THIS MEANS WAR Discussion

A bad movie from McG, you say?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe T 

R.I.P.

McG's Career

2000-2012

I think this is a wee premature. "Yes men" like McG never really go away specifically b/c they come w/ no assembly required. If this bombs, the three people who are probably going to pay the most for its failure can be seen on the one sheet.

Edit: I am, however, continually fascinated by the choices that talented, intelligent actors make. It's a job and it's gamble, but there are some terrible things to bet on out there,

I wonder if Chris Pine signed on because he had to strike while the iron was hot.  He became prominent with Star Trek, but after that the only other thing he's really down is Unstoppable, which was okay.  Doesn't seem like he was able to leverage his rise in prominence much, and so ended up having to take this.  Which is still a relatively big budget film.

Contrast that to Sam Worthington, and quality aside, was in a few different blockbuster movies really close to each other.

Was "We Are Marshall" that bad? I'd heard it was all right. I'll always hold a grudge against McG for "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle". I saw the first one with a friend in high school and we both enjoyed it a lot as fun, light entertainment. We went to see the second one and came out of it dumbfounded. The first movie was such a pleasant diversion, what the hell happened with the second? So many of the same elements were in place, and yet it was just a shrill, lifeless, completely forgettable mess. A long, loud, pointless, empty music video completely devoid of laughs or substance.

One of the most frustrating movie watching experiences is watching a bunch of actors having fun and not enjoying it at all. We often say we're disappointed in a movie because we can tell the actors are just phoning it in, so we can see they're bored and that naturally bores us too, but the "Charlie's Angels" sequel proved that it can be just as boring when the actors aren't bored. I can't remember another movie in which it's been clear to me that the actors were having a blast, and watching them just bummed me out. It's like watching a comedy with an audience that's laughing their asses off and not being able to crack a single smile.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naisu Baddi 

Was "We Are Marshall" that bad? I'd heard it was all right. I'll always hold a grudge against McG for "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle". I saw that one with a friend in high school and we both enjoyed it a lot as fun, light entertainment. We went to see the second one and came out of it dumbfounded. The first movie was such a pleasant diversion, what the hell happened with the second? So many of the same elements were in place, and yet it was just a shrill, lifeless, completely forgettable mess. A long, loud, pointless, empty music video completely devoid of laughs or substance.

 

One of the most frustrating movie watching experiences is watching a bunch of actors having fun and not enjoying it at all. We often say we're disappointed in a movie because we can tell the actors are just phoning it in, so we can see they're bored and that naturally bores us too, but the "Charlie's Angels" sequel proved that it can be just as boring when the actors aren't bored. I can't remember another movie in which it's been clear to me that the actors were having a blast, and watching them just bummed me out. It's like watching a comedy with an audience that's laughing their asses off and not being able to crack a single smile.

That's a perfect summary of how I felt about Charlie's Angels 2. I saw the first one in the cinema and had a fun time and watched the second one as an ex-rental I bought from the local video store. The elements seemed similar but the assembly just really felt off and the whole movie just gave me a really bad headache.

It was one of two movies that I watched on the train ride home on a portable DVD player (the other was The Story of Riki) and it was during leave from my neurosurgery term. Now that I look back on it, weirdest journey to a Christmas break *ever*. 

Has anyone actually seen this yet?    I mean critics.  I have heard zero reaction aside from Gabe.

I don't know the budget, but I doubt it'll outright flop.  Action for the fellas, Reese for the ladies, and it's opening for Valentine's Day?  Forget about it.

Drew McWeeny has seen it, Harley.

He didn't say much about the film though. But complains about the bad theatre experience he had.

"War" gives me hope that these two dudes actually level cities in the fight for this girls affection. That's a movie I wanna see.

Sadly, I don't think that's what this movie is.

Thing is, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy in a straight up Spy vs. Spy action/comedy? I'd totally see that. Throwing some ham fisted romantic aspect and McG into the mix? I'm out.

Is there even an antagonist for Pine/Hardy to fight in the 3rd act?

Chelsea Handler, right?

That's...really the problem I've had with this since the trailer.

Why would two guys like Pine and Hardy spend all their time fighting, pranking, one-upping, etc. each other over Reese Witherspoon? No disrespect to her, but I just don't buy that. An issue with casting. If it was say Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Amy Adams, etc. no question you could see it. There are a lot of solid twenty/thirtysomething actresses with the looks, smarts and comic-timing to pick from and they settle on Witherspoon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilmNerdJamie 

That's...really the problem I've had with this since the trailer.

 

Why would two guys like Pine and Hardy spend all their time fighting, pranking, one-upping, etc. each other over Reese Witherspoon? No disrespect to her, but I just don't buy that. An issue with casting. If it was say Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Amy Adams, etc. no question you could see it. There are a lot of solid twenty/thirtysomething actresses with the looks, smarts and comic-timing to pick from and they settle on Witherspoon?

This whole movie is nothing but a vanity project for her.  "See, these two hotties are fighting over me!  ME!  Ain't I sexy?"  No, Reese.  No, you're not.  She's never been seen as a sex symbol.  She comes off as more soccer mom than sex goddess, and this part is all wrong for her.  It's like that moment in Ocean's 11 where Terry Benedict's smokin' hot girlfriend is revealed as she descends the staircase.  The sexy music is playing, Matt Damon's staring up in awe, but it's fuckin' Julia Roberts.  DOES NOT COMPUTE.

    Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe T 

R.I.P.

McG's Career

2000-2012

At this point, he should just stick to television. Helping get Chuck and Supernatural on the air have been the only redeeming things to his resume.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe T 

TIL SCHWEIGER! Who does absolutely NOTHING, and you kind of forget he's in the movie.

 

I thought it was really weird that they had these giant TV screens in the CIA offices where Til Schweiger's face is on EVERY SCREEN, and they don't acknowledge that this obvious criminal genius is out there while these two make elaborate plans to interrupt and destroy each others' dates with this girl. I kept thinking OY, MY TAXPAYER MONEY.

 

Of course, you never really know exactly what Schweiger is doing (he murders some guys in the first scene), and at the end he turns Reese Witherspoon into a damsel in distress because the movie acknowledges, hey, we ran out of ideas awhile ago.

That reminds me of one of the problems I had with "True Lies". They know there's a group of terrorists out there with some stolen nuclear bombs and yet there's this huge diversion of resources and all his men (not to mention the on screen plot) that are meant to be looking for them into instead trying to work out whether or not Arnold's wife is cheating on him. It was especially strange how it went on for so long until the terrorists and the supposed 'A' Plot had to actually force themselves back into the story. You have to wonder if they didn't actually go looking for some of the people looking for them whether or not they would have gotten away with it?

Saw the billboards for a while, but wasn't even aware it had action in it till I looked up the trailer online. Trailer made it look fun in a harmless KNIGHT AND DAY or MR & MRS SMITH kinda way (I enjoyed both ok). Guess not?

I don't have much desire to watch this (maybe one day on the small screen) but this video made me smile*

*and not because of the bare Hardy-ass.

Another movie where you wonder why it's not just Pine and Hardy making out with each other.  Both are prettier than Witherspoon in addition to the fact that they're clearly in love with each other.

This is about as bland as you'd expect it to be.... which means the audience I saw it with ate it up and lightly applauded afterwards.  Considering that, I'm actually surprised at the fact that it's not doing that well.

What was up with Pine's Jean Ralphio/Andrew Garfield hair?  That thing looked like it needed its own trailer.  It also made Tom Hardy look really short. 

The movie also felt like it was chopped up a whole bunch.  There were lots of beats that never felt set up or set ups that never paid off.  Stuff just keeps happening for no reason!!!

Also, Chelsea Handler looks like an old Elizabeth Banks.  The only big laugh I had in the movie is the way the two leads rescue Witherspoon and let Handler crash.

Creepythinman? Is that you?