MovieChat Forums > The Call Up (2016) Discussion > Enjoyable! But left wondering, why?

Enjoyable! But left wondering, why?

posted 8 years ago by ultimate_savage
26 replies | jump to latest

The idea and concept was enough to make me want to watch this. I saw the trailer and just needed to watch this. So while watching it, I knew it wasn't a Hollywood big budget movie, I knew it never had "well known" actors/actresses involved, so I expected nothing mind blowing. But in the end it didn't ruin it for me. I did feel for the characters in that situation and I did think about them breaking out only to be thwarted by the programmers putting a stop to anything like that.

So It was a good sci-fi thriller! But... I wanted to know "why"? Like some sort of explanation as to why go through at that, with at that technology, just to get your virtual rocks off? I was expected something more deeper for the whole thing. Maybe there is? I just need to do some research about this movie.

In all, I found it fresh enough to enjoy it. Remake with bigger budget, some star power, better underlining story and THIS movie will become a cult classic.

BluRay version will be added to my collection. I give the overall movie with concept, a solid 7.5/10

Don't like my opinion? Your tough sh!t.

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[–] p_milli_427 8 years ago

obviously the guy doesn't want to die in the real military and wants that experience.. same reason why we love violent games..

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

I do understand that. It just seems like the character has an expendable amount of Billions creating something just for his own personal joy.

I'm not hating on this movie! I really find it very enjoyable and different (to what I have seen anyway).

I think a sequel should open up this concept. The writer/director is said that he didn't want to make a conspiracy type of movie. But I think that is what was missing. It really opens up the story to the possibility of something bigger behind it.

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[–] michael-carter-194-475711 8 years ago

I think it was there way to test the new game. Next time it will prob be people that pay in to win a bigger state than 100K. Not to mention a game like that at this time will be illegal. Though many books and shows have had such games in the future as a concept. Though I don't know they didn't just freeze up the player instead of completely killing them.

[–] roofall 8 years ago

It's a great idea, with nice (!) execution and then they managed to make it boring...

[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

Nice concept, very nice, poorly executed and the lack of scenery really hurt the movie overall feeling.

If you know how to count you'll see the movie was filmed in a building or closed space and there are no more than 4 rooms, that's it. They even managed to reuse them several times, with the SAME decoration !

For example, the room where they find the guy being tortured is the SAME room they killed of one of the characters (won't gonna say who for the sake of not spoling). And they were supposed to be on a different floor and level altogether !

So no, even when it was a nice concept, a lack of different scenery and variations turned the movie into a boring B-movie.

Now THAT ending, why in the hell would you do such a fine ending with that twist if you did a poor movie, that's just cruel. Yes, I did liked that ending, very much, but watching an entire movie and giving it a good rating just because the twist was good and well executed, just about the ending.. no, sorry.

This movie could be potentially a kickass movie with better actors, more variations on the scenery and a better soundtrack, yes, because the guy who made the soundtrack should be killed on sight.

Not even a B-grade usd10 dollar game has SUCH a poor soundtrack these days.

Oh btw: they have uber advanced cards and smarphones, but they have poor games (rewatch the movie at the begining, that replay has lesser graphics than my xbox 360 LOL).

Alex Vojacek

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Your comment/opinions is too harsh. It's a low budget movie that has more in it than most bigger budget movies today. You have to look at this from that point of view and not think about what it could have been given a few extra MILLION put into it. It don't work that way.

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

Sorry but I do not agree with you AT ALL.

Millions or no millions you can do wonderful stuff with almost nothing.

I created a website for a young director here in my country, he made up a movie about a guy who turns into a puppy each full moon, and happens to have a good friend that helps him in that moment.

It's a comedy, has some special effects, nice drawings, some manga and it was filmed in his own house !

ONE ROOM. 3 actors. That's it.

The movie is at least a 6 on my score and here is the page for iMDB.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2668292/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

He spent $8000 pesos (in our currency that's about 533 USD dollars making it. He edited the movie all by himself and it's his own script.

So NO.

If you want to have a similar movie to this one, try Kill Command, low budget, amazing movie. Shyamalan did an amazing job with The Visit spending all his own money doing it.

This is just trash.

There is no excuse for lame directing, bad screenplay, bad script, bad acting, there is just none. If you want to do a movie and you're a complete inept with no money, it's just better to not do a thing, because I can assure you, talented people has made much better stuff with almost 0 money.

Take a look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dadPWhEhVk

Amazing work. 1 guy and a couple of extra (friends), filmed in his own city in Uruguay, he spend less than USD300 dollars making it and got a contract in a production on hollywood just because of that video.

Here is the link to Panic Attack short clip on iMDB, it has more than 7 and it's just a couple of minutes long.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1558574/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

I very much prefer to watch Panic attack again than watching this whole movie.

Alex Vojacek

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Enjoy your Panic Attack...

The tone of this movie as well as the story, is different. Why does every movie like this "HAVE" to be some super action-packed, explosions everywhere and open-world? It don't. That is a silly rule that YOU have made for your own train of thought.

The movie was meant to give the sense of being trapped, closed in and no escape. So I'm sorry you missed that (...not sorry).

You like what you like, I like what I like. I see more openly than some whereas some can only see what's in front of them.

On Kill Command; I saw this last night. Very good movie! A lot went into it. But the difference between that movie and this movie is; in this movie, that strong sense of being closed in and no where to escape to. Whereas Kill Command had a widespread landscape to battle and felt more open. The tone of both movies felt the same though. The darkness of them. Both endings from both movies feel left wide open and I like that. Not every movie has to have a full stop.

But this movie played more on the concept within the confines of a building. If you paid attention to the story, the list of recruits where nobodies that no one will miss but the "game" had to be confined so no one will know about it. No point doing the game out in the open where "witnesses" can see, right?

I think you don't really look into a story much and just see what's in front of you. That's very closed minded in my book.

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

I can see where you're going. I would give the movie more credit if it wasn't a direct Ripoff from THE CUBE.

The movie follows THE CUBE footsteps way to close. So close that both movies are almost a clone.

If you like closed spaces SCI FI, better watch THE CUBE, that's another low cost movie that is like 100 times better than this one, and one thing going for the CUBE is that it's actually a movie where you FEEL connected to the characters. There is a character development, there is a very dark tone and feel of imprisonment, the script is freaking awesome and there is a truly horror feel to it.

Both THE CUBE 2 and 3 didn't managed to get that feeling, the original is the best.

They didn't even tried to cover the fact that they ripped off THE CUBE.

Several characters behave exactly like the characters in THE CUBE and the ending is almost identical. They just added the "mighty corporation" that they took from THE CUBE 2 & 3 that's all.

I won't go into details because talking about the similarities is a direct spoiler for this movie and THE CUBE.

Alex Vojacek

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Sorry... I read that first sentence and didn't read the rest...

What crap you just said. Not ONCE did I ever think of "The Cube" while watching this movie. Two totally different movies.

Yet if that is what you think, then why do you give Kill Command high praise when it's a rip off of Terminator+Virus. Yeah! I thought of them 2 movies while watching Kill Command. But guess what?!?!!? It didn't make me go into hate mode and compare the movie. Because I can do what most viewers can't seem to do today; Watch the movie for it's own merits without comparing comparing comparing.

So dude you can compare all you like. You can ruin the viewing for yourself with the way you process a movie while watching. But don't try to force that *beep* on me.

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

I'm not trying to force you anything onto you, geez.

This is a forum discussion and we are discussing a movie, if you don't like to discuss a movie you just liked and someone else didn't. Why are you here in the first place.

I know Kill Command is a mix from Terminator and Virus, it seems to be, but it's not a direct ripoff, it does not follow the exact footsteps of neither, it just takes the idea.

This movie, on the other hand, follows the events to the letter and since you don't like to discuss something as important as a movie taking the script of another movie and trying to make it look like nice, here is my spoiler for you:

All the characters are put on a closed enviroment without knowing what is it what they are doing there, same as the CUBE without the "i don't remember" stuff.

They think the thing is a game until they find this game could kill them, exactly as the cube.

They must progress downward in which appears to be levels, in the cube they find out the exit is on the lowest possible place and the cube rotates, so they must go down the CUBE without dying in the process, the minor difference here (and this is me being sarcastic, is that in the CUBE there is a good reason they must go down, they provide mathematical formulas to describe the movement of the CUBE which makes the movie all the more amazing, in this one is just "go down"

One of the characters is a psycho that shows its true colors 2/3 into the movie, exactly as this one, that said character forces another character to go up front, so as to save himself.

The naive woman turns out to be interesting after a while and gets killed by the psycho, almost identical to this movie.

The heroine/hero, the only one that survive the game exits the CUBE through a stream of light door, exactly as our character in this movie.

I could go on... this is pointless, just ask the director, I'm sure he knows.

Just keep your nice memory, enjoy the movie and please, do not wonder the "discussion forums" if you don't want to discuss something about a movie. Keep your enjoyment to yourself, express if you must, but don't complain if someone comes here to tell you that it was crap, it's the nature of a discussion forum.
Alex Vojacek

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Do you really want me to dissect the two movies for you?

In Cube:

Strangers were "forced" into a massive cubed maze. They weren't invited.

There is no GCI game they are playing.

There are no suits or guns.

No bad guys running around after them throughout.

The Cube has it's own AI.

In Call Up:

Lonely online players were invited to BETA test a new VR game experience.

There was no revolving/changing environment like in Cube.

There was a plant amongst the strangers.

The suits would kill the wearer if they were killed in VR.

Not to mention all the minor details that set these two movies way apart from each other.

You can compare any movie to one another these days as almost everything has been done already. But your theory on hating this movie because you think it's a rip off, means you're a hypocrite because of Kill Command taking it's elements from Terminator, Virus and other war-type movies. But again...

Oh and one more thing;

"Keep your hate to yourself, express if you must, but don't complain if someone comes here to tell you that it wasn't crap, it's the nature of a discussion forum."

...You see how this works?

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

I didn't expressed "hate" to you OR the movie. I just said it was crap, and still think it is :)

Sadly you took it personal te defend the movie, so.. do it if you must.

I have NO problems whatsoever with your opinion, after all, it's your opinion and everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.

Alex Vojacek

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Good for you

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

Oh BTW, I know you took it personal, because I just told you this is a discussion board and "to discuss" is part of this nature.

You told me I'm a closed minded, see who insulted first.

I do not think you're closed minded, at all, I'm just thinking that for me this movie was crap and I've seen enough Cinema to back my opinion, but it's ok that you don't share the same view.

Why on earth would you get mad for someone who thinks different than you?

Alex Vojacek

[–] roofall 8 years ago

Ah, GOD. I wish that I could've joined-in for the discussion, but it took a turn..:) All good, I guess; take it easy, tc. =)

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Do you really want me to dissect the two movies for you?

In Cube:

Strangers were "forced" into a massive cubed maze. They weren't invited.

There is no GCI game they are playing.

There are no suits or guns.

No bad guys running around after them throughout.

The Cube has it's own AI.

In Call Up:

Lonely online players were invited to BETA test a new VR game experience.

There was no revolving/changing environment like in Cube.

There was a plant amongst the strangers.

The suits would kill the wearer if they were killed in VR.

Not to mention all the minor details that set these two movies way apart from each other.

You can compare any movie to one another these days as almost everything has been done already. But your theory on hating this movie because you think it's a rip off, means you're a hypocrite because of Kill Command taking it's elements from Terminator, Virus and other war-type movies. But again... You only see what's in front of you and nothing more.

Oh and one more thing;

"Keep your hate to yourself, express if you must, but don't complain if someone comes here to tell you that it wasn't crap, it's the nature of a discussion forum."

...You see how this works?

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[–] roofall 8 years ago

Right, look, I'm (pretty?!) sure that we all wanted to like and enjoy this movie - especially because it's that "same" novelty - idea; BUT, it did not turn out right, right?? :-/

Edit: & how much effort went into it, costumes, CGI and all the rest - for it to turn out *that* miserable - it's a shame!!

(When, only a little bit of this-and-that, here-and-there and it could've been JUST FINE, blah.)

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Sorry about how you feel towards it. But I'm not in the same boat as most of you. I liked the concept, the fact that the chosen were loners and don't interact well with other in real life, so that's why they were shy with each other most of the time. The suits didn't need to look bulky with wires hanging from head to toe. There was a deeper meaning to the story.

So I can say that the movie was good enough for me to buy the DVD and chat with the actors about sequel ideas I have to make this universe bigger. It's an inspiring movie for me and one I enjoy a lot.

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

The idea?, yes it's amazing. The actual product?. No.

A movie is not it's idea, it's what you experience when you watch it.

Alex Vojacek

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

I experienced a lot while watching. Because when I watch a movie, even though I suspend disbelief, I look deeper than just what I see. That's just how I watch movies now. I don't let fickle things get in the way of me actually enjoying a movie if it has got my interest.

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

Ok. I will stop arguing about taste, you clearly have a different taste than mine.

As for me, in my particular experience, if a movie has a nice premise and decides to go rogue on the script FOR THE WHOLE MOVIE... then by all means it stops being interesting to me.

I can't judge a movie by it's premise alone, the movie HAS to take me in for the ride.

BTW: I'm also an experienced sysadmin, I run a digital gaming magazine and I do gaming reviews so, at least I have some background on this stuff. I was in fact, super enthusiastic prior to starting the movie, I let myself in but If I wanted to see a couple of guys running from one room to the other with no purspose and no script whatsoever... I may as well play Battlefield 4, it's a hell of a lot more fun than watching this.

But, by all means, enjoy your movie if you think it's THAT good. I also feel entitled to say that in my now 41 years, having spent almost 30 years watching movies I'm safe to assume that in my experience, this is just crap.

Alex Vojacek

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

Well you're entitled to your opinion. But just because you lay out that you do game reviews and been watching movies for 30 years, don't mean we "have" to follow your word.

I only found out about this movie the same day I watched it. I was working and someone showed me the trailer on their phone. So I didn't do any digging, no review hunting. I got home and watched it. So I had 0 influence at all from the good side or the bad side of reviews to sway me. No spoilers or hints from anyone. And because of this, I can safely say I did enjoy the movie. Much better than most bigger budget and star-powered movies today.

If you wish to listen to my idea for a sequel, then maybe you could switch out of bashing mode and then we could discuss my ideas ;)

Until then... Good day sir.

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[–] tecnogaming 8 years ago

Agreed. And I'm not pretending to bash you personally, just the movie.

But see, I'm a gamer at heart, that's one of the reaons I find the movie so bad, maybe if I wasn't a gamer and so tech oriented, maybe I could of enjoy it more.

This is recurrent and sadly can't be avoided, our personal experiences do influence what we see. Put another example, Person of Interest (TV Series) I loved it, until the point they used several PS3 to "download" the machine code into them.

They lost me just there.. I found the scene so ridiculous that I just couldn't suspend my disbelief. Doing that will be a labor of not even months but YEARS of coding and even then, I don't think it could be possible to do at all. A super A.I. that takes an entire datacenter could fit several PS3, preposterous.

For me it was soo bad that I just lost all hope, I finished the story and the whole series but it lost at least 3 points from me. I want to get inmerse in an experience and that kind of thing is like someone telling me that If I sing to my PC it will somehow turn back alive and try to kill me.

That being said, do tell the idea for the sequel.

Alex Vojacek

[–] ultimate_savage 8 years ago

I play game a bit too, but I think you (and others) wanted this movie to be come sort of "first person" style movie in areas. Because... You know... Call Of Duty, Battlefield. That is what people think about when something like this arises.

As for what you said about Person Of Interest... Well you could suspend disbelief when one guy hack a whole CCTV network, but can't do the same with the PS3 thing? Come on dude...

The Call Up: Desertion.

*My idea for a sequel would be set on an Island that's cloaked with a electrified dome. Once in you can't leave kind of deal.

The Call Up is now a main stream gaming competition. Players win their chance to play a latest experience at an undisclosed location (the Island).

The "10" winners are split into two groups. This will be a team based game.

Things go wrong later on and the teams have to come together to figure out what's going on. But that won't be easy as team 2 has dominated all team games and think it's all a trick to throw them off.

They can't escape the Island and wonder why there is no one around. The shock them all when they find out what has happened and realise no one is coming to help them.*

There are so many details I have that I can't just give them away lol

But I do say this; Maybe watch it again with a more open mind. The plot of the movie is rather sinister and not meant to be some high tech shoot'em up.

But it's up to you dude.

PS. Hope you like the outline of my sequel idea.

Google search The Call Up Desertion and you'll see my concept cover ;)

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