Movie What's the last movie you saw? (8)

[phantom13]

Star Wars and Empire have strong critical ratings, they were loved by adults and kids alike. Return of the Jedi was the beginning of the exclusively kid-focused films. The sequels tried to go back to be something for everyone to mixed results.

A New Hope seems almost devoid of actual critical input though, its a weird cultural zenith that exceeds its actual output.

Its also nigh on impossible to have any sort of impartial discussion about because its fan base is so rabid. They LOVE the originals and HATE people ****ing with their view on the original.

To be clear i dont hate the films, i just have no real emotional attachement to them so im quite happy to note they are techincally quite impressive, from a story telling, acting and screenplay point of view theyre mid tier at best (Fisher and Ford maybe aside).

I feel like there is alot of Avatar about them tbh. Its just that Avatar didnt catch the critical lightning in a bottle that A New Hope and Empire did.

Anyway, its not the Star Wars thread.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

what have I done

 

[Gralin]

what have I done

 

[WAbulldog]

I really like the original trilogy and also like Rogue One a good bit but the rest I can take it or leave it.

 

[Gralin]

How many superhero movies were there in 2025? Superman, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts. I think thats it.

This whole "theres no good movies anymore" is so overstated and tired, especially when its coupled with "ITS ALL JUST SUPERHERO SHIT".

Go watch some streamers, they are cranking out smaller indie projects, check out Kino and independent theatres or even just enjoy the mainstream fare that gets Oscar buzz (OBAA and Sinner are FANTASTIC films).

The nostalgia haze we all have for the better time in cinema is borderline ridiculous.

I think something you really can't argue against though is the impact on the rest of the industry having such a big player as Disney makes by tying up so many resources just on the MCU

now you could argue they'd tie up those resources anyway, which yeah they would

they exist to make as much money as possible off any IPs they own

and they put most of their time into these IP by committee movies and shows, Star Wars they've been less successful with than Marvel but they'd certainly tried to put as much into that as they can as well

they started off having 1 or 2 movies a year, over the past 18 years there have only been two years without at least one MCU movie at the cinemas which was 2009 and 2020

Most years they have 3-4 movies a year

so the marketing hits year round, there's a move or two or 3 in cinemas, there are previews

its pretty much constant

if you don't like that stuff its going to be as annoying as ****

and that's without the impact it puts on the availability of actors and directors they sign up to do anything else

not to mention the amount of screens they take up at cinemas

There's still plenty of great stuff out there getting made that isn't comic book movies

But when you add in all the other sequels and reboots out there

your options for really do thin out a lot

and that goes back to the current model being largely cash grabs off known IP and the MCU is a big part of why we are in that spot

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Haven't watched the star wars originals since I was a kid. Loved them. They were my favourites. Watched about 10 mins of the remakes whenever they came out and couldn't stand it. Should have left them the way they were.

 

[JackOutback]

what have I done

Your children a great service

 

[Hoos]

I think boomers are like 60 now? Assuming youre about 55 (from the maths) so youre not that far off it.

The boomer generation started just after WW2. That would put some of them into their 80s.

I'm definitely not there yet.

 

[Hoos]

With all due respect im not gonna put a whole lot of weight in the critique of an (at the time) 8 year old.

I have seen it once or twice over the last 40 odd years, lol.

 

[phantom13]

I think something you really can't argue against though is the impact on the rest of the industry having such a big player as Disney makes by tying up so many resources just on the MCU

now you could argue they'd tie up those resources anyway, which yeah they would

they exist to make as much money as possible off any IPs they own

and they put most of their time into these IP by committee movies and shows, Star Wars they've been less successful with than Marvel but they'd certainly tried to put as much into that as they can as well

they started off having 1 or 2 movies a year, over the past 18 years there have only been two years without at least one MCU movie at the cinemas which was 2009 and 2020

Most years they have 3-4 movies a year

so the marketing hits year round, there's a move or two or 3 in cinemas, there are previews

its pretty much constant

if you don't like that stuff its going to be as annoying as ****

and that's without the impact it puts on the availability of actors and directors they sign up to do anything else

not to mention the amount of screens they take up at cinemas

There's still plenty of great stuff out there getting made that isn't comic book movies

But when you add in all the other sequels and reboots out there

your options for really do thin out a lot

and that goes back to the current model being largely cash grabs off known IP and the MCU is a big part of why we are in that spot

I mean franchise entertainment and market saturation don’t start at the mcu. The overall output is massively offset by the plethora of other options for studio and independent film being produced (most of which are also not gonna be impacted by VFX and actors being used).

We can agree to disagree but when I hear “they don’t make em like they used to” followed up with “and I hate that superhero trash” I’m tuning out. There are PLENTY of other options.

The boomer generation started just after WW2. That would put some of them into their 80s.

I'm definitely not there yet.

Yeh and it ended well after putting some in their early 60s, hardly way past you.

I have seen it once or twice over the last 40 odd years, lol.

Sure but I’m not referring to people who formed their opinions of the film when they were older and had some frame of reference. Like what you like (I like the mcu) but you should be able to see its flaws and edges

 

[spinynorman]

I figure Star Wars is particularly beloved by people who were young when they're watching it, no? Like the original trilogy was watched and rewatched on video by younger boomer, Gen X and older millennial kids through the 80s and 90s. As noted, it's not particularly deep sci fi, it's all about the fun spectacle, and that's going to resonate most of all with young people (older people too, no doubt - it was a monster hit, but also most people who were 35+ when the original came out aren't around anymore).

I was 12 when The Phantom Menace came out, which was old enough to have watched the original movies a bunch and young enough to be excited to grow up on this new series. It was also old enough to not just like every movie you watched anymore, and I knew I wasn't enjoying it.

In more recent years, and particularly post-the Disney trilogy, I think there's been a soft reappraisal for the prequels. I don't overly think there should be, but if people love 'em that's great for them! Maybe there'll even be one for the Disney trilogy one day, but I can't see anybody successfully making a strong case for the ninth one.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Star Wars movies are space superhero movies

 

[squashface]

Saw The Bone Temple today.

Really beautiful in some spots and bat-shit insane in others, much like the last one - but with a different kind of tone due to Boyle not directing this time.

Fiennes just kills it in every scene he’s in.

Love where they’ve taken this series.

9/10

 

[spinynorman]

I think something you really can't argue against though is the impact on the rest of the industry having such a big player as Disney makes by tying up so many resources just on the MCU

now you could argue they'd tie up those resources anyway, which yeah they would

they exist to make as much money as possible off any IPs they own

and they put most of their time into these IP by committee movies and shows, Star Wars they've been less successful with than Marvel but they'd certainly tried to put as much into that as they can as well

they started off having 1 or 2 movies a year, over the past 18 years there have only been two years without at least one MCU movie at the cinemas which was 2009 and 2020

Most years they have 3-4 movies a year

so the marketing hits year round, there's a move or two or 3 in cinemas, there are previews

its pretty much constant

if you don't like that stuff its going to be as annoying as ****

and that's without the impact it puts on the availability of actors and directors they sign up to do anything else

not to mention the amount of screens they take up at cinemas

There's still plenty of great stuff out there getting made that isn't comic book movies

But when you add in all the other sequels and reboots out there

your options for really do thin out a lot

and that goes back to the current model being largely cash grabs off known IP and the MCU is a big part of why we are in that spot

We're kinda seeing the superhero craze nearing the end of its stranglehold on popular culture so I would say I think this is probably a slightly dated complaint, but it is true that there was a monopolising of the cinema when they came out. There was a story that Tarantino told of The Hateful Eight was going to run at a major cinema in LA and Disney threatened the cinema chain with entirely withdrawing The Force Awakens from all of their screens if they didn't give the slot to that film. It's a fair assumption that this happens to varying scales with others when it comes to the finite (and shrinking) issue of cinema screens.

There's enormous talent out there, no doubt, but the main sources of funding are consolidating (see also: Warner Bros) in a way that should concern anyone who truly loves film. I have a friend who only goes to the movies to see MCU and Star Wars movies. That's his right, of course, but I'm sure he's emblematic of a large audience who've been conditioned to solely see these movies as major events worthy of their time as spectacle.

Of the ten highest grossing films at the Box Office in 2025, eight were sequels or remakes, one was A Minecraft Story (so original as a film but definitely part of an existing franchise) and F1® The Movie, a 150 minute long commercial with a literal trademark logo in its name. In 2015 it was also eight sequels. In 2005 it was five. In 1995 it was four. In 1985 it was three. In 1975 it was one.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Anyone seen Havoc? Tom Hardy in it must be worth watching.

 

[Slime Roy]

The Matrix

Haven't watched this in years, and gave it another viewing last night, and it still holds up pretty well. 7/10 (Good)

It's weird, for how cutting edge they were I found the fights scenes pretty average on a recent
re-watch. I didn't feel the hits. It felt very weightless.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

It's weird, for how cutting edge they were I found the fights scenes pretty average on a recent
re-watch. I didn't feel the hits. It felt very weightless.

Overrated imo. Fight scenes are too Hollywood. Also just found out Ralph from the Sopranos was in it. Had no idea.

 

[Slime Roy]

Wrath of Man - not a movie I’d normally watch. Ritchie/Statham is a tad boring. Anyway gave it a go. And yep was same rubbish. Convoluted plot, cardboard characters. 2/10

The range of Statham is something else. From sad to happy to serious to charming ..all these faces

View attachment 2519340

Wrath of Man stinks! I cant understand all the love it gets.
"Oh Dude, don't worry about the other 15... THIS is the Statham movie you need to see. This is a REAL movie!"
Ps.Scott Eastwood is Poison.

 

[Slime Roy]

How many superhero movies were there in 2025? Superman, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts. I think thats it.

This whole "theres no good movies anymore" is so overstated and tired, especially when its coupled with "ITS ALL JUST SUPERHERO SHIT".

Go watch some streamers, they are cranking out smaller indie projects, check out Kino and independent theatres or even just enjoy the mainstream fare that gets Oscar buzz (OBAA and Sinner are FANTASTIC films).

The nostalgia haze we all have for the better time in cinema is borderline ridiculous.

Ahh...1999!

 

[Slime Roy]

Overrated imo. Fight scenes are too Hollywood. Also just found out Ralph from the Sopranos was in it. Had no idea.

Is that Joey Pants? (Joe Pantaliano) he rules!
What about Damo & Leah from Home & Away??

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Is that Joey Pants? (Joe Pantaliano) he rules!
What about Damo & Leah from Home & Away??

Haha yep I googled him too. And yep that's Ralph's lol. He's a great Sopranos character. I hated him for years. But came to see the light lol..

 

[phantom13]

Anyone seen Havoc? Tom Hardy in it must be worth watching.

I couldn’t tell you a single thing about the plot. It has two okay fight scenes (oners) and that’s about the extent of it.

Overrated imo. Fight scenes are too Hollywood. Also just found out Ralph from the Sopranos was in it. Had no idea.

This is an all time hot (shit) take

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Agent Smith in the Matrix was awesome. Loved the way he spoke.

 

[Gralin]

We're kinda seeing the superhero craze nearing the end of its stranglehold on popular culture so I would say I think this is probably a slightly dated complaint, but it is true that there was a monopolising of the cinema when they came out. There was a story that Tarantino told of The Hateful Eight was going to run at a major cinema in LA and Disney threatened the cinema chain with entirely withdrawing The Force Awakens from all of their screens if they didn't give the slot to that film. It's a fair assumption that this happens to varying scales with others when it comes to the finite (and shrinking) issue of cinema screens.

Yeah Disney is too big, industry is too consolidated

Same as pretty much everything else

There's enormous talent out there, no doubt, but the main sources of funding are consolidating (see also: Warner Bros) in a way that should concern anyone who truly loves film.

Yep

I have a friend who only goes to the movies to see MCU and Star Wars movies. That's his right, of course, but I'm sure he's emblematic of a large audience who've been conditioned to solely see these movies as major events worthy of their time as spectacle.

The big blockbuster has been a staple for a long time

But we used to only get a couple of those and they weren't all the same

We used to get a lot more mid budget stuff out there, that's where most of the quality was

Of the ten highest grossing films at the Box Office in 2025, eight were sequels or remakes, one was A Minecraft Story (so original as a film but definitely part of an existing franchise) and F1® The Movie, a 150 minute long commercial with a literal trademark logo in its name. In 2015 it was also eight sequels. In 2005 it was five. In 1995 it was four. In 1985 it was three. In 1975 it was one.

Yep an industry being run by risk adverse bean counters that want sure hits so they repeat what worked last time over and over

 

[phantom13]

Yeah Disney is too big, industry is too consolidated

Same as pretty much everything else



Yep

The big blockbuster has been a staple for a long time

But we used to only get a couple of those and they weren't all the same

We used to get a lot more mid budget stuff out there, that's where most of the quality was

Yep an industry being run by risk adverse bean counters that want sure hits so they repeat what worked last time over and over

There are more platforms and avenues than there have ever been for smaller independent films though too.

It’s all just at a much much bigger volume. It’s not like they’re not making any good movies anymore, they’re making more there’s just more other stuff to wade through.

Also bemoan the mcu and avatar and f1 all you like but they’re clearly very popular (and to true cinema lovers very good too) so of course they’re gonna make more of them.