Controversial opinions about other movies

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  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,157
    I'm actually happy to read these comments, fellas. I got the impression that as a Bond film, you're almost sure to appreciate True Lies. It's been described to me as "the Bond film between LTK and GE"... I just can't see that.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,147
    'French comedy' and 'funny' in the same sentence?! ;)
  • Posts: 15,103
    Venutius wrote: »
    'French comedy' and 'funny' in the same sentence?! ;)

    French comedies are often very funny, albeit maybe not for a non French speaker: they're generally very verbose and based on interaction.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,107
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Venutius wrote: »
    'French comedy' and 'funny' in the same sentence?! ;)

    French comedies are often very funny, albeit maybe not for a non French speaker: they're generally very verbose and based on interaction.

    I agree, there are lots of great French comedies.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,178
    I enjoy TRUE LIES, but it is bloated, and that’s a thing that kind of persists throughout Cameron’s films as his career went further.

    THE TERMINATOR is perfect as it is. Cameron should look back onto that and see how its brevity is a major plus.

    The theatrical cut of ALIENS is perfect, and his “Special Edition” is completely unnecessary with all the additional footage added. I find the theatrical version where we never see the colony at the beginning more suspenseful.

    THE ABYSS I will actually say benefits from the Special Edition, because the backdrop of the Cold War brings more tension and makes the film have a bigger scope.

    TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY isn’t as tight as the original, but still preferable to the longer Special Edition version (the only addition I like is Kyle Reese’s dream cameo, which hammers in partly why Sarah keeps fighting).

    TRUE LIES and TITANIC never had longer cuts, probably because Cameron had enough clout by the mid 90s to make his final cut on both films.

    AVATAR has a longer cut! I never watched it, because I’ve seen Cameron’s other Special Editions to know that the theatrical is probably fine as it is. If it’s an improvement like THE ABYSS, I never heard of that.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited October 2022 Posts: 3,147
    I'm a Northerner, though - I like deadpan black humour, absurdities and primitive sight gags. Giving a Mini one last chance to work and then going to fetch a branch to beat it with? Now that's funny, al tell thi...
  • Posts: 377
    The first and third acts of True Lies are great but the the mid section seems to be from a different movie. Completely agree with @MakeshiftPython that the theatrical cut of Aliens is by far the better version of that film.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,157
    cooperman2 wrote: »
    The first and third acts of True Lies are great but the the mid section seems to be from a different movie. Completely agree with @MakeshiftPython that the theatrical cut of Aliens is by far the better version of that film.

    I agree that the theatrical cut of Aliens is superior, but having seen said cut numerous times, I did welcome the extra scenes. That is, except for the one where Ripley reveals her first name to Hicks.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,147
    Yes, I was glad to see the extended Aliens too, but more as a curio, really - the theatrical cut had already nailed it, I thought.
  • Posts: 15,103
    Venutius wrote: »
    I'm a Northerner, though - I like deadpan black humour, absurdities and primitive sight gags. Giving a Mini one last chance to work and then going to fetch a branch to beat it with? Now that's funny, al tell thi...

    Watch Le diner de cons, Les Visiteurs, Grosse Fatigue, some de Funes movies, the TV series Bref, just to name a few. The French can do visual gags too, but it's mostly through interaction that they create humour. That's why they make rather poor stand up comedians imo.
  • Posts: 16,148
    I can't think of any James Cameron movies I actually like other than maybe ALIENS.
    Even at that I don't have a copy of it in my film library. I suppose the Terminator films are amazing, but I'm just never in the mood for them.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited October 2022 Posts: 24,157
    The Terminator films, Aliens and The Abyss are the ones I really enjoy. The others are technically marvellous but narratively somewhat disappointing. We are not talking about P2. 😉
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,205
    Seemingly controversial in this thread, but I think True Lies is one of his best films. Full of bravado, confidence, witty and with a couple of set-pieces that have yet to be bettered in Hollywood. Schwarzenegger has never been better.
  • Posts: 1,916
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Good one, @Thunderfinger. ;-)

    I don't know how controversial this is, but I've never understood why people like TRUE LIES that much. Technically, it's a well-made film. Arnold is pretty good in it. But overall, I find the movie bloated, a tad dull, and a bit of a let-down considering Cameron's previous four films (as a director), which I absolutely love. True Lies is where I feel that Cameron began to lose his interest in strong plots.

    I've felt that way since I first saw the film. It was touted at the time as the next big action film and it was just okay. It didn't help having Tom Arnold as the wisecracking sidekick. Could never stand that guy. I also recall skeptics back in '95 claiming Bond could never stand up against a film like True Lies, which in all honestly never gets talked about much that I see.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited October 2022 Posts: 3,147
    Yes, it's strange to look back now at some of the things that were once touted as putting Bond out to pasture and then compare their current reputations to where our series is all these years later. The Bourne films hold up, but the likes of True Lies, xXx, etc, seem to be barely remembered now.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited October 2022 Posts: 7,546
    Maybe the first controversial opinion about the new Super Mario Bros. Movie, but it looks sick as hell. I foresee buying it on physical when it comes out and watching it repeatedly. Am I disappointed about Chris Pratt's casting? Yeah, but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,178
    Venutius wrote: »
    Yes, it's strange to look back now at some of the things that were once touted as putting Bond out to pasture and then compare their current reputations to where our series is all these years later. The Bourne films hold up, but the likes of True Lies, xXx, etc, seem to be barely remembered now.

    It doesn’t help that TRUE LIES has had a nonexistent psychical media presence since the barebones 1999 DVD, and seeing it available for streaming has been extremely rare.

    For what it’s worth, it finally hit Hulu about a month ago in the US. Dunno about its availability outside of that, but this is a rare opportunity for anyone who hasn’t seen it to give it a watch. It’s really as much of a comedy as it is an action film. And it’s the only thing I’ve ever seen Tom Arnold actually be funny in.
  • ProfJoeButcherProfJoeButcher Bless your heart
    Posts: 1,711
    Maybe the first controversial opinion about the new Super Mario Bros. Movie, but it looks sick as hell. I foresee buying it on physical when it comes out and watching it repeatedly. Am I disappointed about Chris Pratt's casting? Yeah, but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been.

    It looks surprisingly wonderful! And Chris's voice seems perfect as far as I'm concerned.
  • Agent_Zero_OneAgent_Zero_One Ireland
    edited October 2022 Posts: 554
    Heat is not Michael Mann's best film. Collateral is.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited October 2022 Posts: 24,157
    Heat is not Michael Mann's best film. Collateral is.

    I like, nay love, both films. But nothing in Mann's resume beats HEAT for me.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,205
    Yup. They're both incredible films, but Heat is my favourite.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,147
    Little Al beat up a prime Rollins - how could it be bad?
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,994
    Seemingly controversial in this thread, but I think True Lies is one of his best films. Full of bravado, confidence, witty and with a couple of set-pieces that have yet to be bettered in Hollywood. Schwarzenegger has never been better.

    The action sequences in True Lies really are fantastic. The stunt with the helicopter with the destroyed Bridge is probably my favourite of all time.
    Best action director of all time IMO.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    edited October 2022 Posts: 45,489
    I enjoyed both Manhunter and Collateral more than Heat. Maybe even Miami Vice, although I think his best work was still the tv series.

    As for True Lies, I don t like it, either.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,205
    Seemingly controversial in this thread, but I think True Lies is one of his best films. Full of bravado, confidence, witty and with a couple of set-pieces that have yet to be bettered in Hollywood. Schwarzenegger has never been better.

    The action sequences in True Lies really are fantastic. The stunt with the helicopter with the destroyed Bridge is probably my favourite of all time.
    Best action director of all time IMO.

    Yep, a great sequence for sure. The comparisons to Bond were always made by third parties rather than Cameron himself as far as I'm aware, so it seems irrational to me to hold that against it.

    Though I do genuinely think the action in there is better than most Bond films anyway, so it doesn't make much difference.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    edited October 2022 Posts: 8,178
    I can’t say I understand the adoration for HEAT. I thought it was an okay crime thriller, I just don’t understand why it’s so hyped.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,107
    My favourite Michael Mann film is Manhunter, love the colours, the score and the atmosphere.

    Very close to MV, the tv series, of course. But I love that show to bits, so maybe that explains my choice here.
  • DrunkIrishPoetDrunkIrishPoet The Amber Coast
    Posts: 156
    I had to create a survey for a statistics class. This was back when avatar was new. My question was to rank these three films in order of quality from best to worst: Avatar, the Titanic, and true lies.
    Much to my surprise true lies won in a landslide.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited October 2022 Posts: 7,546
    Heat is not Michael Mann's best film. Collateral is.

    I watched Collateral for the first time recently, but I think I still like Heat more.
    I can’t say I understand the adoration for HEAT. I thought it was an okay crime thriller, I just don’t understand why it’s so hyped.

    Both of of it's high intensity action scenes and simmering quiet scenes are done quite perfectly IMO. I read somewhere they use the street shootout scene for police training, or some kind of military training, somewhere. Sorry that bit of trivia came with no specific details. :)) "Someone, somewhere, uses that scene for... something..."
  • Posts: 377
    Controversial opinion maybe but I think Red Dragon is a better version of Harris's novel than Manhunter. Mann's film is very much a film of the 80's and now looks quite dated I think
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