2011 is Over!

Wow, this was a quick year and I did an awful job doing movie reviews, as in I hardly did any. I especially haven't done any updates since June. I've seen quite a bit of movies (not as many as say my friends James - 100+ is insane). But still, for someone who works 40 hours a week and goes to school I didn't do too bad. 50 movies as of today, with a couple days left in the year I still have a chance to see a couple more. But for now, I'm going to make a top 10 of 2011....

10. IMMORTALS

Now, I'll be the first one to admit that I tend to dislike many of films that come through the doors these days, and I'll like random things that others don't and this is one of those. The film maker, Tarsem Singh has an amazing way of creating a visually beautiful film. His previous films the CELL and the FALL have a weak story each, the visuals and style of film making vastly make up for it. Immortals is probably the strongest story that has come from his ideas. A new story of Greek/Roman myth that come to life on the big screen in a better way than previous stories have done. Though I felt a lack of details in the characters of Titans and Gods, the aspect of story felt genuine and well done. Henry Cavill did a job well done portraying Thesus and Mickey Rourke did an awesome job as Hyperion. Newer face Luke Evans had a great screen presence as Zeus, and I'm excited to see more of him next year. Now I'll admit that the story did have it faults, but I still enjoyed the film as a whole.

IN THE END, I give this a : 8/10

9. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Now, I walked into this not expecting much of anything. Being I had never seen any of Charleton Heston films or that awful looking Tim Burton remake, but something about the visuals and story caught me and sucked me in. So I took a chance, and felt that it was a good choice of viewing. A fairly well done story, back by an excellent cast. James Franco is growing on me, with his performances in MILK and 127 HOURS he has definitely grown, and all though I still have doubt in his overall acting skills he's definitely someone I'm liking to see time after time. But better yet, what really is the impressive aspect is the performance by Andy Serkis. He's the best actor you never see, he's done some amazing physical acting (see Lord of the Rings and King Kong) and you'll understand just how amazing he is, and how he's someone any CGI director would love to have. Overall it was a well done and entertaining movie.

IN THE END, I give this a : 8/10

8. SUCKER PUNCH

This movie caught a lot of shit for being overly CGI'd, disatrious plot, and overall cheesy and boring. But I really enjoyed this film through and through. Zack Snyder ceases to amazing me when it comes to such visual and epic films (300 and Watchmen). He takes scenery and the dynamics of film to a different and imaginative level. I love his work, he is one of my favorite film makers. His movies may not be Oscar worthy, but they are visual icons in my opinion. He has yet to let me down, and I'm excited for his SUPERMAN film. The story overall has it's flaws, but the synergy between story and action is extremely well done, and although she mostly plays a mute, I continue to love young actress Emily Browning. Contrary to the negative hype her film SLEEPING BEAUTY has gotten, I still am anticipating to see it.

IN THE END, I give this a : 8/10

7. BRIDESMAIDS

When it came to comedies, everyone was talking about HANGOVER 2, and really that was a whole lot of nothing. Everyone skipped over the quiet, but hilarious comedy that was BRIDESMAIDS. Saturday Night Live star and comedic badass Kristen Wiig takes the main stage as lead actress in a raunchy and intelligent comedy about a woman fallen on hard times personally, financially, and definitely emotionally.

IN THE END, I give this a : 8/10

6.HUGO

Martin Scorsese directing a family friendly film? This must be a mistake, he must be losing his touch. Far from it. I went into this thinking it was going to a older film with a science fiction twist, but it was far from I had anticipated and was taken aback for what it ended up being. One of two powerful coming of age and growth stories that concentrated on kid actors with a very powerful adult emotion. Chloe Moretz, portraying another character that has wisdom and presence beyond her years she is such an amazing young actress that will hopefully grow up to be a dominate person in future films. And Asa Butterfield, another young actor with huge potential plays titled character with fiery passion for what he does and what he's trying to accomplish by finishing his fathers robot. With veteran actors Ben Kingsley, Christoper Lee, and Emily Mortimer its no wonder that these kids bring such presence and power to a beauitful film that brings back to life the essence of the original days of film. The montage late in the film about the days of old film was so inspiring it's a wonder how Hollywood has changed film so much.

IN THE END, I give this a : 9/10

5. DRIVE

I went into this film not knowing much about it, other than it had a powerful and brilliant cast. I was never a fan of pretty boy Ryan Gosling, but he has definitely jumped up in my radar with not only this film but with romantic comedy CRAZY STUPID LOVE. I'm sad to say that I never got around to seeing IDES OF MARCH, but I plan to pick it up once it hits shelves. And Carey Mulligan, I was hooked on her the moment I saw AN EDUCATION. She has since done nothing outside of amazing me with her talent, and growth. With this film and Steve McQueen's dark film SHAME, she has become one of my growing favorite actresses. I'm excited to see her in this years GREAT GATSBY. The story is quite intense, and Ryan Gosling plays a hired getaway driver for any job that requires him, the interaction between him and other characters is very intense but oh so subtle. He comes across as a quiet, caring person that you never knew that deep down he's a dark person with a aggressive side. Its an overall great film, and glad I feel into seeing this without knowing much about it. Cause it definitely surprised me.

IN THE END, I give this a : 9/10

4. HARRY POTTER and the DEATHLY HALLOWS part 2

I have a special place in my heart for the Harry Potter saga. I have been a huge fan of book series since the 4th book came out in 2000, and have continued to love the films just as much. So the final chapter in a 10 year built up, was definitely everything I expect from the series finale. It's sad to see it end, but I'm glad I stayed through it. I have high hopes for the young stars, as actors, and although they will forever be remember as the the three kids from Harry Potter they will always have a beloved fan base and a story that will fathom the rest of their lives.

IN THE END, I give this a : 9/10

3. SUPER 8

I'm kind of back and forth with JJ Abrams. The 2010 Star Trek remake was well done, the early seasons of LOST were good, but the later seasons were disappointing and CLOVERFIELD was anti-climatic, so I was a little anxious with mystery film SUPER 8. And I was completely blown away on just how well done and brilliant this movie ended up being. A coming of age story very much similar to GOONIES, and the same heart felt adventure that made it such an amazing classic. With such a young cast, with very little adult supervision per say, you'd think this would just be another kid crazed movie but the characters are so mature and emotionally driven that you love and connect with. Elle Fanning is another young actress who is making her in the grand scheme of Hollywood, and is growing up to be a powerful screen force. Sadly, I have a feeling that the rest of young cast (much like the Goonies) have seen their 15 minutes of fame, but what a fame it is. They did a great job, and appreciate what they brought to this film. As for JJ, I await his epic sequel that will be STAR TREK 2. I have faith he will do well, and I hope any future besides that will be just as entertaining.

IN THE END, I give this a : 9/10

2. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

David Fincher is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. I know, I'm a slow on the up take. People have loved him since the days of SEVEN and FIGHT CLUB, but I'm loving the stuff he has done the past few years with SOCIAL NETWORK and CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. This film was extremely well done, it gripped a lot of negative feedback due to the fact that it was not only based of a Swedish book, but that their was a Swedish film version of it from only a few years ago. Although I have yet to read the books or see the other films, I have a feeling that I may not love it as much as I love Fincher's vision of the story. It's a visual beauty, though it's a dark film the setting and aspect of each scene are well done and visually enlightening. And the acting is phenomenal; Rooney Mara, who has not had a major role since coming on scene played a dark, edgy, and extreme part that any young actor or actress would be scared to do and she took it all the way and made it amazing. And with support from veterans Daniel Craig and Stellan Skarsgard it's no wonder this acting clientele was as good as it was. One thing David Fincher knows is a good, no great cast. Even in the young and limited, he makes a great film.

IN THE END, I give this a : 9/10

1. CAPTAIN AMERICA

Wow, thats what I thought and felt when I walked out of this film. The comic book film that I had the littlest expectation from, and the one I thought would be the weakest. And wow, was far from right. This movie blew me away, more than other comic book film has done since the DARK KNIGHT. Overall, this film was beyond what I thought a film around a Captain America would or could be. Joe Johnston is not a director I am familiar with, other than his ghastly film WOLF-MAN from 2010. A brutal movie from beginning to end, but he does has a good family friendly films wrap from the 90's (Jumanji, Pagemaster, and Rocketeer). So this one, was definitely a huge turn around from WOLF-MAN. And Chris Evans, formerly mr.Human Torch from Fox's also disastrous FANTASTIC FOUR films has re-portrayed himself as the red, white, and blue Avenger. With also veteran actors Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, and sexy Brit Hayley Atwell the story is back and powered by some great casting. Also well done writing and overall great plot, this was an extremely awesome film. This film keeps me amped and overly excited for 2012's AVENGERS film.

So, this is a close to a quiet 2011 review session. (Even though it's almost 2 weeks into 2012). I'm excited for what the New Year will bring in films, and I will try to deliver more "vibrant" reviews. Keep an eye out for my 2012 anticipated list...

Where is 2011 going? And where have I been?

I was going to try and put more out there for my "followers" and try and review more films this year, but sadly I haven't done a single one, and it's already midway through June. Half the year is gone, summer blockbuster has already started. And not one word from me, I plan on changing that. I've seen lots of movies this year too (25 as of last night), so I have plenty to dish about.

The problem with this year is that nothing really stands out (outside of the comic films). I've seen 5 of 10 for my Top 10 anticipated of the year. THOR, X-MEN, and SUCKER PUNCH were all what I expected. PIRATES 4 and GREEN LANTERN were sub par to my predictions and hope.

There were a couple of other good films that I saw that were well done. Oscar contender 127 HOURS was a good film that sent chills down my spine. THE FIGHTER (which Christian Bale won an Oscar for) was also a well developed dramatic and touching film. And Matt Damon's little thriller-romance film ADJUSTMENT BUREAU was definitely, I think, a sleeper hit that nobody really saw.

The thing that has been lacking so far this year, is the power of laughter. Now, I love comedies for the sheer fact they are there to entertain and get a laugh. And this year they are few and far between HANGOVER 2 was very sub par in comparison to its predecessor. In fact, it was dull and very repetitive. JUST GO WITH IT, TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, and NO STRINGS ATTACHED had its moments but they just couldn't deliver. The best of the year, is Judd Apathow's produced film BRIDESMAIDS with funny lady Kristen Wiig. A rom-com with female robust. It definitely leads this year best comedic film.

There's still a lot of time left in this year, big films still to come. The conclusion to HARRY POTTER is right around the corner, and CAPTAIN AMERICA is going to make his cinematic debut. There is still plenty to look forward to, and hopefully I can keep it going..

Also, here is my Top 10 of the year so far...

1.THOR 9/10

2.X-MEN FIRST CLASS 8/10

3.ADJUSTMENT BUREAU 8/10

4.127 HOURS 8/10

5.THE FIGHTER 8/10

6.SUCKER PUNCH 8/10

7.BRIDESMAIDS 8/10

8.GREEN LANTERN 7/10

9.TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT 7/10

10.GREEN HORNET 7/10

Coming Soon Top 10...

It's the beginning of 2011 which means it's time for the Top 10 most anticipating movies for me that are coming out this year. Summer is looking to be another huge time for Super Hero/Comic Book films (like every other years for the past 5 years)....

1. GREEN LANTERN : The first non-Batman or Superman DC movie to take shape and that will actually have a chance at being a success. Ignore last years Jonah Hex's movie and be excited for a space epic that is different and a lot more thrilling. Ryan Reynolds leads an awesome cast to space adventure that you'll never forget.
Coming Out : June 17th

2. THOR : One of two big Marvel movies that are a tie in to the 2012 epic film Avengers. We will learn the history of one Marvel Comics most powerful heroes and how his banishment to Earth will set up his path to joining the Avengers. It's going an amazing film with a great cast. New comer (to America that is) Chris Heimsworth is going to take lead of this powerful character and from the looks of the poster and trailer is sure to deliver a powerful performance. (hopefully)
Coming Out: May 6th

3. CAPTAIN AMERICA THE FIRST AVENGER : Chris Evans, formerly the Human Torch from FOX's Fantastic Four two films returns to the Marvel cinema universe, this time as Steve Rogers aka Captain America. Though there is a lot of distaste and loud commotion of him portraying the super soldier, it doesn't take away from the circuit of interest in one comics oldest super heroes.
Coming Out: July 22nd

4. HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HOLLOWS Part 2 : The final chapter of a saga that has been building for 10 years. The second half of JK Rowling's 7th book is going to bring everything to a phenomenal close. Emotions are going to be running high and it's sure to thrill, excite, and make the audience probably cry.
Coming Out: July 15th

5. X-MEN FIRST CLASS : It's X-Men. At least it sort of is. A sort of prequel to Fox's trilogy comes out this summer as a origin story of how Xavier and Magneto formed what is eventually to be the mutant team the X-Men and how two best friends will become greatest enemies. James McAvoy helms in as young Xavier and is sure to deliver a great performance. Now the only question is...how will the story and characters go.
Coming Out: June 3rd

6. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN ON STRANGER TIDES : The fourth film the Pirates Saga. Johnny Depp of course returns to the role of Jack Sparrow, but don't be surprised when neither Orlando Bloom or Keira Knightley are not seen. Neither are back. A questionable film, being that the trilogy wrapped nicely it's a wonder what this new chapter has in store, and whether it'll really be the last or the first step to new adventures.
Coming Out: May 20th

7. TRANSFORMERS DARK OF THE MOON : What can I say, I'm a sucker for giant fighting robots. Although this is directed by talentless Michael Bay, it'll be a pretty film of special effects. This film will of course lack plot and good acting, but it'll be a fun one to see.
Coming Out: July 1st

8. SUCKER PUNCH : The new one by director Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300, Dawn of the Dead). From what the trailer portrays this almost looks like a female version of 300 itself. It looks like an entertaining film that is backed by a lot of young female power and also some veteran sexy ladies too. Zack Snyder is a very good director that has made good films over the years, though Watchmen wasn't as good as it could of been but was still a well done film. I'm interested to see what this one will be like.
Coming Out: March 25th

9. COWBOYS & ALIENS : Another comic book film that doesn't have much backing but will be a sure hit (being directed by Jon Favreau) and starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. An interesting mixture of classic westerns and alien sci-fi excitement. It's definitely going to be "different" but should be a fun one to watch.
Coming Out: July 29th

10. CARS 2 : The latest film by studio power combo Disney-Pixar. The sequel to 2006 big hit Cars is sure to have some fun and pretty graphics. Pixar is a great company and they have yet to miss making a very good film (though I didn't love UP or TOY STORY 3 as much as everyone else) I still expect this to be a good film and should have a fun time watching this one.
Coming Out: June 24th

So there it goes, my 10 to see in 2011....its going to be a good year in film!

2010 in a nutshell....and Top 10

So, this past year in movie reviews didn't go exactly as planned. I wanted to try and do as many as possible but I just didn't, not sure why...maybe I just didn't feel the need but I will try my best from this point on to do so. I will do a TOP 10 of 2010, and than move on to reviews of the 2 films I've seen already this New Year... (this list is partially inspired by my co-worker Marcus)

10. AN EDUCATION: Great little movie about needing to be an adult, and realize that everything you want is not always the best. Your decisions decide how your life will turn out. 8/10

9. SHUTTER ISLAND: A good thriller that throws you back a bit. Scorsese does a great job with this one, and gets a lot of help from Leonardo DiCaprio in his portrayal of a psychotic/confused man trying to solve a case and fix his own life. 8/10

8.KICK-ASS: Another fun independent comic film that not many people knew about prior to this films release. Matthew Vaughn does a great job with this film, Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) is a good young actor and I look forward to seeing him grow as an actor. 8/10

7.BLACK SWAN: Mostly attended this film to see the lovely Natalie Portman. She of course is a great part of this film, but overall it's an enjoyable flick. Aronofsky is a great visual director and this one is no exception. The story was a little forced at time, but it works well. 8/10

6.TRUE GRIT: One of the very few remakes that actually worked out and turned out being good. Jeff Bridges is a great actor, gotta love his work in all his films. Of course this is also one of the Cohen Brothers films, so there wasn't a surprise that this was going to be a good one. 8/10

5.NOWHERE BOY: A quiet, no promotion film that is definitely going to go unnoticed in all the award ceremonies and audiences. The film is based on the early life of John Lennon (portrayed by Aaron Johnson) is a great film that brings light to the short lived life of one of the best musicians that came to music world. 8/10

4.NEVER LET ME GO: Another film that is sure to go unnoticed, and I feel sad for it. Three powerful actors star in this film (Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley). A very well done film that is heartbreaking and powerful. The science of the film, and the way it is adapted made the film that much better. It's science fiction but in real-life setting. 8/10

3.THE TOWN: Ben Affleck, you finally made a film outside the Kevin Smith-verse that was good. And not only that, you directed it. I comende you on a great film. Another great gangster-drama that delievers a powerful story and great skills of acting by not only Mr.Affleck, but Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall. Wonderful film that I'm excited to watch again. 9/10

2.SOCIAL NETWORK: A movie about the formation and legal battle of Facebook? This couldn't possibly work as a film...right? Wrong. It works. And it works well. This was the definitely the surprise hit of the year. It was an overall great film with powerful acting from rookie-ish actors (Jesse Eisenbergh and Andrew Garfield) and a powerful well developed story. I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did, and excited to watch it again. And even though it's not my number 1, I'm okay with it winning the Oscar for great film. 9/10

1.INCEPTION: Chris Nolan, you just can't do a thing wrong. I have so much faith with DARK KNIGHT RISES in 2012. This film is probably the most original and indept film that has come to the big screens in years. The story is amazing, the acting incredible, the visuals, settings, and special effects were to die for. I have not been this blown away by a film in such a long time. I loved every aspect of this one...can't explain my love of this film. 10/10

This sums up film for the year of 2010....

...and now it's time for 2011. Let's see what it's going to bring....