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GRAND CANYON


I watched this a while ago, but never reviewed it.
This is an amazingly interesting movie.

I chose to watch it because I had never seen it, and wanted to see Lawrence Kasdan as unchecked as I could get - as pure as I could.
What would a film be like from his perspective, unchecked or modified by other minds?

This film did not disappoint in doing that.

Kasdan is a master at the character narrative craft. Just masterful, really.
If I had to place him somewhere, I'd place him in line with the tradition of Dostoevsky.

He wants a story that's wrapped around an ontological theme and for which characters have been specifically developed to overtly explore and drive through that line of vexation and thought.

In another way of thinking, it's like if Highway to Heaven was slammed into the world of Robocop to set up and evaluate the value and meaning of life given the perception of the absolute s*** crap state of it.
In other words, "What's the point?!" is the real central note of this story, and its set in a world that reflects the position of a mind that is in the middle of seeing everything as dystopic.

It's definitely dated to the time it came out, and we've all quite easily moved beyond this topic as a society, but it's really well written and executed so it's enjoyable regardless.

It's also very interesting how he manages to maintain tenuousness through the entire film without it either needing to blow off and resolve, or becoming overtly traumatic to the audience (unless you suffer from anxiety, in which case, give this a pass because it's essentially a high wire act the entire time emotionally for someone with anxiety).

I highly recommend it.

Cheers,
Jayson

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 14, 2021, Original Post Date: Mar 14, 2021 ---

Cheers,
Jayson

 

Mom wanted to watch Inception, so Inception we watched! (She also incepted the idea of milkshakes into my head, much to my dad's chagrin since he had apparently offered her gelato before. Milkshakes were had.)

There are very few movies that I've seen that I'd call masterpieces - ESB, 12 Angry Men, Casablanca, Seven Seals, Rashomon, The Magnificent Seven, and Samurai Rebellion. Inception is also on that list.

From the acting, to the intricacy of the plot (compared to its overall setting), to the score (which got me into scores in the first place), to the nostalgia I have for the film...everything is perfect. Other than some dated CGI, I can't think of a single complaint.

What I will say is that this movie was the perfect lesson for me on my journey to explore heists. It provides a nice counterbalance to Fast Five in terms of sheer elegance, but both have taught me valuable things. Before this viewing, I never appreciated how well done the exposition was. And it is really well done.

In the Fast Five Director Commentary, Lin talked about the importance of having two heist plans. Plan A is the main plan that the crew prepares for before everything goes off the rails. Plan B is the actual plan used. According to Lin, the details of Plan A don't need to be shown in excess, since the audience already expects it to fail, the only question is how it'll fail.
Some advice I read today said something a little different. It talked about how heists need to be challenged at every level, but it didn't say they explicitly needed to fail. Inception follows that second path. The original heist falls apart within mere minutes due to unforeseen circumstances and some wildly unpredictable ones. But the crew carrying out the heist in the face of these challenges turns out to be the highlight. I also wonder if its the setting, but that's a question for another time.

Overall, this is my second favorite movie for a reason, and I can't wait to watch it again sometime.
...although it's seemingly spurring me to reread Mistborn: The Final Empire and re-watch Leverage for those heists.

F&F 6 will have to be put on the backburner for a bit. I have a test that needs studying for and two Snyder movies featuring Superman that need re-watches.

 

I have to rewatch this, I watched it years ago when I had the attention span of a whirligig

 

It's definitely worth a re-watch!

 

EDIT: I had planned on watching Man of Steel & BvS:UE before this movie. Clearly that didn't happen. I had planned on saving this until Sunday. Clearly that didn't happen either.

I have a lot of feelings about this movie. Most of them are pretty good. If you're looking for a recommendation, here it is - I can gladly say that Snyder's Justice League is worth checking out if you were curious, you didn't like Justice League but liked other Snyder movies, or you're a fan of all things superheroes. I'd give this a solid 7.9/10 to 8.4/10 for those who really like it.

I highly recommend those who want to check it out stop here, watch the movie proper, and form their own feelings.

I'll try to keep this spoiler-free.

Let's break it down by starting with the 2017 version.

Whedon's 2017 cut was weird. After watching this, I can say that it was soulless too. I understand some of the changes Whedon was going for now - color correcting the movie because the setting is almost always nighttime and dark, taking out Darkseid in order to slim the plot and exposition down, having Batman give advice to the Flash because it's clear he doesn't know what to do on his first outing, and even putting in the weird family in the battle climax to give us a bit of stakes in the fight and show us who or what we're fighting for. But the problem is that Snyder had already done all of that.

The red tinge made the movie weirder, not better. Cyborg is the heart and soul of this team, and to effectively cut his entire storyline out was a disservice to the movie, the character, and the actor. Darkseid's inclusion is necessary to understand Steppenwolf's motivations and drives (and he does have them). Batman doesn't need to give advice to Barry, since Barry already knows how to be a hero. He just isn't battle-hardened like the rest of the League. And the weird family isn't necessary since we already know the stakes of the fight.

Speaking of Cyborg and Batman, BOY HOWDY ARE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH BETTER! That really sums up the movie. A majority of these characters' backgrounds and origins, interactions, or world (where they come from, who they interact with, what they're doing) have been returned, and these characters are so much better for it. Cyborg is the star of this version, but Wonder Woman and the Flash absolutely shine. WW is back to her warrior roots while the Flash shows his humanity despite being the most powerful of them all. Not strongest, but most powerful. Arthur gets some really nice development that leads great into Aquaman, and Bruce is weirdly a lighter, more hopeful character.

And I can't forget about the score! Junkie XL's new score fits SO MUCH BETTER than Elfman's old one. Elfman's score was nostalgic, desiring to give homages to older iterations instead of honoring the current ones. To me, it felt arrogant, as if it was saying "my version of Batman was the only good one. The older versions are the only ones that matter." XL doesn't do that. He gives new characters fun themes while incorporating songs from previous Synder superhero films. His score gives the movie an operatic feel, and as much as it drains me, it works.

Of course all of that doesn't mean this film is perfect. The pace of this movie is incredibly slow, the action oscillate between being good and far too Snyder-esque often within the same set-pieces, and this film isn't light in tone or in actual time of day. This movie also has a cliffhanger ending that's different from the original one but still probably unnecessary for this movie.

...that is if there isn't a sequel announced. Between the controversy, hype, and pretty solid reviews, I can actually see WB being interested in a sequel. And that might be an advantageous thing going forward. WB can reboot the heroes with Black Superman and Pattinson's Batman for theaters, and then do Snyder's movies as HBO exclusives. The solo franchises such as Wonder Woman and Aquaman can exist halfway in-between the universes.

Overall, this movie is a victory in its creation, release, and quality. It won't be for everyone - heck I have several friends who would outright hate it. But I enjoyed it. Then again, I consider myself pretty easy to please.

Other Miscellaneous Thoughts:
- This movie is a weird antithesis to some of the Avengers movies, and I like it that way. Where the 2012 Avengers didn't really introduce us to new characters, this one does, giving each their own arc, motivation, and storyline. In that way Snyder's Justice League is more like a traditional ensemble or heist movie than a superhero team-up event. Infinity War was nonstop action and thrills, whereas this movie is a slow, methodical character study. And while this movie and Endgame have some points in common, this movie makes Endgame feel like it has a mid-2000s parody movie level of comedy. And I'm totally here for that. I love it when movies, manga, shows and books slow down and take time to delve into characters and their interactions and whatnot.

-The extra footage doesn't really fit when looking back at the old BvS footage. Does this signal a change in the idea? Does it foreshadow a retcon? Or does this lead into other shenanigans.

-This movie isn't as funny or as light as some of the Twitter comments made me believe. Yes, it's lighter than Man of Steel and BvS, but it's still not a light film.

-Snyder's choice of music is weird, but it's not bad. The lyrics definitely match up at times, but the mood doesn't always fit the scene.

-I've heard people complain about Snyder's take on the Justice League as gods among men. They're not wrong, but this movie actually shows Snyder's heroes at their most human. They have flaws, desires, and goals. They have faith, doubts, and regrets. Besides, it's not like it started with Snyder either. His line-up of the Justice League was inspired by the New 52 version, which was the current version at the time of filming. So as much as I'd prefer Hawk Girl over Cyborg, I understand what he was going for.



(if the picture fails to load, it's a line-up of the New 52 Justice League.)

Lastly, and possibly most controversially, I think Snyder needs to direct a Star Wars product. Maybe not a movie, but a long-form story would be divine.

 

Watch this movie. Woodward and Scott are adorable.

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 19, 2021, Original Post Date: Mar 19, 2021 ---

As long as I don't need to watch it.

 

Justice League (2021)

i'll keep this short & sweet.. as i'm not going to compare it against the other movie.

Zach Snyder and his family suffered a heartbreaking tragedy in 2017.
If / When you watch this movie, you will see that he has dedicated it to Autumn. It brought me to tears when i saw it.

this movie has a lot of soul in it. without spoiling.. you'll realize that when you see Lois for the fist time and there's a beautiful piece of music playing.
in fact.. the music is lovely the whole way through - i even loved the piano version of *cough* by *cough* during the end credits.


the 4 hours flies by surprisingly quickly.
i really enjoyed it, and i thoroughly recommend to all.

 

Heh, that's fair! A PT anthology-esque film would work perfectly for him.

Wow, that's awesome to hear! I really hope you enjoy the movie when you do watch it!

 

I've always loved this underrated action film and probably always will! Also one of Keanu Reeves best films

 

I actually watched a video on Cinemassacre not too long ago where they argued half the time about whether it was underrated or not. Because one guy had made it his pick for underrated action movie and the others were saying it was very popular and famous so not really underrated but they kept proving the other guy's point when they'd say that it was forgettable or generally dismiss it. It was a huge deal when it came out but it has been largely forgotten except for kind of as a punchline about the kind of over-the-top plot. It's not even what most people think of when they think of Keanu action movies. So I agree it's kind of underrated but I saw it in the theater at 14, which was pretty much the perfect age/setting so I love it.


Anyway my girlfriend picked tonight and we went with "Clue"... again


I slept through most of it as I think this is probably the third time we've watched it together but she loves it and just discovered it not too long ago. But I've seen it hundreds of times over the years, I'd probably seen it 50 times before she was even born thanks to HBO playing it at least every other day in the 80s and early 90s.

 

I was 9 when I saw it in theaters with my parents and it left a strong impression on me that I still remember that theater experience. Perhaps not exactly underrated because I just looked the film up and it's 7/10 on IMDB, 94% on rotten tomatoes and 78% on metacritic. It seems to have been forgotten over time though as it's never mention in things about classic action films or 90's greatness.

People automatically think about the Bill & Ted, John Wick and Matrix franchises when they think of Keanu Reeves and rightfully so but Speed has to be in his top 10 best films(#6 for me). An over the top 90's action movie but just a lot of fun and a perfect popcorn movie that still holds up imo!

I have fond memories renting it a couple of times from Blockbuster and Hollywood Video before owning it on vhs then eventually on dvd. Now I can enjoy it on HBO Max!

 

I'm half way through the Snyder Cut.

So far? I'm honestly impressed. Visually, it's my favorite thing I've seen from Snyder. In terms of story and editing, the individual beats have a lot more impact than the Whedon cut.

Will make a final judgment at the end, but for now? The original Justice League was just meh in all counts. This one is good in terms of story, but actually great in terms of visual.

 

I'd give it an 8.5/10, and as for people making the "Gods among men" complaint, that's...what the Justice League are kinda supposed to be, right? I think Snyder absolutely nails that particular aspect of the DC universe, in this film at least.

 

Well yeah of course. Right after Speed for me!

1 - The Matrix
2 - John Wick 3: Parabelum
3 - John Wick 2
4 - John Wick
5 - The Matrix: Revolutions
6 - The Matrix: Reloaded
7 - Speed
8 - Point Break
9 - The Devil's Advocate
10 - Bram Stoker's Dragula