All the movies I watched in the last 2 months, only 1 film in February as I have been busy Marathon-ing The West Wing.
__SPACE COWBOYS (2000)__first time viewing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PAZBAV43Zw__DEFENSE OF THE REALM (1986)__first time viewing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqxYhLe-vcs- Big fan of Gabriel Byrne, solid as expected here.
- Good mystery reporting spy thriller.
- Disliked the ending.
__VALKYRIE (2008)__first time viewing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww9IWCGZeyw__MAN OF STEEL (2013)__ -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVu3gS7iJu4- Some extensive thoughts I typed down while watching the film.
- The films all around great score particularly shines during the opening 19 minute sequence on Krypton.
- Despite the logic issue of Jor-El a scientist being able to defeat Zod a life long soldier, their fight scene, actually all of Jor-El's fight scenes are solid.
- Love the design of Krypton from the environment itself to their technology, the morphing Nanites that take the place of their computer screens or holograms in particular are ingenious and fascinating to look at. The CGI on said Nanites only failed to be believable once when they formed Lara's face. The environment really gets across that this is the mined out husk of a world on its last legs.
- You get the faint impression that Lara is only going along with this plan out of sheer loving faith in Jor and not that she actually thinks is a great plan on its own merits. That moment when the beaten Zod pleads to her specifically to cease the launch, and she hesitates and looks up at Jor and he almost looks concerned about what she will do.
- I like how different Zod's speech at the end of his trial is to Stamps, Stamps came off delusional self aggrandizing while Zod's came off as a desperate last spiteful burst of anger against the disgusting politicians before him, when they request his last words, in his face you can see his despairing anger boiling over at having failed his fellow soldiers and mission.
- Like the subtle ticks of honor and pure loyalty they gave Faora, when Zod runs forward to yell in the courts face, she instinctively rushes forward to stand along side him when she notices the guards coming to restrain him.
- Conflicted on whether or not I dislike that they did not show the Kents finding Kal in his pod.
- The teacher letting the entire class group around the closet kid Clark is hiding in obviously out of need for seclusion. Really lady?
- When people complain about the "mabye" line and scene, I think they throw it way out of context, When he actually says it he is clearly struggling with what to say rocking back and forth against the truck and just spits it out, and another KEY thing is the immediate follow up line which clarifies its not coming from sociopathic or selfish point of view,
"There is more at stake here then just our lives Clark or the lives around us"
"When the world..... when the world find out what you can do its gonna change everything, our... beliefs, our notions of... what it means for be human, everything"
He speaks it like a man who experienced that life changing revelation himself when they found Clark.
- The scene with Pa and Clark in the basement is well done in strongly getting across that Pa loves Clark but also is extremely uncertain around him. Wish the film had more scenes of Clark as a kid with his parents in less tense life moments.
- The bar scene establishes Clarks distaste for punching down it also establishes how restrained and slow to anger he is, when he initially confronts the ass grabber drunk he merely puts his hand on the guys shoulder and says "leave her alone, man" almost in a almost purely friendly suggestion kinda way, and then immediately removes his hand. The trashing of the jackasses truck harms his walking away as the better man stance, but at the same time, I think he would not have done so if the jerk let him walk away with dignity, instead of throwing a can at him on the way out.
- There is this split second moment when he is taking his apron off and looks at the jerk with this kinda of genuinely sad "damn it man, I liked this job" look.
- Shot behind Lois taking photos of the massive cliff beyond and above her is gorgeous.
- Jor-El's giving the back story of Krypton could be considered needless exposition for the audience, but at the same time, its a nice humble moment of discovery for Clark that I am entirely happy was put in the film.
- The tornado scene... Needed to be tightened up. People complain why did Pa not let Clark go for the dog, that is explained as Pa specifically tells Clark to get Martha to the overpass, hence he obviously values Clark protecting Martha more then the dog.
But then there is a whole good amount between when he gets her there and when Pa motions for him to stay, that Clark should have run to help him. The 2 moments should have coincided, with Clark right when he gets Martha and the kid he was carrying to the Overpass is when he turns and Pa is getting to his feet and Motions for him not to proceed, Clark should have only hesitated for a moment and Pa was gone, as it is, the scene lingers far too long with Clark doing nothing. For those reasons It absolutely is the most flawed scene in the film.
- Moment between Clark and Martha when he returns knowing his origins is very interesting, you really get the impression they know each other very well, Clark recognizing her ticks and personality enough to realize when she is obviously having a mixed response to the news.
- People endlessly harp on the religious imagery, its literally TWO SCENES, the church scene which is a nice humble moment of Clark asking for a human perspective and bit of advice on what he should do and the cross pose in space which was a beautiful shot.
- I appreciate the change in design they intelligently gave to the Kryptonian armor between the modern stuff we saw in the opening and the many thousands of years old colonial armor, The tech conceptually is the same, the form merely adapted and flowed into something more organic looking in time.
- People complain the film is endless mindless action... Its literally 1 Hundred and 29 Minutes into the film before we get the first fight scene with Clark himself (That is not a complaint, I love the build up)
- Forgot how tense and well done the Small-ville fight is viewing within the film.
- Music when the C17 takes off and when Clark crashes the scout ship in particular are fantastic.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdKf3MneyI- Whole cast is solid.
- They did do too much of a good job of showing why Hope was far more qualified to to the job then Scott.
- Strongly look forward to Lilly as Wasp in their next film.
- The Hornet outfit design is absolutely badass!
- Corey Stoll is good here, not great, I think he would make a great Lex Luthor if he dialed back his emotions a bit, he was phenomenal in House of Cards.
__FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER (1991)__ -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aWLk36djRE- Regrettably the weakest film on this list today IMO.
- Some good moments and character stuff but overall just kinda meandering.
- Not nearly as energetic and fun as say Top Gun.
__ALI (2001)__first time viewing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl2FSulKQq4- Liked it a lot overall despite hearing mixed things prior to watching it.
- Mario Van Peebles as Malcolm X was very good. Makes me interested in seeing the Denzel Washington Malcolm X movie soon.
__STATE OF PLAY (2009)__ -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Sp1QvyQQI- Probably my 3rd time viewing the film and honestly I think this is now among my favorite films, not top favorites but in there.
- Absolutely love the feel and tone of the film.
__JUSTICE LEAGUE - GODS & MONSTERS (2015)__first time viewing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxL1Iw73azg
That was some quote.
