Smokin' Aces > Pulp Fiction

internisus · shafer sephiroth Joined: 04 Dec 2006

I get the massive, undying respect heaped at the bloody feet of Pulp Fiction, I do. I wouldn't claim to enjoy it quite as much as most of the people doing the actual respecting, but I get the hell out of it. And I'm no expert when it comes to the black comedy kill-em-all genre, but I have very much enjoyed my share, from Snatch to Reservoir Dogs to the Kill Bill movies. Might throw some Coen Brothers material in with that bunch, too. And yeah, I can see that, even after all of those, there's something inexorably classic about Pulp Fiction that has kept it at the top of the hit list, even if it's never been my favorite or anything. So, what I'm saying is, I hope you can appreciate what I'm talking about here is a pretty objective type of value. It's about more than how good a time I happened to have.

Anyway, the thing is, guys, I just got done watching Smokin' Aces. I was completely unprepared for this one; the previews had me thinking it was a joke flick about a guy who stupidly and accidentally survives the antagonistic efforts of seven hitmen; I had absolutely no idea what I was in for. But I gotta say, and I want to hear your take on this bit, this is the new mark to shoot for.

Wall of Beef · Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: Fart Beach

Having not seen Smoking Aces, I am still going to have to say "Geez, I dunno man".
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dark steve · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:52 am

die thread

internisus · shafer sephiroth Joined: 04 Dec 2006

Go here and you can immediately start watching it in great, full screen quality.

I am serious. This has got to be the best movie with guns that includes that over-the-top something-something ever. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself.

SplashBeats · Guest

Smokin' Aces is a fun action movie but it's nowhere near Pulp Fiction, dude.

Mr. Business · Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: Hiding

Damn, I meant to see this movie while it was still in theatres.
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Taking a break.

internisus · shafer sephiroth Joined: 04 Dec 2006

Well, perhaps I don't understand the perfection of Pulp Fiction as well as I thought if this is the reaction I am to receive. I admit that the OD scene with the needle in the chest puts me off quite a bit, but I'm perfectly keen on the rest of the film. I wouldn't mind some explanation as to why Smokin' Aces is not a better movie than Pulp Fiction, if that is the popular opinion.

Ashura · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Location: Far East of Eden

Wow, this is interesting. I thought it was awful. By the end, the only character I liked was Buddy Aces. I didn't care about anyone else, like they expected you to, even Ryan Reynolds' character. And I like me some Ryan Reynolds. The twist was alright, if predictable, but it was wasted via the cop-drama bullshit. Very few memorable lines or scenes where they had the setup for such. The gunplay wasn't even cool. The girl with the Barrett M82? Jesus.

Domino was a better and more entertaining movie. Also: Lucky # Sleven.

internisus · shafer sephiroth Joined: 04 Dec 2006

Oh my god. Domino bored the shit out of me. I turned off the dvd halfway through.

It wasn't memorable when smoke was billowing out of the crack between the elevator doors as seven security guards and one suspect in custody stood watching and waiting while you knew what incredible maniacs the guys inside were?

The twist worked for me mostly because of the very RfaD reminiscent Mansell build when Reynolds climaxed the movie with that very simple, spiteful thing he did.

I think maybe what made the movie work really well for me was that I was caught between almost laughing at its over-the-top-ness and just having my jaw stuck open from the darkness and intensity. For some reason, the massacres made me feel more of a human "what a waste" reaction than the usual bloodbaths of these kinds of movies. And I especially loved the driving build of everything slowly, slowly converging on that penthouse as you see more and more how bad the shit that's coming is going to get.

So I thought the overall pace of the film was perfect, and the way in which nearly every 'group' had a protagonist of sorts that was at least a little bit more than a 1D badass impressed me. You've got the girl posing as a hooker who was constantly reluctant to return the sentiments of her xtreme feminista partner, the methodical assassin who was characterized very well in his long scene with Matthew Fox, the herpes-addled pottymouth from Arrested Development, the guy with hypothermia (and his fuckin karate kid nemesis), etc etc, and of course the breakdown of Buddy himself.

Everybody had character. Look at Buddy's crew -- even Hugo and the very dispensable large fellow who complained constantly about having to clean up the place were characters, and that shit made what came later after they were dead that much heavier. Yet constantly funny, and the funny was always so black because the shit felt heavy. I don't know how to express this any better. The whole damn movie just fucking worked for me, and I think it's a whole lot like a denser Pulp Fiction.

Intentionally Wrong · Joined: 05 Dec 2006

I have not seen Smokin' Aces, so I can't very well comment on that.

Now: as a self-professed fan of Pulp Fiction, I've been reexamining my appreciation for it ever since I read Stephen Bond's critique. After much deliberation, I find I prefer Hot Fuzz to this entire genre.
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Jeff Garneau · Joined: 04 Dec 2006

yeah tarantino can pretty much blow me.

evnvnv · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:41 pm

dark steve · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:21 pm

shrugtheironteacup · *man of tomorrow* Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Location: a meat

So what exactly does Hot Fuzz have to do with this particular "genre"?
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evnvnv · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:44 pm

SplashBeats · Guest

Internisus, have you seen 3000 Miles to Graceland? Smokin' Aces kept reminding me of that, in that it's a Vegas-related crime movie with a lot of ridiculous characters and a lot of plot twists.

It's also a lot better than Smokin' Aces, mainly because of Kurt Russel being awesome.

Also, that critique is awful. I'm sorry that man is incapable of having fun with a fun movie. I guess this is what years of physics envy liberal arts academia does to a dude. I bet his friends won't watch movies with him :(

Edit: Oh god, I just read his critique of The Dark Knight Returns. Ahahahahahaha.

boojiboy7 · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 9:06 pm

Having no idea who Stephen Bond is, I feel bad for him.

haze · la belle poney sans merci Joined: 04 Dec 2006

that guy really is whiny. and he can be funny too, but it's all sour with all the political whining.

still, gotta admit, this is the best Matrix critique ever.

Ashura · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Location: Far East of Eden

Mind you, I don't mention Domino because it was intensely great or anything. But it's better than this in my opinion, sorry.

Lucky Number Slevin was pretty great, however.

And yeah, I said before, Buddy was the only character worth it for me. His crew, to some extent too. I will give you that. However, it didn't save it. I didn't believe Ryan Reynolds at the end at all. Sorry. :/

I will say about the cinematography that I really dug that there were no real dissolves, but instead seamless switches to completely different locations.

But if you enjoyed it, good on you. I'm glad someone did!

Intentionally Wrong · Joined: 05 Dec 2006

Ebrey · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles

The problem with Tarantino isn't that he make junk food, it's that Robert Rodriguez makes much better junk food. Tits-and-violence movies can be awesome in the right hands, but QT has lost his touch (and he was never that great to begin with).

shrugtheironteacup · *man of tomorrow* Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Location: a meat

Tarantino started out making "tits-and-violence" movies?

News to me.
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haze · la belle poney sans merci Joined: 04 Dec 2006

i have charts and graphs and essays proving my escapism is better than your escapism

i'm already hating the direction this thread is going in.

shrugtheironteacup · *man of tomorrow* Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Location: a meat

Haze let's fight about korean movies itt.
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sawtooth · heh Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: flashback

haze · la belle poney sans merci Joined: 04 Dec 2006

I have a Korean movie that nourished my soul, and I can eat as much of it as I want without getting fat!

It had a pretty strong taste but the soft exterior texture blended well with that.

it gave me diarrhea the next day.

Maztorre · Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: Ireland

Smokin' Aces doesn't seem to have a clue what it's doing from one scene to the next. There are some pretty cool over-the-top scenes coupled with some really nice dialogue (that aren't really played up enough, if you ask me), the Matthew Fox scene in particular. Two minutes later you'll have detective drama scenes that seem lifted from a different film altogether. There is no real cohesion.

In that scene with the Neo-Nazi and Ben Affleck, was that the piece of music from the captain's death scene in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly?

Also Ryan Reynolds grow your hair longer and play Solid Snake in the MGS movie ok

Intentionally Wrong · Joined: 05 Dec 2006

shrugtheironteacup · *man of tomorrow* Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Location: a meat

shrugtheironteacup · *man of tomorrow* Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Location: a meat

..they were in North Korea. :(
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haze · la belle poney sans merci Joined: 04 Dec 2006

i bet they were hidden in the grave of that older brother who died on the North's side during the Korean War

remote · Joined: 11 Dec 2006

dark steve · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:37 am

SplashBeats · Guest

dark steve · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:41 am

Ebrey · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles

Intentionally Wrong · Joined: 05 Dec 2006

Excellent. Thanks.
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108 · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:14 am

108 · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:19 am

parkbench · Joined: 12 Dec 2006

I love how you guys are so caught up with yourselves that you condemn a thread before it's even started. Man, fuck your pretentious "sb one-liners" that make it seem like you're above even commenting in the thread. They're funny about once in a dozen times. The rest of the time it's just oscitant trolling. Get over yourselves and contribute to the discussion.

I enjoyed Smoking Aces, but I don't think it's better than Pulp Fiction. It was fun, but it was trying oh-so-hard to be clever. The rants that Sam Rockwell's character went on? Yawn. Though I give him credit for the most realistic cocaine-induced hysteria since Scarface (actually, I don't think I remember many other movies with that kind of scene...but I know I'm wrong. ooh, new thread...!).

I drew a lot of comparisons mentally with Metal Gear Solid with the ultra-specific, idiosyncratic cast of characters, and enjoyed it for the same reason. Still, it didn't actuallly come close to the charm Kojima's characters had. Some of them were just stupid.

And in the end, it was a super-stylistic gorefest that didn't even make sense in its own context sometimes. People make this claim about MGS, but most of the time it's when they try to judge it in comparison with real-life. It has internal consistency, though. Smokin' Aces didn't. As someone else mentioned, the scenes jump around aimlessly and purposelessly. Ultimately, it's forgettable.

In defense of Stephen Bond: everything Intentionally Wrong said. Read his review of Little Miss Sunshine.
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dark steve · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:50 am

Because reading that post is such an imposition on your soul, right? I came into your house and forced you to read it--I follow you throughout your day, repeating it over and over as part of my pretentious trollery. That post is the single cause of breast cancer, teen pregnancy and violence in the Middle East. That post killed your mother.