Skyfall Review

Dir: Sam Mendes

Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Ben Whishaw, Javier Bardem

Synopsis: Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

*As always this is a spoiler free review*

 

At its core it is a true James Bond movie but with a lot more story and questions on how far is somebody willing to go? But also about life and death. The movie starts with a pretty cool chase in Istanbul, where Bond after a henchman of the main villain Silva played by Javier Bardem and in the purposes of getting a hard drive that has agents in terrorist group he’s accidentally shot by his partner Eve (Naomie Harris).

 

Bond is thought to be dead, but when something happens and the target becomes M (Judi Dench) and MI-6 headquarters is attacked, Bond comes back from a quiet life living on a beach only to find that he’s not quite the same special agent. The line that really proves that is said by the parliament liaison Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) “There’s no shame in saying you’ve lost a step,” But of course Bond is determined to retrieve the drive and protect M, which brings him into contact with the very dangerous, Silva (that’s the movie in a nutshell)

 

As a spy-action film, Skyfall has everything. Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutiony Road, Road to Perdition) has again proven to be a master of capturing the core of a genre. That follows the amazing script by John Logan (along with Neal Purvis & Robert Wade). But what really makes the movie is that of the great Director of Photography Roger Deakins whose cinematography is gorgeous but also mesmerizing even in some simple shots, I’m looking at you China scenes. Then of course is Adele’s song “Skyfall” which sounds like a true Bond song and works great with the opening credits.

 

But enough about the people behind the camera and let’s talk about the people in front of it. Craig has proven himself to be a terrific Bond (do I dare say the best?) and Skyfall we see just a bit more of the man than the 007 agent. Not bad for a guy that people thought was a terrible choice. Dench’s M has a lot more to do in this than any other Bond movie that I can remember. The movie’s events do center on her and what she did in the past but it affects not just her but everybody, which is executed quiet well by the way.

 

Continuing with the ladies, lets talk about the famous “Bond Girls” shall we. We are once again graced with two in the forms of French actress Berenice Marlohe as Severine and English actress Naomie Harris as Eve. Severine isn’t just another pretty face for Bond to get “acquainted” with. She actually serves a purpose and it’s nice to see they did more with the character than I thought they would. Eve on the other hand is another story. Eve herself is an agent for MI-6 so she’s not taking crap from nobody and proves she can stand tall with Bond, although I wish they used her character a little more.

 

Alright enough girl talk, let’s get the men. A nice addition to the cast was Ralph Fiennes as Mallory who pops in now and then to remind M that she’s on the hot seat for losing the hard drive but also to make sure nothing else bad happens. I kind of wished they used him more but seeing him in the movie and how they use him is pretty cool. We also get the return of Q played by the young Ben Whishaw, okay not extremely young but compared to all the other Q’s he’s the youngest. Q is re-imagined as a computer whiz rather than guy in a white lab coat who gives Bond new toys. One of the things that made Q so interesting was that he has this snobby but charming quality to him and Whishaw makes it work that we like him.

 

Now on to the villain, every Bond movie needs a good villain right? Well this one has it and it’s yet another great performance by Javier Bardem who plays Silva. He’s almost like the villains of old but not going over the top with the cheesy-ness but it’s done for a reason. I don’t want to give too much away on who his character is or why he’s doing but he’s doing but needless to say it was damn good.

 

Now I don’t want to compare Skyfall with past Bond films (especially Craig’s Casino Royal and Quantum of Solace) but the movie does make some subtle references and nods to past Bond movies that eagle-eyed 007 fans (or at least know your 007 films) will catch and maybe at least find interesting and funny. This movie does have its dark tone elements that are done very well and not just thrown in to make the movie darker toned. The movie does have to very humorous lines and moments in there that are perfectly placed and again, make it feel like a Bond film. There is also a lot of great action pieces in the movie but do not take away the essence of a 007 movie.

 

Finally, if you didn’t know any better Skyfall kept like it was last hoorah Daniel Craig (it isn’t if you were wondering). Craig isn’t the oldest actor to play Bond but at times it felt like they were saying “let some young blood take over” but not in a bad way. The movie is great and while some are calling it the best Bond ever (I personally haven’t see every single Bond) I will say it is a damn great addition to the long history. No movie is perfect, it has very, very minor things that bothered me but it’s just me being neat-picky. It going to be interesting to see how Craig and crew bring us more interesting and powerful story Bond’s films but here’s to them to try

Skyfall

4.5 out of 5

Taken 2 Review

Dir: Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3, Colombiana)

Cast: Liam Nessson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Serbedzija

Synopsis: In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.

 

*As always this is a spoiler free review*

 

When word got out that a sequel was in the works for Taken a lot of people asked “Why?” or “What can you do with it?” Well a few years later we have our answer in the form of Taken 2. Now before you go all full or half fan boy on me hear me out. Despite how awesome the first movie was I was hesitant too and when I found out that Olivier Megaton was directing I became a little worried because despite being a some what protégé to Luc Besson (the producer of the two movies) he really has no sense of directing a movie. The fights scenes kind of prove that but that’s just me being technical.

 

Anyway lets get to why you’re really here, Taken 2 looks to be taking place a few years after the events of the first movie opening up with a funeral of those poor souls that Bryan (Nesson) killed in the first movie (flashbacks reminds us how they died). The funeral is lead by the new villain (Šerbedžija) and father of one of the people killed in Taken. We find Bryan in the beginning still trying to reconnect with his daughter Kim (Grace) and ex-wife Lenore (Janssen). Kim of course is still trying to find herself a normal life like getting a boyfriend – which her father knew nothing about – and pretty much the only humor in the movie

 

Bryan gets a job in Istanbul where after he finishes he gets a surprised by a visiting Lenore and Kim. Of course, the Albanians find him and eventually lead to them getting taken. Bryan being the smart man that he is, manages to call Kim to help him from the outside but by doing that leads to Lenore to still being held captive. Bryan of course not letting people like this push him around goes after Lenore and from there it pretty much become the first movie again. Nesson going around and killing anything that moves.

 

Can’t really say much about the performances, they are as good as the first. Nesson plays Bryan the way he did in the first, being a bit overprotective of Kim and always being on guard. His performance by the end of the movie really ties everything we know about the character and how he’s gotten to this point. The chemistry with Maggie Grace, pretty much at the beginning, is really well done and Grace doesn’t play Kim as a damsel in distress or whiny with everything he’s been though but the little doubt it still there.

 

Janssen, despite being a crucial part of the story, comes in now and then but at least she has come screen time then in the first and you actually care what happens to her. Rade Serbedzija plays his villain almost like a grandpa at the beginning because he’s sitting down most the time until he gives these chilling speeches to Lenore and Bryan.

 

The movie does have some “real movie moments” that I think some people will find stupid but again it’s a movie. But, all in all Taken 2 is all about Neeson and being the badass we know he is and the action scenes are pretty descent, one stood out more than the others. It is not as good as the first and some things bothered me (I can’t get over Megaton’s direction) that I know shouldn’t but if you liked the format of the first movie this one is pretty much the same.

 

Taken 2

3.5 out of 5

Looper Review

Dir: Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brother Bloom)

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels

Synopsis: In 2072, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ by transporting back Joe’s future self.

 

*Review Note* As always this is a non-spoiler review and I’m going to say it’s pretty hard because I really loved this movie and I really don’t want to give too much away. If there was ever a movie you need to see it’s this one.

 

Jumping between 2044 and 2074, Looper is about a hit man whose next and final target is himself, whether he likes it or not. Joe (Gordon-Levitt) serves as a “looper,” a hit man tasked with killing and disposing of criminals who the mob wants dead. But these victims come from 30 years in the future where time-travel exists but is illegal. The mob, however, employs it to transport their victims into the past since getting rid of a body is just that much tougher in 2074.

 

Joe’s work is all very mechanical: kill and dispose. However, Loopers aren’t the only bad people in the future because there’s “Gat Men” who are more elite mob henchmen. Loopers have every specific rules and the worst thing a Looper can do is let their loop get away as that brings all sorts of hell down on them. And every Looper knows that at some point, the mob will “close your loop,” or send your future self back for you to terminate. Joe’s troubles begin when his older self (Willis) is sent back for him to kill, but promptly escapes. Besides being sent back to get killed Older Joe has his own very specific mission in 2044, one that leads him to a young mom named Sara (Blunt) and her little boy, Cid (an impressive Pierce Gagnon).

 

Looper is sci-fi movie –with the time travel and all- but sometimes it doesn’t fell like it. It’s set in a future that is familiar and relatable, one determined by economic and social problems (like poverty). There’s also cool hover bikes, but only a few can afford them; otherwise, people drive 30-year-old cars. There are looters and homeless on the streets, and not much in the way of law enforcement. The most popular drug, which young Joe is addicted to, is used like eye drops. The landscape of the major city we see have some sci-fi-ish stuff to it, there are some cool gadgets used even Loopers’ weapon of choice is old school, the Blunderbuss. Genetic mutation of telekinesis exists, but it’s not as exciting as you’d think, and that’s as far as I’ll go with that but the movie is more on the characters and the choices they have to make.

 

Rian Johnson does a great job laying out his story and giving the audience enough to to keep us guessing on what exactly is going on and what makes the characters tick. What he does with the Joe character is pretty interesting, obviously I won’t go too into detail because it’s something that really needs to be seen.

 

The performances in the movie are by far the best thing in Looper and the majority of that that falls upon its two leads Gordon-Levitt and Willis. Gordon-Levitt who is covered in makeup entering the second half of the movie is almost unrecognizable but never really reaches that point where we’re supposed to believe he’s a younger Bruce Willis.

But it’s replication of Willis’ mannerisms, attitude and low, slightly mumbling voice that sells at certain moments. Willis plays more of a supporting role here, but he has several key scenes (often with little dialogue) that allow him to shine and dare I say almost steals the movie. Some of his best moments come in a diner scene with young Joe. Which is also probably one of the best scenes in the movie.

 

Blunt is nicely cast as single mom whose complicated relationship with her little boy becomes even more so about halfway through. Blunt is mostly know (at least to American audiences) as a funny or somewhat prissy English character, and she’s clearly having fun playing someone more damaged than her other roles and it almost at least for me weird to see her put on a full blown southern accent.

 

Jeff Daniels steals his scenes as young Joe’s mob boss and father figure Abe, while Paul Dano and Garret Dillahunt have small, but memorable roles as colleagues of young Joe’s. Piper Perabo appears as a stripper and single mom young Joe is…well he knows her

 

Looper can go down and probably will go down as one of the year’s most engaging sci-fi films, one that works as both a thriller and maybe a character piece about people faced with making big life decisions.

 

Looper

5 out of 5

Dredd Review

Dir: Pete Travis (Vantage Point)

Cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey

Synopsis: In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO

 

*Review Note* Lets just say the 1995 adaptation of Judge Dredd with Sly never happened okay? Alright now we can move on. Also, if you saw The Raid try to ignore the fact that this has almost the same plot.

 

For those unfamiliar with Judge Dredd, it was based on the 2000AD comic series created by John Wagner that was set in a dystopian future, where most of America has become a radiated wasteland. On the East Coast lies Mega City One, a walled metropolis, with 400 million citizens and where crime has become a regular thing. The only thing that stops them is The Judges – individuals invested with the power to sentence and punish criminals on the spot. This is where Dredd comes in, he is the most famed and famous Judges in Mega City One.

 

The movie does a pretty good job establishing the city in the beginning with some overview shots despite its modest budget (you’d be surprised to know this isn’t really a big budget studio film). The skyline of Mega City One is dominated by City Blocks, gigantic 200 storey apartment complexes, housing the poor and warring gang factions. It’s within one of these blocks that almost all of the film takes place. Dredd (Urban) investigates a routine triple homicide with a rookie named Anderson (Thirlby), who failed her examination to become a judge, but is given a second chance thanks to her psychic abilities. Almost as soon as Dredd and Anderson get there they get locked within the complex by Ma-Ma (Headey), a psychotic prostitute-turned-overlord of the building.

 

One of the other things Dredd does a good job at, some better moments than others, is the violence and action. Whenever we see one of the many baddies in the way of Dredd and Anderson’s mission we see them suffer some pretty nasty fates. This is where the 3D kicks in by the way (the 3D in general was great especially in the action scenes) at one point, blood from an exit-wound splashes over the edge of the frame, almost as if it’s trying to splatter the audience. Some of the action is also very sudden and hardcore that if you blink you’ll miss it.

 

On to the performances, Karl Urban makes for a great Dredd. His grizzled voice and intimidating presence makes him seem almost unstoppable in the movie. Urban never slows down and breaks his character even when he delivers some witty one-liners and when he enforces the law. Now, I know at the beginning I said I would not mention that other movie but the decision to leave the helmet on for the entire film, wait for it, works! It keeps us at a distance and makes him more mysterious especially during a key scene with Anderson very early on in the film. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone does some sort of character study on him (some are calling the movie that already).

 

 

Olivia Thirlby’s Anderson is the complete opposite from Dredd because she’s much more sympathetic and emotional one of the two. She’s not just along for the ride, however, meting out her own form of justice, and using her psychic abilities in some interesting ways. Then there’s the villain of the movie, Lena Headey who plays Ma-Ma the disfigured prostitute who worked her way to be the uncontested boss of complex. Although she’s not a physical threat for Dredd she has her moments in other places but really is there to move things along.

 

The movie isn’t without flaws (really is there any movie out there?) I think most people will have a problem with the use of the SLO-MO drug effect. Even though some of the SLO-MO moments are done really well and are beautiful to look at, it does slow down the movie (yes I know that sounds stupid). There’s some moments that probably could have been better but not enough to ruin the film or experience.

 

All in all, Dredd is a great gritty, hardcore, action movie that has some really good action pieces and uses 3D in a great way (not saying you absolutely have to watch it in that format). The films soundtrack also makes the movie standout even more during its intense and dramatic scenes and sticks close, in tone terms anyway, to the comics.

Dredd

4.5 out of 5

My Best/Worst/Disappointing Movies of the Summer

Well another Summer Movie Season has come and gone and it’s time to put together the list of the best, okay and worst movies. Keep in mind, this is MY list and in no means an official list (of course everybody is entitled to their own opinions).

 

Worst/Disappointing

Chernobyl Diaries (worst): I had my doubts at the start but as always I kept an open mind, unfortunately I should have kept my doubts and passed on this. Horror movies don’t usually make a splash during the summer (because let’s be honest who wants to see a horror movie in the middle of the summer?). Despite having Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity series) as a prouder and writer the movie didn’t really have the “ump” that I wanted. Instead we got a cliché horror movie that I regretted watching.

 

Total Recall: Now, saying I was excited for this movie would be a down right lie. However, seeing the movie did have its moments and probably the best thing of the movie was Kate Beckinsale (guys you know what I’m talking about haha).

 

Snow White and the Huntsman: Visually the movie was great, some of the performance, more specifically Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron, were also great. Hell I didn’t mind Kristen Stewart playing Snow White but the movie was just kind of meh for me. The movie had some slow moving parts and had some great moments but the end result was again just meh.

 

Okay

Battleship: Yes, Battleship made my list for the reason that I can put over the fact that is was a fucking board game!! Anyway, Battleship had its moments and was a dumb fun summer movie.

 

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Although a lot of people thought the name and concept was stupid (don’t get me started on that and I don’t think people knew it was based on a book) if people gave the movie a chance they probably could have had fun with it. I loved the book and thought it was an interesting concept and although the movie was almost nothing like the book the final product was good enough for me.

 

The Amazing Spiderman: I’ve admitted that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the reboot since it was only 5 years ago that we got Spiderman 3. However, the movie was better than I thought it was going to be but I would have liked to see the actual “untold story” that Sony was promoting. Nonetheless, Garfield did a great a job at portraying Peter Parker and his chemistry with Emma Stone really made me care for them.

 

The Bourne Legacy: I love the Bourne series and when I heard Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass weren’t going to return I was a little hesitant for them to continue the series without them. But, when Jeremy Renner became attached and they weren’t going to reboot I was all in again. The movie itself was no Bourne Ultimatum (the best of the original three if you ask me) but a pretty good standalone piece if they don’t continue.  

 

The Possession: Labor weekend is known for releasing a horror movie and a lot of the times it’s hit or miss and this one, at least for me, was a hit. The movie worked more as a drama about the family going through a divorce and then having their little girl get possessed by an evil Jewish spirit. What made The Possession work for me was the things like lighting which all in all made the movie a lot more creepier than if somebody else directed it.

 

 

BEST

The Avengers: Okay let’s be honest, we all knew this was going to be a crapshoot because it could have gone very wrong but lucky for us we got Joss Whedon behind the camera and he gave us the movie we wanted and deserved. But of course it was a sight to see some of our favorite superhero fight side by side after soo many years of build up.

 

Prometheus: Every year there is a movie that people talk a lot about and unfortunately sometimes people hype up too much they get disappointed by the end product. I think Prometheus was one of those movies this year. However, for me the movie was very well made and had an incredible cast with great performances and a movie that had me asking questions and thinking (which most movies hardly do)

 

Brave: Pixar’s first period movie and first movie with a female hero did an amazing job capturing the world of old Scotland. The visuals for Pixar also just keep getting better and better (Merida’s red hair was amazing to look at) and despite the “hidden” meaning that she was a lesbian (yes that was the meaning people got) the movie was as emotional as their other movies.

 

Ted: Every now and then I go watch a comedy and have a lot of fun. However, I’ve noticed that within the last few years there has been stand out, almost surprise hit comedies (Horrible Bosses was that said movie last year). This year Ted is that movie because I haven’t laughed so loud in a movie theater since Bosses, of course from creator Seth MacFarlane what else can you suspect.

 

Moonrise Kingdom: One of the nice surprises this year was the limited release of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. Anderson witty humor might not be everyone’s cup of tea but Kingdom will be one of those movies down the line people hoped to see in theaters.

 

The Dark Knight Rises: The final of Christopher Nolan “Dark Knight Trilogy” was an emotional and fitting end that deserves to named one of the best trilogies of all time. It’s rare that a comic book movie become more than just a comic book movie but a great film that just happens to have one of the best comic book characters even written.

 

The Expendables 2: Just looking at the cast and knowing the kind of movie I was walking into, I know I was going to enjoy myself. The action was over the top and more brutal than part one and it didn’t take itself too seriously which was nice to see. Of course seeing Chuck Norris on screen (arguably one of the best parts for me) next to Arnold and everyone kicking ass was a sight I will never forgot.

 

Lawless: August usually doesn’t end with a high note but Lawless proved that wrong. Filled with great performances by Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Guy Pearce the movie was great and had moments for intense violence that shocked and surprised me (which is very almost hard to do).

The Expendables 2 Review

Dir: Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft, The Mechanic)

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Yu Nan, Scott Adkins, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger

Synopsis:  Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.

*Review Note* First, lets face it we don’t watch The Expendables 2 for the acting or story. We watch it to watch stuff blow up, the cheese factor and see all of our action heroes on screen. So just put that stuff aside and forgive me if I start gushing in this review. Okay? Okay, let move on. Also, as always this review will have no spoilers.

 

Simon West takes over the directing duties from Sly for The Expendables 2 is the large cast, action epic all of us action fans had hoped for with the first film. The plot is simple enough: The Expendables (Stallone, Statham, Lundgren, Li, Crews, Couture and new team members Hemsworth and Nan) lose one of their own during a mission overseas.

They then seek revenge against the new villain Jean Vilain (Van Damme) and his army, who managed to get his hands on six tons of weapons-grade plutonium. It’s up to the team to stop him and help with some new friends (and other badasses) Trench (Schwarzenegger), Church (Willis), and Booker (Norris). Simple right? Like I said, you’re not watching for the story.

So how does the action lover’s dream team and the movie do? Well they don’t disappoint. This time around the movie is bigger, bolder and more badass than the original. The movie does what the first should have done more and has some dumb fun with itself. The movie is more tongue and cheek and with names like Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Norris you know jokes from their movies and online jokes will happen.

So let’s just get to the nitty-gritty stuff shall we, the action is hard hitting and almost over the top this time around. From the opening sequence rescue of a kidnapped billionaire to the climactic sequence in an airport pitting the entire lineup against one another, and the hyped about brawl between Stallone and Van Damme.

As for the characters and actors, Van Damme is for me was a bit meh here. It was nice to see him play this sleazy villain named Vilain but it does look like he’s enjoying himself playing a bad guy. Liam Hemsworth brings some heart and soul to the movie with his sniper character Billy the Kid and Yu Nan holds her own playing the only woman in the team and kicking the same ass with everyone else. The funniest part of the movie was of course Chuck Norris, I mean come on its freaking Chuck Norris (won’t go too much into his character because it must be seen to fully appreciate it). Willis and Arnold get more to do in this one and it is kind of fun to see them together on screen especially their Smart Car gag.

As for the rest of the crew, Lundgren, Crews, Couture are given more to do this time around and we get to know them a little more. Statham and Stallone are as good maybe even better than in part one. Li even gets a pretty badass fight scene this time around.

The Expendables 2 isn’t a “great” movie, some scenes run pretty slow and don’t necessarily take away from the movie but it would have been nice to see it speed up a bit. The other thing that bothered me was more of technical level were the movie seems to be out of focus and even have a grainy feel. I don’t know if that was West’s approach to making this movie seem older than it really was or what.

All in all, this movie wasn’t a masterpiece and by no means a great film but for action fans (like myself) everything we wanted from the first one, a bunch of are favorite action heroes and stars on the big screen blowing and shooting up stuff and beating the crap out each other was definitely here.

The Expendables 2

4.5 out of 5

The Dark Knight Rises Review

Dir: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine

Review Note: This review will contain NO SPOILERS from this movie but will contain one or two spoilers from The Dark Knight (really no other way around it and only to really explain the movie). So if for some reason you haven’t seen The Dark Knight then read this review after you watch Rises. Other than that please be aware that I will be completely honest in this review, despite me be a “fanboy” and huge Batman fan that doesn’t mean I’m going to sugar coat the movie (doesn’t mean the movie isn’t good). Also, figure me if it’s a little disjointed because I’m very tired.

 

Selina Kyle/Catwoman: You don’t owe these people any more! You’ve given them everything!
Batman: Not everything. Not yet.

 

What a better way to explain what Christopher Nolan has done with his Dark Knight Trilogy. Nolan has not just given us a great trilogy, dare I say one of the best of all time, and not just great Batman movies but one of the best superhero trilogy’s that we may ever see.

 

The film finds an older Bruce Wayne, with a cane and all, (Bale) who has “given up” the role of The Batman and exiles himself in Wayne Manor. Bruce hasn’t donned the cape and cowl in the eight years since Harvey Dent died and he took the fall for his crimes. Bruce is also still dealing with the death of Rachel and is trying to get sucked backed into the real world by his loyal butler Alfred (Caine) and friend Fox (Freeman).

 

Of course, eight years is a long time and in Gotham, everything can go wrong. Two new threats take advantage of the “years without Batman” one being the cat burglar Selina Kyle (Hathaway and who is never referred to Catwoman) and Bane (Hardy), a masked terrorist with a brutal plan for punishing Gotham City that involves trapping its people within their own borders. The only ones that can stop him is the returning Batman and the GCPD, specifically Commissioner Gordon (Oldman) and newbie officer John Blake (Levitt)

 

Now before people start getting on their high horses and say The Dark Knight Rises will not be as good as The Dark Knight, it’s really not fair to compare the two for various reasons that I won’t get into here in the review. Now if you had to really compare one of the movies Batman Begins is your movie. Bruce is approaching middle age (small detail of having grey streaks in his hair) and, Alfred reminds him, he isn’t living his life. He’s simply alive. He’s not moving on from the pain he’s experienced, he’s not looking for love or even doing much to help others. Alfred, being the father-figure reminds him how lovely Wayne Enterprises board member Miranda Tate (Cotillard) is, hoping that romance and perhaps even a family of his own someday could help him become the man his parents would have wanted.

 

Performance wise, Bale gives his last performance as Wayne aka Batman and does the role justice as he’s trying to figure out how to deal with everything around him. However, the show stealers for me in this movie are Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. Throughout the trilogy they have played mentors, father-figures, loyal friends and this movie we see that in full force. Oldman’s Gordon is almost a broken man reaching the breaking point of living with the truth about Harvey Dent and is driving people away, but he finds in Gordon-Levitt’s Officer Blake the optimistic, honest, and do-gooder cop he probably started out as himself. As Blake, Gordon-Levitt plays him pretty well enough that we care for his character but nothing super extreme that makes him stand out until the time calls for it.

 

Now on to Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman um I mean Selina Kyle, she is definitely a presence whenever she’s onscreen and she has great chemistry with Bale which makes their scenes more fun to watch. This is of course a more realistic take on the character than the famous portray of Michelle Pfeiffer’s 20 year version, yet this Selina Kyle retains some key traits (the sly humor, the sexiness, the fighting prowess and stealth) that fans love about the comic book character. Selina may be the good bad girl, the thief with a heart of gold (a Robin Hood reference is made), but Hathaway manages to make it her own character and makes us love her.

 

Tom Hardy’s Bane is a muscle-bound, remorseless, and straight out badass like his comic book counterpart (let us forget the horrible Batman and Robin one shall we). Hardy probably had the hardest job of all of them (next to Hathaway fitting in the skin tight black suit, not complaining) giving Bane a very menacing voice over his tight mask. Along with the majority of his performance having to be done by his body language or eyes (not many can pull that off). Of course Hardy’s Bane is the only villain in the Nolan movies that gives Batman a real fight both physically and mentally which was nice to see in the final chapter.

 

For a nearly three-hour-long movie (which if I had to have a complaint that would be it), The Dark Knight Rises actually moves along pretty fast at the beginning but then does slow down to tell the real story of what’s going on. Would it have been nice to see some of the more emotional scenes get a few more seconds? Sure but the scenes were pretty strong enough. However, when the action kicks in, oh man does it kick in especially with Batman’s new toy The Bat, which has more than enough screen time if you were worried and when it’s in the air it pretty cool. One of the big action pieces (besides the first Bane/Batman fight, which is brutal and what we’ve been waiting to see) is the battle in the streets with Bane’s army against Batman and all the cops in Gotham. The way it’s shot just makes it look like all out mayhem.

 

Like all the other Nolan Batman movies, the best way to watch this is in IMAX, however with Nolan shooting over and hour of footage in IMAX the transitions between IMAX and the other is almost distracting. Nonetheless, the action in IMAX is worth the price of admission.

 

All in all, Christopher Nolan and his team have delivered the best and emotional chapter in their Batman saga. I’m not going to lie I did tear up a bit, of joy and sadness that we will probably never see other Batman movies like these.

 

The Dark Knight Rises

5 out of 5

My Summer Movie Season List

*Update* I was suppose to release this before Avengers came out but I forgot, my bad

So the Summer Movie Season is upon us and like every year I’m here to tell you the movies that I’m looking most forward to. Not only that but I’m going to do a little extra this year and give you movies that I’m so so about (let’s call them the meh movies), the small releases that you might not here about, and the movie I’m not sure or excited for. So let’s start with the small releases shall we.  (These are movies from May to August, since that’s the Summer Movie Season)

Limited Releases

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: The movie has a great British cast and looks pretty damn funny. Downside, comes out the week of The Avengers

Snabba Cash (Easy Money): Thanks to the success of Safe House, young director Daniel Espinosa’s Swedish movie is going to get released here in the states (word going around that’s it’s pretty good). Other than Espinosa directing, the movie stars future Robocop and AMC The Killing stat Joel Kinnaman.

 

The “Meh” Movie

Ice Age: Continental Drift: Why did I put this on the list? Well I do need a break from fast-paced action movie right? Maybe, but I do like the Ice Age movies and although the last one was just okay this one seems to be “the last one” (yeah right)

Men in Black 3: Nothing against the MIB movies, I’ve quite enjoyed them but something about me doesn’t scream “I want another one.”

Premium Rush: Although this is later in the season (some might not even consider it a summer movie) the movie looks interesting to say the least. Joseph Gordon Levitt stars as a bike messenger caught up in something bad. The movie probably won’t be his hit movie his summer (Looper will probably that movie or Dark Knight Rises)

 

The “Not Sure” Movies

The Amazing Spider-Man: I didn’t think it would be possible for me to be capable of seeing another Spider-Man after that horrible job Sony did on Spiderman 3. Anyway, after seeing the first trailer (not teaser) I was sparked with some interest. Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) is playing the famous web swinger with a supporting cast with the likes of Denis Leary, Rhys Ifans (playing Dr. Curt Connors/the Lizard) and the lovely Emma Stone as Peter Parkers first real love Gwen Stacy. If the next trailer is good then Sony might have changed my mind on this.

*Update* The third trailer actually convince me to go watch the movie and be somewhat okay to go.

Total Recall: Just to throw it out there, THIS MOVIE SHOULD NOT BE REMADE, okay moving on. The movie itself is nothing like the Arnold movie, which the team behind it said from the beginning, BUT what made the Arnold movie good was (besides being an Arnold movie) was that it based of freaking Mars. I’m not going to bash the movie before seeing it because I’m not the type of person (majority of the time, sometimes I can’t help myself). Will I see it? Most likely yes *sigh*

 

The Big Ones

The Avengers: All these years of build up are finally going to end, the moment every nerdy Marvel fan has been waiting for. One of the most anticipated movies this year is also kicking off the Summer Movie Season. Count me in.

Battleship: “You snuck my Battleship!” So what happens when you bring a board game and make it a big Hollywood summer action blockbuster? That’s what we’re going to find out this summer. Also, if you’re a person that thinks this movie is nothing like the game answer me this, Would you really want to watch a movie about two kids sitting down playing the game? Or do you want a different fun interpretation?

Snow White and the Huntsman: Who thought someone can come in and make a fairy tale into an epic action movie? Well it looks like that’s finally happening with Snow White. Despite, some people not liking Kristen Stewart as Snow White (mainly because of her Twilight fame) we can’t be to quick to judge. The movie also has Charlize Theron as the wicked queen and Chris Hemsworth as the titled Huntsman.

Prometheus: Ridley Scott is back with the Alien franchise and it looks BADASS. I have to say this might be my most anticipated movie this summer because I have no idea what can happen in some weird way (it is a prequel after all). But the movie does look like a fun ride. Add the incredible cast and this has my money

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Does the title sound ridiculous? Yeah, but the movie looks pretty damn cool. Based on the book, I’m pretty excited since I was a pretty big fan of the book and some of the stuff from the trailers looks different from the books which gets more me more excited because I don’t know what they will change or take out.

G.I Joe: Retaliation: How can you make a better sequel despite the first one being so bad? Easy, replace the lead (Channing “I Can’t Act” Tatum) and majority of the cast with The Rock and Bruce Willis AND make it a real action movie. Some will have their doubts but I’m pretty damn excited.

The Dark Knight Rises: The last of the Nolan Batman movies is finally here and we couldn’t be happier and sad at the same time. While many of us are happy some people are asking if it could pass The Dark Knight. Only time will tell but we can grantee that it’s going to be good

The Bourne Legacy: When I heard that Damon/Greengrass wouldn’t return and that they would go forward without them I had lost hope. But, when I heard the cast and idea come together I was okay. The teaser also helped the cause by showing nothing but still making me interested.

Savages: I’ll be honest I knew nothing about this movie before the trailer came out and I have to say I really liked the trailer. It really didn’t look like an Oliver Stone movie and the cast is actually pretty damn good.

Ted: To be honest I actually didn’t know where to put this movie. I like Seth MacFarlane and the idea seems kinda funny and there’s a pretty great comedy cast. Problem is this can turn into one of those movies that “seems good on paper.”

The Expendables 2: While some think the first movie was a letdown (in some cases it was) it didn’t stop Sly from bringing back the crew for another go around. Add Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Jean Claude Van Damme, and Scott Adkins then maybe this is what the first was meant to be.

Lawless: Tom Hardy sure has a big this year huh. The movie also sounds pretty good, set during the Depression-era, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits. Along with Hardy, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, and Shia LaBeouf (okay maybe not him so much) the cast and setting/story sounds like a win.

So that’s the list, Agree? Disagree? So-So? Let me know

 

The Avengers Review (no spoilers)

Dir: Joss Whedon

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Tom Hiddleston

Synopsis:  Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.

Okay, first let me get my fanboy out. I’ve seen all the Marvel movies connected to the Avengers and all those years of going and anticipation paid off. Also, I’m not going to give much (and I mean that) because I feel it’s one of the movies you have to watch to appreciate it more, so let’s move on.

The real basis of the movie is Loki (Hiddleston) has arrived on Earth, intent on conquering humanity with an alien army to back him up (It’s NOT THE SKULLS/KREE, Whedon said it months ago). Facing the threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Jackson) puts the long-gestating Avengers Initiative into action, gathering together Iron Man (Downey Jr.), Captain America (Evans), Thor (Hemsworth) and Hulk (Ruffalo) to defend the planet. But putting together all these heroes together in one room as you might suspect is a little difficult.

So who better to bring all of them together? The ultimate nerd/fanboy director Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, Serenity/Firefly). If you’re a fan of his (like me) you can tell where they Whedon-ness come out in the movie but also how much of a fan of the comics he is especially the way he treats the characters. From Steve Rogers’ no-nonsense approach, to Tony Stark’s humorous narcissism, to Thor’s straight forward mission attitude. However, the other thing Whedon did, which is something he’s used to doing anyway, is being able to do something that most superhero movies mess up, and that’s balance all the characters in the movie (I’m looking at you Spider-Man 3). Each character has their moment to shine, including Black Widow, who we get to know more of and see the true badass from the comics (also we see how she fits in the group along with Hawkeye which is making his first real appearance in a Marvel movie).

Also a brief thing I want to mention is pretty much what other reviews are saying. The standout moments come from the banter between the characters (including the fighting), Tom Hiddleston performance as Loki who just like Thor gave an amazing performance. However, who steals the show? Mark Ruffalo’s take on Bruce Banner/Hulk, and as much as I and other people wanted Edward Norton to come back but Ruffalo did a damn good job.

On the action side, the movie has some pretty great sequences early but they save it all for the final act in New York when the alien forces come and face off against The Avengers. If you think the commercials give too much away, trust me it doesn’t, the last act truly is what we all have been waiting for, all of them together kicking some ass.

Lastly two things, 1) for those wondering about the 3D, it’s fine (I saw it in 3D) but if you can avoid, you won’t be missing much. 2) Some people are complaining there is too much talking in the movie, yes the movie does have a good chuck of dialogue but it’s done for a reason and not just to have the characters talk. Trust me the talking is done for a reason.

All in all, Marvel’s build up to one of the biggest movie experiences went off without fail and like always stay for the credits and after the credits, THAT’S RIGHT there is too extra scenes. One is definitely for the comic book fans, which will leave non-comic followers saying “What the hell” and the other is just…well just stay after.

The Avengers

5 out of 5

Award Show Winners

It’s time boys and girls to see who you picked for the winners of this Award show. I have to say thank you for all of you that voted this year, I actually received a lot more votes than last year which made me pretty happy. Like always to avoid long list of nominees again I will only put the nominees that got votes and then the winner. I’ll also give my little thoughts on the winner or winners (since there were A LOT of ties this year) so onward to the votes

BEST ANIMATED MOVIE

WINNERS:

1) The Adventures of Tintin

2) Puss in Boots

Gnomeo and Juliet

Rio

Kung Fu Panda 2

Rango

Thoughts: I only three animated movies this year and two of them are actually the winners and only choosing one as the best is pretty hard. I’m glad however that Tintin and Puss in Boots got the wins.

BEST HORROR MOVIE

WINNER: Insidious

Paranormal Activity 3

Fright Night

Scream 4

Final Destination 5

The Thing

I Saw the Devil

Thoughts: I really liked Insidious and out of all the movies on this list I would have picked Insidious, PA3 and I Saw the Devil (although it never got a wide release). Insidious actually had me nervous and gave me chills while watching it.

BEST COMIC BOOK MOVIE

WINNER: X-Men First Class

Thor

Priest

Captain America The First Avenger

Thoughts: X-Men: First Class can be said to be one of the biggest surprises of this year and I’m one of those that believe that. First Class was a great comic book movie and one of the best performances of the year by Michael Fassbender.

BEST FIGHT

WINNERS:

1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Wizards vs Voldmorts army

2) Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Apes vs Humans

3) Fast Five: Dom (Vin Diesel) vs Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Harry vs Voldemort

Colombiana: Cataleya (Zoe Saldana) vs Marco (Jordi Molla)

Drive: Driver (Ryan Gosling) vs Hitman (Elevator Fight)

Warrior: Tommy (Tom Hardy) vs Mad Dog

Season of the Witch: Monastery Fight

Priest: Priest (Paul Bettany) vs Black Hat (Karl Urban)

X-Men: First Class: X-Men vs The Hellfire Club

Immortals: Gods vs Titans

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: Sherlock Holmes vs Assassin

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: Sherlock Holmes vs James Moriarty

Thoughts:  This year was a good year for movies but also a good year for fights and as you can see from the winners it was pretty hard to pick just one. The Harry Potter good vs evil fight was one that they have been building up for a while now and it delivered everything we expected. Another fight that delivered the good was The Rock vs Vin Diesel in Fast Five, a pretty brutal fight scene that had a lot of people cheering and on their seats. Of course the last was humans vs apes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The takeover on San Fransisco was a great experience to see and some of the best moments of the year for me.

BEST VILLAIN

WINNER: Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Tom Hiddleston as Loki – Thor

Jason Flemying as Azazel – X-Men: First Class

William Fitchner as The Accountant – Drive Angry 3D

Terence Stamp as Thompson – The Adjustment Bureau

Cate Blanchett as Marissa – Hanna

Ghostface – Scream 4

Albert Brooks as Bernie Rose – Drive

The Creature – The Thing

Karl Urban as Black Hat – Priest

Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw – X-Men: First Class

Jared Harris as Professor James Moriarty – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull – Captatin America: The First Avenger

Thoughts: The One That Shall Not Be Named will most likely go down as one of most popular or best villains in movie and book history. While I liked Fiennes performance as Voldemort I actually liked Hiddleston’s Loki in Thor and Fitchner’s The Accountant in Drive Angry.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

WINNERS:

1) Kat Dennings as Darcy – Thor

2) Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hayden Panettiere as Kirby – Scream 4

Courteney Cox as Gale – Scream 4

Marion Cotillard as Dr. Leonora Orantes – Contagion

Robin Wright as Erika Berger – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Thoughts: I have to say the supporting actress roles this year were scattered everywhere and I actually like Dennings performance as the comic relief Darcy in Thor and was probably the best one this year.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

WINNERS:

1) David Tennant as Peter Vincent – Fright Night

2) Jamie Foxx as MF Jones – Horrible Bosses

3) Jude Law as Dr. John Watson – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

4) Stellan Skarsgard as Martin Vanger – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stephen Dorff as Stavros – Immortals

Nick Krause as Sid – The Descendants

Simon Pegg as Benji – Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Jay Chou as Kato – The Green Hornet

Timothy Olyphant as Henri – I Am Number Four

Ramon Rodriguez as LT. William Martinez – Battle LA

Sung Kang as Han – Fast Five

Nick Nolte as Paddy Conlon – Warrior

Thoughts: Usually it’s the women giving great performance but at least for me it seems that the men bought their A game for the supporting roles. I agree with the winners but I also feel that Nick Nolte gave a great performance in Warrior and of course The Rock in Fast Five.

 

BEST ACTRESS

WINNERS:

1) Shailene Woodley as Alexandra King – The Descendants

2) Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

3) Noomi Rapace as Madam Simza Heron – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter – Captain America: The First Avenger:

Michelle Rodriguez as Tech Sergeant Elena Santos – Battle LA

Rose Bryne as Renai Lambert – Insidious

Saoirse Ronan as Hanna – Hanna

Neve Campbell as Sidney – Scream 4

Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique – X-Men: First Class

Elle Fanning as Alice – Super 8

Bailee Madison as Sally – Don’t be Afraid of the Dark

Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark – The Help

Thoughts: Woodley surprised me in her role in The Descendants (as did the movie as a whole) and Mara surpassed my expectations as Lisbeth Salander in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The other performances that surprised me was actually Bailee Madison in Don’t be Afraid of the Dark. Although the supporting roles were a bit off but the staring roles shined this year, great job ladies.

BEST ACTOR

WINNERS:

1) Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr – X-Men: First Class

2) Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Jason Sudeikis as Kurt – Horrible Bosses

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America – Captain America: The First Avenger

Alex Pettyfer as John/Number 4 – I Am Number Four

Aaron Eckhart as Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz – Battle LA

Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller – The Lincoln Lawyer

Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert – Insidious

David Arquette as Dewey – Scream 4

Andy Serkis as Caesar – Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Chris Hemsworth as Thor – Thor

Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Matt Damon as Mitch Emhoff – Contagion

Jude Law as Alan Krumwiede – Contagion

Ryan Gosling as Driver – Drive

Thoughts: The women bought their A-game but so did the men this year and Fassbender was the man leading the charge with performances in X-Men and other films like Shame and A Dangerous Method. However, Fassbender wasn’t along in the comic book great performance, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth gave great performances as Captain America and Thor. BUT, I thought Andy Serkis gave the best performance this year as the ape leader Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes even though you never see his face.

BEST DIRECTOR

WINNERS:

1) David Yates – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

2) David Fincher – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Steven Soderbergh – Contagion

Gavin O’Connor – Warrior

Jonathan Liebesman – Battle LA

Kevin Smith – Red State

Brad Furman – The Lincoln Lawyer

James Wan – Insidious

Wes Craven – Scream 4

Justin Lin – Fast Five

Matthew Vaughn – X-Men: First Class

Guy Ritchie – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Brad Bird – Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Takashi Miike – 13 Assassins

Thoughts: David Yates closed the Harry Potter series in a great way and David Fincher bought us a pretty damn good remake of an already great movie. I also liked what Brad Bird, Matthew Vaughn and Justin Lin did in their movies and Takashi Miike beautiful and bloody direction in 13 Assassins.

So there are your winners that you chose. What do you think? Do you agree with what other fellow movie goers voted on? Let me know down in the comments.