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Post by sdrew13163 on Mar 12, 2021 21:00:28 GMT
Had seen some bits and pieces, but I finally watched all of it start to finish last night. I wasn’t a fan.
I know I’m simply agreeing with the majority here, but the fish sex is so weird. Just portraying it at all is strange enough, but to hold it up as some kind of beautiful or pure thing is laughable.
When Zelda and Giles both find out the mute is having literal sex with a fish, they both not only seem to think it’s perfectly normal, but actually encourage it.
Even based on its own weirdo merits of love/intimacy, the romance doesn’t work. It’s not believable to me at all that she’d do what she does and so many others would help her.
Other than being a dick and creep, Shannon’s Strickland is more or less the real “good guy” of the movie. He stops the Soviets from getting the creature and he understands how dangerous Mr. Limpet is instead of coddling him after he eats the head off a housecat and makes a violent escape (among other things).
Can’t believe this strange mess gets so much praise. It’s decently shot, but even then I expected better cinematography/music from a movie I heard held up as one of the most beautiful movies ever made.
Thoughts on this movie?
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Post by sdrew13163 on Mar 12, 2021 21:09:20 GMT
Also forgot to mention this, but the characterization of everyone “Good” vs everyone “Bad” is so lazy.
“This guy is gay and stands up for a mute and a black couple in the face of discrimination - see how good and cool he is?”
“This guy is bad because listen to his dialogue in this one scene where he reveals himself to be racist, sexist, and one of those evil Christians!”
It’s like a checklist of del Toro’s perception of awfulness every time.
Take the restaurant owner, who Giles tries to hit on. He’s supposed to be this likable guy until he’s not so likable just so Giles can be motivated into action.
First of all, it’s a ridiculous turnaround given how quick he changes his mind on the issue. But what’s the last straw?
Oh, the bartender is revealed to be a racist and homophobe. Creative writing there. Great characterization that you copy/pasted from every other villain in the story.
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Mar 12, 2021 21:40:18 GMT
Even I thought the coding of the minority heroes and the tradcon white villain was OTT. Though I don't think I can sign off Shannon being the real good guy, that bullet hole torture was pretty nasty stuff.
And yes, it's a straight beastiality flick. What separates this from something like Beauty and the Beast is that the Beast actually had a personality. He was able to communicate and build a connection to Belle. Sally Hawkins is just horny for fish, and there's nothing romantic or deep going on with her and Gillz. He's basically her pet, and the next minute they're fucking.
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Post by Downey on Mar 12, 2021 21:48:55 GMT
Even I thought the coding of the minority heroes and the tradcon white villain was OTT. Though I don't think I can sign off Shannon being the real good guy, that bullet hole torture was pretty nasty stuff. And yes, it's a straight beastiality flick. What separates this from something like Beauty and the Beast is that the Beast actually had a personality. He was able to communicate and build a connection to Belle. Sally Hawkins is just horny for fish, and there's nothing romantic or deep going on with her and Gillz. He's basically her pet, and the next minute they're fucking. Beast had a personality? That's a funny way of putting it. As for the fish fucker movie: never watched it. |
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Post by thisguy4000 on Mar 12, 2021 21:54:06 GMT
The movie isn’t remotely subtle about its politics, but Strickland is definitely not a good guy. He’s pretty sadistic and casually racist, and his interactions with Elisa have some deliberately rapey undertones to them.
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Post by sdrew13163 on Mar 12, 2021 22:07:59 GMT
Even I thought the coding of the minority heroes and the tradcon white villain was OTT. Though I don't think I can sign off Shannon being the real good guy, that bullet hole torture was pretty nasty stuff. And yes, it's a straight beastiality flick. What separates this from something like Beauty and the Beast is that the Beast actually had a personality. He was able to communicate and build a connection to Belle. Sally Hawkins is just horny for fish, and there's nothing romantic or deep going on with her and Gillz. He's basically her pet, and the next minute they're fucking. Calling Strickland the good guy is my lame attempt at doing a Sonny Bunch bit. He’s definitely a sleazy, violent, rotten man. Even the things he does that are good are done in repulsive ways. Still found myself rooting for him in the end, though. As for the Beauty and the Beast comparison, I completely agree and would add that they never have sex while he’s a beast. He could talk and think and reason like a human, so they got along. Then he became a man and clearly there’s nothing weird moving forward from there. |
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