Movie Preview - The Amazing Spider-Man 2

     As we all know, superhero films run Hollywood right now. Almost every other movie that comes out now has a super-powered hero that takes us on a journey through their own personal struggle while dealing with their personal issues. Now, I can't blame Hollywood and the studios continue to look towards the comic book heroes and heroines because they have been box-office hits.

     Marvel's heroes has been dominated theaters recently, particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, there are other Marvel legends that are not a part of this universe, but seriously should be. In 2012, we were re-introduced to the legendary Spider-Man in the reboot film, The Amazing Spider-Man. While there were skeptics, myself included who grew up watching Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi's adaptation of the wall-crawler, Andrew Garfield did a good job stepping into the tight spandex outfit of Spider-Man.

     Now, audiences should prepare to swing with the human arachnid in this anticipated sequel.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

     In this sequel, Peter Parker's (Andrew Garfield) alter-ego, Spider-Man, has been embraced as a hero by the citizens of New York and enjoying the time he spends with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes with a price: only Spider-Man can protect New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must face an enemy that is far more powerful that him. And when Peter's old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) returns, Peter realizes that all of his enemies have one thing in common: Oscorp. 

     Co-starring Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich / The Rhino, Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn, and Sally Field as May Parker, this sequel seems to be prepared to succeed the first film as far as being a larger adventure for the wall-crawler. We also seem to get glimpses into more of Spider-Man's back story, particularly his father's involvement with Oscorp. The preview also shows flashes of other villains from Spider-Man's Rogues Gallery (Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, possibly the Sidious Six?!). 

     With all of these elements shown in only the first preview, I think this film will be better than the first. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be released on May 2, 2014. 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - This sequel burns brighter and stronger than the original

     One of the most anticipated movies of this season certainly delivered. Smart and sleekly directed by Francis Lawrence, Catching Fire proves to be not only a compelling second installment in the Hunger Games series but possibly one of the best young adult novel adaptations since the Harry Potter series.

     The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second film in The Hunger Games film series. After winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) return home to District 12 but are required to take a victory tour of the country. Their actions during the Games have sparked a revolution against the Capitol. In order to put an end to the rebellion before it fully begins, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games known as the Quarter Quell - a competition that will change Panem forever. 

     As a whole, I will say that this film is much better than the first. It doesn't just focus on the violence of teenagers killing themselves and surviving for the entertainment of the general public but it delves deeper into the effects that these "games" had on the victors. The emotional and mental trauma showed, especially on Katniss. Dealing with the trauma was escalated when she and Peeta embark on the Victory Tour, seeing the seeds of revolution that were sewn into the other districts, even to the Capitol. What drove this film for me is that the romance between Katniss and Peeta was not at the forefront like other contemporary teenage movies of recent memory but it was intertwined with the very convincingly scary dictatorship of the Capitol.

     Jennifer Lawrence's devotion and commitment to the character of Katniss really helps power this film along. With an Oscar on her resume for last year's Silver Linings Playbook, this film helps solidify Jennifer Lawrence as an A-list actress with staying power for coming years. She was magnificent to watch as the heroine, dealing with her survival of the games, the fear of returning to the arena to survive while embracing the role of a love-struck young woman. With wonderful performances from Hutcherson, newcomers Jeffery Wright, Amanda Plummer, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this film is a wonderful piece of work that will thrill and excite fans of the series. 

     While the movie does run longer than it probably should have, the ending makes up for that and built up the anticipation for the next installment, Mockingjay, Part 1. This film warranted a double viewing for me and I believe that fans of the books and the first film will be more than pleased by this pop-culture escapism film that has captured the hearts of the world. 

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.