Movie Review: Neighbors

     Since the release of the classic comedy Old School, comedies have changed up their style to be more raunchy, pushing the envelope and becoming less predictable. All in all, they provide the comedy that some members of the audience need in their lives. This summer's first comedy does just that. Starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron (yes, that Zac Efron), Neighbors brings on the wonderful balance of shocking behavior and delightful humor.

     Mac Radner (Rogen) and his wife Kelly (Rose Byrne) have the picture perfect adult life; a steady job, a home, and a child. Their perfect adult world is disrupted when a fraternity moves into the house next door, led by its president, Teddy (Efron). Living next to a fraternity house is not that bad until the parties start disrupting the lives of the couple and the stakes get raised as the battle for the neighborhood begins between these neighbors.

     I was a little worried when I heard about Zac Efron's casting in this movie because when I think of him, I still see Disney and High School Musical. If you still have that idea in your mind when this movie because he embraces the stereotypical role of a fraternity president: handsome, stylish, party person, and a complete "bro". It reminded me fondly of seeing those guys on campus when I was a college student. I was very impressed with the energy that Efron brought to the role and completely breaking free from that young Disney star. He matched up well against Rogan's parent role. 

     It wouldn't be a Seth Rogan movie without his character getting in on some of the fun. Despite the fact that his character is supposed to be a mature family man, Radner took the fight to the fraternity by doing his best to fit in and play by their rules. From sabotaging the frat house to turning the neighborhood against the students to a final battle against Teddy, Radner proves that he can still hang with guys younger than him. You could really tell that Rogan had fun making this film and enjoyed working with Efron the whole time. 

     When you first look at this film, you would think that it's another insane comedy straight for the start with Seth Rogen's voice over before the first scene (I'm not going to spoil that for you all!). As the film starts to pick up and the fraternity comes into play, there is an underlying message under all of the hilarious acts and suggestive humor. Watching Rogan and Efron's characters, it shows that when college is over and real life begins, you can't go back to re-live or re-do your youthful glory days. Thinking about it is one thing but trying it when you are past the appropriate age is another. Despite the fact of how young I am, I know there are some things that I could do when I was going onto twenty that I can't do now...or is it that I don't choose to. I don't know. 

     Bottom line, if you are looking for a good laugh in the early part of the summer, I recommend going to see Neighbors. Catch you all soon with my review of the much anticipated X-Men: Days of Future Past.

     

   

Movie Review - The Amazing Spider-Man 2

     It's officially May and that means that the Summer Movie Season has begun. There are a big slate of films ready to entertain and thrill us during this exciting season filled and we opened the summer films with a superhero sequel.

     In 2012, audiences were reintroduced to one of the all-time great superheroes ever as the Spider-Man franchise was rebooted. Sending the web-slinger back to high school to tell his origin story, Spider-Man returned with a younger cast, a more character-driven story, and the thrilling action of taking on larger than life villains. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens up the Spider-Man universe as our hero's life changes.

     The Amazing Spider-Man 2 finds Peter fully embracing his role as Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) while attempting to balance that responsibility along with preparing for his post-high school life as Peter Parker alongside his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). An obsessed fan of the wall-crawler named Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) suffers an accident that created the shockingly powerful villain, Electro, but that is the least of Spidey's concerns as secrets are revealed and events change his world forever. 

     I will say this film does a good job in opening up the Spider-Man universe, building the foundation for the franchise to stand on its own two feet. More characters from the Spider-Man's world were introduced and if you are a fan of the wall-crawler, you will catch their names instantly. One of the big characters that audiences will be reintroduced to is Harry Osborn, played by the talented Dane DeHaan. While it was good to introduce these characters into the universe, like most superhero sequels, I think it suffered from having an overabundance of characters. The cast was amazing but I think this film suffered from trying to go bigger and better and adding more challenges for the hero.

     One of the bright points of this film is the chemistry of real-life couple Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Their chemistry was a good foundation for the film to stand on as the film shifted focus between Spider-Man's enemies and Peter and Gwen's relationship. Because this film is set during Peter's younger years, it had to have its share of teen angst and the struggles of growing up while maintaining a relationship at the same time but I will say that it's a strong point. Andrew Garfield does a good job as the hero, particularly as the wise-cracking, spandex wearing superhero. He does his best work with the struggle of his character between his normal life and his alter-ego. Emma Stone brings her A-game as always, playing the talented and intelligent Gwen Stacy.

     Peter's past with his parents, his present as Spider-Man, and his future were intertwined in this film as his character arc continues on to the next film. The producers and creative minds at Sony have to be proud of this film because of what this film started as far as creating a story arc that will arch over into the next sequel along with smaller, unresolved, character arcs. While the plot does get tied up with the multiple villain strands, the main plot does help this film become more stronger on emotion than its predecessor. Despite having too many villains and too much going on during some moments, this film is a wonderful installment and helps bring optimism to the next installment in the franchise. 

     I won't tease anything for you, my readers. All I will tell you is to go see the movie to start your Summer Movie Season off in the right way. 

     

     

Now Streaming: Big Screen Commandos, A Spielberg Classic, Tigers, Dragons, Cannibals, and Families

     I know it's been a while since I've written a post about Netflix but when you have a full-time job, it's difficult to keep up with movie streaming but I'm back at it and I think this company just keeps getting better! With television shows like House of Cards, Orange Is The New Black, and Hemlock Grove added in with the movies that are added to their expanding library, Netflix is definitely a hobby now for binge watching movies when you are home alone.

     If you are tired of watching the same movies over and over again or your list needs to be refreshed with fresh flicks, I'm going to present some films for you to watch whether to pass the time or something you have waiting for Netflix to have in order to watch it.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation : Starring Channing Tatum, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Bruce Willis, this sequel finds the Joes are on their own when the U.S. Government, controlled by COBRA, frames the heroes as traitors against the country. The Joes then go on the offensive to clear their name and save the world once again.

Amistad : Steven Spielberg directs the unforgettable classic that tells the story based on the mutiny in 1839 by newly captured slaves who took control of the ship, La Amistad, off the coast of Cuba. After being captured by a U.S. revenue cutter, they are brought to America and sparks an international legal battle that later became a United States Supreme Court case of 1841.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon : This international classic is hailed as one of the greatest and most influential foreign language films in the United States. Two warriors (Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh) are in pursuit of a stolen sword and a fugitive. Their journey leads them to physically skilled adolescent nobleman's daughter. I highly recommend this film for fans, both new and old, of martial arts films.

The Silence of the Lambs: This 1991 classic thriller stars Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins as the sadistic and eccentric Hannibal Lecter. In this film, A young Foster plays FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, who seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Lecter (Hopkins) in order to stop another serial killer, known as "Buffalo Bill".

The Family: Starring Robert De Nero, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones, this action comedy film pokes fun at the seriousness of being in a mob family. De Nero and Pfeiffer play the parents who has their family under the witness protection program and must change their lives but that is easier said than done.












     I hope you all enjoy these movies. If anyone has any other suggestions, please pass them on! Enjoy the Netflix binge watching!

Movie Review - Captain America : The Winter Soldier

     I know that it's been a while since I've done a movie review but we all know how life gets in the way. I'm not going to bore you with that. Let's get to the #1 movie in the world! By now, all of my readers know that I am a major fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how much it has organically grown over the last couple of years and it's only getting started. More Marvel characters are ready to leap from the comic book pages and onto the silver screen.

     This past weekend, I made two treks to the theaters to join The First Avenger on his second solo mission in a post-Avengers world.

     Captain America: The Winter Soldier picked up two years after the events of The Avengers, finding Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) finding his place in the modern world while working missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. This is where we find Cap at the beginning of the film, leading a team of commandos and partnering with the Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). By the end of the film, we find out secrets in our favorite spy organization that shake the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its core but I'm not going to spoil that for all of you. 

     I have to give credit to the Russo Brothers (Arrested Development) for what they provided to this film. They gave die-hard fans and newcomers a smart and excellent political thriller action movie. The Winter Soldier is full of car chases, hand-to-hand combat, and action scenes that don't bring down the dominating story line. The completion of the film occurred with a fearsome, ski-mask wearing villain played excellently by Sebastian Stan. The theme of living in a post-9/11 world and how the line between national security and civil rights is blurred in the grey world we live in is executed well in this film. It's certainly a theme that Americans can relate to right now. 

     If you are not a devoted fan of the Marvel films, this movie just passes as another superhero film. The general superhero template is still the undercurrent of this film with senior S.H.I.E.L.D. official Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) plans to kill potential threats in America, willing to take down anyone in his way, even director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). To do this, Captain America and Black Widow must go rogue against their agency and seek help from Sam Wilson (Marvel newcomer Anthony Mackie) in order to save the world. But, the movie is so much more than that (once again, no spoilers!)

     Chris Evans once again delivers as Captain America, playing the patriotic soldier out of time and staying true to his moral compass even among the shades of grey that surround him. Even though he is constrained by Cap's straight-arrow character, Evans owns the role of Captain America. Scarlett Johansson plays the Black Widow for the third time and helps provide a little more depth in a character we don't know much about. Not nearly as manipulative or cunning as her previous outings, we see a more human soul from the S.H.I.E.L.D. assassin. While it might not agree with Black Widow fans, I loved the growth, no matter how small. Robert Redford was a great casting choice for the role of Pierce, adding years of credibility and acting experience and making the role his own. 

     All in all, I can see why Marvel was excited about this movie and the job that the Russo Brothers brought to The First Avenger was so good, they deserved to return for Captain America's third outing that is set for release in 2016. I did my best not to spoil the movie and I hope that you all will go out and see this excellent films and how the events will affect the Marvel Universe forever. 

     

     

Movie Preview: X-men: Days of Future Past, 2nd Trailer

     So in case I didn't mention it before, I am a huge X-Men fan. Since the famous 90's animated X-Men television series of my childhood to the big-budget film franchise that has brought more fans to join the mutants fight for their right to exist, I have loved the story of the X-Men, the theme of equality, and each character's separate story and how it affects them and using their abilities.

     One of the best stories in X-Men history is the Days of Future Past. All of you can imagine how excited I was about this story being adapted to the universe of the X-Men film franchise. I put up the first trailer a few posts ago and now, the new preview has made its way onto the internet and, whether you have seen it or not, I would love to share it with my viewers right here!

   
     From this new preview, we get a better glimpse at the dark future of the original X-Men cast and the mission to send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back into the past to stop the war from being triggered by uniting the younger but weary Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), the dangerous Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), and the other members from the prequel X-Men: First Class.

     The new preview gives audiences the first glimpse of the Sentinel robots that threaten the Mutant race, created by Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). What will really catch everyone's attention is the end of trailer, seeing the scene of Charles Xavier face-to-face with his future self, Professor X (Patrick Stewart). Considering what we have heard that Wolverine would be the only X-man to interact with the heroes of the past and future, this scene was a great surprise to fans of both the movies and long-standing X-Men fans.

     We can be guaranteed that X-Men: Days of Future Past will take us on an incredible ride as an audience.

     X-Men: Days of Future Past will enter theaters on May 23.

Movie Preview : Transformers: Age of Extinction

     Now that the bitterness of winter is starting to finally melt away, spring is here but we all know summer is not too far away. When it comes to the summer in the box office, every moviegoer knows that summer blockbuster and popcorn flicks will dominate theaters. For some films and directors, their films are tailor-made for the summer money-makers.

     Michael Bay is one of those directors whose films are targeted for a summer release. His films are meant for the coolness of air-conditioned theaters where the action keeps everything hot for audiences. After summer hits like Bad Boys II, The Island, and, most recently, the Transformers trilogy. This summer, Bay is returning to the world of larger-than-life machines that are set to make our world their battlefield once again.

     In the fourth film of the Transformers film series, set four years after the events of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a struggling inventor (Mark Wahlberg) and  his daughter (Nicola Peltz) uncover a discovery that brings about the return of the Autobots, the Decepticons, and the government on them. From the trailer, it seems that the Transformers have all been forgotten with the government seeking to remain in control after the events of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. 

     It seems as though two of our favorite Autobots, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, are getting an upgrade as they go into battle again against more treacherous villains. Overall, you should expect to see the same destruction and action to come from a Michael Bay film. 

     Transformers: Age of Extinction is scheduled to be released on June 27, 2014.

Movie Preview: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

     Hello, everyone! I'm sorry that I haven't been around for a while. I should have made a post about the Oscars (Don't worry, it's coming soon!) but there have been some good new previews surging through the internet over the past few days. 

     One preview I have been waiting for finally surfaced. It only took close to nine years but who is counting. 

     To refresh everyone's memory, in 2005, an ensemble cast brought Frank Miller's neo-noir graphic novel to the silver screen in Sin City. The brilliant and visually stunning film gained critical and commercial success with audiences, pleasing fans of the original graphic novels and gaining new fans of Miller's work. 

     After languishing in Hollywood's pre-production hell, this sequel was finally completed and audiences can look to reunite with Miller's dark and unique characters that we met in 2005. Primarily based on the second book of the Sin City series under the same name along with a short story and two new original stories by Miller, the film stars another ensemble cast including returning cast members Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Mickey Rourke, Powers Boothe, and Bruce Willis. New cast members include Eva Green, Josh Brolin, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 

     Sin City: A Dame to Kill For will burst into theaters August 22.