Rise of the Planet of Apes has it all. It’s a magnificent film with breathtaking special effects, exceptional pacing, and a ton of heart. Andy
Serkis deserves an Oscar for his incredibly realistic, motion-capture
portrayal of Caesar, the ape who leads his kind out of the zoos and
cages and into a place of power. The film is almost like Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith in that you know how the story ends. The pleasure, of course, is getting there.
If the most memorable part of your cinematic experience is watching the previews ahead of the movie you went to see, chances are you’ve seen Cowboys & Aliens or something just like it. Daniel Craig plays his role to a hilt, but with a supporting cast of poorly written characters and half-hearted performances, Cowboys & Aliens gets hogtied.
Captain America: The First Avenger, the final Marvel origin story before The Avengers next May, is a blast from start to finish. Chris Evans equips himself well as the “star-spangled man with a plan,” and Joe Johnston proves himself more than capable of delivering when it comes to solid superhero action.
Eight films in just about 10 years and no rusty wands in the bunch. The success of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series theatrically has been unprecedented in both box-office receipts and critical success. As the credits roll on, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, the satisfying punctuation mark at the end of a true cinematic journey, it really all comes back to characters and storytelling — to Rowling.
Despite the generally dark premise and some morose instances, the tone of Horrible Bosses is kept surprisingly light and jovial throughout. It never goes full-tilt into blackness like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang or Bad Santa. Three friends enlist the help of a “murder consultant” and get to work. The script and wonderful cast kept the laughs flowing constantly and inciting ample explosions of mirth from the audience.
Michael Bay has expanded his final Transformers movie, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, to
2.5 hours. Those extra minutes include the introduction of a half dozen
new human characters, twice as many unnamed Decepticons, and meandering
human drama and backstory. Although it drops many of the issues of the
previous sequel, it picks up quite a few issues of its own. So the final
result is mediocre. “Dark of the Moon” never rises to the level of
greatness you keep hoping for. It’s just good.
Just as Manhattan was a love letter to the titular New York borough, Midnight in Parisis as picturesque as a postcard, and every line of dialogue drips with enthusiasm toward the beautiful French city. But what of the story? Well, it’s more fun than anything this year, but best left a mystery. Allen detractors might find something to dismiss, but his fans—like me—will rejoice, for Woody is back, and honestly, he’s as good as ever.
If a director’s heart and passion were indicators of quality, Super 8 would be one of the best movies of the year. If the Oscars were given for ability to imitate Super 8 producer Steven Spilberg’s movies, the film would clean up. Unfortunately, all the passion and Spielberg-esque tricks in the world can’t save this half-baked monster movie.
After
two disappointing installments, X-Men fans needed some heroes
themselves, people who could revitalize the series and luckily, we got
that with the director of the first two films and the man who was
originally picked to direct X-Men: The Last Stand. The Bryan Singer/Matthew Vaughn combo was able to give the series the kick it needed, making a fun and action-packed film.
The
scenery and art direction in “Panda 2” is as stunning as ever; a unique blend
of realism exhibited countless times in the fluid fur of the main characters,
the elegant surrounding natural environment and of course the stylized
fictional aesthetics of talking ass-kicking animals.
