Posts by velvetdrifter86

Honestly, I thought this was pretty solid.
Shakespeare is surprisingly good here—he really nails this role, which is a huge departure from his usual stuff.
The two hours just flew by.
It's an American co-production.

frozenskipper12 said:Look, I get what you're saying about Shakespeare, but if this is really his big break or the role he'll be remembered for...

Isn't his peak actually those patriotic blockbusters he did with Spielberg? 😁

I feel like that Indian Rambo kept the cash because he shows him holding that suitcase while talking to the woman and the kid. He basically left the money for them and told them to get lost.
But honestly, the logic with Indian Rambo still trips me up. He was waiting around for Chris to rescue the kid from those 6 or 7 kidnappers like that was his main struggle. But apparently, taking out every other person in the city—including pro hitmen and soldiers—isn't an issue at all?

goldenhound32 said:He knew he’d been played, and deep down, he never actually believed the money was real.

Do you honestly think Hemsworth actually took that thirty-meter plunge off the cliff into the water, or was it just clever editing? 🙂

Why on earth would someone actually jump?

That's like asking me if I truly believe he was actually struck by a car.

Wait, so you're saying the boss basically threatened to wipe out his family unless he handed over the kid, and his response is to take on a whole squad of pro mercenaries and assassins—plus anyone else in their way, including the cops and military? Basically every paid henchman in town? Honestly, it kind of makes sense.

goldenhound32 said:He knew he’d been played, and deep down, he never actually believed the money was real.

Do you honestly think Hemsworth actually took that thirty-meter plunge off the cliff into the water, or was it just clever editing? 🙂

Why on earth would someone actually jump?

That's like asking me if I truly believe he was actually struck by a car.

Have you ever heard people say certain actors just go way too hard when they're doing stunt work? I can't even remember if you're a guy or not, lol.

Surprisingly solid action flick. It feels like everyone’s obsessed with long takes lately, but honestly, they actually worked here.

SPOILER

I don't get when this movie turned into a "buddy cop" thing. Like, why does the lead suddenly call up the guy he was just fighting half an hour ago—the same guy who wiped out his entire crew? I mean, he’s got his number! Why didn't he just give him a ring at the start and ask what the hell was going on?

SPOILER END

Do you guys think Hemsworth actually jumped like 100 feet off that cliff into the water, or was it just clever editing? 🙂

Richard Barrett53 said:Has anyone read the book this was based on? I found the movie pretty intriguing, but honestly, it dragged a bit. It definitely makes me want to check out the book if it's actually worth the time. Any recommendations?

I've read it! It’s based on the journals of Percy Fawcett, and the edition I had even included some of his actual photos from the trips. It gave me major Kon Tiki vibes. There’s way more detail in the book—all these crazy adventures, bug bites, river treks, and encounters with local tribes. The movie cuts a lot out to focus on the characters' psychology (though maybe not always successfully). It was actually kind of funny reading how Percy describes his sponsor, Murray, as a complete incompetent during their second trip down the Amazon. The movie makes it way more dramatic than it really was.
I just don't get how they managed to exchange letters while stuck deep in the jungle. What, did some guy just sprint through the brush carrying mail?

Problem solved! Turns out the cable connector was totally shot. Not sure why my other speakers were acting up too, but honestly, who cares? It's working now.

Roger Kim2 said:🤦

Ever tried plugging in some headphones?

Anyone got actual advice here instead of just spamming emojis?
I already tried hooking up two different sets of speakers to the rear panel. Nothing. Total silence. No signal detected at all.

Sorry if I'm double-posting here!
So, I just finished building this rig with Windows 7—brand new to me—using an ASUS B85 Motherboard and an Intel Pentium 3.3 GHz processor. Most things are running smooth, and even Media Player acts like everything is fine and shows all the audio icons, but when I actually plug in my speakers... total silence. In the Sound settings, I see a Digital Audio Device listed, but it says "Speakers not plugged in."
I already tried nuking the drivers by reinstalling both the Realtek ones from the disc and the ones I grabbed online, but no luck. Checked the connections on the motherboard too, and they're definitely seated right. I poked around the BIOS, but there's nothing special there besides the audio being set to enabled.
Any ideas? I'm starting to think I might just need to grab a dedicated sound card. 🤔

Angela Ramos87 said:Umm wtf, so? They both had a good time. I don't know what to tell you if you're not into Michael Bay action flicks...🤷

For sure, they both had a blast, stuffed themselves, and will probably forget all about that meal in a few hours. It’s really just about the nutrition and what actually fuels your body. It's kind of like if Michael Bay decided to hike up the prices on burgers and Coca-Cola by three or four times.
Look, don't get me wrong—I’m totally down for an action flick. I actually love that stuff, and I'm definitely not one of those people who only watches pretentious, "artsy" movies just to feel smart.
I actually had to turn off Transformers after like ten minutes because the visuals were just too much for me to handle. If they’re gonna drop that kind of cash on CGI and massive explosions, they really should've spent a little on a decent writer too.

John Peterson3 said:Not every movie needs to be some quasi-artistic masterpiece designed to drag the audience into a depression through two hours of unnecessarily long shots, thin plots, and hollow characters. If I wanted to feel depressed, I’d just look in the mirror.

At the end of the day, I just want to be entertained, and Michael Bay delivers on that more than successfully.

Angela Ramos87 said:Whatever. For me, it's pure entertainment.
Now I'm just sitting here waiting for Tree of Life. Honestly, the movie looks like a total disaster, probably made for the same crowd that watches Transformers, but I'll still dig it. I appreciate cinema, regardless of what it is, as long as it has that certain something 🙂.

Some people live for a greasy burger and a cold Coca-Cola, while others prefer a fresh steak at a nice bistro paired with a solid glass of wine. Both groups have a blast, even if they’re soaking up the experience through totally different flavors and vibes.

Angela Ramos87 said:Big deal. It clearly wasn't cheap...

I mean cheap in terms of its artistic value. Not talking about the price tag.

Angela Ramos87 said:Clearly one of the best in the business when it comes to picking movies.

If the goal is just making cheap popcorn flicks, he totally nailed it.

I was totally losing my mind over that bolded part too.🙏

neonsurfer6 said:I was actually gonna mention how Prestige felt like a total joke when it comes to playing around with Tesla's legacy. I mean, Tesla was this super antisocial guy with OCD and all sorts of phobias—just a really quiet, withdrawn dude. An action sci-fi movie starring a Tesla character? Sure, why not, you mentioned Prestige as an example. But honestly, that’s not even close to being a movie *about* Tesla, which is what authors usually try to do when they want to show the world "what a genius Tesla really was."

In Prestige, the Tesla character basically gets boiled down to some Frankenstein-style scientist trope. Personally, I'd rather see his image trivialized in some random role next to Steven Seagal than have him used as a pawn in political games by a neighboring country.

neonsurfer6 said:No way they won't make it a biopic about Tesla. Just watch the IMDb genres: Action | drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller. Honestly, the whole Tesla character setup just screams action flick.🙄

For sure. The Tesla character was already rocking that Action \ Sci FI vibe and fit perfectly into Prestige. Maybe have David Bowie play him again to keep things chill and avoid all those nationalist vibes.😁
God, please spare us Nicolas Cage.

That hallway scene with the sister in Exorcist 3.

Xerxes, I think you're missing the point because this movie doesn't fit that super dry, textbook definition of bullying you laid out in post 22.
I don't think the filmmakers were even trying to stick to a dictionary definition of bullying

Roger Allen3 said:The real issue with bullying isn't just that violence breeds more violence; it’s the dynamic where one group relentlessly harasses while the other constantly endures. If a movie claims to be about bullying, then reaching this conclusion—while technically accurate—is actually missing the point. If you just sent those kids back to school (without weapons), you’d be left spiraling with questions: how much longer will this last? What can actually be done to stop it? Will the police finally get involved? How far will this go? It becomes an endless loop of anxiety. Instead, this film just caters to a sadistic urge for revenge, drifting away from the actual tragedy of suicides and high school shootings. Real kids, no matter how much they are bullied, don't act like this.

Anyway, the topic is lively now. Maybe we can convince a few more people to watch the film 🙂

Instead, the movie wants to show how violence just breeds more violence. Honestly, man, it hurts that it doesn't fit your specific definition. I'm not sitting there watching a movie with a notepad and a medical textbook on my lap.

Roger Allen3 said:Did you even go to school? Was your school full of kids being bullied constantly? Did everyone just logically decide to commit mass violence and then take their own lives? If that were "normal" or "logical," we'd be seeing hundreds of these tragedies every single day because of bullying. 😕

The link you shared mentions he was on antidepressants, which, ironically, can cause suicidal thoughts as a side effect. This actually supports the idea that such measures are often taken by people already prone to mental health struggles. While it isn't a universal rule, the movie didn't do anything to convince me that Joseph and Kasper were capable of something like that.

Yeah, I did.
Not a huge crowd, but there was always someone acting out.
Didn't happen to me personally, but plenty of kids I knew ended up with major issues because of bullying, broken homes, drugs, or getting into trouble. It's wild how hard it is to believe a school shooting could happen in a movie when you see examples of it all over the US and Europe (maybe even Asia too).

Roger Allen3 said:Did you even go to school? Was your school full of kids being bullied constantly? Did everyone just logically decide to commit mass violence and then take their own lives? If that were "normal" or "logical," we'd be seeing hundreds of these tragedies every single day because of bullying. 😕

The link you shared mentions he was on antidepressants, which, ironically, can cause suicidal thoughts as a side effect. This actually supports the idea that such measures are often taken by people already prone to mental health struggles. While it isn't a universal rule, the movie didn't do anything to convince me that Joseph and Kasper were capable of something like that.

You're jumping to conclusions based on one case. I was just trying to show that a scenario like this is super plausible. And saying that people with mental health issues are the only ones grabbing guns? That doesn't fly with me. A person's mental state is shaped by their environment. They adapt and react to what's happening around them. Like, is a kid in Iraq considered mentally ill just because he's handling weapons and shooting at people?

Roger Allen3 said:And what makes you say that?

If a movie tackles a heavy subject with real weight, I expect a conclusion that carries that same gravity. This ending just felt completely disconnected from everything we’d watched up to that point. Honestly, that sudden jump to the credits felt incredibly rushed—almost like one of those abrupt, poorly edited YouTube clips.

Maybe the goal was to trick the audience into rooting for the massacre, only to force us to question our supposed "pacifist" views once the lights come up. I can see that logic, but it still doesn't change the fact that it felt totally inconsistent with the rest of the film.

What do you mean it doesn't fit? To me, the ending was actually pretty logical based on how things played out—it would’ve been weird if it went any other way. Don't forget, the whole thing is inspired by actual historical delays.link