Green Lantern (2011)
★★★
OK, so it's no IRON MAN, but GREEN LANTERN is a serviceable Comic Book flick. The potential is dumped into a garbage disposal (I mean, this could have been an awesome space opera) and we're grounded on Earth for way too much of the flick. However, Ryan Reynolds is fun as Hal Jordan and there's always potential for a better sequel. Though, they totally drop a major villain arche relegating it to an extra "end credit" scene.
Settle your expectations and this is enjoyable. The Oa scenes look great on Blu Ray.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
★★★★
Watched this with the kids. I was surprised that they liked it as much as they did.
I really like this flick. It's way better than Ang Lee's horrible attempt and Norton is great.
Thor (2011)
★★★★½
Marvel Studios is on a role. THOR was the film I was worried about. However, with the casting of Chris Hemsworth as Thor and his awesome performance, I'm sold.
I loved this movie. It had a sense of adventure with a great sense of humor sprinkled in. The cast was solid and the story revolving around sibling rivalry was refreshing.
Good stuff. Hat tip to Kenneth Branagh for strong direction as well. I believe his Shakespeare background really help sell the drama with such a fantastical backdrop.
Can't wait for THE AVENGERS!
X-Men: First Class (2011)
★★★★½
X-MEN 2 > X-MEN: FIRST CLASS > X-MEN > X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE > X-MEN: THE LAST STAND.
Brilliant prequel.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
★★★★★
My favorite movie of the summer so far!
Perfect tone. Perfect casting. Pure entertainment.
My 13-yr-old self was in awe and giddy the whole way through. It actually was the sort of adventure movie you don't see too much of today. Joe Johnston got it right and nailed this one!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze (1991)
★★★
My kids had a blast with this, therefore it did it's job.
"Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!!"
V for Vendetta (2006)
V For Vendetta holds a special place in my heart. I saw it in the theater with my brother-in-law. It was the last time I'd ever see a movie with him. He passed away in a car accident 5 months later.
I remember both of us stepping outside of the theater. He lit up a cigarette and we both shrugged at each other. "Meh." Was our initial reaction, but we both had a good time with it.
Since then, I've watched V For Vendetta a handful of times. Each time I watch it, I feel like I get more out of it. Also, with our society still wrestling with certain social issues like homosexuality and religion, V For Vendetta seems to only get more relevant.
Hugo Weaving turns in an incredible performance. He acts behind a mask the whole time. All we get is his distinct voice and body language. It's a stellar and noteworthy performance. One that should be studied.
Natalie Portman also shows us she's just not a pretty face in Hollywood. She acts her ass off here and is really great.
It's rare we get comic book movies with social commentary. V For Vendetta is one of the few, and one worth watching numerous times.
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Kick-Ass (2010)
When in need of comfort food, I grab flicks like this. Kick-Ass is as good the 2nd time. Great flick.
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Punisher: War Zone (2008)
No one can seem to get The Punisher right. But, they sure do make some unintentionally funny flicks! First with Dolph Lundgren's attempt at The Punisher, then Thomas Jane attempted to give some emotion to the character. Now, it's Ray Stevenson's turn with Lexi Alexander directing. At least they got the carnage right in this one, I guess. However, the script is a mess and characters are insanely over-the-top.
With all it's unevenness, I have a soft spot for this flick. It's not a well made movie, but it's damn entertaining.
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Edgar has yet to let me down. With 2 original satire comedies under his belt (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World marks his first attempt at adapting someone else's material. This flick is based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's brilliant graphic novel series which is a mash up of hipster culture (and a satire of it), video game logic, and romance. What's brilliant about the film adaptation is it accents what is great about the graphic novel and totally makes a stand alone film with a visual flare unlike anything I've seen this year.
My only complaint with the film was that the love story between Scott Pilgrim and Ramona is pretty vapid. I didn't get a sense that Scott Pilgrim had enough actual passion for Ramona to do battle with 7 Evil Exes. She was more of an obsession than a love interest here, and therefore I wasn't invested at all in their relationship. Michael Cera is fine as Scott Pilgrim (although he's pretty grating as a whiney bitch for half the movie) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead does her best with what she's given to do (which in the film, isn't really a lot. But, in the graphic novels, her character is much more fleshed out.)
So, with a love story and two lead characters as uninteresting as these, why did I love the movie so much? All the side characters, the visual style, the dialog, the commentary on video games and hipster culture and a kick-ass soundtrack make up for my gripes. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is unadulterated fun. The dialog is crisp and funny, the story moves along at a brisk pace, and all the supporting characters are incredibly memorable. This is a movie that takes all the tropes of 80's 8-bit and 16-bit video games and realizes all those mechanics. From 1Ups to defeated villans bursting into coins, there are so many video game references visualized pitch perfect.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is almost the perfect film. A bit more development of the 2 main characters would have made this a perfect movie, but I'll take what I can get here. Edgar Wright is proving he's a filmmaker worth paying attention to and a force to be reckoned with. It's a shame Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World bombed at the box office, but I'll be picking this up on Blu Ray the second it's released and re-watching it many many more times.
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