Truck_1_0_1_
I Don't Know, but I Have You!
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2018
- Location
- Barrie, Ontario, Canada
- Favourite title
- Shenmue II
- Currently playing
- Tinhead
- PSN
- Truck_1_0_1_
- Steam
- Truck_1_0_1_
@Truck_1_0_1_ - I much prefer films that aren't so 'on the nose' about these things. Sometimes I feel that adopting a preachy tone can backfire in some cases. The best films are the ones that show progressiveness, but not as a sort of 'tick box' way which feels more cynical than anything else. Speaking of Zootropolis, please see 6) below!
Baseball is a funny one for me. When I travelled Canada and America in 2015, we went into Seattle and watched the Mariners play against the New York Yankees. I'm not one for sport (I find it hard to feel inspired by people who are better than me and despise the tribalism of a lot of the fanbase, not to mention the fact that during the pandemic, elite football is allowed to go ahead, but God forbid you should want to go see a gig, go to the cinema or even study at the library...), but I grew up with a copy of World Series Baseball II on the Sega Saturn and one of my favourite Simpsons episodes is the softball one from season 3, so I do have a soft spot for it :) I hear 'Bull Durham' is pretty good too!
6) Zootropolis (Byron Howard & Rich Moore, 2016): This one was brilliant. I've noticed that since The Princess and the Frog, the mainline Disney films have gone from strength to strength (a 3rd golden age) and this one is among the best; it was witty, clever and although it felt a little too preachy at times, i'm willing to allow it, because its heart is in the right place and it didn't feel contrived. I think that I prefer the non-person Disney CG films if that makes sense?
So jealous; I have seen over 300 games at the Skydome/Rogers Centre in my life, but never a single other game at another stadium... but the only 2 I've really had any intention going to, are Suntrust in Atlanta (would've loved to go to Turner Field, but the Braves moved a few years ago ) and Safeco in Seattle; I've been in love with Safeco since it opened (1999, IIRC) and have wanted to see a game there DESPERATELY. I should've gone when I lived in Calgary, as I doubt I'll be that close to the west anytime soon
Homer at the Bat is not only one of MY favourites, but it is generally considered one of the viewerbase-at-large's favourite episodes; it's just so well-done and enjoyable from beginning to end (I just get prickly when Lisa says that a HBP, "counts as a hit." IT DOESN'T!!!!! ).
BD... not a bad film, but I'm not a fan of the film at all (even with Kostner and Robbins!). But if you want to see a glimpse into the life of a career minor-leaguer, it is well-worth a watch :)
Not only is Zootopia's Aesop done well (as you mentioned), but the actual hidden animations and Chekhov's guns, etc., are awesome; I love films like that and it shows good writing/storyboarding. It isn't as significant as Get Out (where literally everything on-screen and every line of dialogue has significance or is part of a greater meaning; I've never seen another film like that), but for a Disney film, few come close to the amount of symbolism, hidden meanings/Easter Eggs, etc.
Back to the Future -- One of those films I've seen more times than I can count and throw on at any time when I'm in need of a pick me up. It's charming as all hell and still holds up.
Have seen it many times and I enjoy it; don't like the sequel hook at the end and as a result, I've never seen the sequels (though I have seen the first 30 minutes of II and I wasn't a fan), but I would be willing to see II in its entirety. Have 0 interest for III though, especially since I'm not a fan of Western settings (there are a few exceptions, such as the Quick and the Dead, above).
This past weekend, my wife and I took in:
The Whole Truth (2016):
A Keanu Reeves vehicle, he stars as a lawyer who is defending the son of his former boss/mentor, who is being tried on 1st degree murder charges, after he admits he was the one who killed his father... but that was the last time he spoke and he won't say anything to anyone, in order to not incriminate himself or... something (I'm being intentionally obtuse; the film makes things perfectly clear, but I don't want to spoil it). There is a MAJOR twist at literally the last 3 minutes of the film, but the previous 90 minutes, I had figured out what was going to happen, after the 10 minute mark or so.
The acting is the film's only REAL strong suit, as everyone, large role or not, does a very good job at portraying their character; Reeves is especially good, in his usual, wooden way and it wasn't until the end credits that I realized it was Renee Zellweger who played the mother (I missed the opening credits); her performance was spot-on. Outside of that, cinematography sucks (I've watched a ton of Law and Order {the main and all spinoffs} throughout my life and the usual, modern-day courtroom films like My Cousin Vinny and A Few Good Men, plus old ones like Inherit the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird) and is far and away the worst of anything I've seen on the courtroom-side of things: horrible angles, weird choice of filters (at times), sometimes a shaky camera, it reeks of inexperience. Still, not a terrible film on the whole, but quite underwhelming, especially with a fairly-predictable plot.
6/10
The Mummy (1999):
An old favourite, my first-ever b-day party with friends I grew up with, was spent watching this film in theatre; it was a blast back then and is still a blast now.
Brendan Fraser is part of the French Legion and has deserted with his unit, to Hamunaptra, the, "City of the Dead," in Egypt. After failing to hold off a bunch of desert people (I'm not familiar with any wars of North Africa, thus there is probably a proper name for these people), a mysterious wind crops up and scares them off. Fraser's character begins to leave and a giant face is made in the sand. As he leaves, mysterious men dressed in black (known as the Medjai) follow his long walk, from atop a mountain. Cut to a short-time later and a librarian knocks over a dozen (or more) bookshelves and it severely angers her boss. She encounters her brother, who has found a mysterious metal, "box," and they go to the local jail, where they find Brendan Fraser's character (whom the brother stole said box from). He is to be hanged, but they are able to save him and he leads them on a trip to Hamunaptra, to dig for mummies and the like (lol).
Tons of great 1920s action, a decent plot and wonderfully-fun acting performances all-around, this was director Stephen Sommer's pet project and you can see the love that was put into this film. Fraser is awesome like always and the absence of any, "Deus ex Machina," issues that usually abound in films like this one, makes for a satisfying ending.
9/10