What was the last movie you saw...? Part IV

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I'll list my favourite films of 2023, a couple of honourable mentions and a few absolute abominations

Best Films (in the order I saw them)
Dungeons & Dragons: First Among Thieves
Guardians of the Galaxy: volume 3
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1
Oppenheimer
Poor Things *
The Holdovers *

* 2023 films although I only saw them in 2024

Honourable Mentions
Air
Meg 2: The Trench
Wonka

Absolute Abominations
Book Club: The Next Chapter
Fast X
Strays

[Charger]

The Meg 2 was a hoot! Not awesome awesome but a real hoot!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

A couple of films to catch up on...

The Holdovers

Set over Christmas 1970, the film stars Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa in his first acting role.  It's directed by Alexander Payne

As the film starts many of the kids a prep school are heading off to their families for the holidays. However, five kids have no home to go to for one reason or another so have to stay at the school to looked after by history teacher Paul (Giamatti) and Mary (Randolph). None of the boys are happy to be there and some friction takes place! After a couple of days four of the five boys are able to leave. That just leaves Angus (Sessa) and the two adults to make the best of the situation.

It's a comedy / drama 3-hander which works better than you would think. There are other players (they're invited to another teachers Christmas Party and they have a "field trip" to Boston). You discover the back stories of Paul and Mary (Paul has never been married and has a funny odour, Mary recently lost her son in teh Vietnam war etc.).

I rather enjoyed the film, what I don't get is why it has so much Oscar buzz about it - except maybe for Randolph - it's a fine film but I may not watch it again.  7.5/10

============

Migration

An animated family film about ducks from the makers of Despicable Me / Minions. Voiced by Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Danny DeVito, Awkwafina, Carole Kane, Keegan-Michael Key and Isabela Merced.

Mack (Nanjiani) is afraid to leave the pond seeing dangers everywhere, Pam (Banks) lives with his fears but would like to travel and their kids badger him to migrate to Jamaica after some migrating ducks visit their pond briefly. He reluctantly agrees and the film follows them visiting New York and more.

This is not a good film, kids may like it but there is little for adults. You look at what the company can produce and you wonder where it all went wrong? Even a brief cameo by David Mitchell is wasted. 4/10

[Charger]

Another classic for last night


STAR TREK 2 : THE WRATH OF KHAN


Admiral Kirk is contemplating retirement and getting older when USS Reliant in search of a desolate planet for the experimental Genesis Project comes across an old nemesis Khan who was once marooned on the planet by then Captain Kirk. Khan captures the Reliant and goes for a quest for vengeance after Kirk and in process steals the Genesis which has the ability to create life out of nothing...or end old life while creating new.

The first Star Trek movie was rather slow and didn't really capture the essence of the series nor did it really be the movie the fans were expecting. But it all changed with this one. The old cast is back and bringing a villain back from the series was a very good move. And ofcourse Khan was eventhough he just appeared in a single episode a very memorable one mainly thanks to Ricardo Montalban's fantastic preformance. Which he takes to the next level here.

The space battle between the Reliant and the Enterprise is not this fast paced laser fights we see nowadays but a more tactical and more "realistical".

Many praise this movie being one of THE best sci-fi movies ever made...it might not be quite that and honestly it's not even my favourite Star Trek feature but it is a masterpiece non the less. And ofcourse the ending is legendary.

Suberb movie and an absolute classic

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[Zzzptm]

Trek 2 rulez!

[Thelemech]

I remember seeing the wrath of khan when I was just 4 or 5
It was at a drive in with my parents

My favorite Star Trek movie is The Voyage Home but wrath comes close

[Charger]

Next one up

STAR TREK III: The Search For Spock


The events start straight after Wrath Of Khan with Spock's body dropped on the new formed Genesis Planet and Kirk and the crew returning to Earth and The Enterprise facing decommission. But a Klingon captain Kruge gets wind of the Genesis project which he believes to be a powerful weapon he goes to Genesis and finds Kirk's son David and Saavik and a mysterious vulcan child on the surface.
Spock's father Sarek demands Kirk to fetch Spock's body so that he can have a proper Vulcan seremony and Bones who is carrying Spock's memories is starting to act weird.
Kirk steals the Enterprise for one last mission and gets into a fight with Kruge and loses his son in the process.

A great follow up to a great movie. Christopher Lloyd does an amazing job as Kruge and ofcourse the original cast is flawless. Sadly Kirstie Alley did not return as Saavik but Robin Curtis did a fine job as well.
This also is the only Star Trek film NOT to feature Leonard Nimoy's name in the opening credits...but in fact has a 6 second empty space where his name would have been.

It's funny that it was Nimoy who demanded that Spock be killed off and soon as the movie had come out he regretted it but the back door for his return had already been included at the very end of Wrath without his knowlage. So in the end all went well and Spock made a return.

Nothing bad to say about this one either. An absolute classic! A great mixture of action, drama and good willed humor. One of the best lines coming from John Larroquette's Maltz and Kirk, "I thought you were going to kill me!!" as to Klingon's capture is worse than death with Kirk replying "I Lied!" Cracks me up every time!

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[Thelemech]

I love that line in the movie as well
Classic Shatner!

[Charger]

Indeed! Kirk sure also has some great one liners! And Shatner's delivery of them is flawless!

[Charger]

STAR TREK IV - The Voyage Home

A Mysterious probe arrives on Earth sending out strange message with such power that it disrupts all systems on the planet causing all kinds of problems. Exiled former crew of The Enterprise is arriving back on Earth to stand trial for their actions in the previous movie and stumble on the issue. With ingenuity of Spock they discover that the message the probe is sending is directed to a species long gone and the only way to respond to it is to travel back in time and find some Whales.
Using their Klingon bird of Prey they travel to the end of the 20th century and try to bring back some whales.

The collision of the 23rd century mentality of the crew to the late 80s is apparent and an endless source of humor. Which this movie has plenty of, most of all Star Trek's and it is brilliantly written. But ofcourse this being Star Trek there's also a very strong message carried through out the movie.

The cast is probably at their finest here. Shatner and especially Nimoy are just on fire through out the movie! And Kelley in the 80s hospital is just an onslaught of laughs.

I'm with Thel on saying that this is THE BEST Star Trek movie and it is probably THE BEST time travel movie as well...sorry Back To The Future...


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[Zzzptm]

I really loved ST 4, and it holds up pretty well over time.

[Thelemech]

Voyage Home is simply the best Star Trek movie
The whole ensemble delivers and as you said charger Shatner and Nimoy (one damn minute admiral) are just incredible 👏

[Charger]

Carrying On with Star Trek saga!


STAR TREK V - The Final Frontier


The still unfinished Enterprise has to go on a mission to negotiate the release of some hostages taken by a rogue Vulcan with radical religious views. But the mission fails and Enterprise and her crew are also taken hostages by the Vulcan who has a tie with Spock. He takes the ship to a daring mission to the center of the Galaxy to find the source of creation and the meaning of life. All the time being pursued by a young Klingon captain who wants to make name for himself by killing Kirk.

Dealing with a lot of very quintessential Star Trek themes with even an added level of mystisism and a revelation that is less mystical and more dangerous.

The original story came from William Shatner but was drastically changed by Harve Bennet with added humor and toning down the darkness. Which might have been a good call. Shatner also stepped in to the directors seat for this one.

Sadly Paramount's budget cuts left the effects looking rather poor for it's time which is a real shame. This also is bit lacking in action and the villain isn't really much of a villain at all in the end, which I suppose is kind of a nice twist to be honest.

All in all quite a letdown after the pure perfection of IV and the brilliance of the previous two but honestly those three movies are pretty damn hard to beat.

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[Charger]

STAR TREK VI - The Undiscovered Country

After a vital powersupply moon explodes near the Klingon homeworld they suddenly become open to peace talks with the Federation. Kirk and the Enterprise crew is sent to provide safe travels to a Klingon Suprime leader but things go horribly wrong and the Enterprise is fraimed for killing the chancellor and Kirk and Doctor McCoy face a show trail on the Klingon homeworld and are sentenced to life in prisonment to a Klingon prison asteroid where there can be no escape. Leaving Spock and rest of the crew to figure out what really happened and how to save Kirk and Bones.

Very Star Trekkian themes of prejudice and hate combined with some good humor and interesting aliens. And if bad guys can find a way to work together why can't everyone else.

Budget limitations again sadly are present but the story is really really strong and being bit more serious than the previous few movies it serves as a good farewell to the original crew and paving the way to the next generation.

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[Zzzptm]

2 4 and 6 are my favorite Star Trek movies. Great stuff in all three of those.