Ask Lemmy

i read this and nobody wrote about Shutter Island? it was so so bad i hated it. I hated how people said it was so clever. it was one of the only movies that I spotted continuity errors and mistakes on the first watch in the theatre. and I do NOT believe those mistakes were intentional. the movie was so obvious is the "clever bits" that it tried to do that these mistakes were just not in the same lane. the movie tried to be an Aranovsky movie, but Scorcese is not that director.

The French Dispatch.

God what a boring piece of crap, and people seem to think it's all the rage.

Mad Max (all of them, though I only saw part of the first one). It is more of a video game setup then a decent story.

I like these threads when people complain that “old classic movie” is formulaic and trope ridden or unoriginal… seemingly forgetting these films set the tropes, formulas and genres that all subsequent film makers hopped-on. That’s why, in retrospect, it appears clunky.

In another similar thread somebody said the band Queen were boring… yeah, maybe now. But fifty years ago when they first released? Not so much.

Lord of the ring. I think I just don't like this kind of movies.

Blade Runner.

Maybe it was more impressive when it came out, but I watched it for the first time a few months ago and it was shockingly below my expectations for the reputation it has. Confusing plot, forgettable characters, a (very cool! yet) shallow, uninteresting setting.
I had heard that famous "tears in the rain" monologue some time before watching the movie and thought "wow, that was awesome. I can't imagine how much better it is with all the depth and context that the movie will add." Nah, it's from a character who we know basically nothing about and comes out of nowhere with no connection to any part of the story-- if anything, the context of the movie detracts from the cool monologue by turning it into a "what is this guy even talking about" moment.
Thematically it had potential with questioning the line between the humans and human-like robots, but they don't go anywhere interesting with it. When it's a theme that's been explored by everything from Ghost in the Shell to Fallout 4 to Asimov, I'm gonna need at least a molecule of interesting development to happen before my jaw drops.
2/10, not recommended.

Ted.

Juvenile fratboy humour done badly, very badly with lots of fan services to get the brainless cheering.

Made me laugh once in the first few minutes (I can't even remember the joke) and walked out of the cinema after about an hour.

The Greatest Showman is a masterclass in style over substance—a glittery spectacle that sacrifices depth and integrity for catchy tunes and flashy visuals. Beneath its feel-good facade lies a shallow, formulaic narrative that romanticizes P.T. Barnum’s exploitative history while failing to give meaningful voices to the marginalized characters it claims to celebrate.

The musical numbers, though undeniably infectious, feel jarringly modern and out of place, prioritizing audience pandering over authenticity. Despite its popularity, the film’s sanitized themes and lack of emotional nuance reveal it as more empty circus than cinematic triumph.

If you’re looking for substance, you’ll find the tent empty.

Saving Private Ryan

I like Spielberg, but compared to others in the war drama genre like Band of Brothers or Full Metal Jacket, SPR is laughably bad.

The tone of the movie, trying to be more inspirational than realistic, was awkward at best. Acting was pretty mediocre, probably because the script and characters were 1 dimensional.

It completely disregards the historical context of the war. You could watch this movie and learn absolutely nothing about the history of WWII.

Now Band of Brothers. That was some amazing retelling of true war stories. It wasn't trying to be inspirational. It was just honest about the chaos and brutality of war. That made it harrowing heartbreaking, infuriating, and inspirational all at once.