Taken 2
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Runtime: 92mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 6.3/10 (69,400+ Votes)
Director(s): Olivier Megaton
Writer(s): Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen
Plot/Synopsis:
In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his ex-wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
Forethought(s):
The first one was damn near perfect of an action movie and I expect no less from this one since it has the writers are back and the director has two fairly good action movies under her belt.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
Istanbul is 2,063 square miles.
Stars of the movie: Liam Neeson,Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace
The Breakdown:
I’m sure you all want to know if I was TAKEN with this movie but you’ll just have to wait and see.
The movie starts off with the family members of the kidnappers from the first movie burying their blood and vowing vengeance upon the one who did the killing which sets the tone for the movie quite well which a lot of films are slow to do. During this time there are some fast flashbacks to refresh your memory if you can’t recall what happened in 2008 (when the first one came out) and that will be a recurring device. Once the vowing is over with, the movie moves on to Bryan,who is played by Neeson, who is just sitting outside the house of his ex-wife waiting for his daughter, who is played by Maggie Grace,so he can teach her how to drive. Remember that she can’t drive because I will talk about that in a few. The daughter isn’t home so he talks with his ex-wife and finds out that his daughter is at her boyfriends place. Bryan is not very happy about that and does a background check on the boyfriend. Keep in mind the background check.
This isn't the plan that I had come together.
A little time passes and he shows up at the exes again but this time finds out that she and her new man are having issues and invites them (the ex and his daughter) to Istanbul for a get away. All this happens in about 20mins time and we still don’t have any action at all. At this point I’m bummed. Some minutes pass and Maggie Grace shows up in a two piece and let me just say she’s got some very nice legs and an ass that you just want to watch like a perpetual wave machine;she was built to be on all fours. O.K back to the movie,so,a few more minutes pass and the new kidnappers are looking for everyone in the family. They catch Bryan and his ex but not the daughter. We finally get some action in the form of a chase scene that ends in a short fist to fist sequence. Almost forgot,this happens around the 26min mark! Why so damn long for the action to start? They were trying to build tension. It worked but the action didn’t feel as well done as the tension building.
Some more time passes and now the daughter who couldn’t drive is now behind the wheel of a cab with a stick and she’s going all Need For Speed on her who be captors. This was a plot-hole that pissed me right the hell off. I can buy that she knows how to ride stick as long as that stick is a dick but we were led to believe that she is a very poor driver even though it’s hinted that she may not have passed her drivers tests (3 of them) intentionally. O.K I can sorta swallow (something that I would love to find out if Grace does) that she’s not as bad as she’s made out to be but I cannot,even for a dollar,buy that she’s knows how to drive stick like a formula 1 racer when she was having a hard time with auto. Don’t get me wrong the car chase was cool and fun to watch but at the same time it irked me because of the above mentioned issue. Almost forgot the
You want to watch my what as if it's a what?
After the car chase Bryan goes on the hunt and while we get some more fights,both with and without guns,it’s just not the type of action you would expect if you’ve seen TAKEN. The final fight sequence is anti-climactic and is just O.K.
The ending is of course happy. The family is at a soda shop (I think) or dinner and in walks the daughters boyfriend who we only saw once before this point and never heard back on the background check that Bryan did. It is because of that that I think he will be the villain in some manner in the third installment of the series.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
None thing really stood out this time around.
The Verdict:
So I wasn’t TAKEN with the movie but I don’t think the movie should be TAKEN to the firing range and shot. I like the direction that was TAKEN with the tension and drama but feel that the movie should have been longer to fit in better suited action scenes and fill in some more gaps. All in all it was a slightly above average action movie. It’s not something anyone should rush out and see but if you happen to come across it on TV give it a go.
I give this movie 3 stick shifts out of 5.
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The Dark Knight Rises
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Runtime: 165mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 8.7/10 (469,100+ Votes)
Director(s): Christopher Nolan
Writer(s): Jonathan and Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer
Plot/Synopsis:
Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham’s finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
Forethought(s):
To long,filled with plot holes and logic issues. I so hope I’m wrong with the logic issues.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
The Joker was never mentioned in the film out of respect for Heath Ledger.
Robin Williams was rumored to play the role of Huge Strange.
Stars of the movie: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway
The Breakdown:
Well there weren’t as many plot holes and issues of logic as I was led to believe, the movie was to long if you ask me,however,it didn’t drag on and that’s a good thing. I just think there was a lot of unneeded build up. Take for example the whole Bane escaping from the prison thing. Unneeded. It was a waste of time. Sure it may have only been a few minutes in total but with those few minutes removed from the film it could have flowed better. I will admit I did like the reveal during the final prison flash back. While on the topic of the reveal,I was so pissed when they let us think Bane was the son of The Demons Head (Ra’s al Ghul),Bane,in the comic is not the son of Ra’s and seeing Nolan has given his own spin on all things Bat in his movies I wholeheartedly thought he was going to make Bane, Ra’s’ son. If he did do that I can tell you right now my review would be nothing more than me bitch at Nolan for fucking with what should not be fucked with.
Let’s keep with Bane for a bit shall we? Good. I liked a lot of what Bane is in the movie but what I don’t like is just how well spoken he is and how he seems to be a Brit. I get that the mask would distort your voice but to point of it sounding like a broken British Speak and Spell? No, that’s just unacceptable. He was born in the fictional island nation of Santa Prisca,which in the comics is Caribbean,so if anything,Bane’s voice should sound,by American standards,a broken Latin Speak and Spell. What I really would have liked is a flash back on how Bane got so well spoken. He was,if Nolan kept it the same as in the comics,born in the prison and they didn’t really have teachers there. Let’s keep with the voices. As always there’s Batmans voice. I hate it. Pure and simple. It’s not scary, it’s not intimidating,it’s a 7 year old kid trying to sound like an adult. It makes me want to not only punch Bale in the throat but Nolan in the head for them thinking that it was a smart choice. It wasn’t. I’m just glad it was used as much in this film as it was in the first two in the seires.
One thing I don’t get is why people are hating on Hataways performance of Catwomen. Perhaps it’s the fact that all the iterations of Catwomen are different and I don’t have a hard preset notion on what Catwomen should be. I must admit though that I did not like when Hataway did the fighting. I know she isn’t known for action and that’s why I’m not gonna be hard on her (if she wanted me to give her my hard-on,I WOULD IN SECOND!) but when she was fighting it just did not look fluid, it was very ridged at times and that is the one thing Catwomen is known for,her fluidity,after all she is a master theft.
So there’s a far amount of dislike above and there more I can get in to but I don’t want this review to be five plus pages so I’ll get on with the good.
On a technical level the movie is damn near flawless. Some of the shots they got were just amazing. The large crowd scenes were some of the coolest to view. The fight scenes are well thought out,yes even the ones where Hataway is fighting. The musical score should really win an Oscar. The Bat bike (don’t know what they call it in the movie) is something I want in real life (so is Hataway),the fact that they made Bane more of a strong guy than a venom user was smart move, tons of good dialogue.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Alfred:(At Bruce’s grave) I’m so sorry. I failed you. You trusted me and I failed you.
You may be asking yourself why this is my best line and it’s because how spot on this is for Alfred. This,in my book is the most accurate depiction of a Bat family member in the Nolan movies.
The Verdict:
There’s still more I could bitch about and I could go into greater detail of the things I like but I think all those things have been said before and I don’t want to repeat to much. This is by far one of the best live action DC movies out there but that’s not really saying much right now. Even if you weren’t much of a fan of the 2nd one I say watch this. Is the movie itself worth the price of the DVD? Honestly, no, unless you like extras. This is most likely something you’re only going to watch once and you just know this one is going to be on TV a shit ton of times over the years.
I give this movie 4 52s out of 5.
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The Avengers
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Runtime: 143mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: PG-13
Director(s): Joss Whedon
Writer(s): Zak Penn(story),Joss Whedon (story and screenplay), Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (comic book) & Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (Captain America)
Plot/Synopsis:
Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.
Forethought(s):
A movie based on the Avengers after all the solo movie titles of characters that form the Avengers? YES PLEASE!
Fun Fact/Trivia:
This is the fist Marvel flick to be distributed by Diseny.
Stars of the movie: Robert Downey Jr.,Chris Evans,Mark Ruffalo,Chris Hemsworth,Scarlett Johanasson,Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston
The Breakdown:
I’m hearing a lot of people call this the best comic book movie ever (to date) and as a comic fan I don’t agree and I don’t disagree. I think Batman:Year One which is an animated flick just nudges by this one. I would say that this is the best live action comic book movie to date but I’ve yet to watch The Dark Knight Rises.
Most of my gripes about this movie are minor;one of them is slightly more than minor but not major. One of my gripes is continuity errors and just how early in the movie they show. Here are just a few: Agent Hill is chasing after Hawkeye and Loki,she shoots her windshield and there’s a hole there;she fires out that hole and not only at shoots but hits the windshield of the other vehicle but there aren’t ANY bullet holes at all on that windshield. The other is while Cap was hitting the full size sand bag in the gym. On some wide shots it was tapped up while on others it wasn’t;the same goes for when the bag has close ups. Another gripe of mine is the lack of even the smallest Russian accent for Black Widow. I did find Scarlett Johanasson voice more sexy though. While on the topic of characters I feel that most characterizations were ever 
so slightly off.
Another complaint I have with the movie is the crappy CG when Iron-Man and Thor are flying and fighting;that along with Iron-Man flying outside the Helicarrier is just piss poor in my book for the amount of talent they have at all levels of production. The rest of the CG was just fine.
My biggest issue with this movie is that it didn’t feel like a team movie. It felt like all the characters where just there and said “yeah sure why not.” This may have been implemented on propose and I just don’t get it but I don’t think so. For me,this movie wasn’t about the action and the individual stories but rather the creation of THE EARTHS MIGHTIEST and to me that means the climax of the movie should have the feeling of indivisibility but sadly what we get is a lack of cohesion on a grand scale. Sure they work together but they also feel like they’re working against one another. It almost felt like I was watching a West Coast Avengers movie. What I’m trying to get at is that the movie to me failed as a team flick.
See even my biggest issue with the movie isn’t all that major.
And for my final complaint is that not one of the heroes said they’re battle call “ AVENGERS ASSEMBLE !” I think that just solidifies my stance that this was a not a team movie.
Now for the things I did like about the movie….pretty much everything else and that’s no lie. I loved the screen time that was giving to each character. I enjoyed the hell out the way some of the scenes were shot. One of my favorite shots in this movie is where Loki walks up to the glass where he is caged and you see the reflection of him as he looks at Black Widow. That shot is just great. I liked that Scarlett Johanasson showed range in this movie and it was for a character that is known for having little emotion. I abso-fucking-lutely loved the scene during the credits. That baddie they reveal is one of my two favorite Marvel villains and knowing that he’s going to be in the second gave me a nerdgasm. The action in the movie was good but I wish there was a sense of danger. The over all look of the heroes and villains were nice. The costumes were pulled from all areas of Marvel comicdom and it worked well. The acting felt a little dull but still good and that’s not because anyone preformed poorly but because there were so many good actors in the movie and so many of them were in scenes with each other that no one could truly shine.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Yeah, I can’t pick just one. Everyone had at least one line that was great.
The Verdict:
This is a movie that both comic fans and none comic fans can enjoy. It has drama,it has action,it’s sci-fi/fantasy that isn’t in your face and it doesn’t feel like a movie that is as long as the run time states. All my complaints aren’t major and that can’t be said often.
I give this movie 4.5 Avengers out of 5.
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Columbus Circle
Year: 2012
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller
Runtime: 82mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 5.8/10 (3,100+ Votes)
Director(s): George Gallo
Writer(s): George Gallo and Kevin Pollak
Plot/Synopsis:
An heiress who’s been shut inside her apartment building for nearly two decades is forced to confront her fears after one of her neighbors is killed and a detective arrives to begin the investigation.
Forethought(s):
I’ve heard not one thing about this movie but the line up is good and I do enjoy mystery movies so as long as it’s not watered down and littered with red herrings (some are fine) then it should be an good movie.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
This is the first movie in 7 years that Jason Lee is in that isn’t a comedy. The last one was The Ballad of Jack and Rose.
Stars of the movie: Selma Blair,Amy Smart,Jason Lee and Giovanni Ribissi
The Breakdown:
There are two mysteries going on whit this movie: 1) Why is this classified as a mystery? 2) Why didn’t Selma Blair and Amy Smart have a lesbian love scene? O.K, I know the lesbian scene won’t happen with on screen with them but in my head it plays over and over and over. If they ever did do a girl-girl scene my dick would be raw with him seconds;I would jurk it like I was a horny Hedgehog call Sonic. 
I was really hoping for a good “who done it” mystery but what I got instead was a “here are the mysteries now try to figure out where we’re going with this stuff before we show you…..oppps,you didn’t figure it out within the allotted time of 37 seconds.” crap. I’m not kidding,when ever they tossed out some mystery and you go “ooooh,this should be neat” with in 60 seconds you know who did it,why they did/are doing it. A lot of this could have been avoided if they would have just edited some things out and not used the camera shots they did. Or maybe use the “I’m not so innocent” shot on more than just one person. Throw in at least one red herring when you write mysteries. This was a light crime/thriller flick but no where near being a real mystery.
The acting was decent. None thing special really. There are one or two performances that are truly believable while the rest are adequate. It was fun and interesting to see Jason Lee play a non funny role and Giovanni Ribissi play something other than the stoner/loser/under achiever role. He actually does a decent job as a detective in this movie.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
None.
The Verdict:
There’s not a whole in this movie that makes me want to tell you all to watch it. The only real thing you would watch it for is Giovanni Ribissi and Jason Lee in roles that they don’t normaly do. By no means is this a bad movie but it’s also not a good movie. It’s one of those middle of the road movies that you watch on TV when you don’t really want to get to involved in anything.
I give this movie 3 whys out of 5.
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Lockout
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Thriller/Sci-Fi
Runtime: 95mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 6.1/10 (22,800+ votes)
Director(s): James Mather and Stephen St. Leger
Writer(s): James Mather, Stephen St. Leger, and Luc Besson
Plot/Synopsis:
A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president’s daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates.
Forethought(s):
Looks like a nice action sci-fi film. Kinda reminds me of late night action/sci-fi flicks from the 90s.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
There is a Wilhelm scream in this movie.
Stars of the movie: Guy Pearce,Maggie Grace and Peter Stormare.
The Breakdown:
The year is 2079,the president’s daughter has been taken hostage and it’s up to Snow to get her back. Sound like the plot to a crony NES game or maybe an action movie from the early 90′s that was made in a week? If you answered yes to those,you win!
The protagonist is a man named Snow. He is a wise cracking,cigarette smoking ass kicker. Who needs more info? You do? Leave now.
If that doesn’t sound good enough how about I tell you that there is some super poor CG affects in the movie that actually works? The reason for me that the crappy CG work is that the movie is set 67 years in the feature and really who knows what cars and cityscapes will look like at that point? Maybe they will in fact look like crappy CG. Don’t worry all the crappy CG happens in the first ten minutes of the flick. Later CG is quite nice.
Still need more info? The movie is really action filled. Right from the started we get some light action then with in a minute or two later we get some fist to face and bullets to head type of action which last for about five minutes and involves a one wheeled motor cycle chase scene. Then there’s a lull in which the story starts to unfold. Shortly after the action picks up but it’s not the high octane that is the first 10 minutes or so,however,that does not mean there isn’t punching,stabbing and spacing going on.
This is going to sound odd but the writing in this movie is good. I mean real good. I’m not talking about the type of writing that’s going to win an Oscar but it’s the type that makes you feel like this shit somehow could happen. Also this is the type of writing that asks the questions that we the viewers ask ourselves when we watch a film. The main character (Snow) will see something he doesn’t understand and will just be like “Hmm, how’d you know the lock combo?” Simple things like that are scattered throughout the movie. One final thing is that they totally got me on who the bad guy was. Good one you writers of LOCKOUT,good one you.
The acting is a real shock for me. I was expecting a lot of over acting and poorly timed punches but no,in the few cases where there is overacting it’s a creative decision based on how the story goes. Guy Pearce channels Stallone from the 80s for action and tosses in some Rob Schneider for the wise cracking. Maggie Grace was the weakest for half the movie and become solid near the end. I can’t say I’ve seen her in a lot of things but I would like to. There’s something about her voice that just makes me want to listen to her all day and all night,of course the night listening would be for he sex sounds. Peter Stormare,really,do I need to say anything about him?
Best line/exchange in the movie:
There are a shit ton of great on liners in this. One of my favs is this one.
Snow:I’m being beaten up by a guy called Rupert?
The Verdict:
If you’ve had an itch for late 80′s or early 90′s style action movie that are just pure awesome due to them not caring if you like them or not and doing what they feel is badass then you will want to see this.
I give this movie 4 evac pods out of 5.
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Red Tails
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Runtime: 125mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 5.9/10 (12,400+ Votes)
Director(s): Anthony Hemingway
Writer(s): John Ridley & Aaron McGruder (screenplay) and John B. Holway (book)
Plot/Synopsis:
A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard.
Forethought(s):
Great, a freaking movie that Lucas has his hands in. I wonder just how much he messed with the history.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
George Lucas has stated that he doesn’t care if the film loses some movie;he will have the squeals done. He feels that this is a story that needs to be told.
Stars of the movie: Cuba Gooding Jr.,Gerald McRaney and David Oyelowo
The Breakdown:
After doing a little bit of research it seems that for the most part this movie is historically accurate. I say mostly because there are two “facts” that seem to be inflated while another one is still being looked into. If you’re interested in finding out what is accurate and what is not I recommend that you do the research although I warn you that you will most likely be doing a lot of reading.
All in all the movie is well done and pretty entertaining. It’s a drama set during WWII and as such there is some war crap going on but it’s not the majority of the movie so for those of us who do not enjoy military types of flicks,fear not,this movie is more drama than war. Now that’s not to say there’s no action in the movie because there is. I would say three or four action sequences,hell,the movie starts off on one. What I think a lot of people will dislike are the one dimensional characters,cheesy dialogue and cliches. I actually didn’t mind them for the most part. They at times do get to be a bit much,like,an over cocky fighter pilot,the religious man,the leader who drinks and there are two characters that felt like they were going to bust out with some shucking and jiving at any moment.
The acting was quite good for the most part. I didn’t care much for Ne-Yos acting but I think that had more to do with the writing of his character than his ability. His character is one of the two that felt like they were going to shuck and jive. He also doesn’t have a lot of face time so it makes it more tolerable. Method Man has small part in the film and it’s just funny to see him not play the street tough type of role. Andre Royo who you may know as Bubbles from one of the best cop shows ever made, The Wire, also has a small part but he does a good job with what he’s giving. Everyone does at least a decent job but there are two stand outs:Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard. Cuba stands out because his character doesn’t seem to be consistence. One scene he will be what a C.O should be and the next he seems like someones grandpa. It was just weird. Terrence stands out because simply put the dude rocked this role like it was his job. I know it was his job but you know what I mean. A lot of it had to do with his voice. It was such a contrast with everyone including Gerald McRaneys. When Howard spoke,you listened. He made everything he said sound important and that’s because what he was fighting for was.
My biggest issue with the movie is that it feels like it should have been a few different ones. Besides the main story of fighting for the right to fight in the war it seemed like they forced themselves to not fully develop the story of the leader who drinks,the cocky fighter pilot and the young one who want’s respect. All three of those feel like they were at one time strong focal points of their own movie but for some reason were cut back and placed into this one. Then again it could have been foresight that made them do it. They told just enough to hook you and make you want to find out more about these characters.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Neon:When you get upset, when you get mad, you turn red, right? When you get envious, or sick, you turn green. When you become cowardly, you turn yellow; and ya’ll got the nerve to call us colored?
The Verdict:
This movie is worth the watch. I know it’s not 100% accurate but it is a Hollywood MOVIE and not a documentary,so,if you going into it knowing that I think you will enjoy the flick. The fact that the characters aren’t fully developed shouldn’t deter you from watching this movie. The faults are small but the story is filled with passion and for that I can forgive some issues.
I give this movie 4 fighter plans out of 5.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypVmBm3bCw
Ghost Rider:Spirit of Vengeance
Year: 2011
Genre: Action/Fantasy/Thriller
Runtime: 95mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 4.5/10 (29,700+ Votes)
Director(s): Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Writer(s): Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer
Plot/Synopsis:
As Johnny Blaze hides out in Eastern Europe, he is called upon to stop the devil, who is trying to take human form.
Forethought(s):
Going to be bad.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
Eva Mendes turned down the option to reprise her role.
Stars of the movie: Nicolas Cage,Ciaran Hinds and Idris Elba.
The Breakdown:
Lots of bad reviews,lots of decent reviews and lots of in the middle thoughts. People just can’t seem to agree on this movie. So how do I find the movie? I find it to be decent with a shit ton of wasted potential. There were things I really thought were cool while other things never should have been in the movie the way it was in there.
Freaking hothead!
Let’s get this out of the way right now,Nicolas Cage,you should not have been the Ghost Rider again. You’re good in many things and bad in many things,this was one of the things you were bad in. You, my master of inconsistency needed not to elongate every few words and did not need to enunciate every word as if they have a profound meaning to them. Ciaran Hinds, you were fine as hell in this movie but I didn’t buy you as the mother. It’s like the kid was more of a package than your son and that took a way from the movie(not a lot but some). Idris Elba, you’re the man,you rock almost all roles you get but sadly this was not one you rocked. You did a good job don’t get me wrong but man that French accent you used was laughable.
There’s not really a lot of action in this movie,maybe,just maybe,three real action sequences. They weren’t very long but two of them were neat to see while the third was anti-climatic.
This a true to the comic movie? I have no clue to be honest whit you. I never got into Ghost Rider but I have read some stuff about him on comic sites and this doesn’t really seem to stick with the history. I could be wrong since I don’t have any first hand knowledge on the Rider. I can tell you that if this was true to the comic then I have no fucking clue how the comic has had such a following.
I learned something from this movie and that is if you ever told your better half that they don’t look fat in that outfit or if you ever used Napster back in the day than you going to lose your soul.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Johnny Blaze: Yeah. Black, French, alcoholic priest, kind of a dick. Why, do you know him?
The Verdict:
No where near as bad as people make it out to be but by no means a real winner. If you want a mindless movie to watch give this one a try but just don’t expect much out of it.
I give this to 3 flaming pissers out of 5.
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Superman vs. The Elite
Year: 2012
Genre: Animation/Action
Runtime: 76mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 7.2/10 (660+ Votes)
Director(s): Michael Chang
Writer(s): Joe Kelly
Plot/Synopsis:
The Man of Steel finds himself outshone by a new team of ruthless superheroes who hold his idealism in contempt.
Forethought(s):
I don’t know. The art doesn’t look all that good but the story is one of the best Sups tales told. DC animated movies like this are hit or miss and as of late they’ve been more hit than miss so here’s hoping we get some action.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
The Elite first appeared in Action Comics #775 which was also written by Joe Kelly.
Stars of the movie: George Newbern,Pauley Pereette and Steve Blum
The Breakdown:
The cool starts with title sequence and ends with the credits and some meh in the middle.
Atomic Skull
The title sequence is very 80′s U.K Punk in style with old Fleischer frames of Superman. Very nostalgic,very retro,very cool. This is where I thought this was going to be a good movie but then the first scene of the movie plays and I’m like “WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS BULLSHIT?” of course I was chuckling while watching it because it’s just silly. Then it turns out that that scene was just a cartoon that Sups had Ok’d, phew. It’s not long after that we get our first throw down…with the Atomic Skull. Really? Yes and unlike so many interpretations of the Skull he’s pretty bad ass in this. Some time passes and we get another action sequence but this time with mindless bio-weapons and this is also the first time we see The Elite in action. One uses telepathy,one uses magic to summon demons from a hat,another uses energy and just happens to look like Hugo from the video games Final Fight and Street Fighter and finally some alien or demon looking lady who is very horny and wants to get with anything that has a penis. Then there’s some drama with a flashback expalining how the leader of The Elite came to be, then some more action, then more drama, then a little humor, then more action followed by a short spat of drama, then the final action scene which has Sups unleashing like we’ve never seen before. He start’s killing the members or The Elite or does he? I’m not giving that way.
The final battle is so freaking cool. Unless you’ve read the source martial you just don’t know if Sups has been pushed to his breaking point due to all the shit he’s doing. Does the Big Blue Boy Scout kill? Are the Man of Steels beliefs strong enough to withstand the urge to destroy? Can Kal-El show the world that killing is the not the answer? If any of those questions sound interesting to you then you should check this out.
The Elite from left to right:Hat,Menagerie,Manchester Black and Coldcast
If you have a young kid this may not be the animated movie you want s/he watching. There is some “hell”s and “damn”s tossed around along with some strong sexual innuendos for a cartoon. The violence is so-so;I would say it’s on par with other superhero cartoons like Young Justice or Avengers:Earths Mightiest Heroes so if you’re O.K with your spawn watching those then this one will be fine.
Best line/exchange in the movie: Up,up and away.
The Verdict:
While there are some small issues with this movie it’s a great comic to film take on a wonderful storyline and shouldn’t be missed by fans of strong narrative pieces or by those that just want to see The Man of Tomorrow take it to the edge.
I give this movie 4 super shields out of 5.
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Sherlock Holmes:A Game of Shadows
Year: 2011
Genre: Action/Adventure/Crime
Runtime: 129mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 7.5/10 (119,110+ Votes)
Director(s): Guy Ritchie
Writer(s): Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney (script) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes)
Plot/Synopsis:
Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.
Forethought(s):
I’m a huge Holmes fan and while I liked the first one it didn’t quite feel right and I’m expecting I will like this one as well but again it just won’t feel right.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
It’s because of this movie that Guy Ritchie had to drop out of Lobo (a DC comics movie) while Robert Downey Jr. was forced to drop out of Cowboys & Aliens.
Stars of the movie: Robert Downey Jr.,Jude Law and Jared Harris.
The Breakdown:
I was right about it not feeling quite like a Holmes movie. I’m not saying it’s a bad movie because it’s not it’s just that this movie could have really been about any detective. They stayed inline with the first movie but it does not deserve to be called a Sherlock Holmes movie. The Holmes movie put out by mockbuster maker,The Asylum,felt more Holmes like than this one did.
So why do I feel that this series strays to far away from what Holmes is you ask? A few reasons. 1) The comedy. It’s too slapstick and obvious while Holmes is known for his dry sense of humor that borders on deadpan. 2) Way too much action. Sure,Holmes can fight but not like this and he doesn’t fight as much as the one this movie does. 3) The flamboyance. Holmes in this movie is too filled with energy, over exaggerates a lot of his movements and his personality in this flick is more of the doer as apposed to the visionary/the executive that every other take on the character is. 4) O.K, this one is me totally nit-picking. Holmes in this movie is shorter than Watson! Again, me nit-picking. I can not recall one other visual take on Holmes where he is shorter than Watson.
There has to be some good to the movie since you said it’s not bad. You are correct sir and or madam! 1) The visuals are fantastic. All the sets and all the costumes with the exception of one boat look like they belong in the time frame in which the movie takes place. And of course there’s a very lovely red head! I would play doctor with her any day of the week. 2) The action. Yeah I know I was bitching about it a bit but it was filmed so much better than a lot of action movies. You can tell what’s going on and there’s no awkward angles and that makes watching it enjoyable but it does still feel out of place since there is martial arts,gun fights and explosions going on. 3) The exchanges between Holmes and Moriarty. This was the only thing that truly felt like it belonged in a movie with the title of Holmes.
What I did enjoy most about this was that they took two well know Holmes stories (The Final Problem and The Empty House along with some threads from others) and made a movie about it. Even those those are well known stories they aren’t really popular ones.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Watson:[seeing Holmes in drag] What?
Holmes:I agree it’s not my best disguise.
The Verdict:
While this is a good movie it is not a good Holmes movie but that should not deter you from watching it. It’s enjoyable as long as you watch it like it’s not a Holmes movie. They hold your hand to much and I think a lot of you Holmes fans will dislike that. Moriarty was played wonderfully.
I give this movie 4 bindles out of 5.
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Chronicle
Year: 2012
Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Runtime: 84mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 7.2/10 (52,000+ Votes)
Director(s): Josh Trank
Writer(s): Max Landis (screenplay and story) and Josh Trank (story)
Plot/Synopsis:
Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Forethought(s):
This could be really good if it’s about how superpowers corrupt teens and how they abuse their powers.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
The scene where Andrew tears off the legs of a spider was originally done with Andrews dad but it was removed to get the PG-13 rating.
Stars of the movie: Dane DeHaan,Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan
The Breakdown:
This is the comic book movie that comic fans have been waiting for with the exception of there being no known superheroes or villains. Hated DareDevil? You aren’t alone. Disliked Jonah Hex? So many did. Want a movie where the origin story hasn’t been told a million times? Would you like to see how powers can change people? Care to know what high-schoolers would do with abilities well beyond those or normal man? Perhaps you should give this movie a go.
First I think everyone should know is that this is a 3Fer(Found Footage Film),yes,that means Blair Witch Project,Super 8 and Diary of the Dead style shooting. I know that’s going to turn off a lot of people but here’s the thing it rarely feels like a 3Fer due to the non shakiness of the camera and the professional feel of the shooting. While on the subject of shooting I have to say this is one of the best shot movies I’ve seen in a long while. Shots are framed very well,they have dolly shots that are 100% smooth (you’d be a bit shocked to know that dolly shots are not always smooth) and crane shots. I also think that have a dolly crane shot which is not something you see in every movie due to how complex they can be. Now with all those nice things said, a lot of the shots were marred by piss poor CG work. The CG work was the type of stuff you would see on The History channel,yes that bad. Luckily for us there’s more to the movie than just the CG work.
So what are the other things that the movie has going on you ask? For one it feels natural/organic/real (yeah I know super powers aren’t real) and by that I mean the way things unravel in the movie,one can see it unraveling like that in real life. Another reason is that even though the stars of the movie are in their mid 20s they do in fact look and act like high school seniors. Third is what they do with their powers. At first they have fun with them. They do things like telekinetic catch,blow some skirts up with a leaf blower (boys will be boys after all) and float a teddy bear around a 5 year old. Just harmless little pranks until about 40 maybe 50 minutes where one of the characters turns a bit dark and starts to use his powers to get revenge and goes a bit crazy in the process.
Best line in the movie: Andrew, don’t fart; we’ll never find you again!
The Verdict:
I really didn’t think I was going to like this movie but it turns out I did a lot and really hope for some kind of sequel/spin off. This flick isn’t going to appeal to everyone but if you’re thinking that you may like it I think you should really get it a shot. It’s one of those movies where the trailer does not give it justice.
I give this movie 4 power sets out of 5.
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