Last Movie You Watched

[Amulek]

9 hours ago, Tacenda said:

I know that Rotten Tomatoes audience gave it 85%, but I'm similar to you but actually left before it was over. I guess I like the old ones so much better. Could there be too much AI or was the script terrible? O maybe they did show to much Superman vs. Clark as well.

Current scores on RT are: 83% (critics) / 93% (audiences), so most people like it. 

But I agree, the original Superman set the bar which future remakes and reboots have yet to surpass - despite the advances in special effects and the willingness to throw truckloads of money around. 

I remember this one scene from the original film where Clark is at Lois' apartment for a date and there's a moment where he's contemplating revealing himself to her. While she's in the other room he takes off his glasses and then you see Christopher Reeve just physically transform into a whole other character right before your eyes - only to then, almost immediately, second-guess himself and transform back into Clark Kent, all within a matter of seconds. Now that's acting! 

 

[Tacenda]

1 hour ago, Amulek said:

Current scores on RT are: 83% (critics) / 93% (audiences), so most people like it. 

But I agree, the original Superman set the bar which future remakes and reboots have yet to surpass - despite the advances in special effects and the willingness to throw truckloads of money around. 

I remember this one scene from the original film where Clark is at Lois' apartment for a date and there's a moment where he's contemplating revealing himself to her. While she's in the other room he takes off his glasses and then you see Christopher Reeve just physically transform into a whole other character right before your eyes - only to then, almost immediately, second-guess himself and transform back into Clark Kent, all within a matter of seconds. Now that's acting! 

 

Yes, and that was what made it great. I guess they have to move on since the old ones show she now knows who Clark is. Or maybe it doesn't have to be that way. Oh, I see I got the percentages wrong.

[Calm]

54 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Yes, and that was what made it great. I guess they have to move on since the old ones show she now knows who Clark is. Or maybe it doesn't have to be that way

They reboot it over and over, just like they have done Batman.  They aren’t locked into anything they don’t want to be locked into.

[Tony uk]

32 minutes ago, Calm said:

They reboot it over and over, just like they have done Batman.  They aren’t locked into anything they don’t want to be locked into.

I enjoyed the first two Superman man movies, Christopher Reeve made in the late 1970s. 

[Pyreaux]

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

I tolerated the slow and somewhat ambiguous beginning - every Jurassic Park story like this seems to require a dull, peaceful setup before things really kick off. The backstories were vague, leaving a lot to the imagination, which can be fine in moderation, but here it felt more like lazy writing than mystery. Things improved drastically once the dinosaurs appeared. The tension picked up, the pacing improved, and at times it even managed to be scary - something the franchise hasn't always pulled off well.

Spoilers Start here:

That story is undermined by the decision to split the film between two main casts whose paths crossed in completely serendipitous ways, not once, but multiple times. They meet, separate, and reunite right on time at the same place, which stretched believability.

The main cast include a "bad" Big Pharma Executive willing to risk his life, freedom and to sink millions into hiring Mystery Mercenary Girl and her mystery mercenary friends (dino fodder), and a Science Guy, to get something from the big dinosaurs that he can use in medical research to save millions of lives. But he's the villain, he offered all the money they demanded, and he dares to want to profit from this. See, Science Guy just wanted to join this illegal expedition to see dinosaurs up close, but midway he thinks they should steal it from the Big Pharma Exec who hired them, do whatever Exec was going to do with it and open source the findings.

The second main cast is the small, oddly unlucky family that just happens to be randomly sailing near restricted dinosaur-infested zones and randomly get saved by kind mercenaries that seem to forget they are on a secret, illegal, multimillion dollar operation, and headed to a not very family friendly island. When the family are randomly on their own, their survival hinges less on their bravery or cleverness, and more on the fact that the plot simply refuses to let them die. Yes, kids have always been part of Jurassic films, and no, I’m not saying kill the kids - but come on. Every time they’re in extreme danger, it’s not human ingenuity or tools that save them. It’s that the Mosasaur suddenly can't swim fast, the T-Rex becomes a clumsy oaf, or the sneaky stalking Raptor gets stalked. It’s extreme plot armor.

They also teased the idea the specific island is filled with mutants too dangerous for the park - but honestly, I expected more from that. If you're going to play the "genetic horror" card, lean into it. Instead, we got one or two new creatures that barely felt more threatening than the usual lineup. There was just one big freak. That’s it. One monster. If you're going to dangle the "unholy science experiment gone wrong" trope, at least deliver more than one. It felt like a huge, missed opportunity for chaos, creativity, or genuine terror.

The big pharma exec doesn’t even fully become the “villain” until a central drama of the young adult daughter accusing the exec of trying to kill her. But honestly? I'm not sure he did. The Mosasaur that capsized the family boat, the mercenaries are chasing it. She panics and runs to go mess with not-her-radio of the secret boat, trying to call the Coast Guard. He grabs for it, trying to explain he doesn't want her to do that, they struggle, she pushes him back to the ground, and she slips. Sure, he didn’t get up off the floor to help her off the floor as she slid perfectly through the doorway over the side of the boat, and he wasn’t exactly scrambling to get up to save her, he kind of stares at this happens, possibly thinking to just let her fall overboard, but that’s not quite the same as attempted murder. Once his paid mercenaries have now turned on him, it seems he's just trying to survive and escape the island without them. The movie wants us to hate him, but the moment is morally murky and not in a clever way.

The film ends with a miracle survival of one of the mercenary side characters that’s never explained - a major letdown after building so much tension of him clearly sacrificing himself. It felt cheap, especially when the audience deserved an answer. Overall, Jurassic World: Rebirth starts slow, finds its feet once the dinosaurs show up, and then stumbles again by leaning too hard on coincidence and unanswered questions. Entertaining in parts, but frustrating in others. I kind of enjoyed myself this time, but I don't think I'll need to watch it again.

Edited July 18, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Tony uk]

Been revisiting the Back to the Future movies. Over the last week I have watched the first two. Sometime over the next week I will be watching the third and final installment. I am definitely of the mind, that the old ones are the best one's.

[Tacenda]

On 8/2/2025 at 11:40 AM, Tony uk said:

Been revisiting the Back to the Future movies. Over the last week I have watched the first two. Sometime over the next week I will be watching the third and final installment. I am definitely of the mind, that the old ones are the best one's.

I did that a couple years ago, and you're right.

[bluebell]

On 8/2/2025 at 11:40 AM, Tony uk said:

Been revisiting the Back to the Future movies. Over the last week I have watched the first two. Sometime over the next week I will be watching the third and final installment. I am definitely of the mind, that the old ones are the best one's.

The first one is so good I think it's hard for the next two to fill its shoes.

[bluebell]

We watched The Amateur on Prime.  It's a spy/CIA type movie but entertaining.  The best part was that though it was rated PG-13, there was practically no swearing at all and no F words.  No blood.  No sex scenes.  It was refreshing.

[Calm]

2 minutes ago, bluebell said:

We watched The Amateur on Prime.  It's a spy/CIA type movie but entertaining.  The best part was that though it was rated PG-13, there was practically no swearing at all and no F words.  No blood.  No sex scenes.  It was refreshing.

What?  It relied on actual writing to entertain?  Astonishing!

[Tacenda]

On 8/3/2025 at 7:08 PM, bluebell said:

We watched The Amateur on Prime.  It's a spy/CIA type movie but entertaining.  The best part was that though it was rated PG-13, there was practically no swearing at all and no F words.  No blood.  No sex scenes.  It was refreshing.

I started to watch but lost interest. Maybe I better try again!

[bluebell]

27 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I started to watch but lost interest. Maybe I better try again!

To be honest, it wasn't my favorite movie ever.  I don't really like CIA/spy thriller type shows.  But my husband likes them so I sit through a lot of them, and I found this one less formulaic and boring than most. 

[Tacenda]

14 hours ago, bluebell said:

To be honest, it wasn't my favorite movie ever.  I don't really like CIA/spy thriller type shows.  But my husband likes them so I sit through a lot of them, and I found this one less formulaic and boring than most. 

I don't mind a show like this, such as finding someone that had something to do with his wife. Now can't remember, was she killed or missing? What I don't like is on Netlix these movies that have a different type feel with their filming equipment. Hard to explain. The format or ?

So I will give it another chance maybe. And the main male lead, now just forgot his name...was really good at playing Freddie  Mercury in the movie about Queen, but I can't think of other movies he's played in at the moment. Just not my favorite male lead, so I guess that didn't help. 

 

[Tony uk]

17 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I don't mind a show like this, such as finding someone that had something to do with his wife. Now can't remember, was she killed or missing? What I don't like is on Netlix these movies that have a different type feel with their filming equipment. Hard to explain. The format or ?

So I will give it another chance maybe. And the main male lead, now just forgot his name...was really good at playing Freddie  Mercury in the movie about Queen, but I can't think of other movies he's played in at the moment. Just not my favorite male lead, so I guess that didn't help. 

 

The actor who played Freddie Mercury is called Rami Malek. I think the spelling is correct, although it may need fact checking. 

[Tacenda]

11 minutes ago, Tony uk said:

The actor who played Freddie Mercury is called Rami Malek. I think the spelling is correct, although it may need fact checking. 

Thanks Tony! I do like him personally, in interviews etc. But I guess not so much as an actor, although a good actor. I might need to watch movies other than the one I've seen to give him a shot at being my favorite.

[Tony uk]

18 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Thanks Tony! I do like him personally, in interviews etc. But I guess not so much as an actor, although a good actor. I might need to watch movies other than the one I've seen to give him a shot at being my favorite.

No problem Tacenda. I think he is starting out as lead actor in different productions. So he may just get the real big roles that suit. 😁

[Pyreaux]

On 8/2/2025 at 12:40 PM, Tony uk said:

Been revisiting the Back to the Future movies. Over the last week I have watched the first two. Sometime over the next week I will be watching the third and final installment. I am definitely of the mind, that the old ones are the best one's.

Back to the Future: Doc Brown Saves the World (2015)

Hey, did you know there’s a Back to the Future short film starring Christopher Lloyd reprising his role as Doc Brown in 2015? It explains why the futuristic tech we see in Back to the Future Part II (like flying cars and home fusion reactors) in 2015 doesn't come to pass. It's like an in-universe retcon that explains the timeline shift.

The official “Doc Brown Saves the World” short film runs about 10 minutes. It was released as an exclusive as part of the 30th Anniversary Back to the Future Blu-ray/DVD box set on October 20, 2015. SO, Its not available anywhere else.

However, I found a video on YouTube labelled “Doc Brown Saves the World – The Ride,” with a much longer runtime, as part of a defunct Universal Studios simulator attraction. It looks like it contains segments of that film.

Doc Brown Saves the World - The Ride

Edited August 9, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Tony uk]

34 minutes ago, Pyreaux said:

Back to the Future: Doc Brown Saves the World (2015)

Hey, did you know there’s a Back to the Future short film starring Christopher Lloyd reprising his role as Doc Brown in 2015? It explains why the futuristic tech we see in Back to the Future Part II (like flying cars and home fusion reactors) in 2015 doesn't come to pass. It's like an in-universe retcon that explains the timeline shift.

The official “Doc Brown Saves the World” short film runs about 10 minutes. It was released as an exclusive as part of the 30th Anniversary Back to the Future Blu-ray/DVD box set on October 20, 2015. SO, Its not available anywhere else.

However, I found a video on YouTube labelled “Doc Brown Saves the World – The Ride,” with a much longer runtime, as part of a defunct Universal Studios simulator attraction. It looks like it contains segments of that film.

Doc Brown Saves the World - The Ride

Excellent. Doc Brown, one of movies great heroes. Very underrated actor. 😊👍

[Amulek]

On 8/3/2025 at 8:08 PM, bluebell said:

We watched The Amateur on Prime.  It's a spy/CIA type movie but entertaining.  The best part was that though it was rated PG-13, there was practically no swearing at all and no F words.  No blood.  No sex scenes.  It was refreshing.

I saw this when it came out in theaters and enjoyed it as well. If it's out on streaming, we may need to add it to the queue. We've been doing a lot of "twist ending" movies lately - mostly M. Night Shyamalan stuff, though we did watch The Prestige the other night. Might be time to mix it up with a 'good guys who outsmart the bad guys' kind of flick.

 

[Amulek]

On 8/5/2025 at 12:34 PM, Tacenda said:

So I will give it another chance maybe. And the main male lead, now just forgot his name...was really good at playing Freddie  Mercury in the movie about Queen, but I can't think of other movies he's played in at the moment. Just not my favorite male lead, so I guess that didn't help. 

Like @Tony uk said, his name is Rami Malek.

Bohemian Rhapsody is probably his best film so far, but you've probably seen him in Night at the Museum as well (he's the pharaoh). And if you are into James Bond films, he was the villain in the last installment: No Time To Die. Oh, and I really liked him in a TV show called Mr. Robot, where he plays "a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and dissociative identity disorder." 

I don't think The Amateur was his best work, but I liked it well enough. 

Edited August 13, 2025 by Amulek

[Tony uk]

I caught up on the Back to the Future films. Starting watching the original Karate Kid trilogy. Upto the second film, still have to watch the third installment. I recently noticed a TV series, Cobra Ki, featuring many of the original cast members. 

[bluebell]

27 minutes ago, Tony uk said:

I caught up on the Back to the Future films. Starting watching the original Karate Kid trilogy. Upto the second film, still have to watch the third installment. I recently noticed a TV series, Cobra Ki, featuring many of the original cast members. 

That's a fun series, especially the first two seasons!

[Tony uk]

Just now, bluebell said:

That's a fun series, especially the first two seasons!

It is something that I definitely want to catch up on. I am always interested in what they did next when older scenarios. It would be good to catch up on the series.

[Amulek]

22 hours ago, Tony uk said:

I caught up on the Back to the Future films. Starting watching the original Karate Kid trilogy. Upto the second film, still have to watch the third installment.

There's a pretty steep drop-off with the third installment. It's not unwatchable, but it's not nearly as good as the previous films.

And as far as the rest of the Miyagi-verse is concerned, at least theatrically, that's probably an acceptable stopping point.

I didn't care for the Hillary Swank led "Next Karate Kid" and would recommend skipping it. And the 2010 reboot with Jaden Smith is absolutely atrocious; definitely take a pass on that one. 

I haven't seen the latest film, Karate Kid: Legends, so I can't really comment on it other than to say I know it's considered cannon. It received relatively bad reviews from critics, but audiences seemed to like it, so I'll probably end up checking it out now that it's out on streaming. 

 

Quote

I recently noticed a TV series, Cobra Ki, featuring many of the original cast members. 

The TV series is the true successor to the original trilogy, and it's possibly one of the best examples of how to do nostalgia-based film making right. The longer format allows for deeper exploration of themes and characters. Plus, all of the main actors from the films - including a few supporting actors - get a chance to reprise their original roles in ways that (mostly) work really well with the show.

It's highly bingeable, and every one of the six seasons scored above 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Oh, and since the writers knew they were writing to an end point, the series finale actually wraps everything up nicely. I wouldn't add them to my list of shows that I think really stick the landing, but they absolutely didn't blow it or leave you hanging, so I'm fine with that.  

 

[Tony uk]

38 minutes ago, Amulek said:

There's a pretty steep drop-off with the third installment. It's not unwatchable, but it's not nearly as good as the previous films.

And as far as the rest of the Miyagi-verse is concerned, at least theatrically, that's probably an acceptable stopping point.

I didn't care for the Hillary Swank led "Next Karate Kid" and would recommend skipping it. And the 2010 reboot with Jaden Smith is absolutely atrocious; definitely take a pass on that one. 

I haven't seen the latest film, Karate Kid: Legends, so I can't really comment on it other than to say I know it's considered cannon. It received relatively bad reviews from critics, but audiences seemed to like it, so I'll probably end up checking it out now that it's out on streaming. 

 

The TV series is the true successor to the original trilogy, and it's possibly one of the best examples of how to do nostalgia-based film making right. The longer format allows for deeper exploration of themes and characters. Plus, all of the main actors from the films - including a few supporting actors - get a chance to reprise their original roles in ways that (mostly) work really well with the show.

It's highly bingeable, and every one of the six seasons scored above 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Oh, and since the writers knew they were writing to an end point, the series finale actually wraps everything up nicely. I wouldn't add them to my list of shows that I think really stick the landing, but they absolutely didn't blow it or leave you hanging, so I'm fine with that.  

 

Once I have seen the last of the trilogy, I will most probably catch the present film 'Legends'. And at some point catch the TV series. As you mentioned the two other films with Hilary Swank and Jaden Smith. I think I will pass on those two, I have never been drawn to them.