Hmmm… It’s time to think about the coming year’s movie reviews. Yep, we plan to keep doing them.

Well, we’re going to watch movies anyway, and going to write anyway, so why not write about the movies we watch?

We’ve broken down the list into three parts, 2016 movies we still haven’t seen, 2016 movies we’ve seen but haven’t reviewed, and expected movies for 2017 that may be of interest to us and to the readers.

Some of you are better connected to the entertainment industry, and might have better visibility on other films, including great foreign films, that we might have missed, so we’re depending on you to vetor  us to those targets.

Still not seen from 2016

  • Patriots Day
  • Silence
  • Hacksaw Ridge
  • Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
  • Miss Sloane

What are we missing, from that list? Most of these we haven’t seen because, frankly, we don’t expect much of them.

Seen and review not published yet

  • Star Wars: Rogue One
  • The Last King (just saw it, so possibly this weekend)
  • John Wick (yeah, it’s older, but we did watch it in ’16, finally)

Coming in 2017

(early ones are definite releases, the further down the list the less certain at this point)

  • Railroad Tigers – 6 Jan, Chinese (Jackie Chan)
  • John Wick Chapter 2 — 10 Feb  His dog lives this time.
  • The Great Wall — 17 February
  • Kong: Skull Island 10 Mar 2017 set in 70s, lots of Hueys.
  • World War Z 2 – -9 July
  • War for the Planet of the Apes — opening 14 July — war between humans and enhanced primates.
  • Ghost Army — date not set — on WWII deception, Bradley Cooper stars and co-produces.
  • Dunkirk — opening 21 July, it looks like a war pic in the tradition of Battle of Britain or The Longest Day.
  • The Dark Tower – 28 July Elba and McConaghey
  • It — 8 September. 1991 King horror series gets the Girlbusters treatment
  • Blade Runner 2049 — 6th October — it has big shoes to fill
  • Kingsman: The Golden Circle — 6 October —
  • Thor: Ragnarok — 3 November — Borderline likely to see this. The Blogbrother loves him some comic book movies, but they basically leave Your Humble Blogger cold.
  • Star Wars Episode VIII — 15 December — well, that gives is a drop-dead deadline to get the Rogue One review done, doesn’t it?
  • Pegasus Bridge — no date — We have long said this WWII D-Day operation deserves a feature film.
  • Ghost Army — no date — on WWII deception, Bradley Cooper stars and co-produces. Success, or a botch like The Monument Men? 
  • The Ottoman Lieutenant  — no details available.
  • Darkest Hour — no date, no details except Gary Oldman is Winston Churchill
  • Redeployment — no date — word is that this is a 2005-style “troops as monsters/victims” screed, just in time for the return of a Republican administration.
  • The Fate of the Furious — Fast and the Furious with even more crime and impossible driving, which will cause even more criminals to splat in stolen cars.

Fortunately, there’s a century of old classics to fall back on.

Please use the comments to suggest any good review targets.

This entry was posted in Book and Film Reviews on by Hognose.

About Hognose

Former Special Forces 11B2S, later 18B, weapons man. (Also served in intelligence and operations jobs in SF).

85 thoughts on “What Shall We Review in 2017?

Cap’n Mike

Im curious what you thought of Rogue One.

I thought it was the best Starwars movie since the 1980s

Blade Runner 2049 does indeed have big shoes to fill.

Hognose Post author

Shortest review ever: I enjoyed it. It fit well in the Star Wars canon, unlike the goofy prequels, but more than that, it was fun to watch.

DSM

I wonder if their costume design for the rebels at the end was a deliberate nod to Vietnam era US soldiers? Their laser guns were even Hollywood-ized M16s as well.

SPEMack

For sure. The helmets and web belts too. Not to,mention the jungle and beaches were all very Apocolypse Now. Even had U-Wing gunships with door gunners

Hognose Post author

There were a lot of interesting guns serving as armatures for those props. One of them a Luger.

Keith

Another vote for how good Rouge One was. Of course all the main actors had to die at the end because they would have been involved in the next movie as well.

runalltheway

Not sure if you’ve discussed it on the blog, but it’d be interesting to hear your thoughts on Occupied – A Norwegian mini-series about a Russian “soft” occupation of Norway in the near future.

Tim, ’80s Mech Guy

“Occupied” was pretty decent, I got turned on to it by a link to some industry article on it which promised a second season…they lied.

Netflix now has “Nobel”, pretty cool Norwegian SF with pew-pew action. I think “The Heavy Water War” is still on there and they also have a low budget Sci-Fy flick called “Ragnarok” that is actually not that bad if you just can’t get enough Norweigan subtitles.

runalltheway

Damn, that’s bad news. I was hanging out for the second season of Occupied to be released…

Haxo Angmark

Sicario. Strong cinematography, characterizations, special effects, and one awesome explosion shortly after it begins. There are some problems re usual Hollywood entitlement group pushing, but some of this gets “balanced” later in the movie. SF guys, guns and gunplay extremely realistic; lotsa Glock23’s. That’s my pistola. I’d rate it a strong “8”.

and vintage, don’t forget “A Walk in the Sun”, since you like reviewing dogs.

Tim, ’80s Mech Guy

“A Walk in the Sun” should be in some kind of catagory like “Obscure Cult Classic “.

John Distai

I’d also like to see Sicario reviewed.

Mike_C

>John Wick Chapter 2 — 10 Feb His dog lives this time.

Arrgh! Spoiler alert please!

Heh. Might actually pay to see this in the theater. Except that I quite dislike being in theaters….

SPEMack

I wouldn’t give any money to either “Billy Lynn’s Long Half Time Walk” or the new apes movie.

The book Billy Lynn is based on is an anti-vet, anti-military, anti-gun manifesto. Total trash.

The ape movie looks like it is reverting to the Hollywood screed that the military is bad. The rag tag humans look like Delta operators and all sport 2nd ID patches. Yeah, no. I saw the humans loose in the original movies thanks to my hippy mother.

Might I suggest “The Finest Hours” and whatever the flick about the USS Indianapolis with Nic Cage is for your wrap up reviews. Oh, and Deep Water Horizon.

John McGill

Don’t know if you’ve seen “The Wind That Shakes the Barley”. Irish film from maybe ten years ago. Covers the Anglo Irish war and into the Irish Civil War. Stars Cillian Murphy. A lot of my family in Ireland couldn’t watch it cause it still hit too close to home. Really well done. Shows up on Netflix or Amazon prime every once in a while.

Steven Y.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed “The Accountant”. Lots of firearms use, interesting personality quirks, clever problem solving, and a last minute ” Usual Suspects” kind of zinger that dropped my jaw.

I’m buying it on BluRay when my next retirement check hits the bank.

Hognose Post author

The previews of this make it look kind of fun. We have high-functioning (on some axes) autism in the family, so it’ll be interesting to see how it’s depicted. From what I’ve seen IRL, no one autistic person (“autist”? Isn’t one “artistic” person an “artist”?) is quite like another in how his mental quirks work. There are… I dunno… thematic elements in autism, and then individual details.

Torres

High-Functioning Autistic = Asperger’s Syndrome. Think of the lawyer they called “Hands” on Boston Legal…

Hognose Post author

Never saw Boston Legal, but we have exactly that in the family.

Hanzo

“The Man from Nowhere”. English dub, but excellent action. Made in S.Korea.

Y.

2016 surprisingly brought us a non-cringeworthy SF film – the Arrival, an adaptation of Ted Chiang’s “The Story of Your Life”.

Imo, one of the best SF films of the last 20 years. There isn’t much in that category either, most of what is made is basically ‘genre X’ in spaaace.

redc1c4

Kelly’s Heroes

because Oddball.

LSWCHP

Oh yeah! One of the greats.

Blackshoe

Always with the negative ways…

Aesop

…waves.

Billybob

Best movie I saw last year is actually from 1999.

The law of Herod. Watch it in Spanish with subtitles.

Maybe the best damn movie since The Good, the bad and the ugly.

Billybob

Or maybe I just spent too much time in southern Ca.

Alan Ward

All on your list do look good. Two good WWI flicks are Breaker Morant and Gallipoli.

I also enjoyed Cross of Iron by Sam Peckinpah, good old film.

Where Eagles Dare is another quirky one I see when I can.

Ditto for Kelly’s Heroes. Don Rickles as the perfect REMF who can be motivated when needed.

LSWCHP

Ahem..I don’t mean to be a pedant Alan, but The Breaker (who was actually a Pommy ex-pat) and his mate Peter Handcock were murdered by the Brits during the Boer War, not WW1. This is still a sensitive matter here in Australia, where there is a campaign to them him exonerated and pardoned more than a century later.

Alan Ward

My bad, I forgot it was Boer War. I’m aware of the antagonism brought about by the overarching Imperial empire. I enjoyed the story, I think it handled the military hierarchy better than Kubrick’s Paths of Glory. The whole CYA of Higher Command is aptly shown. I think the performances of Edward Woodward and Bryan Brown were spot on from what I knew of the story going into the film. I also loved the cinematography.

James

How about Shin Godzilla from 2016?!This is a classic Japanese Godzilla movie with better critter/special affects.Tis a great story as you watch govt. arguing/worrying about rules while the critter as usual tears it up!This is a great addition to the Godzilla legacy and encourage all to watch,can watch it with kids as a adult and still enjoy the hell out of it!

Trone Abeetin

Everything I’ve read about Paths of Glory has been so positive. I went into Bullmoose and ordered the Criterion Bluray this evening. Wanted just the vanilla Bluray but that’s all he could order in.

Bought Fargo this evening along with the accountant. I rip them to my Plex server, like a video jukebox.

John M.

Have you reviewed Bridges of Madison County yet?

-John M.

Hognose Post author

Isn’t that a chick flick?

John M.

It’s just like Bridge Over the River Kwai, except instead of being about POWs’ honor and commitment to duty under morally trying circumstances, it’s about an honorable and dutiful family man vet whose unfaithful wife cucks him under morally trying circumstances.

[removes tongue from cheek]

-John M.

Hognose Post author

As long as the bridge gets blown to flinders in the end. No demo, no watchee.

John M.

You’ll have to look somewhere else for spoilers, Hognose.

-John M.

Trone Abeetin

Hog gets the needle, I lold

LFMayor

Escape from Sobibor with Rutger Hauer was a really good film. Max Manus, about the Norge hero, too. I didn’t realize there was a film about Pegasus bridge, the book was fantastic.

Hognose Post author

I dunno if the Pegasus Bridge film is definite but IMDB lists it as “2017” last I looked.

Christopher

That is a good film. Rutger Hauer is underrated.

Hognose Post author

Chris and LF, I thought I reviewed that, but turns out I haven’t. The idea of Hauer, who looks like Central Casting’s SS man, playing a Russian Jewish soldier in a concentration camp, struck me as impossible, but bedamned if he didn’t pull it off.

morokko

Well, since war and crime are oddly pervasive topics of this blog, I have two contenders. First one is “Savior” (1999), which takes a largely unbiased look at the sides of Bosnian War. It was made on a bugdet, but scriptwriter and whole cast did excellent job.

Second and newer one is “Marshland” (2014) – excellent cop thriller staged in provincial Spain during last year of francoist government. Mustaches, murders and mujeres aplenty.

LFMayor

He played the Russian LT, guy was the catalyst that got the whole plan sewn together and running.

I first saw the movie in 1998 or so, when it was featured on the History Channel series Movies In Time. The host interviewed a woman survivor who was the main female character in the film.

W. Fleetwood

FWIW. “Go tell the Spartans” with Burt Lancaster. Full Disclosure; I think Lancaster can redeem almost anything, but this one has a lot more going for it.

Sua Sponte.

LSWCHP

You beat me to it Mr Fleetwood..an absolute classic, and one of the saddest endings I’ve ever seen.

I’d also add A Bridge Too Far…epic WWII action.

Torres

Definitely a big +1 on “Go Tell The Spartans” which was based on the book “Incident at Muc Wa.”

It was adapted for film to an early (1962) time in Vietnam when there were only small teams of advisers. I always thought it to be one of, if not the best films about the US Army’s fight in Vietnam.

Hanzo

Excellent, excellent movie.

Oscar Bravo

“Conspiracy” from 2001. It’s a movie about a meeting (!)

Well, it’s the Wannsee Conference, so it’s not your average mind-numbing office meeting, but still: It’s a little movie about a meeting. And the fate of millions of people.

/ Oscar Bravo in Denmark

Trone Abeetin

It’s 0220 and I just got through with Apocalypse Now, the horror. Was talking to a fella today and he was surprised when I told him I felt it was Milius who made that film. IMHO.

Torres

Hyena Road would be a good one that is available on Netflix right now. It’s about Canadians fighting in Afghanistan. It looks accurate from a weapons and gear aspect. I think you would like it and could critique the accuracy better than me, though…

Hognose Post author

“a big movie made fpr small money.”

https://weaponsman.com/?p=33850

Torres

I don’t know how I missed that!

Torres

And then there is always “Red Dawn” the one and only Patrick Swayze Movie that every Cold-War era SF guy that I knew liked…

Hognose Post author

I thought I’d reviewed both Red Dawn movies, but no.

Trone Abeetin

Another one written by Milius

Wesley W Bishop

Even if you don’t review them, I recommend to you The Raid and The Raid 2 (I know, the names are super original). It’s an excellent martial arts movie that uses guns reasonably well.

Also, it’s not a movie, but the best gunhandling in a production is in Strike Back, which can be had on Amazon Prime (well, at least the first season, and if you watch that, I’d bet dollars to donuts you’ll be inclined to pay to watch the next three seasons). It’s a combination of sex, violence, and intrigue, and it’s just great.

Christopher

Good call. The Raid was hugely entertaining.

Klaus

How about Day of the Jakyl?The original, not the remake with Bruce Willis.Its about a post war assassanation attempt of de Gaulle.

Hognose Post author

There was a remake? Right, the original with Edward Fox was great. I am old enough to have seen it in theater on first run. Made a big impression.

Klaus

Not that the re make isn’t watchable. His choice of weapon for the job at hand is supposed to be a Polish Zsu-33 in 14.5mm.controlled remotely. I just can’t stand Richard Geere in anything.

John Distai

The “Three Days of the Condor” would be a great movie to review.

Steve M.

A few recommendations….

A&E’s The Lost Battalion (2001). It’s a made for tv movie about the US 77th Division, or at least portions of it, as they fought in the Argonne Forest during WW1. I thought it was decent and worth the time.

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Battalion-Ricky-Schroder/dp/B00005U8F4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484404886&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lost+batallion

Road to Perdition (2002) with Tom Hanks. I liked it. 1911’s and Thompson’s abound.

Emperor (2013) with Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur. I thought the cinematography was beautiful and enjoyed the movie.

Sully (2016) with Tom Hanks. A film about US Airways flight 1549, the excellent work by the crew and God’s grace. I enjoyed it. The movie seems to be free of any bias and hatred for the nation. A solid movie that will be lost on most people because it actually happened, the cast remains clothed and the heroes have no “dark” side. Truly, a feel good movie.

Hognose Post author

Sully’s been done:

https://weaponsman.com/?p=35130

The others are all solid suggestions, although I haven’t seen Perdition or Emperor.

Steve M.

Huh, I just went back and read your review. It sounded familiar. I must have read it and forgotten about it. The movie was fantastic. As I watched it, I was fearful for how Hollywood might hurt the story. I suppose I should have remembered that Eastwood was directing.

John M.

Eastwood directed Bridges of Madison County also.

-John M.

6pounder

How about adding The Wild Geese to your list? I thought it was a classic film with lots of fine hardware in it and a top notch cast.

Hognose Post author

Eh, I reviewed that — embarrassingly — twice, once just last month:

https://weaponsman.com/?p=37252

And way back in 2012:

https://weaponsman.com/?p=2235

Sheesh. I hope that’s the only time I ever did that. At least both reviews agree… it would be hilarious if I had developed a different opinion in the second review!

6pounder

Well I missed that one, sorry about that.

obdo

La légion saute sur Kolwezi

Hognose Post author

That’s a movie? Sounds bon to me.

Ken D

I just enjoyed The Siege of Jadotville. Netflix original film, based on a true story of a company of Irish soldiers sent to the Congo in the ’60s as part of a UN peacekeeping force. They come under attack, and anything more than that would be spoilers, at least as far as anything based on history can be said to have spoilers. You may find it worth a look.

Hognose Post author

Several people have recommended that. I don’t have Netflix, though.

Trone Abeetin

don’t bother, it’s been dropping off. a bunch of Brit documentaries, uck.

Steve M.

If you’re willing to sacrifice a credit card number and an email address, Netflix is offering a free month long subscription. I signed up a week ago. I will be cancelling it after I have watched the few things I want to see.

Aesop

Another vote for Conspiracy (AKA Twelve Angry Nazis)from the mists of movies past, although it’s wartime movie, not a war movie per se.

But >gasp< you missed Hacksaw Ridge?!?

I humbly urge you to rectify that as soon as possible.

Mel Gibson, despite Hollywood’s certain snub of his effort, took both Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood to school on war movies with that flick, and in a just universe, it would garner Best Picture and Best Director Oscar nominations.

brian jaynes

Not a single comment about Range-15?!

Hognose Post author

Haven’t seen it! Want to.

Kerry

Regarding Hacksaw Ridge, there is a fine documentary about Desmond Doss to be seen on the interweb.

A quote, “Three times a Japanese soldier had (Doss) in his sights; his weapon misfired”.

Always good to see the real guy.

Seacoaster

Heard good things about Kajaki, released in the US as Kilo Two Bravo.

How about a “Top Ten UW Films” roundup?

Hognose Post author

Here’s our review of Kilo Two Bravo aka Kajaki:

https://weaponsman.com/?p=27106

Blackshoe

Did you see Anthropoid from 2016? Caught it on a flight recently and liked it. It’s worth a see, IMHO

Hognose Post author

Yep, review’s in the hopper…

staghounds

A Very Long Engagement (Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles if you speak French) is a truly wonderful movie. I never saw it on the small screen though, get the largest you can.

It’s a pretty romantic war mystery comedy suspense period acting shots writing directing and effects movie.

morokko

I concur, as anything directed by J.P. Jeunet this makes for some extremely entertaining watching, even just for visuals. And yeah, I think his Alien IV was very good too, in its own quirky way.