Episode 156 - xXx: Return of Xander Cage: LIVE!

[EllenM2.0 412]

I really enjoyed Split. My theatre laughed multiple times and I had a good time.

[RyanSz 3140]

That's a bummer! Lego Batman is a real delight, but the vocal performances are one of the major things I love in it. Zack Galifianakis is the only non-Hamill animated Joker I will ever allow now. Jenny Slate is no Tara Strong or Arleen Sorkin, but I love her so much that it 100% doesn't matter. I could go on, but then I'd just be listing literally every cast member (Ralph Fiennes!!!) and saying that I love them...and I think you get the idea already

What was odd to me is that they didn't have Fiennes play Voldemort. Also do you think Graham Elwood is bummed that Doug Benson got chosen to play Bane instead of him?

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

What was odd to me is that they didn't have Fiennes play Voldemort. Also do you think Graham Elwood is bummed that Doug Benson got chosen to play Bane instead of him?

They should have cast the guy from Auralnauts.

 

[ElieB 238]

I really enjoyed Split. My theatre laughed multiple times and I had a good time.

 

Yeah I'm in the minority on this board in thinking Split was a funny movie for a hate watch so I don't think it was really "good". and in that sense xXx was a waaaaaay funnier hate watch.

[RyanSz 3140]

I definitely need to watch Lego Batman again because it was crammed with so many references to the entirety of Batman canon that I know I missed stuff. The only unfortunate thing I felt the movie was missing was more time for the villains, because they decided to use all the major ones along with real Z-level one-off characters like the Condiment King. So you miss out on Garfunkel & Oates as Poison Ivy and Clayface, respectively, as well as Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face and Conan O'Brien as the Riddler. They could have easily added 15 minutes to the film and the flow still would have been perfect, even for the theater full of kids that I saw it with who were amped up on what I assume was sugar and meth with how they were bouncing off the walls.

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

I definitely need to watch Lego Batman again because it was crammed with so many references to the entirety of Batman canon that I know I missed stuff. The only unfortunate thing I felt the movie was missing was more time for the villains, because they decided to use all the major ones along with real Z-level one-off characters like the Condiment King. So you miss out on Garfunkel & Oates as Poison Ivy and Clayface, respectively, as well as Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face and Conan O'Brien as the Riddler. They could have easily added 15 minutes to the film and the flow still would have been perfect, even for the theater full of kids that I saw it with who were amped up on what I assume was sugar and meth with how they were bouncing off the walls.

 

Ryan Sz... Did you see "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)" ??? If the answer is no, then I suggest you get to it as soon as your immediate schedule allows it...

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

It's pretty fucking hilarious that an executive producer of the Lego Batman movie is fifth in line for the presidency.

 

All that aside it was a fantastic movie. The original Lego movie will always be number one, but if the sequels and spin offs stay in this ballpark of quality i'm happy.

[reese9879 2]

 

Having said that, there's no need to go all Hidden Figures, because the soldier will land somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The route from the Philippines to Detroit goes nowhere near North Korea and China, as that would mean they were heading straight North from the Philippines. As they seem to be in a hurry to get to Detroit, it's very unlikely they decided to take the scenic route.

 

Just heard this on "corrections and omissions" in the mini-sode ... this is not correct. Flights from the Philippines to Detroit would go north past China and North Korea because the route is over the North Pole.

 

[tomspanks 9039]

I saw that route too but there was another flight map that went over the pacific and that route was shorter (in distance) than the one going through Alaska. Even on the flight map you posted the plane doesn't go over North Korea at all.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

 

Yeah I'm in the minority on this board in thinking Split was a funny movie for a hate watch so I don't think it was really "good". and in that sense xXx was a waaaaaay funnier hate watch.

I honestly thought it was going to be garbage, but for me, it turned out to be the third best film Shyamalan's made (and granted, the bar isn't that high after you get past those top three, but still).

 

It was one of the secret screenings at Fantastic Fest, and the response was pretty divided, though, and it largely hinged on how people felt about the ending. I should also note that all of the people I know from that fest kept the ending a secret for almost four months...only to have stories drop the day it came out that spoiled it

by saying things like, "Not to spoil Split, but Shyamalan's next movie will be another Unbreakable movie." Great, so you just told me Split is an Unbreakable sequel. If they hadn't said anything about Split and just said that Shyamalan was going to make an Unbreakable sequel, it would have been fine, but without fail, most of them tied the two together in their damn headlines, so if you follow any kind of movie development news, it gave the ending away.

 

Fuckers.

 

[tomspanks 9039]

I honestly thought it was going to be garbage, but for me, it turned out to be the third best film Shyamalan's made (and granted, the bar isn't that high after you get past those top three, but still).

 

I agree 100%. Maaaaybe tied for third.

[reese9879 2]

I saw that route too but there was another flight map that went over the pacific and that route was shorter (in distance) than the one going through Alaska. Even on the flight map you posted the plane doesn't go over North Korea at all.

 

Very true and it is probably not wise to fly over North Korea.

[ElieB 238]

I honestly thought it was going to be garbage, but for me, it turned out to be the third best film Shyamalan's made (and granted, the bar isn't that high after you get past those top three, but still).

 

It was one of the secret screenings at Fantastic Fest, and the response was pretty divided, though, and it largely hinged on how people felt about the ending. I should also note that all of the people I know from that fest kept the ending a secret for almost four months...only to have stories drop the day it came out that spoiled it

by saying things like, "Not to spoil Split, but Shyamalan's next movie will be another Unbreakable movie." Great, so you just told me Split is an Unbreakable sequel. If they hadn't said anything about Split and just said that Shyamalan was going to make an Unbreakable sequel, it would have been fine, but without fail, most of them tied the two together in their damn headlines, so if you follow any kind of movie development news, it gave the ending away.

 

Fuckers.

 

 

That sucks. But I loved unbreakable and went into this having no idea. It did nothing to improve a really terrible movie ending. And I kinda hated it throughout, not just for its bad ending, including the 16 times he visits his psychiatrist to just deny he asked for the meeting, fucccccck off. So much terrible plot development. Not totally irredeemable but just a brutal movie in terms of pace and narrative.

[tomspanks 9039]

Very true and it is probably not wise to fly over North Korea.

 

Even their flight paths are exXxtreme.

[RyanSz 3140]

I honestly thought it was going to be garbage, but for me, it turned out to be the third best film Shyamalan's made (and granted, the bar isn't that high after you get past those top three, but still).

 

It was one of the secret screenings at Fantastic Fest, and the response was pretty divided, though, and it largely hinged on how people felt about the ending. I should also note that all of the people I know from that fest kept the ending a secret for almost four months...only to have stories drop the day it came out that spoiled it

by saying things like, "Not to spoil Split, but Shyamalan's next movie will be another Unbreakable movie." Great, so you just told me Split is an Unbreakable sequel. If they hadn't said anything about Split and just said that Shyamalan was going to make an Unbreakable sequel, it would have been fine, but without fail, most of them tied the two together in their damn headlines, so if you follow any kind of movie development news, it gave the ending away.

 

Fuckers.

 

Watching Split reminded me that M. Night could be a good director like he used to be. After Unbreakable, he became so attached to the twist trope, water metaphors, and putting himself in his movies in increasingly larger roles (really, he's the savior of mankind in Lady In the Water?), but after watching this it seems like he remember what made his first two movies good. I'm hoping he doesn't fall back to his old habits, but I wouldn't be surprised.

[Chainsaw Starring Nic Cage 95]

I honestly thought it was going to be garbage, but for me, it turned out to be the third best film Shyamalan's made (and granted, the bar isn't that high after you get past those top three, but still).

 

It was one of the secret screenings at Fantastic Fest, and the response was pretty divided, though, and it largely hinged on how people felt about the ending. I should also note that all of the people I know from that fest kept the ending a secret for almost four months...only to have stories drop the day it came out that spoiled it

by saying things like, "Not to spoil Split, but Shyamalan's next movie will be another Unbreakable movie." Great, so you just told me Split is an Unbreakable sequel. If they hadn't said anything about Split and just said that Shyamalan was going to make an Unbreakable sequel, it would have been fine, but without fail, most of them tied the two together in their damn headlines, so if you follow any kind of movie development news, it gave the ending away.

 

Fuckers.

 

 

I'll be honest here

 

 

I was going to give Split a solid pass, because I haven't been impressed with anything that M. Night has done since Signs, and I read the story on iO9 about how the movie was better when you knew what it was. So, I decided to give it a shot, and they were right. I honestly don't know if I would have seen it if I hadn't known the connection, but I'm glad I did. I think it's a very solid, pretty tense movie with a hell of a performance from McAvoy.

 

[RyanSz 3140]

 

I'll be honest here

 

 

I was going to give Split a solid pass, because I haven't been impressed with anything that M. Night has done since Signs, and I read the story on iO9 about how the movie was better when you knew what it was. So, I decided to give it a shot, and they were right. I honestly don't know if I would have seen it if I hadn't known the connection, but I'm glad I did. I think it's a very solid, pretty tense movie with a hell of a performance from McAvoy.

 

Yeah McAvoy was amazing in this, especially during the scene where he's one personality acting as another in order to trick his therapist.

[Chainsaw Starring Nic Cage 95]

Yeah McAvoy was amazing in this, especially during the scene where he's one personality acting as another in order to trick his therapist.

 

That's the one thing I really loved about the movie, the idea of multiple personalities uniting for one common cause instead of fighting for dominance. Setting aside how shaky that may be from a true-life psychological standpoint, it's such a great concept, particularly when it's for such an insidious goal.

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

I have a couple of Corrections and Omissions and maybe a Trivia about xXx: Return of Xander Cage... Should I post them here for fun or do I try to call the explanation hope line so I get a chance for Paul to read it on the next mini after the "my stepmother is an alien" ep.???

[Cameron H. 23786]

I have a couple of Corrections and Omissions and maybe a Trivia about xXx: Return of Xander Cage... Should I post them here for fun or do I try to call the explanation hope line so I get a chance for Paul to read it on the next mini after the "my stepmother is an alien" ep.???

 

Good question! Since it's an older film, I'd say call it in.

[ElieB 238]

I've been meaning to post this blink-and-you'll-miss-it screen cap from xXx. For whatever reason I find it hysterical.

 

A. You wouldn't use an axonometric or perspective of a 3D model for a "jump analysis", it would be a 2 dimensional graph.

B. You wouldn't call it a fucking jump analysis! It's a god damn projectile trajectory

C. That arc is IMPOSSIBLE and isn't at all how trajectories of humans in free fall look like. Which is fine, unless you for some reason bothered to SHOW the audience how impossible the jump was.

D. I realized it's not the first time an HDTGM episode has given us a stupid fucking jump trajectory graphic.

 

I give you, from After Earth, the "only survivable route"

Edited May 11, 2017 by ElieB

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn1AMrfADYA