Summer movies are officially here today, and it starts with IronMan 2!!! The plot is Tony (Robert Downey Jr., who is great) Stark is dying, and rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell, Moon) wants to be a pop-idol genius like Tony, but is not able to make an army of super robots. He's helped by a Russian Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler) who is out for revenge. Rourke is appropriately evil as the villain but his accent was too thick. His best buddy is Rhodey/War Machine (Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda, Ocean 11).
Mr. Cheadle does a great job replacing Terrence Howard. The females are Pepper Potts (Gweyneth Paltrow) his witty, smart personal assistant and hot body, kick ass Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) Director Jon Favreau does an excellent job, and the ending is worth the price of admission!!! It is amazing!!! The two Iron Man movies and the Hulk keep hinting at The Avengers. I hope Favreau does The Avengers as well as Iron Man 3!!!
Let me say this movie is totally insane. It has the best cast I have ever seen!!! The movie is based on the graphic novel. You shouldn't read the comics before watching the movie (I broke my own law---I read a few issues), as the movie stands alone by itself. I don’t why it didn’t make a lot of money. The cast is well known to those who know movies. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) is the cool level-headed guy except when it comes to women. He is a scruffy version of Robert Downey Jr. Zoe Saldana (Avatar) is one bad-ass chick as Aisha.
Can’t tell much more about her and her vendetta as that would give the some of the plot away. Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) is hilarious as Jenson, the best comic relief I have ever seen!!! Idris Elba (Obsessed) is Rouge who is tough as hell. Columbus Short as Pooch is funny. The villain Max is the most funny, annoying evil guy EVER!! Some people on line say in the graphic novel he is nothing like the Max in the movies but you must judge for yourself.
The movie is rated PG-13, but it sure looks like a R movie cut back!!! SPOILER: There might be a sequel, but I doubt it unless it goes directly to DVD. Should you see it? If you like loads of action and humor, yes; if not, you can always go Blu-ray or DVD.
You are going to here this phase until you are sick of it but the movie Kick –Ass truly kicks ass!!! KA is about Dave Lizewski (played great by Aaron Johnson) as an ordinary guy who loves comic book superheroes and decides he wants to be one. There is good and bad to his decision but what a ride you will have!!! The movie is based on the comic book by Mark Miller, who also wrote Wanted, so you know his comics are VERY violent!!! Director Matthew Vaughn did an excellent job. The cast is just great!!!
Chole Moretz as Mindy Macredy aka Hit Girl is girl power to the extreme!!! She is a pint-size Punisher with a face of an angel. She uses knives, guns and weapons little girls shouldn’t use. She is just GREAT!!! Nicholas Cage as Mindy’s father Big Daddy is like an insane Mr. Rogers and his low-rent Batman suit!!! Mark Strong (the villain in Sherlock Holmes) is sick as Mafia leader Frank D’Amico. Strong was just born to play bad guys!!! Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin’ in Super Bad) is not too bad as D’Amico’s son. So, should you see this movie? Yes!!! It is like teenage Watchmen but it failed at the box office probably the kids who wanted to view it couldn’t. Be patient to wait for video for it is worth the wait!!!!
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON ANIMATION
This movie has been out for awhile, and you know why? It is very good!! The movie is also in 3D which makes it even better. The story is about Vikings killing dragons but the story really is about acceptance and father and son relationships. The voices match the characters which includes Gerald Butler (300) Craig Ferguson (Late, Late Show), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty). The characters in animation recently display more emotion than today’s actors!!! It is just as good as Up!!
It is scary in spots for small children, but some parts of the movie are just breathtakingly beautiful. I don’t remember it being heavily advertised well--and it doesn’t need to. Should you see it? Yes!! Should you see it in 3D? Oh yes!!
This movie was hated by a lot of people. I think because of the subject matter. In the distant future The Union has developed, a hi-tech body parts firm The parts don’t come cheap and if you don’t pay, they rip it out of you and you bleed to death whereever you are. It came out at a time when health care reform talk is at a high pitch and carries a lot of mistrust. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker are the Repo Men and they love what they do---until Law gets into an accident, and they put a hi-tech part in him and he can’t pay!!!
What I liked about the movie was Jude Law!!! He is a bad ass action star!!! I never would have guessed. It's got a lot of black humor also. Forest Whitaker, the Oscar winner in ‘Last King of Scotland’ is good but I don’t know why he decided to be in it. Live Schreiber (the brother in Wolverine) is great as the evil CEO of the Union. Alice Braga Law’s love interest character is very tough and very good. The ending is a little strange. Should you see this in theaters? Absolutely not!! Watch this on video so you can try to understand the ending!!! A wild guilty pleasure!!!
GREEN ZONE--ACTION THRILLER
To the American public, movies about war are just too “real” for them. I saw the movie and it is very gritty yet action packed. Matt Damon is very good as an officer who is trying to find out why there are no weapons of mass destruction(WMD), and wants to know why he is on this foolish mission. He gets blocked by many people while searching for the truth and then he wants the reporter Amy Ryan to get it right this time. All the acting was very intense and good. It is up there with Hurt Locker, but not quite and it bombed as well for the same reason---war to Americans is not entertaining!! Should you see it? If you like drama and Matt Damon--if not, wait!!
CLASH OF THE TITANS--FANTASY/ACTION
People, this is a popcorn movie!! I have read people talk on websites about how terrible it is, or how short it is. It is a popcorn movie in April! It is Greek mythology, and it's better than the 1981 version in special affects. The story is changed a bit but, it is about Perseus (played by Sam Worthington, a rugged action star) who is a demi-god going against the gods and saving gods and man. Did you follow all that?!! Plot is not that important, but the action and special effects are great!!! Ralph Fiennes is creepy as Hades, god of the underworld. Liam Neeson is great as Zeus. Mads Mikkelsen (the guy with the scarred bleeding eye in Casino Royale) as Draco, who distrusts Perseus at first then respect him, is also good. I found the movie VERY entertaining filler until the summer movies come out.
I am a romantic, but I don’t like romantic comedies very much. So when this movie came out, I said "yet another one?"---but I was very surprised. It is like Love Actually (2003), which is to say it's about people falling in and out of love on Valentine’s Day. The cast has Julia Roberts, Queen Latifah, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez and many others. It is like a box of chocolates---you never know what you are going to get!! It is sweet and a guilty pleasure. I don’t think guys will like it for the male actors in the film are very passionate for the women they love. The movie came out along with The Wolfman and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and it was number one at the box office. Why? Women love this stuff including myself. Should you see it---yes for the ladies--–video for the couples.
THE CRAZIES(2010)---HORROR/SCI-FI
Fright director George Romero once said the scariest people are your neighbors. Well this update version of his movie Crazies-1973 shows just that. You know the story---toxins in the water, people go nuts, military has to control the town and blow up the town!! The acting is good-Timothy Olyphant (Hit Man) as David the sheriff, his wife Judy Rada Mitchell (Pitch Black), but the one who stands out is an actor I have never seen. His name is Joe Anderson (Ruins, Across The Universe) as Russell, the deputy. He is outstanding!!! Bad-ass one minute, compassionate the next---amazing! The director Breck Esiner is very good setting up suspense. You are not suppose to think in a horror movie, but who are really the ‘crazies’---the victims or the military who mindlessly follow orders? You decide. If you like these kind of movies this is your movie---if not, well there is always video.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND---FANTASY
Let me say before going to see this movie, forget the book by Lewis Carroll and Disney’s earlier version. This movie is very imaginative and you see the beloved characters in a way different light!! In this version Alice is older (19) and her mother wants her to wed. Confused, she runs and falls in the rabbit hole and the adventure begins. At first she thinks she is dreaming then she has to become an action hero!! Does it make sense? No, but it is Tim Burton’s flick and he makes the most of nonsense!! Is it for little kids? Maybe, but it is better for teens and up!!! Johnny Depp is very good as The Mad Hatter. He is not only crazy, he’s clever too. Helena Bonham Carter is excellent as Red Queen. She is mean and controlling!! Ann Hathaway is the White Queen. and she reminds me of the Witch of the North in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Mia Wasikowska as Alice was very good as a sweet but strong heroine.
