What Emmanuelle Movie Did You Just Watch?

[Timothy225]

Thor: Love and Thunder - It was... OK. Did NOT expect this to lean so heavily into comedy, like the Guardians films, but I should've seen it coming after Ragnarok did just that. The whole film felt like an extended Batman '66 episode; heavy on the campiness and scenery chewing, the Extra Special Guest Star cameos (looks at Matt Damon and Russel Crowe), the hero's specific vehicle (the Thor Boat powered by Stormbreaker) and general hijinks/running gags. All Thor needed to do was a Bat-tusi and that would've put "paid" to this. Only thing was the Guardians films did the comedy so much better, and it felt much more natural while the humor seemed far more forced here.

On the plus side, Natalie Portman was pretty great in this, and she looked fantastic in some of her Mighty Thor scenes (I really get it now, Ari, I really do), as was Christian Bale, who worked the hell out of what he was given. I would've liked to have seen more of him in this, making him a real terrifying menace that you might've gotten another film out of, a la Thanos, but it didn't happen.

We've got Eternals up next, and possibly Wakanda Forever, as Jen and I start weeding through the Marvel films we haven't seen yet. Safe to say, though, I'm finally hitting Marvel burn out, and hoping that, somehow, when the get around to making the Fantastic Four film, they use it as an opportunity to reboot the whole franchise.

ETA: I did dig seeing some cameos from the comics (Kirby and Ditko characters rule), and Kat Dennings' Darcy making a far too brief cameo early on made me want more of her in this. Dennings would've been a slam dunk if she had more to do here.

[Matt]

LOVE AND THUNDER tries waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too hard to lean into the comedy and only has about a 10% hit ratio (whereas RAGNAROK was at probably a 90% hit ratio). You could also tell that the film absolutely died in the editing process considering it felt like three films merged into one. The tonal whiplash was enough to make you need a chiropractor upon leaving the theater.

Lower your expectations on THE ETERNALS. It's more 'product' than anything else. I enjoyed WAKANDA FOREVER a lot, though.

[Timothy225]

All of what you posted on Love & Thunder is 100% troof, Matt. The comedic bits got real annoying real fast, and they sucked any and all drama from the rest of the film.

I'd rather rewatch the first two Thor movies than ever watch this again.

I'd heard The Eternals wasn't all that hot, but the completist in me has serious OCD, so I gotta watch it sooner or later.

[Abraham Smashington]

Thor wasn't terrible but middling and a waste of Bale which was the biggest crime. The Eternals was dope IMO. IT was at least something different looking and had some fun ideas. Marvel burnout has been it since Endgame for me. Almost everything after (that isn't a tv show or Spidey) has been pretty much forgettable. Until some one comes in and says "what about this one?" to which I'll say, almost everything after (that isn't a tv show or Spidey) has been pretty much forgettable.

Air - Ben Affleck wears a terrible wig, Fat Damon doesn't complain that his wife doesn't have herpes, and Brown Peter (Our Flag Mean Death) was my favorite person in the whole movie. I don't know dick about basketball and while it didn't lean super hard into it, this was mostly forgettable for me. I could have just watched a 15 min youtube thing on this that would have the info I care about more (the stuff with the actual shoe division) but whatevs, it's on Amazon Prime.

[Matt]

Honestly, Marvel should have ended with AVENGERS: ENDGAME. Go out on top. Everything since then has been product of varying degrees of quality and nobody gives a shit about Kang as the new 'big bad guy'.

[Martin]

Agreed Matt.

I completely disgree with Rob. The Eternals was horrid. I’ll take the screaming goat anytime.

[Ingrid]

Endgame was the peak for me. Everything else has been middling AT BEST. Ragnarok is still my favorite Thor; it’s was funny and campy without feeling forced, unlike L&T. I honestly don’t have high hopes for the new Guardians given how L&T turned out. Antman was…fine…

And I haven’t watched most of the shows on D+ because of the oversaturation.

[Matt]

Endgame was the peak for me. Everything else has been middling AT BEST. Ragnarok is still my favorite Thor; it’s was funny and campy without feeling forced, unlike L&T. I honestly don’t have high hopes for the new Guardians given how L&T turned out. Antman was…fine…

And I haven’t watched most of the shows on D+ because of the oversaturation.

GUARDIANS 3 is legit. Right up there with the first two films. You can rest easy knowing that it's of a similar quality and entertainment value.

[Timothy225]

Guardians 3 is definitely on our radar here. The humor in that series flows far more naturally, the movie characters are better than their comic book counterparts, and like really good ska music, it's impossible to feel bad after experiencing it.

I've always been a Marvel Zombie when it comes to the comics, so I'll dutifully watch any new Marvel flick.TV shows are always hit or miss, especially going back to the Agents of SHIELD days. That show had SO much potential, especially with possible MCU cameos which would've helped things gel far better than they wound up doing.

[Abraham Smashington]

Blackberry. Glenn Howerton is basically playing Dennis IF Dennis never bought a bar and instead went into the legitmite side of Frank's business world in an alt reality and it works. The only shit I remember about blackberry was that I wanted one, couldn't afford one at the time, and then when I could, the iPhones came out. But I still couldn't afford anything like that so I stuck with sweet flip phone for way too long. I didn't know what I was in for but this movie was pretty fucking funny, I love me some "real technology" behind the scenes shit, and if anything, I will always be a Doug but will probably never end up like Doug.

[Abraham Smashington]

If anything it was better than any of the Steve Jobs flicks EXCEPT Pirates of SIlicon Valley. Still the "high bar" for me lol.

[Ingrid]

Finally watched Avatar part deux: the watering. I mostly wanted to watch it to make sure it was ok for the older kiddo to see as she loved the first one(although she still hasn’t been able to finish it). It got a bit darker than I was expecting, but I doubt it’ll even be an issue since she still hasn’t finished the first.
It was, of course, gorgeous. But fuck me running was it long. Jesus. I ended up fast forwarding a few of the action scenes and didn’t miss out on any of the story, which tells my they could have been condensed. I’ll watch the third, just so I know how it all shakes out, but I doubt I’ll ever watch any of them again by choice.

[Abraham Smashington]

You mean you'll watch the third and fourth and probably fifth as well
I dunno, I dug the hell outta it but I'm a weirdo who wants to bang hot Weaver Nav'i.

[Martin]

I’ll have to watch it eventually, but I think Cameron lost his marbles somewhere along the line.

[Abraham Smashington]

Akira in 4k. Looked amazing. Dub is strange (better, but strange) but it looked the best it's ever looked. Still a weird movie and so glad that live action nonsense is dead...I hope.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Going through the Reeves's trilogy on 4k and Franco is the main thing I remember. Man, this one is good. 90% is just Serkis lifting the weight. Koba is one sob. The effects work between this and the first is fucking amazing. Can't wait to check out War as it's been YEARS since I've seen it. Same with Dawn. For whatever reason I watched them once and that it's. But I've seen Rise a bunch of times.

Airborne - Yeah. Pure nostalgia. Siiiiiick bladin' action bra.