Rating: R Running Time: 1hr 28min
Estimated Video Release: May 2012
RottenTomatoes: 30% My Rating: 2.5/5
*There is no after-credits scene
A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company...as a recovery agent. True, she doesn't even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn't stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny's biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli - yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school.
A young lawyer (Radcliffe) travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorner woman is terrorizing the locals.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1hr 46min
Estimated Video Release: May 2012
RottenTomatoes: 2% My Rating: 3/5
*There is no after-credits scene
A young lawyer (Radcliffe) travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorner woman is terrorizing the locals.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1hr 34min
Estimated Video Release: May 2012
RottenTomatoes: 65% My Rating: 3/5
*There is no after-credits scene
Inspired by the true story that captured the hearts of people across the world, the rescue adventure Big Miracle tells the amazing tale of a small town news reporter (John Krasinski) and an animal-loving volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.
The 3D-CGI feature Dr. Seuss' The Lorax is an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a boy named Ted (Zac Efron) as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax (Danny DeVito), the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
I did not know this would be a musical. Maybe that was silly of me, but I didn't hear anything about Disney-style song-and-dance numbers. There are singing fish, for goodness sake. It's not a bad thing, but if you are expecting a more Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon type animated film, this isn't it. It's not quite as drenched in song as the golden-age Disney films, but it is at least a little damp.
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The Lorax has a wonderful cast. I loved Zac Efron and Ed Helms, and Taylor Swift and Betty White. I'm still on the fence if I really liked the choice of Danny DeVito as the Lorax... his voice is so distinctive it was almost distracting. But, he does have the gruff, perpetually grumpy sound to his voice that lends itself well to the personality of the one who speaks for the trees.
This film is a fun bit of kid's fluff that, if you are one that can enjoy such things, can be entertaining and a nice escape. The lesson is a bit heavy-handed (as they say it outright several times) but it's definitely a lesson that is timeless and all kids should embrace. To sum up, I will take a cue from Dr. Seuss and stretch my rhyming muscles... let's see...
Rating: PG Running Time: 1hr 46min
Estimated Video Release: June 2012
RottenTomatoes: 74% My Rating: 3.5/5
*There is no after-credits scene
Rating: PG Running Time: 1hr 34min
Estimated Video Release: July 2012
RottenTomatoes: 58% My Rating: 3.5/5
*There is no after-credits scene
I did not know this would be a musical. Maybe that was silly of me, but I didn't hear anything about Disney-style song-and-dance numbers. There are singing fish, for goodness sake. It's not a bad thing, but if you are expecting a more Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon type animated film, this isn't it. It's not quite as drenched in song as the golden-age Disney films, but it is at least a little damp.
I said singing fish... I wasn't kidding.
The Lorax has a wonderful cast. I loved Zac Efron and Ed Helms, and Taylor Swift and Betty White. I'm still on the fence if I really liked the choice of Danny DeVito as the Lorax... his voice is so distinctive it was almost distracting. But, he does have the gruff, perpetually grumpy sound to his voice that lends itself well to the personality of the one who speaks for the trees.
Zac Efron Ed Helms
Taylor Swift Betty White
Danny DeVito
This film is a fun bit of kid's fluff that, if you are one that can enjoy such things, can be entertaining and a nice escape. The lesson is a bit heavy-handed (as they say it outright several times) but it's definitely a lesson that is timeless and all kids should embrace. To sum up, I will take a cue from Dr. Seuss and stretch my rhyming muscles... let's see...
"See this movie you could. See this movie you should.
The Lorax acts as the savior of the wood, and is oh so very, very good."
In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier, and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.
In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier, and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.
Rating: R Running Time: 1hr 49min
Estimated Video Release: July 2012
RottenTomatoes: 87% My Rating: 4/5
*There is no after-credits scene
This popcorn-movie is completely willing to make fun of itself and the whole idea of adults going back to high school. I was concerned that the remake of 21 Jump Street would be dull and simply moronic--let’s be honest, the TV show isn’t exactly the crème de la crème of 80s small screen entertainment (but what is, really?). I haven’t seen Channing Tatum in this kind of a role before, so I wasn’t sure what to think. I was pleased that he was still his charming, handsome self while also being truly funny. Jonah Hill brings the raunchy, yet smart humor that we all have come to expect from him.
Hill stretches his comedic mind with his first major writing credit for this movie. The five years that it was in the making is evident in the talented mix of smart and raunchy comedy, the self-aware jabs and full character development, and the overall general fun of the movie.
You will also notice that one of the high school kids--Eric, the main drug dealer--looks remarkably like a certain Frat Pack/Apatow Mafia member... namely James Franco. I kept thinking as I was watching the movie, "Man, his smile is just like Franco. He has the same laugh, and he looks SO much like him." Well, that would be because the kid's name is Dave Franco... James' little brother. Take a look:
This movie was so much fun and I would say that 21 Jump Street is the first real comedy of 2012 and is well worth a watch.
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games--a twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts if she's ever to return home to District 12. Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) after their first bust... as bicycle cops. And yes, he is firing his gun into the air.
Hill stretches his comedic mind with his first major writing credit for this movie. The five years that it was in the making is evident in the talented mix of smart and raunchy comedy, the self-aware jabs and full character development, and the overall general fun of the movie.
Channing Tatum flexes his action star muscles as he flies across a hotel room as bullets whiz by.
You will also notice that one of the high school kids--Eric, the main drug dealer--looks remarkably like a certain Frat Pack/Apatow Mafia member... namely James Franco. I kept thinking as I was watching the movie, "Man, his smile is just like Franco. He has the same laugh, and he looks SO much like him." Well, that would be because the kid's name is Dave Franco... James' little brother. Take a look:
<---That's Dave
That's James--->
duh.
I thought that the actor was simply using James as inspiration for the role... I didn't know they were related. I think Dave has a great career ahead of him.This movie was so much fun and I would say that 21 Jump Street is the first real comedy of 2012 and is well worth a watch.
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games--a twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts if she's ever to return home to District 12. Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 22min
Estimated Video Release: August 2012
RottenTomatoes: 85% My Rating: 4/5
*There is no after-credits scene
As The Hunger Games may possibly be the biggest movie of the year (we will have to wait and see how The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Amazing Spider-Man fare this summer), this is going to be my first ever dual review. *Just a note--The Hunger Games has become the 3rd largest-grossing film on opening weekend (behind Harry Potter 8 and The Dark Knight) and holds the record for the most successful opening weekend of a non-sequel EVER. Just saying.* There will be the general review that won't give anything away and a review for readers of the book. The 'spoiler review' can be revealed by clicking the spoiler button that appears at the end of the post. For now, I shall commence with the regular movie review.
As an honest critique of the story, I think the whole trilogy would have been better served as a 10-episode mini series on HBO/Showtime/Starz. They really could have gone into the origin of the games, spent a solid amount of time on each book's plot... but I digress. It is still a good movie and you do not need to read the book to enjoy it. I do certainly recommend it, as it is a very good book--it is a quick read and one of the best young adult novels I've read. Having extra knowledge of the story's background will help you understand the basis for the Hunger Games--which is lacking in the movie. The filmmakers tried and did an okay job in building the backstory of this world, but it takes more than a 30 second film-in-film to really get across what the Hunger Games are, why they exist, and what different people feel about them. I went to see this movie with 12 other people and after it was over, I explained the first 20 minutes of the movie to three of them who hadn't read the books. They enjoyed the film, but weren't clear if this story takes place on Earth (which it does--North America actually), when it takes place (several hundred years in the future), why the games existed (see above), etc. Again, it's not necessary to read the book, but it's probably a good idea. If you choose not to read it, the best, most succinct explanation for the Games was done by Lionsgate--this is the description I use up above.
The Hunger Games is a movie that will appeal to fans of many genres. It has action, suspense, drama, and a tinge of romance. After the initial introduction to the world, the story clips along at a good pace that leads to a decent climactic action scene (not as good as it is in the book though...of course). The character development of the minor parts leaves a bit to be desired, but as many of them are tributes and are going to die in the Games, not too much is lost.
For those of you that may be concerned about the level of gore or violent action, there is a scene at the beginning of the Games that is known as 'the bloodbath.' It takes place over about 85 seconds and not much actual blood is shown on film. There are additional violent sequences, but this film did get by with a PG-13 rating... it is nowhere near R status. It's really not as disturbing as a winner-take-all, fight to the death might sound.
Overall, The Hunger Games is an entertaining movie that has some pretty original ideas--not too common these days. Go see it with your friends and you'll have a great time.
One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in a fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend. Lily Collins is Snow White, a princess in exile, and Julia Roberts is the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over. The film also stars Armie Hammer as the Prince, and Nathan Lane as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.
As an honest critique of the story, I think the whole trilogy would have been better served as a 10-episode mini series on HBO/Showtime/Starz. They really could have gone into the origin of the games, spent a solid amount of time on each book's plot... but I digress. It is still a good movie and you do not need to read the book to enjoy it. I do certainly recommend it, as it is a very good book--it is a quick read and one of the best young adult novels I've read. Having extra knowledge of the story's background will help you understand the basis for the Hunger Games--which is lacking in the movie. The filmmakers tried and did an okay job in building the backstory of this world, but it takes more than a 30 second film-in-film to really get across what the Hunger Games are, why they exist, and what different people feel about them. I went to see this movie with 12 other people and after it was over, I explained the first 20 minutes of the movie to three of them who hadn't read the books. They enjoyed the film, but weren't clear if this story takes place on Earth (which it does--North America actually), when it takes place (several hundred years in the future), why the games existed (see above), etc. Again, it's not necessary to read the book, but it's probably a good idea. If you choose not to read it, the best, most succinct explanation for the Games was done by Lionsgate--this is the description I use up above.
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, a tribute from District 12 and the story's protagonist.
The Hunger Games is a movie that will appeal to fans of many genres. It has action, suspense, drama, and a tinge of romance. After the initial introduction to the world, the story clips along at a good pace that leads to a decent climactic action scene (not as good as it is in the book though...of course). The character development of the minor parts leaves a bit to be desired, but as many of them are tributes and are going to die in the Games, not too much is lost.
The "Careers" are the tributes from the wealthy districts that have trained their whole lives to compete in the Hunger Games. They are vicious and highly skilled.
Cinna (Lenny Kravitz, pictured left) is Katniss' stylist--think of him as a producer of a reality show, but with a heart. Rue (a tribute from a poor district with surprising skills, pictured right) and Katniss align forces during the course of the Games.
For those of you that may be concerned about the level of gore or violent action, there is a scene at the beginning of the Games that is known as 'the bloodbath.' It takes place over about 85 seconds and not much actual blood is shown on film. There are additional violent sequences, but this film did get by with a PG-13 rating... it is nowhere near R status. It's really not as disturbing as a winner-take-all, fight to the death might sound.
Overall, The Hunger Games is an entertaining movie that has some pretty original ideas--not too common these days. Go see it with your friends and you'll have a great time.
One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in a fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend. Lily Collins is Snow White, a princess in exile, and Julia Roberts is the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over. The film also stars Armie Hammer as the Prince, and Nathan Lane as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.
Rating: PG Running Time: 1hr 35min
Estimated Video Release: July 2012
RottenTomatoes: 49% My Rating: 2.75/5
*There are additional scenes during the credits, but no stinger.
The tale of Snow White has undergone such a vast number of retellings, that I doubt whether most people even know the original story. If you are interested in reading the 'real' tale of Snow White, click the button at the end of the post to read a translation of the Grimm Fairy Tale.
Mirror Mirror is definitely on the kitschy side, with bright colors and an odd sense of humor. There are many delightful parts to the movie, but I'm not sure if it's bright enough to outshine the other Snow White movie this year, Snow White and the Huntsman. I think a modern audience will respond well to the darker feeling that SWatH appears to have. I'm glad that this take on the story is a funny, strange version but I think they could've gone even further with the strange. I think if this movie was in the hands of, say, Tim Burton and we got an Alice in Wonderland type of story, I think it would've been more successful. Like I said, it's not bad--it has several parts that I laughed and snickered at, but it doesn't really have the whole package. By far, the seven dwarves are the best part of this movie. The introduction to all of them was clever, and their relationship with Snow was very cool. In case you are curious, this film follows the Disney theme for the dwarves and names them for their specific traits. They are Butcher, Grimm, Half-Pint, Napoleon, Chuckles, Wolf, and Grub. They are all witty and charming, and steal every scene they're in.
I briefly mentioned that this film is bright; this comes from the great costumes. Even before the scene during the credits, I thought of Bollywood movies and their extreme color palates. Specifically, Julia Roberts' costumes are unbelievable--every one of them was beautiful (even if they were silly, they can still be pretty). There is also a wedding scene where several nobles are dressed in garish costumes and the eye just darts all over the screen, trying to take in all of it. Beautiful.
This film is fun, but its not the spectacular extravaganza I was hoping for. It will make you chuckle, and the look of it will linger with you, but the story lacks staying power. I wouldn't spend the money to see this one in the theaters. Wait for the video... or for Instant Play.
U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive--a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.
Mirror Mirror is definitely on the kitschy side, with bright colors and an odd sense of humor. There are many delightful parts to the movie, but I'm not sure if it's bright enough to outshine the other Snow White movie this year, Snow White and the Huntsman. I think a modern audience will respond well to the darker feeling that SWatH appears to have. I'm glad that this take on the story is a funny, strange version but I think they could've gone even further with the strange. I think if this movie was in the hands of, say, Tim Burton and we got an Alice in Wonderland type of story, I think it would've been more successful. Like I said, it's not bad--it has several parts that I laughed and snickered at, but it doesn't really have the whole package. By far, the seven dwarves are the best part of this movie. The introduction to all of them was clever, and their relationship with Snow was very cool. In case you are curious, this film follows the Disney theme for the dwarves and names them for their specific traits. They are Butcher, Grimm, Half-Pint, Napoleon, Chuckles, Wolf, and Grub. They are all witty and charming, and steal every scene they're in.
As I said, the seven dwarves are the best part about this movie.
I wouldn't be surprised if this film picked up an Oscar nom for its costumes. Julia Roberts' wardrobe is ridiculously ornate and the pieces are HUGE.
This film is fun, but its not the spectacular extravaganza I was hoping for. It will make you chuckle, and the look of it will linger with you, but the story lacks staying power. I wouldn't spend the money to see this one in the theaters. Wait for the video... or for Instant Play.
U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive--a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1hr 41min
Estimated Video Release: July 2012
RottenTomatoes: 21% My Rating: 3/5
*There is no stinger after the credits.
I will admit right off the bat that a rating of 3/5 for this movie is generous. I just felt that I had to give it more than what it really deserves (2.5 maybe?) because it is one of the better Nicholas Sparks adaptations. For those of you who haven't seen a Sparks novel on screen, they are laden with melodrama and dripping in romantic never-gonna-happen circumstances. The current books that have made it to screen are Dear John (bad), The Last Song (worse), Nights in Rodanthe (kill me, please--that movie is atrocious), Message in a Bottle (can't say, haven't seen it), A Walk to Remember (not bad for a teen movie, really), and the extremely popular The Notebook--which introduced many a female to the beautiful Mr. Ryan Gosling. I would say that The Lucky One is number 3 on my Sparks list, after Notebook and Walk.
I had my reservations going into this movie. I mean, Zac Efron? Really? The Bieber-haired, too-many-teeth smiley kid who will perpetually be in high school? I really didn't think that he could pull off anything except characters that sang and danced and generally frolicked about. I won't say that his performance in this film is award worthy--far from it--but I was convinced. He really isn't that smiley kid in this movie. He's an adult... an actual adult. I think his performance was hindered by the character's non-existent arc. Logan Thibault is the same guy in the end as he is in the beginning, but that's ok. While he may be the 'name' in this movie, the story is really about the girl and what she goes through.
Beth is a complicated person with some significant baggage--a son and a baby daddy who is a complete ass-hole. Not exactly a totally unique character, but good to watch. How her character evolves over the course of the movie is really what pushes the story forward. The movie feels complete by the end, not leaving anything undone (like some other Sparks movies). If you've seen other Sparks films, then you might have noticed a trend. For those not in the know, Sparks tends to kill off at least one character in his books... you've been warned ;)
As an animal lover, I cannot forget to mention that this movie takes place at Beth's home where she runs a dog kennel. There are a few funny scenes involving the canine actors, including the one right here with Blythe Danner.
Next up, The Avengers! I'm actually heading out to the theater as soon as I post this review, so a new one will be up shortly. Happy watching everyone!
When an unexpected enemy emerges with the ability to utilize an all-powerful cube that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow team up--if they aren't able to save the world, they will at least avenge it.
I had my reservations going into this movie. I mean, Zac Efron? Really? The Bieber-haired, too-many-teeth smiley kid who will perpetually be in high school? I really didn't think that he could pull off anything except characters that sang and danced and generally frolicked about. I won't say that his performance in this film is award worthy--far from it--but I was convinced. He really isn't that smiley kid in this movie. He's an adult... an actual adult. I think his performance was hindered by the character's non-existent arc. Logan Thibault is the same guy in the end as he is in the beginning, but that's ok. While he may be the 'name' in this movie, the story is really about the girl and what she goes through.
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| See? He's tan, he's obviously been working out... he's not a baby anymore. |
As an animal lover, I cannot forget to mention that this movie takes place at Beth's home where she runs a dog kennel. There are a few funny scenes involving the canine actors, including the one right here with Blythe Danner.
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| Blythe Danner with one of the many dogs in the film. |
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| Taylor Schilling with Rowdy, who plays Zeus. |
When an unexpected enemy emerges with the ability to utilize an all-powerful cube that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow team up--if they aren't able to save the world, they will at least avenge it.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 22min
Estimated Video Release: October 2012
RottenTomatoes: 93% My Rating: 5/5
*There are 2 stingers--one after the initial credits, and one at the very end.
OK, so I failed to get this review up in a decent amount of time--life happens people, my bad. Anyway, I will make it up with a very comprehensive review. If you've seen the precursors, feel free to bump down to the review. As this very well might be the absolute biggest movie of the summer, I figured I would delve a bit into the film's backstory to encourage those who haven't seen the rest of the Marvel movies to give this one a shot--it's worth it. For those that have seen the movies, just jump down to the review here for my thoughts.
The Mythology: Characters
Why the Capt. is part of the team: Really, it's the main plot of Captain America: The First Avenger that ties in to his role in this movie. Back during WWII, there was a big-bad that used an all powerful cube to produce limitless energy and attempted to rule the world. Of course, the Capt. was instructed to save the day. This cube is in the center of The Avengers plot. You do not need to see the Captain America origin film to get a good grasp of this one.
Why Thor is part of the otherwise Earth-bound team: Since Loki is the main antagonist in this movie, Thor kinda has to be around. So much of the plot of The Avengers is sourced out of Thor, I highly recommend watching it before seeing the new movie.
Iron Man
We are immersed in a world where gamma radiation turns men into giant green rage monsters, a scientific genius wears an alloy super-suit, a soldier from the 1940s has been given a kid-friendly steroid treatment, a demigod has traveled to Earth from an alternate dimension, and highly trained fighters join forces with fabled super heroes. I know, it all sounds rediculous--even if you are a fan of comic book movies, it still sounds silly when you try to explain it... and it gets even more complicated.
Captain America
The backstory: Ok, so if you've been following my reviews, or if you've heard me talk about the Capt. America movie from 2011, you know I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan of the film, I'm not a fan of the backstory, I'm not a fan of the character, and I'm really not a fan that they chose Chris Evans for the actor... not that he doesn't do a decent job, its just that he's the Human Torch from Fantastic Four. Anyway, putting my prejudice aside, the Capt. character in this film is great for someone like me that didn't enjoy the first movie. His character is in this film just enough to be important, but not too much as to be annoying. A great job, I'd say. I summed-up his story pretty much already: back during WWII, a scrawny kid was hopped-up on a serum that made him Mr. USA.
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| Captain America: aka Steve Rogers |
Thor
The backstory: The mythology of Thor is possibly the most convoluted and important to the story of The Avengers. Thor is from Asgard, an alternate dimension that homes superior beings that have demigod powers, magical weapons, and all around invincibility. In his origin story, Thor is tossed out of Asgard onto Earth by his dad (Odin) for basically being a huge douchebag. Only when he learns to be a benevolent leader is he able to return to Asgard (oh, and he falls for a human woman in the process). Thor’s brother Loki has been trying to steal the throne that rightfully falls to the hammer-clad demigod, so in an epic battle for Earth and Asgard, the brothers duke it out. In the end, Loki is seemingly lost in interdimensional space and Thor vows to protect Earth and Asgard.
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| Thor in his new suit for The Avengers. |
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| Loki. Yes, he wears the head piece through most of the movie. |
Iron Man
The backstory: If you haven’t seen either of the Iron Man movies, I’m really not sure why you’d be interested in The Avengers, but I’ll try not to judge. Essentially, Tony Stark is a billionaire genius who owns the largest weapons manufacturing company in the world. He assumes the armor of Iron Man after he realizes how his company was contributing to a worldwide weaponization epidemic—he sets out to right his company’s wrongs. The Iron Man suit is a one-man-band-type apparatus. It obviously serves as armor, but also as a personal flying machine, a mobile arsenal, and any number of other things that Stark decides to install.
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| Tony Stark showing off the Mark VII (I think... maybe this is Mark VI.. whatever) armor. |
Why Iron Man is a member of the team: Considering this whole franchise began with Iron Man back in 2008, he sort of needs to be a central character. Tony Stark is one of the leaders of the team and has a few significant jobs in the new movie, but he’s not as integral to the story as a couple of the others… though he does have a major part at the end of the film. While you probably don’t need to see the Iron Man movies to grasp the story of The Avengers, Iron Man was what started this whole thing—and it is the best of the Marvel comic book movies (until this one).
The Hulk
The backstory: In The Avengers, the Hulk has developed a moderate amount of control over his green-ness than in the other movies. Bruce Banner's history is fairly intact--he is a brilliant scientist that was trying to recreate the serum that transformed the puny soldier once known as Steve Rogers into Captain America by using gamma radiation. His experiments turned him into a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde type. When he gets mad... he gets green. The visual effects for the Hulk in this film are by far the best that have been attempted in the past decade or so. For a little 'Hulk Through the Years,' here are some pics for you:
From left to right: Lou Ferrigno as tv's Hulk, the 2003 version, and the Hulk from the 2008 movie.
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| And finally, an emotive performance perfected by IMF. This is probably the best Hulk yet because this is the first Hulk where motion capture (the Avatar, LOTR technology) was used to let Mark Ruffalo perform the hell out of the 'big guy.' |
Why the green giant is on the team: Essentially, only Bruce Banner has the expertise and knowledge of gamma radiation to track down the stolen cube. And the 'big guy' pulls his weight, too.
Black Widow & Hawkeye
The backstory: There really isn’t much backstory that’s needed to understand these two S.H.I.E.L.D. characters. Black Widow has her first appearance in Iron Man 2 where she is revealed to be an agent working undercover to evaluate Tony Stark as a potential member of the Avengers Initiative. Hawkeye shows up for a total of 10 minutes in Thor as a specialist marksman. The stories of these agents are revealed throughout the new film, so there’s not much else to say.
Why they’re included on the team: Well, they are the only official S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the team. They are both non superheroes (until this movie) and have rich character backgrounds… that may possibly be revealed in the rumored Widow-Hawkeye movie.
The Review
Now, the review. The rest of this post took me pretty much all day wrestling with Blogger, so I'm going to keep this fairly short. This movie is great. The Avengers is all that was promised--a fantastic amalgamation of all these super heroes into a truly cohesive film. All of the characters are highlighted throughout the course of the story, without any one seeming to be the sole star. The chemistry between the actors worked really well for their characters... I could go on. Go see this movie. Really, even if you have never given a comic book movie a shot, just take a nerdy friend and go. Hell, I'm going a second time.
Happy watching!
During a world-wide war game, US and Japanese ships encounter a seemingly unstoppable alien force bent on contacting their own world and beginning a global-ending event. With no way for help to arrive, the US and Japanese ships must cooperate and utilize tactics never before seen to defend the planet.
My favorite part of the movie? That would be when the crew of the last sunken ship joins the retired Naval guys get the historical USS Missouri in battle-ready shape.
While I was watching the sequence, I thought of classic workout montages... you know, when the music cranks up and the main character starts hitting a punching bag, or dancing wildly, or climbing a huge hill. It felt like that--all of the characters running to take their places and learning how to operate this old battleship from the guys that actually did it. Not bad.
Onto the aliens. I miss the days where prosthetics were utilized more than CGI. Yes, it looks impressive, but it also looks like CGI. I think if the time and effort of creating the visual effects for the alien faces and hands was put into facial appliances and limb prothetics, it would read better. As it is, these aliens look like a mix of monkeys and lizards. Ick.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 10min
Estimated Video Release: September 2012
RottenTomatoes: 36% My Rating: 1/5
*There is a stinger at the end of the credits that points to a potential sequel.
Another film inspired by children's toys. The first Transformers was good, while its sequels were not up to par. Real Steel isn't bad--although the name of that movie still drives me mad. Now, Battleship. I really don't know why a board game like Battleship has to be the source material for a movie, but I suppose that's irrelevant. If you were to cut out the Hasbro credit and just call this a run-of-the-mill action movie, it wouldn't get any better.
I'll be fair. Battleship isn't atrocious. It's a summer action movie that has a lot of explosions. Woo hoo. But when a film is up against a titan like The Avengers, that's just won't be enough to knock the comic book movie off its 3 week spot at the top of the box office. My biggest problem with this movie as a whole was the pacing. This is supposed to be an action movie with the world's military fighting an alien invasion--I shouldn't be waiting around for something to happen. I mean, it took over a half-hour for the story to really get going. Oh, and by the way, the first 10 minutes of this film ticked me off. Under no circumstances would any sane female be interested in a guy who exhibits such unbalanced behavior just to get her attention... he looked psychotic! I won't bore you with the details, but if you do happen to see this movie, I doubt you'll disagree with me.
Battleship marks pop/R&B superstar Rihanna's first dive into the acting world... and she didn't fail. Her performance level would be more likened to Jennifer Lopez than Britney Spears or Mariah Carey. Not bad in an otherwise lackluster movie. We'll see how her movie career unfolds over the next couple of years with her rumored projects.
I'll be fair. Battleship isn't atrocious. It's a summer action movie that has a lot of explosions. Woo hoo. But when a film is up against a titan like The Avengers, that's just won't be enough to knock the comic book movie off its 3 week spot at the top of the box office. My biggest problem with this movie as a whole was the pacing. This is supposed to be an action movie with the world's military fighting an alien invasion--I shouldn't be waiting around for something to happen. I mean, it took over a half-hour for the story to really get going. Oh, and by the way, the first 10 minutes of this film ticked me off. Under no circumstances would any sane female be interested in a guy who exhibits such unbalanced behavior just to get her attention... he looked psychotic! I won't bore you with the details, but if you do happen to see this movie, I doubt you'll disagree with me.
My favorite part of the movie? That would be when the crew of the last sunken ship joins the retired Naval guys get the historical USS Missouri in battle-ready shape.
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| The real USS Missouri. She was the last battleship that was decommissioned after nearly 50 years at sea. |
While I was watching the sequence, I thought of classic workout montages... you know, when the music cranks up and the main character starts hitting a punching bag, or dancing wildly, or climbing a huge hill. It felt like that--all of the characters running to take their places and learning how to operate this old battleship from the guys that actually did it. Not bad.
Onto the aliens. I miss the days where prosthetics were utilized more than CGI. Yes, it looks impressive, but it also looks like CGI. I think if the time and effort of creating the visual effects for the alien faces and hands was put into facial appliances and limb prothetics, it would read better. As it is, these aliens look like a mix of monkeys and lizards. Ick.
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| See? Monkey & lizard in a CGI-ified humanoid package. |
Overall, Battleship isn't a great movie, but it isn't horrible, either. It's just another popcorn movie that may get a money-making sequel (seriously, maybe... I doubt the box office results will actually greenlight a sequel, but stranger things have happened).
Don't bother with this one, but if you decide to waste some time at the theater, Happy Watching!
In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him -- secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1hr 45min
Estimated Video Release: October 2012
RottenTomatoes: 69% My Rating: 3.5/5
*There is no stinger after the credits.
The third MIB movie. Most people (like me) probably wondered why on Earth would a sequel be made for a series whose last installment was 10 years ago--the first one being 15 years ago. Yeah, Men In Black was made in 1997... makes you feel old, huh? There aren't many movie franchises that span 15 years--Star Wars is probably at the top of most people's lists, but other notables are The Terminator, Mission: Impossible, Toy Story (the only movie franchise in history to receive critical acclaim for all of it's installments, by the way), Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Star Trek. *The Harry Potter series gets an honorable mention since they cranked out 8 movies in 10 years--insane!* Will the Men In Black movies be up there with all of those classic hits? I'm not so sure. The third MIB is better than than the second, but doesn't come close to the originality of the first.
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| The DeLorean of MIB 3 |
In an interview with Will Smith, he said that through all the years talking about the possibility of a third movie, the only idea that sparked a 'fresh take' on the story was to involve time travel. Does that seem odd to anyone else? Using time travel to freshen up a series...... time travel has been done to death since the 80s, and that's what you choose to make your movie 'fresh?' Seriously? I'm not saying it was a bad choice--they wove in time travel well, but I would not call it a fresh idea.
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| And look at that expression! Doesn't that scream Agent K? |
The best thing about using time travel? JOSH BROLIN. He was freaking amazing as a younger Agent K. He picked up so much of Tommy Lee's speech patterns. The rhythm of how he talks is so completely dead-on.
Being a fan of the first movie, I loved this little joke, kind of like when you see the honker cell phones in 90s movies:
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| Young Agent K pulls out the 1960s version of the Neuralyzer--it's corded! |
I would call this one good enough to rent if you're a fan of the series. Otherwise, you might not appreciate it very much.
Happy Watching!
Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Charlize Theron) who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) dispatched to kill her.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 7min
Estimated Video Release: October 2012
RottenTomatoes: 49% My Rating: 2/5
*There is no stinger after the credits.
Apparently you can be guaranteed a hit as long as you throw vampires or fairy tales in the mix. There is a countless number of these movies and tv shows that appeared over the past five years that have gained a crazy following... but that doesn't mean every single one of them should exist. I submit: Snow White and the Huntsman--an unoriginal story with a terrible lead and lackluster ending.
Kristen Stewart is not a good actress. I will make no apologies to the Twihards that read this--she's awful, just accept it and move on to the next tortured, single-expression thespian that has appears to have no actual acting talent. Now, Charlize Theron, however, is great in this movie. She is evil and twisted, and so interesting to watch--I wish the filmmakers believed she would've brought enough star power to carry this film so they could go for a new actress to pull off Snow White. *Sigh. Oh well.
Enough about the acting--to the good part of the film! It looked beautiful. In a totally grotesque, entirely creepy way, but beautiful all the same. The forest is dark and terrifying, while the fairy land is bright and feels alive. The queen's costumes also play wonderfully into this--Charlize Theron looks like the powerful and wonderfully evil woman she's supposed to be. I wish I was able to insert a clip of a certain scene--the queen uses magic to find Snow in the forest, and she turns into a bunch of crows to get away. All of these crows plummet through the roof of the castle into a shallow pit in the middle of a room--all smashing into the floor making a gooey, feathery, disgusting mess. Charlize magically crawls out of the tar-like goo.... its completely revolting and absolutely awesome.
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| This is the crow dress. Eww. |
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The highlight of this movie is how it looks, for sure. I wouldn't say it's really worth watching for any other reason... it is over 2 hours after all. If you do choose to sit through this one, Happy Watching!
In general, movie seasons are as follows: the New Year (Jan-April), Summer (May-mid August), September (yes, September gets its own season), and the Holidays (Oct-Dec). Typically, blockbuster hits happen in the Summer and Holidays seasons, but there are usually only a few that are actually good. This year, there will be several that are great movies as well as being money makers. The first is The Hunger Games (actually a March release, but it's a summer movie at heart), followed by The Avengers. Brave and The Dark Knight Rises are to be released soon and they are sure to be in the top of the year (they are... now that I've seen them hehe). Prometheus will also be among the greatest blockbusters this year.
The best thing about this movie is that its not story driven. I know that sounds odd for a science fiction movie, but this plot is actually character driven. It would be very easy to take a story like this one and just make it about people going into space and finding aliens... it's been done a thousand times. What's special about Prometheus is that you are engaged in the interplay between the characters, their histories, and their motives. Charlize Theron's character has so little exposition and leaves so much unsaid--the audience is able to slowly connect the dots. Michael Fassbender delivers what I would call the best robot performance of all time. From being in Inglourious Basterds and X-Men: First Class, he has shown such amazing range, he's absolutely on my radar from here on out. And, they're not even the main characters of the story.
I could probably go on for hours about this movie and how impressed I was after I walked out of the theater. The only negative things I have to say are that the costumes are little Fantastic 4-esque and Noomi Rapace's hair bugged me. Pretty minor nitpicky things.
Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 4min
Estimated Video Release: October 2012
RottenTomatoes: 73% My Rating: 4.5/5
*There is a stinger image after the credits.
In general, movie seasons are as follows: the New Year (Jan-April), Summer (May-mid August), September (yes, September gets its own season), and the Holidays (Oct-Dec). Typically, blockbuster hits happen in the Summer and Holidays seasons, but there are usually only a few that are actually good. This year, there will be several that are great movies as well as being money makers. The first is The Hunger Games (actually a March release, but it's a summer movie at heart), followed by The Avengers. Brave and The Dark Knight Rises are to be released soon and they are sure to be in the top of the year (they are... now that I've seen them hehe). Prometheus will also be among the greatest blockbusters this year.
The best thing about this movie is that its not story driven. I know that sounds odd for a science fiction movie, but this plot is actually character driven. It would be very easy to take a story like this one and just make it about people going into space and finding aliens... it's been done a thousand times. What's special about Prometheus is that you are engaged in the interplay between the characters, their histories, and their motives. Charlize Theron's character has so little exposition and leaves so much unsaid--the audience is able to slowly connect the dots. Michael Fassbender delivers what I would call the best robot performance of all time. From being in Inglourious Basterds and X-Men: First Class, he has shown such amazing range, he's absolutely on my radar from here on out. And, they're not even the main characters of the story.
I could probably go on for hours about this movie and how impressed I was after I walked out of the theater. The only negative things I have to say are that the costumes are little Fantastic 4-esque and Noomi Rapace's hair bugged me. Pretty minor nitpicky things.
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| See? Blue spandex. If they chose any other color, Fantastic 4 never would've entered my mind. |
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| No real reason, I just dislike it. |
I will wrap up with the following--technically, from the filmmakers point of view, Prometheus is not a prequel, no matter what trailers might suggest. For all intents and purposes, however, it's a prequel. I think that they just tried to avoid any stigma that goes along with being a prequel or reboot (and slough-off all the negative attention the horrid Alien-Predator mash ups have gotten). The story ends with a clear tie-in to the original Alien movies--I will not give it away :)
I highly recommend this movie--go see it, rent it, buy it, whatever! Happy Watching!
Rock of Ages tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock 'n' roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake and more.
Rock of Ages tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock 'n' roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake and more.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 3min
Estimated Video Release: November 2012
RottenTomatoes: 41% My Rating: 2/5
*There is no stinger after the credits.
One word: lame. I really did look forward to this film because of all the hype surrounding it--good job by the marketing team. I do really like the campy fun of 80s rock music--but, sadly, the music isn't enough to carry this movie.
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| He's this bizarre the whole movie. |
My favorite parts of the film were all of Tom Cruise's scenes. This is odd, because I've never really liked Cruise... as an actor or as a crazy scientologist. However, he overplays his role as an Axl Rose-type rock god and it is so fun to watch. Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin also embrace the stereotypes with their characters, and it completely works.
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| These two actually look tame in this picture... |
I wish that the whole movie would've gone in this direction. Just own the camp, people! Movies like this fall short when they hesitate and don't commit... if they would've just jumped over the damn cliff, they would've made it to the other side instead of smashing headfirst into the bottom.
Another shortfall in this movie is how they assigned the songs for the characters. The fictitious characters sing songs that are supposedly their own--but when you have one character sing songs with such musical variety spanning Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and Bon Jovi... it's hard to suspend disbelief to say that the songs theoretically came from the same artist. The last criticism I'll make about this movie deals with Glee. The tv show--if you haven't heard of it, what rock have you been living under? Anyway, if you don't know much about Glee, they have a sort of monopoly on Journey songs. They've been known to do nearly every hit the band ever had. Don't Stop Believin' is their theme song, everyone and their dog who knows anything about Glee knows that. And what is chosen as the Rock of Ages finale song? Don't Stop Believin'. All I could think of was Glee the entire time... just a bad choice. That's enough I suppose. Not much to rave about with this one, but if you choose to see it just to admire Cruise's performance, Happy Watching!
Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land. Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it's too late.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1hr 33min
Estimated Video Release: November 2012
RottenTomatoes: 75% My Rating: 5/5
*There is a stinger after the credits.
Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. Eight years after Batman vanished into the night, Bane emerges--a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.
Being a movie fan, I tend to watch all the special features on a movie after I buy it. Through all the hours I've seen special effects geniuses talk about various films, there are some clear commonalities. 1: Water is awful to work with. There is something about the physics of how water behaves that makes it extremely difficult to manufacture for the screen.
And 2: Hair and fur are a bitch.
Think about it--the ideal way to make the movement look as real as possible would be to script every strand, every single hair individually. That's insane! This is not practical, so typically they don't do that. How exactly they pull off characters like Donkey or Rapunzel... I don't have a clue, but every single movie has improved on the last, and this one is no different. If you've heard me talk about Brave, then you've heard me talk about Merida's auburn mane. I've never seen a texture that detailed--her hair is amazing. It really looks like every curl has been animated on its own. Whatever awards are available for the animation world, this movie, no... her hair will win awards, I swear.
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| I mean, seriously, look at her hair. I'll stop gushing now. |
Brave is also beautiful to look at in general. It has an ethereal feel. It feels a bit like Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland--very rich and lush. I really appreciate that this movie went in a cool direction using Scotland as the character's backdrop. It feels a little reminiscent of the Vikings of How to Train Your Dragon, but how is that a bad thing? The accents are new and interesting, yet still understandable. And, my favorite thing ever, the main character is a kick-ass chick. Awesome.
Brave will likely be the best animated feature of 2012 and is one of Pixar's best, in my humble opinion. Do I really need to say that I recommend this movie? Well, I do. See it and enjoy it. Happy Watching!
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 45min
Estimated Video Release: December 2012
RottenTomatoes: 87% My Rating: 4/5
*There is no stinger after the credits.
The final chapter of a trilogy always has a lot to live up to, especially when the 2nd installment was as good as The Dark Knight. The last of the Nolan Batman films does deliver a solid completion to the series. Is it as good as The Dark Knight? Not in my opinion, but it is still one of the best superhero movies ever.
Rises brings solid action, character development, and a compelling story to the table, while tempering the out-there story line. This movie introduces two classic Batman villains--Bane and Catwoman. For those who aren't familiar with the Bane character, in the comics he was born in a prison and became a highly intelligent and excellent fighter. He uses a drug known as Venom to heighten his physical abilities. For his character adaptation in Rises, the use of Venom is dropped--gratefully. Instead, Bane has a tubed face mask that isn't fully explained, but you don't really need it to be.
My only criticism of Bane, and really the whole movie, is his voice. It felt too manufactured, as if he had his own real-time ADR. I didn't mind the mask, but it didn't allow for much facial performance by the actor.
Catwoman was done very well. Her usual cat ears were created in a way that I thought was very cool. From the front, it looks like she's wearing traditional Halloween cat ears, but they're actually created when she flips back her night vision goggles.
This film has a couple twists and turns that I really enjoyed (though I saw one of them coming from a mile away, thanks to Arkham City--it's a video game, people). The film is wrapped up nicely, with just a hint about the future, without it feeling forced like so many other superhero films. It's really very simple. If you've enjoyed Nolan's Batman, you will like The Dark Knight Rises. Don't waste time, if you haven't seen it, hurry up! Happy Watching.
Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid realizes he may not be who he believes himself to be and becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run, Quaid teams up with rebel fighters to find the head of the underground resistance and regain his memories.
Rises brings solid action, character development, and a compelling story to the table, while tempering the out-there story line. This movie introduces two classic Batman villains--Bane and Catwoman. For those who aren't familiar with the Bane character, in the comics he was born in a prison and became a highly intelligent and excellent fighter. He uses a drug known as Venom to heighten his physical abilities. For his character adaptation in Rises, the use of Venom is dropped--gratefully. Instead, Bane has a tubed face mask that isn't fully explained, but you don't really need it to be.
Catwoman was done very well. Her usual cat ears were created in a way that I thought was very cool. From the front, it looks like she's wearing traditional Halloween cat ears, but they're actually created when she flips back her night vision goggles.This film has a couple twists and turns that I really enjoyed (though I saw one of them coming from a mile away, thanks to Arkham City--it's a video game, people). The film is wrapped up nicely, with just a hint about the future, without it feeling forced like so many other superhero films. It's really very simple. If you've enjoyed Nolan's Batman, you will like The Dark Knight Rises. Don't waste time, if you haven't seen it, hurry up! Happy Watching.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2hr 1min
Estimated Video Release: November 2012
RottenTomatoes: 30% My Rating: 3/5
*There is no stinger after the credits.
So, I really don't understand all of the negative criticism this movie has gotten. Nearly every review I've read compares it to the original as if Total Recall (1990) is a shining example of cinematic achievement... I'm sorry, but it's just not. The Schwarzenegger version is a good movie, but you have people going to Mars and heads exploding. In the very least, the Farrell remake is more believable. The technology is interesting, the action is entertaining (even if it's very similar to the Bourne films), and it's just fun to watch.
Is this movie going to win awards? Of course not, but it's not a waste of time. The changes that have been made from the original film (which was an adaptation of a book, by the way), are just better choices overall. This movie doesn't deserve all the Total Recall (1990) fanatics to trash it--it's a better movie than most people are giving it credit for.
This wouldn't be a review by me if I didn't mention the women kicking ass. I love Kate Beckinsale--the Underworld movies are my favorite vamp flicks of all time. And while I kind of despise Jessica Biel, she's also has learned to kick some serious butt. A little trivia for you--all three of the main characters have appeared in vampire films. Biel in Blade: Trinity, Beckinsale in the aforementioned Underworld movies, and Farrell in Fright Night.
Honestly, I say give this Total Recall a try, especially if you haven't seen the original. Then watch Arnold look like he's going to explode in the Rekall chair. Give it a shot--Happy Watching!
Is this movie going to win awards? Of course not, but it's not a waste of time. The changes that have been made from the original film (which was an adaptation of a book, by the way), are just better choices overall. This movie doesn't deserve all the Total Recall (1990) fanatics to trash it--it's a better movie than most people are giving it credit for.
This wouldn't be a review by me if I didn't mention the women kicking ass. I love Kate Beckinsale--the Underworld movies are my favorite vamp flicks of all time. And while I kind of despise Jessica Biel, she's also has learned to kick some serious butt. A little trivia for you--all three of the main characters have appeared in vampire films. Biel in Blade: Trinity, Beckinsale in the aforementioned Underworld movies, and Farrell in Fright Night.Honestly, I say give this Total Recall a try, especially if you haven't seen the original. Then watch Arnold look like he's going to explode in the Rekall chair. Give it a shot--Happy Watching!
