Movie Review: Gravity

Quality science fiction films has been few and far between, with the occasional gem showing up every 2-4 years. Films such as Avatar reinvented the way computer generated images were perceived on screen, while the mind-bending Inception added complexity and intelligence to a dulled down genre. Forcing it's way into the forefront of this genre is Gravity, a thrilling space film by Director Alfonso Cuaron. Without a shred of doubt, Gravity is a masterpiece that deserves an audience along with the acclaimed status as one of the great space films of all time.

 

 

When dealing with a film in space, the visual effects are key in making everything work. Fortunately, Gravity offers visual effects unmatched by any in recent memory. The visual imagery is beautiful, making it a necessity to see on the biggest screen with those slightly uncomfortable 3D glasses. Which is rather depressing, since a home viewing experience won't truly capture me the way the Imax showing did. Is that a negative? Not necessarily, I'm just nit picking to find something poorly to say about the movie. Matter of fact, I need to take this moment to geek out over the 17 minute long tracking shot that starts the films. If you are unaware of what a tracking shot is, it is when a director films for 17 straight minutes as if he is filming a play happen on a stage. There is no cutting, no editing and a lot of rehearsal needed to be done to achieve this sort of shot. Director Alfonso Cuaron has some of the most beautiful tracking shots within his last film Children Of Men, none of which last more than 2-6 minutes. Gravity has the longest tracking shot ever to be put on film, and it is mind blowing. With a sure fire Oscar win coming in the visual effects category, I can only image the 17 minute tracking shot makes it a lock as well in the cinematography category. That is not to discourage the rest of the films camerawork because it is all top notch. With such amazing technical craftsmanship I had no idea if the other film beats could keep up, and they did.

Going into this film, I found myself not buying Sandra Bullock (Ryan Stone) as a astronaut or her male counterpart George Clooney (Matt Kowalski). They both proved me wrong, and Bullock gives a performance that solidifies a career. The way she handled the distress along with the pure physical toll that must have been given to her by each scene is remarkable. I can only image her in a space suit on set, hanging from wires as men spin her until her head explodes. Acting under such intense conditions is one thing, but to pull it off so well is another. I found Bullock's Oscar win for The Blind Side wrong, but she deserves all the praise for this performance. Clooney may not get a nomination but he did add a nice charming quality to a rather dreary film. Without him the film just wouldn't have been the same to me.

With a film of this nature we may often find our self finding flaws in the logic and this film won't be treated any differently. I am no expert on space exploration which gives me no credibility to nit pick the logic of a scene. Sure, female astronauts don't wear a tank top and short-shorts while inside their space suits. They probably wear a diaper, and when shit hit the fan Ryan Stone probably needed one; but this is Hollywood people, nobody wants to see Sandra Bullock in depends. Maybe In an extended edition we will see that Stone packed the wrong clothes before launch and was left with only her nighty nights. While Matt Kowalski ate some bad dehydrated mac n cheese and made use of all the depends onboard. I think that would suffice the audience who complained about the outfit of our leading lady.  Yes, certain events are unlikely to happen in real life because the people who places the satellites in orbit do really complicated math to prevent problems from occurring. I get how logic can cross your mind throughout a film, but honestly who cares. I shouldn't care, and neither should you. The movie is jaw dropping cinema at it's highest form, if you don't allow any suspension of belief than this genre should be avoided at all cost. Even with some scientific flaws that I can't even point out (I am just sure there is probably some) Gravity is a masterpiece. Easily, the best movie I have seen all year and the best space movie I have ever seen. To be fair I haven't seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I've never been a Kubrick guy. Unlike 2001 (so I've heard), Gravity is accessible for anyone due to its short run time and extraordinary visuals. It just so happens to have enough emotional depth and engaging dialogue to allow the characters to drive the story into the tense set pieces.

Do whatever you have to do to see this movie in Imax 3D. It truly is an experience that should be seen in the best form possible. To further the quality of science fiction films, let's all wish that Gravity is extremely successful during its theatrical run and come Oscar season.

Verdict: 5 out of 5


Update: I did my research and it seems that there was no spinning involved in the actors performances. They created something they called "The Cage" which as I understand it is a box with LED lights on it. Using the lights going on and off they could simulate the look of someone spinning as a device with a camera on it spins around the actor and in random locations to give what you see on screen. Extremely intricate and awesome work by the makers of the film. I am sure there is a better way to describe it, but I would have to see the contraption in work to explain.

Movie Review: Prisoners

The first film of the Oscar season comes in the form of a intense thriller called Prisoners. Is it a potential Oscar contender? and does director Denis Villeneuve's reinvent a genre that is filled with cliche twist and turns? Let's check it out.

Prisoners revolves around two families the Dover's and Birch's, whose youngest children are kidnapped after a normal thanksgiving dinner. With Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) on the case and producing little results, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) takes things into his own hands. Capturing a possible suspect named Alex Jones (Paul Dano) whose mind is at the same level as a 10 year old, and torturing him for information. From there the film turns into a character study about how far someone will go to find their children.

The most compelling part of this thriller is the dynamics of both Keller and Franklin (Terrence Howard) and how they handle the loss of their children. Keller clearly the more aggressive of the two uses his rage and determination to manipulate Franklin into doing things that are inhuman. Though Franklin does comply in these situations it affects him, causing him to spend the majority of the film in a depressed state. That is not to say that everyone else is doing well, everyone is in a gloomy state but Howard projected it masterfully. Every member of the cast gave strong performances but for me Howard and Gyllenhaal stood out. Unfortunately, after the first hour Howard disappears for the next hour of the film, due to the films intent on focusing it's run time on Loki and Kellen Dover. Jackman and Gyllenhaal carry the film with ease even with the eye twitching of detective Loki can throw you off for a while. I was very against it, until I realized it was something his character did when stressed or nervous. The acting clearly was the strong point of the film, and was worth the price of admission.

The story is very gut wrenching and it should stick with you well after the movie is over. Especially if you are a parent, the thought of this happening to a child of your own may make the film hard to watch. I do not have a child, but I do realize how emotionally invested parents can get in a kidnapping film. I was also extremely impressed with the tastefulness of the torturing of Alex White. I was expecting it to get very bloody like a horror film and it wasn't. Besides a few punches the rest of the torture happened off screen only allowing us to imagine what is happening via Alex's screams. The film is undeniable long, at 2 hours and 26 min and it feels every bit of that. It never retracted me from the movie but it will hurt its rewatch value. The last hour of the film is filled with jarring twist and turns that I felt tied together very well. I could see how the suspension of belief may be to much to ask for a some people, especially when the first hour and a half is so plausible. I won't argue that the last half hour is chalked full of twist that weren't exactly necessary, but it had me trying to piece everything together only to fail. I think the majority of people won't be able to predict every aspect of the story until it happens. Another complaint amongst the group I was with was the sudden ending of the film. I was very pleased with it cause i felt the director didn't need to spend an hour telling me what was obvious. At first it was rather jarring but in the end another 30 minutes of run time would have hurt the film.

I have said a lot about this film and hopefully it persuaded you to see it. I had a really good time watching the movie even when the material is anything but a good time. It may not have spent enough time on some things they glanced over in particular the end results, but Prisoners is an engaging and well acted thrill ride. Is it an Oscar Contender? I really doubt it, if anything Jake Gyllenhaal or Terrence Howard may pull out a nomination but there are so many performances left to be seen. Even if it doesn't get any Oscars you won't be disappointed at the end result of Prisoners.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

Movie Review: The Way Way Back

Nothing fits better into the summer season than a unknown indie flick. When every week you are greeted with bombastic actions sequences and visual extravaganzas, its nice to take a breather from it all. This breather comes in the form of a little known independent film called The Way Way Back. Is it worth your time, or even your money? Let's find out.

Plot Summery Via IMDB

Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend (Steve Carrell), and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the Water Wizz water park.

The story is nothing special, and I will be the first one to admit it. However, the cliche story is pushed into the background behind it's complex and compelling characters who make every moment of this film worth seeing. The person who really stands out is the always spectacular Sam Rockwell, who spits jokes out of his mouth that would put Tony Stark to shame (Sorry RDJ). I am a firm believer that any film with Rockwell is a better film, and i would watch a movie where he talks to himself for 2 hours. Oh yeah, I've done that it's called Moon and its spectacular. Let's stop kissing Sam Rockwell's ass for a second and talk about other people in the film. Steve Carrell gives an odd performance, unlike anything he has done and surprisingly it worked rather well. Even when at times seeing him as a douchbag feels so wrong. The kid named Duncan gave a solid performance for a young actor, but I've seen better from Logan Lerman (Perks Of Being A Wallflower) and Tye Sheridan (Mud). Maya Rudolph brought a calming grounded presence to the wacky world of Water Wizz, while on the opposite spectrum Nat Faxon and Jim Rash who also direct the film brought a handful of chuckles to chew up the screen when Rockwell wasn't saying anything. Everyone did a fine job, and nobody really struck me in the wrong way.

There was some problems with the script for me, in particular the way Steve Carrel's daughter was written. While funny, her lines were essentially a to the extreme prissy popular girl. The writing also may have faltered with AnnaSophia Robb's character, who was Duncan's love interest. She wasn't given a lot to work with and came off rather bland. She did have this awkward young love chemistry with Liam James, which did help the very few intimate scenes. The film did lack a real emotional punch that I have come to find in films like this. It to me is the polar opposite of last years Perks of Being Wallflower which isn't exactly a bad thing. The story its cliche and predictable but for the first time in a long time, I say who cares. This was the Sam Rockwell show, it was a heartfelt, enjoyable and downright charming comedy that I will love to see again. Even if the writing wasn't perfect and Sam Rockwell did over shine anyone and everyone on screen, it is still a film the large majority will enjoy. Go see this film if it's still in theaters, if not wait patiently for it to come on DVD.

Did I say Sam Rockwell enough?

Verdict 4 out of 5

Way to early 86th Academy Award Predictions

Oscar season is only a quick hop into the future, and potential nominees are making their trips around to various festivals promoting their films. Without seeing any films that are garnering Oscar buzz (outside Fruitvale Station and Mud) the time for my Oscar Predictions are now. With undeniable knowledge and  dumb luck, I will be predicting the major categories in the 86th Academy Awards. If you are unaware, these categories consist of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Actor, and Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Best Animated film for fun. Here we go.

Best Picture

Gravity

Twelve Years A Slave
Inside Llewyn Davis
The Monuments Men
Wolf Of Wall Street
American Hustle
Saving Mr. Banks

I am giving the nod here to Twelve Years A Slave, though at this point who really knows. I know I don't. However due to its fantastic reviews, emotion story arc and the potential of world class performances, this one could go for a sweep. Last years Django Unchained was essentially a semi-comical slave film that garnered a Best Picture nod. Twelve Years A Slave is going for pure emotional punch and it seems to have achieved that. (Runner up for me was Gravity)

Best Director

Steve McQueen- Twelve Years A Slave
Alfonso Cuaron- Gravity
Coen Brothers- Inside Llewyn Davis
Martin Scorcese- Wolf Of Wall Street
David O. Russel- American Hustle

Due to its technical prowess and overall beauty, I think Alfonso Cuaron will get it this year for Gravity. Much like Ang Lee won last year with the stunning film Life of Pi. Though stats show that it's rather rare for this to happen, I believe whoever wins Best Picture won't take home the award for Best Director.

Best Actor

Chitwel Elojifer- Twelve Years A Slave
Christian Bale- Out Of The Furnace
Idris Elba- Mandela: Long Road To Freedom
Leonardo DiCaprio- Wolf Of Wall Street
Michael B. Jordan- Fruitvale Station

I have been predicting DiCaprio to win for years now, only to see him go home empty handed. Once again I am going to take that bet and give him one last go. Though I would find it sad to see him win for a role that is more comical than some of his truly great performances, I would be ecstatic to see it.

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasime
Sandra Bullock- Gravity
Meryl Streep- Osage: August County
Amy Adams- American Hustle
Emma Thompson- Saving Mr. Banks

This will be the one performance that may push Gravity into the winning circles of Best Picture. Sandra Bullock has won before and is beloved by the academy. Not to mention she has to carry a film where she acts solely in front of a green screen, hanging from wires like a marionette. She is stuck in space! how creepy is that, and reviews have pointed towards here towering performance.

Best Supporting Actor

Michael Fassbender- Twelve Years A Slave
Tom Hanks- Saving Mr. Banks
Daniel Bruhl- Rush
Matthew McConaughey- Mud
James Gandolfini- Enough Said

Though DiCaprio could garner a nomination for his performance as a plantation owner last year. I doubt Fassbender will be that full of life and comical, it will be a villainous and gut wrenching performance. One that will brand itself into audiences brains, giving Twelve Years A Slave its first Oscar Win.

Best Supporting Actress

Oprah Winfrey- Lee Daniels: The Butler
Luptia Nyong'o- Twelve Years A Slave
Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle
Naomi Harris- Mandela: Long Road To Freedom
Octavia Spencer- Fruitvale Station

I have no idea about this category, hence why I just followed my game plan and chose a Twelve Years A Slave actor. To give me some validity people have raved about her performance, whoever she is.

Animated Film

The Wind Rises
Monsters University
Frozen
Ernest & Celestine

Though many people don't know this film, I have probably my strongest argument of this whole article about The Wind Rises. What makes this film a sure fire winner is legendary Director Hayao Miyazaki. I believe that he has garnered 2 nominations (Ponyo and Spirited Away) and the latter won. What makes him such a sure fire winner is the fact that it;s his final film in his illustrious career. What better way to acknowledge such a career, than giving him one final award. If he doesn't win, expect Frozen to be a massive hit and for a lifetime achievement award to follow in the upcoming years. Not to mention this year is what I consider one of the poorest for truely great animated films.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1

One of my biggest guilty pleasures has always been DC comics animated features, which made me the prime demographic (despite my age) for The Dark Knight Returns Part 1. I understand this film came about a year ago, but for some reason I failed to pick it up until now.

Based on the prestigious comic book of the same name written by Frank Miller. The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of an aged batman, whose last appearance was 10 years ago. Though completely out of the game the nightmares of his parents death continue and Gotham begins its descent into darkness. The streets are now controlled by a gang known as The Mutants and some of the most notorious Batman characters are near the end of their glory days. Commissioner Gordon is  retiring from the police force, and Harvey Dent/Two Face has received plastic surgery to fix his face. Batman's most admirable foe The Joker is nearly a vegetable in Arkham, and only the thought of Batman gets any reaction out of him. The biggest hit for Bruce was his former partner Robin's (The Jason Todd version) death, leaving his faithful butler Alfred as the only part of his life. Struggling with the loss of Jason and the state of Gotham, Bruce decides that he is nothing without Batman, and Gotham is doomed without him. Does Bruce have enough to take back Gotham even at his aged state? Or will The Dark Knight only return to fail?

This animated feature is what I would consider top tier entertainment. I am a firm believer that DC animated films are just as good as 90% of the animated features release in theaters. However, besides Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, they are all straight to DVD films. Which makes it easier for fans to pick them up as soon as they are released. With a pg-13 rating The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 focuses on telling a dark story with enough violence to please any comic book fan. It's twisted and gritty and offers the mature viewing experience that DC fans have come to love. Not to mention it still offers brutal fight sequences and beautiful animation, that reaches any standard set by the company. There was many times throughout the movie where a sequence made me smile from ear to ear. Hopefully one day someone considers using the action techniques used within this animated film. I love the way Batman snuck around the shadows, and used his grappling hook effectively, it is something that has never been done in a live action adaptation. Batman Begins definitely achieved it the best, and I hope to see that kind of Batman again soon. Not to mention the story had a brisk pace, and offered a series of character arcs for all the big players within the film. Though not every character struck home for me (Female Robin), the character who did made it a tremendous viewing experience.

I will admit, I miss Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill's Joker but isn't that to be expected? I love Batman Year One and Brian Cranston voicing Commissioner Gordon but I had to accept the other voice actors. While never reaching the untouchable bench mark set by the classic voice actors, each person did their character justice. Which is really all I can ask for in this situation. The mutants may not have been a strong villains, but they were the stepping stone for bigger and better things. This is indeed Part 1 and all the story and build up is certainly there. It leads me to believe that Part 2 will be no holds bar throw down, couple with many familiar faces. Other than minor gripes, this was a really good film and any fan of DC comics should check it out. In my opinion, The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 fits nicely at the bottom of the top 5 Best DC animated films. I can only assume Part 2 may knock it off.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

Movie Review: Elysium

Neill Blomkamp busted onto the scene with the 2009 hit District 9. The film garnered a best picture nomination and gave Blomkamp the opportunity to direct a big budget adaptation of the Halo video game series. While the film never surfaced do to a lack of creative control in Blomkamp's court, we were given an original sci-fi film in the form of Elysium.  While my mind still swirls around the potential of master chief on the big screen, I gladly went to a theater to see Blomkamp's next effort.

In a not so distant future, the earth is slowly crumbling due to the overpopulation of the planet. The solution was to build a orbiting community known as Elysium that is inhabited by the wealthy. If you aren't wealthy you are stuck on earth, with whatever is left. Elysium is equipped with medical pods that can cure anything in one sitting, and due to its orbital location it's near impossible to get into unless your a citizen. Earth is full of crime and poverty, and is given little to no medical attention and are patrolled by a robotic police force implemented by the leaders of Elysium. Our protagonist is Max (Matt Damon), and due to a freak accident is in need of medical attention to survive. In turn his childhood friend Frey (Alice Braga) has a daughter who is also in need of medical attention that can only be found on Elysium. With a metal exoskeleton attached to his body giving him heightened abilities; Max must get onto Elysium, overthrow its leader Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and avoid the bounty hunter hired to kill him (Sharlto Copley's Kruger).

While the premise of the film is very interesting and Blomkamp is extremely talented, this film felt very flat to me. The world building that Blomkamp does is spectacular and the film has very good special effects and above average action sequences. However the liberal side of Blomkamp is ultimately this films downfall. I am not a political person, I don't enjoy politics and I can't stand the debates in which some people get into. However, I love a director that has something to say and implements some intriguing ideas throughout their films. It needs to be done tastefully though and for me this film was very heavy handed in its approached. Elysium is preachy, and intense body explosions every 5 minutes doesn't cover it up. The fact that the California area of poverty was 99.9% Latinos, and the inhabitance of Elysium was 100% Caucasians is enough to feel heavy handed. However, we are also given a obvious sci-fi boarder hopping scene and the all rich people are terrible theme. I love what your trying to do Neill but lets be subtle about it and make a good film first, there is no need for such battery. It was also severely disappointing to see someone get his first shot at big budget film making and deliver such a conventional story. He was given the money to do something special, and instead turned what could have been a complex and thought provoking story, into a conventional action flick. Its in a way a very polished film, that teeters within the realm of unimaginative action story telling.

What Elysium does do well is give us technology we haven't seen on film, despite every death being in the form of a body explosion. It felt like it could have fit well with a Halo movie. Acting wise Damon did an solid job and that is where my compliments will end. Sharlto Copley is a great actor and he has an undeniable presence in the film as a villain, unfortunately his accent was enigmatic, and had me often leaning forward in hopes to understand better. His high pitch voiced just wasn't intimidating and that hurt him. As for Jodie Foster I couldn't stand her regal accent. She was extremely poor throughout the entire film and I patiently waited for her to be off the screen. The end was also extremely disappointing and felt like a cop-out to me. I will not go into detail because it is a spoiler free review. I appreciate the effort and this film won't tarnish his reputation (which has been announced as Chappie), I just feel a big budget film is not what he is ready for.

Verdict: 2 out of 5

My Thoughts on Ben Affleck as Batman

Though I am late to this party, id like to give a brief opinion on the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman. I want to start by saying that Ben is a fantastic director and can be a very good actor at times. I am not by any means against this casting but I felt it could be a missed opportunity for Warner Brothers with this choice.

Pros

The biggest pro in this situation is that you keep an incredible director with a company that will allow him to make his own films. I would be shocked to hear that Affleck accepted this role without any agreement between him and WB allowing him to direct some "pet projects" that he has in his mind. He also would be given the opportunity to direct his own Batman solo outings, and he is a much better actor in films he is directing. Also Zack Snyder the director of Superman vs. Batman is known for being a fantastic collaborator and Ben Affleck may be one of the best options to collaborate with. He could help refine the story and the script which could result in a better film. If anyone is a better to collaborate with than Ben it would be Chris Nolan, who could also have a hand in Superman vs. Batman. Snyder's visual style should work well with the fundamental skills that Affleck can bring to the table. I am also very confident he can pull off the role of Bruce Wayne, since a billionaire playboy fits within the realm of Ben's acting. Also the picture above while photo shopped makes me believe he could be solid. However...

Cons

Though I have confidence with him as Bruce, I lack confidence in him as Batman. Nothing about Affleck has ever struck me with fear, and that includes his impressive and somewhat tough performance in The Town. He is recognizable and his presence at times lacks, which could take me out of his performance. Unlike Cavill as Superman who was relatively unknown and benefited from that. Affleck is a well known face and even with a cowl I will always know its him. He very well could pull it off, and I will be the first to admit that if he does. However, right now I don't see him as Batman because he lacks the edge that Bale had. I have noticed that often in big budget productions that Ben doesn't direct, he just phones it in and fails to strive above an average performance. Its very possible that if his head is elsewhere, he won't bring his A game. The argument that I commonly see is, "we all hated the Heath Ledger casting as the Joker and look how that turned out". That is completely irrelevant, because there are as many bad castings as good castings.

The best things we can all do is wait and see. Nobody knows how things will turn out, everyone should try and stay neutral until the first footage is released.

Movie Review: The World's End

 

When going to see the final installment of the "Three Flavors Of Cornetto" trilogy (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz), my expectations were through the roof. I am glad to report this film surpassed my expectations and capped of this non-conventional trilogy perfectly. In this film, five friends return to their childhood homes in hopes to complete The Golden Mile, something they previously attempted after their final year of high school. The Golden Mile, a pub crawl which consists of a pint of beer in all twelve bars that occupy the town of New Haven. While nostalgia runs through everyone veins, the seemingly normal town is everything but, and the journey to The World's End is the least of their problems when humanity is on the brink of extinction.

The core of the film is the performances given by each member of the group. Their is the fearless leader Gary King (Simon Pegg), who lives in the past and brings the group together for one last run at The Golden Mile. His past wingman Andy Knightley (Nick Frost), who after an accident swore off drinking and shunned his would be best friend. Peter Page (Eddie Marsan) the odd man in the group who was bullied throughout high school and used the group as protection, Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman) the straight laced leasing agent, and Steven Prince (Paddy Considine) another middle aged man with his fair share of problems. There is no need for me to say much, because the film begins with a monologue introducing all the characters. What impressed me the most was the range shown by both Frost and Pegg. The later of the two had a very strong emotional scene near the films finale, while the other showed a side unlike what we have seen in the previous two films of the trilogy. As the other three men they were all given distinct moments to differentiate themselves from the crowd, I also appreciate when a director gives everyone a satisfying arc and a moment to shine throughout the film. This can be credited to the writing of Pegg and director Edgar Wright, who have always been very character oriented in their work.

As for the story it is laced with every trick Edgar Wright has, resulting in a film that may have similar shticks to Shaun of The Dead or Hot Fuzz. Its extremely witty and the dialogue is shot out like a bullet, particularly from Simon Pegg. This should supply enough chuckles to please the crowd for the majority of the run time. Like in most situations the more alcohol consumed the funnier it gets, because in all honesty drunk people are funny. If you are lucky enough to have avoided the trailers you are in for a pleasant surprise on what may be threatening humanity, and the films wraps up their mytho's rather well. While some may feel the end may get silly or preachy, I found it to be really funny and fit the overall characters well. Not to mention with all the laughs you are provided with high class fight choreography for these older gentlemen. It was funny and clever and executed extremely well by every man, it really kept the film from slowing down at any point.

All in all it's a fast paced riot that I have seen 3 times without any change of opinion. It's easily in my top 3 films of the year so far and I can't wait to add it to my Blu-Ray collection. If you are lucky enough to have a theater that provides alcohol, feel free to buy a cup and raise a glass as you embark on one hell of a ride. Drink Responsibly.

Verdict 4.5 out of 5

Possible Batman Beyond Movie: Good or Bad Idea?

There is a rumor going around that the next batman film could possibly be based of the 90's cartoon Batman Beyond. Which if you are unaware stars a high school boy named Terry McGinnis, who is given the opportunity to protect Gotham with the tech from his new mentor. The mentor is an aged retired version of Batman's best Bruce Wayne, which means Batman Beyond is based around 2019.

The Good

The best possible scenario in my opinion, would be to run a Batman Beyond film series while keeping the normal Bruce Wayne version of Batman in a Justice League film. This gives the opportunity for a slightly older actor to portray Bruce in Justice League, then with the magic of Make-up and clever thinking have that same actor portray the older Bruce to mentor Batman Beyonds Terry McGinnis. This would allow a completely fresh sci-fi version of Batman in a new creative world that looks similar to the futuristic scenes in The Wachowski's Cloud Atlas. The character of Terry would be more relatable to the younger audience, and also offer a fantastic coming of age story if written correctly. The best part of all is years down the line if they do use the same actor for both versions of Bruce Wayne, the Justice League franchise could clash with Batman Beyond and show a powerful intriguing reason as to why Bruce hung up the cape. Weather it be someones death or something personal it would add a sense of mystery throughout the Batman Beyond films that could lead to a revelation worth the wait.

The Bad

With the knowledge of what some comic book fans think of the previous Batman Trilogy by Chris Nolan, their argument would be that there still hasn't been a perfect incarnation of the Caped Crusader. Chris Nolan's was more grounded and without several writing progressions Christian Bale could never stand in a battle with Henry Cavill's Superman. So why would we force our way into a futuristic series without offering a perfect incarnation of Batman first. Though perfection is impossible and someone will always hate, it is a logical argument to bring up. Most people would want another solo Batman film even though I feel Nolan already offered some of the best cinema can offer. Yeah we can live with two incarnations, we have two different Spiderman in the last 10 years and it hasn't taken away from the older version at all. Perfecting a rich character that is loved may be needed again before jumping into the future. Not to mention Batman Beyond from what I remember doesn't have the rich rogue gallery that the Batman series had. Though I believe the Joker would still be around (even though another Joker is looking at an uphill battle) the other villains are much less interesting than the ones Batman had. I guess you could always use one of Batman's unused villains like DeathStroke or Hush and implement them in Batman Beyond without little backlash.

Rebuttal

You can very well reboot Batman and people will see it, however you are going to be looking at film that has so many bars to reach that anything less than Dark Knight Trilogy numbers will be looked at as a disappointment. That is why I believe that keeping Bruce Wayne as just a Justice League member without a solo film, allow the judgmental nature of some to soften. We have seen Batman enough, Nolan gave me at least everything I wanted to see. I want DC and Warner Brothers to move on with other character, Batman would work great as a Justice League only character, who can even be the Samuel L Jackson like bridge and show up in other solo films for publicity reasons. I am all for Batman Beyond and I hope this article at least made you consider the possibilities.

Movie Review: Pacific Rim

 

In a futuristic world, monsters known as Kaiju flood through a crack in the earth and wreak havoc on everything. To counter these monsters we created monsters of our own. Giant robots called Jaegers whose duel pilots mesh their minds together in a process known as drifting, are the only hope to save mankind. The plot is the key factor on if you will enjoy this film, because it says basically all the positives of the film. If you want to see giant monsters fighting giant robots, you get that and its exciting. Other than that though the film falls flat on most technical levels. The set pieces of this film is the high point of Pacific Rim, in particular the Hong Kong battle (or is it Tokyo? I don't remember). The scale of this film is massive and the way director Guillermo Del Toro crafts these scenes was worth the price of admission for me.

In simple terms it's flipping awesome, and enhance a film that is in other ways dull. The acting was stale, and I haven't exactly figured out if it's the actors or the writing to blame. Idris Elba and Ron Perlman may be the only exceptions to the rule, but their screen time is limited. The leads in the form of Sons of Anarchy alum Charlie Hunnam (Raleigh Becket) and Rinko Kikuchi (Mako Mori) are uninspiring and bland and offer no emotional attachment throughout the 2 hour run time. I also found both scientist (Charlie Day, Burn Gorman) rather annoying and I often found my eyes rolling as they spit out fast talking "logic". The more I think about it the more I realize how much the writing failed this film. No characters were given a specific arc, and any conflict was solved within minutes or were dropped all together. The character were written in the most basic cliché ways and nobody every became more than a one dimensional being. I could go on and on but most of all its easier to say the writing sucked. Even with incredible special effects and incredibly fun action set pieces, Pacific Rim is a movie that never strives to be anything more than a popcorn flick. While that is fine, it had potential to be a game changer in a day and age where originality is lost. Thank you Guillermo Del Toro for trying something I haven't seen in a long time, but you missed an opportunity.

Verdict: 3 out of 5

Pacific Rim and Grown Ups 2 Predictions

This weekend we are treated (more or less) to the bombastic Robot vs Monster film Pacific Rim, and another attempt to revamp his career with Adam Sandler's Grown Ups 2. While tracking for Pacific Rim has been poor, and Adam Sandler movies continue to be successful even while being the skid mark on the under britches of cinema, we are given an unpredictable week in the money category. Here are my predictions for this weekend (Both Rotten Tomato score and weekend gross).

Grown Ups 2

The last Grown up film was more or less terrible, but still was an incredibly bankable film which leads me to believe this one will be no different. I find it hard to believe that this sequel will do anything to improve on it's predecessor in quality, especially since Adam Sandler has failed to make any film with critical praise this decade (excluding Punch-Drunk Love which isn't a Sandler type film). Most of these films like Jack and Jill and Just Go With It float between the 10%-20% range and flood the theaters with the same type of people, all people. People see Adam Sandler movies, it's just how the world turns and I have no clue how to explain it. Will Grown Ups 2 be good? No, I am 100% sure and I have complete confidence saying it. Will it be a successful film? Absolutely, once again I am 100% sure because all of his films are. I will not be seeing Grown Ups 2, unless of course hell freezes over and it gets semi positive reviews.

Rotten Tomato Score: 15%

Weekend Gross: 44 Million


Pacific Rim

Guillermo Del Toro is well known within his fan boy circles, but has yet to become anything more than that. Though Pans Labyrinth is known as fantasy at it's highest form, his Hellboy films stay within his cult status. Guillermo is back to big budget film making with a film straight out of a 14 year old boys mind, Pacific Rim. While in the broadest sense we have seen a fight between Robot and Monsters play out in the slippery surface of our bath tubs (I know I have), it never had this big of a production value. Though action figures do put on one hell of a show. The biggest asset that director Guillermo Del Toro has is his passion for his projects, this being one he has been eagerly anticipating to make. That is enough to make me believe the film will be fresh by the weekend. The problem that this film will face is the inevitable comparison with The Transformers Trilogy. The Rotten Tomato score may suffer from it, and I feel it will. It also has struggled to gain traction within the public, but positive word of mouth may help a slow start. The massive budget will be hard to overcome and its very possible that it may be the biggest flop of the year. I don't believe this film will top the box office this week, nor am i sure it will be able to surpass the previous weeks winner Despicable Me 2. Only time will tell if this blockbuster will strike with fans or be left in the dust.

Rotten Tomato Score: 74%

Weekend Gross: 40 Million

The Heat Review

A buddy cop film centered around a know it all FBI agent named Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) and her partnership with a foul mouthed Boston PD member named Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) on their mission to take down the a drug lord.

 

The plot is your typical buddy cop comedy, that trudges along as the lead actors spit jokes left and right until your lungs collapse. The film as a whole, reminded me of events from better films like The Other Guys, and never truly offered something we haven't seen. That is in no way going to effect the score because in this day in age it's hard for almost any film to differentiate itself from the millions of films from our past. What does offer this film something fresh is the lead actresses, in particular the always talented Melissa McCarthy. I am a big fan of McCarthy, I do however feel in almost every film she has been in (besides Bridesmaids) she is given the short end of the stick. They give her one note jokes when she can absolutely kill an emotional scene if given the opportunity. A minute long scene of her crying isn't enough to warrant any sort of emotional attachment to her character. I also had a problem with the way she was written, I understand that she is "ghetto" but her use of profanity resulted in shock value that after the first half hour became a lot less funny. The funniest moments of the film where her clever lines that used no profanity. There was a handful of clever jokes the rest were just curse words than while funny will result in no re watch value. Shock value is only good one time around, the writing of the film didn't offer anything for multiple viewings. I also didn't find Sandra Bullock to be all that believable, matter of fact I don't believe any cop in the film could actually be a cop. Luckily, the majority of the film made me forget about that feeling. On the positive note the chemistry between the leads was fantastic, even though the characters were as cliché as cliché gets. Even if you don't enjoy the film you should find enjoyment in the leading ladies interactions with each other. I firmly believe that the actions in the film are much more funny than the dialogue that is presented.

All in all The Heat is a solid comedy that may not stand out, but will give a handful of laughs when other films fail to do so. It may not be clever or witty, but for the first viewing the shock value will do enough to make the film worth seeing for most people.

Verdict: 3 out of 5

Despicable Me 2 Review

In 2010, Illumination Studios warmed everyone's heart with a tale of an oddball villain named Gru (Steve Carell) who through a series of events turns his life around and becomes the parent of 3 adorable orphan girls. In this expected sequel we revisit this new family as Gru's begins his new mission as the good guy in a secret spy organization known as the Anti-Villain League. Though Despicable Me 2 never recaptures the heart of it's predecessor, it offers a slew of laughs and an enjoyable experience for all ages.

 

My biggest gripe with this in particular film is the amount of screen time given to the fan favorite minions. Much like any other kids movie, the cutest and most loveable characters are forced into the frame without any need to be there. This is the case with the minions, I figure they are in at least 95% of the scenes in the film, and most scenes with them didn't work for me. The scenes that did work however is any interaction between Gru and "his girls". Not only where they funny, they added a large amount of heart to the film that for the most part is a mixed bag. The minions being forced into each frame felt forced, and while at times funny, relied on slapstick to get a the youngsters to laugh. They are even an essential part of a razor thin plot, that I felt could of and should of been different. Too much of a good thing, isn't necessarily a good thing and that is the case with the minions. What made the minions so loveable is there subtle way they were used in the first film. This movie may has well been called Minions (oh yeah, that comes out next year). I know a large majority of the population will disagree with me, and that's fine because I understand what they wanted from the film.

Not many people are like me, they don't go into animated films expecting more than a good time. Which means I highly recommend the film to pretty much anyone, even though I found it to be an average animated film. The minions will make people laugh, and there is no character that is ever dull or misused, with the exception of the middle child Edith who is really there to complete the group. You will continue to fall in love with Gru as a father figure, and even have fun with the newer characters like Lucy (Kristin Wiig) or Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt). For a sequel I say, not bad Illumination keep working hard and thanks for an enjoyable film.

Verdict: 3.5 out of 5

Monsters University Review

Pixar shows up this summer season with the prequel to one of their many beloved animated films, Monsters Inc. In this film titled Monsters University, the college years of Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) are revealed to us in a fashion that is all too cliche, for a company that strives to be so innovative.

To go into the story of this film would be somewhat tedious, because I can sum it up in a way that will explain most of the film. Leaving this film my first thoughts were Revenge Of The Nerds with  a Monster exterior, and I firmly believe that is what this film is. The story has the popular kid (Sully), and the unpopular kid (Mike) who eventually are forced to work together in a series of events against the best scare students on campus, exactly like fraternities in a Greeks row battle. Despite some subtle twist and turns the story is the most cliche and lazy story that the company has ever produced. That is not to say everything about the film is poor, because it is enjoyable and offers a handful of laughs (literally maybe 5). Most of which are given to the group of misfits that Sully and Mike get attached to, while the stars lack the opportunity to shine. It was like the quick witted and funny Mike Wazowski that I loved was dulled down into the typical straight man that Sully was in the first film. One straight man is enough, Mike needed to be utilized much more effectively. While the leads advance the plot, the misfits are held in the background, only to pop out to throw a joke now and then. Which would work if the story wasn't so painfully predictable and average. There is also a couple appearances made by Monsters Inc. alums that felt forced and in someways confusing. I can't stand films that rely on nostalgia to enhance a film. Make a good story before you decided to nod the previous films, in this case a film that events happen after this one.

In the end of the day, I found myself watching an average animated film that falls more towards Cars 2 and Brave, than every other film released by Pixar. The last 3 Pixar films are what I consider an extreme rut, one that they have yet to get out of. I don't believe that doing a sequel to great animated films is the answer either. It saddens me that the some upcoming films that Pixar are planning are indeed sequels (Finding Dori). With Toy Story being the only exception to the rule, sequels do nothing for an animated film franchise. Monsters University was unnecessary, forced and not nearly as funny as it should have been. While no animated film this season haven impressed me (Though Epic and The Croods were better than this) both Turbo and Despicable Me 2 rest on the horizon. As for now I will be waiting for Pixar to up its game and get back to what made them great. 

Verdict: 2.5 out 5

Pacific Rim Tracking Poorly

What some people considered to be a huge movie, is tracking to be nothing more than the speed bump of the summer season. Pacific Rim which plot pits giant robotic war machines vs monstrous creatures from the deep, hasn't a couple more hurdles to jump. On paper you may piss your pants with fanboy excitement but that is just the problem, fanboys aren't the majority of people that go to the movies. What the majority of people may go see is a stupid Adam Sandler comedy in this case Grown Ups 2 which opens on the same day as Pacific Rim. I can't explain why Pacific Rim is tracking at a mediocre 30 million and Grown Ups 2 is tracking 40 million I can however read between the lines.

Grown Ups the predecessor of this new comedy, grossed 40.5 million in its opening week, which gives the sequel a better chance to improve on that. As for Pacific Rim, you get what would be considered either a monster movie, or a robot movie. While robot movies have found some success in the form of the transformers trilogy, monsters movies haven't fared very well. While Godzilla (1998) did hold a 44 million dollar opening weekend it was in an extreme downfall from there and ended up grossing 136 million dollars domestically. That could just be the case of a bad film under performing in all categories, but it does say something about the films itself. The films are pure fanboy films, Pacific Rim more so than ever and it may hurt itself in the long run.

What Legendary Pictures Is Saying

Like any bad press start, you have people trying to pick up the trash. In this case Thomas Tull the head of Legendary Pictures, here is what he had to say and what I make of his comment.

Audiences that have seen the movie, love the movie," Tull told me.  "I think in our core audiences and, sort of, the fanboy groups that want to see the movie...we have seen tracking wildly on all of our movies so, at this point, all we can say to audiences is if you go see this movie, you're going to love it and you're going to tell your friends - that's all we can do.  The other stuff, it has almost become like sporting events.  Every weekend, it's so wildly reported on and now even opining about tracking, which is kind of weird to me.  I can tell you, when I was a kid andStar Wars came out, I wasn't like, 'I don't know, the trailer looks cool, but the tracking sucks.'  I don't know what that is."

I applaud you Mr. Tull, for playing it off as if tracking is no big deal. There is nothing wrong with the confidence he has in the film, but to pretend that everything is going well is an absolute lie. I am sure Legendary is shaking in there boots, especially after leaving their partnership with WB. Though Warner Brothers is backing this particular film (a very small amount) a bust will not run well with a company looking to find success. Also though Rian Johnson (Director of Looper) raved about the film, saying it made him feel like a 12 year old boy. The others reviews that have came on board tho mostly positive are not what I would call "loving it". Also yeah feeling like a twelve year old boy is great and all, but a more complex and inventive story would be nice. Nobody is denying that the action of the film and scale will be extremely impressive, but nowadays that doesn't cut it.

Why you shouldn't worry

Just because a film doesn't do well, it doesn't mean its a bad film. Look at last years Dredd, I found it to be a pretty good film even with its poor box office reception. However it's low budget made it still a successful film in the long run. Also this years The Great Gatsby was projected well below it actually performed, but it is a different case. At the beginning of the year if you told me I could see a film staring Leonardo DeCaprio or a Robot vs Monster flick, id have to choose DeCaprio because the latter has a better chance of being bad. If we are lucky it would turn out like Hellboy I and II and it will find its fanboy following, but for sure it won't be one of the more successful films of this year.

Has Pixar Lost It's Touch?

My review of Monsters University will be coming soon, and since I am in the process of moving the blog has been stationary for the last couple weeks, making this post more important than it should be. I want to start by saying that Pixar is still a top class animated studio, and with its past films still warrants the top dog stature it has gained. In my opinion however, Pixar has hit a rut, one that may become more apparent In a few years. It seems as if the originality of their films has become none existent, and they are fast tracking sequels and in this particular case a prequel that is unnecessary. Was Monsters University a terrible? absolutely not, but it wasn't a good one either. It was an average film that falls closer to mediocrity as it becomes predictable and cliché. When leaving the theater Suzanne said to my complaints "It's a kids movie your judging it to harshly." and I promptly replied "when did Pixar make just kids movies?". That is what Monsters University was a kids movie that relied on cheap gags and a lack of wit and charm. I didn't want to see Revenge of The Nerds with a slew of monsters, I wanted another original film.

The last 3 films of Pixar are what I consider "the rut" even though one of them won Best Animated Feature (Brave), which is another rant for another time. Cars 2 is critically known as the worst Pixar film followed by Brave if you are using the Rotten Tomatoes score as the benchmark for which is a better film. For me at least Monsters University is my second least favorite Pixar film, and would fall short of my top 20 animated film list, a list which contains most every Pixar film. Looking at future projects we are given another unnecessary sequel in Finding Dory, and a couple original projects that show some promise. However, in the competitors front DreamWorks has multiple original ideas that sound more promising, along with a somewhat unnecessary sequel to their top film How To Train Your Dragon. With companies such as Blue Sky, Illumination and Aardman continuing to improve, Pixar needs to watch its back before they are bested with more original films by its competition.

I said it from last winter, Turbo (A DreamWorks production) will be the animated film of 2013. With Monsters University not hitting a homerun, the opportunity for Turbo or Despicable Me 2 is in the clearing.

Man Of Steel On Pace For A Big Weekend

Though my predictions for the Rotten Tomatoes were way way off, it looks that the film will exceed at least one of my predictions. I predicted that Man Of Steel would gross 103 million this weekend, and if the numbers are correct it's looking to gross upwards to 125 million. If you add the Wal-mart special screenings with the midnight you have the gross of 21 million, and it has been said through Friday it will have grossed around 56 million. Of course nothing is said and done until Sunday when the reports are released, but Warner Brothers should be happy with those numbers.

It may fall behind the 174 million put up by this years Iron Man 3, but it would be unfair to compare it to that. Iron Man 3 was riding the momentum of The Avengers, one of the highest grossing films of all time. While Man Of Steel is a reboot coming off the under performing Superman Returns. Unfortunately, i believe there is little chance it will return next week as a leader. Newcomers World War Z and more so than that Monsters University should knock the illustrious Superhero down from the top of the food chain. If the film has some legs, via good word of mouth (not from critics) than the film can continue to rack in the cash throughout next month. There is a lot of films coming out that will draw children and adult away from the film. We will continue to watch it as it strives to reach the billion dollar mark.

Movie Review: Man Of Steel (Spoiler Free)

Trey: 4.5 out of 5

Though Ive never been a Superman fan, I now believe that a man can fly. Filled with insane action sequences, great acting and a little bit of emotion, Man Of Steel soars above the summer movie season and offers a film unlike anything I have ever seen. While building an strong foundation for future films and a larger universe. For not being a fan, this is the Superman film I have always wanted to see.

Suzanne: 4.9 out of 5

I am right there with Trey, I have never been the biggest fan of Superman. The one thing that I did like that was Superman related was Smallville and this movie was nothing really like that TV show. But let's get to the movie at hand, Man of Steel. This movie was by far the greatest movie I have seen this summer it was entertaining, slightly comedic and very emotional and overall fantastic.

Overview

This is not the Superman from the 1970's, and is more of a sci fi alien encounter than the superhero films of our past. When Jor-El (Russel Crowe) sends his newborn infant Kal-El to earth before the core of his home planet implodes, and General Zod (Michael Shannon) captures the codex that is traveling with him. The film instantly cuts to an adult Kal-El/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) who is alone and searching for the meaning of his existence on this planet. The film from there continues with varies flashbacks of the childhood experiences of Clark and how he handled his immense power. With Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) hot in his tails Clark is faced with an ultimatum, give himself over to Zod or the whole planet will be destroyed.


Visuals

Trey: Many others and I know that Zack Snyder is a very visual director, and this film utilizes every trick up his sleeve. The CGI is gorgeous and even with an abundance of action and CGI, I never felt like the scenes became tedious. I felt every blow even tho the people delivering them probably couldn't. Amir Mokri really delivered some great cinematography, and the flair and style utilized by Snyder made every scene exhilarating. When Kal-El first took flight my jaw hit the floor, and it was worth every minute.

Suzanne: The visuals in this movie were quite spectacular. I was very impressed by all of the detail of they put into Krypton and how truly amazing the planet looked. The fight scenes were amazing to watch and they looked so beautifully real it was crazy. I was completely floored when Clark Kent first flew, I felt like I could feel the rush with him which was just crazy.


Audio and Score

Trey: I am a big fan of Han Zimmer and his Man of Steel score was pretty spectacular. However there wasn't many different tracks they repeated many. I just believe they were utilized extremely well and added even more excitement to the action scenes.

Suzanne: I loved the score for this movie, it really blew me away. The subtle music throughout the movie really helped to carry the emotions of the actors on the screen and I think that is a very difficult thing to do. It picked up extremely well during the actions scenes as well which just made them that much better.



Acting

Trey: I have no gripes with the acting in the film, if any I felt Shannon was a bit more reserved than id like him to be. Cavill did a tremendous job being this incarnation of Superman. He isn't Christopher Reeve they are very different and I enjoy both versions. Were Reeve was more clumsy and unique outside the suit, Cavill was strong and silent. When he did get to show some charm near the end of the film he did it perfectly, making me believe the end of the film will lead to great things for Cavill in future films. Also another standout for me was Russel Crowe who absolutely kills it as Jor-El. Throughout this entire movie I never once thought about Reeve, or Brando or Terrence Stamp. Each actor portrayed this version of the character phenomenally even with some hokey dialogue. Amy Adams also played a Lois Lane for this age, and made her more than just a damsel in distress, I was rather surprised with how intricate she was to the film. I hear a lot of complaints about how the relationship wasn't there and I feel it just begun. Never once in the film did I feel like they were instantly together even after there kiss and that is perfectly fine with me. This wasn't a love story it was a story about Kal-El finding his path. Also I have a lot of praise towards Kevin Costner as Pa Kent and whoever played Faora.

Suzanne: Fantastic! That is what I have to say about the acting in this movie. Everyone, including a few extras, had amazing performances and I think that is a hard thing to get with movies. I thought Cavill was the perfect choice for Superman, he was rugged and charming and overall a great Superman to watch. Now, his female counterpart Amy Adams also did quite well with her role as Lois Lane. She was quirky and bossy and she played her role perfectly, from the Lois Lane's that I have seen she is definitely my favorite. As for the Kryptonians, a.k.a. Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon, I thought they were quite fun to watch. The way the two of them interacted with each other was very entertaining to watch, even though it was a very short time of interaction. Russell Crowe was bad ass and he completely portrayed his character to a tee, it was spectacular to watch to say the least. I thought with Michael Shannon, having met him at Eberfest, that he was completely the opposite of himself. He was a great villain for this movie and I thought that he was one of the main highlights. The way his character was so angry and crazy about taking over and saving his race was just crazy. Also with Clark's parents I thought they both added a lot of dynamic to the movie, they were both very key emotional parts and they played their parts very, very well.


Story

Trey: This is the portion of the movie that has been getting the most heat for critics and I feel they were expecting something from their past. This isn't the fun loving Superman everyone remembers, this is brand new stuff and good for that. The story was very comic book like and the only complaint I have towards it is that the editing the way it was put together was rather choppy. I felt a linear story could have helped the film, but would make it more like the films of the past. As for an origin story, this is one of the best I have seen. When the film was emotional it succeeded in being that, and when it wanted to be thrilling it was. It was a simple story, but it was an extremely inventive and new way to represent everything from Krypton, to every aspect of the story. I did however feel there may have been a better way to piece the film as a whole together. That is however a nitpick for a film that I feel builds the perfect foundation for future films. While it may not offer the wit and charm of the first Superman films it offers incredible action, likable character and a whole lot of hope. I was with Superman the whole film through every scene and every ounce of pain and agony and I couldn't be happier with it. The way the film ended made me slightly giddy and put Cavill in a very familiar situation that even if you didn't enjoy the film you can see the potential for future success. I agree the essence of the character may not be the same as what everyone from the past believes it should be, however this new Superman is one I will enjoy following throughout his many adventures.

Suzanne: The story for this movie was the beginning of a long journey in my opinion. This is the the very start of the amazing life of Clark Kent and Superman and it was a great start. It is a very good start for audiences to begin to love Superman and follow him just like we have with the Batman Trilogy. I thought as far as filming with the movie it needed less lens flares and not as many close up shots of things we don't really need to see such as the wagon, etc. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the story to be honest.

Movie Review: This Is The End

Overall

Trey: 4 out of 5

When its funny it's hilarious and the majority of the film followed that suit. However to many penis jokes and a bland middle section ultimately turn this disaster film from a great comedy to a good one.

Suzanne: 3.5 out of 5

This movie was pretty hilarious overall and I really enjoyed that fact that they did a light hearted apocalypse movie. I agree with Trey that there were far too many penis jokes (but hey if that's your thing this is the movie for you) and the middle of the movie did drag quite a bit. Other than that a great comedy if you need a good laugh.

Overview

When Jay Baruchel comes to L.A to visit his best friend Seth Rogan, Jay's plans to just chill with his friend are thrown out the window when Seth persuades him to go to a house warming party at James Franco's House. They arrive at the party where Seth meets up with some of his good friends like James, Jonah Hill, and Craig Robinson. Jay however doesn't get along with everyone and feels as if he is being put on the back burner by his would be best friend. When outside the apocalypse begins, whoever survives the chaos outside has to band together and figure out a plan to survive. (Sorry for the overview, that was one of the most difficult overviews I have ever had to write. I didn't want to give away anything but the bare minimum.)


Visuals

Trey: Though much of the film takes place within Franco's house there is a bit of special effects spread throughout the film. When there was some monsters and the wreckage outside for the budget I thought it did rather well. This isn't a blockbuster film but the simple use of the CGI was good enough.

Suzanne: I thought the visual effects were pretty good for this not being a huge movie. They spent a majority of the movie inside which was fine but I wanted them to be outside in the wreckage a little more than they were.

Audio and Score

Trey: nothing to really talk about in this section, however there was some nice musical touches. In particular a perfectly timed and hilarious use of a famous Whitney Houston song, and even the Backstreet Boys. Yeah I said it.

Suzanne: I didn't notice a ton of music in the movie overall but when I did it worked perfectly. They used it for comedy and it was quite amazing and made the movie that much better.

Acting

Trey: When you have people playing the exaggerated versions of their real life selves, the expectations for the acting isn't very high. I believe you will be impressed with whatever characters you end up liking. An example would be I have never been a fan of Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel, and they were the characters I didn't enjoy (Along with Franco). However I loved the performances of Craig Robinson and Jonah Hill, I found them to be the funniest and just overall the most enjoyable. Also I would like to point out the extremely hilarious cameo performance from Michael Cera. I believe it's exactly what he isn't like in real life, but it made me laugh a lot.

Suzanne: I thought that everyone did really well with their end of the world performances. I loved when they showed all of the celebrities at James Franco's party because they each had their own little quirky comedic part and it was great. I really enjoyed the comedic interaction between all of the main characters, Rogan, Franco, Robinson, Hill and Baruchel. I thought everyone was very funny and that really made the movie what it is. And finally I have to give a shout out to Michael Cera for giving a hilarious cameo in the movie that was really different than what we usually see from him.

Story

Trey: I found the story to be most impressive, and much different than what I was expecting. There was some gags (penis ones) that fell flat for me, and they kept adding more and more as the film went on. The best part about the story it added a twist I wasn't expecting, and for every bland scene I was confident they would come back and make me laugh soon, which they usually succeeded at. Mad props to Rogan and Goldberg for writing a funny bromance adventure. The film started out immensely strong, then started to fault in the middle, but redeemed itself in the final 15 minutes of the film.

Suzanne: I thought the story actually came together really well. I wasn't sure going into the movie that it would work very well but it truly did. The only part of the story that I really didn't enjoy was all of the penis jokes, I thought they really over did it with those. I thought that they spent a little too much time in the house but in the end it did work so I can't really complain. Overall the movie's story was really great and really funny.

What's Up With Man Of Steel?

I think most people would admit that the marketing for Man Of Steel has teased a fantastic film that blends drama and action. However with the current standings at Rotten Tomatoes it holds a measly 68% and a 7/10 overall. Reading the reviews the problems become apparent, too serious, too much action not enough charm. Here is my thoughts on the whole situation regarding what was expected to be one of the biggest films of the year.  I want to start by saying I have yet to see the film, just studying what the negative and positive reviews say about the film.

I don't know about you guys but a more serious more action packed Superman film is pretty much what I was hoping for. Yes, I wanted a Nolan style story with emotion and depth and maybe Man Of Steel misses that mark, but I haven't seen Superman punch anyone since the disaster known as Superman IV. Though many reviews have pointed out that it can be very emotional at times, one constant has been the praise towards the scope and action sequences of the film, though a lack of weight and a somewhat repetitiveness within the action has been noted by some. It's a lot of action, literally the last 45 minutes of the film (so I've heard) is pure destruction and sometimes if not done well it can become dull like Transformers 3 did for me. If you love action and that doesn't bother you then you will love the film.

The seriousness has also been a big point of criticism amongst the mixed reviewers. I believe they wanted it to be like the original Superman, which is exactly what Snyder and crew didn't want. Everyone needs to treat this film like a completely new incarnation of Superman, he is tormented and lost he isn't silly and full of life like Reeve's. Stop expecting that and either embrace the new incarnation or don't. You don't need to bash it based on what it is, respect it for it's merits don't compare it to a classic like Superman: The Movie. I feel if everyone went in without seeing Superman the movie, like many of my friends will get too. They will come out with a much more enjoyable experience.

My Superman review will come out tomorrow night after my 7 o'clock showing.

Our Top 3 Favorite Movie Teams

In vein of the new film Now You See Me, Suzanne and I will be listing our favorite movie teams. There is really no credentials as to what is considered a team, besides the fact that they need to be working together. This isn't a top ensembled cast, its a group of people working together to accomplish amazing things. Teamwork is the backbone of society and nothing beats a great movie team. Though one bad-ass hero is great, nothing beats a well oiled team. Here we go!

Trey

3. Charlie And Team (Italian Job 2003)


Though this film is a remake, not many teams are put together as well as this out for revenge team. Every group consist of intricate parts, in this case you have the mastermind Charlie (Mark Wahlberg).  His right hand man the tough guy Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), and the computer geek Lyle (Seth Green). Rounding out this already awesome team is the extremely attractive safecracker Stella (Charlize Theron), and the explosives and weapons expert Left Ear (Mos Def). I absolutely love this movie, and this team is pure awesome. One of my favorite scenes revolves around Seth Green imitating the British gruff accent and suave lady skills of Jason Statham from afar. This is a well oiled machine who completely dominated their final plane to a rousing success. Eat that Steve (Edward Norton).



2. Cleveland Indians (Major League 1989)

I love a good baseball movie and making it a comedy centered around a bad baseball team is always fun to watch. I could have chose something like the Bad News Bears but my favorite baseball comedy is Major League. The key components of this team is an extremely wild flame thrower named Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) and a cocky speedster named Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes). Throw in a burnt out veteran as your straight man, and a over payed loser and you got yourself an awesomely bad baseball team. Lets not forget my favorite player Pedro Cerano (Dennis Haysbert) a spiritual outfielder who can't hit the curveball. This is one of the great baseball movies and it's a shame I have yet to buy it. Now that this post reminded me of this film, I will be looking out for a Blu Ray copy.



1. Cobb's Inception Crew (Inception 2010)

There is a lot to like about Christopher Nolan's Inception, one of those being the tremendous team put together by Miles (Michael Caine). The Leader/ Extractor of the group Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) spends the beginning of the film putting together his team to infiltrate the mind of someone and plan an idea into their head. This team consist of the architect Ariadne (Ellen Page) who designs the dream that the dreamer is put into, Arthur (Joseph Gorden-Levitt) the point man who does research beforehand and helps the extractor and Eames (Tom Hardy) who can imitate and take the form of other people within the dream. Of course their is other members like Siato (Ken Watanabe) who funds the project and Yusuf (Dileep Rao) who is the chemist and created the sedative to keep people asleep. This is absolutely without a doubt my favorite team, they play so well off of each other. My favorite member? Eames of course because everybody likes someone who dreams a little bigger.



Suzanne

3. The A-Team (2010)

I love when A plan comes together, especially when that plan is created by mastermind Hannibal played by the always bad-ass Liam Neeson. The A-team may not have been critically acclaimed but its pretty awesome and the chemisty between the cast is absolutely dynamite. You have of course Liam Neeson whose name says everything about himself, and the cocky ladies man Face (Bradley Cooper, The kooky Murdock (Sharlto Copley) and the tough guy B.A Baracus (Rampage Jackson). The team has a lot of dynamics, and the characters really work well together.

2. Oceans Eleven Team (2001)

This is the epitome of a team, a very large team 11 to be exact. I am not going to list all the team members cause my hands would cramp up and honestly I don't remember all of them. I do however know Danny Ocean (George Clooney), Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon) along with this really cool contortionist fellow. They are so awesome that they don't rob only one casino they rob three simultaneously. Easily, the best 11 person team in movie history.



1. Han Solo and Chewie (Star Wars Trilogy)

There will never be any two team tandem that can overshadow the sheer greatness of Han and Chewie. You have the extremely charismatic and fan favorite Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and the lovable sometimes cowardess Wookie named Chewbacca. I am not all that versed in Star Wars lore, so I wont be given you a breakdown of what a Wookie is or why they make an awesome gargling noise. No matter because everyone knows what a Wookie is unless you lived under a rock your whole life and missed out on one of the great trilogies of all time. If you did somehow miss out turn it on and enjoy this awesome team    
                                                                                    as they travel through space.



Honorable Mentions

Both Suzanne and I both have some honorable mentions, because we each randomly thought of more teams we enjoy. I for one love the new StarShip Enterprise crew with Chris Pine as Kirk and more so Zachary Quintos as Spock. Not to mention one of my favorite comedic actors in Simon Pegg as Scotty and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. I always wanted to mention a more unorthodox team in the form of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), Fox (Morgan Freeman) and the loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine). Suzanne wanted to throw out Harry, Ron and Hermoine as well.