40Cent @ the movies

[JasonPratt]

Didn't the next Apes film open this weekend? All the reviews I've seen say better than great ('great' being the standard of the previous one)!

Saw it this last w/e.

Solid script, storyline and directing, acting better than average... by far

8.5 bananas out of 10

Saw it opening weekend with the Dad; both loved it. Far superior to Godzilla, much less Age of Extinction, probably superior to Edge of Tomorrow (though the two movies have very different tones and narrative goals). Several weeks later I still have no complaints. If someone had said five years ago I would live to see the final two original Apes movies rebooted with respect and competency, I would have said they were out of their minds. But here we are, living in the future.

9.5 out of 10, minus 0.5 points simply out of spite that no one could manage (and/or though it important enough) to write such a tight and legitimately meaningful script for the Godzilla reboot. (Or for Man of Steel. Or the final Batman trilogy movie. Or Spider-2. Or most other recent beloved properties.)

[Martok]

Dammit.  Sounds like I'm going to have to go see the Apes movie now too. 

[MetalDog]

That's Cameron Diaz's ass.  First movie she's been in the buff.  If you're interested, Kristen Wiig has a movie coming out where she is starkers.

[GDS_Starfury]

you should have made your own.   ^-^

[BanzaiCat]

I really didn't want to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes, especially after that Marky Mark disaster kind of ruined the series, but admittedly, it was pretty good. (After all, Norton's Hulk movie was a far cry better than Ang Lee's version, so...why not give it a chance, I suppose.)

I don't want to see Dawn, either, but...you guys won't shut up about how good it is.  ;D

[JasonPratt]

Arguably better than Rise. Though also arguably the titles should have been switched around (as several critics have jokingly noted).

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was too preachy and just mediocre.  Rise was much better.

[Ubercat]

Are we up to the 3rd Apes reboot movie, now? I stopped paying attention after seeing the first one.

When I was a kid, I could explain the whole plot line of all 5 movies, including the ins and outs of the related time travel paradoxes.

[JasonPratt]

SDR, fair enough about the preachiness -- I don't even agree with all the preaching.

Uber, I still can reckon up the looping timeline of the original movies! -- except I can't for the life of me remember the name of the gorilla who led the original 'pet' rebellion, replaced by Caesar being introduced into the timeline for Apes 4, whom he ends up fighting in Apes 5. The point being that this time humans and apes have a chance to co-exist. Considering they threw those movies together as they went along, it's freaking brilliant story arc.

But this is only the 2nd Apes reboot (edited to add: unless one counts the animated series from the 70s which recycled some original characters from the first movie in an extended remake of its plot -- the live action series preceding it was intended as a prequel to the first two movies). Burton's was the first, Rise was the second. Dawn is a direct sequel to Rise (not at all a 3rd reboot), and together they effectively reboot/remake the single storyline from the "Conquest" and "Battle" movies (Apes 4 and 5).

But it's a new continuity from the start, because the chimpanzee Caesar is involved from the start, not as a result of time-travel meddling in the Apes' past.

(So far as we know -- I'm pretty sure Rise was teasing the departure of the light-speed experimental shuttle a couple of times in the background: Icarus was the name given to it by fans, so that's a pretty big fan nod but since the original ship's name was never known the writers can always come back that they were teasing.)

[Ubercat]

Aldo? That's the name that pops into my head.

[JasonPratt]

Yeah I looked over the plot to Ape 5 and Aldo (played by Claude Adkins, wooo!) is definitely his name, but for some reason I don't think that was the original gorilla rebellion leader's name... I may have to find a fan page. Or maybe I'll stop caring soon, since that would take less effort.    :D

[eyebiter]

.

[Ubercat]

APE killed an APE!

APE killed an APE!

[Centurion40]

Been on vacation & therefore negligent.

Guardians of the Galaxy delivered all that was expected of it- despite being way over-hyped.  Thought that Ronan's ship was poached from the Chronicles of Riddick, but what ya gonna do?  Just as good in 2D as 3D, so need to waste the extra cash on a 3D ticket.

36 out of 40

[Centurion40]

Lucy started off far better than it ended.  I found it a bit uneven, not as extreme as the TV series The Strain, but still noticeable.  Great looking movie, but it could have benefited with another writer, or two- especially since it has been proven that we use far more than 10% of our brain.

33 out of 40