Ok so I have managed to drop in and watch a couple of flicks over the last couple of weeks and thought I might share a few thoughts on them
Ghost in the Shell
Never seen the Anime so basically went blind into this one. Was a cool flick, enjoyed the opening sequence, good visual effects. Didn’t think there was anything really ground breaking or mind bending story wise, though it was certainly entertaining and liked the atmosphere of it all. I’d watch it again and probably pick it up on Blu-Ray when it comes out.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
I went into the first one blind and was completely surprised at what an awesome movie it turned out to be. Have to say this one follows in the same footsteps. I watched this one in 3D and from the get go I was blown away with the visuals, absolutely stunning looking movie. If you liked the first one you shouldn’t be disappointed with this one. An enjoyable ride.
Alien Covenant
I’m a fan of the Alien franchise, have been looking forward to seeing what Ridley would add after all the questions Prometheus raised. Before watching it I thought I might warm myself up by going over a bit of the back catalogue, watching Alien (what a movie!), Aliens (what a sequel!) and Prometheus again over the days leading up to its release. Story takes off from basically where Prometheus ended. Movie has a good pace and is more of a horror/thriller monster ride than anything else. If you’re expecting answers or mind bending twists, you won’t get much in that department and the scientific crew still comes from the same academy that those in Prometheus did, but I still think it was a good addition to the franchise, I enjoyed the thrills and visuals which Ridley obviously has a knack for and am keen to watch it again when it comes out on Blu-ray.
King Arthur Legend of the Sword
After seeing the trailers for this I can’t say I was overly enthusiastic about watching this one, but I was intrigued to see what Guy Ritchie could produce in this type of genre. I must admit I am more than surprised on how it turned out. If you’re a fan of Guy Ritchie’s story telling style, then this one delivers in that department. If you’re expecting a re-make of Excalibur, or like a historical take on the story, you will be disappointed, this is not that movie. Its at its core a medieval fantasy (knights and magicians/magic), which the story of King Arthur basically is, with it drawing a bit more from the fantasy side of things then what most are used to from the Arthur legend, with a bit of “Rock ‘n’ Roll” flavour added in there. It seems to be pretty different from the story I’m used to, but it still incorporates most of the main themes as well as a bit of historical context, so if you’re a traditionalist, you will likely be irked in that respect. Also I’d have to say the visual effects looked more video game inspired however the score was executed pretty good. Having said all that, personally, and quite surprisingly, I rather enjoyed it, I thought it was a good / fresh take on the story which was told in a unique way. It was definitely entertaining and I’d be keen to watch a sequel if one ever eventuates. I think the initial critic reviews have been unnecessarily harsh in this instance (taken form a view of comparisons instead of evaluating on its own merit) and for those who don’t mind the medieval fantasy genre (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, etc) I would definitely recommend giving it a go. There’s more of a movie in there than what the trailers make out.
My wife asked me why I carry a gun?, I said "Decepticons"... She laughed, I laughed, the toaster laughed, I shot the toaster. It was a good day.