Paid Members FLips Posted January 13 Paid Members Posted January 13 (edited) Starship Troopers Had high expectations for this but it didn't really live up to any of them. I'd rewatched Robocop last night and this plays like a cheap imitation of that. Same Media-Break style vignettes but not as darkly funny, satire that is somehow really on the nose but also when it isn't on the nose is completely missable as satire, and a really poor main cast. Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown and Brenda Strong in supporting roles don't come close to redeeming the fact your choice of main roles are highlighted by Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris and Denise Richards. The violence isn't as violent as Robocop and is somewhat ruined by being mostly CGI over practical effects and the same criticism goes for the bugs. It's really hard to land the facism angle when the other side are CGI insects. Even if you try to watch it as a straight action flick it fails at that, because it's two hours long and nothing happens for the first hour. I'm not going to say it's bad because I've seen bad action films and this does eventually get going, but it's really not as enjoyable as I thought it would be. It's boring for a lot of the runtime and not as good as Robocop or Total Recall. Edited January 13 by FLips Quote
Paid Members johnnyboy Posted January 13 Paid Members Posted January 13 28 Bone Temples Later I became suspicious when I started seeing a lot of preview screening audience reaction voxpops pushed as ads online. "It's the best film I've seen at the cinema this year!" It's the 3rd of January, surely you can't have seen that many? It makes my top two of the year, having seen two films at the cinema in 2026 thus far. I enjoyed it, but it's all over the shop. Not a cornershop, mind, I am on about the supermassive IKEAs. God bless Ralph Fiennes who was either living his best life, or he's such a good actor he made me REALLY believe that he was living his best life. Spoiler It is set immediately after 28 Years Later. Due to this and everyone being on foot this is all still taking part in the same couple of square miles with largely the same cast. The gore, and implied gore, is fucking horrific. It's not so OTT it's funny either, it's realistic and nasty. Firm 18 cert. Ralph Fiennes' love affair with Samson the Alpha is the best part of the film. Twirling around a heroically endowed gent to strains of Duran Duran's "Girls on Film" should get 3 or 4 oscars. There's another scene with Fiennes turned up beyond 11 but I'm not even going to include that in spoilers as it needs to be experienced rather than read about. How do some of the people who have been scavenging and foraging in the woods look like they've just been to the barber and got a fresh delivery from ASOS? Some of the religious references might be lost if you're not that way inclined, but Jimmy Crystal is saying the things that the original JC said in places. So it's a movie of 4 halves: Horrific torture porn with Cbeebies references; Ralph Fiennes' platonic love affair set to Duran Duran; suspiciously well turned out survivors; <redacted> and <redacted>. Quote
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted January 16 Paid Members Posted January 16 Marty Supreme (cinema) I've had a really mixed time with the Safdies to date. I loved Uncut Gems but hated Good Time - and then there's this. I'd say if you've seen Uncut Gems then there's no need to see this because it's longer, the lead character is a bigger cunt, and there's loads of table tennis in it instead of basketball - it's more or less the same film. I was quite bored. Cast are brilliant, especially Odessa A'Zion, but I didn't care. Anaconda (cinema) A real old-fashioned 'I feel stupid for laughing at this' film. I did laugh though, a lot, even if there needed to be more horror. If you don't like any of that then at least there's Daniela Melchior's face to look at. 40 Acres Post-apocalyptic action-drama about a mixed family protecting their farm from cannibals. Takes an hour to get going but makes up for it with its final third. Really tests the patience though. Sisu: Road to Revenge I didn't care for the original but this was much better. Even more ridiculous set pieces, amazingly violent, 82 minutes! Beautiful dog, too. Annoyed I missed it at the cinema. Serpent's Path (2024) Kiyoshi Kurosawa does a Hitchcock and remakes his own film, only better. I can't really recommend this to anyone who's not in tune with his stuff but if you are then this is another gem from him. I think he's become my favourite working director today. Sex / Dreams / Love Trilogy from Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud covering modern day relationships and sexuality. All of them are really good if you like talky boring European arthouse drama like I obviously do. If not, don't fucking blame me for watching them. But seriously, these are all excellent and thoughtful and progressively minded. Vera and the Pleasure of Others Coming-of-age / sexual awakening comedy-drama about a college girl who rents out one her mum's flats to her classmates to have it off in. Features one of the most unexpectedly horrific and funny scenes of the year but otherwise it's surprisingly sweet and progressive. Quote
Paid Members Lorne Malvo Posted January 16 Paid Members Posted January 16 First cinema trip of the year was to see Hamnet. Awards Season can fuck off. I've still not seen The Rider, but based on her last three films I don't get the Chloé Zhao hype at all. This is exactly what I thought it would be; the odd moving moment peppered throughout, filled with Good Acting, but mostly tedious Oscar-bait. For me these films are almost as cynical as Netflix made-by-algorithm slop now, as every scene is just manufactured to scream 'give me an award!' It's nowhere near as deep as it thinks it is - the 'To be or not to be' scene was especially trite and laughable. Her Marvel film was just like every other Marvel film too, except the camera lingered on the trees and the sky a bit more. Quote
Members SuperBacon Posted January 16 Members Posted January 16 People We Meet on Vacation 100% certain I will not watch a worse film all year, and that includes the Xmas lot. Appreciate I'm not exactly the target audience but it was absolutely terrible. I wished nothing but the worst for the two main characters. Quote
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted January 16 Paid Members Posted January 16 21 minutes ago, Lorne Malvo said: I've still not seen The Rider, but based on her last three films I don't get the Chloé Zhao hype at all. Me neither. Nomadland was some real centrist dad bullshit and The Rider was quite boring from what I can remember. Quote
DavidB6937 Posted January 16 Posted January 16 1 hour ago, Devon Malcolm said: Anaconda (cinema) A real old-fashioned 'I feel stupid for laughing at this' film. I did laugh though, a lot, even if there needed to be more horror. If you don't like any of that then at least there's Daniela Melchior's face to look at. This makes me feel slightly better about laughing as many times as I did during it. Quote
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted January 16 Paid Members Posted January 16 Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion One thing I really like is when you watch a trashy nasty exploitation flick and the director uses every chance they can get to add some artistic flourish to it. This is a rough, brutal film which like most of the women in prison genre has loads of over the top violence, nudity, torture and rape but it's a beautiful film to look at with some fantastic, creative sequences. Meiko Kaji as the lead has incredible presence and doesn't have to do very much to be utterly captivating. Lady Snowblood The brilliant Meiko Kaji again as a child born to seek revenge on those who murdered her Father and raped/imprisoned her Mother. This one has a fantastic first and third act but massively drags in the middle. Unlike most of these types of vengeance films this film is interesting as each one of the kills is presented as ultimately empty and unsatisfying. Definitely worth a watch but the middle is a bit of slog. Currently making my way through the Lone Wolf and Cub series which is bloody great. Will post my thoughts when I finish up - but will say for now that the second one is one of the most fun films I've seen in years. Quote
Paid Members Jesse Posted January 16 Paid Members Posted January 16 Loved 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. The parts I loved about the first 28YL were basically every time Ralph Fiennes was on screen and here they put him on screen a lot more which was everything I wanted. Spoiler Where the first film for me he felt like he was holding up an emotional core of holding onto your humanity in a world bereft of it, in this it felt like that expanded into having real hope for those who look lost. His performance as Satan also comes as a real moment of delight, I love him and I'm sad that's the last we'll get of Dr. Kelson Quote
Members SuperBacon Posted January 16 Members Posted January 16 The Rip My god I loved this so much. I've always loved Damon and Affleck, especially when together, and they're on top form here, being very Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It's nothing inventive or new, just an absolutely great cop/heist film with a brilliant support cast including Steven Yeun and Kyle Chandler. The score is great, it has an actress called Sasha Calle who is gorgeous, and the film looks incredible. Top, top shit. Top, top lads. Quote
SaitoRyo Posted January 19 Posted January 19 On 1/16/2026 at 3:22 PM, Devon Malcolm said: The Rider was quite boring from what I can remember. I've only seen it once (on a flight to the US, so not ideal) but I remember really enjoying it. I am very into anything Americana, mind, so I was bound to. Beverly Hills Cop II Not as good as the first one, but I enjoyed this. An easy watch and it looks really good in places. Quite similar to the first film, but not as funny. Bracing myself for Cop III... The Rip Decent Saturday night movie. Good action and suspense. Runs out of steam a little at the end and gets a little bit farfetched, but Ben and Matt (and the rest) are on form and it doesn't drag or anything. Felt like something you should see in a cinema, not on Netflix at home. Quote
cobra_gordo Posted January 19 Posted January 19 The Rip. Really surprised by how much fun I had watching this. Turned to my wife about half way and said "This is really fucking good isn't it". Agree with Saito that it does get a bit daft but there's a bit where Matt Damon legitimately suplexes a guy so it balances out. Reminded me a bit of Triple Frontier and not just because it deserved way better than Straight To Netflix. Quote
SaitoRyo Posted January 19 Posted January 19 1 hour ago, cobra_gordo said: but there's a bit where Matt Damon legitimately suplexes a guy so it balances out. I reflexively laughed at that and said 'He just fucking suplexed him into the pond!' to my wife (who I don't think knows or really cares what a suplex is). It was a lot of fun and it has also been a lot of fun seeing Matt and Ben on the press tour. Good bunch of lads. Quote
Paid Members Lorne Malvo Posted January 19 Paid Members Posted January 19 Rental Family - Nothing amazing, but I just found it to be a nice, sweet simple story. Brendan Fraser plays the downtrodden hangdog role really well, I just warm to him immediately. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple - I just really really like this series, and thought this was great too. This is probably the least zombie-focused of the bunch but I like the way they are exploring different aspects of this world. Really grim in parts and touching in others. Spoiler I can see the 'Number of the Beast' scene being divisive - I loved it and it's scene of the year for me so far (early days, I know). Marked out for Jim appearing at the end, although I feel a bit for 28 Weeks Later being the redheaded stepchild of the series with no connective tissue. I like that film! The Rip - I enjoyed it mostly but after reading/hearing a lot of good things I think I went in with elevated expectations it didn't live up to. You know how in Fifa when you're battering someone then they come back in the last 10 minutes and beat you 5-4, and you realise you were playing a child for the first 80 before they passed the controller to their dad? This almost felt like the inverse of that, where the first two thirds they're making a somewhat grounded, gritty crime thriller then in the last third it just devolves into a pretty generic simplistic shooter. It's a good 'turn your brain off' Friday night movie, I just expected a bit more. Quote
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