Movie Review #74: The Polar Express (2004)

With Christmas quite literally just around the corner, I might as well get to review at least one Christmas movie before the big day.

The Polar Express a fully motion capture animated film based on the classic children's book of the same name. A book that I remember having read to me by my parents.

The story goes that a boy who doesn't believe in Santa Claus gets whisked away to the North Pole on a magical train called The Polar Express. Where on this journey he learns to believe again.

I saw this movie in the theater when I was seven years old and I distinctly remember I was confused when I watched it. It wasn't until after it ended when I realized that it was animated. At times I thought it was real but then there were moments when I thought it was animated! It baffled me and looking back on it, I understand why I was so confused by it! And that was my first experience with motion capture animation!

Motion capture animation is, what I think, a filmmaking style that hasn't been perfected yet. When used for elements of a movie like for Gollum in The Lord of the Rings or Caeser in Rise of the Planet of the Apes I think it is when it works. But when the entire film is made using motion capture is where I think needs work. In particular on the human aspect because the characters just don't look real. The biggest problem with motion capture is that the characters' emotions and expressions aren't fully developed. You can never tell if the characters are sad or happy. The eyes of the children look rather dead and lifeless. Gollums' eyes looked more alive than the children did in this movie!

Though there are other moments in the film that do look fantastic. Particularly any moment that had to do with the train. There are a few particularly stunning scenes involving the train that I loved. They were fast paced, exciting and a lot of fun.

Tom Hanks plays the conductor of the train and I liked him in that role. But that is only one of his six other roles in this film. Six roles. I swear am not making that up. I've heard of actors playing more than one role in a film like Peter Sellers did in Dr. Strangelove. But it worked for Sellers because he was able to disguise his voice for each different character. Unlike with Hanks who's voice is so recognizable that even when it is deepened I can still tell it is him. And that really takes me out of the moment because I end up focusing on the actor instead of the character.

As for the kids, I didn't really have a problem with them. None of them really ended up getting much development but I don't think that the purpose of the film was to give you a vivid backstory on each character. For example: We never know why the lonely boy says that "Christmas just does't work out for him." Maybe things like that is supposed to be left up to the imagination. Like how you never get to know their names. I really like that aspect. I think that that is really interesting.

I personally think that the story is the strongest element to the film. I might be digging to deep into the story, but I felt that they weren't just telling a story about a boy who stopped believing in Santa but rather someone who lost his religion and fell away from his faith. Which as a kid, learning that Santa isn't real is kind of like thinking that there isn't a God. That is a very interesting and difficult story to tell and I think it is done pretty well. I also like how he has to believe in Santa to hear the bell ring. Kind of like how you have to believe in God to fully receive his gifts. Again, just another parallel I found.

On a technical level, the best part of the film is without a doubt Alan Silvestri's magical score. I adore this theme. To me, when I hear it, I think of one word: Christmas. He manages to capture all the beauty, majesty and the wonder I felt as a kid at Christmastime. And the Josh Groban song at the end tops it off beautifully

Final Report: While I enjoy some of the visuals, Alan Silvestri's score and the deeper meaning to the story, The Polar Express is just a Christmas movie that is just alright. I think it's worth a watch but it isn't a Christmas movie that I have to watch every December.

Movie Review #73: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug picks up exactly where The Unexpected Journey left off. This time around, Gandalf departs from the group to continue his search for the Necromancer while Bilbo and the dwarves continue their trek to Erebor to find the secret back door into the abandoned dwarf kingdom.

Words can't describe how much I loved this movie. To say that this is an improvement from the first film is a major understatement. This to me is The Empire Strikes Back of The Hobbit films. It's hard for me to say that because not only is there one film left in the franchise, but I also really loved the first film despite its flaws. This sequel fixes all of the problems the first film had and improves upon what was good from the start!

For starters: I was never bored. As much as I did enjoy An Unexpected Journey, some of the scenes in the theatrical release I felt should have been cut out because they felt unneeded or just dragged on for too long. Here is not the case! Not only was I left wanting more (I'll get to that later) but the scenes that were distinctly slower never lost my interest. The film slows down when we arrive at Laketown but what happened was still very interesting.

Secondly: Stuff actually happens! Yeah I know things like the trolls and the riddles in the dark were in the first film but what happens in this film actually felt important. I feel that the first film was made to introduce the characters and their goals. While here, I feel that the characters' journey really began.

Finally: It didn't feel like a kids movie. The Desolation of Smaug got rid of the goofy, kiddish tone from the first film and made it violent, intense and even a bit scary.

One thing I didn't get a chance to talk about in my review of the first film were the characters and the actors performances. Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins really is perfect casting. Not only is Martin Freeman an awesome actor, but he captures all of the emotions, reactions and thoughts running through the head of someone who gets thrust into a situation that is way bigger than he expected. The look on his face when he sees Smaug for the first time is a genuine look of terror.

What I like about Gandalf in The Hobbit is that we actually get to see him use magic. In The Lord of the Rings we didn't really see that very much. And plus, I think that Gandalf the Grey is way cooler than Gandalf the White. As far as the dwarves go, I originally thought that they were pretty goofy as a whole. But I personally like them now. Some more than others obviously.

Even though they weren't in the book, Legolas returns with a lovely She-Elf played by Evangeline Lilly named Tauriel that Peter jackson completely made up. I found it odd to bring back Legolas but then I remembered that his father Thranduil, played by Lee Pace, was in it so it does make sense. I'm just very glad that those two characters actually served a purpose to the film. They were fun to watch and pretty cool additions to the cast. A pretty obvious love triangle does form and while I usually can't stand it when that happens, I didn't mind it because I like the characters.

I also liked how the film portrayed Wood Elves. That Wood Elves are very different from the elves of Rivendell. The Wood Elves were very aggressive with a very short temper compared to Rivendell's calm and reasonable personality.

Bard the Bowman was introduced and he was a really cool character too. He had this vibe to him that reminded me of Aragorn. Which does make sense because their character backstories are kind of similar. I am excited for what he's going to do in the final film.

The action is far more abundant in this film than the first. There is a sequence with the dwarves in barrels that had me and my viewing audience rolling with laughter! It was fast, intense and just a whole lot of fun! At times it felt a bit Disney-ish but never too much where it took me out of the moment.

As for Smaug the Dragon, he has got to be without a doubt one of the coolest villains I've ever seen on the big screen. Everything about him was intimidating. Like his eyes, voice, design and his very size. You really felt the massiveness of Smaug when he was conversing with Bilbo. The scene took place in Erebor which is an enormous city and they put a huge dragon in the heart of it with a Hobbit that looks absolutely minuscule compared to the things around him. The scope and grandness was definitely evident. I feel that Peter Jackson did with Smaug what he did with Gollum in The Two Towers, which was have someone give a great performance with the assistance of some brilliant special effects. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the dragon and he delivers the lines with such sarcasm and spite. I just love how he taunts Bilbo by calling him "Barrel Rider".

The only problem I had with the film is how it ends. It really ended on the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers and will definitely leave countless viewers unsatisfied. When the credits began rolling I was able to distinguish a resounding grumble of disapproval for my fellow viewing audience. Which is completely understandable. But even with the ending, I was never left unsatisfied! I actually appreciated the ending because it reminded me of The Empire Strikes Back. Only we only have to wait one year for the final film instead of three.

Final Report: I adored every second this two and a half hour, Middle Earth epic took me on. It was fun, fast-paced, action-packed, exciting and never boring. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is one of the best movies I've seen all year. If not the best!

Movie Review #72: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

With The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug now in theaters (look forward to that this week), it only makes sense to review the first film of the trilogy that had both critics and die-hard Tolkien fans split right down the Middle Earth.

A film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece had been floating around ever since Peter Jackson finished filming The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But the idea of a Hobbit movie was seeming more and more unlikely. Rumors were floating around and it essentially became one of the most notorious film teases for nearly 10 years! At one time the film was said to be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. But after years of deliberation, Jackson finally said that The Hobbit would finally make its way to the big screen!

But there was a catch or two. It was announced that Tolkien's prequel to The Lord of the Rings that was half the size of The Fellowship of the Ring would be turned into three separate films. This launched an uproar on internet message boards all around the globe. "How could they turn one tiny book into three separate films rounding out to roughly a total of nine hours altogether?!?" Fanboys were both baffled and unnerved by this.

But there was another catch! Jackson also said that the trilogy would be filmed in 48 frames per second. The filming style would "make the viewing experience like you were actually there." Oh, and it would also be in 3-D because for some odd reason 3-D became popular again. I blame Spy Kids 3.

So with all the hype, anticipation, and nervousness surrounding the film, did it end up being any good? That is a grey area for some people.

Before the film premiered, a poster was released of all 13 dwarves huddled together. From that photo alone you could predict the films' distinctly different tone from the Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit was going to be more "kid-friendly". And that was a problem for many fans, but I understood the tonal change because since The Hobbit book is more kid friendly than the Rings trilogy. Being a prequel, the book was supposed to serve as a means to ease children into The Lord of the Rings.

That being said, there are some scenes that were a bit too goofy and kiddish even for me. For example: The scene in the mountain when the Goblin King is singing and dancing I felt was a bit too much. I even felt that the scene with the trolls, which in the book was very comical, pandered a bit too much to juvenile, middle-school humor.

Aside from the tonal difference, the visual effects were the second major difference from The Lord of the Rings. While the Rings trilogy went the Men In Black route, perfectly blending an even amount of practical effects and CGI, The Hobbit relies heavily on CGI. Which does make sense considering technology has advanced 10+ years since Return of the King and CGI has become more and more relied upon in major motion pictures. But I feel that there were some sequences that could have been done practically over the use of computers.

Even though I sound like I didn't like the effects, I really did enjoy them! The people over at WETA are the kings of CGI and everything looks very grand and impressive. For the first time in 10 years, Gollum returned to the big screen and he has never looked better! The "Riddles in the Dark" scene was my favorite part in the book and I adored every single second Bilbo and Gollum conversed with each other.

But perhaps the biggest issue the film suffers from is the pacing. Which is and issue that The Lord of the Rings films never suffered from because I have and will never complain about their total nine hour run time. With The Hobbit, there were many sequences that I felt could have been cut out of the theatrical cut. Like the meeting at Rivendell I felt was completely unnecessary. To me, that scene was about as boring as Corusant was in The Phantom Menace.

The film also takes almost 45 minutes for the actual journey to head on the road. All that time was either spent with the prologue or in Bilbo's house. While many hated that aspect, I loved all the time that took place in Bilbo's house! Not only did it introduce us to all the dwarves, but it was just so great to see The Shire again! That is probably the biggest reason I enjoyed this film so much despite its evident flaws. It was just so wonderful going back to Middle Earth. And the action scenes, while they do take a while to get to, are fantastic! The chase scene in the mountain was one of the most well directed action scenes in all of last year! It was fun, entertaining, intense, super fast and it was awesome! It could have used at least two more scenes like that scattered throughout though.

As for the 3-D and 48fps, I can't say anything about it because I am silently boycotting 3-D because I am getting really sick of it. But maybe I will end up seeing the final Hobbit film in 3-D. But that is a year away so anything could happen.

Final Report: While it takes some time to fully get moving and it does encounter a few bumps in the road, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is still a grand, masterful epic and welcome return to Middle Earth. Even if it doesn't obtain the level of greatness that The Lord of the Rings reached, I still love it.

News: Disney owns Indiana Jones now?

I was going to talk about Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman but I really don't care as much about that as I do for this story making headlines.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Disney has now acquired the rights to any future Indiana Jones films through some business gobbledygoop with Paramount. Disney said not reveal anything any news about a future installment in the much loved franchise.

This might sound like blasphemy to some people and if you ardently disagree, I completely understand. But I would much rather see Indiana Jones 5 than Star Wars Episode VII.

Go ahead. Post your hateful comments below ranting about how "the franchise should just stay dead after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull because it died then and there."

In all fairness, I like Crystal Skull! I think it is unfairly bashed upon. While the first three films were made in the style of 1940's action serials, Crystal Skull was made in the style of a 1950's B-movie. And when you look at it in that light, I think it succeeds. It's flawed but still fun.

But I would only be okay with a fifth Indiana Jones if Harrison Ford returned to don the whip and fedora. If it was a film that revolved around Shia Labeouf taking over the role of Indy, then I would be whole-heartedly against it.

I would also like it if Steven Spielberg returned to direct. Or at the very least, have him on set as a producer.

Since Disney said that this shouldn't be happening for a while, I guess only time will tell.

Let's hope for the best!

Movie Review #71: Red 2 (2013)

I'm back! Contrary to what you might think I am still alive. I just haven't found the time to post anything due to family being up for Thanksgiving and school and all that other fun stuff. But now that Christmas is around the corner, a ton of new films I am excited for are hitting the theaters like The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, 47 Ronin, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Saving Mr. Banks. So look forward to that and my thoughts on the Wonder Woman casting.

In Red 2, Bruce Willis and the entire gang from the first film (except for Morgan Freeman and Karl Urban) reunite to stop the detonation of a lost nuclear weapon.

The first Red film was a complete surprise to both critics and audiences. It was a real sleeper hit because many dismissed it to be either another generic Bruce Willis movie or too goofy to be good. But it ended up being a lot better than anyone every expected. Talk about a real "Don't judge a book by its cover" scenario. Or in this case, "Don't judge a film by its trailer."

When you think about it, Red sounds like a comedic parody of The Expendables. Both films have all-star casts. The Expendables had an all star cast of legendary action stars while Red featured legends of acting in the supporting cast. But both films follow a similar plot. It is fascinating how much the two films parallel each other. You can't really say one copied the other because both came out the same year within a matter of two months of each other. But enough film facts, comparisons and other assorted movie jargon. On with the review.

What made the first film so much fun is found in its sequel. John Malkovich is still hysterical. His character is so fascinating and the backstory they gave him is just as funny as the actions he does in the film. Every time he's on screen he steals the show. He's like Kramer from Seinfeld. On Kramer isn't nearly as unpredictable as Malkovich. The script is infinitely superior to The Expendables because the banter the characters share isn't just a bunch of cliched action one-liners, plot exposition and Sylvester Stallone dialogue. While there is exposition, the characters actually get developed and the comedic dialogue is actually funny and not unintentionally funny like in The Expendables.

Joining the cast are Catharine Zeta-Jones, Byung Hun Lee and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Catharine Zeta Jones plays an old ex girlfriend of Bruce Willis's and she and Mary Louise Parker have some very amusing scenes trying to outdo the other to win over Willis's affection. Byung Hun Lee basically takes over Karl Urban's role from the first film as the guy who is sent to take out Bruce Willis. And while it is a ton of fun seeing him take out 10 fully armed cops with only his fists and a glass door he is handcuffed to, but it makes me wonder why they just didn't bring back Karl Urban? He was a pretty cool character and Karl Urban has been gaining more and more recognition lately. The only thing I have seen Hun Lee in was G.I. Joe: Retaliation and I personally wouldn't want to be remembered for that dreck. But regardless, he ended up growing on me by the end and was a ton of fun to watch. Anthony Hopkins played the main villain and he was a much needed improvement over Richard Dreyfuss from the first film. Hopkins is able to balance likable and sinister very well. I guess that happens when you played the world's most famous cannibal for three different films.

The only problem I had with the film was that it wasn't as surprising as the first one. When I saw the first Red, I was surprised at how different of an action comedy it was. When watching Red 2, it didn't really "shock" me as much because I kind of knew what to expect and what steps the story would follow. Yet I can't really fault the film for that.

Final Report: Even though it didn't feel as fresh and surprising as the first, Red 2 still has enough slick dialogue, cool car chases and enough John Malkovich to satisfy any action comedy fan. It is definitely worth renting.

Rant: A sequel to It's A Wonderful Life. It's happening. I'M DEAD SERIOUS.

When I came home from school today I did what I always do: Make a snack and check the new stories one the front page of IMDb. When I read this headline, a part of me died inside.

'It's A Wonderful Life' Sequel in the Works

It is official. The time has come. Hollywood really has run out of ideas.

I mean really, why? Just... WHY?

First off: Why on earth would you make a sequel to a movie that will be nearly 70 years old by the time of the sequel's release? What is the point?

If the article said that a remake of It's A Wonderful Life was in the works, I wouldn't be so angry. I could understand a remake over a sequel because It's A Wonderful Life is a great movie with a wonderful story that should be told to newer, younger generations. That would make some legitimate sense. But instead, a sequel that NOBODY ASKED FOR is being made.

Secondly: Who actually wants to see what happens next in the story? More importantly, what else is there to tell? The original film ended on such a satisfying and heartwarming note that every single subplot was wrapped up nicely by the time the credits rolled. There is nothing left to go off of!

Thirdly: I heard a rumor that a sequel to It's A Wonderful Life was an idea floating around during the 1980's. The sequel would have brought back the cast of the original, including Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and Frank Capra would have returned as director. That would have been interesting. It might a stunk, but we would have been more positive about it because the cast and crew of the original would have returned to put some effort into it. But here, they are pulling an Amazing Spiderman on us:
Making the exact same movie with a completely different cast and crew that won't be as good as the original. No matter how hard they try. And for only one reason and one reason alone: Money.

According to the article the sequel will be called, It's A Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story. The plot is said to revolve around Karolyn Grimes who played George Bailey’s daughter “Zuzu” in the original.  She is set to return for the sequel as an angel who shows Bailey’s unlikeable grandson (also named George Bailey) how much better off the world would have been had he never been born.

That is the exact plot of the original!!! If they are honestly going off of the exact plot of the original only with different characters, WHY DON'T THEY JUST REMAKE IT?!?!?!?!?!?! That would at least make more sense! People would still be angry that Hollywood would be tampering with one of the best movies of all time but it wouldn't be as brainless of a move than this!

I can already see it now:
It's A Wonderful Life 2: Life is No Longer Wonderful.
Starring Channing Tatum and Kristen Stewart
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

The more I talk about it the higher my blood pressure gets. Hopefully the project will get scrapped and the film will get a direct to DVD release. Let's hope for the best.

Movie Review #70: Man of Steel (2013)

I have to say, this is the only movie I know of that has a fight take place inside of an Ihop. What other movie can hold the title of "Coolest Fight in an Ihop." I would like to see a Teen Choice Award for that!

I am finally reviewing Man of Steel, the one summer blockbuster I was excited to see but didn't end up seeing on the big screen. I decided to put of seeing this because I was dismayed by the critics (for a first) and decided to wait and rent it. And now that it has made itself available to the screens of the general public, I finally got to see the blockbuster with the most mixed reviews.

And how was it? For once the critics were right. This really is a mixed bag. Don't get me wrong, I ended up really liking the movie, but as a movie reviewer, there are problems with it and a few personal issues I had with it that I couldn't ignore.

When the trailer was first released it showed a quieter, more emotional side to our protagonist with flashbacks to him as a child.
That would have been a very interesting take on Superman because the previous films didn't really focus on his life trying to fit in. It also would have been a different direction for Zack Snyder, who's filmography consists of only films that are style-over-substance. But the later trailers ended up being more accurate to the end product : A special effects heavy, relentless disaster movie. And I am fine with that to an extent. The entire second half of the movie is full-on armageddon. There is so much belligerent carnage, mayhem and destruction in this movie that the finales to The Avengers and Transformers: Dark of the Moon combined look like mere child's play compared to this! And while it could have been 10-15 minutes shorter, it was so cool! The visual effects were unlike anything I had ever seen in a comic book movie before. The sheer grandness of the action felt larger than life. It really was super.

Some of the biggest complaints with Superman Returns is that there was too much emotion and not enough action and the biggest complaints with Man of Steel is that there wasn't enough emotion and too much action. Is there no middle ground with Superman movies?
But I do have to agree with those statements. The movie did lack the emotion and drama that made Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy so memorable. The only scene that I honestly felt a bit of emotion in was when Pa Kent died. But even that wasn't much.

The movie also lacked the lighthearted, hopeful tone and humor of the lore and the five previous films. Even Superman Returns, which for the most part is a very somber movie, had more lighthearted, uplifting, feel-good moments than Man of Steel. There are very few jokes in the film and when a moment of humor appears, it takes you out of the moment for a second.

Henry Cavil was pretty good as Superman. He was pretty likable and definitely has the looks and physique for the role. Amy Adams of course was great as Lois Lane. It will be a rare day when I say that Amy Adams is the weak link in the cast of a movie. I really enjoyed the addition of Russell Crowe as Jor-El. The scenes of him on Krypton were great. He also appears in a spirit form of sorts and gives advice and help to both Lois and Kal. He also had a couple good scenes with Michael Shannon as Zod. Which is one of the parts of the film that I think could have been better.

General Zod is one of the most famous villains in all of comic book lore but Michael Shannon's performance as him wasn't as memorable as it could have been or how I wanted it to be. I'm not saying Michael Shannon is a bad actor. Far from it! It just came off as a bit too cold and stoic for me. Although he does have a couple very entertaining freak out moments. I also enjoyed the scene where his message to the world was broadcasted over every television. It kind of reminded me of the scenes in Iron Man 3 when the Mandarin hijacked the airwaves. The way the message was delivered seemed like something a real terrorist would do. It felt gritty, creepy, invasive, wrong and I loved it.

Without spoiling anything, The way the final battle ended shocked me. Even though it probably infuriated some fans, I appreciated the direction the film went in. It cemented the fact that this version of Superman no longer fights for truth, justice and the American way. Surprising, but very effective.

Final Report:  Man of Steel lacks emotion and humor, but the grand spectacle of the action sequences and visual effects are more than enough eye candy to feast upon. And for me, that is a good enough for me to add it to my movie collection.

Movie Review #69: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World was one of my most anticipated movies of 2013 and I was fortunate enough to catch an advanced screening of the film late last night. And since I had never been to an early showing of a movie before I was even more excited than I normally would have been!

Thor: The Dark World begins with a flashback thousands of years ago when Asgard was at war with a race of dark elves lead by an elf named Malekith. He wants a weapon called the Aether to take over the universe and send it into darkness. He ends up losing the battle and the Aether is hidden away but for reasons I will not say, he finds the location of the Aether and plans his revenge. It is now up to Thor and even some help from Loki to save the universe.

On the drive home from the theater, I was having a very tough time think about if I liked Thor: The Dark World more than Thor. And truth be told, I still don't know which one I liked more!

Both films had their flaws, but they were still very enjoyable and just a ton of fun. Although there are some evident differences in the two films. While the first Thor was more of a story about redemption and honor, Thor: The Dark World didn't have an underlying message like its predecessor. Which might be good news for people who didn't care for the message and wanted more action. But for me, the message was what made Thor stand out among the other Marvel movies. But then again, I think that Thor: The Dark World was a more well made movie on a technological standpoint. The visuals look fantastic. We finally get to see what Asgard looks like which was something we wanted to see in the first film. Malekith's make-up looks great. I definitely see an Oscar nomination for best make-up in the future for this film. The movie is also very well directed to which I have give credit to Alan Taylor. The final battle was a ton of fun. It involved Thor and Malekith popping from dimension to dimension and the best way I can describe it is that it felt like playing Portal! It really did and it was so much fun.

As usual, the actors are all great. The chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston really shines here. There is a scene where Thor is telling Loki his plan that had my theater erupting with laughter. In that scene there is a cameo that rivals Hugh Jackman's cameo in X-Men First Class in greatness. It was hilarious. One character I would have liked to have fewer lines was Kat Dennings character. At times she earned a good laugh but quite often her scenes felt rather awkward and out of place. At least she looked cute.

But the villain Malekith,  was pretty weak. It's a shame because the character looks and sounds super cool and he's played by Christopher Eccleston! The Ninth Doctor! How could I not like him? Sadly, he didn't have much to do and I felt he was just there to be the villain and nothing more. He's kind of like Nero from Star Trek. Both were played by good actors I like but they were wasted. Probably for more screen time for Loki.

Final Report: For me, Thor: The Dark World is just as good as its predecessor. Great action, humor, directing and characters make for a time at the movies that is definitely worth the price of admission.

Movie Review #68: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Am I the only one who wonders why The Nightmare Before Christmas is always called Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas when in fact it was Henry Selick who directed, not Burton. Why doesn't Henry Selick get the recognition he deserves? That's just something that confused me.

In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington, The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town has grown tired of the same routine and he wants something different. After walking through the woods contemplating life, he discovers a magical doorway into Christmas Town. It is there he has an epiphany: Why can't the citizens of Halloween Town celebrate Christmas? So the townspeople decide to take matters into their own hands. Whether that is a good thing or not.

The one element that makes Nightmare stand out above all the other stop-motion films is Danny Elfman's masterful score and songs. If the movie wasn't a musical, it would just be remembered as a creepy kids movie. The movie would be nothing without the music. All of the songs are memorable. The first three songs are my personal favorite and the visuals match the songs to a tee.

Considering the film is celebrating its 20th anniversary on this very day (I swear I didn't plan that) the animation holds up incredibly well. The animation is astonishing. One of my personal favorite scenes is during Jack's Lament when he walks up the hill and the moon shines causing him to look like a silhouette. I'm not sure why I enjoy that scene so much. Maybe because it is the most iconic scene from the whole film. Or maybe it was a combination of the animation, the music and the environment.
It was great re-watching this in high definition because the colors have never looked more vibrant and the townspeople have never seemed creepier. Which leads me to the characters.

With a film as visually and musically memorable as The Nightmare Before Christmas, you would think that the characters would be very memorable, right? Sadly, the character that I really remembered is Jack Skellington because he was the main character and easily the most likable and relatable. The only reason some of the other characters are remembered is because of the nightmares they gave us as children (or maybe I only felt that way). Aside from scaring us as kids, the townspeople are very bland and boring. Especially the character of Sally. She is given little development or background whatsoever and yet we have to root for her as the protagonist and the love interest when she is a very boring character. The character of Oogie Boogie is pretty awesome though. The voice and design is super cool. I still can't get The Boogie Song out of my head.

Regardless of how bland some characters might be personality wise, they are made up with great character designs. The premise is completely different from anything we have ever seen before. It just blisters with originality and I love it.

Final Report: The Nightmare Before Christmas is an imaginatively original film with stop-motion animation and a awesome musical score that cements the reason why Danny Elfman is my favorite composer. It's a true classic.

Movie Review #67: After Earth (2013)

Yes this doesn't fit in with the halloween theme but there weren't any horror movies at Redbox that peaked my interest so this will have to do for now.

In After Earth, Will Smith and his son in real life Jaden Smith and their ship crashes on a now abandoned earth. When Will Smith gets injured, it is up to Jaden Smith to trek through the wild to find a distress beacon to call for help.

Will Smith plays a legendary military general named Cypher Rage (yes that is his real name) who has undergone a process called "ghosting". That means that he can no longer feel any fear. This makes him very cold and distant with his son Kitai Rage played by Jaden Smith. And yes that is his real name.

What is good about this movie: It has its elements of originality. The technology and weaponry that they use in the film are actually pretty cool. The main weapon used is a double edged metal blade that looks like a medieval version of Darth Maul's lightsaber and that is really cool. The premise is also original and some of the creatures they encounter have their elements of originality. And this could have been a much better film if it were in the hands of a different writer, director and had two different lead actors.

I like Will Smith. He's an incredibly likable guy, but in this he had all of his charisma sucked out of him. His character is so boringI'm not even sure if he cracked a smile in the entire movie. They also pull a complete bait and switch advertising Will Smith as the lead because for the entire movie he doesn't leave the ship and the film focuses on Jaden Smith. Yet Jaden Smith isn't any more interesting to watch than Will Smith is! He either comes off as too whiny or too angry. But one thing he always come off as: A bad actor. Okay, he might not be that bad of an actor but I don't think that he has enough acting chops to carry an entire 90 minute movie. He needs to start out small and when he has gotten better then he should move on to roles like this.

Aside from the sub-par acting, the film also suffers from sub-par directing. If this was in the hands of someone like Duncan Jones, Joe Johnston or Joseph Kosinski it would have been much better. Even if you don't like the directors I listed, you have to admit that their directorial style would have been a much better fit for the film than Shyamalan. M. Night's directing style is dialogue and story based that doesn't require many special effects if any. He needs to go back to making films like Unbreakable or The Village that don't rely on visuals but story and suspense unlike After Earth that had decent visuals but no suspense whatsoever. The closest thing to suspense we get is a scene where Jaden Smith is flying in a flying squirrel suit and is being chased by a giant bird. That scene was actually pretty cool.

Final Report: After Earth has an original story and some neat elements, but its boring pace, sub-par acting, underwhelming action and evident lack of fun or joy makes this a one of my least favorite movies of the year. I just hope M. Night Shyamalan goes on to making movies that he used to make.

Movie Review #66: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005)

Now that I am finally done reviewing each season of The Walking Dead, I decided to review some of my favorite "horror movie." When I say "horror movies," I mean movies that have gothic, creepy elements but they really aren't scary at all. I'll review a few of these until the end of the month.

In Corpse Bride, Johnny Depp plays Victor. He is destined to be married to Victoria, played by Emily Watson. But when practicing his wedding vows in the forrest, he accidentally gets hitched to a corpse named Emily, played by Helena Bonham Carter.

As I said in my review of Sleepy Hollow, I love Tim Burton. He is one of my favorite directors. But even the greats have had their weaker films and some of the more recent Burton flicks like Alice in Wonderland haven't been quite up to par with some of his others. But for me, he has always hit it out the park with animation. Nightmare Before Christmas is phenomenal and last years' Frankenweenie was also great. So he hasn't missed with animation yet and Corpse Bride is no exception.

Corpse Bride is Tim Burton at his best. Not only is the story quirky and funny from the start but the comedy works. I probably found the humor to be even funnier because many of the jokes are puns and I am a sucker for puns. Yes, puns are the lowest form of comedy next to Happy Madison films but I love them nonetheless.

The animation is simply magical. I personally admire claymation more than any other type of animation. I appreciate every aspect of a claymation movie more because the hard work and attention to detail is far more evident. And the particularly impressive scenes are even more astonishing. For example, my favorite scene in the film is when a jazz band of skeletons perform a musical number for Victor. The music in that scene is simply infectious and the animation is stellar. That scene for me could have been a three minute long animated short film and I would have loved it.I also liked how in the world of the dead is significantly more colorful than the world of the living. I'm not sure if that is Tim Burton trying to subtly make a statement with that but the colors really stood out.

My only real complaint is that the film has a run time of only 77 minutes. I wouldn't have minded if it was at least 90 minutes long.

Final Report: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is a lighthearted, funny romance with exquisite stop-motion animation, great music and enough classic irresistible Tim Burton charm.

Television Review #13: The Walking Dead Season 4 Premiere (2013)

Sorry for the wait for this. The first three reviews took a lot longer than I thought they would. But better late than never!

Season four resumes roughly 7 to 8 months after season three's finale. How do I know this? I estimated how old Rick's baby Judith looks now then she did last season. The prison has gone from a prison, to a community that is in a prison. You might find that comical (which I guess it is) but it actually does look different. Rick has taken up gardening, Carol reads to the children while teaching them about how to properly and effectively slay walkers and they even have some animals around. They even decorated their personal prison cell living quarters! I guess is now quite literally a "gated community."

All of the new members they gained from Woodbury last season have finally found their place in the group. And some of our old favorites from the group like Beth and Carl have finally grown up. Beth doesn't cry anymore and Carl has actually become one of the coolest characters on the show. He finally does what he is told to do. He tells the other punks his age that the walkers aren't sick and that they have lost every bit of humanity that was in them when they died. I'm definitely keeping my eye on Carl because I think that something important is going to happen with his character.

The chemistry between our old favorites like Rick, Darryl and Michonne is great. Michonne has finally come out of his shell and actually cracked a smile or two! It's great to see how the relationships among the cast has flourished.

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't been caught up yet, stop reading!
There is a conflict that has many theories sprouting up all over the IMDB message boards. One of the kids at the prison starts feeling sick and at the end of the episode, he faints. When the camera pans up to his face, his mouth and nose are covered in blood. His eyes then open and we see that he has turned. He wasn't even bit and he still turned! What is causing the living to turn without a bite? Is there something in the water? Is it  being spread through the air? Or is this a scheme concocted by the Governor in order to get the group to leave the group? Only time will tell I guess.

Final Report: Season 4 is sure to be the most intense, captivating, violent and gory season yet. I can't wait for what twists, turns and surprises are in store this season.

Television Review #12: The Walking Dead Season 3 (2012-2013)

Season 3 reunites us with the group roughly nine months after the last season left off and you can tell that they have been through the ringer. They all look sleep-deprived, weak and starved. They keep moving from shelter to shelter trying to not just outrun the walkers but to find a place for the group to call home. Then they stumble upon the prison. It's the perfect shelter for the group to start what could possibly be a normal life. But there is another community close by called Woodbury, run by a man called the Governor. Woodbury looks like the perfect Utopian society. Not just during the apocalypse but even in real life. But things aren't actually as perfect as it looks on the outside.

This is my favorite season of The Walking Dead so far. I loved almost everything about this season, but I'll list my favorite things that happened in the third season.

1. The show finally gets a definitive villain. In the first season, they were fighting against the walkers. In the second season, you could argue that Shane was the villain, but he was mostly the villain towards Rick and not towards the entire group. So I didn't think that season 2 had someone everyone could call villain. Luckily, The Governor is the villain that this show has been deserving of. He starts out calm, cool, collected, reasonable and likable in beginning of the season. By the season finale, you want to see Michonne kill him and stick his head in his freaky fish tank. That leads me to my second favorite new addition to the show.

2. Michonne. The show introduced us to the character of Michonne at the end of season two when she saved Andrea from a swarm of walkers. What I love about her is that she perhaps one of the only characters on the show who actually does what we want her to do. For example: When she walks into Woodbury and meets the Governor, she instantly thinks that there's something off here. The audience knows something is wrong and she does what we want her to do: Leave! She is the only character with common sense to leave when something is strange. And her character introduction was completely awesome. She decapitates two walkers with her Last Samurai katana and the camera pans to her. Her face shadowed by her Sith Lord cloak and hood with to defenseless walkers on chains. How can you not find that completely sweet?

3. The Return of Merle. In the second episode, Rick handcuffed Merle to a rooftop and ended up leaving him stuck there when they lost the key. When they returned, he cut off his own hand and left. We had speculated that Merle was still alive for a while and he finally returns! Even though Merle was only in one episode, I though Merle was a great character. Yeah he was a creep, a jerk and a racist but I found him hysterical. They also give him a great conflict whether he should side with the Governor or the group that his brother is in. It's very interesting seeing his internal struggle.

4. Andrea. No member of the original group since Shane has driven us up the wall quite like Andrea. I almost hated her as much as I hated the Governor! Her character probably got the most development this season. She, like Merle, had to choose between the original group and the Governor. Only this decision is much more difficult for her than it is with Merle because of her very close relationship she forms with the Governor. Her performance is definitely one that stands out. First Shane, now the Governor. She has the worst taste in men.

There are moments when the show slows down. All of those fairly pointless moments courtesy of whenever Rick goes off the deep end and takes the 3:10 to cray-cray town. That was the only time in the season that I didn't care for. Aside from that, I've got nothing else.

Final Report: Season 3 of The Walking Dead is the most satisfy season so far. Enough said.

Television Review #11: The Walking Dead Season 2 (2011-2012)

Season 2 kicks off with Rick and the gang getting the heck out of dodge after a nearly fatal encounter at the Center for Disease Control. On the road, on of their own gets separated from the group causing the gang to split up to look for the lost one. Which is never a good idea to split up, especially during the apocalypse. When searching, Rick's stupid kid Carl gets shot and needs immediate medical attention. Which leads us to Hershel. A doctor who takes the group in until Carl gets patched up.

While there are interesting character arcs that take place and we are introduced to the Green family, I would have to say that season 2 is my least favorite of the three seasons. I'm not saying that season 2 is a bad season, I'm just saying that it is the weaker of the three seasons by comparison. I think that the reason for this is because all the writers for the first season were fired and replaced with a new staff. Why were they fired? Beats me!

There are fascinating issues the group has to deal with. Rifts start forming between the gang leading to quite a few subplots in the show which could get hard to keep track of but didn't bother me. What did get on my nerves was that while some characters became cooler, others became bothersome, irritating and at times quite obnoxious. Carl in particular seriously angered me. Lori and Andrea are also too blame. All of them drove me crazy whether it was because of their inability to do things on their own, their constant desire to grow up and be independent or just that they never did what they were told like STAY IN THE HOUSE! That really got on my nerves.

What makes up for it are the many "No way" or "Shyamalan-esque plot twist" moments that occur during the season. There are more than enough that happen and I relish in those moments when they do.

Final Report: The second season of The Walking Dead might be the weakest season, but it still contains great new characters added to the group, fascinating personal issues the characters undergo, gory violence and a few surprises.

Television Review #10: The Walking Dead Season 1 (2010)

If someone asked me what my favorite TV show is, I would answer Doctor Who without even thinking about it. But another one of my favorite shows is The Walking Dead which happens to be returning for its fourth blood-filled season. What better reason is there for me to review every season of this incredible drama.

Season 1: The Pilot episode starts out with our hero Rick, played by Andrew Lincoln, awaking from a coma. Only to realize that he completely missed out on the apocalypse and that the dead are now walking. This was a great introduction to our main character Rick considering the entire episode revolves around him. An entire backstory was given at the beginning telling that he fell into the coma after getting shot in the line of duty.

The next episodes introduce us to Ricks family and Shane his best friend who was his partner on the force. We are also introduced to the other members of this rag-tag group of stragglers and survivors. There are plenty of characters that you either enjoy or detest. Some characters like Rick and Glen have your approval from the start whereas others like Darryl, might have given a bad first impression but as the show goes on they earn your respect. Darryl, in my humble opinion, ends up becoming one of the coolest fictional characters of all time.

The make-up and prosthetics are fantastic. They look very realistic and definitely not for the squeamish or faint-of-heart because this show is about as gory as they come. And in case you were wondering, the show only gets more graphically violent with each season. On a side note, I adore the use of practical effects like prosthetics in a world of CGI. The writing manages to give enough development towards most of the characters. Some cool characters like T-Dog don't get much development while most of the story revolves around Rick, Shane and Rick's family. But the story is so captivating that we are alright with the fact that some of the characters are underdeveloped.

There is also a big plot twist that is teased at during the season finale that is so good that it would make M. Night Shyamalan proud.

Final Report: Season 1 might be only six episodes long but they pack a such a punch. At least enough of a punch to make you want to keep watching.

Movie Review #65: Gravity (2013)

"In space, no one can hear you scream." That might have been the tagline to Ridley Scott's Alien, but I think that it fits Gravity much better.

Gravity is about a scientist played by Sandra Bullock and an astronaut played by George Clooney and for reasons that I will not delve into, they have to work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

After seeing the trailer, (and then re-watching it 20 times) I was completely amazed by the visuals, but puzzled how a premise like that could be stretched out to fit a motion picture? Even though the film only ends up with a 90 minute run-time, It didn't feel short at all.

Alfonso Cuaron, the director of this film, had been working on Gravity for years. He wanted to make this film sooner, but he had to wait until the technology to be far more advanced and progressed to meet what he needed. But luckily in 2009, James Cameron made a movie called Avatar that supplied Cuaron with what he needed. And did it pay off in the end? It was without a doubt worth the wait.

The visuals are jaw-dropping. Everything looked immaculate. It actually looked like some of the move was shot from space. The weightlessness of the astronauts looked so flawless that I can't even comprehend the technology it took to make this! With all of the floating and spinning that happens, I actually felt a bit sick it was so realistic!

 This movie is going to get nominated and most likely win Oscars for visual effects, cinematography, editing and possibly even director. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if it got nominated for Best Picture. Maybe even for the acting categories. Which lead me to the performances.

George Clooney plays exactly what I imagined George Clooney as an astronaut would be. He's a veteran spacewalker who handles everything thrown at him with ease. He's charismatic, suave and at times pretty funny. Sandra Bullock on the other hand is new to the whole astronaut business. She's a scientist who was hired to work on the technology. The two of them play off each other very well. With the exception of the first 15-20 minutes or so, Sandra Bullock carries the film and I would not be surprised if an Oscar nomination is in her future. She deserves it considering she underwent six months of physical training. The voice for mission control is played by Ed Harris. Wait, I'm having the weirdest  sense of deja vu......

I was completely flabbergasted by how few cuts there are in the film. The film begins with an opening shot of the earth and I kid you not, up until Sandra Bullock gets cast away, there was not a single cut. I wasn't keeping track, but that scene must have lasted a good 10 minutes. Editing has most often been used to keep the audience interested. Some filmmakers believe that the more cuts in a film, the more entertaining it is. Well that logic is not true. It ends up confusing the audience, it looks terrible and it is hard to tell what is going on. With Gravity, the single shot style adds to the realism and shows the audience what is actually happening because things happen very quickly.

The score is very subtle and comes into play to enhance particular moments, whether they be emotional or to signal that something horrible is going to happen. That might even end up earning Oscar gold.

Final Report: James Cameron really wasn't messing around when he said that Gravity is the greatest space movie ever. What he said is true. Gravity is a movie that is like no other. An experience that must be witnessed on the biggest of movie screens. Films like this are the reason why I love movies. Gravity is one of the most incredible movies I have ever seen. A true masterpiece.

Television Review #9: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot Review (2013-)

Well what do you know! The premiere to a new show that intrigues me! I haven't been this obsessed with new TV shows since I binge-watched the first two seasons of The Walking Dead just in time for the third season. But those are reviews for another time. Soon.....

If you have read my earlier reviews, you will know that I adored The Avengers. I loved just about everything about that movie. It actually was the movie that really kickstarted my huge movie obsession which eventually lead to this very blog. So if it wasn't for that movie you wouldn't have me! Getting back to the review....

When I heard that a show taking place after the events of The Avengers was in production, I was pumped. When I heard that Joss Whedon was involved in the show, I was excited. Then I heard that Agent Phil Coulson was going to lead the cast. At that point I was beyond excited.  It also raised a couple questions like:
1.) How did Coulson survive?
2.) Do the rest of The Avengers know he's alive?
3.) Will Samuel L. Jackson make an appearance as Nick Fury?
4.) What about Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill?
5.) Maybe an appearance by one of earths mightiest heroes?!? (Unlikely, but not too far-fetched.)

The good news is that Cobie Smulders does guest-star. The bad news is that my other questions don't get answered. If anything, I was hoping that they would have the episode revolve around how Coulson faked his death. But in the end they just pass his death by like it was no big deal. Like it happens all the time. No. No it doesn't. This is Joss Whedon you're dealing with here. He is notorious for killing off characters you love and for once he brought someone back to life and you pass his resurrection by like it wasn't important at all! Seriously, that was obvious wasted potential.

As for the rest of the story, it started out feeling more like something from an X-Men movie which concerned me. Luckily that feeling didn't last long. They introduce a bunch of plucky, young, attractive characters that are pretty likable. There is an obvious romance growing between the characters Skye and Grant that hopefully won't be exploited in a cheesy way. If that does end up happening, I'm not sure if the charms of Coulson will keep me wanting to watch.

But the best part of the show lies with Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, but you knew that already. Gregg is a good actor and he plays the role of Phil Coulson so well. It's impossible not to like the guy! Even though the jokes weren't super funny, he delivered them in a way that didn't take me out of the moment, which often happens with weak jokes.

Shepherd Book from Firefly made a cameo which was cool to see. Hopefully we will get to see an appearance by Jayne as a villain that Coulson has to fight. That would be awesome.

Final Report: While Clark Gregg is a joy to watch and the cast does have chemistry, I'm just not quite completely sold yet. Only time will tell!

Movie Review #64: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

I was going to save this for later in October but having just reviewed the pilot to to Fox's new show of the same name and story, how could I not?

Sleepy Hollow is directed by Tim Burton who is one of my favorite directors. I admire his gothic visual style, dark humor and the fact that many of his films are easy to watch. That is something you can't say about many directors is that you can pop in any of their films on a whim and enjoy them. And Sleepy Hollow is no exception.

The story goes that a young Ichabod Crane, played by a young Johnny Depp, is sent to a sleepy little town called Sleepy Hollow to investigate the unsolved murders of the towns citizens and solve the mystery of The Headless Horseman.

Of all of Tim Burton's films, Sleepy Hollow is the one that feels to be the most "Tim Burtony". What I mean by that is that Sleepy Hollow has perhaps the most Tim Burton elements. These are what I like to call the "Six Degrees of Tim Burton".

1.) Johnny Depp
2.) Tim Burton's friends fill the supporting cast (Ex: Christopher Lee, Jeffrey Jones, Martin Landau)
3.) Danny Elfman score
4.) Oscar winning art direction
5.) Style over substance
6.) Unintentional humor

Every single one of these elements is represented in this film. Let's start with the acting:
Johnny Depp was pretty good in this movie. It's always refreshing to be reminded that there was a time when Tim Burton gave Johnny Depp serious roles that didn't involve him getting decked out in white make-up. The supporting cast was also pretty good. Nothing special stood out about their performances except for Christopher Walken as The Headless Horseman. He made me chuckle quite a few times.

Danny Elfman's score is phenomenal. Just like with Depp, Burton and Elfman just click. They just understand each other so well. They're like the creepy version of Stephen Spielberg and John Williams. The visuals in typical Tim Burton fashion are lavishly macabre that completely immerse you in the scene. I actually find them kind of beautiful in a way.

The biggest issue I had with the movie is that with such a great story, this could have made a decent horror movie. It ended up coming off as silly and campy in the end. I mean really, how can you not laugh when someones head gets lopped clean off their shoulders and rolls in between Johnny Depp's legs? It could have been scarier, but I'm not complaining too much because I'm a wimp when it comes to scary movies.

Final Report: Sleepy Hollow might not be as scary as it could have been, but that is quickly made up for by the gothic visuals and elements, quick pace, entertaining action set-pieces and a phenomenal score by Danny Elfman.

Television Review #8: Sleepy Hollow Pilot Review (2013-)

Dang. Has it really be over two months since I reviewed a TV show? Now that truly is frightening.

I have an interesting relationship with TV shows. I only watch shows that are on the air if they intrigue me from the trailers or if my close friends personally request them to me. And Sleepy Hollow was the only show that looked intriguing.

It's created by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who have co-written the scripts for Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness and for J.J. Abram's shows like Fringe. I was also interested in seeing what these two could do without J.J. Abrams around.

So how is Sleepy Hollow? Intriguing to say the least.

I like the guy who plays Ichabod Crane. I think he fits the part perfectly. Not only does he look and sounds the part, but he's also pretty likeable. His counterpart, a female cop named Abbie was not as easily likeable as he is. It took me a while to fully adjust to her. Also because she looks like a discount version of Martha Jones from Doctor Who. I just couldn't shake that thought from my mind during the entire episodes 44 minute run-time. Her boss also looks like a discount version of Phillip Broyles from Fringe!

But luckily, the chemistry between our two leads, Crane and Abbie, works. It's obvious that their relationship is going to grow because from the start, Abbie isn't quite sure what to think of Crane but she can't just let him go because she knows that he is their best chance at defeating the Headless Horseman. Which leads me to my next point and that is that the Headless Horseman is completely awesome. There are multiple decapitations in this one episode, (also awesome) but what really sold me was when he picked up a machine gun. I feel like I don't even need to go on anymore to get your interest.

And, without spoiling anything, the episode ends in a way that actually kind of disturbed me. The last minute alone made me eager to see the next episode.

The writers have a great, huge, interesting story to tell, the lead actors click and the visuals are top notch. Let's hope Fox doesn't cancel it after lest than 20 episodes!

Final Report: Sleepy Hollow has more than enough potential to be great. It's like a combination of Elementary and Supernatural mixed with the visual flare of J.J. Abrams and the gothic, creepy vibe of Tim Burton. Where it stands on just one episode, it's a good deal of fun.

My Top Five Favorite Films of Summer 2013

Summer might be long gone but that doesn't mean you can't still talk about summer movies! So I am going to rank my top five favorite films I saw at my local theater.

Please keep in mind that I wasn't able to see every movie I wanted to. I wanted to see Man of Steel and Fast & Furious 6 but I didn't get around to it. I will end up reviewing them when they come out to rent.

So here are my picks:

1. Star Trek Into Darkness.

This was so much fun! It ended up being everything I wanted the sequel to be. It was an easy movie to watch with fast-paced, intense, thrilling action, quick witted humor and a phenomenal performance by Benedict Cumberbatch. Even though it might be considered to be a remake of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, I'm not complaining. Both are fantastic movies and I can't wait to see what J.J. Abrams has in store for the Star Wars universe.

2. Pacific Rim.

I felt like a kid in a candy store when I was watching Pacific Rim. My eyes were huge and my mouth started to hurt from smiling too much. It was just beyond words incredible seeing enormous robots fighting equally massive monsters. Pacific Rim is a shinning example of what a movie can be if the studio executives don't rule over everything and calling more shots than the director. The fact that this lost to Grown Ups 2 in the box office is another fact of what's wrong with humanity.

3. The Wolverine.

This was a huge surprise for me. I didn't think anything of this when I was planning out all of the movies that I wanted to see during the summer. The trailer didn't entice me, but I was wowed by how awesome The Wolverine was! The story was fascinating, the Japanese culture was exquisite and Logan's backstory got more fleshed out. Not to mention the action sequences he was in were completely awesome! This gets me all the more excited for X-Men: Days of Future Past.

4. World War Z.

Of all of the many films that bombed at the box office this summer, I'm very glad that World War Z wasn't one of the many that did. Especially with all of the odds that were against it! The story, much like the zombies, moves. The action is pretty intense with quite a few surprising scares thrown in here and there. And a finale that is so white knuckle you will hold your breath with anticipation and anxiety. I eagerly look forward to a sequel.

5. Iron Man 3.

The final spot was a tough one to choose. I flip-flopped between Iron Man 3 and Elysium for a long time. It was really tough to choose because both films had moments that I could have done without. But I settled on Iron Man 3 because I realized that I would rather re-watch this over Elysium any day. And this was vastly superior to Iron Man 2. Although I still can't get over the complete bait-and-switch they pulled on us with The Mandarin.





So that's my list of my favorite summer movies. Do you agree? What was your favorite movie of the summer/year? Tell me down below!

Movie Review #63: The Breakfast Club (1985)

Here is the first of many high school movies to come and what better film to start with than perhaps the most famous one of them all?

The Breakfast Club is about five high school kids with nothing in common have to serve a saturday detention (because back then schools actually disciplined kids.) And by the end of the day they end up learning that they really aren't that different.

I only recently watched this for the first time and I understand why this is one of my mom's favorite movies.

The main thing that makes The Breakfast Club so great is also what makes Arrested Development so great, and that is the characters. They are all so relatable and realistic that I have met people at high school that are like these characters. I even met someone named John Bender! That was just pure luck I guess.

You can relate and empathize with them because the problems they are going through are problems. I know people who have had to deal with the problems of the characters. The scene when Emilio Esteves pours all his problems out is one of the most emotional and sincere monologues I've heard.

And the song Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds is such a great track. One of the best songs in any movie from the 1980's. I would put it up there with Kenny Loggins Footloose.

John Hughes films should be one of the few things that Hollywood should stay away from remaking because they are perfect how they are. Flawed, but perfectly flawed.

Final Report: The Breakfast Club works so well because nothing about it seems fake like with other high school films. You can easily connect with the characters because you either know someone like them or you are one of them.

Very Important News: The Future of the Blog

As I said in my last review, school is starting up for me and that means that the reviews will become less frequent because of homework, projects, stress and all that fun stuff. I will try to post one a week. Most likely on the weekends, (or if I get sick for a few days then I will go on a movie marathon!)

I will still try to go to see the new releases in theaters. There are a couple films that I will definitely be reviewing. (I'm looking at you Gravity.) I will also be reviewing new releases at the video store and some movies that are thematic with what I am experiencing in my life, (so there are going to be a lot of high-school movies.) And when December rolls around I will be reviewing some of my favorite Christmas movies so there is that to look forward to.

So I'll do my best, but in the meantime please enjoy the reruns.

Movie Review #62: The Lone Ranger (2013)

Why am I reviewing a movie that came out almost two months ago? I figured that since I start school on tuesday, this would be my last chance to go see a movie in theaters to review. And since The Lone Ranger only just came to my local theater, the stars have alined for this to happen.

In The Lone Ranger, an older Tonto tells the story of the Lone Ranger of how he came to be and the adventures he had.

Contrary to some people, I am a fan of Gore Verbenski's films. Curse of the Black Pearl is one of my favorite action films of the new millennium. I also like Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. So when I heard he was going to make a big screen adaptation of The Lone Ranger, I was excited because he would be making another western and his first western was Rango which I completely adore. But then the reviews came pouring in claiming this to be a huge turkey. This made me put off seeing it until now. So I went in hoping to get at least something like a western Pirates of the Caribbean. And did I get that? At times yes, but with the good parts there is most definitely bad.

Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger was actually one of the biggest issues I had with the movie. In the original Lone Ranger TV show, he was always the main character and Tonto was his sidekick. It rarely felt like that. I like Armie Hammer, but I don't think that he has grown enough as an actor to play a lead. Especially in a movie like this. Now you might say that Johnny Depp just stole the show. I disagree because look how his name is listed first on the poster above. You could say because he is the more well known name, but I say that the script was written with the intention that Tonto would be the lead instead of The Lone Ranger. It's like how in the Transformers cartoon it focused on the robots. But in the live action Michael Bay movies, the focus was towards the humans and the Transformers were supporting characters. That's not how it should be. For Transformers or The Lone Ranger.

My biggest issues with Johnny Depp is that he is playing Captain Jack Sparrow only coated a different layer of white makeup. Hopefully in the future he will get to do more roles like Public Enemies where he actually gets to give a serious performance.

The only character that I really dug was William Fichtner was the villain Butch Cavendish. I got behind him as a villain because he was really entertaining and menacing and the scenes he's in aren't cartoony. William Fichtner is an actor that has a recognizable face but you don't know his name. He might even end up being the only good part about the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie!

The runtime could have been shortened by at least 30 minutes. At times it was kind of boring. There are some elements of the film that could have been cut out because the story is very large and some of the story arcs could have been done without.

On a technical level, The Lone Ranger does not disappoint at all. The $210,000,000 budget is very evident on screen because the action set pieces are well crafted and highly entertaining. The last 20 minutes were the best part of the film because the William Tell Overture played and the finale began with a train chase sequence that had me smiling from beginning to end.

Final Report: While The Lone Ranger isn't in the running for best movie of the year, it isn't the worst of the year by any means. If you are going to see this, either see it at the budget theater or wait to rent. It definitely isn't Wild Wild West 2 by any means!

News: James Spader is Ultron!

I just returned from vacation up north without any internet access or wi-fi. So when I came home and checked IMDB this was the biggest news. I'm not sure how long this has been out so this might be old news to some of you.

I don't know, but what I do know is that Marvel announced that James Spader will be playing the villain Ultron in The Avengers sequel titled The Avengers: Age of Ultron. There has not been any confirmation on whether he will be doing only the voice of Ultron or a motion capture performance like Mark Ruffalo did as The Hulk in The Avengers.

I think that this is an excellent casting move. James Spader is a very talented and underrated actor and it is good to see him getting more mainstream roles.

The one role of his that sticks out to me the most was him as Robert California on the eight season of The Office. He was the only good part about season eight. In a sense, he was the villain of The Office that season and he was fantastic. Spader also has the perfect voice for Ultron.

"That guy creeps me out, but... he might also be a genius"

How do you feel about this? Are you psyched for Spader to kill it as Ultron or are you hesitant? I'm pretty sure we can all agree that this is better casting news than Ben Affleck as Batman. With all this casting news being announced I have a feeling that we are going to get our first Star Wars Episode VII actor announced. Fingers crossed!

News: Ben Affleck is Batman!

Holy Huge Casting News Batman! Ben Affleck has been confirmed to don the cape and cowl and play Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel coming out July 17th, 2015. Henry Cavil will return as Superman and so will Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I read the headline on IMDB. Of all the people rumored for the role, his was one that I didn't hear much about. I was predicting it would be Josh Brolin or Karl Urban. But I was hoping that Michael Keaton would return. That would have made me so happy. But since it is now Ben Affleck, my feelings are mixed ones.

Pro: He looks the role of Bruce Wayne. I can totally buy him as Bruce Wayne.
Pro: He has got the body for it.
Pro: He is a well-know face in Hollywood.
Pro: He has won two Oscars.
Con: Neither of those Oscars were for acting.
Con: He only gives good performances in films that he has directed like Argo.
Con: The last time he played a superhero was in Daredevil. Need I go on?

The emotions I am feeling with this are a mix of excitement, fear, terror, depression and optimism. I am still trying to wrap my mind around this. But hey, at least it isn't Clooney!

What say you my fellow readers? Please comment below. (It makes me happy!)

Movie Review #61: Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

I never had the chance to see this film in theaters, but since it just came out to rent this is as good a time as any. But this does not mean that I will also be reviewing Roland Emmerich's White House Down because that looks completely awful whereas this looks fun. Stupid but fun. And that is all I want in a film like this.

In Olympus Has Fallen, Koreans have taken over the White House and it is up to Gerard Butler to save the day. The plot is pretty simple because in a film like this, you really don't need complexity.

Is this film original? No.
Is it familiar to past, superior action films? Heck yeah.
Is it enjoyable? Totally!

I had a blast with Olympus Has Fallen because after the first 20 minutes it is straight up, 100% guilty pleasure action. The action is very reminiscent of gritty, realistic '80's - '90's action films like Die Hard. In fact, this could/should have been Die Hard 5! Or at least the 24 movie that they have been teasing at making for years. Is a 24 movie still in the works? I'm not sure if it is anymore because Fox is bringing 24 back for another season. Time will tell I guess.

Gerard Butler plays our hero and he is a great hero. He carries the film for the most part and he does a really good job. He needs to star in more movies like this and less romantic comedies. That needs to happen. Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman are also good, but that shouldn't be a huge surprise to anyone. The script does what it has to do for a film like this, which is to get the ball rolling. I'm just glad that the dialogue isn't corny or cheesy.

Even if the concept of The White House getting taken over isn't very realistic, the action has a sense of realism. When Gerard Butler throws a punch, it looks realistic. The CGI on the other hand was not. It wasn't awful, but it could have been better. That didn't take me out of the film though because I was having too much fun!

Final Report: Don't go into Olympus Has Fallen expecting it to tide you over until Terrence Malick's next project because this is 100% guilty pleasure action. And I am perfectly fine with that!