Intense film. I would not know this was a Speilberg movie just by watching it. Not for the kiddies. Graphic and sad. Lots of issues that are still going on today, eye for an eye, that sort of thing.

It's on my list. Dearth of babysitters.

Oh,And, for the Hulk haters, Bana is fantastic in this movie.

Oh,And, for the Hulk haters, Bana is fantastic in this movie.
I think Bana did his best for what he had to work with in HULK. I think the director has a lot to answer for, not to mention the writers. I liked Bana a lot in TROY, in fact, preferred his acting in that more than Brad.

OT-comment/Until now I still dont know what it is that makes Brad so popular and famous! Personally I think he is overated along with most other actors/actresses.

OT-comment/Until now I still dont know what it is that makes Brad so popular and famous! Personally I think he is overated along with most other actors/actresses.

I dunno, I thought Pitt as the exasperated husband pretty much made Mr & Mrs Smith worth watching. And he was good in Se7en and 12 Monkeys.

I'm a little leery about Munich after War of the Worlds, which also got good reviews. I thought War was ok when I first saw it in the theater, but after watching it again on DVD it really kinda sucks.

Well I will admit that Brad has his good roles. I'm not saying he is a bad actor, just overated.

I think that "War of the Worlds" was ok, but I think Speilberg's worst movie has got to be "AI".

I think Speilberg's worst movie has got to be "AI".
Disagree. But I think you're right about it being the worst "Speilberg movie" since it's really Speilberg making a "Kubrick movie". It's got kind of a split personality so it's neither wholy a Speilberg or Kubrick movie thus feels like it lacks commitment to be one or the other. I tend to like movies that are flawed/risky in some way over those that are too sorted out/over-produced, thus I thought it was outstanding on it's own terms, but that's just me.

John O.

AI is not perfect, but it worked better for me than War of the Worlds as well.

War really suffered in several areas. Tom Cruise was just wrong. The "happy ending" plot was just stupid. And the biggest problem was who was the marketing genuis who thought it was a good idea to have less action in the remake.

I'm no huge fan of the current wall-to-wall special effects/action trend, but this is War of the Worlds fer crissake! This is one movie where I coulda gone for more rampaging Martian action and a lot less dialog, especially since so much of it was bad. George Pal had the right idea and knew what audiences wanted, these pc-niks don't even have the obligatory blow-up-the-famous-foreign-landmarks scenes to show the Martians world-wide conquest!

But isn't Tom a sensitive single dad with a cute sit-com daughter? That's real entertainment!

Brad Pitt is a damned good actor (although he was pretty lackluster in the lackluster Troy). Ang Lee is an amazing director who never should have taken on comic book material. War of The Worlds was a middling piece of craftsmanship with no heart or soul. For me, 1941 is Spielberg's biggest mis-fire.

If I didn't know that Spielberg had directed "Munich", I would not be able to guess it by watching it. None of the sappiness. Very gritty, very harsh. The Israelis AND the Palestinians are pissed at him, so it's relatively even handed.
I also liked AI, but as was mentioned, it suffered from a split personality. I think I would have preferred an all Kubrick version, but who wouldn't.
With all the crap Hollywood puts out, Munich is very much worth your time.

I haven't seen Munich but I am familiar with the story. I'm sure it is a good movie but..

What do you think was Spielberg's reasoning for making a film like this in these...well.."delicate" times?

He has said on several occassions that Munich is a "prayer for peace" FWIW.

John O.

I hope to see this before I deploy, but would like to say thanks for the mini-review, Rich! I've read one book on the Munich Olympics massacre and somewhat look forward to seeing how this is portrayed on-film, tho with trepidition considering the subject matter.

As to The Hulk, Troy and the Speilberg WotW's:

The Hulk was actually a pretty decent movie, IMNSHO. It was a remake of the classic Hulk origin comic book story that worked well. Bana, Jennifer Connelly and Sam Elliott were great as the characters they represented with a modernizing added in. The only thing that bugged me about it was the way that added the "comic cells" in to the various cut-scenes.

Troy was a drama based upon an epic story. Pitt did alright w/the roll of Achilles, protraying someone who's only real skill was fighting and was growing tired of even that. The only acting I felt was disappointing was that of Diane Kruger as Helen and Orlando Bloom as Paris.

War of the Worlds wasn't a "remake" of the classics 1950's movie. It was a modernized telling of the novel. As such it doesn't exactly lend itself well to the Action Adventure feel of the George Pal movie - which only vaguely follows the novel. I've heard a lot of folks bag on the "Happy Ending" thing where the Martians just "fall over" from the flu or whatever. That's actually how the novel ends, also having a feeling of ending somewhat abruptly. So, I don't have a real problem w/the Speilberg version and actually enjoyed it. I'll prolly pick it up on DVD, eventually.

War of the Worlds wasn't a "remake" of the classics 1950's movie. It was a modernized telling of the novel. As such it doesn't exactly lend itself well to the Action Adventure feel of the George Pal movie - which only vaguely follows the novel. I've heard a lot of folks bag on the "Happy Ending" thing where the Martians just "fall over" from the flu or whatever. That's actually how the novel ends, also having a feeling of ending somewhat abruptly. So, I don't have a real problem w/the Speilberg version and actually enjoyed it. I'll prolly pick it up on DVD, eventually.

I didn't mean the germs wiping out the Martians, I meant the gothy kid turning up alive at the end at Grandma's, where everything is warm & cozy, the power works, and Grandma even just made a pan of cookies!

Another gripe, the EMP in the movie is real selective!

I really think you notice the bad stuff on second viewing. I REALLY disliked it second time around, it just seemed mediocre first time in the theater.

Back to Munich, I haven't read much about it, but doesn't it basically cover the same ground as the Sword of Gideon mini-series?

Brad Pitt is pretty handsome too!

Brad Pitt is pretty handsome too!

Women have told me that I'm better looking! I kid you not. :dude:

Women have told me that I'm better looking! I kid you not. :dude:

If this is true, if I were you - I'd be spending much less time on these boards and much more time enjoying the benefits of my genetic windfall.

Once again, this is what happens when you let pictures of kittens on the board!

If this is true, if I were you - I'd be spending much less time on these boards and much more time enjoying the benefits of my genetic windfall.

I would but I'm Happily tied in wedlock.

Once again, this is what happens when you let pictures of kittens on the board!

Kittens???

Back to Bana. For me this is a big strike against Munich. I thought he was awful in both The Hulk and Troy. For me the guy has absolutely no screen charisma.

Wasn't this a TV movie with 'John-boy'? I liked the original. Everybody is doing remakes.

Women have told me that I'm better looking! I kid you not. :dude:

I'm sure you're very serious....that's why they make hospitals for people like you. :)

Post a picture then!

If I didn't know that Spielberg had directed "Munich", I would not be able to guess it by watching it. None of the sappiness. Very gritty, very harsh.

Don't forget Speilberg made Schindler's List. That fits the above description I think.

I'm sure you're very serious....that's why they make hospitals for people like you. :)

Post a picture then!

[Picard Voice] Red Alert! Shields up! all hands to battlestations!

Richard, such a nice way to start off the new year!

I'm not one to judge other men's physical appearance(It's not in my nature) ;) I leave that up to the Khwomens. :devil:

According to them I'm good looking, and better looking than Brad Armpitt as I imagine many men are. He's average at best if a bit on the "rough,pimple cratery complexion" side.

Now please don't misunderstand Richard, I'm not boasting about anything, I'm not saying I'm the best looking guy (I aint that arrogant and "crazy" as you implied by your rather insolent comment) I was merely saying that Brad Pitt is *overrated* and *Specially* where his looks are concerned.

I do admit that the guy has his good roles, but *that's it.*

But hey if you like him enough to defend him in this way maybe you should date the guy or something. I don't know Im just saying. :cool: :tongue:

Geesh , here we go again.....................
Another thread about to be closed. :freak:

Geesh , here we go again.....................
Another thread about to be closed. :freak:

Don't you see the smiley faces? They abound.

That's the thing! He's very convincing here. The human reactions from the men who are asked to hunt down the terrorists is very convincing. It's not a robotic "terminator" type hit squad, but real people. There are repercussions from their actions, physically and mentally.
The real message I got from this movie is the hopelessness of the situation and how no one is going to "win".

Back to Bana. For me this is a big strike against Munich. I thought he was awful in both The Hulk and Troy. For me the guy has absolutely no screen charisma.

No one can build a scene like Steven Spielberg (the un-earthing of the Martian War Machine and subsequent attack is the sort of thing movies were invented for). Unfortunately, beginning with SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, Spielberg seems more interested in building scenes than he does in connecting those scenes together. I haven't seen MUNICH yet (if all goes well I'll see it today), but I'm curious to see if it has the same disjointed, episodic feel as Spielberg's other recent efforts.

Yes, that is a criticism I have leveled at Spielberg for years. He approaches projects (moreso the actioners) by saying, "I really think it would be cool to see XYZ." He gets enough of these gags and then builds a film around them. Often the strength of those sequences is strong enough to carry the piece. Sometimes it's not.