Ridley Scott films I have seen

[andrewducker]

I was reading the poor reviews of Alien: Covenant and thinking about Ridley Scott. And then ended up watching The Martian with Jane, as she hadn't seen it, and was reminded how great he is at his best. So I figured I'd go through his filmography and mark them up for enjoyment factor.

Blade Runner: Gorgeous. And the plot works. And it has some great moments. And nothing which made me furious. But it's a bit too cold for me. I don't love it, but I am glad I've seen it.(About four times now, in an attempt to like it more.) 6/10
Alien: Amazing realisation of a fictional future. Fantastic design. Lots of iconic moments. Hangs together really well as a film, and I'm glad I saw it at the cinema a couple of years ago. 8/10
Legend: Very silly. Doesn't quite work. But Tim Curry is really, really good in it, and it looks beautiful, and I can forgive it its weaknesses. 6/10
(Thelma and Louise I feel bad for not having seen. Sorry!)
Gladiator: I didn't buy into the hype, and it felt overly glossy. Nicely made, and a better movie of its type than we'd seen in a while. 6/10
Hannibal: I really wanted to like this. But he managed to make a film about a charismatic serial killer dull. I literally wondered _during_ the film how he managed to make it so dull. 3/10
Matchstick Men: A fun romp that I solidly enjoyed at the time. The characters are having so much fun I couldn't help but join them. 8/10
Kingdom of Heaven: A Ridley Scott movie I enjoyed _more_ than most people. It felt like it had been hacked up though, and I wasn't surprised there was a directors cut. Which I will someday see! 7/10
Prometheus: A film I despised more because it could have been amazing than anything else. But sadly it fills me with rage. 2/10 (4/10 if you include the fun I had reading meta about it later.)
The Martian: An incredibly well made film that was dramatic, and gorgeous, and funny. I wish there were more films like this. Slightly _too_ many thing go wrong for me, but it's nigh perfect. 9/10

Comments

[cybik]

I loved the Martian. I was genuinely amazed by how much I loved it, actually. I sort of didn't quite expect it, but it's Ridley Scott doing what he does best *and* it's not cynical and unpleasant. It's so good.

I'd rank Alien higher, though, because it was groundbreaking and incredible and has a lead female character who is epically awesome. I mean, it's not my favourite film (that would be Casablanca, which is, I think, pretty much impossible to get tired of, at least for me!), but it's up there. But film appreciation is subjective so I'm not trying to say you're wrong. :)

Thelma and Louise is great, you should watch it. I should watch Matchstick Men as I haven't seen it...

[agoodwinsmith]

Thelma and Louise is an adult fairy tale or a retelling of an old legend, like Hulking Tiger, Slinking Dragon - you know the one I mean. It isn't even slightly "real", but it is absolutely "real", even if it does indulge in some unfortunate clichés about some of the men.

You sail with them when they go.

[calimac]

Blade Runner: Liked this a lot, especially for the grungy future. And Daryl Hannah as the homicidal android was creepy; she's never done anything since to match it. Only thing I hated: the voiceover, which was like Bogart in one of those roles where he wasn't permitted to act.

Thelma and Louise: Liked this a lot too. Excellent acting, and the lead characters were sympathetic.

Gladiator: For a glossy blockbuster, it was pretty good. Mostly because Russell Crowe is good at characters like that.

Matchstick Men: I think I saw this, but I don't remember it.

The Martian: For a movie whose plot basically consists of sitting around waiting for several years, it worked pretty well. Didn't fail to suspend my disbelief until the "shoot the astronaut with a rubber band" scene near the end.

Wouldn't see on a bet: Hannibal, or anything else about a monstrous serial killer. Alien, or anything else with the consecutive letters A-L-I-E-N in the title.

[miss_s_b]

Ridley is visually fantastic every single time, but he has a total tin ear for scripts. Pair him with a good scriptwriter, though, and you can't beat him.

[danieldwilliam]

By coincidence I recently watched the Martian for the first time. I really enjoyed the film. I had found the book gripping. I nearly read it in one sitting.

[danieldwilliam]

Oh, and of course, one of my favourite films of all time is the Duellists based on the Conrad short story The Duel was directed by Ridley Scott.

[dewline]

As others here have noted, Thelma and Louise will be worth your time and money.