Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
I haven't had a post in a little while (life events and then some current events have intervened), so I thought I'd post a thread about some movies a watched this weekend in order to get my mind off of ... those things happening on the new channels.
Both of these movies are on HBO Max streaming (and Free Guy is also available on Disney+). The reason I am going to discuss them in tandem is, well, mostly because I happened to watch both of them over the weekend. But also because they presented a kind of interesting tension- one movie I went into with decent expectations, and left very disappointed. The other ... well, I had no expectations whatsoever, and I had a genuinely great time. Enough that I'd recommend it to all those who didn't catch it in the theater (during COVID) or believed the middling reviews.
Which was which? Well, read on!
1. The King's Man: Ralph Fiennes Gets his Paycheck.
Sorry boss, but there's only two men I trust. One of them's me. The other's not you.
I didn't even realize that there was another Kingsman movie released, such has been the rhythms of cinema life disrupted in the last few years. So it was with some bit of happiness that I saw this pop up on my favorite streaming service, HBO Max (HBO + DC + Studio Ghibli + Warner movies makes for a good combination). And even better ... Ralph Fiennes! He can act. He's the best part of the best Wes Anderson movie. He's the best part of the most underseen and underrated Cronenberg movie. He just consistently knocks it out of the park. And while the Kingsman franchise isn't always great, it has at least been fun, going from subversive and smart to crass and enjoyable, but at least being enjoyable and having a fair amount of visual flair.
...and this sucked. It's hard to explain how a movie can misfire so spectacularly, but this movie did. At a fundamental level, movies have to be somewhat tonally consistent. While it's definitely possible for movies to cross genres (rom-coms, zom-rom-coms), having a movie constantly jerk you between different tones is disorienting and unsatisfying. At a certain point, you no longer are clear on how you should react to the movie- is it trying to be funny or serious, dumb or smart, crass or respectful?
And that's why this movie was so ... frustrating. The cinematography was good. There were some action set-pieces that were enjoyable (and some, such as the Rasputin one, were funny as well). The acting was high quality. But I still have no idea what I was supposed to think of the movie as a whole. In all honesty, and without giving away spoilers, I felt like some of the actors were told, "You're in an Austin Powers movie," and some of the actors were told, "You're in a remake of All Quiet on the Western Front," and then the actors had scenes together.
In a sense, I have to recommend this movie only so someone can see how all the individual parts of a movie can "work," and the movie can still be trash. Because that's what this movie ended up being. A dumpster fire. It was neither fish nor fowl, but some kind of ungodly chicken-fish hybrid that managed to combine the worst aspects of each.
2. Free Guy: Ryan Reynolds is the Movie Star We Deserve
I never disrobe before gunplay.
Ryan Reynolds is a charming man. The best movies that he is in (such as the Deadpool series) tend to play that up, the worse, well, they don't. Free Guy swerves hard into that charm ... and, for the most part, it works. Don't get me wrong- it's not a great movie. It's not a movie you think about and ponder for weeks afterwards. But it is a fun movie. And at times, it's really fun.
The basic conceit is revealed at the beginning of the movie, so ... I can go ahead and tell you if you didn't already know it. Reynolds plays Guy, who is an NPC in a videogame (similar to Grand Theft Auto) who learns that he is in a videogame. It doesn't have any philosophical, Truman Show-esque points to make. But what does do is have a LOT of fun with the idea, and there are so many great visual gags that go on in the background of the movie that I will probably watch it again just for that.
Most importantly, it's really funny. It's funny if you play videogames, and (based on a sample size of one person that I was watching it with) funny if you don't. Some of the second act meanders a little, until it picks up with Dude, but ... yeah, this is a completely fun and enjoyable movie that doesn't require much from you (the viewer) but provides a good time. Sometimes, that's all you really want. Let's face it- maybe a three hour Japanese film about grief is a better movie, but sometimes you just want to have some laughs.
So, anyone else what to chime in? Thoughts about these movies?
Both of these movies are on HBO Max streaming (and Free Guy is also available on Disney+). The reason I am going to discuss them in tandem is, well, mostly because I happened to watch both of them over the weekend. But also because they presented a kind of interesting tension- one movie I went into with decent expectations, and left very disappointed. The other ... well, I had no expectations whatsoever, and I had a genuinely great time. Enough that I'd recommend it to all those who didn't catch it in the theater (during COVID) or believed the middling reviews.
Which was which? Well, read on!
1. The King's Man: Ralph Fiennes Gets his Paycheck.
Sorry boss, but there's only two men I trust. One of them's me. The other's not you.
I didn't even realize that there was another Kingsman movie released, such has been the rhythms of cinema life disrupted in the last few years. So it was with some bit of happiness that I saw this pop up on my favorite streaming service, HBO Max (HBO + DC + Studio Ghibli + Warner movies makes for a good combination). And even better ... Ralph Fiennes! He can act. He's the best part of the best Wes Anderson movie. He's the best part of the most underseen and underrated Cronenberg movie. He just consistently knocks it out of the park. And while the Kingsman franchise isn't always great, it has at least been fun, going from subversive and smart to crass and enjoyable, but at least being enjoyable and having a fair amount of visual flair.
...and this sucked. It's hard to explain how a movie can misfire so spectacularly, but this movie did. At a fundamental level, movies have to be somewhat tonally consistent. While it's definitely possible for movies to cross genres (rom-coms, zom-rom-coms), having a movie constantly jerk you between different tones is disorienting and unsatisfying. At a certain point, you no longer are clear on how you should react to the movie- is it trying to be funny or serious, dumb or smart, crass or respectful?
And that's why this movie was so ... frustrating. The cinematography was good. There were some action set-pieces that were enjoyable (and some, such as the Rasputin one, were funny as well). The acting was high quality. But I still have no idea what I was supposed to think of the movie as a whole. In all honesty, and without giving away spoilers, I felt like some of the actors were told, "You're in an Austin Powers movie," and some of the actors were told, "You're in a remake of All Quiet on the Western Front," and then the actors had scenes together.
In a sense, I have to recommend this movie only so someone can see how all the individual parts of a movie can "work," and the movie can still be trash. Because that's what this movie ended up being. A dumpster fire. It was neither fish nor fowl, but some kind of ungodly chicken-fish hybrid that managed to combine the worst aspects of each.
2. Free Guy: Ryan Reynolds is the Movie Star We Deserve
I never disrobe before gunplay.
Ryan Reynolds is a charming man. The best movies that he is in (such as the Deadpool series) tend to play that up, the worse, well, they don't. Free Guy swerves hard into that charm ... and, for the most part, it works. Don't get me wrong- it's not a great movie. It's not a movie you think about and ponder for weeks afterwards. But it is a fun movie. And at times, it's really fun.
The basic conceit is revealed at the beginning of the movie, so ... I can go ahead and tell you if you didn't already know it. Reynolds plays Guy, who is an NPC in a videogame (similar to Grand Theft Auto) who learns that he is in a videogame. It doesn't have any philosophical, Truman Show-esque points to make. But what does do is have a LOT of fun with the idea, and there are so many great visual gags that go on in the background of the movie that I will probably watch it again just for that.
Most importantly, it's really funny. It's funny if you play videogames, and (based on a sample size of one person that I was watching it with) funny if you don't. Some of the second act meanders a little, until it picks up with Dude, but ... yeah, this is a completely fun and enjoyable movie that doesn't require much from you (the viewer) but provides a good time. Sometimes, that's all you really want. Let's face it- maybe a three hour Japanese film about grief is a better movie, but sometimes you just want to have some laughs.
So, anyone else what to chime in? Thoughts about these movies?
