Terrific half-movies

[Tom Hendricks]

Baz Lurman's Australia. The first half of the movie is dreadful, however the second part of the movie is actually very, very good. It takes a lot to get through the first half but the second part is actually worth it. When we watch it on Blu-ray we start with the second half.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I actually liked the first act of Spiderman III a lot. Everything after it felt like it came from a different, stupider movie.

 

[SinglePurpose]

How has no one mentioned Return of the Jedi yet?

For me Return of the Jedi doesn't qualify for this thread because the Luke in the throne room scenes are the best parts and they're mixed in with the stupid ewoks defeating the empire scenes.

 

[Deckerd]

I thought RoTJ was pretty even all the way through. It certainly didn't get worse or better, although the big ending was overly Disney.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Can I list films that are not science fiction?

Hudson Hawk: There are moments of comic genious here, a true vision of how comedy and action should meet. I mean, many films have tried to mix these two genres before, but almost all of them have failed. There are moments in this film where they not only succeed wildly, but the managee to make philosphical comment on both genres. How many times is a main charcter attacked by chiens as if it's a dreadful enemy? How many films show the Pope watching Mr.Ed dubbed in Italian. And look at the great scene in the middle of Rome that begins with Hawk in a phone booth, and ends with someone mimicing him and then him getting the postage stamps to complete the heist. This scene is brilliant. I wish the whole film was as good some of the pieces. There are times when scenes fall flat and played far too broadly than is necessary.

Oscar: This film is really funny, but it starts of slow. Marisa Tomei's awful, awful performance (and the other characters in turn don't know how to play their scenes when she is in with them) nearly sink the film just as it gets going, but about twenty minutes in, about the time the tailors show up, or maybe Theresa, Stallone's "other" daughter shows up, that this film hits a stride of comic zing that not even Tomei can stop. From a stuttering informant to Kurtwood Smith playing the eager policeman to Peter Reigert playing a mobster whose having to learn to "butle"(!) this film really has a great vision of how to play itself out! Then there's Tim Curry as Dr. Poole, whose observations of incorrect grammar keep getting misinterpreted. Then, of course, there are the three black bags. This film really is the kind of comedy I like done in a classic style!

 

[sojourner]

^Yea, Oscar was comic genius. I think too many deride it just based on Stallone's name being attached. Though I am not sure I would consider it as a qualified for "terrific half movie". It stays pretty even all the way through.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I put it as a half movie, because well, firstly, I wanted to talk about somehwere on this this board. Secondly, it does start off slow (as I said, i don't think it gets going until all the pieces are in place - about when Theresa shows up, which is about 25 minutes in) but i do prefer this kind of comedy to ones that excessive language or excessive sexual innuendo to carry themselves. I think director Landis was onto something with film, and I love watching it!

though, I like Stallone, I wonder what a Robert de Niro from that time would have done with the part, when he was more like his character from Midnight Run, before he took way too many mobster roles

 

[I Grok Spock]

Die Another Day

 

[Starbreaker]

Hancock
I Am Legend

 

[Gaith]

I started a rather similar thread a while ago... If I may quote myself:

Seeing the very funny (both in the clips and the review itself) Siskel and Ebert review of Love Potion #9, in which they agree that the movie is quite charming until it devolves into a cliched caper flick, got me thinking... what movies start out strong, then nosedive? To establish a baseline rule, let's say that the first thirty minutes at least should be pretty good; good enough (say) to warrant a Netflixing for those good bits, starting from the beginning and continuing without interruption, but not good enough to justify watching the whole film.

- This reminds me of another Bullock movie: The Proposal. The first hour, with Reynolds and her sniping at each other, is pretty funny. But when they started bonding an hour or so in, with the tone veering into super-maudlin territory, I hit the eject button as fast as I could.

- I'm no big fan of Spider-Man, but while the first half was decent, what with Peter getting and learning about his powers, the Goblin-heavy and finale-containing second half really dragged it down.

- I love Weird Science, but don't care for the second Lisa creation attempt and hate the Chett-turned-monster time-filling extended epilogue.

- The first half-hour of The Matrix Revolutions is pretty cool, or at least as cool as Reloaded, until the neverending Zion battle starts.

- According to Siskel and Ebert again, White Man's Burden is a fascinating movie showing blacks as the dominant American ethnicity, but jumps the shark when Travolta kidnaps his boss, or something.

- There's no raptor-punching in the first half-hour of PJ's Kong, right?

- Well, that's all I've got for now, but I'm curious to hear everyone else's!

Also: As Good As it Gets, for the same reason as The Proposal.

 

[scnj]

Apocalypse Now: Redux Edition

Just to note here, I think the original Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece, but in the Redux that fucking French Plantation scene has to be designed purely to kill pacing and decimate its remains.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

2001: A Space Oddysey was good up until the point where Hal got turned off and the message played. Then, I could have stared into a lava lamp for half an hour and known the ending.

 

[DonIago]

The Time Machine (the new version), right after the second time jump
The Arrival, when we find out what's actually going on

 

[Admiral Shran]

Hudson Hawk: There are moments of comic genious here, a true vision of how comedy and action should meet. I mean, many films have tried to mix these two genres before, but almost all of them have failed. There are moments in this film where they not only succeed wildly, but the managee to make philosphical comment on both genres. How many times is a main charcter attacked by chiens as if it's a dreadful enemy? How many films show the Pope watching Mr.Ed dubbed in Italian. And look at the great scene in the middle of Rome that begins with Hawk in a phone booth, and ends with someone mimicing him and then him getting the postage stamps to complete the heist. This scene is brilliant. I wish the whole film was as good some of the pieces. There are times when scenes fall flat and played far too broadly than is necessary.

I've also always liked Hudson Hawk, despite it's obvious flaws. Every character has at least one amazing scene.

Oscar: This film is really funny, but it starts of slow. Marisa Tomei's awful, awful performance (and the other characters in turn don't know how to play their scenes when she is in with them) nearly sink the film just as it gets going, but about twenty minutes in, about the time the tailors show up, or maybe Theresa, Stallone's "other" daughter shows up, that this film hits a stride of comic zing that not even Tomei can stop. From a stuttering informant to Kurtwood Smith playing the eager policeman to Peter Reigert playing a mobster whose having to learn to "butle"(!) this film really has a great vision of how to play itself out! Then there's Tim Curry as Dr. Poole, whose observations of incorrect grammar keep getting misinterpreted. Then, of course, there are the three black bags. This film really is the kind of comedy I like done in a classic style!

OMG! I could not agree with you any more on this movie. I F***ING LOVE OSCAR! It's one of Stallone's best roles, in my opinion. I place it right up there with Rocky. Whereas Rocky showed that Sly could convincingly pull off a dramatic performance, Oscar showed he was just as capable as a comedic actor.

What blows my mind is how Stallone ended up in so many lack-luster movies when he was so much better (Cobra anybody? Get Carter?)

As for Oscar, while Tomei is certainly the weakest link in the cast, I wouldn't say she was bad as you seem to think she was.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Yeah, having just got the film on DVD, I can see that there is a method to Tomei's acting. Her character was acting around everyone, to get what she wanted. The role was actually well-written, and the acting should have been toned down just a tad. It was written with the idea that she'd lie her way out of the house, and her constantly listing places she wanted to go was part of the scheme

 

[Myasishchev]

Apocalypse Now: Redux Edition

Just to note here, I think the original Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece, but in the Redux that fucking French Plantation scene has to be designed purely to kill pacing and decimate its remains.

Funny, because I hated the original cut and loved Redux. On the other hand, part of this is likely related to watching the original cut when I was twelve and watching Redux when I was something like twenty.

Also: As Good As it Gets, for the same reason as The Proposal.

I dunno. Never seen The Proposal, but I always thought that was something they did right in As Good As it Gets--the inevitably maudlin turnaround of the jerk doesn't overwhelm the comedy. This is a pitfall even some of the best jerk comedies don't avoid--even Groundhog Day falls off a little toward the end. The final half hours of many similar movies are total wastes.

Also, it's good to see the rehabilitation of Hudson Hawk. I always had a soft spot for that movie.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Sunshine for me. Spider-Man 3...seems like it's actually like three or four movies stuffed into one. Can't think of anything else right now .

 

[Kibbin]

Not quite half a movie, more like five minutes, top. But the opening of Thunderbirds wasn't actually bad, you know where they fly the thunderbirds and rescue people. Been a while since I've seen it but as I recall as soon as the credits hit, it's time to leave.

 

[DonIago]

Lord of the Rings

Seriously, what's with that? You start out with this group of adventurers and it's a cool D&D story...but then suddenly the characters are breaking up into their own groups and there's, like, 2-3 different plots going on...you've gotta be kidding me!

 

[Cicero]

I was really enjoying Hancock, probably up until the point where he met that PR dude's wife.

Yeah.

I AM LEGEND goes off the rails when the chick and the kid show up.

Cloverfield was a great movie about young adults at a party then some monster shit happens.

How has no one mentioned Return of the Jedi yet?

If you cut the Ewok material, the second half is probably stronger than the first (the DVD release makes this very easy via chapter skipping).

Apocalypse Now: Redux Edition

Just to note here, I think the original Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece, but in the Redux that fucking French Plantation scene has to be designed purely to kill pacing and decimate its remains.

Oddly enough, the plantation scene and helicopter assault are the only parts of the movie I like. But, then, I also found The Godfather Part III the only enjoyable part of the series, I think largely because it was about a quest for redemption rather than a continuing descent. The early portion of The Godfather might qualify for this thread for me; I generally liked it until Michael went to Sicily.