I've lied just to throw people off balance. I find it fascinating how some folks can't grasp that taste is purely subjective, whether we're talking about a masterpiece or the latest flop from Uwe Bollo.
Wait, if I'm following you correctly, you don't like it when a movie has a sad ending that actually serves as a consequence of the plot—meaning an ending with a message. You'd rather just have the protagonist die for no reason at all, just because, and call that a satisfying ending? 😕
You misunderstood me. In those specific cases (*A Perfect World*, *Thelma & Louise*, *Man on Fire*, *Heat*), would a different ending have actually made them better movies? Imagine if Kevin Costner just let the kid go and ran from Clint Eastwood, or if *Thelma & Louise* had used a parachute, or if Denzel Washington just slept through it while Robert De Niro sent Amy the finger and walked away.
Of course I don't prefer seeing main characters die, but if they had survived, those films simply wouldn't be what they are.
From a commercial standpoint, if the box office returns are several times higher than the budget, studios demand a "happy ending"—which, naturally, just paves the way for sequels. Then there’s the other category: films with a clear beginning, middle, and end. These stories focus on the narrative from the jump. If they hit that massive jackpot, great. If not, well, that's life.
Personally, I prefer movies that actually have a cohesive structure. It’s one of the reasons I hope mini-series eventually take over the mantle currently held by Hollywood films. Mini-series carry movie-level budgets—not quite equal, but close enough to get the job done right. Most importantly, they follow a complete arc. Even if the finale is :klap: or 🙂 it doesn't matter, because the story feels complete.
Of course, many iconic films are defined entirely by their endings. Movies like A Perfect World, Thelma & Louise, Man on Fire (a fantastic film that ends perfectly in my eyes), or Heat (same thing) simply wouldn't be the masterpieces they are if the conclusions were different.
Bottom line: when the story is the priority, the ending serves to wrap everything up. Sometimes that means riding off into the sunset, and other times it means tears because a character died.
I’ll throw in Crimson Tide since some of you seem to have forgotten it. When it comes to Zela as an actor, he definitely follows a certain pattern. Given the types of films he does—especially the ones with Scott directing—that approach actually makes sense.
Still, I’m waiting for a movie where Zela pulls a complete 180, much like DeNiro did in Stardust. He doesn't need to wear a dress, but something new, something wild would be refreshing.
Either way, he was a legend then and remains one now.
It’s rare to find an article actually worth reading on this site. But, against all odds, this one hits the mark. As Michael Bay said, 3-D is just a gimmick. Whether you dig his style or not, the man isn't wrong.
I went into this movie completely blind. Honestly, maybe that’s why I found it so fantastic. If we didn't have the internet and YouTube spoiling everything, more films might actually leave a lasting impression.
Richard Wilson4 said:When I saw on the news ticker that Hugh Laurie, Keanu Reeves, and Forest Whitaker were all in the same movie, I figured it was going to be a masterpiece. Then it hit me—how did I never hear about this hitting theaters?
Now that I'm watching it, it isn't exactly terrible, but it's definitely lacking quality. It’s certainly not a top-tier production or performance.
I'm seeing more and more A-list actors moving from major blockbusters straight into movies destined for streaming or TV rather than the big screen.🤷
Maybe it's because Street Kings is an older film, so you missed the theatrical run.
I’m not exactly a huge Jack Black fan, so I might be biased here. Having seen the movie, I can't help but wonder what kind of version Tim Burton would have cooked up. That would have been a film worth watching.
briskhound2 said:We've got Fichtner and Morse on the roster here—honestly, how much of a train wreck can this actually be? Cage is really outdoing himself lately with this non-stop movie factory approach...
I'm with you on Fichtner and Morse—big fans of both. As for Cage, the guy's gotta pay the bills, so it’s hardly surprising he takes just about anything that comes his way.
If you ignore that one scene where he takes a bullet to the head and survives thanks to—get this—metal plates, the movie would be pretty much flawless for its genre.
Right now, my hard drive is holding The Invasion, The Bourne Trilogy, Gone in 60 Seconds, Redline (still need to watch that), and Hitman...
Whatever I actually love makes it onto a disc; everything else goes straight in the trash. If I could just get all my borrowed movies back, my shelf would be full already...
Great movie. After seeing the trailer on ABC, I started digging through my old DVDs to track it down. Tight editing, killer soundtrack—all in all, a fantastic film.
"Forgiveness is between them and God. It is my job to arrange the meeting..."
