Rock of Ages (2012)

To the Summary!
In rocking 1987 LA, Sherrie arrives to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer.  There she meets Drew, a bar back at The Bourbon Room with dreams of stardom all his own.

To the Cast!
Julianne Hough - Sherrie Christian
Diego Boneta - Drew Boley
Russell Brand - Lonny
Alec Baldwin - Dennis Dupree
Bryan Cranston - Mike Whitmore
Catherine Zeta-Jones - Patricia Whitmore
Paul Giamatti - Paul Gill
Tom Cruise - Stacee Jaxx
Malin Akerman - Constance Sack
Mary J. Blige - Justice

To the Deeper Thoughts!
I really liked this movie.  A movie full of 80s classics framing a story of love and loss in 1980s LA?  I'm in!

Based off of the musical of the same name, Rock of Ages is just a fun movie.  I've not seen the musical, but after seeing the movie, I would really like to.

Not much to the movie, really.  Sherrie comes to LA looking for fame.  Instead she finds Drew and the rest of the characters at The Bourbon Room.  Then there is the former rock groupie, turned wife of the mayor Patricia Whitmore.  She wants to shut down The Bourbon Room, because sex drugs and rock and roll are all bad.  Throw into the mix Stacee Jax's final performance as a bid to save The Bourbon Room, and the stage is set.

Really not too many deep thoughts to go on about with this movie.  Its nothing fancy, nothing flashy.  Just a good simple movie with some great music.  Give it a watch.  If you like 80's tunes, and Tom Cruise going full 80s rocker, then this film is for you!

Iron Sky (2012)

Um, I can't even muster the strength to write a review on this.  Its bad.  Really bad.  And my standards are pretty low as it is.

Nazi's escaped to the moon in 1945, and in 2018 they are ready to take over the Earth.  Oh, and the president is Sarah Palin (or a really good send up of her).  And, she's bat shit crazy.

Space zeppelins towing asteroids for cryin out loud!

FACEPALM!

Partial redemption for a Wing Commander joke.

Its bad.  Just stay away.  Please.  I warn you.

A little after watching, I've decided that this movie is still bad.  But, if you can take a few jokes about America (this is a German-Finish-Australian film)  and some jokes about those countries, its not going to be a complete waste of time.

Um, ya.  Glad I rented this one...

Les Miserables (2012)

To the Summary!
In 1800s France a man given leave from prison, only to be hunted across the years by a cop who is convinced that the man will continue to be a criminal.

To the Cast!
Hugh Jackman - Jean Valjean
Russell Crowe - Javert
Anne Hathaway - Fantine
Amanda Seyfried - Cosette
Sacha Baron Cohen - Thenardier
Helena Bonham Carter - Madame Thenardier
Eddie Redmayne - Marius
Aaron Tveit - Enjolras
Samantha Barks - Eponine
Daniel Huttlestone - Gavroche

To the Deeper Thoughts!
My first exposure to Les Miz was when I played in high school for the marching band.  If memory serves we played 'Work Song/At the End of the Day' 'One Day More' and 'I Dreamed a Dream.'  There was also a cool part where some of us took turns running a giant red flag about 30 yards in, I dunno, something like 20 bars.  That was fun.  Also that year, the band took a trip to NYC to see Le Miz on Broadway.  It was my first Broadway show, and I have seen it once more since.  I also have the soundtrack, so its safe to say I'm a fan.

Ah, memories.

So, I was very excited when I heard that there was going to be another film adaptation of the play.  And this time, a musical!

From the moment the first notes of 'Work Song'  and the opening scene, I was hooked into this movie.  Granted the stage show is awesome.  However, seeing 6 guys on stage swinging pickaxes is NOTHING compared to seeing hundreds of people pulling a French warship into a dry dock.

Visual win.

I thought the performances were spot on even if Adam Lambert was a little, lets say, harsh in his thoughts on the performances.  Newsflash Adam, Hugh Jackman has performed on Broadway... singing.  Moving On.

Back to the performances.  Anne Hathaway BLEW me away with her performance of 'I Dreamed a Dream'.  Another high point for me was the performance of 'One Day More.'  For whatever reason, I've always enjoyed that song, and to see it done the way it was here was breathtaking.

I can't really complain about any of the performances.  I'm no singing expert, but if there was one complaint it would be Russell Crowe.  Not that he was a bad singer, but it was... different.  Of special note are Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the Thenardier's.  Their roles are always a bit silly, and I think these two were a great choice to fill the roles.  Their performance of 'Master of the House' brought laughter throughout the theater.

At 2.75 hours, there is pretty much nothing left out from the musical.  Some bits were shortened, but others lengthened so it all worked out.

Go see this.  If you are a fan of the musical, a fan of historical fiction, or a fan of great movies, you should check this out.

I give this 13/15 musical numbers.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

To the Summary!
Bilbo Baggins, a rather ordinary Hobbit, is chosen to go on an adventure to help the Dwarves reclaim their homeland.

To the Cast!
Ian McKellen - Gandolf
Martin Freeman - Bilbo
Richard Armitage - Thorin
Ian Holm - Old Bilbo
Elijah Wood - Frodo
Hugo Weaving - Elrond
Cate Blanchett - Galadriel
Christopher Lee - Saruman
Andy Serkis - Gollum
Sylvester McCoy - Radagast

To the Deeper Thoughts!

At long last, we have the prequel to The Lord of The Rings.  The Hobbit tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, uncle to Frodo.  See, Bilbo was a quite little Hobbit, enjoying good food, good drink and the quiet of his little Hobbit hole.

That is, until Gandolf shows up.

Gandolf is in the company of a group of Dwarves.  And the Dwarves need help.  Turns out when you have a whole underground cavern filled to bursting with gold, Smaug the dragon will come and take up residence.  Understandably, the dwarves are upset by this and aim to re-claim their home.

To do this, they require the help of a thief, in this case Bilbo.  Not sure what he has to steal, but we have two other movies for that.

There's a party, some traveling to Rivendell, some Trolls, and Orcs, and oh ya.  That Gollum guy.  Then the movie ends, so lets get ready for part two!

I liked this.  I felt it was right up there with The Lord of The Rings.  Which makes sense given how  pretty much everybody came back to work on this film.  Visually this is a stunning movie.

Speaking of visuals...

I declined to see this in 48fps 3D.  I enjoyed it in good old fashioned 2D.

Now, lets be honest.  The one part we were all looking forward to in this movie.  The meeting between Bilbo and Gollum.  This was a great scene.  Subtle and not to overplayed it was a great re-introduction to Gollum.

Its tough to write a decent review for this one.  Being the first in a trilogy, you can't yet judge the whole.  But, so far, we are off to a good start.

Skyfall (2012)

This review is For Your Eyes Only, as it contains massive state secrets, also known as spoilers.

To the Summary!
James Bond faces his most personal attacks yet, as the one family he knows comes under attack.

To the Cast!
Daniel Craig - James Bond
Judi Dench - M
Javier Bardem - Silva
Ralph Finnes - Gareth Mallory
Naomie Harris - Eve
Berenice Marlohe - Severine
Albert Finney - Kincade
Ben Whishaw - Q
Rory Kinnear - Tanner


To the Deeper Thoughts!
Bond, James Bond has returned.  Making a triumphant return to the screen since the lackluster Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig once again holsters the Walther to fight the enemies of Queen and Country.

We join Bond in pursuit of a hard drive that contains a list of all NATO agents embedded in terrorist organizations.  Chasing an assassin through, well over, Constantinople Bond ends up fighting him on a moving train.  His partner in this mission, Eve, is tracking them and finally has a (not clean) shot.  With little remorse, M orders Eve to take the shot.  She misses and Bond is presumed dead.

Cue the opening credits and the requisite song.  All I will say here is that Adele knocks it out of the park.

We rejoin the world of Bond three months later.  He's been hiding in some island country, playing drinking games with scorpions.  That is until he hears about an attack on MI6.  He breaks into M's flat, and declares he wants back in.  MI6 has done the reasonable thing and retreated in the tunnels below London.  Bond is tested, and although he fails, M declares him fit for duty to her boss, Gareth Mallory.  After a fitting out by Q, Bond starts chasing down to clues, and those clues lead to Raul Silva.

Raul Silva.  It is easy to make the argument that he is the now the greatest villain in the Bond film cannon.  He has quite possible the greatest entrance ever.  Descending from an open air elevator, Silva starts telling Bond how best to get rid of a rat infestation.  Short form:  get the rats to eat each other until there are only two left.  And here we have our two rats.  See, Bond was not the first agent that M left for dead.  Silva was once an agent in Hong Kong that went bad, and M turned him over to ensure a peaceful transition of Hong Kong back to Chinese control.  And here we have a similarity to Bond.  Bond could have easily made the decision to get revenge and work for the bad guys, or to set himself up nicely.  As Silva did when he hacked into MI6 and rigged an explosion.  That's right he used a computer to rig an explosion.  Gives you an idea of the kind of bad guy we are facing here.  An enemy who has no known affiliation, and lives in the shadows; who can strike anywhere.

So, obviously Bond has captured Silva and brought him back to the MI6 secret base.  Except, Silva has planned for this.  Q gets to work on hacking Silva's computer, but wait!

Its a trap!

Ahem...

Silva executes one hell of an escape and heads to some governmental building where M is giving testimony as to why MI6 should even still exsist.  Well, the stuffed shirts are about to get a lesson.  Silva barges in and starts shooting the place up.  Bond shows up, and with the help of Eve and Mallory, force Silva to run.  Bond decides to get ahead of Silva, and takes M to his childhood home in Scotland, Skyfall.  Oh, and they get there in THE Aston Martin DB-5.  If you don't know what I mean, go watch Goldfinger and Thunderball.

The final battle at Skyfall is nothing short of epic.  Devising some pretty cool bobby traps (including said car) Bond, M, and the groundskeeper Kincaid, fight off the first wave of Silva's men.  But then Silva shows up in a helicopter with more.  Losing ground fast, Bond blows up the castle, taking out the helicopter and more of Silva's men.

Tracking Kincaid and M to the onsite chapel, Silva corners M.  He attempts to get M to kill themselves, but at the last minute Bond shows up, kills Silva and declares: "Last rat standing."

And then it got dusty in the theater.  Having been shot earlier in the battle, the stress and blood loss are too much for M, and she dies.  Side note: just prior to the movie, my wife and I were talking about who should replace Judi Dench as M.  We get that answer very soon.

And so begins my favorite sequence in the film.  Bond is standing on the top of MI6 as Eve shows up and presents him with a ceramic bulldog that used to sit on M's desk.  Eve suggests that perhaps its a message from M to Bond to take a desk job.  Bond states that it is quite the opposite.

Walking into a room with a familiar coat rack, Eve says she is not cut out for field work, and that she is taking another assignment.  Oh, and her last name is Moneypenny.  And then the door.  The door with the leather padding from so many Bond films opens, and you see that first glimpse into The Office.  Tanner (M's Chief of Staff) walks out, and tells Bond "He's ready to see you."  Bond walks in to see Mallory behind the desk as the new M. M tosses a file at Bond and says: "We have work to do."

This has got to be the best of the Criag Bond's, and quite possibly one of the greatest of all.  If Casino Royale was a bump, and Quantum of Solace was a (weak) set, then this is the spike.  Bringing back familiar elements (Q, Moneypenny) and setting up a new world of evil for Bond to fight, this movie declares that Bond is back.

Also, this is the 50th anniversary of the Bond film franchise.  So, there were subtle reminders and tributes throughout.  A few of my favorites:

1. Q telling Bond to return the gear in one piece, and that they don't do exploding pens anymore.  Hell, all the exchanges between Q and Bond were fantastic and reminded me of past Bond movies. (Goldeneye, et al.)
2. Bond escapes from some Komodo dragon's in a very familiar way (See Live and Let Die)
3. The Aston Martin DB-5.  Need I say more?

There were many others, but these are my favorites.

Skyfall is a hell of a movie.  I think its the first that has a chance of some acting Oscar nominations, especially for Javier Bardem.  He just plays Silva with the right amount of sinister, mixed with the right amount of crazy.  He approaches the edge of campy, but then steps back.

I LOVE this film.  It is a high note for the franchise.  I can only hope the next chapter can carry this wave of momentum.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

To the Summary!
Five college kids head to a remote cabin for a weekend of intense studying and higher learning.  Or they head there for a weekend of drinking and partying.  Either way, nothing is as it seems.

To the Cast!
Kristen Connolly - Dana Polk
Chris Hemsworth - Curt Vaughan
Anna Hutchison - Jules Louden
Fran Kranz - Marty Mikalski
Jesse Williams - Holden McCrea
Richard Jenkins - Gary Sitterson
Bradley Whitford - Steve Hadley
Amy Acker - Wendy Lin
Sigourney Weaver - The Director

To the Deeper Thoughts!
What if you have a horror film where, quite literally, everybody dies?  How does one approach this in a meaningful and believable way?  You create a mythos where the world has been offering sacrifices to the Ancient Ones so they don't rise and take the world over and reshape it in their image.  Obviously you don't use willing sacrifices   You create elaborate scenarios where the intended victims chose the manner of their demise.  Oh, and you try to manipulate the situation so that you can ensure everybody dies.  But watch out for that left hand plot turn, cause it turned everything on its collective head.

I really liked this movie.  I'm not generally a horror film fan, so I almost gave this a pass.  I started hearing good things about it though, and that it had the involvement of Joss Wheddon.  So I gave it a go; and I was glad that I did.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

As always, standard spoiler warnings apply.  Read at your own risk.

To the Summary!
Eight years after the death of Harvey Dent, Gotham City is virtually crime free.  Batman/Bruce Wayne is in seclusion; Wayne Enterprises is running out of money, and a new threat arrives in Gotham City with a plan to save it by destroying it.

To the Cast!
Christian Bale - Bruce Wayne AKA Batman
Tom Hardy -  Bane
Gary Oldman - Commissioner James Gordon
Anne Hathaway - as Selina Kyle
Marion Cotillard - Miranda Tate
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - John Blake
Morgan Freeman - Lucius Fox

To the Deeper Thoughts!
How does one top one of the greatest modern super hero movie franchises?  If theatrical history has taught us anything, three is a dangerous number.  X3 and Spider-Man 3 both had their share of plot and antagonist issues.  Additionally, how does one top your own, best entry into a film franchise?  The Dark Knight was (and is) hands down one of my favorite films of all time.  Here, check my Flickchart, and you'll see that The Dark Knight is number 1.  But, The Dark Knight Rises comes in at 43.  Which doesn't mean much, as Flickchart still suggests I rank both of those with five stars on other sites.  In talking with some co-workers who have seen The Dark Knight Rises, we all agree that The Dark Knit edges out based solely on the performance of Heath Ledger.  But that's a post for another time.

There are two performances I would like to highlight here.

First, Tom Hardy as Bane.  I have seen and read a lot of criticism aimed at the clarity of Tom Hardy's voice. To be honest, I could understand him just fine.  I feel that it added a bit of menace to the character.  He made you want to sit up and listen to what he had to say.  He made you want to respect him.  Now, this moves to my next point.  He was massive.  I was seriously afraid of Bane.  He was huge, he had power and he know how to control it.  You can best see this in his first battle with Batman.  As Batman is going all out, Bane takes him apart.  And then he breaks him.

All during the lead up to this film, a co-worker and I had a range of theories of how this movie would play out.  Our favorite was that the movie would end with Bane breaking Batman, with a smash cut to black, followed by the credits.  Talk about a gutsy end, right?  But I do like how they did it, even paying homage to the comic.  When I found out what Bane's mask did, I was a bit underwhelmed, but given the restrictions of Nolan's universe it fit.

Second, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle.  The best word I can think of to describe her performance is understated.  I can't (and won't) compare her to Michelle Pfeiffer's take on the character.  I think that Anne Hathaway brilliantly plays the role of the thief looking for redemption, or at the very least a fresh start.  She plays all the sides she needs to in order to survive, and right up to the end, you're never really certain who she is working for.

Also of note is Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake.  When he was first announced, I posited that he might be playing Robin. (I swear!  It was my fist thought about his role!)  Turns out I was right.  Kinda.  Given a lot of the discussions throughout the movie, I'm more inclined to believe that Blake takes up the cowl, and stays Batman.  Regardless, I would watch a movie starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the Nolan Batman universe.

Christian Bale once again turns in a fine role as Bruce Wayne/Batman.  I've never been bothered by the 'Batman growl' that others have complained about.  Bale does tortured well; and in this movie Wayne is plenty tortured.

I'm going to wrap this up.  I've already dropped some minor spoilers, and am quickly approaching the point of major spoilers.  I know I've given the warning, but I really don't want to ruin it for those that have not seen it.

I felt this was a fitting conclusion to the trilogy.  In many ways everything came full circle.  Was it the best of the three?  I still don't know.  Heath Ledger lent a lot to The Dark Knight.  Tom Hardy comes close to Ledger's performance.  I think final judgement will have to wait for a second viewing.  If you liked the others, you will at minimum like this one.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

I'm going to get something out of the way right off the bat.  There will be no comparison to Spider-Man (2002).  As far as I am concerned the two films have nothing to do with each other.  Also, give Marvel's propensity for multiple universes, I choose to believe that these two Spider-Men movies exist along side each other, never to interact.


Savvy?  Then lets proceed.


To the summary!
Peter Parker moves in with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben after Peter's parents discover that his dad's office has been ransacked.  We fast forward to a Peter who is attending Midtown Science High School.  He takes photos, gets picked on, and is an all around nice guy.  He learns a bit about his parents past, and sneaks into Oscorp's (yes as in Norman Osborn) headquarters.  He goes where he shouldn't and gets bit by a super spider.  Que transformation montage.  He gives a bit of help to Dr. Curt Connors, a former co-worker of his father's.  Dr. Connors now has the keys he needs to create the serum required to grow back his arm.  Pressured into human trials, Dr. Connors tries the serum on his own arm and finds it works.  But, it turns him into The Lizard.  Peter learns of this, and since he helped created The Lizard, he feels the responsibility to stop him.  He does, but not without losses along the way.  Movie ends with promises of a sequel.


To the cast!
Andrew Garfield - Peter Parker aka Spider-Man
Emma Stone - Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans - Dr. Curt Connors aka The Lizard
Martin Sheen - Ben Parker aka Uncle Ben
Sally Field - May Parker aka Aunt May
Dennis Leary - Captain Stacy


To the deeper thoughts!
I liked this movie quite a bit more than I was expecting.  Andrew Garfield was a great choice to play Peter Parker.  I thought he nailed the uncomfortable, geeky, nerdy aspects of Peter.  Once he was transformed Garfield nailed the snark of Spider-Man.  I also enjoyed how they seemed to include all of Spider-Man's abilities with the webbing.  Speaking of the webbing.  I know in the comics he creates his own shooters.  Which he does here, and was a really neat sequence of the film.  But this was one thing that always bugged me.  He gets ALL the powers of a spider, except web generation?  But I got over it quickly.


Emma Stone was great as Gwen Stacy.  I must admit, I'm not all to familiar with her source material, other than she came before Mary Jane Watson.  And as far as her father.  Played perfectly by Dennis Leary, they are drawn into Spider-Man's world rather quickly, and both of them come to accept and help Peter/Spider-Man in their own time and way.


Of course there was a Stan Lee cameo.  Lets just say this was one of my favorites.


Short aside about Aunt May and Uncle Ben.  I've always been a fan of Martin Sheen and I thought he and Sally Field were great choices for Aunt May and Uncle Ben.  There is the obligatory Uncle Ben power speech and death.  Both of which were done differently than we've seen before.  And done well.


I have no doubt that there will be a follow up.  I'd like to think that they won't go straight to Green Goblin, but the end of the film seems to point that way.  I would like to see Kraven the hunter myself.  A very different villain for the new films.  Heck, I'd throw The Rock in as my choice to play him.  I'd also like to see Venom brought back and done better (ok, so I made one reference to the other films)  Its clear that they will have some old favorites in the next film as well.  I think this is a great start to a new series of films, and I look forward to the next installment.

Dark Shadows (2012)

Many years ago, there was a soap opera that dealt with vampires, werewolves and other denizens of the night.  The name of this show was Dark Shadows and it went on for almost forever.  Correction, it only ran from 1966-1971 but since it was daily, it seemed like it was forever.

But this has nothing to do with the show.  This is a review of the Time Burton directed film adaptation of the same name.

Johnny Depp plays Barnabas Collins, heir to the Collin's family fortune.  The Collins' family was a rather rich family who came to Maine in the 1700s to start what became a fishing empire.  In 1772, Depp earns the ire of his former mistress, Angelique (Eva Green) by declaring his intention to marry his true love Josette (Bella Heathcote).  But it turns out Angelique is a witch.  So, doing the only sensible thing, she kills his parents and turns Barnabas into a vampire.  Barnabas is then buried in a coffin until...

We are now in 1972.  The Collins' family is...not doing well.  Let's review the remaining major players in this drama shall we?

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfieffer) - Family matriarch
Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller) - Elizabeth's brother.  General pain in the ass
Carolyn Collins (Chloe Grace Moretz) - Daughter of Elizabeth.  Secret of her own
David Collins (Gulliver McGrath) - Son of Roger.  Sees things.
Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) - David's shrink.  Obsessed with Barnabas.
Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley) - Collinswood's caretaker.  Barnabas's thrall.
Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) - the reincarnation of Josette; David's governess

Barnabas's coffin is dug up by a crew looking to build something commercial.  As he is... hungry, lets say the construction workers don't make it past this scene.  Barnabas then finds his way back to Collinswood to see it in its less then stellar condition.  He endears himself to Elizabeth by showing her a secret vault of treasure.  Que the Collins' ascent back into power.

But wait!  You didn't think it would be easy, did you?  Angelique has been kicking around Collinsport running her own canning and fishery business, putting the Collins family in its dilapidated state.

Its at this point Barnabas wants to hold a ball, which is now apparently called a thing.  Carolyn comments on how the situation is weird, and all they would need is Alice Cooper.

Cue Cooper!  I was really surprised and pleased that they got Alice Cooper to appear.  He performed 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' and 'Ballad of Dwight Fry'.  Both very good choices for the movie.  Carolyn did the intro to 'Ballad', which was appropriately creepy.

Didn't I mention that Julia (the shrink) was obsessed with Barnabas?  Well, in her search for a cure to Barnabas's condition, she was instead shooting up the blood she took from Barnabas.  We won't be seeing Julia any more in the movie.  Here's a clue: she sleeps with the fishes now.

Eventually it all comes to a head with Angelique.  She gets the town to turn on the Colins clan once again.  As the towns people storm Collinswood, Barnabas and Angelique come to blows.  As they battle in the mansion, Angelique begins to take the upper hand.  That is until, Carolyn's secret power is revealed.  With her help (and the ghost of David's mother) Angelique is defeated.  Everybody lives (mostly, except Victoria who is turned into a vampire by Barnabas)(but at least she 'lives')  Yay!  Happy ending...ish.

Except... Julia awakens at the bottom of the sea.  She's a vampire too!  Sequel?

I liked this.  It was dark, goofy and entertaining.  The music was all pitch perfect.  My wife, who watched the show like it.  I liked it, and had never watched the show.  So either way, give it a shot.  You just might like it; its got a lot to bite into.

The Avengers (2012)

Now that I've seen The Avengers for a second time, I feel more prepared to offer a review that sounds a bit more coherent than 'OMG!' and 'THAT WAS THE AWESOME!'


Quick word... There will be spoilers, of this I am sure.  Be warned.


To the cast!


Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark AKA Iron Man
Chris Hemsworth as Thor, God of Thunder
Chris Evans as Captain Steve Rogers AKA Captain America
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow
Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner AKA The Hulk
Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson AKA Agent Coulson
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye
Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill
Tom Hiddleston as Loki, God of Mischief
Stellan Skarsgard as Dr. Erik Selvig
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD


The movie opens with the evacuation of the Joint Dark Energies Laboratory.  Remember that glowing cube from Captain America?  Let's call it the Tesserect and oh ya, its apparently a doorway. As Hawkeye so eloquently points out, doors swing both ways.  Enter Loki.


See, Loki is a little pissed that his brother Thor cast him out of Asgard.  Loki is given the power of a Tesserect like staff and the promise of an army of creatures known as the Chitauri.  Loki gets to conquer and rule Earth, while the Chitauri gain the power of the Tesserect.  Nothing major, right?


Director Fury will have none of this.  He decides to activate the Avengers Initiative, which will bring together our heroes of the previous films.  The Council (Fury's bosses) are not pleased with this.


But, this, of course, does not go as planned.  The way in which our hero's come together is through conflict with each other.  And the conflict is good.  Thor v. Iron Man, Cap v. Thor.  Lots of smashing fun.


We all gather on the Helicarrier (spoiler: its awesome).  Loki works his devious ways and splits the team again, causing more hero on hero action.


Spoiler: Thor v. Hulk = awesome.


Its at this point the main event starts to kick off.  The Chitauri are invading.  Stark Tower is providing the source of the power for the gateway.  Time to destroy a good chunk of New York.


This last action piece of the film is superb.  One of the best parts is where ego maniac Iron Man effectively gives control of the battle to Cap.  Cap expertly doles out roles, telling Hulk to smash.  And smash he does.


Eventually, when all looks like it is lost, The Council decides to nuke Manhatten.  Fury has none of this and blows up the plane carrying said nuke.  Gotcha!  There are two planes taking off.


Iron Man grabs the missile from the second plane and takes it through the portal, blowing up the main Chitauri ship.  Portal closes, battle over, Avengers go their separate ways.  Roll credits. 


But wait!  What is this scene in the middle of the credits?  Could it be a spoilerific preview of who will be a future bad guy?  It is.  Enter: Thanos.


I know little of Thanos, but I'm sure he will be a good villain to face off against.


Summary:  I really, REALLY enjoyed this film.  I look forward to the next series of the Marvel movie universe.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

So, this came out the other day.  Not gonna lie.  It looks like things are pretty bleak in Gotham.  I have a couple of thoughts on the plot based on this trailer, but I will reserve those until I see the movie in July.

Looks like a fitting end to the Nolan chapters in the Batman universe.

The Hunger Games (2012)

So I went and saw The Hunger Games last week. Right off the bat, my wife who has no knowledge of the series really liked the movie, which is a sign at how well they handled it.


Oh... FYI, we may get spoilery here, so be warned.


So, I have read the book, my thoughts on which can be found here.  I thought that the movie was a pretty faithful adaptation.


Visually, the movie was amazing.  I thought they captured the look of Panem really well.  In particular, I thought the Capital looked spot on.  Casting was pretty good too.  I really liked Woody Harrelson as the mentor, Haymitch.  Elizabeth Banks was spot on as Effie Trinket.  Effie is an interesting character.  She so blindly buys into the world of the Capital, its painful.  This is most noticeable on the ride from District 12 to the Capital.


As for Katniss, I thought Jennifer Lawrence was spot on.  She fit the look perfectly, and she pulled off the role with ease.  Also of note was Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, her costume designer.  Not quite what I envisioned when I read the book, but very well done.


I was worried too with the violence.  Given its PG-13 rating, I was worried that it might have been toned down or avoided, but it was not.  So this made the battle scenes in teh Games themselves that much more exciting.


I liked it.  I know there are people who rage on and on about Battle Royale vs. Hunger Games.  Can't speak for Battle Royale, but everything is derivative of everything these days.  Judge each on their own merits.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

New Avengers trailer!!!!!!!!!

Yup, I am supremely  stoked for this.  A lot.

2012 In Movies - A Look Forward (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a list of movies that I am looking forward to in 2012, ordered by release date.  I’m may not make a point to see all of them, but I consider this a list of big releases that you should consider if you’re thinking of venturing to the cinema.

Snow White and the Hunstman (June 1) - This is Snow White tale I am looking forward too.  Mostly based on cast (Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman; Ian McShane, Charlize Theron as the Queen).  It looks like a bit of a darker tale, so it should hold my interest a bit more I think.

Rock of Ages (June 1) - I'd list all of the awesome that is starring in this adaptation of the play based in the days of 80s hair metal.  I would if I wanted to break the internet, so I'll refrain.  Needless to say I am very excited to see this movie.  The preview alone was awesome; full of 80s cheese and awesome.  Can't wait to see it

Prometheus (June 8) - I've lost track as to weather or not this is an Alien prequel.  But I don't care.  The trailer looks pretty good.  I mean, its Ridley Scott doing space horror/suspense.  This is one I WILL make a point of seeing in the theater.  I get the feeling its scope and grandeur will only be make more epic on the big screen.

Jack the Giant Killer (June 15) - I'm not sure as of yet how I feel about this.  The tale of Jack and the Beanstalk is one that would be ripe for this kind of telling; and the trailer looked pretty nice.  Just not sure yet if it will be family friendly or not.  Although, it has another strong cast, so that may be points in its favor.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22) - I picked this book up on a whim one day.  And LOVED it.  I'm a huge fan of alternate history, so this was right up my literary alley.  Then, I heard they were making a movie!  I was dubious at first, but the more I think about it, the more I am looking forward to this.  Its Abe Lincoln.  Fighting VAMPIRES.  What else does one need in a movie?

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (June 29) - Things go boom.  More things go boom.  Perfect summer movie brain candy.  It will be nice and light in preparation for...well, not the next movie, but the one after it.

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) - SIGH.  I know that reboots are the rage right now, but this one seems just a BIT soon.  At least they are not re-doing Green Goblin, but finally showing us The Lizard, which they teased in the first three movies.  The trailer looks interesting.  Plus Martin Sheen and Sally Field can't hurt anything.  I think I will need to reserve judgement on this one until I see it.

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20) - And. Here. We. Go.  Probably the movie that I am most looking forward to (after The Avengers).  The trailer looks strong, the plot seems to be coming together.  I've had many a discussion with co-workers about how this could all play out, and I think I will be partly right.  In the interest of un-intentional spoiler's however, I'll refrain from sharing.

Total Recall (August 3) - Another re-make.  I did not think the original was all that great, so I am curious to see how this plays out.  Collin Farrell stars, so this should be interesting.


The Expendables 2 (August 17) - Its The Expendables 2.  Hopefully 2x the awesome as the first.  I may not see this one on the big screen, but it will be awesome.


Dredd (September 21) - I sense many fanboys losing their minds about this.  I know that the Stallone Judge Dredd is not held in high regard.  Not knowing the source material, I've always enjoyed it.  I'll be very interested to see how this one plays out.


Red Dawn (November 2) - Another movie I am very curious about.  I like the original, so it will be interesting to see how they play this version out.


Skyfall (November 9) - The next Bond movie.  I am VERY excited about this.  I know Quantum of Solace left a bad taste in the mouths of many (myself included); but I think they have no where to go but up.  Daniel Craig said recently that the writers strike damaged Solace, which makes sense now.  I'm a big Bond junkie, so this is another must see for me.


Les Miserables (December 7) - This story has already had one screen adaption done starring Liam Neeson (I have yet to see it).  This version though is PACKING in the talent.  Hugh Jackman as Valjean!  Russell Crowe as Javert! Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen as the Thenardier's!  Done.  Look for me in the theater!


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14) - I was not a fan of the book.  I have a feeling I will like the film FAR better than the book.  The trailer looks fantastic.  I'm still not sold on the idea of splitting it, but that may change once I see this part.


And there you have it.  The films I am looking forward to this year.  I'm sure there will be others that sneak up on me throughout the year, but it looks like I'll be at the local multiplex quite a bit over the next year.

2012 In Movies - A Look Forward (Part 1)

This is Part one of the list of movies I am looking forward to in 2012.  Its ordered by its release date.  Also, there are some movies that I've included here that I will not necessarily see, but I wanted to offer my thoughts on its release.


Underworld: Awakening - Kate Beckinsdale returns to the role of Selene.  Now she fights humans as well as the Lycans.  I'm looking forward to this, I've always enjoyed the Underworld movies.


The Grey - Liam Neeson is part of an oil team in Alaska, whose plane crashes.  Wolves hunt them.  I'll watch pretty much anything with Liam Neeson.


The Women in Black - This is here because I'm curious to see what Daniel Radcliff's first post-Potter role will turn out to be.  Judging from the preview, it looks pretty good.


Safe House - From the trailer, it looks like Dezel Washington is being bad ass.  Pair that with Ryan Reynolds as a junior CIA agent and I'm pretty much sold.


Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - IN 3D!!  And, no.  Maybe I'll see some of the later episodes in 3D, but this one?  No.


John Carter - Again, the trailer looks pretty good.  Apparently there was this guy from the Civil War that was transported to Mars.  Leads a fight.  Movie looks good.


The Raven - John Cusack as Edger Allen Poe?  I'll buy it.  This apparently tells the tale of Poe's last days as he tracks a murder.


Mirror, Mirror - No, they are not making that Star Trek episode into a movie (although that would be cool) but this is the first of two Snow White themed movies this year.  This one stars Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, and upon further review, that is the only reason I would watch this movie.


The Hunger Games - Probably the first movie on this list I am really looking forward to.  I  only first read the books about a year ago, and was surprised at how much I liked them.  The cast for this movie looks pretty strong too.


Titanic - Laugh at me if you must.  In fact, take a moment, I'll wait.  Done?  Alright then, moving on.  I like this movie on a visual level.  Its big, and can only really be enjoyed from that aspect on the big screen.  Plus, the fact they are releasing a 3D version makes me that much more interested.


The Three Stooges - This just looks FUN!  That's all I need.


The Avengers - Need I say more?  If there is one movie I am waiting for, THIS is it.


Dark Shadows - This looks... Interesting.  I've never seen the show, so I have no idea if this movie is a good idea or not.  Johnny Depp stars, and well, I can't say no to a movie with him in it.


Battleship - I refer you to my earlier comments about how I will watch anything with Liam Neeson.  Plus, it looks like a big, loud action flick.  And that's just perfect for a movie like this.


Men in Black III - This does not look like anything special, or new plot wise.  However, I have always enjoyed the series.  The trailer looks good.  Most importantly though, it looks fun, and that's what matters.


Look for part 2 coming soon!

Awesome Trailers Lie Within...

No explanation needed here... just two awesome trailers that have dropped over the last two days... enjoy.

Men In Black III (2012) - Trailer Review

Here come the Men in Black....again.  That's right kiddos, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back in the black suites to protect us from the scum of the universe.  I don't know bout all of you, but I'm kinda looking forward to this.  They may not be the greatest movies, but I'll be damned if they arn't fun.

Bigger question is though.. will we get a new Will Smith single?

The Three Stooges (2012) - Trailer Review

Lookie here!  A trailer for the Three Stooges movie.  I was not sure about this at first, but I kinda like it!  Give it a look see, what do you think?

The Avengers (2012) Trailer

Oh my good gravy.  The Avengers trailer was released today.  In case you missed it, (which I'm sure you haven't), I've included it below.  Go watch it.  Once or twice, its up to you.

What do I think?  Short form: holy hell that movie is going to be amazing.  I was a touch worried about how Joss would handle it, but stylistically it looks like Iron Man, which is a plus.  In talking with a co-worker, we figure there will be some Kree/Skrull action possibly directed by Loki?  Who cares!  I love the interplay between Stark and Cap, and then Stark and Banner.

All I know, is that I can't wait for May.