The beginning....

A little piece of literary poetry I came up with the other day. It teases at a novel series that is in the works. A fantasy tale of epic proportions, I hope for it to one day see the light of day. Here's a taste...

Heir To The Throne Of A Kingdom Up High
No Greater Hero To Be Found
This Place Of Power He Denies
To Travel The Whole World Round
Sent By The King, Their Land to Defend
Forced To Fight For His Life
It Suddenly Came To An Abrupt End
Cut Down By A Traitor's Knife
As He Lay Dying A Stranger Came
Surrounded By Mist And Rain
He Found His Death Pushed Back Again
As She Fed Life To Him From Her Veins

More will appear over time, probably as the characters begin to haunt me more and more. This books needs to be written. Can I do it? Time will tell.

You'll Go Bananas For Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes!

The summer movie run is almost finished, and I've found my favorite by far out of this year's stock. Sorry Cap, Thor and Harry. The Apes have done it.

  I'll admit I'm a little biased, being a fan of the original Apes series of the 70s/80s (while the Tim Burton remake looked nice, the only thing it really had going for it was Tim Roth). Going into this prequel I'd hoped only for some decent respect paid to the originals. Well I got that, and much much more.
  The gist of it is so; James Franco's character Will creates a drug destined to cure Alzheimer's. Of course this drug is tested on apes, and this brings us to the chimp Ceasar, which as a result of said drug, becomes an intelligent simian with a destiny he is fully aware of.
  The reason this film works is because an absurd idea (apes overthrowing mankind) is played totally straight and serious, with only the occasional hint or nudge to remind you of the FICTION in this science-fiction awesomeness. And I find myself enjoying films in this vein (ie. Jurrasic Park) that point out the stupidity of mankind and sometimes it's good to root for the animals, put us in our place a little.
  Of course the star in this movie is Ceasar, played to perfection by motion capture master Andy Serkis (Gollum in Lord of the Rings). The effects are incredible, managing to bring this army of apes to life that will both impress and unnerve you. The character of Ceasar is filled with heart and conviction that inspired me far beyond I thought would.
 The only part i found lacking, funnily enough, was the performances of the human actors. Some were great (John Lithgow as the ailing father, Franco as the obsessed Geneticist and Brian Cox as the abusive ape handler), but others kind of lacked. While I like Freida Pinto, her character as Franco's love interest was kind of pointless as the really important relationship is that between Franco's Will, and Ceasar. And Tom 'Draco Malfoy' Felton as the douchebag was a little too tongue-in-cheek to be taken seriously.
  Other parts I loved were the occasional nod to the original. Newscasts of the Icarus shuttle mission to Mars (Charlton Heston's crash landing in the future) and beginnings of the plague that would wipeout mankind left me with glee and hope this will indeed become a franchise.
  This was by far the best of the summer movies of 2011. See it.

A Salute to Captain America: The First Avenger

Since seeing the first trailer for this movie I've been quite ecstatic waiting for it's release, not because I'm a big Captain America fan cuz I'm really not, but because this is the final Marvel movie before The Avengers next year (more on that later).

I do wonder what reason someone who doesn't know the characters and 70 plus years of comics of Captain America would want to see this movie for. Well here's your reason; It's bloody brilliant!
Captain America manages to blend it's cross-genre storylines seamlessly. Part WW2 flick, part superhero movie, part supernatural story, just like the comics it's adventuresome tale spans the gaps and pulls together a great plot.
Like the origin stories, the film opens with an antarctic expedition discovering the frozen body of Captain America aka Steve Rogers. Flashback to 1940s WW2, and we get to see who Rogers was before the uniform; a scrawny, sickly, yet scrappy guy who refuses to give up. He gets enlisted into the government's Super Soldier program to become something more.
But it's the message inside that counts; that it's not about the physical, it's what's inside that makes you who you are. And Steve Rogers is a good guy. Period. No ironic sarcasm (why Green Lantern failed). No dark and moody shadow skulking. Rogers is a straight arrow good guy. And the producers kept this in mind. Chris Evans is a good actor, but mostly known for his smart assery. So there was some hesitation when it was announced he'd gotten the role. But Evans did his research, and he nailed it.
Again, if someone isnt familiar with the source material, it may come off as strange. A WW2 film that deals with genetic engineering, advanced technology, vibranium, the occult/supernatural, and a bad guy with a red skull for a face? It'd probably be weird. But then again it's a historical fact that most of what Hitler did was inspired by his occult fascinations with ancient civilizations and alien beings so...
And then there is the tying in of cross continuity with the Marvel Universe. Howard Stark (father of Tony Stark aka Iron Man) plays a great role as the Allies' science guy and paving the way for what's to come. And when you see this movie, STAY AFTER THE CREDITS! You'll be treated to what amounts to a full on Avengers trailer with Cap, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, SHIELD, and more. Avengers is gonna be big. Can't wait.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows shall put a spell on you!

With the recent opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2, the end of an era has emerged. Here's what I'm thinking...

I'll start off with making it clear I have not read any of the books (Gasp! I know! Shocking!). When they first came out I think I perceived them as too kiddie, or maybe i was just too much into other things. Who knows. When the first film released I also felt it was too childish and naive, not my cup of tea. Then the second one came out, then the third, and I noticed something. The films were getting darker, much as the books got darker, because Harry (and therefore the readers) were getting older. Upon learning this I realized J.K. Rowling was actually brilliant in her approach to the books for it was working greatly.

But what about the films? Could they actually pull off a series of 8 movies, all within the same continuity, with the same cast, most of which were kids growing before our very eyes? Turns out they did pull it off, and it's now the most successful franchise in film history. This has paved the way for so many other series. There would have been no Lord of the Rings trilogy (and later the Hobbit). Marvel would have never made their films tie together into one continuity for the Avengers. Harry Potter worked, and Hollywood took notice.

Now for the film itself. I want to go back and watch parts 1 and 2 together sometime to get the whole narrative without the middle break, but from what I experienced in the final movie, I definitely enjoyed it. Action, tragedy, destiny. Three of my favorite plot themes all rolled into one. You really got the feeling that everything in Harry's life had led up to this, and now it was the final act.

I had a couple nitpicks with it, mainly the expository explanations of a couple characters' motivations that were never shown or hinted at previously seemed out of place to me, and actually gave me the wrong impression about one character that turned out i was way off about. There was also the convenient lack of magic use at times it would have been much more effective what with all the hell breaking loose all around. But as I said, those are just nitpicks. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and the saga as a whole. J.K. Rowling has my respect as a writer, and I wonder if/when there will be another generations defining saga like this to come along.

Until then, Expecto Petronum.

That movie was 'MINT'...my review of SUPER 8

Remember Close Encounters Of The Third Kind? How about E.T.? How about Jaws for that matter? All these classic films had two things in common. 1; They were made in the height of 70s cinema, and 2; They were made by Spielberg. What does this have to do with Super 8? Check the trailer...

The story, set in the 70s, revolves around a young boy and his friends as they partake in their monster movie making activities. Their movies are made on a super 8 camera, hence the title. One night while doing this, these kids witness the derailing of a military train. Only this train's cargo may have mysterious origins. If you liked Close Encounters and/or E.T., your gonna like this movie. This film practically oozes with 70s Spielberg-esque nostalgia, and that's a great thing.
There are a few problems with the film though. While I reminisced over my similar origins these kids have (i recall the Hi 8 films I made in school), a couple of them are just too annoying, so much so you don't really care what happens to them. That is balanced out hoever with some great performances and scenes involving the kids' fathers. One of the best scenes of the film, in fact, involves the two fathers in a quiet scene in a jeep.
The one big problem though was a missed opportunity. While I completely understand what J.J. Abrams was going for with the climax of the story, there would have been a far more complex and heartfelt ending that pretty much stares you in the face. I cant say much more that that without giving anything away, but let's just say that the creature Abrams has created coud have used some more fleshing out.
And speaking of the creature, Abrams seems to have a fetish for this type of monster design. If you've ever seen Cloverfield, you'll know what I mean.
All in all Super 8 is a fine film, with a nostalgic taste to it you can appreciate. While there are missed opportunities and a few characters you don't really care about, it's still very enjoyable and worth the ride.

X-Men: First Class definitely has class

As the summer movie circuit continues on, I found myself in front of a screen about to show a fifth installment in a film series based off my lifelong favorite comic book series... X-Men.

X-Men: First Class is a prequel (or perhaps all out reboot, more on that later) that traces the epic origins of the 2 core characters of the 60+ year history of the comics; Xavier and Magneto. Set during the mid 60s cuban missile crisis, we are introduced to a handful of new and old mutant characters that set the stage for the epic tale to come. It was this dynamic that got me into the theatre seat, and I'm so glad that not did not disappoint.
You see,  the original trilogy never felt like an X-Men story. Not fully. Yes you had the team battling the Brotherhood, yes you had Shakespearian actors Patrick Stewert and Ian Mckellen, and of course there was Wolverine. But the essence of the story's existence was never felt. And don't get me started on whatever that Wolverine movie was supposed to be.
X-Men was conceived as an allegory to racism an human rights movements. At its heart you have the idealistic Charles Xavier (a la Martin Luthor King) vs the emotionally impacted and bleaker Magneto (a la Malcom X), best friends yet bitter rivals in their ideals. In the looming war between man and mutant, which side will you choose?
This is the first film that actually goes the distance to making you ask yourself that question. It raises the calibre of the film to such heights I'd even rate it near quality of say, The Dark Knight or Watchmen.
There are a couple problems with it of course. They introduced relationship dynamics that make no sense  plot wise (Mystique and Beast romantically involved?). The ages of a couple characters come into question (Why is Alex Summers, Cyclops' YOUNGER brother, in his 20s during the 60s?). Azazel is in it for seemingly no reason but to have a Nightcrawler-esqe character (plus he's technically not a mutant). And then there is the character of Emma Frost. Granted I've not really seen January Jones' other work, but her performance in this is beyond stale. While visually looking the part, she does not give the character justice, not even close.
It's James Mcavoy and Michael Fassbender, Xavier and Magneto respectively,  that make the film though, and I find myself looking forward to Fassbender's future work.
Now, this film, through its plot, manages to actually go so far as to completely erase X-Men 3 and Wolverine. They did not happen. The question is still out on wether the first 2 films are also forgotten (in which case my earlier points on character ages and romances could be forgiven). I could very well see this going on to be its very own franchise story. But in terms of story structure, pacing, and theme, as my title already said, this film most certainly has class.

Anyone have a cure for a HANGOVER 2?

For those of you who loved the first film, here is The Hangover 2;

Ok, so I'll admit that I loved the first Hangover. It was a deliciously twisted comedy involving a mysterious path into remembering their forgotten night. Well, if that sounds familiar, you'll find some definite familiarity with this film, as they follow the exact same plot method. But does that make it bad?
One of the things that really worked for the first film was that, as a comedy, the 'straight man' character was the one the guys had to find, keeping him out of the way to allow the 3 crazy characters to really go at it for comedic effect. But this time around, one of the 3 guys, Ed Helms' character Stu, is the one with everything to lose, which should make him the straight man, but he cant do that for comedy sake. It leaves the whole dynamic a little skewed, but the hilarity is still there.
For many people, the monkey (named Crystal in real life) will steal the show. She did for me. In fact most of the moments I really laughed at involved her.
Is it better than the first film? Not really. Is it still hilarious? Absolutely. The Wolfpack is back.