Movie Preview - Maleficent

     With Walt Disney Pictures watching over the current units under their umbrella such as Marvel Studios, LucasFilm, Pixar, and Touchstone Pictures to name a few, we keep forgetting that they have they make their own movies as well. Recently, Walt Disney has decided to revisit their classic animated heroes and bringing them to life for a new generation. Most recently, audiences have seen a retelling of Alice in Wonderland and Oz: The Great and Powerful. 

     Today, we were introduced to the retelling of another classic fairy tale; not told from the side of good, but from the dark side.

Maleficent

     From the official Disney website, the synopsis for this film: "From Disney comes 'Maleficent' - the untold story of Disney's most iconic villian from the 1959 classic "Sleeping Beauty." A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal - an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom - and perhaps to Maleficent's true happiness as well." 

     Angelina Jolie plays the title role of the dark sorcerer in this remake of the animated classic, diving into her origins and what turned her to the dark side. From the synopsis, it makes me wonder if Maleficent will be seen as a heroine who was wronged and caused her fall into darkness, similar to how the Star Wars prequel trilogy did with Anakin Skywalker. Princess Aurora will be played by Elle Fanning (Super 8), Sharlto Copley (District 9) plays King Stefan. I will say that I am very interested in seeing this point of view in the retelling of this fairy tale. 

     Maleficent is scheduled to be released May 2014.

Now Streaming: Olympus, Alien Invaders, Spies, Pirates, and Sharks, Sharks, SHARKS!

     Netflix just keeps getting better and better. Who needs television besides watching sports? With recent news that they will be bringing some of Marvel's lesser known heroes to life on the small screen and the movies and TV shows that continue to be uploaded (I finally get to watch Dexter!), it's hard to keep track of what's good on the instant streaming website/app.

     So here are my top five recently uploaded movies on Netflix:

   
Olympus Has Fallen - Starring Aaron Eckhart, Gerard Butler, and Morgan Freeman, the film focuses on a disgraced Secret Service agent (Butler) who must come to the rescue when Korean terrorists descend on the White House and take the president (Eckhart) hostage.

The Host - Believe me, I'm not a fan of this novel adaptation. I refused to see it in theaters but this does count as a new movie on Netflix. Staring Saoirse Ronan and Diane Kruger, when an alien race implants a parasite soul named Wanderer into Melanie Stryder's (Ronan) body, she resists the takeover and the two become reluctant allies in this romantic science-fiction movie.

Skyfall - The twenty-third film in the James Bond film series shows our favorite spy at his absolute best in the Daniel Craig commanded spy film.When a serious menace threatens MI6, James Bond (Craig) is on the case -- putting aside his own life and personal issues to hunt and destroy the perpetrators.





Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl - This is the first film in Disney's successful franchise and highly recommended as the best of the Pirates films. Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush, this swashbuckling film focuses on a young man (Bloom) recruits pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow to help rescue a maiden (Knightley) from rival buccaneers, he finds he's up against supernatural forces.

   

Sharknado - I didn't know whether or not to add this in or not since it premiered on Syfy Channel but it's gained a cult following so I made an exception. This ridiculous film stars Tara Reid, and Ian Ziering. When a hurricane swamps Los Angeles, thousands of sharks are swept up in tornadoes and deposited all over the city, where they terrorize residents.

   





     Enjoy the movies!!!

Thor: The Dark World - The mighty avenger returns in a better but darker sequel

     I've talked about the rise and control the superhero genre has on Hollywood right now and no other studio has a tighter bear hug around Tinseltown than Marvel Studios. Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe released its second film last weekend and you all know I had to check it out.

     Thor: The Dark World is the second movie in the planned Thor trilogy and the eighth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film picks up a year after the events of The Avengers with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) trying to bring peace to the nine realms. When Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is put into danger, Thor brings her to Asgard and embarks on his most perilous and personal journey, teaming with his estranged brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to battle an ancient evil, led by the dark elf, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston).

     I thought this movie was better than the first Thor, even though it was not its finest out of the universe. While I wouldn't go flocking to it like I did with The Avengers, The Dark World does not seem to take itself seriously and a perfect blend of fantasy, romance, science fiction, and action.Thor's struggles come from his impending rise to the throne as king of Asgard and how ready he feels for that title. In the first film, the God of Thunder seemed overeager to take the throne but, as this character grows, Thor is not so sure that he is ready or wants to rule Asgard. That evolution is what makes Thor more of a likable character to me.His mind is still on Earth and his love for Jane Foster, even though he has responsibilities on Asgard and being observed by Sif (Jaimie Alexander) as more than a fellow warrior. 

     While it's hard to take an immortal being seem more human, Thor: The Dark World did a better job of it than Man of Steel. The Dark World was grounded by strong performances by Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and the chemistry between the two, but the movie was taken by Tom Hiddleston's anti-hero, Loki. While I like Thor, I found myself waiting for Loki to appear. Tom Hiddleston did a great job in commanding the God of Mischief as he looks for a purpose after his defeat during the events of The Avengers. The charisma between Hiddleston and Hemsworth made the movie more watchable as their characters' sibling rivalry took center stage once again while the world is being threatened. Nothing against Oscar-winner Natalie Portman but the Thor-Loki dynamic was more impressive to watch.

     Stunning special effects kept the action going, especially during the final battle between Thor and the villainous dark elf, Malekith, played wonderfully by Christopher Eccleston. The balance between the action, romance, and fantasy was great and not easy to do. Director Alan Taylor does lose his way a little while flashing between Asgard and the other realms along with Earth but did get everything together for the final battle. 

     This sequel seems to be following the current common theme of Phase Two of the MCU, giving audiences a darker tone to their heroes' adventures. As with all Marvel movies, it's best to stay seated during and after the credits. I won't spoil it for my readers but it does a great job in setting up next summer's Guardians of the Galaxy and the potential for the third Thor film. 

     I hope you all go out to the theaters and enjoy this superhero film. Take care!

Star Wars: Episode VII news

     I think that I should start a movie news section for this blog but I'll get to that later. So, what better way to kick it off than with the announced return to a galaxy far, far away. 

     Disney and Lucasfilm announced the official release date for the next episode in the epic space opera series. "Star Wars: Episode VII" will be released on December 18, 2015. So far, pre-production is in full swing now with J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8) at the helm. Abrams will be directing with a script that he is writing in collaboration with Lawrence Kasdam, who penned "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi". 

     There have been no official casting news as to who will be in the film but there have been a lot of rumors floating around. The three main principal characters, Luke (Mark Hamill), Han (Harrison Ford), and Leia (Carrie Fisher) have been scheduled to return but no official word has come from Disney or Abrams. We can all hope that they return based on importance and fans don't want to see anyone else playing those roles. It has been announced that John Williams is returning to score the film. It wouldn't be a Star Wars film without a John Williams-composed score.

     When I first heard that Lucasfilm was bought by Disney, I didn't know how to feel about it. Some days, I still don't know how to feel about it. Will Disney water down this legendary series? But then again, Disney does own Marvel and The Avengers was not watered down at all. I guess I should have more faith. I just hope that this doesn't ruin the legacy of Star Wars. George Lucas already did that by tinkering with the original trilogy.

Movie Preview - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

     Coming into December, we all have our movies to look forward to. This film I am looking forward to especially. The legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien is returning to the theaters to take audiences on another thrilling adventure into Middle-Earth. I will admit that I was unsure of Tolkien's classic prequel to the Lord of the Rings novels becoming a movie trilogy (I'm still unsure about it but I'm not making the decisions), if I was to trust anyone with this task, it would be Peter Jackson. So far, the director has not disappointed.

     The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

     In this second part of The Hobbit movie trilogy, The Dwarves, Bilbo (Martin Freeman), and Gandalf (Ian McKellan) have successfully escaped the Misty Mountains.Bilbo has gained the One Ring. They all continue their journey to get their gold and the kingdom of Erebor back from the dragon, Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).

     This fantasy-adventure also brings the return of Orlando Bloom to Middle-Earth as the skilled elf archer, Legolas. The audience and die-hard Tolkien fans are also introduced to Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lilly (TV series, Lost). This character is not in the original book but was created by Peter Jackson and screenwriter, Fran Walsh. Bard the Bowman, the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale, is played by Luke Evans (Fast and Furious 6). We see more of Bard in this preview and I'm very interested to see this character on the silver screen. The character I am mostly looking forward to is Beorn, played by Mikael Persbrandt. The human skin-changer, who plays an important role in the book, will have a more prominent role in this film adaptation.

     All in all, I'd say this return to Middle-Earth will be just as epic as the last. This film is scheduled to be released on December 13.