What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

I streamed "Tron Legacy" last Saturday. I was very disappointed.

There's a lot that's wrong with the original movie (like lacking any characterization or much of a plot), which I forgive it because it is so beautifully rendered and so fully immersive. Much the same is wrong with the latter movie, except the effects this time were not as good.

Oh, technically they're superb. But the look is a lot more realistic. That's a problem. the world inside the machine in Tron wasn't supposed to be an analog of reality, but rather a completely alien realm with different rules. In the latter movie it looks more like an optimistic dystopian vision of the future, than something completely different.

One thing I liked was that Flynn kept visiting the world inside the machine, rather than relegating the whole first movie to a McGuffin as is so often the case. Alas, he merely replaced one dystopian world with a slightly less dystopian one. Not to mention Clu isn't much of a villain. The Master Control program in the original was ominous, and his henchman, Sark I believe, was a good, stock cruel bastard scared of his master.

Lastly, Tron himself has about five minutes on screen. He may as well not have been there. Granted in the original he was not the central character, either, Flynn was, but at least he got to be the hero. Not this time. the movie should have been called Quorra, or Son of Flynn.


Babylon 5 bonus: In the original Tron, the title character was played by Bruce Boxleitner, who'd later play Capt. John Sheridan in Babylon 5. The first program he confronts in "the games" inside the machine, and his name escapes me, was played by peter Jurassik, who'd later play Ambassador Londo Mollari in B5.

Quote: Nareed

I streamed "Tron Legacy" last Saturday. I was very disappointed.

Horrible.

Quote: Pacomartin

Horrible.

The movie, or that I was disappointed? :)

After watching it I thought, suppose instead Flynn had become a benevolent, but harsh, dictator inside the machine. After all, the inhabitants of the virtual world are mere programs, not people. Then an old program would eventually rise up and overthrow him. That movie could have been called "Clu" ;)

Quote: Nareed

The movie, or that I was disappointed? :)

The movie.
The script would have been weak for television script.

Quote: Pacomartin

The movie.
The script would have been weak for television script.

There were so many clichés, too, I wanted to go at them with a scythe.

When Flynn Jr. gets to the club, I knew at once that 1) the guy gatekeeping the "rebel" program was the actual program Flynn Jr. was looking for (I forget his name), 2) that he would betray Flynn Jr., and 3) Clu would kill him.

I also never had any doubt Quorra would emerge with Flynn Jr., and the movie would perforce end with her seeing the real world, probably at sunrise.

I'm thinking about some "cult classic" movies I haven't seen ... would like your opinions if you've seen them, please. Many are science fiction.

from a list at movieseum dot com, but the ads etc are so awful I don't recommend the site

*Minority Report [2002]

*Dark City [1998]

*Miller's Crossing [1990]

*Gattaca [1997]

*Strange Days [1995]

Quote: odiousgambit

I'm thinking about some "cult classic" movies I haven't seen ... would like your opinions if you've seen them, please. Many are science fiction.

from a list at movieseum dot com, but the ads etc are so awful I don't recommend the site

*Minority Report [2002]

*Dark City [1998]

*Miller's Crossing [1990]

*Gattaca [1997]

*Strange Days [1995]

Millers Crossing - masterpeice. love anything by the Coen brothers.
Minority Report, Gattaca, Strange days all good entertaining movies.
Haven't seen Dark City.

Quote: terapined

Minority Report,

I have one huge problem with the movie: had Tom Cruise not been told he was going to kill someone, he wouldn't have killed that person. It ruined the whole movie. It's a plot hole big enough to drive a tank through.

Quote:

Gattaca

Great movie. It managed to make a point.

It's been a long time since I saw Dark City, probably in the theater when it first came out. I remember putting in the "great movie" category at the time. Miller's Crossing was also really good. Minority Report was a pretty standard Tom Cruise vehicle. Entertaining but forgettable.

Quote: jml24

Minority Report was a pretty standard Tom Cruise vehicle. Entertaining but forgettable.

Aside from the plot hole I pointed out, it misses the opportunity to discuss a fascinating ethical problem. Granted, finding out someone will commit murder is rare, there are many criminal cases of people caught conspiring to commit some other types of crime. Then, too, there's the whole matter of pre-emptive war against an enemy state.

In the movie we see one man stopped from murdering someone. he's tried and convicted before he even knows he's going to kill anyone. I had major, major issues with that. But the movie was focused on a plot hole...