Quick Hits

Hey folks! Things have been hectic lately, for both Mike and myself, but never fear. We have more posts on the way I assure you, but until then I wanted to send out some quick reviews and hits from movies I've seen recently. Some of them certainly would benefit from further analysis but for the sake of time (or lack there of) I'm condensing them.

The Help

All the talk about this feel-good movie is aimed at Emma Stone but let me clear the air here. Emma Stone is not the star of this movie. She's funny, sassy, and likable, and this role is probably a pivotal one that will alter her career down the Julie Roberts path rather than the Cameron Diaz path, i.e. she can act. The show is stolen by Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark as the vulnerable but fueled maid who really ignites the controversy, as Stone's "Skeeter" is merely a vessel. Davis carries all the emotional weight and has the most to lose the whole time, she is the real hero of this feel good story despite what the Oscar talk would have you believe. It's not a movie for everyone, but I'm sure even a few guys would see the quality this film has.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Friends with Benefits

What appears to be a fairly generic romantic comedy here really is much more. Why? How 'bout Justin Timberlake's boyish charm? This isn't a gay thing, he's just very fun to watch every time he's on the screen. Mila Kunis is good as well but Timberlake makes this movie worth watching. Well, that and the great supporting cast (namely Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone) who maximize each moment of screen time they get. But most importantly, FWB doesn't try to horribly disguise itself behind a cheesy gimmick (see: Killers, Bounty Hunter, What Happens in Vegas, The Ugly Truth, etc.), instead it's simply about two people going through with life. My only beef is that no matter how different it tries to feel, every RomCom is doomed to repeat the same ending.

(Note: What does it say that of the four movies listed above, Katherine Heigel and Aston Kutcher star in two of them, together in one. What does that say about how awful they are? What would Heigel be without Knocked Up? And at least Kutcher is smart enough to latch onto a winning TV show before he completely flamed out.)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Perhaps the single most anticipated movie this year in my head. If you told me one year ago that I wouldn't see this movie until almost a month after it was released, I'd blame everything on director Joe Johnston. But I'm happy to say that there is little blame to pass. Captain America is well-cast, well-paced, and damn entertaining. Chris Evans works as Steve Rogers, which proves vastly more important than how he works as Captain America (btw, also good). Most importantly, Capt. has good action and drama from start to finish. It's a really great blend of history and fantasy but I must admit I've one minor gripe: the score. Every other recent Marvel film has had an outstanding score (most notably The Incredible Hulk) and The Dark Knight raised the bar. Captain tries to push an older style, much like the Indiana Jones films, but in some spots it simply feels out of place and a bit of nuisance. For casual movie-goers, it won't hardly be noticed though.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Preview: Superhero Summer of 2011

by Steve Kochems

A few weeks ago I posted about the lack of upcoming films this spring with any intrigue, at least in my eyes. Aside from Battle: Los Angeles, I’ve stuck to my hibernating plan, and boy is it good.

But as May looms, I can’t help but think about the major superhero movies that are on the horizon. Captain America, Thor, X-Men: First Class, and Transformers 3 are the four films I’m primarily going to look at today and I will measure them up against my patent pending Superhero Movie Spectrum, posted below.

1	1.5
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	Elektra
2	2.5
Daredevil	Watchmen
3	3.5
X-Men: Last Stand	Spider-Man 3
4	4.5
Transformers	Hulk
5	5.5
The Punisher	X-Men
6	6.5
X-Men Origins: Wolverine	The Incredible Hulk
7	7.5
Iron Man	300
8	8.5
Spider-Man 2	Batman Begins
9	9.5
X2	The Dark Knight
10
Sin City

So, without further adieu, here’s a quick look at what I like and what I dislike about four summer blockbusters that are just a few weeks away.

Thor – May 6, 2011

What I like about it:

Thor has probably the most well-known cast of all these films and that should help carry the epic nature it’s hoping to get across. I’ve also thought that Chris Hemsworth was a genuinely good choice as the God of Thunder, a choice as good as Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Here’s to hoping he can meet those expectations.

What I don’t like about it:

Thor’s setting is going to be the toughest to keep grounded in reality. Ever since Batman Begins, superhero movies (at least the good ones) have had the difficult task of bringing real science into a surreal world. Christopher Nolan and Jon Favreau have each done an excellent job of this, but director Kenneth Branagh has his work cut out for him. The trailers also worry me, while Asgard looks every bit as awesome as it should, I worry that it’s too quirky and dare I say campy for its own good.

Expectations:

I expect Thor to be a good movie but not a great one. It’ll certainly be watchable but more than likely will never be in the conversation with something like Sin City, probably right in line with Ed Norton’s The Incredible Hulk.

X-Men: First Class – June 3, 2011

What I like about it:

Again, the trailers have been outstanding. I was far less skeptical of the cast and crew for this film though, since Matthew Vaughn is one of the better young directors in Hollywood (see: Layer Cake, Kick-Ass… also produced Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). I also think that this film has an additional layer to it that most comic book movies overlook, save Nolan’s Batman movies. This film has the possibility of horror overshadowing it, the power struggle between Charles Xavier and Magneto and how their friendship ruptures is almost certainly going to have lives at stake.

What I don’t like about it:

The content. I love comic book movies quite a bit, but after Brett Ratner’s bowel movement titled Last Stand, I was really turned off to the X-Men stories. I thought Wolverine was a fresh and fun take on his character and I was excited to see more of those (primarily a Magneto Origins film). But another ensemble film was decided upon again. Here’s hoping the Last Stand was just that and we get something fresh this time.

Expectations:

I actually expect the most out of this film, something I never would’ve believed had you told me this a year ago. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender both are looking like outstanding casting decisions and having X-Men and X2 helmer Brian Singer on as a producer gives it major credit to draw it in line with the original films. Dare I say, it could be as good as X2? Or even the Dark Knight?

Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon – July 1, 2011

What I like about it:

Director Michael Bay responded to the massive outcry against the previous film, blaming the writer's strike as part of why the script suffered. An apology is better late than never I guess. He’s also claimed that this film will be the best of the three and many are inclined to believe him. Am I? Doubtful.

What I don’t like about it:

Yeah I don’t really believe Bay’s comment above but at least he’s trying something. Since it’s widely considered that Revenge of the Fallen was the worst thing since the Gigli, he might be doing this as a marketing ploy, pretend to apologize to get those suckers back in the seats! However I will admit the first film wasn’t entirely terrible. Yeah, the content isn’t my cup of tea but I’m willing to admit it’s a decent enough story and film that this one could in fact be just as good as that. But how good is that?

Expectations:

Very little. Bay’s films have continued to sacrifice story for the sake of just being louder. I’d be more optimistic if I actually thought the original content wasn’t somewhat laughable to begin with (then again, we have a Battleship movie on the horizon). So where on the scale does it rank? Elektra status, couldn’t care less.

Captain America – July 22, 2011

What I like about it:

The trailers. Everything from the set design, costumes, hell the overall environmental feel is really well conveyed (thus far), which surprised me. I worried a great deal about this movie with Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3, The Wolfman) at the helm and Chris Evans as the lead, but so far it’s really impressed me and may turn out to be the best film this summer.

What I don’t like about it:

Joe Johnston. He’s never really blown me away as a director and cutting a good trailer doesn’t always translate to a good film. Chris Evans would’ve also been listed here, but the way he’s handled interviews and how he’s looked in and out of the costume on screen has sold me. Joey boy has not, yet.

Expectations:

When the film was first green lit, they were huge. Then they filled the cast and crew and I worried. Then I saw the trailer and said "wow", this might actually work. So I don’t know what to expect. When in doubt, base it on the footage you’ve been able to see, and if I go that route, I think it’s going to be a pretty darn good film. Probably somewhere in line with the 300, so far as quality.

So that’s about it, we’ll see how accurate my predictions are and I’m excited to see (almost) all of these movies. Are you? Let us know what you think!