I didn't hate it... But I didn't love it either.

The cinematography was pretty well done. Gunplay was decent.

The sound was excellent, as with all of Nolan's films. (An impressive soundscape has kinda become his trademark lately.)

Kenneth Branagh was solid, as usual, although he was treading a bit close to "chewing the scenery" a few times.

I've had a major crush on the amazonian Elizabeth Debicki ever since The Night Manager, and while she plays a quite similar character here too, she does it very well again.

But I wasn't a fan of the lead actor or his character. And I didn't think the plot and writing were as tight or well done as a lot of Nolan's other work.


I'm going to give it a few months, and watch it again. It may grow on me. But so far, it gets a solid "meh plus". Slightly above average, and still worth watching if you get a chance to catch it for free/cheap, but not Nolan's best work.

I watched it with my wife and son last night. I thought it was pretty entertaining overall, but I really had no idea what was going on quite a bit of the time. I basically watched it for the action scenes.

So I watched Primer just the other day and then watched this.

Trying to wrap my head around this movie. Seems that the "time travel" aspects are similar, but in Tenet they don't stay in the box.

I watched it prior to my son going to college, and once over christmas break.

I like it quite a bit. His other movies are a watch once and done for me. This one, well. I will probably watch it this next week whie my son is home on spring break.

I do like the protagonist, and how he works the story before coming into his own.

Since this seems to have been revived, I'll pitch in my two cents. I was very indifferent. I like a lot of Nolan's other movies, and was excited for Tenet. Upon viewing it, it seemed there was a con for every pro, and it ultimately cancelled into mediocrity, in my opinion.

People talk of the soundtrack "rattling their house". If that's the yardstick by which we determine good movie sound, I fear we're in for a very dumb, rumbly future. I had to turn the volume way up during dialogue, and crank it way back down when I was assaulted by his "masterful soundtrack". That shit's annoying. The plot was definitely pretentious. Memento was clever without being try-hard; Tenet was definitely try-hard, but not so clever.

I liked all the actors and acting, I suppose. I do agree with a previous comment, in that I thought Branagh was borderline silly sometimes. I liked the main protagonist alright, but Pattinson was ultimately my favorite. The action and stunts were badass and grand in scale. Nolan stressed practical effects, and that is ALWAYS the right move; action tends to look really real, when it is actually real. The scenery, overall vibe, and cinematography were all cool.

I have intended to re-watch it, but haven't yet. The fact that my wife has less than zero interest in a re-watch isn't helping it's odds.

SPOILER:



If we are to believe that Neil is the future Max then that would mean he's spent years as an invert making his way back through time to his childhood.

I saw on video that examined the ending and who was who and how many copies of each were alive at any given time. holy cow. I loved it and really enjoy watching it. Each time I notice or think about something new.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
SPOILER:



If we are to believe that Neil is the future Max then that would mean he's spent years as an invert making his way back through time to his childhood.

From what I gather, that is a fan theory. It is a pretty good one.

quote:

Since this seems to have been revived, I'll pitch in my two cents. I was very indifferent. I like a lot of Nolan's other movies, and was excited for Tenet. Upon viewing it, it seemed there was a con for every pro, and it ultimately cancelled into mediocrity, in my opinion.

People talk of the soundtrack "rattling their house". If that's the yardstick by which we determine good movie sound, I fear we're in for a very dumb, rumbly future. I had to turn the volume way up during dialogue, and crank it way back down when I was assaulted by his "masterful soundtrack". That shit's annoying. The plot was definitely pretentious. Memento was clever without being try-hard; Tenet was definitely try-hard, but not so clever.

I liked all the actors and acting, I suppose. I do agree with a previous comment, in that I thought Branagh was borderline silly sometimes. I liked the main protagonist alright, but Pattinson was ultimately my favorite. The action and stunts were badass and grand in scale. Nolan stressed practical effects, and that is ALWAYS the right move; action tends to look really real when it is actually real. The scenery, overall vibe, and cinematography were all cool.

I have intended to re-watch it, but haven't yet. The fact that my wife has less than zero interest in a re-watch isn't helping its odds.

I am the opposite I suppose, Momento (blah), Batman begins (meh c+) the prestige (b) Dark night (c+) Inception (c) TDKR (c) MOS (d) Intersteller (C) (have not seen Dunkirk) Tenet I'll give a b+ to very low A-.

With my first viewing, I clicked it at a C+ right after. A couple of days later my son and I were talking about it and my opinion of it rose to a solid b. I almost never give movies a second thought, but tenet had me thinking. When my son came home during Christmas we watched it again, that clinched it. Many of the points we had discussed grew on me. The second viewing gave proved out the movie so to speak.

The other movies listed, including inception, I have seen exactly once, even though I own them and have tried to sit through them for a second viewing, I just can't do it.

Honestly, I have to say it's my favorite movie of the last 10 years. I have to agree Pattinson was spot on in this movie. The man has paid his dues. I actually think he might pull off a good batman despite a lot of people's reservations. The pair of them worked well together. In the future, I will make note of what movies both of them are in.

I used to love the Batman movies, but I have cooled-off on comic book movies in general, since those all came out. Dunkirk is awesome; Nolan plays with elements of time in his unique way in it as well. I hold Dunkirk, Inception, and Interstellar all in higher regard than I do Tenet. They all struck me in a much better way, on first viewing. I have watched Inception and Dunkirk multiple times. I likely owe Tenet another try, but that first impression just didn't do it for me like the others did.

quote:

Originally posted by KSGM:

People talk of the soundtrack "rattling their house". If that's the yardstick by which we determine good movie sound, I fear we're in for a very dumb, rumbly future.

And this is the sad thing about the internet today. Simple comments subject to EXTREME extrapolation.

It is not common to see every aspect of a film, nailed. Direction, action, acting, cinematography, PQ, sound, the whole thing. My comments were in reference to more than just LFE if you would have bothered to read them. The audio, like most all of Nolan’s films, was epic 5.1. It doesn’t mean fuck all if LFE is ratting the house but the rest of the film is shit. And that’s not the case here, at least in my opinion. My comments were I really enjoyed the film, and like all of Nolan’s films to me, extremely well done. The audio was the cherry on top. I wish Nolan would do 7.1 and Atmos but it’s hard to complain when he does 5.1 so well. Some of the fights scenes in this, the punches were akin to a brand new drum being hit very hard and precisely. HIs style is well stamped at this point. Audio is the dialogue, and words are secondary to his scores. A few of his films I’ve had to enable captions on the first viewing and with each subsequent viewing the films get even better to the point where I owned a number of them. Interstellar and his Batman trilogy being the most notable for me.

The yardstick that concerns me more is like minded people in a like minded place and somebody wants to take out their frustrations by pointing the finger at someone in full public view. So be it. My opinion hasn’t waned or changed, the 5.1 in this ripped and this director consistently provides some of the best scores out there. To me he is one of the best two or three directors in the world making film.

After about 15 minutes I had to turn the subtitles on because I couldn't understand parts of the conversations.

After looking into the film a bit more, we can thank Covid for the sound. All the backing music was recorded and mixed in the homes of the musicians and producers.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
After looking into the film a bit more, we can thank Covid for the sound. All the backing music was recorded and mixed in the homes of the musicians and producers.

I disagree. No excuse.
Edit: I believe the sound is intentional. That being said, there is no excuse necessary. If that is indeed the case, I guess I have a personal issue with the direction the director is going, when it comes to the volume of effects and music, compared to character dialogue.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
My comments were in reference to more than just LFE if you would have bothered to read them.

I did read them; all the comments in the thread. I wasn't picking on you, and addressed other points in my comment as well. Character dialogue is important to understanding and enjoying a film; to me anyway. I consider myself a Nolan fan, but disliked the sound in Tenet. It is unlike his other films, in my opinion. I wasn't pointing any fingers, and I am sorry you took it that way.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KSGM,

I had read how good this movie was when it first came out

ending up watching bits and pieces on HBO and was thoroughly confused,

then watched it from the beginning,

a couple times,


then I got it,


one viewing had me asking more questions about what I had just watched,, the second and I had it (I think)

I watched this movie this weekend, after this thread revival.
I like Nolan's film's and he is at least doing original material (even with his approach to Batman, which honestly, is WAY better than other directors).

I liked Prestige, which I have watched multiple times.

Momento was good, and quite a way to tackle a first movie.

Look at George Lucas first foray, or Speilberg, for example, ummm yeah, but I digress...

Having a background in physics, and playing with string theory enough to hurt my brain, I found this movie entertaining.

The protagonist was okay, but really dug Pattinsons role.

But what I really enjoyed was the approach to traveling the timelines.

This movie approached it in a plausible fashion.
String theory allows for multiverse existence, in which laws of physics, may be completely different from our own.

Para has a Multiverse link here:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...0601935/m/1940089784

But in science fiction, most approach time travel like H.G Wells.
Instantaneous landing on the timeline.
Hit the switch and BOOM there you are. Past or future.


******************** SPOILER **************

So for Nolan to do this linear backwards movement is intriguing. Example, when the protagonist was being briefed on the experience. Heat will be cold, wind resistance reverse, I really enjoyed this idea. Friction will be backwards, heat to cold.

Literal interpretations of physics in movies would, most of the time, be less entertaining than the fiction we see.
But at least in discussion, the grandfather paradox, same existence in the same space from different times would be catastrophic, all were tickled in this movie.

I found it entertaining, tackling a very tough subject in a way to be palatable for most, without going into actual math.

Nolan had to tackle the movie, not just A -> B, but also B -> A.

Having stunt men and actors learning to move and speak backwards.
Branagh commented that learning to speak with a Russian accent BACKWARDS was a challenge.
They kept whiteboards around with the words broken down, and inflections in ALL CAPS for them to practice.

Nolan filmed in 65mm and Imax, both forwards and backwards.

Imax actually re-engineered the cameras mechanisms and software to work in reverse just for this movie.

This was quite an undertaking I found fun, to watch, and causing dialogue afterwards, moved it up my favorite list.

Sugar coated movies (i.e. bubblegum) like Expendables, Fast and Furious, are a great ride, but not anything to cause long discussions afterwards.

Where this movie had several of us talking about possibilities and paradoxes for hours.

It was an innovative movie in it's approach to film making, in that the movie had to look the same forwards and backwards.

Take that John Hughes! LOL

I found it very good.

So with this approach, two things occupying a different space can be in the same time but moving in different directions in time.

You have to grasp this concept and accept it, for "inverted" bullets.
Suspend your disbelief.

Otherwise you can't see the forest through the trees....

I hadn't thought about Neil being future Max, but interesting.
That could explain his self sacrifice, and ultimately his death for the denial of the world war to come, as he lived his fathers brutal behavior, including to his mother.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rainman64,

I love this movie as I do all the Nolan works that I've seen. Its not an approach for everyone and I get that. The concept is fantastic and gets pulled off really well for the most part I believe. As per usual Nolan leaves some of the interpretation up to the viewer.

One thing that has been brought up is the sounds and I think that's a pretty legit complaint. I believe it was the special features for Interstellar where Nolan or Zimmer discuss intentionally drowning audio with sound and using it to lend to the emotion of the scene. Or something like that, its been years since I watched it but it was discussed. You start to see it (or hear it) in Inception but its been ratcheted up in Interstellar and goes over the top there and in Tenet in my opinion. I do not like erasing dialogue with sound. Even on movies where I like the soundtrack. With that said if you have an audio system that can pull specific channels or tracks forward then you can very clearly hear the dialogue. I understand that that's not very accessible though.