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Showing posts from June, 2011

Review: Transformers - Dark of the Moon

It can’t be worse. Can it? After the writer’s strike shortened the story plotting window for most summer blockbuster, Michael Bay‘s last crack at Robots in Disguise suffered the most. It may have looked more polished than his previous effort, but the lackluster story and dialogue brought down the flick significantly. Thankfully, the third film of the series salvages its predecessors. Sam’s (Shia LaBeouf) life has changed considerably since we last saw him. Gone from his life are the days of college as well as his high-school sweetheart Mikaela. He has been thrust into one of the worst economies in recent memory – cue John Malkovich as the worst boss imaginable – and the thrill of running with the Autobots is also missing. Fortunately, he has the love of a good woman  (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who is given exactly as much to do as Megan Fox was; nothing.) so all is well. After the last battle between Autobots and Decepticons the world seems to be at relative peace. Opt

The Vault: Heat (1995)

Michael Mann’s nearly three hour epic is grand in scale, but lacking in emotion. Cop procedurals typically induce strong feelings for the characters involved. It’s not until the final 45 minutes of the picture – which is masterful – that you start to understand, perhaps even sympathize for a couple of these thieves. In fact the latter of the picture is everything  Heat  wants to be: compelling, emotionally driven, and enthralling. Instead what comes before the third act is equal measures sluggish and cliched. The film follows the lives of two men on opposite sides of the law – Hanna played by Al Pacino is a detective and Neil played by Robert De Niro is a thief. After a large robbery, Hanna (who is the sure thing type cop) is assigned to investigate the scene to see who is responsible and when and where they can catch these criminals. But Neil is no ordinary crook. He’s smart and lays out meticulous operations for him and his team – it’s not wonder why they’ve

Make This Happen!

I thought it would be fun to open with the Kennedy assassination, and we reveal that the magic bullet was controlled by Magneto. That would explain the physics of it, and we see that he’s pissed off because Kennedy took all the credit for saving the world and mutants weren’t even mentioned. - Matthew Vaughn Some might question how tasteful it is to recreate the assassination of President Kennedy, but at least the story is on the right track. The evolution of mutants in the U.S. certainly wouldn't come without casualties. (Courtesy: HitFix )

Review: Green Lantern

Being in the Green Lantern Corps. is a lot like being a U.S. Marshal. You are allocated a certain degree of autonomy and discretion. Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), however, does not have any of these advantages. A local who happened upon an alien with a dying wish, he finds himself introduced to a world vastly different from his own. As Hal is the first human Green Lantern, he has to be mentored by a seven foot tall bird named Tomar-Re (Geoffrey Rush is on a roll  isn't  he?), he can’t figure out his rings oath, and the leader of the Corps., Sinestro (Mark Strong), is an ass. Reynolds was a great choice for Hal. He exudes a natural charisma that invites you to share Hal’s unbridled optimism and it  doesn't  feel false.  Green Lantern  is much closer to Superman than Batman or Spider-Man. Hal has his own sense of right and wrong and he never crosses it. In a way, he is the luckiest of superheroes; his powers come at no cost, he  doesn't  lose a family member, and he

Avengers Assemble!

I'm curious why Hawkeye is going to put an arrow through Captain America's head, but hey who can judge? I'm sure his boyish optimism is irritating. (Courtesy: TheOnlyESQ/ ComicBookMovie.com )

Vote for Your City to Host a VIP Screening

Vote here and your city could win a VIP Redcarpet screening of Captain America: The First Avenger in your area.

Your Thoughts on 'Super 8'

J.J Abram's new flick is out. Some have called it Neapolitan ice cream, others have called the best summer film in decades. Love it, hate it, or somewhere in between? Leave your take in the comments below!

Review: Tree of Life

After what seemed like an eternity to fans of Terrence Malick's filmography, Tree of Life  made its debut at Cannes. Responses to the film were varied and lines were drawn in the sand. Terrence Malick tends to have that reaction on people. From Badlands to  The New World , the atmospheric flourishes and strokes that Malick uses to paint his stories quite often alienate viewers. Common narratives are often ignored in favor of sweeping shots of the world around the characters and ethereal voice overs that convey the thoughts, hopes and dreams of those we watch onscreen. Mr. O'Brien and Mrs. O'Brien offer contrasting lifestyles to their three children: the way of force and the way of grace. The patron O'Brien knows what little this life gives, it has to be hard-earned, or taken. Regret has colored Mr. O'Brien's life by his passions that have languished and he needs to make that impact felt for his three sons. Life is not to be frivolously spent and Brad Pitt&#