What was the last movie you've seen?

[Nemoide]

I saw Star Wars Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker over the weekend... it wasn't BAD-BAD. I wasn't bored, the way I was with Solo or Rogue One. But I really didn't appreciate how it undermined a lot of what The Last Jedi did. I also have some big problems with the re-introduction of Emperor Palpatine. Rambly nitpicky thoughts behind the spoiler tag.

I felt like Palpatine had no business coming back and it really raises more questions for me than it answers. So if he could cheat death the whole time, that REALLY changes the context of The Return of the Jedi. And it makes me wonder who the people on Sith-planet were... presumably some sort of evil clones? And he just Dark Side-Forced the entire Last Order fleet into existence? I feel like that undermines any potential message about the allure of fascism that the previous Star Wars movies had hinted towards: the Empire had broad appeal and a lot of loyal supporters. The First Order took advantage of the government's collapse to prop up a new dictator. The Last Order... just kind of magics itself into existence and its members count even less than clone troopers? It felt like the filmmakers were going out of their way to avoid making any sort of political statement. I have to give the prequel trilogy props for at least trying to say something!
Palpatine encouraging Luke to kill him in Return of the Jedi is a really interesting thing for him to do, especially when you think of the character as normal/mortal. The idea that the act of personally killing even the most justifiably evil person is an act that would taint oneself and take them to the dark side. When this movie calls back to it, even with the Emperor telling Rey she should kill him, Rey just bounces-back his lightning to kill him and I guess that doesn't count as her sullying herself with darkness? Come on, I feel like she still is the one responsible for his death.

And Leia did Jedi training and had a lightsaber? I don't like it just because it felt like it undermines her role in the first two sequel films. She can be force sensitive, sure, but I liked seeing that she fulfilled her purpose in life as a military tactician and leader which the movie treated as being a totally valid path, different from the Jedi. But NOPE, I guess she had to be a Jedi too for some reason? And would her ghost have really been happy about having her lightsaber buried on Tatooine? A planet that AFAIK she only visited briefly and was enslaved?

I also saw Cats - I had to see the BAD VISUAL EFFECTS version before theaters update as many have started to do already. My brain is still trying to process that one. The reviews are accurate. It's a mess. It's insane and baffling. It's... kind of got a strange charm if you're someone who appreciates bad movies? Definitely a unique movie experience, if nothing else. One of those rare gems of a bad movie that had a $100 million budget but manages to be completely terrible on just about every level.

[dsheinem]

Saw Episode IX...Seems like the middle Star Wars movie is the best one in each trilogy, from both the perspective of writing and direction (and, come to think of it, from basically every other measure of good film making). Lots of shoehorning and retconning in IX, though I mostly enjoyed it as much as I probably did any of the prequel films. It had a lot of pacing problems and some groan-inducing dialogue (even for this franchise), but I dug the effects work in some of the bigger setpieces and I still grinned at all the cheap cameos and references to prior films. Billy Dee was really wasted, though...

[Michi]

All this talk about how 'meh' Star Wars is makes me happy I went to see Knives Out this weekend instead.

[marurun]

THAT is a real good film

[Michi]

Here's a Christmas present from me to you. A new write-up:

Blood Beat



Believe it or not, it's Christmas themed

[Ack]

Sweet Jesus, now that is a Christmas movie.

[REPO Man]

Rewatched Scrooged last night.

[Speedy-Mcspeedz]

I took the wife and kids to star wars episode 9. Ill just say im glad this trilogy is over..

[Michi]

Another holiday themed write-up:

Home for the Holidays



No, it is not as bonkers as Blood Beat (sadly). But it is a very early slasher starring Sally Field. I think that counts for something.

[RCBH928]

LOTR: The Two Towers. The end credits has like a good 10-15min mentioning every member in the "Official Lord of the Rings Club".
CG is amazing considering the year. I would still give it 10/10 for visual effects. Makes you wonder how much did we really advance technologically. My only guess is "same results but easier achieved".