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DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently 3 - The Final Insult


Devon Malcolm

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Cam

Someone's seeen a couple of David Lynch movies and made a surprisingly decent mind-fuckery thriller around cam girls and identity on the internet. It handles the sex worker side of things pretty well too, the writer's spent a fair bit of time on MFC..

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Went to the cinema for the first time since Expendables 3 on Saturday night to watch Creed II

Literally spent my last £20 doing so, but if you think I was going to miss the return of Ivan Drago to the big screen, you're a big wally.

It's absolutely fantastic. 

I can take or leave the first film.  As lovely as it was to have Rocky back on screen, it didn't feel like a Rocky movie for my mind, nor was I keen on his suddenly being this expert strategist, but boy have they hit it out of the park this time around.

I mean sure, had it not been for the return of Drago, I can honestly say i'd have waited and picked this up on DVD (only for it to remain in cellophane until my kids are all at school!)  so yes, it can be argued that I watched through rose tinted spectacles, but if anything, that only tipped the odds in favour of my ending up disappointed - alas that wasn't the case.

Credit to Michael B Jordan who was a glorified extra as far as I was concerned going in, but he's created a character I'd really gotten behind by the final fight - I sat there fists clenched, shoulders swaying, I don't know, maybe it's the fact that he's grown up in this movie, has a child etc that I found him more relatable, but I could tolerate the idea of a Rocky-less third movie now which isn't something i'd have said beforehand.

Despite running nearly 2 and a half hours, it's paced really well.  Even stuff I enjoy these days, I find myself easily distracted, checking Twitter, zoning out etc, but this really kept my attention throughout, which is even more impressive considering we were sat next to a group of around seven or eight PRICKS who spent most of the film calling people pussies, pregnant characters fat bitches, or taking fucking selfies.

What they did with the Drago characters is nothing short of brilliant.  Lundgren put in a fucking brilliant turn, and you absolutely buy that it's the same guy from 30 years ago - one thing I hate about overdue sequels is when scriptwriters lose the essence of a character - Stifler becoming a fucking cartoon character by American Pie 3 really sticks in my throat - but from his minimal dialogue and wonderful facials, it's like he's played that role his entire life. The return of Bridgitte Neilsen was a huge surprise, i'd heard nothing about that going in, so it was proper eyebrows raised, jaw dropped stuff, and her small, but crucial role in the final fight, I think, is a really special moment.

The way it ended, with them as the sympathetic victims, finally bonding as father and son I just didn't see coming.  When Drago threw in the towel, I was holding them back, then, with two words "It's Okay" I was a blubbering wreck!  I spent most of the film thinking "That Muntaneu fella is fucking humungous, but far too baby faced to look intimidating in the way the character is supposed to" but his facials when his mum ups and fucks off did me in.  

The whole final 10 minutes has me welling up just thinking about it, with Creed taking his daughter to Apollo's grave and Rocky mustering up the courage to visit his son - I don't know what it was, but when the grandchild asked "Who are you?" that really got to me.  Rocky should be the most loved human being on the planet, the idea of him as an estranged old man is fucking brutal.

There's even a really good (by today's standards) training montage too, even if the shine is taken off it by a shouty rap soundtrack and the fight choreography is SUPERB.  They manage to create excellent, technical, exciting fights which never stray into the "this is fucking ridiculous, fun, but ridiculous territory" Jordan is a hell of an athlete, and some of Florian's combinations will make you wince, they're captured perfectly. 

In short, they've absolutely nailed it.  I'm sad at the thought it is probably the last time we ever see Rocky, but if he was to go out, then they've done a good a job as possible of his farewell.

 

 

 

 

Edited by John Matrix
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Someone on here said The Endless was great and it wasn't. Then again, it was directed by the same blokes who did Spring so I'm not surprised it was shite.

Ralph Breaks the Internet was really good though. The best bit was when Vanellope got knocked up, visited the UKFF and got asked for side-on stomach pics.

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With apologies to Tony James, I just watched Criminal. A weird one, this. It makes no sense at all, has a weirdly over-populated cast (Ryan Reynolds is in it for maybe 10 minutes) and it's one of those British-set films obviously written by a Yank because people in it say things like "THAT'S BANG OUT OF ORDER!" when Kevin Costner smacks somebody in the head with a van door. But Costner is so weirdly brilliant in it as a growling psychopath that it's weirdly watchable. He also bops along to some Radio 1Xtra at one point.

Downsizing is really good as well. Strange that it was so badly received, perhaps because Matt Damon doesn't, I don't know, go to Asda and almost get stepped on when trying to buy some Jif Lemon or something. But I really liked it and there were some great gags in there too.

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Yeah, much like The Descendents from the same director, I think people were expecting an upbeat comedy starring a Hollywood leading man.  Although for some reason, even when I saw it I was sure Mike Judge was involved.

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51 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

With apologies to Tony James, I just watched Criminal. A weird one, this. It makes no sense at all, has a weirdly over-populated cast (Ryan Reynolds is in it for maybe 10 minutes) and it's one of those British-set films obviously written by a Yank because people in it say things like "THAT'S BANG OUT OF ORDER!" when Kevin Costner smacks somebody in the head with a van door. But Costner is so weirdly brilliant in it as a growling psychopath that it's weirdly watchable. He also bops along to some Radio 1Xtra at one point.

Some of this was filmed in Croydon, so even though I haven't seen it, it was robbed at the Oscars. 

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3 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Similar thing with About Schmidt. Went to it expecting old Jack Nicholson falling over and pissing himself - wasn't quite like that!

I'm well aware this is going to net me more "Talking Bollocks" points, but what the hell. For a while, it felt like As Good As It Gets, About Schmidt, and Something's Gotta Give were some sort of weird Old Man Jack Nicholson trilogy where he played older guys flawed or disconnected from the mainstream world in some way being redeemed through relationships with women.

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The Killing of a Sacred Deer is great. Felt like Lanthimos returning to the darkness of Dogtooth, I really didn't care for The Lobster. Looking forward to The Favourite next month.

Call Me by Your Name bored me sideways, however. Should have got a clue when I watched A Bigger Splash, the well-to-do sitting around Italy moping about their lot, a load of shite.

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