"The Great Wall", a movie for the Mythbusters of yore

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the movie "The Great Wall," focusing on its potential for testing various concepts and the casting choices, particularly regarding Matt Damon. Participants express their opinions on the film's genre and comparisons to other movies, such as "Pacific Rim" and "Life." The discussion includes elements of film critique, speculative reasoning about the movie's content, and personal reflections on viewing experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the movie contains testable elements, such as the amount of gunpowder needed to blow open a thick door and the feasibility of creating a flying guillotine from a shield.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the film, noting that it appears to be a typical monster movie and criticizing Matt Damon's casting as misaligned with the film's cultural context.
  • Several participants share their views on "Pacific Rim," with mixed reactions; one found it enjoyable while another could not tolerate it.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of "Pacific Rim," with some referring to it as live action anime and debating its classification as sci-fi or techno-fantasy.
  • One participant shares a brief review of another film, "Life," describing it as a fun yet limited story.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the quality and genre of "The Great Wall" and "Pacific Rim," indicating a lack of consensus on these films. There is also disagreement regarding Matt Damon's suitability for his role in "The Great Wall."

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific elements of the films discussed, but there are no detailed analyses or resolutions regarding the feasibility of the proposed tests or the critiques of casting choices.

Noisy Rhysling
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Saw this yesterday and was thinking of Adam and Jamie afterwards. Several things in the movie were, IMNSHO, testable.

1. How much gunpowder would be needed to blow open a door made of iron reinforced wood that is 100mm or so thick?

2. Can you make a flying guillotine out of a shield? (A revisit, IIRC.)

3. The aerial work, some aspects of it at least.

Maybe not a whole "special", but certainly some fun, with explosions.
 
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Interesting concept and great director but from the trailer it looks like a typical monster movie. I think Matt Damon is criminally miscast for this role.
 
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Greg Bernhardt said:
Interesting concept and great director but from the trailer it looks like a typical monster movie. I think Matt Damon is criminally miscast for this role.
Boss Lady and I had fun. Can't ask for more than that.
 
Noisy Rhysling said:
Maybe not a whole "special", but certainly some fun, with explosions.

Greg Bernhardt said:
I think Matt Damon is criminally miscast for this role.

Well, I have an addiction to really goofy action movies . . . and was a big fan of the first two Bourne flics. But that trailer . . . and Matt Damon's "accent" . . . and the pointlessness of casting a white guy in the lead of a pseudo-historical Chinese movie . .. . I'll pass. That trailer in just awful-seeming. I'd gotten the impression Damon has been careful in the past in what he picks to do, but this seems an outlier.

As far as the Great Wall, and monsters coming at it? Reminds me of the "Wall of Life" that did not fare very well in another goofy action movie, Pacific Rim. Which I admit to liking quite a lot. So it's not like I can defend my taste . . .
 
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"Pacific Rim."
Ouch.
Can't speak for the Wall, but I got ten minutes into 'Pacific Rim' before shutting it off lest I threw things at the TV...
 
Nik_2213 said:
"Pacific Rim."
Ouch.
Can't speak for the Wall, but I got ten minutes into 'Pacific Rim' before shutting it off lest I threw things at the TV...
Just live action anime.
 
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Noisy Rhysling said:
Just live action anime.
Agree. I went in forearmed. It was a fun romp.
I wouldn't call it sci-fi. Maybe techno-fantasy?
Actually live action anime sums it up perfectly.
 
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I just got out from seeing 'Life'.
It was a fun, scary romp.
But it was an even smaller story than I thought. It involved exactly six characters in a world only 357 feet end-to-end.
 
Downloading, will take a look.