*stops by to comment on everyone's favorite revenge flick, Taken*

After hearing a ton about his one from several friends, I finally caught it on TV a week or so ago. Personally, I really don't get why everyone loves this film.

I will admit Liam Neeson did a fine job in the film (as he usually does... except for Episode I ), but otherwise it just struck me as the typical revenge/vigilante movie that was popular in the 70's and 80's. Also, I felt it actually belittled the whole human trafficking issue. Maybe I'm just more sensitive to this issue because my Mom did an article on the topic, so we have discussed it a good bit, but it just felt like a "plot device".

Personally, It wouldn't have been so bad if it had ended with a bit more of a downbeat ending (yes, I would prefer a downer ending for this). Something like the daughter wakes up from a nightmare of the experience and her Dad comforts her... similar to the last scene of Deliverance.

Anyway, It really wasn't an "enjoyable" film, yet it wasn't exactly bad. It's kind of in that in-between area for me. I realize that they were trying to go for realism here, but once the Dad goes on the rampage, it just gets typically goofy in that cool-man-bumping-off-bad guys-in-creative-ways sortof vibe.

Sooo, Taken gets a generous 2/5 from me. *dodges rotten fruit*

Yes, exactly, narnian1.

I see your point and respect it, but I just can't really like TAB. Thanks for understanding my point of view, too.

Cor: I was trying to think of a more appropriate ending for Taken, and yours of a nightmare and then the dad comes to comfort her is great. For me, it did not come of as a revenge film: more a father beating up some really bad guys for trafficking his daughter. I appreciated the reality of it that he couldn't save every single girl, but he managed to save his daughter. However, I've heard that the 96 hour window is exaggerated, the way the movie presented it. ]
Nevertheless, I still liked it. Each to his own!

I think The Adjustment Bureau was very good movie provided you're expecting a romantic drama with the merest of sci-fi trappings. I thought its exploration of destiny and free-will was interesting and thought-provoking. I didn't think the ending was humanistic so much as about having a destiny and eventually realising free-will works hand-in-hand with destiny. I really enjoyed the relationship between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt and thought that they had amazing chemistry together that you rarely find onscreen. That said, I do agree that having them sleep together before getting married isn't morally right or very original but also it wasn't unexpected.

I came across a 90's animated Tintin and was wondering if anyone here knows if it is any good?
I havn't had a chance to check it all out yet, but thought I would ask for the sake of it.

Here is the link:

... re=related

I've seen a couple of films in the past few days....

District 9: I had no idea what this was about at ALL, and surprisingly thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Peter Jackson has a nack for getting our sympathies for strange, ugly, and "bad" characters (Gollum, King Kong, and now the "prawns" of District 9). There was a LOT of swearing, but despite the obvious weird creatures/sci-fi violence it was an incredibly good movie.

Also saw Source Code. I think they did a poor job of marketing this, because although I'd seen trailers for it and heard people talk about it, I reallyreally didn't want to see it and didn't think it looked remotely interesting. Ha ha. OK, this is an INCREDIBLY interesting movie and played with an idea I was quite taken with. The ending was the sort that can be discussed Inception-style. I also think the title should have been something like "Eight Minutes to Death" or some variation of that, because "Source Code" sounded much to pretenious and didn't explain enough of the story to draw people to it (at least myself).

Source Code,
This movie surprised me by how much I enjoyed it, I rented it this week. A terrific movie. However, I was able to identify the bomber VERY early on in the movie. Vera Farmiga was terrific as well, loved her.

Reading the discussion about Taken above, I was surprised to realize that I've seen part of it. Someone or other was watching it when I went to their house (can't remember who . . . ), and so I saw some of it. I think I came during the middle, so I didn't catch much of the plot. Since I saw so little, I don't suppose I have much of a right to comment - but it didn't really interest me very much, and though the acting looked good, I wasn't disappointed that I didn't see the end. Definitely not my style of movie.

I watched Gone With the Wind last night. A group of us at work were talking about movies we'd seen and one lady mentioned Gone With the Wind and I said I'd never seen it. She was shocked and couldn't believe I'd never seen it so she loaned it to me on Friday so I could watch it.

I watched it last night and didn't really like it. It just annoyed me. It's a classic so I'm glad to have seen it once but I certainly don't want to watch it again.

For one thing, I hate girls!! Girls in movies usually annoy me to no end. Scarlet was awful! She was such a little insenstive, whining, complaining, spoiled, prissy, princess girl. In the scenes where

I spent most of the movie wishing I could have reached into the screen and punched her out.

Girls in movies that I like include Eowyn from Lord of the Rings and Abigail Chase from National Treasure and Leia from Star Wars because they're strong women who are involved in the struggles and are working to get through them and will fight anyone and anything that gets in their way. I don't like girly girl princesses who can't do anything.

And then I didn't like the ending. I'm not really a fan of romance movies and if I'm going to sit through one, I expect

Anyway, that's my opinion. I know tons of people love it but the whole movie just grated on me. Scarlet was no heroine, that's for sure. She and Rhett and just about everyone except Melanie are spoiled rich uppity people who turn up their noses at everyone and everything that is "below them".

I just discovered an older movie that I am glad I found - U571 it's very epic!
the plot is as follows:

In the battle front of espionage and code cracking of World War II, there remains but one task on the Allied agenda: the capture of a German "Enigma" machine which will allow the Allied naval forces to locate and track submerged German U-Boat submarines. When one such German vessel breaks down after a battle with British forces, a secret mission is dispatched to take over the U-Boat by commando American forces and retrieve an Enigma machine intact. The raid goes well, at first, yet following the destruction of the American mothership and the arrival of reenforcement German ships, the Americans trapped on the U-Boat must use their training and wits to pilot U-571 in order to save their lives.

it's a gripping plot, so gripping that I spent a whole afternoon in front of the TV, biting my finger and willing the characters on

Older? Ha. It's only 11 years old. Good movie though. I'm not sure how accurate it is but I remember it being very enjoyable at the time.

7Chronicles, yes, I've seen that animated series based on the Tintin adventures. It's a French Canadian TV series from the very early 90s. 21 of the books were adapted (no Soviets, Congo or Alph-art) into 39 episodes. Most stories take two episodes to tell, some take only one episode. The TV series is generally true to Herge's series and well done but there are a few flaws. Captain Haddock's character is tamed (less smoking and far less drinking - probably for the American audiences), the moderate-level of violence is toned down and the adult themes have also been toned down (eg. the opium den in The Blue Lotus). All in all, still a very enjoyable series that you should check out.

Another movie I saw recently was Red Riding Hood, the new one that came out last winter. I wasn't expecting it to be anything great but thought I'd check it out anyway. Well, I could have saved the money. It ended up being visually beautiful but pretty boring in everything else. The acting wasn't anything to write home about, I wasn't invested in the romance, I didn't like the male lead, the story was ripe with cliches, the wolf wasn't who I wanted it to be

I got bored toward the ending and fast forwarded it, OH, and it's snowing constantly and there's snow on the ground but not only do you not see their breath in the air (this really bugs me in movies) but the women are constantly walking around outside in short sleeves and open necks...and the guys are stalking around with loose shirts with the necks untied, or in coats undone, or no gloves, hats, whatever. Not very realistic, in my humble opinion.

@Warrior 4 Jesus: Thanks! Glad to hear they are mostly true to the books! After I finish reading the rest of Tintin I'm defiantly going to watch them!

narnian_at_heart, i feel your pain. My mom had us watch Gone With the Wind for school a few years ago, and i hated every minute of it.

I walked out at one point - never saw Rhett and Scarlett

, so somewhere around then - and then came back, certain it had to get better. It didn't.

I found the last 40 minutes or so, where a whole bunch of terrible stuff happens and a couple people suddenly die tragically, to be pretty funny - like they had to fill a certain "drama quotient", and had to shove in all that stuff last-minute to get it all to fit.

On Friday night, two of my sisters and I started watching The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) and we finished it last night. All three of us loved it, it was really funny. Although it was odd to see Ian McKellen as someone other than Gandalf. Sir Percy Blackney was just like I imagined him, the guy played him was perfect in the role. I would definitely watch it again.

SnowAngel

I remember enjoying the book for the Scarlet Pimpernel. I might take a gander at the movie. Thanks for the recommendation, Snow Angel!