Dunkirk - Film

[Biber]

Saw the movie this morning and wasn't all that impressed, kinda disappointed really given the hype I had heard about it. Pretty quiet for a war movie and the lack of dialog didn't help tell the story any. Maybe the director was trying to go for some artsy effect with it. If so it certainly was lost on me. Watching the same ship sink over and over again from different angles certainly didn't convince me that they were different ships going down. That glide sequence was just ridiculous. It was also a bit confusing to follow in spots with all the flash back sequences. A spitfire crashes in the sea then ten minutes later you see the same event from the pilots point of view. Then of course you know that all is finally well when the Elgar music starts playing. How trite can you get! It was kind of sad to see Branagh in his role, mainly because of the lines he had to deliver. Usually I quite like what he does, in fact I was interested to see the trailer for his Murder on the Orient Express due out in November. Should be fun considering all the others in it. Though there have been some pretty iconic versions of Poirot in the past that his will contend with.

In all, it was only a $5 matinee and I got a decent cup of coffee. The reclining seat was nice too!

[V.I.D.]

I saw it tonight, and thought it was very good, a solid 7.5 out of 10.
I can't really see what the bellyaching is about. The casting was good, some fine performances , impressive use of sound ( and sound track too ). After the hype I actually expected to be disappointed, and wasn't.
I thought the aerial scenes were the best part of the film, the good old RAF, am reading Geoff Wellum's First Light at the moment ( I don't know what took me so long, excellent book).

I almost felt like cheering at the end, perfect for the post Brexit Blues!
They should let Nolan do a "Battle of Britain" sequel, it would be great to see the Luftwaffe get another seven shades knocked out of them.

I actually liked it as well. It started quite promising and I liked much about it. The one thing that did bother me is that you could hardly understand the sheer amount of BEF soldiers and their French counterparts on the beaches as well as the effort on British civilians to get as many people back as possible. I mean, at one point there is only 10 or so soldiers on the entire beach (in this regard, the already mentioned Atonement scene blows this whole thing out of the water) and once the "great salvation armada" arrives it is less than 10-15 boats in the entire scene. Overall, I still liked it for it was - portrayal of survival above all costs.

[Edelweisse]

Dunkirk Movie

Well...I went to the movie last night and I was taken in by the hype.....I was not impressed. As they say....read the book. I could make other comments but I'd be wasting my time.....read the book.

[WWIIBuff]

My feeling after seeing it a 2nd time, but on IMAX...

After seeing the movie a week ago for the first time, I gave it a fairly harsh review. Although I still stand by everything I said in my initial review, I will say that I enjoyed the movie more the 2nd time.

Perhaps it was the IMAX experience (especially since I was the the middle seat of the theater and had never been to an IMAX film before), or perhaps it was because I no longer had high expectations, and already got over my disappointment about how terribly the beach scenes were portrayed.

This time I went in with zero expectations and hopes and just enjoyed the movie for what it was, a form of entertainment. And I must say, that seemed to work. I definitely enjoyed the film better the 2nd time around, but purely from an entertainment aspect, not from a historical point of view at all.

I would really like someone to explain what that ridiculous trawler scene was about? Who was shooting at it? What did that have to do with anything at Dunkirk? Also, the death of the boy was very strange. The small boat captain and other boy don't even seem to be too bothered when he was killed.
A lot of potential wasted in this movie IMO.

I agree completely Jeff, These two detours from the main story were like the wasted time with the German girls in Fury. They added nothing to the story, and in my opinion, even took away from what could have been shown it their places.

[V.I.D.]

I agree completely Jeff, These two detours from the main story were like the wasted time with the German girls in Fury. They added nothing to the story, and in my opinion, even took away from what could have been shown it their places.

IMO, Fury's biggest problem is that first 2/3rds are good, almost great in fact, and then it suddenly becomes a horrible throwback to 1960-70 B production, all with mindless SS vampires storming the tank from all directions and without any organization. That whole part when their tank is attacked is ridden with cheap Western cliches and utmost ridiculousness.....it ruined what could have been a fine movie, Brad Pitt notwithstanding.

[tony james]

Me and my grandson went to see it three days ago.he kept asking me when is something going to happen and i felt the same way . We left before it was over.

[helmuthunter]

I know many didn't like it but I think it was ok. At least it wasn't over the top with Rule Brittainia hype ect. Some of the effects great in the cinema. Not Saving Private Ryan by a long shot but it was worth seeing at the cinema. Johnno.

[Biber]

I know many didn't like it but I think it was ok. At least it wasn't over the top with Rule Brittainia hype ect. Some of the effects great in the cinema. Not Saving Private Ryan by a long shot but it was worth seeing at the cinema. Johnno.

You clearly didn't get the effect of the Elgar.

[29THPZG]

I must say, I enjoyed it. I'm a fan of many in the cast and it is a really stunningly filmed, especially in an IMAX setting.

But, the gliding Spitfire taking out the Stuka? WHY?

My only complaint, but a HUGE ONE!

[Kelly w]

Just watched Atonement. If that beach scene is better then this entire Dunkirk film I'll eat my shirt.

[Hauptmann109]

So my wife and I watched it. I won't give my review as it's more or less along the lines of what was said, in short enjoyed a new style of WWII movie but had to cringe at the whole spitfire gliding back and forth taking out a diving STUKA that was a lot higher part.

My went in with the following knowledge: The British need to escape to England from France.

She enjoyed the visuals but when the movie was over she had to ask me the following:

Why did the Germans just send a couple aircraft and nothing else? Wouldn't it be better for the Germans to send whole squadrons of bombers?

Why don't you fly a Spitfire on the flight simulator? It has tons of ammo and you won't have to complain about running out of ammo. (That made me smile)

I don't get how evacuating Dunkirk was such a big deal, why can't they just sit and wait for the boats as it didn't seem that bad, or hide in the town?

So that's the impression one of the "average" people got. With that in mind, I have to say that the movie failed to capture the real story/feeling of Dunkirk.

[djpool]

I think I can wait on the DVD to come out.

[Dan M]

I saw it this weekend with my three adult sons. We all liked it especially my younger son who is a big movie buff. The special effects were well done. Kind of happy that it didn't have vast amounts of body parts or blood all over the place. If you want that just turn on the news in today's crazy world. My only thought was whether a Spitfire could really stay in the air like a glider for that long after the engine stops.

[stonemint]

The movie was sold and packaged as being realistic.
While I can suspend disbelief as much as the average movie-goer, some things are just too over the top, such as the gliding scene with the shoot-down of the Stuka.


& on top of this, when he set the Spit on fire, Nolan did a long close-up of it on fire--however, it was readily apparent that the Spit had no engine (they could have CGI'ed one in at the very least):

[bodes]

I saw the movie today for the first time.....If it's attempt was to convey war is loud and chaotic, than it succeeded on all fronts...Characters were cardboard cut outs to me, none really seeming to know what their role in the film was....The exception being the shell shocked hitch hiker.....And even he grew tiresome after a while......The pilot standing next to his burning spitfire was cinematic hokey pokey......I know plywood burns, but wouldn't unfired rounds discharge?.....Yet he stood there like he was having a wienie roast before getting hauled off to a POW camp...The soldiers waiting until the boat was 90% filled with water, before realizing fingers in the bullet holes wasn't going to help.....Special effects were good, but I tired after two hours of listening to gloom and doom, the Germans are coming music.....Bodes