Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

• Shia LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.


• I know that sequels for the most part are never as good as the original. But do they have to be this crappy? The first Transformers is one of my favorite movies. It felt like an event movie. The effects were great. The story was cool. They had the perfect amounts of comedy/sarcasm and side characters - including the Transformers themselves. Shia LaBeouf was on track to become Will Smith/Tom Hanks-ish. The second one was too much . . . . . of everything. Too much Megan Fox. Too much of the slapstick comedy and side characters. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many robots. Too much story crammed in there. Shia was still good though. So they got rid of Megan Fox. Thank God. They limited the side characters. Thanks again. The story was actually really strong and they even factored it in to past American history. Thank you. All in all - this one was definitely a better movie than the second one. HOWEVER . . . . . . that is pretty much the only good thing that can be said about this movie. No. I'm sorry. There are two more things. Shia is still great. I really love this kid. His delivery of sarcasm and comedic fear are awesome. And for once, I have to admit that the 3D effects mattered. Normally, I'm just annoyed to be wearing the glasses and don't care at all about the effects. This movie definitely made it worth having to wear the glasses. That being said - the bad . . . . . They replaced Megan Fox with some random model who - I never thought I would say this - was worse than her. The movie was like seven years long. I went to a 7pm showing and felt like it was 3am when it was over. The action was still way too much. The ending of the movie with the crazy destruction of Chicago was insane. It was just non-stop and became annoying overall.


• Would I recommend this movie? No. Hell no. I wish that they could go back in time and not make this one or the second one and leave Transformers as a stand alone movie with all of its awesomeness intact. Sequels like this ruin the original. It's like the Star Wars prequel dampening Star Wars or that Crystal Skull garbage tainting Indiana Jones. Just stop already.

Bridesmaids

• Annie's life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian's maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she'll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you'll go for someone you love.


• The laughs in this movie were HUGE. There are two or three scenes that had me howling. There are great characters included in the bridal party. Unfortunately, I feel that waaaaaaaaaaaay too much time was wasted on Kristen Wiig playing the poor me violin. I wanted more of the rest of the bridal party and much less of the poor me and the butting heads with Rose Byrne. Again - the movie was very funny, but it could have been so much funnier.


• You should still absolutely see this movie. It's worth it and again - the laughs are HUGE. It's just unfortunate that it could have been non-stop laughs and it seems like they chose to pass on it for some unnecessary waa-waa.

Thor

• Thor spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It's while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.


• Thor was one of the few comic books that I just never got in to. I was just never a fan of the whole god from Asgard thing. I also thought that this would be the toughest movie of them all to pull off and then they cast basically a no-name as the lead since there is only so much payroll that they can afford for the acting cast of The Avengers. Just like my doubts with Iron Man, I was pleasantly wrong and surprised by how good the casting turned out to be and how well they pulled the movie off. I'm not saying that this movie is in the original Iron Man's league. Hell no. It's still a very entertaining movie. The effects are good. The characters are well developed and you connect with them. Even the Asgard stuff (which I still think looks like its right out of The Chronicles Of Riddick) was entertaining. I feel as if they spent too much time there and I definitely liked the movie more when they were on Earth, but it wasn't painful to watch or anything like I had expected. In the end, this really is just another piece in the eventual machine that is The Avengers.


• I would definitely recommend this movie to people. It's a great and entertaining summer blockbuster. Just be warned that it is very heavy on the mythology and lore.

X-Men: First Class

• X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.


• FINALLY!!!!! A summer blockbuster this year that not only meets expectations of greatness but exceeds them (this is not counting Fast Five because it opened in April). I left this movie beyond satisfied. It's also one of those comic books movies that is more than just a comic book movie. Ok - the comparisons to The Dark Knight are absurd. They should simply never do that. Putting that aside, this movie was phenomenally done. It's easily the best "prequel" ever. This movie is everything that the Star Wars prequel should have been. You know how it is going to end. Erik is going to become Magneto. Charles is going to end up in a wheelchair. Mystique is going to end up with Magneto yet it is so well put together that you are still thrown back when it happens. They developed the perfect amount of supporting characters/mutants. The effects were "simple" compared to over the top stuff you see nowadays but perfect. The way that the movie was weaved in to actual U.S. history was a hugely added bonus and the 1960s look that stayed consistent throughout the movie was great. I can't say enough good things about this movie. It was excellently done across the board and is easily the best movie of the year at this point.


• I couldn't possibly recommend people checking out this movie more. Even those of you who are not usually in to the comic book thing - the US history aspect of this movie will make in entertaining for you as well and the story is so tight and well done from beginning to end.

Hanna

• Raised by her father (Eric Bana of "Star Trek"), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna's upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.


• This was a very weird watch. It would go from artsy - you can hear a pin drop quiet - to pscyho crazy fight scene with blaring techno music and then right back again. I really don't know how to even explain it. Imagine watching one of those Oscar favorite movies where you are afraid to chew popcorn because it might disturb the others in there and then the movie just goes total kick ass. This is one of those movies that should be used in a film studies class on the importance of sound and sound editing. The movie's oddly intriguing flow was completely dictated by that.


• I would kind of recommend this movie to people . . . . . if they understand what I just wrote. This is not by any means a mainstream movie. I liked it though.