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Damsel (2024)
Worth the watch.
Excellent CGI. Excellent cinimaphotography - there are half a dozen shots where the blocking is really supurb. And Better dragon than The Hobbit. Excellent dragon fire. Very good acting. A bit "girl boss" - but no more than "superman" is boy boss. The world building and logic of action is very much "hey here's a fantasy drama to watch".. it isn't The Godfather. As good in terms of fantasy entertainment as Malificent, or the Narnia movies. The ending is a little unrealistic though.
I don't think it's should spawn a series, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does in today's age, and there is certainly an opening left for that.
Star Wars (1977)
Wrong Hero. :)
This is a story a brave girl who, despite her privilged upbringing, at the age of 19 ran for and won a popular election to the Senate. Upon arrving there, she realised the corrupt nature of the failing government and, horrified at the doomsday death weapons they were developing, managed to secretly contact and join a rebel alliance. Rising to command the rebels in her sector, while still holding her position as a Senator, she orchistrated the theft of the technical specs for that weapon and began transporting those specs to an attack base. Along the way she was intercepted - but in the midst of battle revised her plan on the fly and spirited the plans away, also recruiting a retired general to continue the delivery of those plans. Captured by the enemy and tortured in prison she was then forced to watch her home destroyed, her friends and entire family murdered. When that retired general, accompanied by a bumbling farm boy, initiate a failing rescue she takes control of that failure, turns it around and leads that group to freedom. She is then the only person who realises that the ship they are on is being tracked (due to the lack of fighter pursuit) and forms another plan, leading her enemies to a counter ambush. Briefing and Commanding the counter-forces personally she develops the attack for that counter ambush which succesfully destroys a doomsday weapon of immense horror.
... in 1977 they made a movie about it - and made the bumbling farm boy the hero because, you know, he was a guy.
Hell Boats (1970)
Nice photography, nice toys, terrible story.
A USA officer saves the day by teaching the UK officers (who have three year's war experience) that they have no idea what they are doing ... and he does so by walking along the beach and flirting with the commanding officer's wife.
This movie is for USA viewers only - and after this I recommend they can watch U-571, to convince themselves that the USA won the war.
The Lobster (2015)
Slow, thoughtful, ultimately unsatisfying
You know how there is pressure to conform, find a partner and live a "normal life"? You know how those who don't conform appear to live unsatisfying lives whilst protesting that they are not? This film takes an hour to say that, then the second hour offers no answers and has an ambiguous and unsatisfying ending.
Cloud Dancer (1980)
My favourite flying film
I was an aerobatic instructor in the late 80's and this was my favourite film. That sounds like an inane statement - but when a pilot can tell you they like a film about flying, then you have some idea that the life of flying and the flying itself has been captured with a sympathy which is very rare in flying movies.
The drug-running side plot is a shame, as it detracts from the main plot - when it would have been so easy to script enough drama to fill the movie. Filming is without blue screen, many of the pilots are depicted by serious aerobatic flyers of the time, and David Carradine does a very good job.
I even like the music.