[psmith2.0]

Don't waste your time, gang.

Slow, boring, draggy, excessively cute (Brad Pitt's entire role in this seemed to be "smile cute and look devilish").



Clooney seemed like an afterthought, and like he wasn't even quite there. More befuddled reaction shots, than anything.

Don Cheadle, as always, was good and entertaining.

But a piss-poor follow up to a very fun, exciting movie ("Ocean's 11"). It had non of the breezy, cool vibe of the first one. In fact, they almost seemed to be taking it as a joke, the whole thing. Very odd, and very un-fun to sit through, considering a) the cast and b) how good the first one was.



There was ONE funny/interesting little sequence involving Julia Roberts and a surprise cameo, but that was toward the end...and not nearly enough to make me go "wow, the movie was saved!"



A 3.7 out of 10, unfortunately.

In fact, the BEST part of the entire experience was a surprise new "Batman Begins" trailer that caught everyone off guard and looked TOTALLY kick-ass!



Can't wait for spring/summer to arrive..."Revenge of the Sith" and "Batman Begins" should duke it out quite well! They'll both get my $8.50...maybe more than once, depending.

[ast3r3x]

Wow, that bad huh?

I was excited to see there would be a sequel after the first one. But if it is this bad maybe I don't want to see it at all.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Can't wait for spring/summer to arrive..."Revenge of the Sith" and "Batman Begins" should duke it out quite well! They'll both get my $8.50...maybe more than once, depending.

And let's not forget about Pixar's Cars and Doom: The Movie!

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by ast3r3x Wow, that bad huh? I was excited to see there would be a sequel after the first one. But if it is this bad maybe I don't want to see it at all.

Probably not outright "bad" (especially compared to all the other crap routinely clogging up the multiplexes), but certainly a let-down and nowhere near as funny, exciting, snazzy, etc. as the first one. Not by a long shot! Had "Ocean's 11" never existed, and THIS was the first/only one...maybe it would be perceived as better?



I was genuinely disappointed, and left there feeling like I'd taken $8 and threw it down an elevator shaft.



It was just boring and slow, and kinda scattered. Two sub-plots totally took away from the focused "heist" aspect, basically killing the vibe of "Ocean's 11", which moved right along and is fun to watch more than once (the intricate planning, the humor, etc.). This one - "Ocean's 12" - I wouldn't go see again if someone gave me a free ticket AND bought my popcorn and beverage for me!



Same director, same cast, etc. Nowhere near the same fun. Odd...not sure how that happened.

[alcimedes]

yeah, i saw it and wasn't all that impressed either.

they were dicking around the entire movie, and you just felt like it was a hodge podge of ideas that had been written down on bar napkins and tossed together into a movie.

there were a pile of pretty much unrelated details, and felt like i was waiting for it to make some more sense. dunno, wasn't very impressed.

[psmith2.0]

Exactly. That sums it up nicely. It somehow managed to feel forced and heavy-handed AND limp and disinterested...all at the same time.



I considered walking out, which I NEVER do. I couldn't wait for it to be over so I could go have a beer at my favorite little pizza place/bar, across the street, and try to salvage my night.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I considered walking out, which I NEVER do.

Wow, that's pretty bad.

I've never walked out on a theater movie, but I have on a rented movie. Ever seen Evita? You know, the Madonna movie? Don't. No one in my family could sit through more than 15 minutes of it.

[psmith2.0]

It would never occur to me to attempt to watch a Madonna movie to begin with!

What's the matter with you?!?!



I've walked out of five movies my entire life: "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" (some River Phoenix bullcrap), "License to Drive" (a Corey Haim/Corey Feldman romp...WHAT was I thinking...I was a teenager...I didn't know any better), "Dirty Dancing" and "Howard the Duck" (which was monumental, because I walked out, hung a right and walked right into "Aliens", which began my nearly two-decade ongoing fascination/lust over Ms. Weaver).



But yeah...it's been since the mid-80's since I've walked out on a movie. This past Friday was almost the streak breaker! I came "this close", but kept thinking "it'll pick up and get good...".

[Powerdoc]

I never walked out of a theater, but I considered it once seriously. I don't even remind the title of the film. Sometimes amnesia help.

[alcimedes]

i walked out of Speed 2. the problem there was walking into it to begin with.

[ast3r3x]

Not sure I ever walked out, but I've regretted wasting my life over several movies...

Changing Lanes
Gumo

There are a few more, but those are the ones I use as an example.

[billybobsky]

Walked out of:

Howard's End -- could have been seeing Crying Game but nooo fanatical friends parents didn't want to dilute our brain while they diluted theirs.

Wished I could have ended:
Secret Window
Spiderman 2

Moral of the story: Stay away from movies beginning with the letter s, or having been written by E M Forster (or Jane Austin for that matter)...

[Moogs]

Paul,

Don't give them too much credit for 11... you know it was a remake, right?

I knew 12 would be a bust as soon as I heard there was such a thing. They actually filmed parts of it near here. Clooney was milling around town with Damon in city I work over the summer.

[psmith2.0]

I got so pissed Friday night, during the movie, because it was packed and people's cell phones were going off many times. It was like everyone completely ignored that little message at the beginning, to please turn off cell phones.



Worse than that (and just further evidence of society's decline), when people sitting around the offender would - after about the SIXTH RING - finally, in total exasperation, say "WILL YOU TURN THAT OFF!", the person who had the ringing phone would get all uppity and indignant, seemingly totally confused why people would be barking at him/her. Then they'd say something smart-ass back, as though they actually had a leg to stand on.



I'll wind up bludgeoning someone to death at the multiplex one of these days, I just know it. When it happens, you can all say "hey, we know that guy...by George, he wasn't kidding!"



As if the movie isn't bad enough, I'm surrounded by a room full of clueless shitheads for over two hours. Nice.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Moogs Paul, don't give them too much credit for 11... you know it was a remake, right?

Oh yeah, I totally knew that (I'd seen snippets of the original, from the 60's). But I still enjoyed the remake. It had a great look and vibe, and was quite funny in places.

It was done well, IMO. Not sure what happened to "12".

[Moogs]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 It was done well, IMO. Not sure what happened to "12".

It followed the universal law of sequels, which is only broken on extremely rare occasions such as with the LotR trilogy or Bridget Jones' Fantasy Memoirs (kidding): all sequels that are not born as a consequence of the first movie not revealing important plot details, blow.

Even the Matrix movies, which of course left plot details unrevealed for both sequels, almost blew in its own right, but managed to pull off a couple OK films after a very satisfying original.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by billybobsky Walked out of: Howard's End -- could have been seeing Crying Game but nooo fanatical friends parents didn't want to dilute our brain while they diluted theirs. Wished I could have ended: Secret Window Spiderman 2 Moral of the story: Stay away from movies beginning with the letter s, or having been written by E M Forster (or Jane Austin for that matter)...

I walked out of Dodgeball, not only because the movie sucked but because the kid behind me kept spilling his soda and it'd drip down to my feet.

[psmith2.0]

OMG, kids in theaters ("kid" = anyone under 31 ) drive me up the wall. A group of about 12 came in - you guessed it - 5 or so minutes into "Ocean's 12" Friday night. The joint was packed, and it was obvious to anyone with half a brain and a set of eyes that there was no way they were going to find 12 seats all together.

But that didn't stop the little cretins from trying.



Finally, the goons figured it out, and spread out among the crowd, finding seats as they could. But it was a good 6-8 minute ordeal/process, with everyone riding their asses.

In fact, the past few movies I've been to have been that way...folks stumbling in super late, and pretty much mucking up the first 10 minutes or so of the movie. During the trailers (my favorite part) is bad enough, but I honestly wouldn't mind a policy of "the doors close once the movie starts...wait until the next showing, or fuck off - The Management".



I can be there on time, have my food bought, be comfortably in my seat with my cell phone off and harboring no desire to talk to the screen and offer running commentary for the evening...all this BEFORE the lights dim. Why, oh why can't others?

[Moogs]

People who show up late to movies piss me off no end. Usually the same dumbasses who leave their phone ringers on or get up midway through to take a bathroom / popcorn break. Morons.

[alcimedes]

i wonder if people showing up late isn't to avoid the commercials at the beginnings of movies.

[Purgatos]

I never seem to make it to movies on time.

And while I've never walked out of a movie, I did seriously consider jumping out a plane in the middle of Legally Blonde.

Oh and that Britney Spears movie... whatever it was. Saw that on a plane too.

[Koodari]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I can be there on time, have my food bought, be comfortably in my seat with my cell phone off and harboring no desire to talk to the screen and offer running commentary for the evening...all this BEFORE the lights dim. Why, oh why can't others?

Well, there's an intrinsic reward to being five minutes late because then you don't have to suffer quite as much advertising.

Dunno if they have ads before movie where you live.

edit: oops, alcimedes nailed it first.

[psmith2.0]

They have a few. Maybe 3-4 minutes' worth? Big deal.

That's no excuse. People will sit and watch that crap for hours at home. Yeah, I hate them too...but not enough that I feel like strolling in super late, and annoying the whole place trying to find a seat and getting settled in.



That's no reason.

[EmC]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 They have a few. Maybe 3-4 minutes' worth? Big deal.

Try 15-25 minutes here. It is a Carmike Cinema. I wish they only had 3-4 minutes of commercial/previews.

They have even started showing regular TV commercials, not even formatted for the screen. The one I can't stand the most is the Body spray, the one where the body spray looks like it is windex. "I want your bod.", makes me want to throw up.


OH, and its too bad about Oceans 12, both the original and the remake rocked.

[psmith2.0]

There's no way in hell a theater shows 25 minutes of commercials (are you counting those static slideshow things BEFORE the lights dim?).

Friday, they showed a car one, a Coke one, and about three or four more. Just typical 30-second spots, no more than six (meaning about three minutes or so).

15 or so minutes of commercials AND previews, right? I can buy that (and have no problem, since I love trailers). 25 minutes seems a little excessive.



[edit: noticed your post, upon re-reading, to see you refer to commercials AND previews, thereby causing me to delete/edit my original "15-25 of commercials?!?! You're on drugs and/or full of it!" commentary.]

Accept my apologies.

[EmC]

Yes 25 minutes of commercials AND previews. I think 25 minutes of anything before the movie is excesive. It is becoming a big issue here because we only have one theater. When I went to see National Treasure a few weeks back we went to the 8:10 showing. We were there at 7:50. Bought our tickets and drinks. After having my ass sutured from the raping, we made it to our seats at about 8:05. Lights dim at 8:10ish. At 8:50 I am watching previews, still. JFC. It has gone too far. A few minutes later the movie started.

[Ebby]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 There's no way in hell a theater shows 25 minutes of commercials (are you counting those static slideshow things BEFORE the lights dim?). ... 15 or so minutes of commercials AND previews, right? I can buy that (and have no problem, since I love trailers). 25 minutes seems a little excessive.

Today on /.

Apropos of nothing, I saw a movie in the theaters a few days ago. At the official start time, the lights dimmed. Then there were 14 minutes of commercials (Pepsi, hair mousse, cologne, etc.) followed by 13 minutes of movie trailers (which are also advertising), followed by a few minutes of junk, followed by a 100-minute movie. I can't imagine why people would want to download movies when they have that great theater experience to compare against.

I haven't been to the movies in a long time, so I don't know. But 30 min is within the ballpark for me.

[EmC]

Ebby's post just reminded me of that stupid "Don't download movies" commercial that I have seen at every movie for the past year. Everytime I see it I commit to downloading one more movie.

[alcimedes]

We have Carmike Cinemas here in MN as well. You're talking 15+ minutes EASILY of commercials before the movies.

As for why it bothers me, that's simple. I don't mind commercials during TV because (at least broadcast) TV is free. The commercials pay for my entertainment.

To see a movie, I'm paying $8.50 for approximately 2 hours of entertainment. So for $4.25 an hour, I don't want someone cramming stupid ass commercials down my eyeballs.

[Moogs]

I'm sure part of the late arrival syndrome IS due to the ridiculous number of commercials (! Hollywood fuckers !) and previews at the more popular box office shows, but there are still the pud-wackers who have to make a scene as they come in 10 minutes into the film (which makes them 25-30 minutes late to the movie time) talking, walking in front of people, and just generally acting like attention-seeking whores.