Movie Review - Dwayne Johnson proves to be "Rock"-solid in Hercules

     I'm back with another movie review from the slate of summer flicks that have had control over this Summer movie season. While this summer has not been kind to Hollywood, money-wise, while audiences are awaiting the movies that have been announced for next Summer (Avengers: Age of Ultron, anyone?!), this season hasn't necessarily been terrible.

     A Hercules film already came out this year with The Legend of Hercules, starring Kellan Lutz. Trust me, this one is certainly better and brings a more realistic spin to the legendary warrior. In this version, Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) is said to be the demigod son of Zeus, going through the Twelve Labors, and a hero. When he finally appears on-screen, he is not alone. Hercules is leading a team of mercenaries that help support his legend as it spreads across the land, offering their services to the highest bidders.

     The King of Thrace, Lord Cotys (John Hurt) summons Hercules and his band to his city to help train his armies to defend the kingdom against the warlord, Rheseus (Tobias Santelmann). During this training, we uncover more about what led Hercules onto his current path and his earlier success that cost him his family, weighing him down with guilt and looking for redemption. When Hercules uncovers that all is not as it seems in Thrace and the good king, he has to break the chains that hold him back and accept his destiny.

     Johnson played this role with such ferocity and energy that he looked like he has born to pay this role. I followed the Rock through his Facebook page and Instagram as he prepared physically to portray the mythical Greek hero. Dwayne's intensity and energy helped drive this movie along with its action packed story.  Ever since his kick-ass role as DSS Agent Hobbs in Fast Five, the wrestler formally known as "The Rock" has been Hollywood's go-to actor to give action films a well-needed shot of adrenaline and bringing a degree of freshness to an established franchise such as G.I. Joe and The Fast and The Furious. Dwayne Johnson seems to have found his niche in action films but is also known to be talented and able to play in different roles.

     Hercules isn't a spectacular movie but worth it seeing if you have some extra time to spare this weekend after seeing Guardians of the Galaxy.

     Have a good weekend and enjoy the movies!

Movie Preview - Fifty Shades of Grey

     Well, it was bound to happen at some point. When you have a large enough following behind a piece of work, a phenomenon is created and no one can seem to avoid it (Twilight, for example). It'll surround us on the streets, bookstores, magazine racks, clothing stores, etc. This "lightning-in-a-bottle" effect seemed to happen to a terrible piece of fiction that opened up the proverbial "Pandora's Box" in fiction and made something taboo popular today.

     While I made a promise not to talk about this movie on my own personal blog, I cannot ignore the momentum that this film will have before its release date. I consider myself to be a well-read individual, willing to give any book a first try but there are some novels that I can't see myself casually reading.

     With all of this being said, the first trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey:

     When Literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) goes to interview wealthy but tormented billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), her life is changed forever. As they accept their mutual attraction, Christian brings her into his world, revealing his secrets, and allowing Anastasia to explore her own desires.

     I'm fairly sure that fans of the book trilogy will be flocking to the theaters to see this film, possibly pulling their reluctant boyfriends to go with them for a Valentine's Day date. Will this movie be able to capitalize on the unbelievable momentum since its release to the public? Only time will tell.

     Fifty Shades of Grey premieres Valentine's Day 2015.

Movie Preview - Brad Pitt brings his 'Fury' to Germany

     This fall, audiences will have the chance to journey back into time where heroes were made; A time where Americans went overseas to fight for freedom on a land where evil and oppression hung overhead.

     The film is set during the last few months of World War II as the Allies make their final push in the European Theater. A battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Pitt) commands a Sherman tank called "Fury" and its five-man crew on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines. The crew find themselves over their heads as they are outnumbered and out-gunned against the German resistance. Together, these five band of brothers attempt to defy the odds and strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. 

     Starring Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), Shia LaBeouf (Transformers film series), and Michael Pena (End of Watch, American Hustle) and helmed by writer-director David Ayer (End of Watch), this movie is sure to stir the American spirit in all of us. 

     Fury opens November 14.

Movie Review - Transformers: Age of Extinction

     So, on a whim, I decided to go see Transformers: Age of Extinction. I mean, I saw the first three films so I might as well see the newest installment. Nearly three hours later, I knew two things: 1) This movie would make a lot of money because of it's a big budget Michael Bay film; and 2) Michael Bay's storytelling has not gotten any better and this movie suffers from his need to have big explosions. 

     First, I'm not a Michael Bay hater. I enjoy his films and, out of this whole film series, the first was the absolute best because of an excellent story combined with Michael Bay's directing. The first film had a way of bringing out your inner child and showing why the Transformers franchise has such a huge following. Then, in typical Bay fashion, Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon had to go bigger but not better. This film follows the same trend. 

     Transformers: Age of Extinction picks up five years after The Battle of Chicago in Dark of the Moon. The Autobots and Decepticons remaining on Earth have been forced into hiding for survival due to humans hunting them. Struggling inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) buys a truck in hope of earning some money for his daughter (Nicola Peltz) to go to college. When Cade discovers the truck is an injured Optimus Prime, he steps into the re-ignited Transformers War.

     The way the film starts millions of years ago, the same way Revenge of the Fallen began. This time it was during the age of the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are just roaming until alien spaceships hover overhead and use a probe to bring them to extinction. All that is left are fossilized remains, which are uncovered by a scientist in the Arctic in the present time. This all becomes important later on but I'm not going to spoil that if you are adamant on seeing the movie. As the film goes on, we learn that the government has created an elite unit led by its creator, CIA agent Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammar), to hunt the remaining transformers on Earth but unable to capture Optimus Prime. When Yeager revives the Autobot leader, it puts him and his family on the run from their home in Texas, then Chicago, and finally in Hong Kong.

     Stanley Tucci plays Joshua Joyce, Attinger's partner, who looks to capitalize on the hunt for the Transformers by creating tech from their remains. Tucci does a good job with his arrogant, weasel-like character before he grows a conscience. Typical, I know. Micheal Bay also introduces an unknown actress in Peltz, playing Yeager's daughter. Bay has a way of having his movies make stars out of actresses looking for their big break. We'll see if that trend continues because I was not impressed at all by her. While Mark Wahlberg is good in an action film adding in his own comedic value and charm to the movie, it was a little hard to take him seriously in this film. I'll say this; he is a sizable upgrade from previous Transformers lead actor, Shia LaBeouf.

     Of course, it wouldn't be a Transformers film without the robots getting into the action. Yes, there are a few robot battles, especially with Transformer bounty hunter helping the government. Robots fight, cities are destroyed, and crap blows up. Oh, it does blow up. What really cripples Bay's film is the time length. The first hour was impressive but as time went on, I just felt numb and exhausted with the film, wondering when the final battle would arrive. Ultimately, Age of Extinction could be considered one of the weakest of the series. Michael Bay has said that this film would be the start of a new trilogy of Transformers films and the way it ended, I think he's right. If he is, it's not starting off well. 

     If you have seen the previous films in the series and liked them, want to see a summer popcorn flick, or just to get out of the house, I would recommend this movie. But just check your brain at the door. 

This Public Service Message is brought to you by President Snow and The Capitol

     I have to say that when I came across this news today, I was very giddy with excitement. After the success of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, its first part of a two-part sequel has a higher expectation attached to it. This one-minute teaser trailer definitely sent chills through me and it should for every fan of the series.

     President Snow is sitting in a grand white throne, addressing the citizens of the Capitol. His propaganda machine seems to be in full swing as he tries to quell the rebellion that we saw begin in the previous film. Snow speaks smoothly using words like "unity" and "prosperity" to describe the nation of Panem and each districts role in the great machine. Then it took a dark turn as he made a comment about rebellion, making statements such as "But if you resist the system, you starve yourself," and "If you fight against it, it is you who will bleed."

     As the camera slowly pulls back, it is shown that the leader of the Capitol is not alone. Standing beside him is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the kidnapped Hunger Games winner. If you read the book, you know what happened to Peeta after Catching Fire. If you haven't read the book, I won't spoil the twist for you but as you see Peeta staring off into the distance, you can tell that Peeta is not the same boy.

     Well done, Lionsgate. Now I can't wait for this film. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 comes to theaters November 21.

Movie Preview - The Expendables 3

     In 2010, a new generation of audiences were introduced to the past stars of the 1980's and 90's as Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and starred in The Expendables. Two years later, Stallone and his team returned with more stars that have reached cult status in this generation in the action-packed sequel The Expendables 2.

     This summer, the boys are back and ready for action in The Expendables 3.

     This time, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his Expendables team must face the merciless arms deal Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), the co-founder of the Expendables with Ross. In order to combat this personal threat, Ross must recruit younger pieces to add to his team. From the trailer, this film will go into the history of the Expendables and how they formed. Apparently, Stonebanks and Ross had a falling out that put them on opposite sides. What this falling out is, we'll find them out among the explosions, gunfire, and fistfights.

     Continuing the trend of The Expendables movie trilogy, this film boasts an all-star cast of returning favorites Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It also introduces new heroes to the fight: Kellan Lutz (The Twilight Saga, I know...), MMA figher Ronda Rousey, Antonio Banderas (The Legend of Zorro), Kelsey Grammar (Frasier), and Harrison Ford (Star Wars, Indiana Jones). Audiences are also re-introduced as Wesley Snipes (Blade) makes his return to Hollywood in his first big film since being released from prison for tax evasion.

     Get ready for the ultimate summer action fix on August 15.

Movie Review - The Fault in our Stars

   

     The Fault in Our Stars. One of the best novels of the past decade. When this was announced to be adapted into a movie, I knew this film would be a wonderful, emotional, and human spectacle to watch. This film certainly didn't disappoint. The novel adaptation is about the miraculous story of Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), two cancer patients who meet during a support group and fall in love. 

     I loved reading the novel and fell in love with the humanity and truthfulness of the story and how it affected the two main characters so I was hoping that the film would do the novel justice. Director Josh Boone did a great job with the source material. From Hazel Grace's first line at the opening of the film, it's apparent that this film will not be easy to get through, setting the audience up to be knocked down as the movie truly began. As the movie continued, the funny wit and heartfelt emotions kept audiences invested as the love story continued to evolve between Augustus and Hazel. What I truly loved about the movie was the same thing I loved about the novel: the realness of the cancer in the lives of young teenagers. Although both would like to live full, healthy lives, they accept their conditions but doesn't allow it to hinder them. Like the novel, the movie doesn't shy away from the cancer or hide the effect it has on the two lovers.  

     Shailene Woodley brought a stellar performance in her role as the brave, witty, and resilient Hazel Grace Lancaster. In my eyes, this was her official breakout role. Thanks to the success of Divergent earlier this year, Woodley was already shown to have A-list star quality and that was confirmed in Stars. Her performance is memorable, possibly Oscar-worthy but it shows that she could make it to that stage. Pure and authentic, Woodley's performance was exactly how I thought Hazel Grace would be in real-life portrayal. Ansel's performance was just as strong as the loyal and persistent Augustus Waters, displaying the heart that Waters had, despite the effect that cancer had on him. 

      This movie was the best and precious young adult movies that Hollywood has brought to audiences in a long time. Augustus and Hazel Grace is the best love story that people have read or seen in the last decade and this movie proves it. 

     If you have not read the book, do it. If you haven't seen the movie, go see it. 

     Okay. Okay.