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Ridiculous 'New' Films you have seen

Posted: May 6th, 2007, 10:22 am
by mrsl
I called this 'ridiculous' because so many of the newer films are either remakes, take-offs, or so badly acted, that just spending the money to go see them and being disappointed makes them maddening.

Of course, there are some good new movies. You're always going to come across some of them like Queen. But this is a place to give opinions about a movie you've seen, and although don't particularly love and admire, it's not that bad. . . or just plain, 'a bad movie'.

In that vein; last night I saw 'The Breakup' premier on HBO. What a lousy, and forgettable take-off on The Way We Were, this is. Vince Vaughn is the only good thing about it. He does the best he can with the script but after a while, it's obvious he's working too hard. He's not a great actor, but shows some signs of becoming one. He can deliver a funny line, and, as in A Cool, Dry Place, he can show some pretty good sad emotions. There are some funny moments, but very few that are really funny, if you've ever been in a break up. Her line of "I want you to WANT to help with the dishes" is a good one and sums up their whole relationship. He's self centered and selfish from day one, so if she chose him to have a relationship with, she has to accept that, or try to change it also from day one. He's a nice guy and everybody likes him, but nobody lets him in on his failures until he's nearing 40. That's kind a a hard time to make a whole life change. However, when he finally does come to some realization - it's too late.

The final scene, although stolen from The Way We Were, is the best one in the whole movie. Both Vaughn and Anniston depict the awkwardness of the situation, and the consideration of a mistake made, but still go ahead to their own choices. His coming out of the store with several packages leads you to believe he has changed, and is trying to become more sensitive although the movie doesn't give you any insight into what he is now doing. She, on the other hand, is still managing her business affairs and working on her career, from her phone conversation.

I think it would have been better to do away with the whole movie, and started with the final scene and shown the new lives they chose to live.

Anne

Posted: May 7th, 2007, 12:19 pm
by jdb1
I vote for The Little Rascals. I thought it was dreadful.

Not just because the direction was flat - potentially funny situation, buildup, no resolution of any kind, funny or not.

I thought it was so completely out of its time. Kids don't play like that any more - they don't have to. And there was no sense of nostalgia, either. Maybe setting it in the Depression would have helped, like in that strange musical "Bugsy Malone". That was at least interesting as a curiosity.

I thought Rascals made no sense at all set in the present. The film was marketed to children, but without a reference point of being familiar with the original short films, I wonder if children really understood what was supposed to be going on.[/i]

Posted: May 7th, 2007, 1:03 pm
by vallo
Anne, I feel your pain. I sat through "The Break-Up" also on Saturday. One word review: Dreck!
Vince Vaughn was also in the 1998 Re-make of Psycho which I had High hopes for because it was Re-Directed by Gus Van Sant who directed some of really good resent films. Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho and Good Will Hunting But the remake was a carbon of the Original and you can't beat perfection. Poor Judgement? maybe.....

vallo

Posted: May 7th, 2007, 1:20 pm
by pktrekgirl
I can't really talk about the 'worst' modern movie, because I no longer see many modern movies unless they are a) scifi-related; b) Best Picture nominees or winners; c) silly Hugh Grant romantic comedies or d) have Johnny Depp in them.

I think the worst 'modern' movie I've seen in recent years was STAR TREK: NEMESIS - a poorly conceived and poorly acted Star Trek film with massive, gaping plot holes so large you could run a star ship through them...holes that no amount of cool special effects could mask.

What a waste of time that film was.

However, I would like to say that in recent years (2000 forward), I've even been disappointed with the Oscar winners and nominees. I used to LOVE most of the Best Picture award winners...but in recent years there has been alot of utter crap, even among the award winners and nominees.

Just this weekend I watched SIDEWAYS for the first time. Now, this film was okay - entertaining, in fact. But we are talking here about a film that was nominated for Best Picture!!!!

Now...I know I didn't get to many movies in 2004...but if THAT is one of the absolute best pictures of the year...well, I don't think I missed much.

As I said, entertaining enough. But certainly not anything I'd see again.

Posted: May 13th, 2007, 12:05 pm
by dfordoom
pktrekgirl wrote:or d) have Johnny Depp in them.
Johnny Depp is about the only thing that will persuade me to watch a modern movie these days. And only some Johnny Depp movies.

Posted: May 16th, 2007, 1:35 pm
by MikeBSG
"Lost in Translation" has to be the most overrated film in recent years. I didn't see it in theaters, but my wife got it when it came out on VHS. We watched it, and it just seemed mediocre. In fact, I got upset because it never seemed to settle down and be about something, an affair or a mid-life crisis or cultural clash. It was just these tiny scenes run together.

Posted: May 16th, 2007, 3:20 pm
by jdb1
MikeBSG wrote:"Lost in Translation" has to be the most overrated film in recent years. I didn't see it in theaters, but my wife got it when it came out on VHS. We watched it, and it just seemed mediocre. In fact, I got upset because it never seemed to settle down and be about something, an affair or a mid-life crisis or cultural clash. It was just these tiny scenes run together.
You are absolutely right, Mike. I couldn't quite place what I found so exasperating about this movie, but that's it. It was like one long expository introduction, but there was never any action or resolution to justify it. It wasn't really "about" anything. Very disapponting.

Posted: May 18th, 2007, 2:22 pm
by Rusty
Hello,

This is a good topic. I recently watched the mid-1950s British film The Dam Busters. Based on a true World War II story, The Dam Busters is a terrific film starring Michael Redgrave and a bunch of other top-notch British performers. I like the movie a lot and I think the movie says all that needs to be said about busting German dams during World War II. Okay, now I read that Peter Jackson is producing a new Dam Busters. I don't think this is necessary and...yes, I am prejudging something that is still in production, but I don't care. Peter Jackson's Dam Busters is a ridiculous movie...you heard it here first.

One extremely ridiculous, recent movie is National Treasure (2004). So many stupid things in National Treasure, not least of which is blowing up a unique archaeolgical treasure...a preserved sailing ship from the 19th century for some idiotic reason I don't even remember (cover their tracks, or something). I know that classic era (studio era) movies often had huge plot holes and stupid moments, but post-studio era movies try so hard to "make it real" that illogical plots and characters and dialogue become so damn obvious.

By the way...I thank my wife for highlighting the stupidity of blowing up the priceless ship. I probably would have let that particular National Treasure idiocy pass because it was one stupid moment out of so many stupid National Treasure moments. Can you tell I don't like National Treasure?

Rusty

Posted: May 18th, 2007, 3:00 pm
by movieman1957
I hated National Treasure too. The longer it went the more ridiculous it became. The last half hour is so goofy that I couldn't even finish it.

Posted: May 19th, 2007, 12:04 pm
by mongoII
I finally relented and watched the outrageous "Borat", and I laughed my butt off. I couldn't believe it.
Although some segments were staged, those that weren't were just hilarious.

Posted: May 25th, 2007, 1:22 pm
by traceyk
Pretty much anything staring Adam Sandler