Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

20110821:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a great movie. I loved so many of the scenes. I loved all the references to the original Planet of the Apes (1968).

I recall making notes on my impressions of the movie, but perhaps this is the explanation of why I don't have notes on it:
"Unfortunately, I either didn't write down my impression of the drink or I accidentally erased it (along with other first impressions)."*

Getting back to the movie, I remember enjoying the score. I also uncontrollably whispered "Potter" after several of Tom Felton's lines.

*See my Captain Morgan Lime Bite post. The event took place on 20110822 and was recorded on 20110905.

[20120108]

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Notes:*
[I] liked the beginning with the capture
[I] enjoyed the references (Lost in Space, "damned dirty ape," "Bright Eyes")
[The movie has some] awesome sequences
lol. [F]or about three of Tom Felton's lines, I leaned over to my friend and whisper[ed] "Potter" [in a Malfoy-like voice]
[The movie had] awesome action
[Josh and I] questioned the placement of the three credits before some additional scene
[H]alf the theater [was] empty and people [were] still leaving. lol.**

*On 20170522, I found these notes lying around in a draft blog post dates 20110821 10:30 PM. I'm uncertain of their origin, but they're likely quick notes written soon after watching the movie.
**I believe this note meant that most people missed the additional scene and some didn't care to watch the additional scene as it played.

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20120108:
Josh and I watched some of the special features on his blu-ray copy of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. We watched them in the background, while finishing our Scrabble game in the foreground.

Deleted Scenes | Mythology of the Apes | The Genius of Andy Serkis | A New Generation of Apes | Scene Breakdown : For this special I mainly just watched the completed scene with the motion capture as PIP. | Character Concept Art Gallery | Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries | Composing the Score with Patrick Doyle | The Great Apes | Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt | Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver | Theatrical Trailers

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Released 20110805.
Watched 20110821 Theater.*
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) Rupert Wyatt. 105 min.

Relevant Links:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (IMDb.com)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Wikipedia.org)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (RottenTomatoes.com)

*[20120108] I couldn't find the stub to this movie. I'll try looking again when I'm back in MD. In combination with moives being cheaper on Sundays and that I left the subsequent Thursday/Friday, the following suggests that I saw this movie on the 21st of August:

JOSH(9:50:36 PM): wanna go see a movie tomorrow btw?
ME (9:50:51 PM): are you thinking apes?
JOSH (9:51:49 PM): i might want to see a newer one since my passes are good for older movies but i'm cool with apes. apes is good, 30 min or less is what i want to see most, also want to see conan and i forget but i think one other movie
JOSH (9:52:00 PM): but i'm def down for apes if you want that one most

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

20110819:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the second Indiana Jones movie and a prequel to the first one, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Unfortunately, I fell asleep throughout the movie. Overall, I didn't like the movie as much as the first one. With that being said, it had some fun scenes and I'll have to watch the movie again when I'm fully alert to better enjoy it.

For now, the next Indiana Jones movie I'm going to watch is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

On a different note, I'd rewatch Raiders of the Lost Ark before rewatching Temple of Doom.

[20110822][20190202 Edit]

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20190705:
Today I rewatched this movie. Unlike my previous viewing, I did not fall asleep.

Overall, the movie has some enjoyable scenes, but I'm not a fan of the loosely thought out plot. For example, the film's supporting character Willie tags alongside Indy after escaping with him from Shanghai. However, it seems to me as if they should have simply parted ways in India. Did she really need to continue following him? Then there's Short Round, who single-highhandedly takes on several grown guards in a scene towards the end of the movie.

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Instant Comments:
2: These opening ten minutes are good

2: I was just about to ask... [20190718: ?}
1: Lol, Short Round!
2: Why does Lao Che want Jones dead so badly? I thought the original reason for killing Jones was to recover the diamond.
1: Lol, a little too ridiculous (with the dropping of the gun)
2: Haha. Lao Che aircraft.
1: OMG, this whole jumping out of the aircraft with a raft, sliding down a mountain, and landing on the water... ridiculous. 2: The jump from the cliff into the water was much more ridiculous than the jump from the aircraft onto the mountain.

1: Oh jeez... the girl being all annoying. [20190706: Apparently she's on many 'Annoying Movie Characters of All Time' lists. For example, here (35th in an ongoing list currently with 810 characters), here (6th in a list with 12 characters), and here (3rd in an ongoing list currently with 72 characters); at least she's not as annoying as Jar Jar Binks who got 2nd, 1st, and 1st, respectively]
2: I see. There's a supernatural aspect (destiny) which Indy doesn't quite believe (as would be his personality)
2: "The biggest trouble with her is the noise."
1: "That's why they call it the jungle sweetheart."
1: After she calms down, the dialogue is alright.
2: Indy's fear of snakes. Note that Willie supposedly thinks the snake is the elephant trunk, but tosses it very unlike tossing an elephant's trunk. She throws it clear across her as opposed to brushing it off.

2: What's inside the snake? [It's live baby eels.]
2: "I had bugs for lunch."
2: Chilled monkey brains. I think I'd be down to try the eels and the bugs, but I'd have second thoughts on the monkey brains.
1,2: LOLOL the best expression on his face. "Willie, we are going to die."
2: This entire scene with Willie rescuing them was good.
2: The hat again.
1: Oh man the heart. 2: I don't think it should be so easy to dig one's fingers through someone's chest and rip out their heart. Though I guess there's some other explanation because the victim was still alive.
2: The slash here (before the cart scene) and the slash earlier (before saving Willie) both looked fake/weak.

2: Uh. Green screen?
1: [I fell asleep somewhere around here. My eyes opened and closed throughout the rest of the movie.]
1: [I saw the scene on the bridge.]
2: Hahaha. Strong bridge.
2: Hehe. Indy was gonna pull his gun in Indy fashion.
2: How did Molo Ram beat Indy to the bridge?
1: [I saw the ending.]
1=20110819, 2=20190705

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Watched 20110819 (DVD)
Watched 20190705 (Netflix, Instant)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Steven Spielberg. 118 min.

Relevant Links:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (IMDb.com)

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My sister snapped a picture of me dozing off during the movie (20110819). I don't know what woke me, but as I was opening my eyes, I saw her standing between me and the television holding a phone in front of her (my whole family currently has the same cell phone). I remained relatively still, drowsily lying on the couch, and smiling. Perhaps I was returning her smile, I don't remember.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

20110819:
It became clear after finishing the movie, that I had certainly seen it. I don't know how many times I've seen this before. Certainly not enough to remember having seen it before. Perhaps I've only seen bits and parts of it on TV as a kid and never watched it all the way through. I certainly remember the temple portion and the airplane escape.

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)

This movie excels in so many ways. Though I can only say that from a general perspective. You'd have to talk to someone in the know about how and why the movie is as great as it is. Go watch it!

[20110821]

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20190408, 20190409:
During this viewing of the movie, I noticed how the film has several scenes that involve light (e.g., Indy's silhouette on the wall, his outline during the digging, his outline when talking with Sala). While it has artistic value, I fail to understand if it carries any meaning. Perhaps most of it is purely artistic, while occasionally it helps create an atmosphere.

Indy and Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot)

On 20190409, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 98% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.

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Instant Comments:
2a: many tarantulas
2a: huh. looks like the boulder rolled down a ramp. and instead of running, indiana jones could have just ducked. [it becomes apparent later: he would have been locked up inside the cave]
1: Lol, the snake. "I hate snakes!"
1: Lol, I definitely remember the eyelids. That makes me wonder when the last time I saw parts of it, if not all of it. 2a: "LOVE YOU"

Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen)

2a: Jones says he doesn't believe in magic, hocus pocus, etc.
1: Love the silhouette. 2: Would it have been possible to cast Indy's shadow without Marian's shadow.
1: Love the fight in the bar. What a great movie.
1: Sallah!
1: Classic scene: Indy pulls the gun on the swordsmen.
1: Lol... Marion cries "Indy..." while in the basket. 2a: Huh, not sure why I "LOL" on first viewing
1: Hahaha, ready to bite, "Wait." 2a: Smile.
1, 2a: I love that scene. "Bad dates." (@FedoraDude: It seems like the inside of the date pops up, not the entire date. Thus we should go buy some dates and try it.)

Indy and Belloq (Paul Freeman)

2a: Hehe. Nazi Flag
2a: Doesn't seem much good for Indy to be digging for the Ark right under the nose of Belloq.
2a: "Snakes, why'd it have to be snakes." "Asps, very dangerous. You first."
2a: Why didn't they just burn up some snakes prior to going down?
1: Lol: Marion's fall into the pit is great. And her climbing on Indy. Lol. 2: Her climbing onto Indy is hilarious.
2a: Snake coming out of the skeleton is quite a touch.
2a: Ouch. (blades slice the guy up)

Indy and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies)

2a: Hmm. I wasn't paying complete attention, but couldn't they have just stopped the truck and deal with Indy first?
2a: "Here." "Here." [Huh, I suddenly vaguely remember a time in my life when I did something similar, ~2011]
2a: [paused at the one and half hour mark]
2b: He didn't really think that through. In particular, if he fired it, then it would have hurt Marion. So it's easy to call his bluff.
2b: I read how some people asked why touching the ark didn't kill the persons who touched it.
2b: Lol. Those deaths. Well done.
2b: "We have top men looking on it right now." [Sealed and stored along with hundreds or thousands of other boxes]
1: Ark sealed in the case 9906753.

Indy

Special Features Watched:
1: Raiders of the Lost Ark: An Introduction: Mainly Steven Spielberg and George Lucas talking about getting the film going
1: Indiana Jones: An Appreciate: The cast of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and a handful of other people reflect on the series.
1: The Melting Face!: Discusses how the melting face effect was done.
1: Storyboards: The Well of Souls: The storyboard goes alongside the scene. It starts somewhere around Jones needing the rope and ends when the statue hits the wall. In the storyboard, Marion has both legs over Indy's shoulders. But I like how in the scene she only gets one over.
1=20110819, 2a=20190408, 2b=20190409

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Seen at least once before.
Watched 20110819 (DVD)
Watched first three-fourths 20190408, remaining fourth 20190409 (Netflix, Instant)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Steven Spielberg. 115 min.
also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Relevant Links:
Raiders of the Lost Ark (IMDb.com)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (RottenTomatoes.com)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Wikipedia.org)

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

20110811, 20110818:
I enjoyed bits and parts of the movie. The time period (the 60's) was especially fun. However, I didn't like the ending. One particular reason was the choice to suggest she did in fact go back in time and change the past.

If I were to name something I was picky about when it comes to movies, I'd say it'd be time-travel or time-related plots. Three movies on which I give my opinion on their usage of time: Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), The Terminator (1984), and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). Of course I enjoy both Terminator movies. I most definitely enjoy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) (Random fact: I saw this movie in its entirety just a little before I started my blog some time in December of 2009). I was content with the use of time in Groundhog's Day (1993).

Anyways, the last paragraph was to convey the main reason I didn't enjoy the movie. But otherwise, I had some mild laughs, and you might enjoy the movie if you enjoy films like either The Breakfast Club (1985) or Grease (1978).

[20110819]

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Watched 1st,2nd third 20110811, 3rd third 20110818 (Netflix, Instant)
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) Francis Ford Coppola. 103 min.

Relevant Links:
Peggy Sue Got Married (IMDb.com)

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Overview: The movie starts with Jim Phelps receiving a mission briefing. The IMF team gathers and proceeds with the mission. Of course, things get interesting when things go wrong. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) manages to survive and meets with IMF director Eugene Kittridge. Hunt learns that the IMF suspected a mole and being the only survivor, they're looking to bring him in. Innocent and unyielding, Hunt manages to escape. The remainder of the movie consists of Hunt trying to clear his name.

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Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)

20110817:
I'm glad I got to watch this movie. It was mostly good fun. I enjoyed watching the well-known scene where Tom Cruise enters the secured room in Langley. There was so much suspense!

[20110820]

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20130604:
It was so long since I last saw the movie that I had forgotten which characters were bad and which were good. I did, however, remember the scene with the sleight of hand. In any case, its a fun action movie starring Tom Cruise!

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Instant Comments:
1: The drunk couple was predictable.
1: Explosion shook me.
1: I love Tom Cruise's personality.
1: Drop was funny.
1: Was catching the sweat drop possible?
1: Why did the guy shoot the girl instead of Ethan?
1: The whole train scene is ridiculous.
1=20110817

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Instant Comments:
2: The briefing video says "FOR THE EYES OF JIM PHELPS ONLY" but such a message seems useless in practice.
2: Ah, I didn't notice this the first time I watched: the condensed water on the cup drips down and falls on the floor, triggering the sensitive alarm.
2: Shouldn't the security guy notice there were three of them?
2: "Hey, there were three of you, where's the other guy?" Hahaha. Okay, that answers my previous question.
2: Haha, why didn't he use these sort of climbing grips in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)?
2: Ha, Hunt screams out in sort of a laugh when he attaches the cable to the train.
2: The ending is so over the top its ridiculous. 1) The helicopter is able to fly through the tunnel. 2) Krieger tries to kill Hunt with the helicopter blades. 3) Hunt uses the gum to blow the copter and manages to get blown back onto the train. 4) The blade.

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Watched 20110817 (Blu-ray)
Watched 20130604 (Netflix, Instant)
Mission: Impossible (1996) Brian De Palma. 110 min.

Relevant Links:
Mission: Impossible (IMDb.com)
Mission: Impossible (RottenTomatoes.com)
Mission: Impossible (film) (Wikipedia.org)

Megamind (2010)

20110809:
This was a good movie. I like Despicable Me (2010) better, because it's cuter. I also feel that Despicable Me flowed better, had a stronger plot, and had more likable characters.

Comparisons aside, I still enjoyed Megamind's plot. One part my sister and I didn't quite understand was why the notes were arranged in such a way that they spelled out a message. Was that Megamind's doing? Megamind also had a great ending.

Favorite Scene:
Megamind: [pulls out dehydration gun on the gathering crowd] Get back, you savages!
Roxanne Ritchi: Sorry, sorry! He's just not used to positive feedback.

[20110813]

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Watched 20110809
Megamind (2010) Tom McGrath. 95 min.

Relevant Links:
Megamind (IMDb.com)

Se7en (1995)

20110808:
I had seen bits and parts of this movie before. In particular I already saw the ending.

I love the last line of the movie:

"Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."

Needless to say, I was pretty excited about watching the movie today. Unfortunately, I fell asleep near the end of the movie - when Somerset (Brad Pitt) and Mills (Morgan Freeman) are driving out to the middle of nowhere.

Overall, the movie wasn't exciting enough for me. But I did enjoy Morgan Freeman's character. Brad Pitt's character was alright.

[20110810,3]

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Instant Comments:
Credits:
They scroll up instead of standard down.

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Watched bits and parts before.
Watched 20110808 (Blu-ray)
Se7en (1995) David Fincher. 127 min.

Relevant Links:
Seven (1995 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Se7en (IMDb.com)
SEVEN (Se7en) (RottenTomatoes.com)

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HISHEdotcom:
LOLOL. SEMI-SPOILER ALERT. In general, these HISHE videos will probably spoil the ending in some form. I love this one. LOLOL.