STRAW DOGS (2011)

Straw Dogs stars James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard, Laz Alonso and James Woods. Directed by Rod Lurie. Rated R with a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remake of the 1971 film of the same name.

Plot: David and Amy Sumner (James Marsden and Kate Bosworth), a Hollywood screenwriter and his actress wife, return to her small hometown in the deep South to prepare the family home for sale after her father's death. Once there, tensions build in their marriage and old conflicts re-emerge with the locals, including Amy's ex-boyfriend Charlie (Alexander Skarsgård), leading to a violent confrontation.

I'd never seen the original Straw Dogs so I didn't really know much about the movie going in to it. For what it is, Straw Dogs is an ok thriller with some good acting and a pretty good climactic ending. James Marsden is very solid here as a man who is eventually driven to a breaking point of violence to fight for his home and wife. You feel for the guy and you're rooting for him after you see what these southern rednecks do to provoke him. Marsden's David sticks out like a sore thumb in the South and the townies are always giving him a hard time, while oogling his wife. Skarsgard is also pretty good as Charlie who seems like a friendly, kind construction worker, but he has other motives as he used to be Amy's boyfriend. I gotta say that Marsden was pretty badass in the climactic confrontation and was calm and cool and knew what to do. James Marsden....the next action star?? Kate Bosworth was alright and she is definitely attractive.

Some things I really didn't like about the movie was a subplot that involved James Woods. He plays a former high school football coach who is now the town drunk. He really hams it up here and was extremely annoying when on-screen. This subplot also involves a mentally handicapped man who previously harassed a young girl in town. Released from prison the whole town is always watching him and keeping him away from teenaged girls. If you are thinking that this plot doesn't sound like it has anything to do with the main plot then you are pretty much right. They do find a way to connect the two but it came off as lazy and just not done very well.

Straw Dogs is a decently made thriller that is pretty entertaining but that subplot is very distracting and feels as if it is from some other movie. James Marsden though gives a strong performance and he is the primary reason to see this film. Plus he is involved in the best scene that involves a bear trap. Yeah I bet you can guess where that is heading.

B-

WARRIOR

Warrior stars Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Jennifer Morrison. Directed by Gavin O'Connor. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 2 hours and 19 minutes.

Plot: Haunted by a tragic past, Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for Sparta, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. But when Brendan's unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart, facing off in the most soaring, soul stirring, and unforgettable climax that must be seen to be believed.

Wow Warrior is a fresh breath of air in the sports drama category. Of course it's got some awesome fighting scenes but the acting is the part that really stood out for me. All the intense drama and seeing it unfold in the ring near the end was just plain awesome as a movie lover. Tom Hardy is probably one of the strongest actors working right now and his part as Tommy should earn him an Oscar Nomination. He's so intense and I really can't wait to see him join Christopher Nolan's Batman finale as Bane. Joel Edgerton does fine work but the other two actors stood out to me more.

Nick Nolte (who also deserves an Oscar Nod) gives a heartbreaking performance as a former alcoholic trying to reconnect with his sons, who want nothing to do with him. He takes their emotional abuse because he knows he deserves it. He was the reason his family split up and 14 years ago Tommy (Hardy) went with their mother and Brendan (Edgerton) stayed behind with their dad. Both were great wrestlers but dad, Paddy (Nolte) seemed to always take an interest in Tommy. So when Tommy returns 14 years later he wants his dad to train him for the big Sparta tournament but thats all he wants from him. Inevitably the two brothers will face off in the ring and I promise you that that moment is amazing. The beauty of this film is that you are rooting for both brothers and you want both of them to win, but obviously that can't happen.

Warrior has all the head-splitting, bone-crushing action you could want from a movie about MMA, but it is also great drama and you feel for each and every character. The ending is so unpredictable and you never know what's going to happen and that's another thing I loved about this movie. Great acting, great sports action. I'm going to predict that Warrior will probably be my favorite movie of the year and it is definitely one of the best movies of the year.

A

OUR IDIOT BROTHER

Our Idiot Brother stars Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Rashida Jones, Steve Coogan and Adam Scott. Directed by Jesse Peretz. Rated R with a running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Plot: Ned (Paul Rudd), is an erstwhile organic farmer whose willingness to rely on the honesty of mankind is a less-than-optimum strategy for a tidy, trouble-free existence. After being released from jail for selling pot to a uniformed police officer, Ned's girlfriend kicks him off of his farm and he is forced to live with his three sisters (Mortimer, Banks, Deschanel) visiting one after the other after they each eventually kick him out for meddling in their lives. But as each of their lives begins to unravel, Ned's family comes to realize that maybe, in believing and trusting the people around him, Ned isn't such an idiot after all.

The cast in this film was very promising since it is full of some of the best comedic talent working today. Paul Rudd would either make or break the movie since the whole movie is basically about him and his relationships with his sisters. Rudd does a good job in the movie and delivers the laughs as needed, he definitely made the movie. But unfortunately he is not enough to make this movie a top comedy of the year, instead it's just a mediocre comedy.

I found the sister characters to be very uninteresting as they were all portrayed as neurotic women with men problems. It's nothing against the actresses (Mortimer, Banks, Deschanel) but the script made these characters annoying and it made me not want to sympathize with them. They were all actually quite mean to Ned so that didn't help with the audience caring for them. Another problem I had with the film was that it ended rather abruptly and I was left feeling like the story wasn't finished. It should have showed more scenes with Ned and his sisters after all the crazy debacles they encountered.

Two actors who did great work in this film were Paul Rudd and T.J. Miller. Miller is a rising comic actor and has been in films such as She's Out of My League and a small part in Get Him to the Greek. He has a rather small role in this movie too but he doesn't waste a second when he is on screen and is hilarious throughout as the guy who moves in to the farm with Ned's girlfriend. Rudd plays Ned in the unique way in that yes he does make idiotic choices but he is an all around nice guy so the audience can relate to him. Paul Rudd and T.J. Miller deliver the laughs in Our Idiot Brother but they aren't quite enough to make this comedy stand out in what has been the summer of R rated comedies.

B-

FRIGHT NIGHT (2011)

Fright Night stars Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, David Tennant, Imogen Poots and Toni Collette. Directed by Craig Gillespie. Rated R with a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes.

Plot: Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he's running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he's so cool he's even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there's something not quite right, but everyone, including Charlie's mom (Toni Collette), doesn't notice. After observing some very strange activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself.

Fright Night is kind of like Disturbia but with more blood and the obvious vampire twist. As for the vampire himself, Colin Farrell is excellent as the lean mean blood-sucking machine. He's a good villain and it's fun to see a vampire actually being a vampire unlike those love-sick, vegetarian ones from Twilight. Farrell is taking some career risks by doing a mainstream comedy earlier this summer in Horrible Bosses and is now playing a vampire. I think it's working for him as he is strong in both movies. The rest of the cast including Yelchin, Poots, Mintz-Plasse, and Collette were fine but nothing that really stood out. Though David Tennant provides some funny moments as a vampire "expert" whom Charlie seeks help from.

Fright Night has a good cast and some great visuals but some of the story points irritated me. At the beginning of the film entire families are disappearing (due to being Jerry the vampire's dinner) and the whole town doesn't seem to notice or care. I know I'm just supposed to watch and not worry about that, but it stood out to me and pretty much distracted me. Also when Jerry decides to blow up the Brewster's house none of the neighbors seem to notice that the house just exploded....or they just don't care. I don't know maybe I'm just nit picking but those things stood out to me and bothered me.

Unfortunately I was forced to see Fright Night in 3D and while it was useful in a handful of scenes, it still could have gone without the 3D. Fright Night is entertaining most of the time and uses it's Las Vegas setting to it's full potential, but some glaring plot holes stood out to me and took away from the good of the movie. It is mindless entertainment and if you want to just relax and sit back for a couple of hours, then Fright Night will suffice that need.

B-

30 MINUTES OR LESS

30 Minutes or Less stars Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson and Michael Pena. Directed by Ruben Fleisher. Rated R with a running time of 1 hour and 23 minutes.

Plot: Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The volatile duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With mere hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.

When you have a zany action comedy movie like this the only way it can succeed is to have the right cast to bring these characters to life. 30 Minutes or Less does this and that is why it is easily the funniest movie I have seen this year. Eisenberg and Ansari have great chemistry and their fire rapid delivering of dialogue is hilarious. McBride and Swardson are also very funny as the criminal "masterminds" of the movie. There is really a 2 part buddy comedy movie as it follows Eisenberg and Ansari and then McBride and Swardson. If you like any of these guy's previous work like Eisenberg's Zombieland, Ansari's Parks and Recreation or even McBride's Eastbound and Down on HBO, then you will enjoy their performances in this one.

There really isn't a lot I can say about this movie other than it is hilarious. It's a fast-paced, gut busting, action comedy with a zany twist. Yeah thats how I would describe 30 Minutes or Less. It's actually a little too short and left me wanting more, which is a good thing. Ruben Fleisher also directed Zombieland so he really knows how to do comedy and I'm interested to see what he does next.

B+

COWBOYS & ALIENS

Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell. Directed by Jon Favreau. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 1 hour and 58 minutes.

Plot: 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Cowboys & Aliens is certainly an intriguing idea and I do believe that the filmmakers tried their best to make a good movie but sadly a good movie this is not. It's definitely one of the biggest disappointments of the summer, right up there with Green Lantern. There's definitely a great cast here with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford but it's just the story that is dull and boring. It starts off with the typical western movie cliches, a stranger comes to a new town and clashes with the locals. Then the aliens arrive and abduct some of the townspeople and the rest of the movie deals with the rescue of those people.

I found the story to be very unoriginal and quite lazy. Which is disappointing with all the talented people working on the film. The action scenes were loud and boring and simply not special. The aliens were also unoriginal since they are variations of all the other aliens we have seen in countless movies. I also think that Cowboys & Aliens was hurt by being another alien movie in a summer filled with them. Earlier this year we had Battle LA, Super 8 and Green Lantern, and they all had enough aliens for moviegoers this year. Cowboys & Aliens was simply just another alien invasion movie but added nothing new to the genre except, obviously, the setting.

Favreau fans will definitely hate me for saying this but I still don't think he is a very good action director. Yes I know he directed the 2 Iron Man movies but to me they didn't have very special action climaxes. They weren't bad but I just don't think they were very good either. I found this to be the case with Cowboys & Aliens too. The movie was an intriguing idea but the story was very average and it just ended up being another alien invasion movie, and not a very good or interesting one. I don't think we will be seeing anymore cowboy and alien movies anytime soon.

C+

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

Captain America: The First Avenger stars Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones and yes there is a cameo by Samuel L. Jackson (aka Nick Fury)! Directed by Joe Johnston. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 2 hours and 5 minutes. Based on the Marvel comic book character.

Plot: Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.)

Marvel has done it again! They took another one of their superhero characters and made another good movie. Captain America has a great cast and is pure summer fun. It also has a retro vibe since it takes place during WWII and the it looks great. Chris Evans is very good as Steve Rogers/Captain America. He surprised me because he actually brings some depth to the character and you feel for the guy. You understand that he is a good guy and just wants to fight for his country, but his sickly body keeps holding him back. This movie brings us back to the old days where good guys are good and bad guys are bad.

I was a little worried when I first heard Chris Evans would be playing Captain America. I didn't know if he could pull it off and plus he already played a superhero in the Fantastic Four movies! But not to worry folks, Evans can actually act and he is solid as Cap. I also have to point out that the special effects that transformed Chris Evans into the 90 pound weakling that is Steve Rogers were excellent. I heard that they digitally erased parts of Evans to make him look like that. It was very believable and didn't distract me once.

The rest of the cast was also solid. Hugo Weaving plays Johann Schmidt/Red Skull who is the villain in the flick. He is the leader of HYDRA which is the deep science division of the Nazis. Weaving is good here but Red Skull is your average villain, he just wants to take over the world. Hayley Atwell is Peggy Carter who is a British liaison to the U.S. army and love interest to Captain America. The love story does seem a little forced but at least Atwell gets to run around and shoot guns instead of just being there to be saved by Capt. America, like we have seen in countless superhero movies. Tommy Lee Jones is absolutely perfect as Colonel Phillips who is the commanding officer of the super soldier program that Steve becomes a part of. Jones is the main source of humor in the film and he does this part so well that he could do it in his sleep. Stanley Tucci plays a german scientist who created the super soldier serum that transforms Steve into Captain America. Tucci is kind of a mentor to Steve and is the first to believe in him and campaigns for him to be chosen for the super soldier program. Sebastian Stan plays Bucky who is Steve's best friend. He looked out for him when he was a little weakling but the roles become reversed when Steve becomes Captain America.

Now lets get to the Marvel Cinematic Universes. So far in chronological order, Steve Rogers is the first superhero to be established hence The First Avenger in the title. In this movie we are introduced to Tony Stark/Iron Man's father Howard Stark. He is the weapons manufacturer for the U.S. army during WWII and also had a hand in transforming Steve into Captain America. Howard Stark is played by Dominic Cooper and he does a fine job. You see a little bit of Robert Downey Jr. in him and so he's very believable as Tony Stark's father. As we all know, whether you have read the comics or not, that Captain America will be a part of the upcoming Avenger movie that will continue the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since that movie will take place in the present day along with Iron Man, the Hulk and Thor, one might ask how Captain America is in it since he was around his mid-twenties during WWII. Well don't worry it is explained in this movie and is pretty epic to say the least. I won't spoil it for you but it is exciting because Capt. America will be in the present day and will feel all alone because everyone he once knew is probably dead. It will be interesting to see Evans' depth of emotion because it already has been said that The Avengers will deal with this aspect of Captain America. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury near the end of the film. His part in this movie is to presumably recruit Capt. America into The Avengers.

Marvel is doing exciting things with their comic book characters and I simply can't wait for The Avengers! They are on a roll right now that started with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and now Captain America. That roll will definitely continue with The Avengers. They obviously care about their characters and they get good directors and actors who understand their vision and can translate it onto the big screen. Captain America is the latest of this trend and it is worthy to be with all the previous Marvel movies. Though this one is unique as it contains a retro vibe since it takes place in the 1940's. It's pretty cool to see a superhero that takes place during this time period. With a solid cast and great visuals, Captain America is good fun and is the last piece of the puzzle before The Avengers. May 4th, 2012 can't come soon enough!

B+

HORRIBLE BOSSES

Horrible Bosses stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. Directed by Seth Gordon. Rated R with a running time 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Plot: Three friends (Bateman, Day and Sudeikis) have..you guessed it horrible bosses! They decide that the only way to save their miserable lives is to kill each others bosses. They even go as far as to hire a "hit man" played by Jamie Foxx. Of course chaos ensues as these guys discover that there initial plan isn't as full proof as they thought.

I am very pleased to say that Horrible Bosses is the funniest movie of 2011 so far. With disappointing comedies like The Hangover Part II and Bad Teacher, I was worried that Horrible Bosses would also fall into that category. Thankfully though it did not and it definitely has to do with the perfect casting. Jason Bateman is the normal friend of the group and reacts to all of the crazy antics around him. Charlie Day was very funny as the neurotic dental assistant who is always getting the trio into trouble. The running gag that his character is a registered sex offender was hilarious. Sudeikis is the womanizer of the group and gets some great one liners like " I wouldn't mind bending her over a barrel and showing her the 50 states".

The horrible bosses themselves were also very good. Kevin Spacey was as dickish as ever and was definitely the worst boss of them all. Jennifer Aniston put herself out there and played a character no one has seen her play before: A sex-crazed dentist who won't let Dale (Day) out of her sight. She was actually funny (I never thought she was funny before this) and was a lot more crude for a change. Colin Farrell was also very funny as a coke snorting, karate loving asshole. I would of liked to have seen more of his character because he actually isn't in the movie that much. Jamie Foxx is also hilarious playing Motherf**ker Jones who gives murder advice to the three main guys. His name alone is good for a few laughs.

Overall the cast was excellent and everyone gets time to show off their comedic chops, especially Charlie Day who gives a breakthrough performance in my opinion. Horrible Bosses is a little darker than most comedies but it never takes itself seriously. This movie takes a relatable concept and obviously goes further than normal people would but it's filled with plenty of laughs and has an excellent cast. Horrible Bosses is a delightful surprise and is definitely worth checking out.

B+

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

Transformers: Dark of the Moon stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Patrick Dempsey, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, John Turturro, Alan Tudyk and Ken Jeong. Directed by Michael Bay. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Plot: When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.

I have actually been a fan of the previous Transformer movies. The first one was a solid action flick and was a lot of fun. Sure the second one is definitely worse but it still had some cool action scenes, plus don't we go to these movies to see giant robots kicking each other's asses? I'm pleased to say that Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the best of the franchise. Not only does it have great action scenes with the Autobots and Decepticons battling each other, but it also has somewhat of a story, some funny new cast members like John Malkovich and Ken Jeong. I also believe that Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the first movie to fully utilize 3D technology since Avatar.

The story begins with humans actually making contact with the Transformers in the early 1960's when an Autobot ship crashes on the moon. This event is what actually started the space race between the U.S. and the Soviets. This backstory is actually kind of interesting and it gives the viewers relief that Bay and the producers actually thought up a story unlike what they did with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It is also revealed that humans are actually working with the Decepticon's so that when they take over the world they will be spared. While this is all going on we catch up with LaBeouf's Sam Whitwickey who is a recent college graduate who is looking for a job. After saving the world twice Sam just wants to matter again. But this is a Michael Bay film so this is pretty much as far as the story goes. So this obviously leads to Sam and another one of his hot girlfriends (Huntington-Whiteley) teaming up with Optimus Prime and the Autobots to foil the latest evil plot of the Decepticons amid destruction in Chicago. LaBeouf is doing his usual schtick here screaming and running away from evil robots. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley definitely cannot act but hey at least she looks good, right? I can hear Michael Bay pitching that to the studio. Once again Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson show up in meaningless roles that add nothing to the film. John Turturro shows up again as some former government agent. Turturro definitely did not need to be in the film again and I believe he is meant to be funny but isn't, at all.

Some new additions to the cast that worked for me were John Malkovich, Ken Jeong and Patrick Dempsey. Who would have thought that they would all be in a movie together. Malkovich plays Sam Whitwickey's boss. He brings some zany humor to the film that balances with the action quite well. Ken Jeong also brings some humor to the movie and once again it works well for the film. After seeing the bad Hangover: Part ll, I grew tired of Ken Jeong's schtick but luckily he makes this role work and he is only in the movie for about 5 minutes. Patrick Dempsey makes a good villain as one of the humans working with the Decepticons. I was surprised by Dempsey and he is one of the few people who actually can act in the movie.

As for the Transformers, Peter Cullen who voices Optimus Prime does great voice work. His voice is epic, commanding and heroic, as is Optimus Prime. Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek fame also does some good voice work as Sentinel Prime who was the leader of the Autobot's before Optimus. Let's just say that Sentinel may have other motives. Hugo Weaving is back as Megatron and does fine as well, though Megatron has a smaller role this time. Seeing the Transformers battle each other in 3D was amazing. Finally here is a movie that utilizes the 3D technology. The 3D was not an afterthought like most 3D movies these days. There is one scene where military men are soaring through the skies of Chicago amid the huge epic battle. Those scenes are visually astonishing. I saw this movie in IMAX 3D and I urge you to do the same because it is worth every penny.

Look, this is a Transformers movie and like I said most people (including me) go to see these movies for the giant robots kicking each others asses. In my opinion these movies are fun action spectacles that keep me entertained throughout. Is there great acting in these movies? No not at all. There was also probably about 20 minutes of the movie that could have been cut without affecting the plot. These flaws aside, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a visually stunning action romp that will keep you entertained throughout.

B+

GREEN LANTERN

Green Lantern stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison and Angela Bassett. Directed by Martin Campbell. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Studio: Warner Bros. Based on the DC comic book character.

Plot: In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity.

Warner Brothers is risking a lot on Green Lantern. It's the first movie of the DC comic book superhero's besides Batman and Superman. Green Lantern is a tougher sell too because he is definitely not as well known as Batman or Superman. So WB goes out and spends 200 million dollars making the movie and that price is without marketing costs. The result is mixed at best but I have to say I did enjoy Green Lantern and it is pretty much my guilty pleasure of the summer.

Let's start with the Green Lantern himself Ryan Reynolds. Going into the movie I believed he would be great for the part. For the most part I was right but there were still a few flaws. The character of Hal Jordan was definitely not fully developed. He starts out as a cocky guy who you don't really care for at all. Then of course, he gets superpowers and starts to care for other people. The thing that gets me is that when Hal goes to the planet Oa and meets the other Lantern members, he doesn't seem the slightest bit freaked out that he is on a distant planet conversing with aliens. I mean I guess Reynolds did fine with what he was given but the writers could have worked on the character of Hal Jordan a lot more. There is also the part of the movie where Hal deals with his own fear because the members of the Green Lantern Corp. are supposed to be fearless.

Hal's fear comes from witnessing his own hot shot fighter pilot dad being blown to pieces right in front of him as a child. While this element of the film is cheesy, it worked for me and I believe that is where Ryan Reynolds brought some emotion to the character. Overall Reynolds was good, but if is character was written better, then he would have been better. I do believe Reynolds is a good actor ever since seeing Buried, in which he really showed off his acting chops. The rest of the cast was hit and miss. Blake Lively was pretty useless as Carol Ferris and love interest to Hal Jordan. She wasn't horrible but not very good either. Again I believe it had to do with the script because her character was not interesting. So any scenes between her and Hal slow down the pace of the movie. Mark Strong was good as Sinestro, who is a mentor to Hal and helps him learn about his powers on the planet Oa. Oa is basically the home planet to all of the Green Lantern Corp. members.

Peter Sarsgaard plays a scientist who gains telekinetic powers after being infected by a dead alien. He is definitely a villain but unfortunately not a good one. I'm sorry but the character looked absolutely ridiculous since he looked exactly like the Elephant Man with his giant disfigured head. He just isn't a very convincing villain and doesn't come off as very threatening. Sarsgaard did fine but again the script screws up another character. Luckily there is another villain called Parallax (where they came up with that name I have no idea). Parallax is basically a giant brown cloud that devours planets. I know it sounds stupid but the scenes with Parallax look great and they provide some really cool action scenes including the climax of the movie.

The story was pretty good though and it did entertain me throughout. I have to say that the special effects were very solid and looked good throughout the film. Since Hal Jordan's powers are limitless, the special effects are put to good use and are very creative. For your information the power of the Green Lantern's come from their rings and the skin like material that covers their entire body. Their rings and body suit harness energy that comes from their will power. Anything they think up in their head becomes a reality in the from of green energy. I know it sounds kind of lame but the way it translates on screen is pretty cool and once again looked pretty badass. Here are just some of the things Hal conjures up in the many action scenes: swords, machine guns, a giant fist, and a cannon to battle the evil Parallax. I also have to say that Green Lantern actually worked in 3D. The images came out clear and the action scenes looked good.

Green Lantern is by no means a great film and nowhere near the top 10 superhero movies, but for what it is I enjoyed it. It is light summer fun and definitely isn't meant to have the tone of superhero movies like The Dark Knight. Ryan Reynolds does decent work as Hal, Mark Strong is good as Sinestro and the film has cool action sequences. If there is a sequel to this movie (by no means is it for sure though since the film did garner bad reviews and had a so-so opening weekend) I have faith that it can get better. They just need to hire GOOD screenwriters, work hard on the script and develop the characters. If Warner Bros. and DC can do that and keep the cool stylish action, there can be a Green Lantern franchise.

B

SUPER 8

Super 8 stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Riley Griffiths, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Ryan Lee and Zack Mills. Directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Mr. Steven Spielberg. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 1 hour and 52 minutes.

Plot: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Super 8 is directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. So it can't be bad right? Don't worry it isn't bad and could very well be one of the best movies of the summer....and year. J.J. Abrams already had a promising directing career since he directed the third Mission Impossible movie and the fantastic Star Trek reboot. Super 8 is pretty much the icing on the cake for his career and is clearly his most ambitious film to date. The film had humor, drama and some great action scenes. To me you can't get a better summer movie than Super 8. Since the film revolved around a group of kids who liked to make movies, I could very easily see Abrams being one of these kids and it makes me wonder that some of the events in the movie were based on his own childhood, except the parts about the alien monster of course.

The cast Abrams rounded up for this film is simply phenomenal. I was very impressed by most of the young actors because for many of them Super 8 was their first acting gig ever! Joel Courtney was very good as Joe Lamb. He recently lost his mother in a work related accident and is left in care with his dad Jack who is played by Kyle Chandler. While Jack is a great deputy he is very distant with his son and doesn't really have the slightest idea on how to be a father. Joe is helping his best friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) finish up a low budget zombie film for a local film festival. Griffiths was very good as well as the demanding, bossy friend who has a passion for directing movies. Elle Fanning, who is a revelation in this movie, plays Alice who is Joe's school crush and they begin to bond while making the movie. That very same bond though is tested by both of their fathers. Alice's father may of had something to do with Joe's mother's death and his dad wants him to have nothing to do with Alice and her father.

One night while shooting at a nearby train station the kids witness a horrific train crash that may or may not have been an accident. The train crash scene was simply amazing and it is one of the best action scenes I have seen in some time. And of course as seen in the trailers something is released from the wreckage of the train. To me the brilliance of this movie is that it doesn't really focus on the alien. The movie is about these kids and what they are going through in their lives. The alien is simply a backdrop to the story and yet is still involved in the plot in a very cool way. The rest of the movie deals with the kids discovering the alien and finding out what it wants and why it is here. That's all I will say about the story since I don't want to give too much away. Trust me it will be very worth your while. This movie is obviously inspired by classic movies like E.T., The Goonies, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and even Cloverfield. While having elements from all of those movies, Super 8 is still it's own movie and a decent one at that.

I did have a few problems with Super 8 though. Kyle Chandler who plays Joe's father is simply not involved in the final act enough. Especially since he is a cop in the town. I feel like his character was cheated. That being said I'm glad to see Chandler in a big movie for once since he does great work on the T.V. show Friday Night Lights. I also think the final confrontation between Joe's father and Alice's father was a little cheesy. It also seemed that the monster was dealt with rather easily near the end and if you see the movie I think you will know what I am talking about.

Problems aside Super 8 is as good as summer movies can get. It had adventure, humor, action, drama and a nostalgia factor that reminds you of older Spielberg movies like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. That's the beauty of Super 8 because it reminds you of those classic films but still has it's own story to tell. At it's a pretty damn good story too.

B+

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

X-Men First Class stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult and Lucas Till. Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Plot: Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

The X-Men movie franchise was getting a little stale especially with the redundant Wolverine movie. But thank you movie gods for giving Matthew Vaughn the chance to reinvent the franchise with a burst of creative energy that is X-Men: First Class. The entire cast was very impressive and I think everyone did a good job. James McAvoy is a perfect younger Charles Xavier. He plays him with this womanizing swagger but also with the wise persona that Patrick Stewart had in the original X-Men trilogy. Michael Fassbender is a revelation as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto. Since Magneto is a Holocaust survivor and endured some horrible incidents, who ever portrays him has to make us empathize for him. Fassbender does just that and more. You feel for Magneto and you also understand why he is doing what he does. It was pretty cool seeing Magneto traveling the world hell bent on revenge on the people responsible for his mothers death. Fassbender played him with this James Bond-esque style (watch out Daniel Craig!) as he was slick and instead of having cool gadgets, he uses his magnetic powers.

Kevin Bacon was a pretty good villain. He was mean, lean and determined on starting World War 3. The only thing I didn't like about his character was that his mutant power was kind of lame as he could absorb energy (does't sound to bad guyish). His sidekick is Emma Frost (played by January Jones). She has the power to turn her body into crystallized armor and is also a telepath. Let's just say Jones isn't the greatest actress in the world but hey she looked good in those outfits! Jennifer Lawrence portrays a younger Mystique and she brings some very human characteristics to the shapeshifting mutant. She is self conscious about her appearance and rightfully so since her normal body is a blue almost alien looking thing. Lawrence brings the problems of any teenaged girl to a young Mystique and does it very convincingly. Nicholas Hoult was also pretty good as a young Hank McCoy/ Beast. He also has some self conscious issues about his appearance and you see him and Mystique form a bond which is eventually broken by Magneto. At first I didn't really get what Beast's power was but once he underwent his furry blue transformation it was pretty clear and pretty badass. Overall this is a very good ensemble cast. There is also a very brief appearance by a certain clawed fellow which makes the film even better.

I have to give some major props to director Matthew Vaughn. He took a dying franchise and re invented it in a very good way. Another amazing feat was that he basically had only a year to put the whole film together and I found that to be very impressive. He obviously has a knack for comic book films since he directed last years Kick-Ass which was also a good movie. I am also grateful that the studio didn't make the movie in 3D. The story Vaughn cooked up for this one was excellent. Seeing how Charles Xavier and Magneto first met was an interesting story point that the original X-Men movies seemed to ignore. Starting out as allies to bring together mutants to save the world sounds textbook at best, but these actors bring the story to life and most of the time it is compelling and heartbreaking to see these two friends eventually turn against each other because of their differences. It was also pretty epic to see the young mutants take sides once Charles and Magnetos differences were out in the open. You also get to see how Professor X winds up in that wheel chair. That aspect of the movie was handled very well.

The special effects were some of the best I have seen in a long time. Especially the grand finale when you see the mutants working as a team using all of their powers, that scene was just awesome. This movie answers a lot of questions that the original X-men movies ignored. How did Professor X end up in a wheel chair? Whats the purpose of Magneto's helmet? These are just a few of the questions that are answered very well in the movie.

X-Men: First Class is smart, sexy, funny, big and simply just epic. Even if you are not a fan of the X-Men comics (me) I urge you to see this movie, its that good! I really hope they make a sequel because they have a lot of storys to choose from and a lot of mutants to use. I am confident that if Matthew Vaughn returns to direct, the primary cast returns and they throw in a few new mutants, the sequel will be just as good or even better. This is by far the best X-Men movie in my opinion.

A-

THE HANGOVER PART II

The Hangover Part II stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong and Justin Bartha. Directed by Todd Phillips. Rated R with a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes.

Plot: Well the wolfpack is back and this time they are in Bangkok, Thailand. This time Stu is getting married and wants nothing to do with another bachelor party. Inevitably though the gang wakes up in a grungy motel with no memory of the past nights events. This time they have lost Stu's fiance's little brother. Sounds familiar huh?

Like many people I am a huge fan of the first Hangover film. Im sad to say that I was very disappointed with this lazy rehash of a sequel. I call it lazy because it is essentially a shot for shot remake in a different location with a few new characters. Though it takes everything from the original Hangover, this is not what makes the film disappointing since the thought of having more of the same shenanigans was fine because The Hangover was a very funny film. Theres just one problem with The Hangover Part II, its not nearly as funny as the first film. Sure theres a few laughs here and there but the formula that worked for The Hangover feels very stale in the sequel.

Heres the formula: instead of Doug (Bartha) getting married, its Stu (Helms) tying the knot this time. This time they lose the brides little brother instead of losing Doug as in the first film. Ken Jeong returns as the gay, racist, "gangster" Chow. His act was getting tiring and unfunny in the first film and having a larger role in this one didn't do any good for the film. Instead of stealing a tiger, this time the guys steal a chain smoking monkey during their night of drunken debauchery. While the formula that worked for the first Hangover is here, the laughs that came with it are mostly absent. It is basically all of the same jokes as in the first one but the execution is just pure lazy and you can sense that a lot of the cast returned for the pay check. Paul Giamatti shows up for about 10 minutes as a crime boss and is also completely wasted in the role.

The Hangover Part II isn't all bad. I do think that the three main guys Helms, Cooper, Galifianakis have good chemistry and they play off of each other well. I do feel bad for Justin Bartha as Doug. He's in the movie for about 10 minutes and is wasted in the role. As in the first Hangover, Galifianakis gets most of the laughs as the lovable goon Alan. Walking into a monk monastery Alan asks "Is this a PF Changs or something?". There is also a funny scene in a strip club with some transgender strippers. I also did enjoy the pictures during the credits as they capture all of the wild happenings of the crazy night.

Overall I am saddened to say that The Hangover Part II is the biggest disappointment of the summer so far. Going in to it I knew it could not be as good as the first one but I had no idea it would go this low. It's essentially the same movie as the first Hangover but without many of the laughs.

C-

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Claflin, and Astrid Berges-Frisbey. Directed by Rob Marshall. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 2 hours and 17 minutes. In case you lost count this is indeed the fourth installment in the franchise.

Plot: When Jack Sparrow crosses paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he's not sure if it's love or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.

Yep thats right folks here is another Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Shocker huh? Yeah no not really, especially with the popular Johnny Depp back in his most beloved role, Captain Jack Sparrow. In Pirates 1 (sorry I don't feel like typing out the long subtitles of each movie) Depp created a true character that really came to life and whom everyone adores. He was very good and just created this persona that skyrocketed to the top of pop culture. Over the next two sequels Depp is pretty much doing the same thing over and over, which wasn't bad because he was a joy to watch and really brought the character to life. You really feel like you are a watching a drunken pirate from the 18th century. So I hate to say it but this fourth time seeing this character made Depp's schtick pretty old. Jack Sparrow was a joy to watch in the earlier films ( 1 and 2, but not 3 because that movie was complete crap) but the fourth time isn't a charm and thanks to Disney, it's pretty tiring.

As for the rest of the movie, it is certainly not as bad as the third installment but I was still disappointed. Look I wanted to see this movie for some cool sword fights and some big high seas action. But to my horror out of the 2 hours and 17 minutes of the film I'd say there was about 35 minutes of action. So that leaves 1 hour and 42 minutes of the Jack Sparrow schtick and a lot of pirate banter. Im just confused as to how people can call this an action movie. Throughout the movie I found myself bored because there was way to much talking and not enough action. Though I did find the mermaid scenes entertaining and exciting.

The plot is pretty silly and basically is a bunch of pirates trekking the seas looking for the fountain of youth. Throw in some decent action scenes and way to much pirates standing around talking and you get an uneven, unsatisfying "action" adventure movie. I thought that Ian McShane (who plays the main bad guy) was not the slightest bit scary or threatening. Definitely nowhere near the first films villain Capt. Barbossa. Speaking of him Geoffrey Rush is back as Barbossa but in a very limited role. It's to bad too because he is a very fine actor and he plays Barbossa as kind of a menacing, sarcastic pirate who plays off of Jack Sparrow nicely. Penelope Cruz is new to the franchise and adds absolutely nothing except for some cleavage (not complaining there).

Unfortunately there will probably be a fifth pirates movie in the near future. You can definitely count me out on that one. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has definitely been milked dry by DIsney. Pirates 1 and 2 were pretty good movies and very entertaining. The third movie was complete crap due to a bloated running time and way too many plot points. At least Pirates 4 was a little bit better but still disappointing. Teenage girls everywhere will probably want to kill me after saying this but Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is pretty much a bore now and its almost as if his performance in this one was phoned in. Thanks to Disney for beating another franchise into the ground.

C-

THOR

Thor stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings and Clark Gregg. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 1 hour and 54 minutes. Directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Plot: Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior, is sent down to Earth as punishment for reigniting a reckless war. But after a dangerous villain from his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth, the hammer-wielding Thor will learn what it takes to be a true hero in order to save mankind.

Everyone knew that Thor would be Marvel Studios' toughest sell because of the fantasy aspects that may put off the average movie goer. While that may be the case I do think that this movie will please fans of the comic. Chris Hemsworth is perfect as Thor and he completely owns the role. He is funny, dramatic and arrogant (in a good way) when the story calls for it. I can't see anyone else playing this role and it will be fun to see him play Thor again in The Avengers.

Natalie Portman stars as Jane Foster who is Thor's love interest. She is cute and a little quirky and she does a fine job. Anthony Hopkins plays Thor's dad, Odin, who is also king of Asgard. He is cast perfectly as he says each line with a thunderous roar. Tom Hiddleston plays Loki who is Thor's brother and also the movies main villain. Hiddlestion does fine with what he is given but I found the character a weak villain as he was not very menacing and looked ridiculous with his horn topped crown. Kat Dennings plays Natalie Portman's co-worker and is in the movie strictly for comic relief which actually worked very well. Clark Gregg reprises his role from the Iron Man movies as agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. This is for the sole purpose to weave all of the story lines together for the upcoming Avengers movie. Jeremy Renner also makes a pretty cool cameo as Hawkeye which he will also reprise in The Avengers. Overall the cast is very good and brings some real emotion to their characters.

The film's main problem is the fantasy aspects. They will most likely be off putting to mainstream audiences and at times it was a little off putting to me too. From the silly costumes to the even sillier Frost Giants which are the race of creatures that are the enemies of the Asgardians. They are basically giant blue creatures that freeze people. While these parts are silly, all of the scenes that take place on Asgard look great and the production design is top notch. I also think that the 3D does nothing to add to the experience and you are better off seeing the movie in 2D.

Another problem I had with the movie were some of the weak action scenes. The beginning battle scene that takes place on the home planet of the Frost Giants is one of these scenes. While it had an epic feel it was hard to see what was going on and the editing was a little too choppy. The climax of the movie was a little too anti-climactic and they could have raised the stakes a little more. But it took place on a rainbow bridge in outer space so at least it looked cool. Though the scenes with the destroyer on Earth were pretty good.

While Thor is no Iron Man, it is still a fun fantasy action filled superhero movie and it will please fans of the comic. It's just that the fantasy aspects and Kenneth Branagh's inexperience with action is what ultimately hurts the movie. Chris Hemsworth is a revelation and should definitely become a star after this movie. Thor is lighthearted fun and is another step closer to the superhero team up movie, The Avengers, which has comic book fans drooling in excitement (including me).

B

SCREAM 4

Scream 4 stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere and Rory Culkin. Directed by Wes Craven. Rated R with a running time of 1 hr. and 43 mins. Studio: Weinstein/Dimension.

Plot: Neve Campbell's Sidney returns to her hometown of Woodsboro on a press tour for her new book. Of course once she arrives a new killer surfaces attacking the teenagers of the town. The new killer is especially interested in Sidney's cousin Jill (Roberts) and her friends. Sidney teams with her old friends Dewey and Gale (Arquette and Cox) to find out who is the killer.

I was never a fan of the original Scream movies but for some reason I wanted to see this one because I thought if they are making a fourth movie 11 years later then they must have a great story. Well I was very wrong. There was absolutely no point for the movie. I guess the filmmaker's thought there was a point or they were just in need of a paycheck (Im guessing the latter).

The acting was okay although Arquette looked like he was on drugs or something. The biggest problem was the story. It felt rushed and sloppily put together. The entire movie was people getting stabbed in the same boring repetitive motion and not once was I on the edge of my seat. Though the opening sequences were quite funny and at least the Scream franchise knows how to make fun of it self. But unfortunately they can't make a good movie anymore. Once the big twist happens I was laughing out loud but not in a good way. I found the twist so unbelievable and at that moment all credibility flew out the window. I won't give it away for those who for some reason still wish to see the movie but it is very laughable.

Scream 4 was funny at times but it just had an awful laughable story line. I don't why the filmmaker's thought that this was a good idea especially since the last Scream movie came out 11 years ago. Heres to hoping that the studio does not crank out a Scream 5 that was planned. Luckily it most likely won't happen since Scream 4 bombed at the box office last weekend.

D+