Last movies you saw

[Combine 017]

Go watch some Life, that will make you feel better.

[Angrist]

The New World. 7/10.
Such a slow movie. I see what they were going for, but it didn't really work. The actress that played Pocahontas really saved this movie. Wow, what a gorgeous and cute girl.

Edit:
Saw The Dark Knight Returns. I'll give it a 6/10 because I didn't fall asleep this time.
What a messy movie. Random plot twists with a huge Deus Ex Machina at the end. I guess they were trying to make the 3rd movie the biggest yet in terms of villainous acts... and they were willing to sacrifice everything for that. I still don't get what people (mostly Americans from what I see) see in TDK/TDKR.
Oh and yes, Bane's voice was laughable. Or utterly annoying, I can't really decide.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Angrist

The New World. 7/10.
Such a slow movie. I see what they were going for, but it didn't really work. The actress that played Pocahontas really saved this movie. Wow, what a gorgeous and cute girl.

Edit:
Saw The Dark Knight Returns. I'll give it a 6/10 because I didn't fall asleep this time.
What a messy movie. Random plot twists with a huge Deus Ex Machina at the end. I guess they were trying to make the 3rd movie the biggest yet in terms of villainous acts... and they were willing to sacrifice everything for that. I still don't get what people (mostly Americans from what I see) see in TDK/TDKR.
Oh and yes, Bane's voice was laughable. Or utterly annoying, I can't really decide.

What Deus Ex Machina did the movie introduce?

[Angrist]

Oh come on, that villain behind the curtains at the end? That was totally random. That's just a plot twist for the sake of a plot twist. They might as well have revealed that his butler was actually his father, or that Bane was actually Batman's shizo alterego.

[Teuthida]

Really?

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Angrist

Oh come on, that villain behind the curtains at the end? That was totally random. That's just a plot twist for the sake of a plot twist. They might as well have revealed that his butler was actually his father, or that Bane was actually Batman's shizo alterego.

is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object

Perhaps because I know the character, but Tate being Talia.. didn't seem out of the blue. The film does drop hints at her not being on the up and up at times.

*Shrugs*

[Vampyr]

Yeah, I enjoyed that plot twist.

Also I don't think that's deus ex machina anyway. Deus ex machina is when some previously unmentioned event or piece of technology saves everyone at the last second.

It would be like if the bat plane hadn't been mentioned the entire movie, then suddenly Bruce had a bat-plane right when he needed it.

[Angrist]

The original term deus ex machina comes from Greek theatre. Whenever the plot was at a dead point or the writers couldn't come up with anything interesting, they'd introduce a God (deus) that suddenly changed something. They lowered him onto the stage with a crane (machina).

So the term deus ex machina can apply to persons, story elements, plot twists, etc.
Think of somebody returning to the screen, even though you watched him die in one episode. Or a bit of extra info that changes the whole story. Random stuff like that.
Or a love interest suddenly turning out to be the daughter of your arch enemy.

The auto pilot of the Bat (hey, I remembered the name!) turning out to have worked all along, even though you saw Batman sitting in the Bat when he flew out to sea is another good example.

Anyway, that's what I was taught what deus ex machina means.

[Vampyr]

Well, the google definition is:

Noun:
An unexpected power or event saving a hopeless situation, esp. as a plot device in a play or novel.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Angrist

The original term deus ex machina comes from Greek theatre. Whenever the plot was at a dead point or the writers couldn't come up with anything interesting, they'd introduce a God (deus) that suddenly changed something. They lowered him onto the stage with a crane (machina).

So the term deus ex machina can apply to persons, story elements, plot twists, etc.
Think of somebody returning to the screen, even though you watched him die in one episode. Or a bit of extra info that changes the whole story. Random stuff like that.
Or a love interest suddenly turning out to be the daughter of your arch enemy.

The auto pilot of the Bat (hey, I remembered the name!) turning out to have worked all along, even though you saw Batman sitting in the Bat when he flew out to sea is another good example.

Anyway, that's what I was taught what deus ex machina means.

The Bat is another element that they build up throughout the course of the film.
And even give the audience a hint, hint, wink wink at Bruce being able to fix it.

I believe Lucious says something like a smarter mind.. or a less busy mind would be able to fix it
During the closing montage, you learn that Bruce pretty much fixed the autopilot as soon as he got The Bat

The bigger complaint would be WHEN did he exit the Bat exactly.

- Some woman wants to blow up the whole city.... but she gives her enemies enough time to stop her.

I assume you mean the climax?
During the entire film, Bane beats it over the audience's head that he isn't blowing up the bomb right away because he wants to give people "hope" So it's a city-wide torture of sorts.

- They trap all the city's police men underground for 3 months... but they keep them so well fed, shaved and trained that they're ready to fight when they get out.

This I agree with you.. Odd that they were in good fighting shape and spirits after spending 3 months underground..
Would imagine their vision has to be a bit screwy as well.

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

I assume you mean the climax?
During the entire film, Bane beats it over the audience's head that he isn't blowing up the bomb right away because he wants to give people "hope" So it's a city-wide torture of sorts.

It's not about blowing things up...it's about sending a message.

This I agree with you.. Odd that they were in good fighting shape and spirits after spending 3 months underground..
Would imagine their vision has to be a bit screwy as well.

These are the kinds of things I never think of while watching a movie, or ever seem to care about.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

It's not about blowing things up...it's about sending a message.




These are the kinds of things I never think of while watching a movie, or ever seem to care about.

I don't either.
It's only a problem if it actively pulls me out of the experience.
In this case, it pulled Angrist out of the experience, which I guess is fair.

[Seth]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

I don't either.
It's only a problem if it actively pulls me out of the experience.
In this case, it pulled Angrist out of the experience, which I guess is fair.

Quite fair. Watching the cops charge automatic rifles like they're 4th century Spartans should elicit some cringe from even the most audacious-escapiers in the audience.


[Argo semi-spoiler in this following paragraph]
It's like watching a movie such as, say, Argo, and then near the climatic attempt to flee the country, Affleck's character starts to Rambo-dance with all the gunmen and then grabs the two ambassador women, flings them across his shoulders respectively and continues to gun down Iranian gruntmen and then proceeds to 'get this thing off the ground' by kicking out the pilots and fullthrottling the jet without take-off clearance: all to the music of MJ's "Thriller".

Pretty much what Nolan did in TDKR with the culmination-debacle that capped off a 'realistic' conception of HIS Gotham. The pussification of Bane into a love-bound hound who's sole motivation wasn't entwined in Ras-Philosophy but instead a quest to seek revenge on the killer of his love's dadda.
pffffffff what was he smoking with this ending?

Did I miss something? Why the collective scape-goat of a city? Because it would hurt the Bat? Make him feel like a failure as protectorate?

Seems like such a social-bent hollywood-trope statement that destroyed the possibilities that a fairly well done TDK established (at least in terms of hero-adaption genre fair).

bad taste in mouth

[Angrist]

Oh well, whatever we call it, the movie was full of it.

And why are these villains so retarded?
- Some woman wants to blow up the whole city.... but she gives her enemies enough time to stop her.
- They trap all the city's police men underground for 3 months... but they keep them so well fed, shaved and trained that they're ready to fight when they get out.
- They carry guns, but don't know how to use them. But where's the fun in a gun if you can just get knocked out in hand2hand combat? Again: gotta give those good guys a chance!

I know that's the case in basically every action (hero) movie, but I've never seen it so frustating as in this movie.
Anyway, I better stop now, because I know there are a lot of TDK fans here and I don't want to annoy anyone.

[Seth]

No Angrist, you are not alone in your sentiments.

It was probably the most squeamish/irritated/embarrassed moment I have ever experienced when the trapped cops got out to fight the baddies. It was so intolerably awful that I could only laugh.

Inexcusable is the right word to use.

The production value and use of scene development was top notch however. Nolan is an amazing director in terms of giving a shit about the blockbuster genre. He actually puts the effort in and I appreciate that much.

I do regret supporting it at the box office though.

The whole social commentary thing that carried over from TDK and the terrorist element has become a hoary excuse to shape the perceptions of kids a whole lot younger than us who don't have the full capacity to segment this type of fiction appropriately.

I'm interested in seeing Killing Them Softly because it sounds like 'extreme violence' being used as a metaphor-device, commenting on the post-bailout America in terms of repercussions. Capitalist 'look out for yourself' resulting in the further shredding of social fabric. Or, it's just a violence gappa that drew Pitt in with a paycheck?