I don't think I saw a thread for this already, which means none of you have seen this, and are therefore smarter than I.

Sometimes it's fun to waste your time with a movie if it's only 90 minutes or even 120 minutes long as long as it's entertaining.

But when it's close to 3 hours, then things get a little testy. I could not wait for this movie to be over.

Now, that's not to say there weren't good things in the film. There were some very entertaining moments, some beautiful moments, some touching moments, and Halle Berry. But this movie is so overly ambitious that it becomes quite laughable, and then it becomes nauseating, especially around the 6th or 7th incarnation of Tom Hanks.

Spaulding's head would actually IMplode about 45 minutes int this movie because of Hanks overload. I couldn't take him anymore after about an hour and a half.

The film is mostly a costume get-up lark that's full of pseudointellectualism and just about every cliche is in there, it's just sometimes hidden by psychobabble.

The futuristic Neo-Seoul scenes are right out of the Matrix, confirming to me what I've known for a long time--the Wachowski's are hacks. They have had 1 great movie ("Bound") and one appealing movie ("The Matrix") and a whole lot of bullshit after that (yes, "V for Vendetta" was garbage; read the graphic novel and tell me I'm wrong--you'd still be wrong).

Also, if you weren't sick of Hugo Weaving, you will be after this film. Just about every actor wears out their welcome, besides Halle Berry, by the two hour mark. And you still have over 45 minutes to go from there.

You wanna know what it's about? Choices. Consequences. Legacy. That's all. And it stretches that for almost 3 hours. I wouldn't say it's boring. There is intrigue in some of the vignettes that keeps your interest.

But overall, it's a grandiose mess. In the tradition of "Being Human", and "The Fountain", it strains a very simple idea and beats you over the head with weird symbolism and pretentious narration that doesn't enlighten you unless you're an 8 year old.

out of

Halle Berry represents half of the 's.

I saw the movie. I felt emotions, both happy and sad. Indeed, Zach, the directors have slightly inflated sense of self-awesomeness. I enjoyed the characters and the acting, but the movie was 30 minutes too long. I know there will be a 5 hour directors cut, when it is on DVD next month.

Between the slavery, gay old men, and future gibberish, I can see why this movie was a dud at the box office. They are not getting enough return trips back to cinema from moviewatchers. The best thing I can say is I've seen worse movies this year.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Sounds like B & B talking points on any given day.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

That'd actually be a mashup of the two afternoon shows.

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Thank you.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Zack, what did you think of the Dark Knight Rises?

A real man goes to see SKYFALL.

Message film my ass. Here's a message: ENTERTAIN ME.

This Cloud Atlas looked goofy. 3 hours? It's why I never watched Avatar more than once. As a small child I was forced to go see Lawrence of Arabia. Not a fan of anything over two hours unless it's a Bond movie or a big special FX deal.

EDIT: In all seriousness,W_Z I respect your opinion on movies and was wondering if you plan on seeing Skyfall.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

hey...i saw "expendables 2", man. back off.

colonel, here was my review for DKR:

http://thereviewbin.com/tag/the-dark-knight-rises

Thanks.

@ rating.

The Matrix is much more than an "appealing movie". It was an industry changing movie on a cinematogric level. It was a deep, philosophical movie on an intellectual level. If that is the only movie the Wachowskis created, it would be a worthy career.

This Cloud Atlas thing looks like the same movie as Life of Pi to me from the coming attractions. They look visually stunning but I have absolutely no idea what they are about.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Just started reading the novel this weekend and am enjoying it so far. Also read Life of Pi last month and absolutely loved it. Plan on seeing both films, although the early reviews for Cloud Atlas are not favorable.

Life of Pi is about a pie that comes to life to save Xmas.

besides being a rip off of grant morrison's "the invisibles", the symbolism was very familiar and besides it being an action movie with a brain, which was nice, it wasn't any more intellectual or visually stunning than "blade runner". it just had a better pace.

and the fact that it's been copied so many times has made it hard to even appreciate the film anymore. not to mention the other two films in the trilogy were horrible.

I disagree. I think it had layered symbolism with both philosophical and theological undertones. It had familiarity because it was borrowing from greates like Plato and Orwell. It was essentially a modern twist on the Allegory of the Cave.

It may be annoying that the way it was shot was copied so widely in so many varied genres. Still, I don't blame The Blair Witch Project for all of its point of view children. I commend it for being the first.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

there are a lot of examples of modern twists on "the cave". it's probably the most borrowed allegory of all time in modern literature and film.

i felt "dark city" was superior in its science fiction approach. "the matrix" was a fun lark but it wasn't as smart as it was advertising itself to be. and it certainly didn't need 3 fucking movies to tell the story.

i sometimes wish "blair witch" wasn't as successful as it was. the "found footage" subgenre is incredibly nauseating and i think the film itself would've been appreciated more if it hadn't been so accessible.

I remember all the hipsters saying the same thing about REM way back when

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

It's endlessly fascinating and universal.

What is real? That is a sufficiently large question in itself.

When faced with difficulties of reality would you rather live in fantasy?

That question arises every day for some and very often for most. Should I take that drink and escape for a couple of hours? Do I go to the football game and become meatball? Hell, even should I go to Disneyworld.

Anyway, people have borrowed themes since the beginning of storytelling. Shakespeare is in the pantheon of English literature and almost none of his actual stories is an original idea. It is all in the presentation and I think Matrix I holds up very well in that context.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

This movie has set transexual directors back in Hollywood.

well, the wachowski's would be pleased that you are giving them that much credit. i think it's a fun action movie, and while those themes are touched upon, it is still a "he is the one who will save us" yarn and it's well done in that respect. it's certainly brainier than something like, say, "star wars" but it's not something i've never seen before...and i've seen it done better.

"There is no spoon" is the deepest line ever uttered in a movie.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

no way; that line doesn't even come close to "Whoa..."