[Darko]

I was going to list all the great films released over the past two years but realised that it would take all day. While the local multiplex may not be showcasing the best of the best any film fan who doesn't mind going out of their way can find a wealth of great cinema that has been released over the past 24 months.

[DazMarz]

Inception (2010): great film, with some brilliant set-pieces and an incredibly original and thrilling plot. A modern masterpiece, IMO.

[mikhail]

Originally Posted by krudler

I dont get this "all new movies suck" thing either, sure there are plenty of sh1te films being churned out, but that was always the case. just look outside the blockbuster cgi laden stuff and theres great movies around.

People beat up on the cgi-laden blockbusters. Granted, last year's crop was a bit of a dud (I kind of liked the marvel movies, but they were forgettable), but we've already had The Avengers this year and who knows what's to follow (Nolan's not let us down yet, but then neither had Pixar...). There are staunch advocates here for Prometheus too as an example of ideas-driven sci-fi/horror.

[Seren_]

I really enjoyed Submarine (written and directed by Richard Ayaode). It's a story about an English teenage boy and how he deals with his home life and love life.

Also quoting Moss from the IT Crowd (who's played by Ayaode), "it's set in the eighties?!"

[johnny_ultimate]

Originally Posted by mikhail

People beat up on the cgi-laden blockbusters. Granted, last year's crop was a bit of a dud (I kind of liked the marvel movies, but they were forgettable), but we've already had The Avengers this year and who knows what's to follow (Nolan's not let us down yet, but then neither had Pixar...). There are staunch advocates here for Prometheus too as an example of ideas-driven sci-fi/horror.

To me, blockbusters are becoming wearily homogenised. The superhero craze, while giving us a few moderate to decent yarns (I'd say only one 'great' with The Dark Knight), is IMO stifling creativity and variety. There's no doubt there's a huge market for them, and therefore they have their place, but the onslaught of the things is just tiring at this point - and it seems like every minor or kinda recognisable hero will be getting a dedicated film in the coming years alongside the inevitable tsunami of sequels. The variety (read: lack thereof) on display elsewhere - whether it's more Michael Bay junk, franchise 'reboots', Twilight (*insert Twi****e comment here*) or any number of 'faux' epics - doesn't really make up for it. Christopher Nolan and, to a lesser degree, JJ Abrams are increasingly diamonds in the rough. And Hollywood really needs to lay off the lame flights of fancy that have come to damage (sometimes fatally) many a third act in recent years. Or at least get better at them.

Which brings me to a brief (well, semi-brief) point about Prometheus. It isn't a great film, so therefore I wouldn't recommend it as per the thread title. It is, however, distinctive and 'different' in a number of ways. Visually, certainly. But, with its (undeniably flawed) attempts at shooting for something bigger, grander, more insightful it does something pretty much no recent big budget competitor has. The flawed execution and script ultimately won the film very few fans, but to me Prometheus kind of represents the sort of blockbuster I want to see. Thematically ambitious, tonally distinctive, visually engaging. Whereas to me The Avengers was just a bigger, slightly funnier take on the standard formula that's come to dominate blockbuster cinema, Prometheus was different. Every so often: thrillingly so. Sure, it shot itself in the foot on a regular basis, but I'd like to see more films try as hard as it does to stand out in a homogenised world. Shame about the third act.

[don ramo]

Originally Posted by johnny_ultimate

To me, blockbusters are becoming wearily homogenised. The superhero craze, while giving us a few moderate to decent yarns (I'd say only one 'great' with The Dark Knight), is IMO stifling creativity and variety. There's no doubt there's a huge market for them, and therefore they have their place, but the onslaught of the things is just tiring at this point - and it seems like every minor or kinda recognisable hero will be getting a dedicated film in the coming years alongside the inevitable tsunami of sequels. The variety (read: lack thereof) on display elsewhere - whether it's more Michael Bay junk, franchise 'reboots', Twilight (*insert Twi****e comment here*) or any number of 'faux' epics - doesn't really make up for it. Christopher Nolan and, to a lesser degree, JJ Abrams are increasingly diamonds in the rough. And Hollywood really needs to lay off the lame flights of fancy that have come to damage (sometimes fatally) many a third act in recent years. Or at least get better at them.

Which brings me to a brief (well, semi-brief) point about Prometheus. It isn't a great film, so therefore I wouldn't recommend it as per the thread title. It is, however, distinctive and 'different' in a number of ways. Visually, certainly. But, with its (undeniably flawed) attempts at shooting for something bigger, grander, more insightful it does something pretty much no recent big budget competitor has. The flawed execution and script ultimately won the film very few fans, but to me Prometheus kind of represents the sort of blockbuster I want to see. Thematically ambitious, tonally distinctive, visually engaging. Whereas to me The Avengers was just a bigger, slightly funnier take on the standard formula that's come to dominate blockbuster cinema, Prometheus was different. Every so often: thrillingly so. Sure, it shot itself in the foot on a regular basis, but I'd like to see more films try as hard as it does to stand out in a homogenised world. Shame about the third act.

but you have to remember most of these comic films have a lot of origin behind them and the fans want to see these stories come to life, and it shows in the BO,

i think Prometheus biggest failure was that most people expected a massive giant action film like the avengers, but it ended up being more an adventure film, and i was happily surprised when i saw it, it has it faults but what film doesnt,

ive seen a lot of very good films in the last 2 years and a good few great ones also, ive thankfully avoided a lot of crap films so far, but im sure ill have the displeasure of accidentally watching some of them in the coming years,

[Mickeroo]

I think superhero movies have been largely responsible for some of the best blockbuster type movies of the last ten years. I genuinely don't want them to stop being made. A lot of that is to do with me being a life long fan of superheros in all their guises granted but I geuinely think its emerged as a distinct genre in its own right in much the same way as the western did. Like the western there's certain tropes it sticks too and like the western we've had some films which have tried to deconstruct and turn the genre on its head (with varying degrees of success in fairness). Long may it continue imho.

[jaykhunter]

This is a very interesting thread and I'd love it to be re-railed instead of discussing/complaining about expensive and financially successful films.

Johnny_U can u pitch the films u mentioned like Briany did please?

[Sad Professor]

Originally Posted by jaykhunter

Johnny_U can u pitch the films u mentioned like Briany did please?

He did. See above.

[bullvine]

Originally Posted by DazMarz

Inception (2010): great film, with some brilliant set-pieces and an incredibly original and thrilling plot. A modern masterpiece, IMO.

Inception is a truly remarkable film in my opinion, one of the most original blockbusters to come out of Hollywood for a long time.

[Harrocks]

Originally Posted by Skerries

there have been some great ones but also some shoite

Chronicle - following 3 guys who gain super powers and the resulting consequences
Project X - the type of party you wish you had
Inception - it's a film inside a film inside a film
Drive - violence and driving done slowly
Super - what a real vigilante super hero could really look like
God Bless America - what we all wish we could do to others that annoy us
The Raid - bang! bang! bang! kick! hit! kick!, wish I'd taken the lift
Warrior - Rocky MMA
Limitless - how I feel when I take drugs
Hanna - young Cailín goes kill crazy
13 Assassins - 7 Samurai plus 6 more
X-Men: First Class - putting the sexy back in X-men
Trollhunter - Trollllls!!!

Starting to watch more and more subtitled movies.Loved Throllhunter make sure to watch it in norwegan not the dubbed version.
Some on this list i havent got around to watching yet.

[briany]

Originally Posted by Harrocks

Starting to watch more and more subtitled movies.Loved Throllhunter make sure to watch it in norwegan not the dubbed version.
Some on this list i havent got around to watching yet.

Yeah I find that as well. The Spanish and French do a mean psychological thriller/horror. Much more edgy, unpredictable and thoughtful than their Hollywood equivalents. The Finns and Norwegians do some good comedy in their dry, deadpan way. I plan on watching The Man Without a Past pretty soon.

I don't know why anyone with eyesight enough to read subtitles would watch a dubbed film. I think a dubbed film is much more distracting. I naively watched The Tenant and found the big brash American accents of some of the neighbours (or was it work colleagues?) really messed with the film's sense of place.

[Bullseye1]

Some people will be afraid to post blockbuster type movies out of fear of being ridiculed. Plus greatness is subjective when talking about all art forms.

[Sad Professor]

On the blockbuster front, last summer was pretty dire. A lot of garbage like TF3, POTC, C&A and Green Lantern. Thor, Super 8 and Planet of the Apes were enjoyable, benefiting from low expectations, but hardly great. Except for Inception and Toy Story 3, I don't remember any good blockbusters from the previous year. Prince of Persia was enjoyable, I guess.

There was a lot of excellent blockbusters late last year though. I'd rate Hugo, Dragon Tattoo and M:I:3 quite highly.

[Bullseye1]

You class Girl with Dragon Tattoo as a blockbuster? I don't consider Fincher a BB director.