Wouldn't it be better to comfort the soldier by letting him have a working dog by his side to help detect land mines and things like that.

You're not changing my mind.

Accurate statistics for the exact number of working dogs killed in all historical conflicts do not exist. However, in the Vietnam War alone, an estimated 281 to 350 U.S. military working dogs were killed in action. Across all wars, thousands have perished.

The Department of Defense tracks medical and traumatic causes of death for its Military Working Dogs. For instance, studies of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (OEF/OIF) identified over 100 dog fatalities from traumatic injuries, illness, and combat.

Not my highlighting.

Police dogs are great at helping locate missing people and detect fires etc, so I don't see the cruelty in that. A dog who is chained outside, unloved, not given proper nutrition, allowed to roam in the city etc. That is cruelty to dogs.

I don't have a problem with that.

 

[southernhybrid]

We watched the movie "Dog" the other day and it was really good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_(2022_film)

Dog is a 2022 American comedy drama road filmdirected by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin, both making their respective film directorial debuts, based on a story by Carolin and Brett Rodriguez. The film stars Tatum as an Army Ranger who is tasked with escorting the military dog of his fallen friend to his funeral. The film also stars Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Q'orianka Kilcher, Ethan Suplee, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Nicole LaLiberte in supporting roles. The film was produced by Free Association on a budget of $15 million.[5]

The film was released in the United States on February 18, 2022, by United Artists Releasing. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praising Tatum's direction and performance, and was also a box office success, grossing $85 million worldwide.

Plot​

Jackson Briggs, a former U.S. Army Ranger suffering from PTSD, tries to apply for a rotation position in Pakistan, but is deemed unfit for service due to a brain injury. He is notified that his friend and former partner, Riley Rodriguez, was killed in a car crash the night before. The morning after attending a memorial service at a local bar, Briggs is called in to Fort Lewis on a special assignment to escort Riley's military dog, Lulu, a female Belgian Malinois with a history of aggressive behavior, to attend his funeral in Nogales, Arizona, after which he is to bring her to White Sands, where she will be euthanized. Initially hesitant, Briggs agrees when his former company commander, Captain Jones, promises to recommend him for the rotation position.

On the road, when Briggs stops at a shooting range, Lulu is disturbed by the sound of gunfire due to her military experiences. She breaks out of her cage, and destroys the passenger seat of his 1984 Ford Bronco. Frustrated, Briggs gives her Benadryl hidden in a hot dog, causing Lulu to fall asleep. In Portland, Oregon, Briggs tries to hit on various women at a bar, but most are repelled by his brash personality. Outside, Lulu draws the attention of two friends, Bella and Zoe, who invite Briggs back to their house. While he is inside, Lulu's barking alerts a neighbor. Believing her to be the victim of abuse, the neighbor smashes the rear windshield, but she promptly attacks him. Briggs runs outside and pulls them apart, but Bella and Zoe are disturbed by the display and lock Briggs outside.

I'll leave it at that because I don't want to spoil the ending, but it's streaming somewhere, maybe Paramount or Peacock or Disney. it's quite a good comedic drama.

PS. We watched "Strays" for the 3rd time and couldn't stop laughing again. Love that crazy movie.

I absolutely do not like dogs being used for police or military work. They have no idea of the danger they could be in at any time. I thinks it's cruelty to the animals.

If properly trained, working dogs usually love their work, so I'm not so sure that it's cruel to train one to do police work. Most end. up retiring at a fairly early age, and are either adopted by the person they worked with or someone else. I'm basing that on the many books I've read about dogs. War is cruel regardless if dogs are involved or not. Wouldn't it be better to comfort the soldier by letting him have a working dog by his side to help detect land mines and things like that.

You're not changing my mind.

Accurate statistics for the exact number of working dogs killed in all historical conflicts do not exist. However, in the Vietnam War alone, an estimated 281 to 350 U.S. military working dogs were killed in action. Across all wars, thousands have perished.

The Department of Defense tracks medical and traumatic causes of death for its Military Working Dogs. For instance, studies of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (OEF/OIF) identified over 100 dog fatalities from traumatic injuries, illness, and combat.

Not my highlighting.

Police dogs are great at helping locate missing people and detect fires etc, so I don't see the cruelty in that. A dog who is chained outside, unloved, not given proper nutrition, allowed to roam in the city etc. That is cruelty to dogs.

I don't have a problem with that.

I'm not trying to change your mind. I'm just stating my opinion. I did read that military dogs are now treated much better than they were in the past and they are no longer used to detect land mines. They do sometimes use them to pass messages between two soldiers, but in those cases, they must be trained to be loyal to both soldiers. Dogs have been used in combat since ancient times. Dogs are amazing, my favorite people. I just want them to be loved, appreciated, respected and rewarded for all that they do for humans. And, hopefully, the dogs who are working dogs will not be put in the most dangerous situations.

Still, my original post was simply about a good fictional drama where the dog was the star imo. And, it did have a happy ending after all that the dog had experienced in his difficult life.

 

[Spacetime Inhabitant]

How convincing is Elliot Page as an ancient Greek warrior?

I watched the movie yesterday. Personally I found it slow starting, but it picked up pace. Elliot Page played a very young man who was taking the place of an older warrior, so their casting was alright for the role being depicted. A a whole the movie was fine.
RE: The Princess Bride that many have mentioned, I am personally a fan.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Somebody call for a Wahbulance!

Congratulations on finishing off what looked to be a worthy conversation with the wit of an 8th grader.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

731

It's a Chinese made film about Unit 731 wherein the Japanese performed all manner of unspeakably horrible experiments on Chinese and Russian prisoners.

I don't know if this is a good movie or if it's just a cultural thing I'm not familiar with. It's very stylish, which doesn't at all fit the themes of the movie. It's brutal at times and the torture shown is historically accurate. OTOH, the quarters in which they keep the prisoners is reminiscent of Squid Games. There's also elements of Tarantino influence. Some of the symbolism is clever, some of it heavy handed. Some of the dialogue is good, some is expository vomit.

Whatever the case, it's different in a mostly good way. I'll give it a recommend because there's enough good and because it's a unique viewing experience.

6.5/10

 

[Spacetime Inhabitant]

731

It's a Chinese made film about Unit 731 wherein the Japanese performed all manner of unspeakably horrible experiments on Chinese and Russian prisoners.

I don't know if this is a good movie or if it's just a cultural thing I'm not familiar with. It's very stylish, which doesn't at all fit the themes of the movie. It's brutal at times and the torture shown is historically accurate. OTOH, the quarters in which they keep the prisoners is reminiscent of Squid Games. There's also elements of Tarantino influence. Some of the symbolism is clever, some of it heavy handed. Some of the dialogue is good, some is expository vomit.

Whatever the case, it's different in a mostly good way. I'll give it a recommend because there's enough good and because it's a unique viewing experience.

6.5/10

Many years ago I watched both a documentary and a movie about Unit 731. Both horrifying as regards the ghastly behaviour of the Japanese "scientists". I think it might have been a different movie to this one - I don't know.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

731

It's a Chinese made film about Unit 731 wherein the Japanese performed all manner of unspeakably horrible experiments on Chinese and Russian prisoners.

I don't know if this is a good movie or if it's just a cultural thing I'm not familiar with. It's very stylish, which doesn't at all fit the themes of the movie. It's brutal at times and the torture shown is historically accurate. OTOH, the quarters in which they keep the prisoners is reminiscent of Squid Games. There's also elements of Tarantino influence. Some of the symbolism is clever, some of it heavy handed. Some of the dialogue is good, some is expository vomit.

Whatever the case, it's different in a mostly good way. I'll give it a recommend because there's enough good and because it's a unique viewing experience.

6.5/10

Many years ago I watched both a documentary and a movie about Unit 731. Both horrifying as regards the ghastly behaviour of the Japanese "scientists". I think it might have been a different movie to this one - I don't know.

My guess is that it wasn't this movie because. It's memorable, not because it's a great film but because it's so strange.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Patient Zero

Rabies/fast zombie outbreak decimates the world's population, but there's a guy who can communicate with the infected. The characters in the movie call them--drum roll, please: The Infected.

Natalie Dormer from Game of Thrones is in this one, which is why I gave it a shot. I think she's a good actress that would seem to have a good choice of roles, so I do't know why she's in this flick. My theory goes as follows:

A film exec had a son who took 16 years to get through film school. The kid then begged his dad to give him the money to make a movie. The exec asked Dormer to do him a favor so she agreed to do the movie. Poor Natalie

This flick is bad. Even by low budget horror movies, it scrapes the bottom of the barrel.

The only reason I'm giving this a point is because being able to communicate with the zombified is a potentially good idea.

1/10

 

[Politesse]

Nolan's Odyssey gets an 8 out of 10 from me. I have my quibbles with it, as any lover of the classics likely does, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, and in a year that has mostly been dominated by (imo) sub-par horror flicks, it was nice to see a mainstream film with an actual message. Beautifully shot, beautifully acted. It's the second studio film I've seen this year that I plan to re-watch at some point.

They need to stop casting the same six people in every movie, though! And a film about a notorious trickster really ought to have some hijinks in it somewhere.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Masters of the Universe

Q: What Do You Get For The Man Who Has Everything?

A: More of your money, especially when it comes to that sad underdog, Jeff Bezos.

This one was being pushed hard on Amazon, but it has a really good cast, so I gave it a shot. I don't know how Idris Alba took the role he did. I don't know why one of the best, if not the best actor of the last 10+ years but I guess he has his reasons. I feel the same about Allison Brie; super talented, but she's in this one too. However, Dolph Lungren does make a cameo, so there's that.

It feels like nostalgia bait for a tiny demographic between the ages of 10 and 13 and pretty much alienates anyone else because it's too violent for young viewers and too child-like for anyone older than a middle school student. Maybe it's supposed to be a mega level of cheesy to reflect the cartoon, but it doesn't make for a good or watch that's not for you, but you get why others might enjoy it.

3/10

 

[ZiprHead]

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

How this movie hasn't gotten more run is beyond me. It's fantastic.

A man from the future forcibly recruits random people from a diner to make a run to a house where a 9 year old is about to invent an AI program that results in the full technological takeover of humanity. The number of twists, turns, humor, tension, weirdness, and special effects are top notch. It satirizes the modern addiction to phones and social media in a jarring and insightful way. It's sci-fi so the viewer needs to suspend some disbelief at the door, but this one stays grounded enough so that you're never taken out of the movie.

See it.

8.5/10

My wife and I just saw it yesterday. I liked it, and surprisingly, my wife liked it.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

How this movie hasn't gotten more run is beyond me. It's fantastic.

A man from the future forcibly recruits random people from a diner to make a run to a house where a 9 year old is about to invent an AI program that results in the full technological takeover of humanity. The number of twists, turns, humor, tension, weirdness, and special effects are top notch. It satirizes the modern addiction to phones and social media in a jarring and insightful way. It's sci-fi so the viewer needs to suspend some disbelief at the door, but this one stays grounded enough so that you're never taken out of the movie.

See it.

8.5/10

My wife and I just saw it yesterday. I liked it, and surprisingly, my wife liked it.

I've watched the first half; waiting for an opportunity to finish. Enjoying it so far. Sam Rockwell knocks it out of the park.

 

[blastula]

The Odyssey 7/10

I liked it. In short, it's an action movie about the importance of good manners. Not deeply familiar with the source but broadly know the main beats. The movie hits the familiar scenes from the story, while adding Nolan's spins to them. I liked the style, brought me into a world where giants and witches are normal yet still wonderous. Very watchable for me, kept me interested the whole way. Never thought it was too loud. I did find it a bit too generic "action movie" style at times for some scenes. Also the color scheme was a bit drab, in a gritty reboot way. Had no sense of culture war issues, except maybe when Penelope complains about being not worth her son's whiskers regarding the throne. Elliot Page is fine, in a small but important role. He's not playing some great warrior for those up in their feelings about it, he plays a role he's suited for. Reading up later, his character and some other material in this is not from The Odyssey itself, but from other related stories. As far as historicity, I would have no clue what is historically accurate without checking later, but weird to complain about historicity when it's all mythology and even Homer wasn't that "historically accurate."

I also want to add how the movie going experience has greatly improved over time. I am able to buy and reserve my seats from home and even order snacks at that time from a wide selection, and then get there and pick them up without waiting in line, and then make my drink how I like it. People like to say how the whole world is going to shit. Not so for movie theaters!

 

[ZiprHead]

The Odyssey 7/10

I liked it. In short, it's an action movie about the importance of good manners. Not deeply familiar with the source but broadly know the main beats. The movie hits the familiar scenes from the story, while adding Nolan's spins to them. I liked the style, brought me into a world where giants and witches are normal yet still wonderous. Very watchable for me, kept me interested the whole way. Never thought it was too loud. I did find it a bit too generic "action movie" style at times for some scenes. Also the color scheme was a bit drab, in a gritty reboot way. Had no sense of culture war issues, except maybe when Penelope complains about being not worth her son's whiskers regarding the throne. Elliot Page is fine, in a small but important role. He's not playing some great warrior for those up in their feelings about it, he plays a role he's suited for. Reading up later, his character and some other material in this is not from The Odyssey itself, but from other related stories. As far as historicity, I would have no clue what is historically accurate without checking later, but weird to complain about historicity when it's all mythology and even Homer wasn't that "historically accurate."

I also want to add how the movie going experience has greatly improved over time. I am able to buy and reserve my seats from home and even order snacks at that time from a wide selection, and then get there and pick them up without waiting in line, and then make my drink how I like it. People like to say how the whole world is going to shit. Not so for movie theaters!

We have only one mainstream multiplex theater left in town. We have a small theater that runs third rate movies at discount prices but I haven't been there in fifty years when they were running first run movies

 

[robnisch]

Peacock

www.peacocktv.com

Not sure yet how I feel about this movie.
This could fit in the AI thread.
The bottom line is that all tech is good and bad.
We must find that balance if we are going to advance.
7/10

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Peacock

www.peacocktv.com

Not sure yet how I feel about this movie.
This could fit in the AI thread.
The bottom line is that all tech is good and bad.
We must find that balance if we are going to advance.
7/10

Peacock wants me to log in before it will show me what movie you’re talking about.

 

[Toni]

Masters of the Universe

Q: What Do You Get For The Man Who Has Everything?

A: More of your money, especially when it comes to that sad underdog, Jeff Bezos.

This one was being pushed hard on Amazon, but it has a really good cast, so I gave it a shot. I don't know how Idris Alba took the role he did. I don't know why one of the best, if not the best actor of the last 10+ years but I guess he has his reasons. I feel the same about Allison Brie; super talented, but she's in this one too. However, Dolph Lungren does make a cameo, so there's that.

It feels like nostalgia bait for a tiny demographic between the ages of 10 and 13 and pretty much alienates anyone else because it's too violent for young viewers and too child-like for anyone older than a middle school student. Maybe it's supposed to be a mega level of cheesy to reflect the cartoon, but it doesn't make for a good or watch that's not for you, but you get why others might enjoy it.

3/10

I knew an actor once (may he RIP) who said: work is work--reference to actors.

I agree re: Idris Alba who is stunning. I like Allison Brie, too. I'd like to see her in more.


I will almost certainly not watch the movie but my oldest kid was a huge fan of the cartoon when he was little. Hubby as well, although 'adult' at the time. No knock. I actually really admire grown ups who can be little kids again with kids, if they do it well. He does it in all the best ways.

My quibble is less that the same actors are used over and over again (they are) but rather that the same movies are being made over and over and over again, albeit with different titles, different character names and some minor plot differences.

My other quibble is that women actors are getting the most work when they take on stereotypical male roles as super heroes, etc. I hate to see any good actor reduced to that (but work is work) but it galls me that so many films these days are being written to appeal to adolescent males (note I did not write teenage--that was a deliberate choice) and to move into video games or whatever the kids are calling them these days. Nope. For all the budding writers and screenwriters out there: there are many more and much better ways to show strength and determination than killing a bunch of (insert dehumanized and/or demonized) stereotypes of characters and blowing up things and people.

Last two movies I saw:

Supergirl, which I saw panned but was ok. 7.5/10--did not live up to the previous Superman, but not bad.

Toy Story 5: 8.5/10. Not as good as the first but then, none of them were. I think I must have missed one or two because I was startled to see we were at 5!. The movie laughs at itself a bit and is funny and sweet and on point in some ways.

 

[ZiprHead]

Peacock

www.peacocktv.com

Not sure yet how I feel about this movie.
This could fit in the AI thread.
The bottom line is that all tech is good and bad.
We must find that balance if we are going to advance.
7/10

Peacock wants me to log in before it will show me what movie you’re talking about.

Yup. I have no idea.

 

[southernhybrid]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog's_Way_Home

A Dog's Way Home is a 2019 American adventure drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplayby W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Cameron. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, former dog actor Shelby, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi, Barry Watson, and Jonah Hauer-King. The film follows a dog named Bella (voiced by Howard and acted by Shelby) who travels more than 400 miles to find her owner.

It was released in the United States on January 11, 2019, to mixed reviews from critics and grossed $80 million worldwide.

Plot​

In a neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, a mother stray dog and her three newborn puppies live peacefully with a colony of feral cats in an abandoned house. One day, Animal Control officers discover the animals and capture most of the cats, two of the puppies, and the mother dog. Luckily, Bella is saved by a mother cat, who then adopts and raises her. Lucas Ray and his friend Olivia, two local residents who visit often to feed the cats, find Bella in the old house along with many kittens and the mother cat. He names the dog Bella and takes her home to live with him and his veteran mother, Terri.

I've watched this movie before but forgot a lot of the details. Being the extreme dog lover that I am, I love this well done, dramatic movie, so I give it a 10.