MOVIE REVIEW: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER 3D

IN THEATERS

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER 3D



Director: Joe Johnston

Cast: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell

Release Date: Jul 22, 2011

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action

Runtime: 2 hr. 4 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

Captain America was among the list of superhero films that worried me going into this summer. It’s the type of property that’s hard to pull off because so much of the characters soul is trapped in a by gone time that might not translate to the big screen. Joe Johnston’s luckily was given a script that firmly places this origin story in its proper time and place. Shooting it with the look and feel of a WW2 propaganda film, Johnston captures so much of what makes the character and what he stands for without being overly jingoistic. Johnston paces his film methodically; taking his time with the characters and allows them to breathe. As a result, Chris Evan’s is given ample time to flesh out the scrawny runt Steve Rogers by giving him an earnestness that carries over to the Captain America version of Rogers. Hugo Weaving is good fun as the sinister Red Skull, even if the characters written a bit broad for my taste. Thanks to Johnston’s patience, secondary characters played by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones, having a ball, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci and Dominic Cooper don’t come off as one dimensional as they could have. Johnston also has to be given a lot of credit for well staged action sequences which keep pepper the 2nd half of the film, some of the larger set pieces giving a decidedly Raiders of the Lost Ark to them somehow. The 3D, if you those like me who enjoy the novelty, is effectively used for effect but some of the action sequence can sort of bombard your eyes with information.

B+

[Trailer] Paranormal Activity 3

While some hate this franchise and the genre in general, I don’t. I’ve always been a fan of the “found footage” films.

Paranormal Activity and its sequel were impressive outings and I’ve felt they’ve been quite clever in their approach to the story. 2nd one was a prequel meshed with action from the original.

This one looks like an overall prequel to the story as a whole, going back to the sister’s childhood, something referenced in the 2nd one.

Directed by Catfish Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman, who know a bit about blurring the line between the real world, it should be an interesting entry into the horror franchise….

[Trailer] The Amazing Spiderman HD - Official

After all the bootlegs running around as of late, it looks like Sony has just done the smart thing and just release the teaser for the Spiderman reboot officially.

I’ll have to be honest, Spiderman has never been my favorite character and the Sam Raimi films, the first 2, were enjoyable but never did much for me.

Considering this whole story has just been done 10 years ago, I can’t say I’m looking forward to this and after watching it, I’m fairly underwhelmed.

I like the cast a lot but it just doesn’t peak my interest very much, of course I’ll still watch it when it comes out next year….

[Trailer] The Avengers

After last weeks The Dark Knight Rises bootleg now it looks like another bootleg of a hotly anticipated comic book film has hit the internet.

The teaser to The Avengers, which is going to play before Captain America, is out and kind of cool looking, at least from what little I could see, quality is pretty shoddy and will probably be pulled down sooner than later…….

I’ll post the official one as soon as it’s out…..

MOVIE REVIEW: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2

IN THEATERS

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2



The final adventure in the Harry Potter film series follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they prepare for a final battle with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is determined to destroy Harry once and for all. In order to defeat the powerful wizard, they must find and destroy Voldemort's last and most elusive Horcrux -- that is, the enchanted piece of soul allowing him to remain immortal -- before his nefarious plans come to fruition. David Yates directs. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes

Release Date: Jul 15, 2011

Rated: Some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Finishing a series a series I originally thought would end up like some kind of cinematic fad is a strange thing. I’m one of those folks that’s never read one chapter of the novels, never been a big fantasy fan in any medium, so I started the cinematic versions as a chore. The first few films I found light and mostly dismissible, I kept with it and slowly but surely the films and character matured. The films became more complete works as a cinematic experience even if some of the jargon still sounds like some alternate version of Star Trek tech speak. In all honesty, I became found of the characters but can’t say I ever adored them. Radcliffe’s Potter has all the calling cards of a typical hero’s journey and coming of age story. This finale completes both sides of these plot threads with wonderful vigor. Radcliffe brings earnestness to the character that just transcends the screen. His ability to ably display quiet strength and growing maturity is an underrated talent. It’s really something incredible to witness, with Radcliffe starting as a green child actor to an impressive performer who can carry the weight of this monolith sized story. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson each show similar growth and are able to reach a similar level of achievement, even if they do kind of fall into the background here more than in Part 1. The film is filled with character moments for series favorites some making sacrifices while other rise to surprising heights. Ralph Fiennes who’s held a restrained check on his character’s evilness is finally allowed to spread his wings and he does so with fantastic results. Director David Yates deserves an untold amount of credit as he’s steered the franchise for the better part of its trek. Here, Yates maintains a strong pace filled with impressively lavish and dour set pieces that impress throughout. He’s fine tuned everything by this point that’s it’s easy to enjoy and easier to overlook how incredibly difficult Yates job was. While I still felt like it might have help to have a scorecard to keep track of some of the secondary and third level characters are, it’s the kind of finale a franchise of this size deserves.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN

MOVIE REVIEW: HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN



A train rolls into its final stop. From one of the freight cars jumps a weary-eyed transient with dreams of a fresh start in a new town. Instead, he lands smack-dab in the middle of an urban hellhole, a place where the cops are crooked and the underprivileged masses are treated like insignificant animals. This is a city where crime reigns supreme, and the man pulling the strings is known only as "The Drake." Along with his two cold-blooded and sadistic sons, Ivan and Slick, he rules with an iron fist, and nobody dares fuck with The Drake, especially not some hobo.Director Jason Eisener’s blood-soaked return to the Sundance Film Festival is more than just a nod to the grindhouse flicks of the 1970s and ’80s; he ups the ante in a major way, and Rutger Hauer’s performance is a legendary display of brutal ass-kicking and meticulous name-taking that is not to be missed.
Director: Jason Eisener

Cast: Rutger Hauer

Release Date: May 06, 2011

Unrated

Runtime: 1 hr. 26 min.

Genres: Action / Grindhouse

REVIEW:

Hobo with a Shotgun is a fun little film, far from perfect but not fatally flawed. Jason Eisener’s first major film, after winning a faux trailer contest, is full of impressive promise and style. Eisener clearly loves the genre he’s emulating and he shoots his film like a Technicolor nightmare that’s occasionally kind of beautiful. He’s got a keen eye and knows how to frame shots with a keen precision. His casting of Rutger Hauer is also a major bonus to the film. Hauer is clearly committed to the role which is over the top but heartfelt and honest at the same time. He does most of the heavy lifting here, probably with good reason, and the performance alone is worth watching this film. Sadly, the film as a whole does have its issues, the script does seem kind of thrown together which considering the film’s genesis isn’t a huge shock. My biggest issue with it is that it leaves too many dead zones in between the crazy blood spurting mayhem everybody came to see. It’s strange to say this but I kind of felt they didn’t go far enough with some of the insanity, leaving a choppy feel to the flow of the film. The final battle with some nicely designed armored killers is fun but just kind of ends, just like the movie shortly there after. Not quite the quality of something like Machete or Grindhouse but still lots of fun for fans of the genre.

C+