I find the ending of Fight Club incredibly frustrating and naive, the protagonist shooting himself and coming back to life. Suicide would have been such a powerful ending.
Originally posted by mark f: I think people, in general, are divided by the ending. If they belive Spielberg is Mr. Sentimental and/or Tom Cruise is insane, it sucks. If you don't care about personalities acting strangely, some directors being more successful financially than others, and actually know the source material, you might think better of it. There are no hard-and-fast rules. I've taken heat for being a Spielberg sycophant, and I guess I have no way of denying it, but I still claim, or pretend, at least, that I'm impartial.
I thought the movie was very intense and an extremely-suspenseful "family horror" flick. Whether Spielberg should have spent 10 more minutes explaining why he filmed a similar ending to the novel or just edited the ending out, I'm not gonna get into again. I, for one, think that after a billion people are killed and one specific one survives, that it's OK for people to actually breathe a sigh of relief. That's my rationale, plain-and-simple (and grovelling, if you disagree. )
No. Not only is the son alive, but the grandparents in the background are welcoming them all into the only standing building left in Boston. The protagonist isn't forced to make a single sacrifice the entire movie, something not entirely fair considering the state of the rest of the world.
And to Monkey-boy: I don't see why we should rationalize the film's adherence to a cop-out. A remake should theoretically improve upon its source material; Spielberg had an opportunity not to use of the all-time notable cop-outs but kept it nonetheless -- you say it's faithfulness; fair enough, but it's faithfulness to laziness and a lack of imagination.
Movie, however, is notable for having possibly the best teaser I've ever seen.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: unKeMPt,
Posts: 84 | Location: CoMO | Registered: 01 February 2006
Originally posted by unKeMPt: And to Monkey-boy: I don't see why we should rationalize the film's adherence to a cop-out. A remake should theoretically improve upon its source material; Spielberg had an opportunity not to use of the all-time notable cop-outs but kept it nonetheless -- you say it's faithfulness; fair enough, but it's faithfulness to laziness and a lack of imagination.
Are you saying the original was lazy & had no imagination? Granted, I hate that the son survives. I agree, that that part of the ending is very sappy & I groan everytime it comes up. I'm just not sure where you get that the aliens die from a cop-out. What other movie has ever had aliens die from germs? That sounds pretty original to me. What ending would have worked? A huge battle between us & them? Oh yeah, that would be a more original way to end a movie in this genre. It would in no way have been a cop-out. Seriously, what kind of ending would have satisfied you? Did you not know how the original ended? Were you upset that "King Kong" ended the same way the original did? Was that laziness & lack of imagination?
"I can't live the buttoned down life like all of you! I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles! Sure, I might offend a few of the blue-noses with my cocky stride and musky odor - oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called 'City Fathers' who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about what's to be done with this Monkey_Boy?!"
Posts: 2515 | Location: Springfield, Oh! Hi ya, Maude! | Registered: 01 January 2007
When I talk about the original, I'm talking about H.G. Wells' classic novel. As far as the movies go, I'm pretty talked out about those between here and another site.
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Posts: 12874 | Location: Behind the Orange Curtain | Registered: 14 May 2004
I didn't like the ending of the updated version of The War of the Worlds because of the happy ending with the son, the happy family, pretty far-fetched for a contemporary movie. However, I do agree that the alien dying by human germs is a decent one, as if humans haven't already done it before in real life with the Aztecs and others native Americans.
Posts: 956 | Location: Utah, United States | Registered: 22 July 2005
I think I mentioned this before, but the WotW grandparents were certainly mentioned in the beginning of the film, but the fact that you see them is for the sole purpose of letting people who have seen the 1953 TWotW see the two leads of that film, Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. I guess Spielberg & Co. could have concocted some way to have them show up earlier, but one of the strengths of the film is that it pretty much gets to the terror right from the get-go.
Also, there is a cut from the tripods dying to Cruise and Fanning showing up at the street which the residence is on at the end, so to say it's the only one standing is a gross exaggeration. Shut up, mark!
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Posts: 12874 | Location: Behind the Orange Curtain | Registered: 14 May 2004
PureT Slacker First Class Posted 15 December 2007 07:44
I didn't llike the endings of these movies:
"Pleasantville" "2001-A Space Odyssey" The last Terminator movie - it just wasn't the ending I wanted
What would have preferred for Pleasantville and 2001: A Space Odyssey? It's easy to say I don't like the ending, but...with hindsight...as the director, screenplay writer could you have done any better?
Posts: 956 | Location: Utah, United States | Registered: 22 July 2005
Really? I don't really know how you would end that movie much differently. It's such a bizarre experience that anything but an equally bizarre and ambiguous ending would seem out of place. Just a thought.
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Posts: 522 | Location: Michigan City, IN | Registered: 14 December 2007
Originally posted by VHemmila: I find the ending of Fight Club incredibly frustrating and naive, the protagonist shooting himself and coming back to life. Suicide would have been such a powerful ending.
I find your opinion completely insane. The ending couldn't possibly have been any better. Suicide is a cliché, and it would have been terribly boring. And what do you mean "coming back to life"? Do you not have to die to come back to life? He just makes a hole through his throat, killing his invisible friend. Perhaps suicide could have been done well. But it wouldn't have been as funny. The last part where he and Marla looks out the window, and all the buildings around them explode is perfect for that movie. I don't think a suicide would have matched the rest of the film. It would have been depressing. In a bad way. I think.
"[...]To all of which, I admit, I had nothing to answer, for it was but the truth. So I refrained from launching into useless palavers and quibbling, and, immediately drawing the two pistols which I had in my belt, I fired them both, by way of argument, into the faces of this droll fellow and his accomplice, which spared me the necessity of speech and ended the quarrel in the best possible way." - Louis Adhémar Timothée Le Golif
Posts: 24 | Location: I'm in a band | Registered: 21 December 2007
And Twelve Monkeys has a very dissapointing ending. It becomes clear that he can't change anything by going back in time, and the twelve monkeys has nothing to do with his mission afterall, and nothing is resolved, and nothing is surprising in a good way, and the movie just stops. If I remember correctly. At least I am sure I didn't like it. But Brad Pitt was rather hilarious.
"[...]To all of which, I admit, I had nothing to answer, for it was but the truth. So I refrained from launching into useless palavers and quibbling, and, immediately drawing the two pistols which I had in my belt, I fired them both, by way of argument, into the faces of this droll fellow and his accomplice, which spared me the necessity of speech and ended the quarrel in the best possible way." - Louis Adhémar Timothée Le Golif
Posts: 24 | Location: I'm in a band | Registered: 21 December 2007
Borgnefesse Slacker Posted 21 December 2007 09:00 PM Hide Post And Twelve Monkeys has a very dissapointing ending. It becomes clear that he can't change anything by going back in time, and the twelve monkeys has nothing to do with his mission afterall, and nothing is resolved, and nothing is surprising in a good way, and the movie just stops. If I remember correctly. At least I am sure I didn't like it. But Brad Pitt was rather hilarious.
The ending is a classic one for emotional impact and that you feel you need to make the post you did, suggests just how frustratingly and deliciously, insidious the ending was. If the ending had been the traditional, saccharine ending it probably would have been forgotten as a movie by now and dismissed as a good but not consistently edgy, haunting movie that it is today.
Posts: 956 | Location: Utah, United States | Registered: 22 July 2005
It makes sense, what you're saying, tabuno. Perhaps I should watch it again sometime (it's been several years) and reconsider my feelings about it. But right now I feel that it could have ended in a trillion other ways, and that some of those endings could have been a lot better than the actual one. But plots which include time travel often annoy me.
"[...]To all of which, I admit, I had nothing to answer, for it was but the truth. So I refrained from launching into useless palavers and quibbling, and, immediately drawing the two pistols which I had in my belt, I fired them both, by way of argument, into the faces of this droll fellow and his accomplice, which spared me the necessity of speech and ended the quarrel in the best possible way." - Louis Adhémar Timothée Le Golif
Posts: 24 | Location: I'm in a band | Registered: 21 December 2007
Borgnefesse Slacker First Class Posted 22 December 2007 03:51 PM Hide Post It makes sense, what you're saying, tabuno. Perhaps I should watch it again sometime (it's been several years) and reconsider my feelings about it. But right now I feel that it could have ended in a trillion other ways, and that some of those endings could have been a lot better than the actual one. But plots which include time travel often annoy me.
Time travel movies have had the same history as science fiction movies in general - you can't fool mother nature. It's dangerous to play with science and trying to use time travel for one's own benefit or even the public's interest sometimes can have serious consequences. This website has a thread just on Time Travel Movies:Time Travel Movies. If you'll note, and I had apparently forgotten, 12 Monkeys is my top ranked time travel movie. There are plenty of happy-ending movies. But with 12 Monkeys, the idea of time travel wasn't so much to play around with the paradoxes themselves but to focus on a singular act of time travel and its inevitable temporal difficulties that result in the now. This particular movie is an edgy look at time travel that has been rarely put on screen. The Planet of the Apes (1968) is in different way has a similar message in terms of man's ability to change the outcome of what is inevitable. However there are plenty endings of time travel that would meet varous audience member's opinions and desires as to how they expect a movie to end. Take you pick! Enjoy the Time Travel Movie thread to lead you to a bounty of acceptable endings.
Posts: 956 | Location: Utah, United States | Registered: 22 July 2005
Most horror movies have terrible endings. They tend to get quite ridiculous. Especially when they try to explain things that shouldn't be explained. And when you finally get to see what the horrible monster really looks like. Wasn't as scary as you imagined it. But most horror movies suck.
"[...]To all of which, I admit, I had nothing to answer, for it was but the truth. So I refrained from launching into useless palavers and quibbling, and, immediately drawing the two pistols which I had in my belt, I fired them both, by way of argument, into the faces of this droll fellow and his accomplice, which spared me the necessity of speech and ended the quarrel in the best possible way." - Louis Adhémar Timothée Le Golif
Posts: 24 | Location: I'm in a band | Registered: 21 December 2007
Borgnefesse Slacker First Class Posted 24 December 2007 04:09 PM Hide Post Most horror movies have terrible endings. They tend to get quite ridiculous. Especially when they try to explain things that shouldn't be explained. And when you finally get to see what the horrible monster really looks like. Wasn't as scary as you imagined it. But most horror movies suck.
Your comments is one of the first replies that I've experienced that generalizes into a commentary on a movie genre. It's a nice piece of observation. It also makes horror movies all the more difficult to end successfully.
Posts: 956 | Location: Utah, United States | Registered: 22 July 2005
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