Member paimeifist Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 No I think Captain America 2 was overrated, as most movies based on comic books are nowadays. It was good though. Yeah your mention of Dredd made me think of Star Trek. I actually liked Star Trek more than Captain America, but im sure that's an unpopular opinion. You aren't overrating it, you just like it a lot. Don't expect everyone to like it as much though, haha. (Although most seem to think very highly of it anyway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 The ONLY reasons I didn't immediately go and drop the Winter Soldier bomb after OKFC asked about good action movies from 2014 were that a) it's a comic book movie (and it seems they are NOT the same as action ie the "Dark Knight of action movies" comment on The Raid 2 - BTW, I find TDK very overrated) and I haven't seen The Raid 2 yet so I don't want to give it any props or tear it a new one before I actually see it. Fair point. I'm excited to hear what you have to say about the film, good or bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 No I think Captain America 2 was overrated, as most movies based on comic books are nowadays. It was good though. Yeah your mention of Dredd made me think of Star Trek. I actually liked Star Trek more than Captain America, but im sure that's an unpopular opinion. Not a popular opinion, but still a valid one. BTW, which Star Trek movie are we discussing here ? There's like a gazillion of them. Fair point. I'm excited to hear what you have to say about the film, good or bad. Don't worry, I'll post my thoughts on it as soon as I'll have seen it - but boy have I high expectations for this one (gotta wonder why...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 Not a popular opinion, but still a valid one. BTW, which Star Trek movie are we discussing here ? There's like a gazillion of them. Don't worry, I'll post my thoughts on it as soon as I'll have seen it - but boy have I high expectations for this one (gotta wonder why...). Hahahha, hey OldPangYau loved it too, he even made a video review about it! YsEjG66fHKw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 I was talking about the most recent one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 No I think Captain America 2 was overrated, as most movies based on comic books are nowadays. It was good though. Yeah your mention of Dredd made me think of Star Trek. I actually liked Star Trek more than Captain America, but im sure that's an unpopular opinion. You aren't overrating it, you just like it a lot. Don't expect everyone to like it as much though, haha. (Although most seem to think very highly of it anyway) I'll stick up for Capt America 2: Review here if you want to argue. I did however like the latest Star Trek (2013), both films were quite fun cinematic experiences (and I thought both films were better than The Raid 2 -- the caveat is that I like the second Raid, just not as much as several on here). But if we are using the term "action" remember that it is a very generic template that covers many genres and subgenres. Then I would state The Winter Soldier is my favorite "action" film of 2014 -- so far. Wu Xia, the movie, is very good. Some were dissapointed from a MA standpoint. But as a film I found it fascinating, well done full of rich characterizations and a Wong Kar-wai-ish VO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 I'd say "The Raid 2" is easily the best action film since..."The Raid." On top of that, it's miles better than the painfully overrated "Dredd." I understand it's not for everyone and I'm fine with the negative reviews but I found the character development and plot to actually be thoroughly engaging. More so than, say, "Special ID." I thought it was a very well-rounded film and far more mature than the original film was. With all that said, if I wanted a dose of mind bowing action, I would definitely watch the first film over the sequel. It's just tighter and seems to be centered on the action rather than the plot. But when it comes to announce the better film, I'd say "The Raid 2" is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 Captain America was good, same as Raid 2, just overhyped for me. Actually I left the theatre after Dark Knight thinking the same thing, but after a few years I realized that is great. I'd like to watch both the Raid 2 and captain America 2 again by myself. Both films I've only seen once with one ore more people, which sometimes take away from the experience.(usually). Star Trek was my favorite movie ive seen in a theatre in the last year I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member the moose Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 I'd say "The Raid 2" is easily the best action film since..."The Raid." On top of that, it's miles better than the painfully overrated "Dredd." I understand it's not for everyone and I'm fine with the negative reviews but I found the character development and plot to actually be thoroughly engaging. More so than, say, "Special ID." I thought it was a very well-rounded film and far more mature than the original film was. With all that said, if I wanted a dose of mind bowing action, I would definitely watch the first film over the sequel. It's just tighter and seems to be centered on the action rather than the plot. But when it comes to announce the better film, I'd say "The Raid 2" is better. I disagree with almost everything you say here, Sorry. And where you said "I'm fine with the negative reviews" - Well I have yet to come accross a negative review. I for one would rate this a 3 and half to 4 out of 5. It Just doesn't deserve all the praise and the level of hype it has recieved. Others on this thread haven't give it a negative review. Just pointed out some flaws and that it is somewhat overrated. That doesn't equal a negative review. The plot is similer to so many other 'undercover' movies I've seen. I didn't see anything about the way the story was visually told that made the movie stand out. It simply follows the age old formula. I do think Gareth Evans did a pretty good job on his part directing. But I don't think the story was very well written by him, the acting was poor (okay I did watch the dubbed version) except from Japanese actor Kenichi Endo(Visitor Q and other Takeshi Miike movies) who is always a joy to watch. The edge of your seat tension from the first movie was missing from this one. The first one was like a nail biting rollercoaster ride. This movie with it's more story focused approach and longer running time was a weaker movie because of it. The best fight in this movie in my opinion didn't even involve the main character. It was Yayan Ruhian vs multiple opponents in his death scene. He was the only character I cared about. which made the scene all the more engaging. The movie did have good and brutal fights that I enjoyed watching, and good car stunt action courtesy of Hong Kong car stunt supremo Bruce Law. Nothing else about the movie was above average in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 I disagree with almost everything you say here, Sorry. And where you said "I'm fine with the negative reviews" - Well I have yet to come accross a negative review. I for one would rate this a 3 and half to 4 out of 5. It Just doesn't deserve all the praise and the level of hype it has recieved. Others on this thread haven't give it a negative review. Just pointed out some flaws and that it is somewhat overrated. That doesn't equal a negative review. Just to clarify, I wasn't saying members of the boards have given it negative reviews. I was saying that I'm comfortable, in general, with negative reviews. Opinion is opinion. For example, I think you're wrong about the story and the acting. I found the story to be gripping and with enough moving parts to keep me invested. The acting (I watched it subtitles so perhaps that is a cause of differing opinion) was very solid in my opinion. Okay, it wasn't Daniel Day Lewis with punches and kicks, but I'd certainly go as far as to say it was good. Like I said, opinion is opinion. We all have varying tastes at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member the moose Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 Like I said, opinion is opinion. We all have varying tastes at times. Indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Close Quarters Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 My Raid vs Raid 2 comparisons and overall thoughts.... Better Fights? The Raid 2 I felt the quantity of fighting and action was higher on The Raid, but the quality of fighting especially the end fight of The Raid 2 destroys everything done in The Raid. The Hammer Girl/Bat Boy additions were good. Would have liked to see them fight more earlier in the movie. Better tone/style of movie? The Raid The first one for me felt darker and more gritty due to the simple plot. There was wayyyyy more fighting and action with the plot being secondary and only existing inbetween the crazy mayhem of going through that project building without being shot or stabbed. I prefer this style over the plot driven Raid 2. I also liked the feel it gave comparable to early 80's slasher movies which is simplicity. The gore/brutality is cool, but after seeing part 2 it really made me appreciate the bare bones element of part 1. I think Gareth was trying to appeal to critics that complained about lack of plot so he focused heavily on plot for The Raid 2. It was cool, but not needed. The raw/independent feel the first had is all that's necessary. Even The Raid 2 still is and feels like an indie movie that's trying to be a complete cinematic action movie. I personally don't need it. Better storyline? The Raid 2 Pretty much what I said above is echoed. Part 2 has more of a plot overall that eats up a lot of fighting screen time unlike The Raid. Better acting? The Raid 2 More characters, more dialogue and the whole mobster element added to better acting between the 2 movies. Nothing mind blowing overall, but definitely an improvement. Better movie overall? The Raid 2 For me I prefer and like the first much more, but overall as a full movie, part 2 is more polished and complete. Hopefully The Raid 3 increases the fighting/action and gets back in line closer to part 1. I don't think part 2 won over new fans due to having a bigger plot. Word of mouth from the The Raid is what allowed part 2 to even have any buzz. My 2 cents overall.... These Raid movies are great for the martial arts movie genre and are forcing a higher standard on action/fighting quality in a MA flick. I cannot tell you how far down Donnie's stock has gone for me as a fan who is interested in seeing brutal non-choreographed looking fights that still retain quality or skill. Most MA movies today hold a more cinematic look/feel to them that The Raid movies do not. The Raid remains the most indie feeling non-Hollywood MA flicks coming out right now, let alone to theaters. Special ID and Protector 2 were terrible let downs. Iceman I will not even comment on ha. For real, will we ever see anyone else shed the cinematography, lighting, over the top attempts at trying to look big budget or rival a Hollywood flick and just churn out some barebones, raw fighting movies that are worth saying "damn that shits crazy" after the fight scene ends. If Iko/Gareth can do it, Eric Jacobus can do it on a damn youtube short then what is everyone elses excuse? Last rant....these 3D attempts from Donnie/Jaa etc. in MA movies are REDICULOUS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member the moose Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 My Raid vs Raid 2 comparisons and overall thoughts.... Better Fights? The Raid 2 Better movie overall? The Raid 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 My Raid vs Raid 2 comparisons and overall thoughts.... My 2 cents overall.... These Raid movies are great for the martial arts movie genre and are forcing a higher standard on action/fighting quality in a MA flick. I cannot tell you how far down Donnie's stock has gone for me as a fan who is interested in seeing brutal non-choreographed looking fights that still retain quality or skill. Most MA movies today hold a more cinematic look/feel to them that The Raid movies do not. The Raid remains the most indie feeling non-Hollywood MA flicks coming out right now, let alone to theaters. Special ID and Protector 2 were terrible let downs. Iceman I will not even comment on ha. For real, will we ever see anyone else shed the cinematography, lighting, over the top attempts at trying to look big budget or rival a Hollywood flick and just churn out some barebones, raw fighting movies that are worth saying "damn that shits crazy" after the fight scene ends. If Iko/Gareth can do it, Eric Jacobus can do it on a damn youtube short then what is everyone elses excuse? Last rant....these 3D attempts from Donnie/Jaa etc. in MA movies are REDICULOUS! Every now and then action stars goes through phases where they simply don't want to repeat themselves. It's all up to whether or not you can accept that. If you look at all the big names (Chan, Hung, Biu, Li, Yen and now Jaa) before Uwais you'll see the same pattern so expect Uwais or any other go that route later in their careers. Trends come and go. I can see why most action movie fans prefer plausible onscreen fighting but MA choreography as a whole speaks volumes so I don't see why MA action films always have to be about brutal/extreme fight scenes or always take place in a modern setting (is this why most hated the last two Ong Bak films?). Art shouldn't be restricted to one single form and continue to grow creatively. Granted, I do think this film represents what action films used to be all about and that no other film last year and this have been on par with it when it comes to tight direction/story. What's annoying though is the amount of praise it gets from cult fans going far as to say that it's the best action film of all time, which to me shows how awful overhype of certain films can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 Hahahahahahah!! The gif lives on!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted July 23, 2014 Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 The Raid was a snoozefest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted July 24, 2014 Member Share Posted July 24, 2014 Every now and then action stars goes through phases where they simply don't want to repeat themselves. It's all up to whether or not you can accept that. If you look at all the big names (Chan, Hung, Biu, Li, Yen and now Jaa) before Uwais you'll see the same pattern so expect Uwais or any other go that route later in their careers. Trends come and go. I can see why most action movie fans prefer plausible onscreen fighting but MA choreography as a whole speaks volumes so I don't see why MA action films always have to be about brutal/extreme fight scenes or always take place in a modern setting (is this why most hated the last two Ong Bak films?). Art shouldn't be restricted to one single form and continue to grow creatively. Granted, I do think this film represents what action films used to be all about and that no other film last year and this have been on par with it when it comes to tight direction/story. What's annoying though is the amount of praise it gets from cult fans going far as to say that it's the best action film of all time, which to me shows how awful overhype of certain films can get. In my opinion Ong Bak 2 was one of the best martial arts movies in the last 10 years. I will never get the hate. Ong Bak 3 was a huge disappointment but watchable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member gwailosforever Posted July 24, 2014 Member Share Posted July 24, 2014 In my opinion Ong Bak 2 was one of the best martial arts movies in the last 10 years. I will never get the hate. Ong Bak 3 was a huge disappointment but watchable. I totally agree with you regarding Ong Bak 2 my friend. Happy I'm not alone )) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted July 24, 2014 Member Share Posted July 24, 2014 I totally agree with you regarding Ong Bak 2 my friend. Happy I'm not alone )) As do I. It's a fantastic film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted July 24, 2014 Member Share Posted July 24, 2014 To me, Ong Bak 2 is a freakin' masterpiece!!! And while Ong Bak 3 is certainly sub-par from what we fans have come to expect from Jaa, it still wasn't that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 Ong Bak 2 is Jaa's best film, by miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 I was beginning to think I was crazy. Good to know people agree with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted July 25, 2014 Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 Nothing against Tony Jaa, but what if we moved back on topic ? FINALLY saw The Raid 2 today. And it's damn good, sorry people who are still in search of a negative review or of slightly critical approach. More seriously, it's indeed a very solid flick. By comparison with the other 2 great movies I've seen this year, it's way superior to Godzilla (which actually really dropped and I don't find myself so eager to get it on DVD) and slightly better than Captain America: The Winter Soldier (not one I'd buy on DVD either, mainly because I saw it out of curiosity more than anything else). So what did I enjoy in The Raid 2 ? - the prison riot in the mud: people in the audience actually gasped when Rama (I think it was him) breaks another prisoner's leg. I'd rank this as one of the most brutal fights in the movie, essentially based on the fact that you don't get OTT fighting or gore - just a very realistic brawl. - Baseball bat man and hammer girl: I said they were kinda comic book characters, that's true, but some awesome ones - BBM is so baseball-based that he could be a henchman for DC Comics supervillain Sportsmaster. - the car chase: people have complained about it, why ? It's tense, spectacular, has great stunts. Perhaps Rama fighting off the henchmen in the car may seem a bit weird - sounded a bit off to me and I question the continuity here as there doesn't seem to be that much space in that car. - the kitchen fight: brutal and very bloody, the henchman Rama fight is basically his match in hand-to-hand combat and it makes for one great scene - the edit with a tune from Man Of Steel instead of the original score is better because of the music though. People have said the movie grew more and more brutal as it advanced. Personally, I felt the most brutal part was the prison brawl in the mud - it wasn't too gory (the death of the machete killer - a character I'd have enjoyed seeing more cause he's the only one with Rama that seemed rounded - could have been much more emotional if gallons of blood didn't spill out of his neck after his death) nor too OTT (I nearly burst into laughter when I saw Baseball bat man use balls along with his bat - cool concept, but WTF ?!) I didn't feel the movie dragged or anything, but as far as criticism/negative comments go, I'd only point out some OTT gore at points and a certain lack of character development outside of Rama and the machete killer (the others are either clichees or too undevelopped). While there is some shaky cam here and there, there isn't enough to annoy me. Besides, it was in action or chase scenes, which seems kinda normal - would have been much worse had it been in exposition scenes (as seen in Hunger Games notably). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted July 26, 2014 Member Share Posted July 26, 2014 Since there is to be a Raid 3... Any idea what it could be about ? For some reason, I expect a return of the Japanese mobsters Rama talks with in the end of the second one. Guess it would also shed some light on what went on between the Japanese and Rama since we don't know what they were discussing. Back to The Raid 2, I gotta say I'm strongly considering seeing it again in the theater. Maybe once, maybe a couple of times. Depends on my schedules and the hours - I was lucky to see it at a matinee, but it's the first week and I don't know if it will have a long run (only one theater has it and it could well be dropped after one single week of exploitation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted July 26, 2014 Member Share Posted July 26, 2014 You won't beat my record, I saw it 4 times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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