What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Batman's mother's name was Lara too?

Did you think she was Batmom? :)

In this film, at least, her name is very melodramatically revealed to be Martha.

Quote: Nareed

Did you think she was Batmom? :)

I would call you on spoiler alert, but that plot twist is so pathetic I will never watch the movie.

Quote: Pacomartin

I would call you on spoiler alert, but that plot twist is so pathetic I will never watch the movie.

I don't call spoiler alerts if the movie's been out more than a month.

Funny anecdote, though, about Apollo XIII. It seems I was the only person in my circle of friends, acquaintances and extended family, call it about 200 people I heard about, who knew the astronauts would make it home alive and unharmed. Really.

Quote: Nareed

BTW, there's a far better version of Batman acting, sort of, against other super heroes. It's a animated Justice League movie, whose title unfortunately escapes me for the moment. It's too comic-booky to be taken entirely seriously, but the principle makes perfect sense.

Found it!

It's "Justice League: Doom"

Quote: Nareed

Did anyone see the (rather overhyped) Batman v Superman movie?

No. I'm pretty much sworn off super hero movies until one centered on Wonder Woman comes out, which I'll probably hate too.

I have two questions. Please put the answer in spoiler tags, for the benefit of others who may wish to see the movie.

1. How could this possibly be a fair fight? Superman has about 1,000x the strength of Batman. What could all of Batman's gadgetry possibly do to Superman, unless it were made of kryptonite?

2. Who won? I'm still trying to figure out who won the fight between Freddy and Jason too.

Quote: Wizard

2. Who won? .

Not you if you saw the movie.

Quote: Wizard

Please put the answer in spoiler tags, for the benefit of others who may wish to see the movie.

I don't do spoiler tags, but ok.

Quote:

1. How could this possibly be a fair fight? Superman has about 1,000x the strength of Batman. What could all of Batman's gadgetry possibly do to Superman, unless it were made of kryptonite?

That was actually the best part of the movie. Bruce does it the Batman way. After all, unless the situation is hopeless, Batman won't enter a fight without a plan he knows is going to work.

Quote:

2. Who won?

Independence Day 2 without Will Smith
for comedic relief? I don't think so.

Recently watched, "Wild Card" a small (if $30 million is small) budget 2015 drama (with action, as opposed to an "Action Drama") with Jason Statham that is set primarily in Las Vegas. It is a remake of the 80's Burt Reynolds movie, "Heat".

Action star Statham plays Nick Wild, a former Special Forces trained "chaperone" who hires himself out for security details. Think a real life Dan Tanna. Life is tough for Mr. Wild. He drinks alot, compulsively gambles, and dreams of hitting it big and buying a yacht in Corsica. He even has a plan. All he needs is $500,000. He's got it planned to the penny.

I don't know if the folks who signed off on the production using their actual names actually read the script, but two actual properties are negatively portrayed, while another is portrayed as nicer than actual. The redundantly named "Tod Motor Motel" is portrayed as a real dump. Actually, it is a dump out by the Stratosphere, but the film makes it look like a real hell hole instead of the rent by the week, super low budget place it really is.

The Golden Nugget is characterized as the center of the mob universe. While the set portraying a suite is actually really nice, with a large shower that even includes stripper poles; the lack of security, and the crimes that are allowed to occur there are disturbing for a national brand. While comedies like "The Hangover" make light of trashed rooms and hard partying, "Wild Card" just uses the Nugget as a torture chamber.

The place that gets the sizzle sell is the Golden Gate. Portrayed as a "30 second cab ride" from Caesars, it is supposed to be Nick's main hangout. The casino set has a split level floor, a high limit room, and a non-smokey, classic Vegas atmosphere. Men wear sportcoats, women wear evening dresses. Some scenes appear to have been shot in the actual location (the men's restroom) but others, like the casino floor, appear to be shot on a set, probably in Louisiana.

I enjoyed it. Statham does a good job playing the character of the nice guy loser who happens to have, as Liam Neeson's character in Taken was so fond of saying, a "particular set of skills". You root for him to succeed, but also witness the destruction of his addictions. While his "particular set of skills" doesn't include disciplined BJ basic strategy (he hits a hard 19 against a dealer 10 because he "knows" the dealer has another ten in the hole), the gambling scenes are fun and exciting with both huge highs and devastating lows. Great dramas revolve around the protagonist's decision to make a heroic sacrifice, and Jason Statham does a good job communicating the conflicting desires within Nick Wild, despite a weak script and trouble with with .

Outdoor shots portray Nick driving his classic 69 Grand Torino down Main street, but a close look at the background reveals that he is driving up and back the same stretch of road. The action scenes are very well done. Intense hand to hand combat. Blood is spilled, and shots are fired. Note that there are two disturbing rape scenes, so this film may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy movies about the Las Vegas "Dream", this one is worth a look.

I give "Wild Card" 7 garden shears out of 10. It's better than Burt Reynolds' "Heat", (but way short of the Pacino/DeNiro classic, "Heat").

New Bourne movie coming July 29th.
From the trailer it doesn't look
disappointing. The Bourne movies
and the Pirate movies are the only
ones I see in a theater. Americana
at it's finest.