Tonight I went to see After Earth the new Will and Jaden Smith movie and going in I was not really expecting much as I am tired of Will Smith making movies just so his kids can star in them. I do not really think that Jaden Smith is that great of a young actor and is easily out acted by his father, but although this movie doesn't really do anything fantastic, it doesn't really do anything too horrible either. My main thoughts with this movie is over emoting acting, and unremarkable. When thinking about my movies, I do not want them to be unremarkable but it could have been way worse.
After Earth starts Jaden Smith as Kitai Raige and Will Smith as his father Cypher Raige. Cypher is a glorified Ranger (warrior) who is know for being able to shadow. A fighting technique where you show no fear and therefore do not secrete fear pheromones, that these blind alien creatures use to attack and kill humans. These is some back ground about how humans were driven from Earth and these creatures were released to destroy us, but I do not really think the background explanation needs to be as extensive as it is, no one really believes in these possible progressions, just saying what happened quickly is enough set up for me. Anyway, Kitai wants to impress his father who he never got to know and is put in a situation where he is going on the next training mission with his father due to his mother guilting his father. During this trip danger comes up, destroying the ship, crash landing it on a hazardous Earth (could be any planet, doesn't have to be Earth), kills everyone else, and injuries Cypher. Kitai has to make it to the tail of the plain to send a rescue beacon and deals with dangerous stuff on this journey. He also has to deal with this escaped creature, that was conveniently being transported on this ship for training. Kitai has to show if he has the skill and ability to deal with these hazards and save himself and his father.
This movie has a lot of over emoting acting and stopping and radiating stuff, i.e. centering focus and dealing with internal anxiety or whatever. These moments seem to want to build the tension and suspense, but to me this movie seemed more of a young man finding out who he really is and dealing with a distant father then true action movie. I think if that was more of the focus it may have been more exciting and interesting. The thing that bugged me the most was the undecided accents that all of the actors used. These kept switching and being off and I think it would have been just fine to have people talk regularly. Also, the weird names for things took a while to get used to and figure out what creature or who was being named.
The main story was set around Kitai and Cypher with some supporting cast who were basically unnecessary and weren't needed. They just kind of added to being people who died that made it more blatantly obvious how ridiculously only these two surviving would have been. I don't see any reason why it couldn't have just been the two of them to begin with crashing on this planet, that is dangerous because it has these creature things on it. This would have cleared up some of this crap.
There were other creatures brought in that were kinda quickly brought in and then gotten rid of, but I think that at one point, the purpose was to get attached and then feel when something happens to them, but it was more confusing and the building of what happened wasn't focused on.
The second half of this movie was better then the first half and the conclusion, although pretty predictable was fine so I came out of the movie thinking that it wasn't that bad, but again it wasn't particularly good. My main feeling being underwhelmed and wishing that it would have used some of the potential that it had. Back up on a few things and embrace and go with some of the others, but then I did find out that it was a M. Night Shyamalan movie.
Basically it was not worth paying much to see and i think it is more of a movie to watch when it comes on TV later one. It is something that is family friendly, but too scary for little kids.
My Rating: 1+
Movie Reviews for the Movie Lover!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
The Great Gatsby (2013): Review
Tonight I went and saw The Great Gatsby and I am glad to say
I really enjoyed it. Some of the things
that I wasn’t sure about going ended up working.
The Great Gatsby is the movie adaptation of the 1925 F.
Scott Fitzgerald movie of the same name.
It follows Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire, throughout the summer
of 1922 as he deals with life and meeting his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby, played
by Leonardo DiCaprio. He is drawn into
the twisted lives of Jay, as he strives to regain his lost love and Carraway’s cousin
Daisy Buchanan, played by Carey Mulligan.
Daisy is living a life with her husband Tom, played by Joel Edgerton of
old money but struggles with past feeling for Jay. Jay has struggled to become the looked up to
man that he is, and Carraway tries to make it through the journey of his acquaintance
with Gatsby.
Going into this movie I had heard that there were some
questionable choices during the making of this movie, and it stared DiCaprio
and Maguire but I am glad to say that for me these things worked. I think that this movie was well cast and
played well off of each other. My normal
qualms about DiCaprio didn’t apply and I bought into him as the mysterious but
dangerous Gatsby and I found myself being drawn along in the story by the
narration of Maguire. I liked how the characters and actors played off of each
other.
The music of this movie was in no way period, although by
the clothing and locals it was definitely set in the twenties. It uses a modern soundtrack, and to me this gave
the movie something interesting and different.
The music was not jarring (for the most part), and I think that the
music was weaved in well.
The best thing for me in the movie was how beautifully shot
the cinematography was. The sweeping
shots, the use of color and accents was fantastic and there was lots of
opulence where it was wanted, but worked with the back ground when the focus
was on the characters. My own didn’t like the CG was during a raining scene
toward the end of the movie, was it was obviously lots of fake rain. I saw this movie in 2D and I think if I would
have seen it in 3D it would have been too much.
There was a lot going on in this version with adding thing popping out
at me, it would have taken me out of the movie experience. Also, Gatsby said "old sport" too much.
Like I said I enjoyed this movie, but I am unable to say how
faithful to the book it was, as I have never read it. I would think that for people who want this
to be a complete authentic period movie, they will not like it. But for people
who live drama with a focus on where everything fits together it is a go and
see it.
My Rating: 3-
Monday, May 27, 2013
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946): Review
Today my mom and I watched the 1946 black and white movie The Best Years of Our Lives and it was fun to spend the afternoon with my mom. This movie stars Fredrick March as Al Stephenson, Dana Andrews as Fred Derry, and Harold Russell (a real life vet) as Homer Parish, who are three WWII veterans who have just come home from the war and have to readjust to being back home. Al has to deal with his drinking problem, coming home to a job he doesn't want, a daughter Peggy, played by Teresa Wright, who is grown up and readjusting to living wife Milly, played by Myrna Loy. Fred has come home to find that his wife Marie, played by Virginia Mayo, who he was married to for twenty days before going to war is not the women he thought she was, as she wants to be wined and dined and Fred just cant afford it. He is also dealing with his attraction to Al's daughter Peggy. Homer, who lost both of his hands in a ship fire and now has mechanical claw hands, has to deal with his disability while pushing away his fiance Wilma, played by Cathy O'Donnell. The lives of these people are intertwined as they force their lives forward after the war.
This movie seemed to be quite standard for the drama's that I have seen made of this era and it really focused on the interplay of the characters as they navigate their lives while dealing with their readjustment (now called PTSD). It was an interesting journey that moves together at a good pace, but seemed a bit long. It worked all of the details out and ended on a positive note. Which was the name of the game for movies back then.
I enjoyed this movie and think it is worth a watch for anyone who likes movies of this era.
My Rating: 2
This movie seemed to be quite standard for the drama's that I have seen made of this era and it really focused on the interplay of the characters as they navigate their lives while dealing with their readjustment (now called PTSD). It was an interesting journey that moves together at a good pace, but seemed a bit long. It worked all of the details out and ended on a positive note. Which was the name of the game for movies back then.
I enjoyed this movie and think it is worth a watch for anyone who likes movies of this era.
My Rating: 2
Sunday, May 26, 2013
The Fast and the Furious (2001): Review
After my slight disappointment with Fast & Furious 6 due to the focus not being completely on the cars and races. I don't care Fast & Furious should not have significant focus on hand to hand fighting between the main characters. I decided to go back and relieve my joy of the Fast and Furious Franchise with the original The Fast and The Furious (2001) and now that I think about it, this was probably the start of my love of the action movies. This movie came out in 2001 when I was sixteen year old girl and I remember really liking all the excitement of this movie and going back to see it. I owned it on DVD and it was one of the first DVDs I owned and took to college with me. Not to mention I thought Paul Walker and his blue eyes was very attractive.
This review involves a breakdown of the entire plot so that means spoilers, if you care about this don't read it.
The Fast and the Furious stars Paul Walker as Brian Conner as an undercover Cop who is trying to figure out who the crew is that has been robbing truckers with technical merchandise and to do this he works to get into the good graces of Dom Torreto, played by Vin Diesel. While he is doing this he works with a flirtation and attraction to Dom's little sister Mia played by Jordana Brewster. Also staring Michelle Rodriquez as Dom's girl Letty. In this movie Brian works to show his driving skills but starts by getting on the wrong side of Dom because he is not from the neighborhood. Brian of course gets into a drag race with Dom and loses but ends up getting Dom out of a tight spot earning the initial good graces of Dom. During this time, Brian loses his car and is therefore in Dom's debt because he owes him a "ten second car." While this is happening Brian is trying to find out who the thieves are and is under pressure from his Sargent and FBI Agent Bilkins. Brian struggles with admitting that Dom is obviously involved and puts the pressure on rival racer Johnny Tran played by Rick Yune. Brian discovers that Dom is set to do another job and knows that the Truckers are now armed and ready to take out the thieves. He reveals his undercover Cop status to Mia, who is upset but reluctantly agrees to help because it means keeping her brother safe. At the end of the movie, Brian uses his police status to save one of Dom's crew Vince and then gets in a spot where he races Dom again. Brain ends up giving Dom his car as he owes him a car and Dom drives off leaving Brain behind.
Like I mentioned earlier as I think about it, this movie is one of the first movies that helped me to discover my love of the action genre. I like the races and the shininess of all the cars and amped up thrill of the race. It has a hint of romance, which I almost always enjoy. This movie is a lot of fluff but I think it is fun and I like that it became a series.
This was the first time I remember learning about Vin Diesel and following this movie I watched him in other action movies, some crappy but liked him as an action star. Re-watching this movie, showed me how the actors have aged in the last twelve years but I still buy them as the racers from the street. Michelle Rodriquez is still a bad actress, but she works as the hard Girl from the neighborhood and how she is Dom's girl.
During the re-viewing of the movie, I realized that the starting of the tight action shots were in this movie, but when it is the tight up of the actors in the cars, which they are not really driving, doesn't bother me as much, but now that it has become one of my pet peeves, I definitely noticed it.
This is still a solid action movie but is nothing that would interest people who have no interest in cars or action movies. The action in this movie are the races and fancy car work.
My Rating: 3-
My Nostalgic Rating: 3+
Like I said this I like this movie and the whole Fast and the Furious Franchise. I think that this is one of the movies, that helped me to realize that a movie doesn't have to be a feat of acting and cinematography for me to enjoy the process. Sometimes a movie with a little plot and a lot of action is a fun experience.
Also the credits of this movie feature Ja Rule and this totally takes me back to high school.
Hold Up Rating: 3
Overall this movie is focused on the racing and I do not know about the technological advances of racing, but to me it seems to hold up pretty well. There is a shot of an old computer and using a floppy disk, which obviously is outdated, but for right now this isn't too bad. There is a moment where it is a big deal to trace a cell phone, and this would not be such a big deal now.
This review involves a breakdown of the entire plot so that means spoilers, if you care about this don't read it.
The Fast and the Furious stars Paul Walker as Brian Conner as an undercover Cop who is trying to figure out who the crew is that has been robbing truckers with technical merchandise and to do this he works to get into the good graces of Dom Torreto, played by Vin Diesel. While he is doing this he works with a flirtation and attraction to Dom's little sister Mia played by Jordana Brewster. Also staring Michelle Rodriquez as Dom's girl Letty. In this movie Brian works to show his driving skills but starts by getting on the wrong side of Dom because he is not from the neighborhood. Brian of course gets into a drag race with Dom and loses but ends up getting Dom out of a tight spot earning the initial good graces of Dom. During this time, Brian loses his car and is therefore in Dom's debt because he owes him a "ten second car." While this is happening Brian is trying to find out who the thieves are and is under pressure from his Sargent and FBI Agent Bilkins. Brian struggles with admitting that Dom is obviously involved and puts the pressure on rival racer Johnny Tran played by Rick Yune. Brian discovers that Dom is set to do another job and knows that the Truckers are now armed and ready to take out the thieves. He reveals his undercover Cop status to Mia, who is upset but reluctantly agrees to help because it means keeping her brother safe. At the end of the movie, Brian uses his police status to save one of Dom's crew Vince and then gets in a spot where he races Dom again. Brain ends up giving Dom his car as he owes him a car and Dom drives off leaving Brain behind.
Like I mentioned earlier as I think about it, this movie is one of the first movies that helped me to discover my love of the action genre. I like the races and the shininess of all the cars and amped up thrill of the race. It has a hint of romance, which I almost always enjoy. This movie is a lot of fluff but I think it is fun and I like that it became a series.
This was the first time I remember learning about Vin Diesel and following this movie I watched him in other action movies, some crappy but liked him as an action star. Re-watching this movie, showed me how the actors have aged in the last twelve years but I still buy them as the racers from the street. Michelle Rodriquez is still a bad actress, but she works as the hard Girl from the neighborhood and how she is Dom's girl.
During the re-viewing of the movie, I realized that the starting of the tight action shots were in this movie, but when it is the tight up of the actors in the cars, which they are not really driving, doesn't bother me as much, but now that it has become one of my pet peeves, I definitely noticed it.
This is still a solid action movie but is nothing that would interest people who have no interest in cars or action movies. The action in this movie are the races and fancy car work.
My Rating: 3-
My Nostalgic Rating: 3+
Like I said this I like this movie and the whole Fast and the Furious Franchise. I think that this is one of the movies, that helped me to realize that a movie doesn't have to be a feat of acting and cinematography for me to enjoy the process. Sometimes a movie with a little plot and a lot of action is a fun experience.
Also the credits of this movie feature Ja Rule and this totally takes me back to high school.
Hold Up Rating: 3
Overall this movie is focused on the racing and I do not know about the technological advances of racing, but to me it seems to hold up pretty well. There is a shot of an old computer and using a floppy disk, which obviously is outdated, but for right now this isn't too bad. There is a moment where it is a big deal to trace a cell phone, and this would not be such a big deal now.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Fast & Furious 6 (2013): Review
Tonight I went and saw Fast & Furious 6 and I was hoping that it would be alright but it did not really meet my expectations. My expectations where not that high, as I like the Fast and Furious franchise and it is quite low on plot and high on chasing. This movie did have a lot of action and went from sequence to sequence with little concern to focus on the stringing together or plot/character development.
Fast & Furious 6 starts with flashbacks of the previous movies that would make absolutely no sense to anyone who didn't see the movie and I feel that this movie took too long introducing what was going on. I think it was a little too convoluted and I think it would have been better if the plot wasn't twisted to bring back Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez. This might be because I am not a fan of Rodriguez as an actress and I think that she is very flat when acting, plus her voice seemed different then it was in the past. Anyway, it felt really forced to bring here back and I think it would have been better to just bring the crew back together and kept going in a forward motion with the story instead of trying to recapture the past.
Fast & Furious 6 brings back the main character's from Fast Five and has Don (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) coming together to help Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) to stop thief's from stealing something that would be very bad. This wasn't explained that much. They are motivated by the knowledge of Letty being alive and working for this new crew but that she has lost her memory and doesn't know any of them. Lots of fights and actions sequences are abound.
Like I said I felt that the story was convoluted and it just didn't really work to bring back Letty and I think that there were too many characters. The number of characters were difficult to follow and I even know the previous stories. For people who do not know the main characters and the stories from the other movies, this move will be quite confusing. I didn't like that the focus was not on driving and racing. It seemed like it was more focused on just being an action movie and not a racing action movie. I didn't like how there were so many hand to hand fight scenes. When I think Fast and Furious I think of racing and cars, not action stars who can fight. I wanted the actors behind their cars more.
The plot didn't really flow and some of the things thrown in where cliche and just there to string the action scenes above. It also did the thing that I don't like, where the action is really tight and it is hard to watch because of it. The positive is that it didn't try to go for 3D, it was just regular 2D. I think it would have been better if it went back to the core of these movies and focused on the cars and the chase. I do not think there was need to focus on Dwayne Johnson and I am tired of him being thrust into other franchise, he is not needed in every action movie or franchise. This goes back to the negatives of the hand to hand fights.
The positives are that besides the first ten minutes it was exciting and had lots of things blowing up and being smashed. It seemed like destruction was key in this movie and I like a good action scene. Surprisingly the majority of the interactions of the cast (excluding Rodriquez and Johnson) was fantastic. I liked the quips and comments that they threw at each other were great nuggets sprinkled through out and I especially enjoyed the interactions between Tyrese and Ludacris.
I am hoping that for the next installment, the production craziness is dialed back and the focus is on the character interactions (who's chemistry is great) and the car chases. These characters are not action spy guys. The end of movie shows where Fast & Furious will go from and how the cast of characters has been pruned.
Although I was slightly bummed that it was not as The Fast & The Furious that I would have liked to have scene, this movie keep the action and adrenaline up and was worth the watch for those who like actions movies with little development or substance and it was enough to make me want to go back and watch the series which I own on DVD.
My Rating: 2-
Fast & Furious 6 starts with flashbacks of the previous movies that would make absolutely no sense to anyone who didn't see the movie and I feel that this movie took too long introducing what was going on. I think it was a little too convoluted and I think it would have been better if the plot wasn't twisted to bring back Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez. This might be because I am not a fan of Rodriguez as an actress and I think that she is very flat when acting, plus her voice seemed different then it was in the past. Anyway, it felt really forced to bring here back and I think it would have been better to just bring the crew back together and kept going in a forward motion with the story instead of trying to recapture the past.
Fast & Furious 6 brings back the main character's from Fast Five and has Don (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) coming together to help Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) to stop thief's from stealing something that would be very bad. This wasn't explained that much. They are motivated by the knowledge of Letty being alive and working for this new crew but that she has lost her memory and doesn't know any of them. Lots of fights and actions sequences are abound.
Like I said I felt that the story was convoluted and it just didn't really work to bring back Letty and I think that there were too many characters. The number of characters were difficult to follow and I even know the previous stories. For people who do not know the main characters and the stories from the other movies, this move will be quite confusing. I didn't like that the focus was not on driving and racing. It seemed like it was more focused on just being an action movie and not a racing action movie. I didn't like how there were so many hand to hand fight scenes. When I think Fast and Furious I think of racing and cars, not action stars who can fight. I wanted the actors behind their cars more.
The plot didn't really flow and some of the things thrown in where cliche and just there to string the action scenes above. It also did the thing that I don't like, where the action is really tight and it is hard to watch because of it. The positive is that it didn't try to go for 3D, it was just regular 2D. I think it would have been better if it went back to the core of these movies and focused on the cars and the chase. I do not think there was need to focus on Dwayne Johnson and I am tired of him being thrust into other franchise, he is not needed in every action movie or franchise. This goes back to the negatives of the hand to hand fights.
The positives are that besides the first ten minutes it was exciting and had lots of things blowing up and being smashed. It seemed like destruction was key in this movie and I like a good action scene. Surprisingly the majority of the interactions of the cast (excluding Rodriquez and Johnson) was fantastic. I liked the quips and comments that they threw at each other were great nuggets sprinkled through out and I especially enjoyed the interactions between Tyrese and Ludacris.
I am hoping that for the next installment, the production craziness is dialed back and the focus is on the character interactions (who's chemistry is great) and the car chases. These characters are not action spy guys. The end of movie shows where Fast & Furious will go from and how the cast of characters has been pruned.
Although I was slightly bummed that it was not as The Fast & The Furious that I would have liked to have scene, this movie keep the action and adrenaline up and was worth the watch for those who like actions movies with little development or substance and it was enough to make me want to go back and watch the series which I own on DVD.
My Rating: 2-
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Man of Steel: Official Trailer #3
The new Man of Steel Trailer has been released. Watch below:
This trailer really helps to up my excitement for this movie, as it focuses on the villain Zod and the peril of the movie and Superman's need to be a hero. I am super excited for this movie to just be released already.
This trailer really helps to up my excitement for this movie, as it focuses on the villain Zod and the peril of the movie and Superman's need to be a hero. I am super excited for this movie to just be released already.
Don Jon: Official Trailer #1
The first official trailer for Joseph Gordon- Levitt's full length writing and directing debut Don Jon (nee Don Jon's Addiction). Watch here:
If you have heard anything about this movie, the trailer does not introduce any new information but you get to see (and hear) the actors in their characters. It is interesting to hear Gordon- Levitt and Scarlet Johansson with their Jersey accents and it is weird because I don't think of them with that accent in my head. It also introduces Julianne Morre, Tony Danza as supporting characters.
I have been excited about this movie since I heard about it when my sister was an extra on set and told me about it. I followed its success at its release at Sundance and the progression through reduction of its name. I am very excited for it and hope it is as good as I have heard.
The trailer gives a basic set up of the movie, that Don Jon lives his life and has an addiction to porn. He meet a girl who is obsessed with romance movies, and then there are problems due to his porn habit. I am looking forward to the next trailer that will hopefully give a bit more.
If you have heard anything about this movie, the trailer does not introduce any new information but you get to see (and hear) the actors in their characters. It is interesting to hear Gordon- Levitt and Scarlet Johansson with their Jersey accents and it is weird because I don't think of them with that accent in my head. It also introduces Julianne Morre, Tony Danza as supporting characters.
I have been excited about this movie since I heard about it when my sister was an extra on set and told me about it. I followed its success at its release at Sundance and the progression through reduction of its name. I am very excited for it and hope it is as good as I have heard.
The trailer gives a basic set up of the movie, that Don Jon lives his life and has an addiction to porn. He meet a girl who is obsessed with romance movies, and then there are problems due to his porn habit. I am looking forward to the next trailer that will hopefully give a bit more.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013): Review **NO SPOILERS**
Tonight I went to see the very first showing I could of Star Trek: Into Darkness and unless this is the first time you have spoken with me lately or read my blog, then you know that I have been super excited and waiting impatiently for this movie to come out. I was happy to get tickets to the first showing offered tonight and I am happy to say that this movie met my expectations and I absolutely loved it. I think it was absolutely fantastic and exciting.
I am trying very hard not to disclose any significant spoilers in this post and have reread what I have written to try and make sure that there are not any slips. I will be posting a more extensive review later on this weekend or next week (after I see it again) which will explore my thoughts on the movie when I do not care about giving away spoilers, but because I saw the first possible showing I will hold these for later.
Anyway now on to the review.
Like I said, I have been very excited for this movie to come out and I have been wanting to see it since the Star Trek (2009) reboot was released when it reignited my enjoyment of the Star Trek Franchise. I liked what J.J. Abrams did with this and liked the cast. With Star Trek: Into Darkness, all of the main characters are brought back and I think that everyone who was well cast in the first movie was even better in this one, as they have had a chance to really settle into the characters. I liked that this movie blended character interactions and action/excitement; to resonate with me emotionally so that I care about what is going on with the characters, while adding in the big explosions and fight sequences, along with a sprinkling of the fantastic star trek humor. I liked that there were some Star Trek nuggets mixed in throughout the movie and I am looking forward to going back to watch this movie again and try and find more then I noticed on first look.
Star Trek: Into Darkness follows Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) on a mission against the villain played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch was fantastically casted and really draws me into believing that he is the big threat that he is made out to be; that he could actually take on Kirk and Spock as well as lead the threat against Star Fleet. There was continued development of the relationship between Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and I liked that there relationship dynamics were fostered as well as their interacions with Kirk. Scottie (Simon Pegg) was hilarious and I seemed to be giggling at all of his antics and responses to what was going on. Bones (Karl Urban) kept saying his sarcastic comments and being there when he was needed. Chekov (Anton Yelcin) comes out a little bit and gets thrown into the mix of having to use his engineering info and Sulu (John Cho) shows that he has backbone when he needs it. The dynamics between the characters really works for me and it presented that their relationships have continued although we were not there to see their journey. Knowing the characters ahead of time and being a fan of the first movie, it was easy for me to follow everyone, but someone who is not really familiar with all of the characters may have difficulty seeing where everyone fits in, but I think if you do not try to hard, everything will make sense.
Overall, I liked the balance and there were only a few moments were the fight scenes were dragged out but I liked how there were placed and separated by character interactions. This movie did the thing that I don't like whit the close shot fights but because it was more focused on explosions and the environment of the ships/ people there were the wider shots that diminished this annoyingness. I also want to point out that I did not like how the warp drive was done with the streams coming out of the engines. I kept wanting more of what I picture in my head with everything going quickly with the stars zipping by.
I liked that there was some foreshadowing within this movie and that things were sprinkled which parallel and/or completely swapped things for the original storyline but this was a continuation of what was presented in the first film. There was also one fantastic nugget in the middle of the film which I absolutely loved, loved.
I missed the computer, voiced by Majel Barrett wife of the creator of Star Trek, but I know that there was no way to get around this as she sadly passed away in late 2008 weeks after completing her voice over for Star Trek (2009). I did miss her presence within the film.
Basically I loved this movie and really want another one to come out soon. I do not think this will happen as J.J. Abrams is slotted to work on other projects but a girl can dream that she will not have to wait four more years for the next one. I would recommend that everyone should watch Star Trek (2009) and then go see this movie.
I saw it in 3D but do not think it is necessary. Yes there were things that jumped out and came into the audiences but I continue to think that these do not really add to the experience and is overdone.
My Ranking: 3+
I am trying very hard not to disclose any significant spoilers in this post and have reread what I have written to try and make sure that there are not any slips. I will be posting a more extensive review later on this weekend or next week (after I see it again) which will explore my thoughts on the movie when I do not care about giving away spoilers, but because I saw the first possible showing I will hold these for later.
Anyway now on to the review.
Like I said, I have been very excited for this movie to come out and I have been wanting to see it since the Star Trek (2009) reboot was released when it reignited my enjoyment of the Star Trek Franchise. I liked what J.J. Abrams did with this and liked the cast. With Star Trek: Into Darkness, all of the main characters are brought back and I think that everyone who was well cast in the first movie was even better in this one, as they have had a chance to really settle into the characters. I liked that this movie blended character interactions and action/excitement; to resonate with me emotionally so that I care about what is going on with the characters, while adding in the big explosions and fight sequences, along with a sprinkling of the fantastic star trek humor. I liked that there were some Star Trek nuggets mixed in throughout the movie and I am looking forward to going back to watch this movie again and try and find more then I noticed on first look.
Star Trek: Into Darkness follows Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) on a mission against the villain played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch was fantastically casted and really draws me into believing that he is the big threat that he is made out to be; that he could actually take on Kirk and Spock as well as lead the threat against Star Fleet. There was continued development of the relationship between Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and I liked that there relationship dynamics were fostered as well as their interacions with Kirk. Scottie (Simon Pegg) was hilarious and I seemed to be giggling at all of his antics and responses to what was going on. Bones (Karl Urban) kept saying his sarcastic comments and being there when he was needed. Chekov (Anton Yelcin) comes out a little bit and gets thrown into the mix of having to use his engineering info and Sulu (John Cho) shows that he has backbone when he needs it. The dynamics between the characters really works for me and it presented that their relationships have continued although we were not there to see their journey. Knowing the characters ahead of time and being a fan of the first movie, it was easy for me to follow everyone, but someone who is not really familiar with all of the characters may have difficulty seeing where everyone fits in, but I think if you do not try to hard, everything will make sense.
Overall, I liked the balance and there were only a few moments were the fight scenes were dragged out but I liked how there were placed and separated by character interactions. This movie did the thing that I don't like whit the close shot fights but because it was more focused on explosions and the environment of the ships/ people there were the wider shots that diminished this annoyingness. I also want to point out that I did not like how the warp drive was done with the streams coming out of the engines. I kept wanting more of what I picture in my head with everything going quickly with the stars zipping by.
I liked that there was some foreshadowing within this movie and that things were sprinkled which parallel and/or completely swapped things for the original storyline but this was a continuation of what was presented in the first film. There was also one fantastic nugget in the middle of the film which I absolutely loved, loved.
I missed the computer, voiced by Majel Barrett wife of the creator of Star Trek, but I know that there was no way to get around this as she sadly passed away in late 2008 weeks after completing her voice over for Star Trek (2009). I did miss her presence within the film.
Basically I loved this movie and really want another one to come out soon. I do not think this will happen as J.J. Abrams is slotted to work on other projects but a girl can dream that she will not have to wait four more years for the next one. I would recommend that everyone should watch Star Trek (2009) and then go see this movie.
I saw it in 3D but do not think it is necessary. Yes there were things that jumped out and came into the audiences but I continue to think that these do not really add to the experience and is overdone.
My Ranking: 3+
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Star Trek (2009): Recap
With Star Trek: Into Darkness being released this week and that I am scheduled to see it during a sneak peak on Wednesday, I have decided to recap the original J.J. Abrams reboot. This will contain spoilers so if you don't want to know what happened in the first movie, stop reading and go watch it. Seriously go watch it, it is a fantastic movie. If you want a recap keep reading.
Star Trek (2009) is one of my top five favorite movies and I am super excited to see the sequel to it. This movie stars the following.
Main Characters:
Spock Prime (Lenard Nimoy)
James T. Krick (Chris Pine)
Spock (Zackary Quinto)
Dr. "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban)
Uhura (Zoe Saldana)
Scottie (Simon Pegg)
Sulu (John Cho)
Chekov (Anton Yelchin)
Nero (Eric Bana)- Villain
Other Characters
Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood)
George Kirk (Chis Hemsworth)
Winona Kirk (Jennifer Morrison)
Sarek (Ben Cross)- Spock's Dad
Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder) Spock's Mom
This movie starts with a thunderstorm in space where Nero's ship comes through it upon the Federation ship where George Kirk is station. This ship is attacked by Nero and George Kirk is killed while saving the crew and his wife who has just given birth to James Kirk. It is great because the parents are played by the future god of thunder Thor in movies and the the soon to be savior of the fairytale world on television. This is a nugget that I now enjoy but at the time, it was just some guy and that female Doctor form House. Anywho back to the story. While Kirk is being raised on earth and getting into trouble, Spock is having to cope with having a Human mother while being on Vulcan. It also shows the struggle Spock has to control his emotions and his relationship with his mother. He chooses to take his own path and go to Star Fleet.
We come upon Kirk who is a major screw up and he finds himself at a bar with StarFleet guys where he meets Uhura. This starts that back and forth betweens these two and the running gag of only knowing Uhura's last name. Kirk meets Pike who implores him to live up to his father and Kirk of course decides to join up. On the shuttle ride from Iowa, he meets his best friend to be Bones, who many quips throughout the movie come form.
Jump forward to a few years later where Kirk is set to take for the third time the Kobayashi Maru but before this we have to see the lady's man side of Kirk with a green alien female. We then fine Kirk beat the unbeatable Kobayashi Maru and this brings him in juxtaposition to Spock who had helped to run this supposedly unbeatable scenario. With Kirk in trouble with the academy, Nero attacks Vulcan and everyone is called to a rescue mission. Kirk is smuggled on board, we meet Sulu and Chekov as well as establish Uhura as a linguistic genus. It is discovered that Vulcan is under attach from Nero and that Nero wants Spock to suffer for the destruction of his planet. Pike is kidnapped. Kirk and Sulu fight some Romulons and Chekov is introduced as fantastic with a transported. When Vulcan is destroyed, Spock witnesses the death of his mother and starts to crack. We discover that there is a romantic connection between Spock and Uhura and Spock exiles Kirk onto a ice planet, when he runs into Spock Prime who gives the background of Nero and his hatred of Spoke Prime for not saving his planet in the future. They venture to a station where the meet up with Scottie and Spoke Prime manipulates the situation to get Kirk and Scottie back on the Enterprise. Kirk is motivated to take Captainship of the Enterprise and keep Spock in the dark about Spock Prime.
There is a scuttle between Spock and Kirk, where Kirk gets Spock to crack and takes the title of Captain on the Enterprise. The decision is made to go after Nero and try and save Earth from being destroyed. Spock pulls himself back together in enough time to go with Krik onto the Romulus ship, and rescue Pike. Spock discovers that there are things he doesn't know about the whole scenario and sets to destroy Nero's ship. Everything comes together with Spock and Kirk on the same side and destroying Nero and his ship.
For the ending we see Pike promote Kirk officially to captain of the Enterprise and Spock taking his rightful spot as first officer. We end with shots of the main Enterprise characters in their rightful places and primed for more missions to come.
I am super excited for Into Darkness to come out and cannot wait to see it.
Star Trek (2009) is one of my top five favorite movies and I am super excited to see the sequel to it. This movie stars the following.
Main Characters:
Spock Prime (Lenard Nimoy)
James T. Krick (Chris Pine)
Spock (Zackary Quinto)
Dr. "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban)
Uhura (Zoe Saldana)
Scottie (Simon Pegg)
Sulu (John Cho)
Chekov (Anton Yelchin)
Nero (Eric Bana)- Villain
Other Characters
Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood)
George Kirk (Chis Hemsworth)
Winona Kirk (Jennifer Morrison)
Sarek (Ben Cross)- Spock's Dad
Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder) Spock's Mom
This movie starts with a thunderstorm in space where Nero's ship comes through it upon the Federation ship where George Kirk is station. This ship is attacked by Nero and George Kirk is killed while saving the crew and his wife who has just given birth to James Kirk. It is great because the parents are played by the future god of thunder Thor in movies and the the soon to be savior of the fairytale world on television. This is a nugget that I now enjoy but at the time, it was just some guy and that female Doctor form House. Anywho back to the story. While Kirk is being raised on earth and getting into trouble, Spock is having to cope with having a Human mother while being on Vulcan. It also shows the struggle Spock has to control his emotions and his relationship with his mother. He chooses to take his own path and go to Star Fleet.
We come upon Kirk who is a major screw up and he finds himself at a bar with StarFleet guys where he meets Uhura. This starts that back and forth betweens these two and the running gag of only knowing Uhura's last name. Kirk meets Pike who implores him to live up to his father and Kirk of course decides to join up. On the shuttle ride from Iowa, he meets his best friend to be Bones, who many quips throughout the movie come form.
Jump forward to a few years later where Kirk is set to take for the third time the Kobayashi Maru but before this we have to see the lady's man side of Kirk with a green alien female. We then fine Kirk beat the unbeatable Kobayashi Maru and this brings him in juxtaposition to Spock who had helped to run this supposedly unbeatable scenario. With Kirk in trouble with the academy, Nero attacks Vulcan and everyone is called to a rescue mission. Kirk is smuggled on board, we meet Sulu and Chekov as well as establish Uhura as a linguistic genus. It is discovered that Vulcan is under attach from Nero and that Nero wants Spock to suffer for the destruction of his planet. Pike is kidnapped. Kirk and Sulu fight some Romulons and Chekov is introduced as fantastic with a transported. When Vulcan is destroyed, Spock witnesses the death of his mother and starts to crack. We discover that there is a romantic connection between Spock and Uhura and Spock exiles Kirk onto a ice planet, when he runs into Spock Prime who gives the background of Nero and his hatred of Spoke Prime for not saving his planet in the future. They venture to a station where the meet up with Scottie and Spoke Prime manipulates the situation to get Kirk and Scottie back on the Enterprise. Kirk is motivated to take Captainship of the Enterprise and keep Spock in the dark about Spock Prime.
There is a scuttle between Spock and Kirk, where Kirk gets Spock to crack and takes the title of Captain on the Enterprise. The decision is made to go after Nero and try and save Earth from being destroyed. Spock pulls himself back together in enough time to go with Krik onto the Romulus ship, and rescue Pike. Spock discovers that there are things he doesn't know about the whole scenario and sets to destroy Nero's ship. Everything comes together with Spock and Kirk on the same side and destroying Nero and his ship.
For the ending we see Pike promote Kirk officially to captain of the Enterprise and Spock taking his rightful spot as first officer. We end with shots of the main Enterprise characters in their rightful places and primed for more missions to come.
I am super excited for Into Darkness to come out and cannot wait to see it.
Star Trek (2009): Review
Because Star Trek: Into Darkness is released this week and I am super excited to see it tomorrow I decided it was time to re watch the J.J Abrams' 2009 reboot Star Trek. If you do not know, Star Trek (2009) is the new movie based on the original Star Trek television series but that it puts a new spin on the series by focusing on the origin story and working the timeline in order to keep some similarities with the original plot but also to be able to work some new magic into the series. This movie is one of my top five favorite movies and I have been anticipating the sequel to this prequel reboot since it was first released. If you know me, you will not be surprised to hear me say that I am ridiculously excited and so glad that I was able to get tickets to the sneak peak on Wednesday.
When I re watch this movie, at the beginning a get more enjoyment from it then I used to because now that Chris Hemsworth as Geroge Kirck, Captin James T. Kirk's father and this is the movie that really brought him to my attention prior to his staring as Thor. It also has Jennifer Morrison as his mother and she was more well know at the time but has been eclipsed by Hemsworth. Anyway back to the real stars of Star Trek. This movie brings back all of the main characters for the original series and I really like that it takes it time to introduce each character in succession, instead of throwing them all in at the beginning. This allows time to understand who each of the main character's are and to be able to see their role in the story. The main characters are James T. Kirk, played by Chris Pine. He is the swashbuckling Captin of the U.S.S. Enterprise who cares for his crew and doing what he needs to in order to get things done, even it is does not mean doing the most logical things. Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, who is a half Vulcan, half Human Commanding Officer, who is struggling with his emotional suppression and logical mind, while dealing and creating a relationship with Kirck. Uhura, played by Zoe Saladana, who is the linguistic specialist. Sulu, played by John Cho, is a pilot/ physicist and in this movie has experience as a master fencer. Scottie, played by Simon Pegg, Chief Engineer, who is the quirky, energetic, engineer genies who comes to the rescuer when more power is needed. Bones or Doctor McKay, played by Karl Urban, who is Kirk's best friend and Doctor on the enterprise. Checkov, played by Anton Yelchin, is the young blood who is very handy when needed. He is not an original character but I like him in this movie.
Like I said, this is a prequel reboot of the original Star Trek television series and takes a new branch in the the star trek universe when the original Spock, played by the legendary Lenard Nimoy, is sent back in time due to being unable to save a future Romulus. I very revengeful Romulus Captain Nero, played by Eric Bana, is set to destroy the Federation and both Spocks, there is lots of action and suspense to see what will happen next.
This movie has a little bit of all the things that I like in a movie. It is a sci-fi movie and is a Star Trek movie. I am a fan of both and was very excited when this movie came out. It works in humor and action, as well as giving you time to appreciate and differentiate the characters as they are introduced. Although It works in different character and plot arcs I like how it does that. I especially like that it adds the romantic tension between Spock and Uhura. Like I said this is one of my favorite movies, and I enjoy watching it over and over.
Another fun thing about this movie is it shows the alluded to instance between Kirk and the Kobayashi Maru and how Kirk comes to beat this supposedly unbeatable test.
My Rating: 3+
When I re watch this movie, at the beginning a get more enjoyment from it then I used to because now that Chris Hemsworth as Geroge Kirck, Captin James T. Kirk's father and this is the movie that really brought him to my attention prior to his staring as Thor. It also has Jennifer Morrison as his mother and she was more well know at the time but has been eclipsed by Hemsworth. Anyway back to the real stars of Star Trek. This movie brings back all of the main characters for the original series and I really like that it takes it time to introduce each character in succession, instead of throwing them all in at the beginning. This allows time to understand who each of the main character's are and to be able to see their role in the story. The main characters are James T. Kirk, played by Chris Pine. He is the swashbuckling Captin of the U.S.S. Enterprise who cares for his crew and doing what he needs to in order to get things done, even it is does not mean doing the most logical things. Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, who is a half Vulcan, half Human Commanding Officer, who is struggling with his emotional suppression and logical mind, while dealing and creating a relationship with Kirck. Uhura, played by Zoe Saladana, who is the linguistic specialist. Sulu, played by John Cho, is a pilot/ physicist and in this movie has experience as a master fencer. Scottie, played by Simon Pegg, Chief Engineer, who is the quirky, energetic, engineer genies who comes to the rescuer when more power is needed. Bones or Doctor McKay, played by Karl Urban, who is Kirk's best friend and Doctor on the enterprise. Checkov, played by Anton Yelchin, is the young blood who is very handy when needed. He is not an original character but I like him in this movie.
Like I said, this is a prequel reboot of the original Star Trek television series and takes a new branch in the the star trek universe when the original Spock, played by the legendary Lenard Nimoy, is sent back in time due to being unable to save a future Romulus. I very revengeful Romulus Captain Nero, played by Eric Bana, is set to destroy the Federation and both Spocks, there is lots of action and suspense to see what will happen next.
This movie has a little bit of all the things that I like in a movie. It is a sci-fi movie and is a Star Trek movie. I am a fan of both and was very excited when this movie came out. It works in humor and action, as well as giving you time to appreciate and differentiate the characters as they are introduced. Although It works in different character and plot arcs I like how it does that. I especially like that it adds the romantic tension between Spock and Uhura. Like I said this is one of my favorite movies, and I enjoy watching it over and over.
Another fun thing about this movie is it shows the alluded to instance between Kirk and the Kobayashi Maru and how Kirk comes to beat this supposedly unbeatable test.
My Rating: 3+
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tyler Perry Presents Peeples: Trailer
Also coming out this friday is Tyler Perry Presents Peeples the most recent Tyler Perry self titled movie. See the traler below:
This comedy seems to be the latest rendition of the sweet girl bring her boyfriend home who they family will not approve of and high jinks happen. I may see this in a few weeks if I am wanting a no though, predictable comedy.
This comedy seems to be the latest rendition of the sweet girl bring her boyfriend home who they family will not approve of and high jinks happen. I may see this in a few weeks if I am wanting a no though, predictable comedy.
The Great Gatsby: Domestic Trailer
This weekend The Great Gatsby movie is released. It is the movie adaptation of the 1925 Scott Fitzgerald's book of the same name. See the trailer below:
To be honest I do not know much about the story of the Great Gatsby, but I do not it was a big deal book. I blame not knowing much about it on the fact that it was not on my required reading list for high school. For the uninitiated like me, the trailers are a bit confusing and hodge-podged together. I do plan on seeing this movie and am resisting finding out much about it, because I want to be able to say what I think about the movie as a stand alone, without getting a lot of back story for the plot. I will let you know what I think after I see it. I hope to see it this weekend, but am uncertain if I will be able to because I will be out of town attending my cousin's wedding. Is anyone excited for this or can tell me what they are hoping to see.
To be honest I do not know much about the story of the Great Gatsby, but I do not it was a big deal book. I blame not knowing much about it on the fact that it was not on my required reading list for high school. For the uninitiated like me, the trailers are a bit confusing and hodge-podged together. I do plan on seeing this movie and am resisting finding out much about it, because I want to be able to say what I think about the movie as a stand alone, without getting a lot of back story for the plot. I will let you know what I think after I see it. I hope to see it this weekend, but am uncertain if I will be able to because I will be out of town attending my cousin's wedding. Is anyone excited for this or can tell me what they are hoping to see.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The Big Wedding (2013): Review
Today I went and saw The Big Wedding and it was exactly what I was expecting it to be. The Big Wedding is the newest rendition of the crazy, kooky families have two for their kids getting married and therefore the whole family has to get together, hash out the past, get secrets out in the open, and then come together(?) at the end. This movie was exactly that and although there was nothing horrible about it, there was nothing particularly special about it.
This movie has a recognizable cast starting Diana Keatan as the mom Ellie, Robert DeNiro, as her divorced husband Don, Susan Sarandon as the ex-best friend of mom, lover to dad BeBe, Kathrine Heigl as the eldest screwed up daughter Lyla, Topher Grace as the twently nine year old virgin son Jared, Ben Barnes as the adoptive brother who is getting married Alejandro, Amanda Seyfried as the bride to be Missy who's family is raciest against the husband to be, Christine Ebersole as Missy's plastic surgeried mother Muffin, Patrica Rae as the come to America, only speaks Spanish biological mother of the groom Madonna, Ana Ayora as the hot sister to Alejandra who comes with the mother Nuria, and lastly Robin Williams as the Catholic Priest. I think that this basically sets up the plot and gives all the information you need to know. Lots of situations and miscommunications happen as we work towards the wedding of Alejandro and Missy.
Like I said this is pretty standard for what it is and is exactly what you are expecting. There are surprises (not that surprising) situations that get people upset at each other. Cathartic yelling matches and conversation. It kept the pace going and for people who like these movies is good to watch, but is worth waiting until it an be watched on DVD.
My Rating: 1+
This movie has a recognizable cast starting Diana Keatan as the mom Ellie, Robert DeNiro, as her divorced husband Don, Susan Sarandon as the ex-best friend of mom, lover to dad BeBe, Kathrine Heigl as the eldest screwed up daughter Lyla, Topher Grace as the twently nine year old virgin son Jared, Ben Barnes as the adoptive brother who is getting married Alejandro, Amanda Seyfried as the bride to be Missy who's family is raciest against the husband to be, Christine Ebersole as Missy's plastic surgeried mother Muffin, Patrica Rae as the come to America, only speaks Spanish biological mother of the groom Madonna, Ana Ayora as the hot sister to Alejandra who comes with the mother Nuria, and lastly Robin Williams as the Catholic Priest. I think that this basically sets up the plot and gives all the information you need to know. Lots of situations and miscommunications happen as we work towards the wedding of Alejandro and Missy.
Like I said this is pretty standard for what it is and is exactly what you are expecting. There are surprises (not that surprising) situations that get people upset at each other. Cathartic yelling matches and conversation. It kept the pace going and for people who like these movies is good to watch, but is worth waiting until it an be watched on DVD.
My Rating: 1+
Friday, May 3, 2013
Iron Man 3 (2013): Review
With my sister back in town, we went to see Iron Man 3 with our brother instead of me going out with my regular Friday night movie crew. Sorry guys, but the family took precedence this week. Anyway tonight the Big Budget Spring Movie Fest begins with the release of Iron Man 3 and I am very happy to say it was a great start. Iron Man was exactly what I was expecting, it was a fun and exciting experience.
With Iron Man 3 we continue to follow Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, as he deals with being back on his own and within his own superhero universe after the events of The Avengers (2012). He is plagued with flashback and appears to be suffering with PTSD. He deals with this by throwing himself into his tinkering and creation of Iron Man suits. He is drawn into a battle with a terrorist called the Mandarin, played by Ben Kinsley, and a series of events that started after a drunken New Year's Even in 1999. Tony is stripped of his suit as he battles to discover the secrete of the attacks and discovers that people have been turned into bombs that incinerate everything around them. The people go all glowing at these moments and it is discovered really early on in the movie, so it is not a big spoiler. Through this process, he is given aid by a young boy Harley, played by Ty Shimpkins, and the dynamic between the two of them, curmudgeony Stark and youthful approach of Harley is fantastic. Also involved in the plot are Iron Patriot (aka War Machine), played by Don Cheadle, Pepper Pots, played by Gweneth Paltrow, and Aldrich Killian, played by Guy Pierce.
Overall, I think that this was a good action film and had enough plot to keep it moving along. The peril was a bit forced and some of the twists about obvious but it keep the story going. The action scenes were of a good length and there was enough character interaction in between the action events. There was lots of stuff blowing up, contrasting colors and cool effects that I enjoyed. There were a few moments where things looked CG but this was not obvious enough to bring me out of what was happening. I saw this in 2D so I am uncertain how this played out in 3D but I am assuming that the explosions and things flying out at the audience, specifically the Suits.
I liked the dynamics between the characters and thought that the cast was well selected. Although no one can stand up to Downey Jr as Tony Stark they were good in their own right. The only character that didn't seem to fit (and she seemed a bit superfluous) was Rebeca Hall, who plays Maya Hansen. I think her part could have easily been added without her with just a few lines of dialogue.
One thing that I like about the movie, that didn't really have anything to do with the movie, is that it was called Iron Man 3, there was no pretence to beef up the title with a description. It just stated what it was with the title. I think this went with some decisions throughout the movie telling and that it just gave what was expected. Fun and excitement.
Throughout the movie, there were the Stark quips and overall they worked and fit. There were a few that were awkward but this was the minority. Of course there was the cameo by Stan Lee.
The main negatives for me, were the standard negatives that I have been complained about lately. Firstly, there was the voice over. I am tired of being told the story instead of watching the storey and do not want to be spoon feed the story. Second, was the tight shoot action scenes, but I am happy to say that there were also wider shots to show the general explosions of the scenes, so this is not an all encompassing complaint. Thirdly, I did not like how the movie was set at Christmas time and that this time of year was mentioned multiple times, but that it was released in the spring. This is overall not that big of a deal.
This was an action movie that was good, gave me what I wanted, and nicely kicked off the action movies that I will be seeing in the near future. It acted to gear me up and did not disappoint. It is a must see for anyone who likes these types of movies. You know who you are, because you have seen the majority of the Marvel movie library.
There is an extra scene at the end of the movie, but you have to sit through all of the credits to see it. This takes several minutes.
My Rating: 3
With Iron Man 3 we continue to follow Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, as he deals with being back on his own and within his own superhero universe after the events of The Avengers (2012). He is plagued with flashback and appears to be suffering with PTSD. He deals with this by throwing himself into his tinkering and creation of Iron Man suits. He is drawn into a battle with a terrorist called the Mandarin, played by Ben Kinsley, and a series of events that started after a drunken New Year's Even in 1999. Tony is stripped of his suit as he battles to discover the secrete of the attacks and discovers that people have been turned into bombs that incinerate everything around them. The people go all glowing at these moments and it is discovered really early on in the movie, so it is not a big spoiler. Through this process, he is given aid by a young boy Harley, played by Ty Shimpkins, and the dynamic between the two of them, curmudgeony Stark and youthful approach of Harley is fantastic. Also involved in the plot are Iron Patriot (aka War Machine), played by Don Cheadle, Pepper Pots, played by Gweneth Paltrow, and Aldrich Killian, played by Guy Pierce.
Overall, I think that this was a good action film and had enough plot to keep it moving along. The peril was a bit forced and some of the twists about obvious but it keep the story going. The action scenes were of a good length and there was enough character interaction in between the action events. There was lots of stuff blowing up, contrasting colors and cool effects that I enjoyed. There were a few moments where things looked CG but this was not obvious enough to bring me out of what was happening. I saw this in 2D so I am uncertain how this played out in 3D but I am assuming that the explosions and things flying out at the audience, specifically the Suits.
I liked the dynamics between the characters and thought that the cast was well selected. Although no one can stand up to Downey Jr as Tony Stark they were good in their own right. The only character that didn't seem to fit (and she seemed a bit superfluous) was Rebeca Hall, who plays Maya Hansen. I think her part could have easily been added without her with just a few lines of dialogue.
One thing that I like about the movie, that didn't really have anything to do with the movie, is that it was called Iron Man 3, there was no pretence to beef up the title with a description. It just stated what it was with the title. I think this went with some decisions throughout the movie telling and that it just gave what was expected. Fun and excitement.
Throughout the movie, there were the Stark quips and overall they worked and fit. There were a few that were awkward but this was the minority. Of course there was the cameo by Stan Lee.
The main negatives for me, were the standard negatives that I have been complained about lately. Firstly, there was the voice over. I am tired of being told the story instead of watching the storey and do not want to be spoon feed the story. Second, was the tight shoot action scenes, but I am happy to say that there were also wider shots to show the general explosions of the scenes, so this is not an all encompassing complaint. Thirdly, I did not like how the movie was set at Christmas time and that this time of year was mentioned multiple times, but that it was released in the spring. This is overall not that big of a deal.
This was an action movie that was good, gave me what I wanted, and nicely kicked off the action movies that I will be seeing in the near future. It acted to gear me up and did not disappoint. It is a must see for anyone who likes these types of movies. You know who you are, because you have seen the majority of the Marvel movie library.
There is an extra scene at the end of the movie, but you have to sit through all of the credits to see it. This takes several minutes.
My Rating: 3
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Battle of the Movies: Spring 2013 Big Budget Blockbusters
This weeks start the releases of the spring blockbusters that I am super excited for the majority of them. It seems like every week through the remainder of spring a big budget Hollywood movie is being released. While I am excited and cant wait to see the majority of them, I am worried that the Market will be over saturated and that there will not be enough time between them for any of them to truly be stand alone success. It will be interesting if any of them will be a stand alone winner, if all of them will do fantastic at the box office, or they will compete too much for similar audiences and none do as well as wanted.
The release dates are as follows (you can scroll down to any specific one you are more interested in for some of my main thoughts. I have previously spoke about some of the trailer or will be in the near future):
Iron Man 3- May 3
The Great Gatsby- May 10
Star Trek: Into Darkness- May 17
Fast & Furious 6- May 24
After Earth- May 31
Man of Steel- June 14
First up is Iron Man 3 on May 3
Iron Man 3 officially starts phase 2 of the Marvel movies coming out in the next few years leading up to the Avengers 2. It follows Tony Stark as he battles with the aftermath of the events that occur in the Avengers and as he is facing a new evil in The Mandarin. It seems like there are a lot of people in Iron Suits in this movie, and it looks to provide lots of action. Lets see if it is able to ignite the excitement for Avengers 2, as it will be the starting point of the lead up arc.
The Great Gatsby on May 10th
I am not sure how I feel about the Great Gatsby. It looks to be going for lots of polish and shine as well as having an A list cast. I have not read the book so am not that familiar with the story but plan to go see what has been talked about for quite a while. Going in I am a bit apprehensive because of the leads of Leonard DiCaprico and Tobey Mcguire because these two are actors that I have difficulty watching and seeing them meld into the characters as opposed to watching it and seeing the actors. In the trailers I see them as actors but maybe they will be able to pull me in during the actual movie.
Star Trek: Into Darkness on May 17th
I am so excited for this movie and cannot wait to see it. I have already gotten my tickets for the first performance I could get and am excited to see it on the Wednesday. I will be really disappointed if it is not good.
Fast & Furious 6 May 24th
I am looking forward to this movie, as I have always been a fan of the fast and the furious franchise (Tokyo Drift I do not count in this). Talking to others, it seems like I am the one who is excited about this, and have liked the serious thus far. It has all of the things I like, action, racing, excitement, cloak and dagger. I hope that this one is good, but I am interested to see how Letty is worked back into the storyline.
After Earth on May 31st
I plan to see this movie but am not sure if it will be any good or not. I like Will Smith, but I don't like how he seems to be making movies just to star his children. Plus the voice is a little weird. I am not sure that I can accept Jaden as the up and coming action star. We will see if he can truly stand up to his dad, or if this just is a disaster.
Man of Steel on June 14th
I really hope that this reboot of Man of Steel is good and by starting at the beginning of the back story it will be a re-engagement of the great possibility that Superman movies have. I have always liked superman and am of the generation that had both Lois & Clark as well as Smallville as a weekly staple for years. Lets see if this is able to pull me in and accept another retelling of this story.
The release dates are as follows (you can scroll down to any specific one you are more interested in for some of my main thoughts. I have previously spoke about some of the trailer or will be in the near future):
Iron Man 3- May 3
The Great Gatsby- May 10
Star Trek: Into Darkness- May 17
Fast & Furious 6- May 24
After Earth- May 31
Man of Steel- June 14
First up is Iron Man 3 on May 3
Iron Man 3 officially starts phase 2 of the Marvel movies coming out in the next few years leading up to the Avengers 2. It follows Tony Stark as he battles with the aftermath of the events that occur in the Avengers and as he is facing a new evil in The Mandarin. It seems like there are a lot of people in Iron Suits in this movie, and it looks to provide lots of action. Lets see if it is able to ignite the excitement for Avengers 2, as it will be the starting point of the lead up arc.
The Great Gatsby on May 10th
I am not sure how I feel about the Great Gatsby. It looks to be going for lots of polish and shine as well as having an A list cast. I have not read the book so am not that familiar with the story but plan to go see what has been talked about for quite a while. Going in I am a bit apprehensive because of the leads of Leonard DiCaprico and Tobey Mcguire because these two are actors that I have difficulty watching and seeing them meld into the characters as opposed to watching it and seeing the actors. In the trailers I see them as actors but maybe they will be able to pull me in during the actual movie.
Star Trek: Into Darkness on May 17th
I am so excited for this movie and cannot wait to see it. I have already gotten my tickets for the first performance I could get and am excited to see it on the Wednesday. I will be really disappointed if it is not good.
Fast & Furious 6 May 24th
I am looking forward to this movie, as I have always been a fan of the fast and the furious franchise (Tokyo Drift I do not count in this). Talking to others, it seems like I am the one who is excited about this, and have liked the serious thus far. It has all of the things I like, action, racing, excitement, cloak and dagger. I hope that this one is good, but I am interested to see how Letty is worked back into the storyline.
After Earth on May 31st
I plan to see this movie but am not sure if it will be any good or not. I like Will Smith, but I don't like how he seems to be making movies just to star his children. Plus the voice is a little weird. I am not sure that I can accept Jaden as the up and coming action star. We will see if he can truly stand up to his dad, or if this just is a disaster.
Man of Steel on June 14th
I really hope that this reboot of Man of Steel is good and by starting at the beginning of the back story it will be a re-engagement of the great possibility that Superman movies have. I have always liked superman and am of the generation that had both Lois & Clark as well as Smallville as a weekly staple for years. Lets see if this is able to pull me in and accept another retelling of this story.
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