In Time

I have to say that this move is well done across the board. Out of 5, I would give the film 3.5 stars. Here’s why:

This is another film that reaches across several types of audiences. It’s a film for the  sci-fi fanatic, the action junky, but also a film for those that want to be stimulated mentally. It’s a thinker’s film.

The movie is set years and years in the future and the currency is no longer in paper or plastic form, through exchanges of visa or dollar bills, but monetary exchange, is through time. In the future, the wealthier you are, the more time you have, and the longer you live. Isn't this how real life works anyway? In the United States, the more money you have, the better health insurance you have. Even if you have the same illness as that of someone with less money than you, the likelihood of you surviving, or living longer, is higher because you can most likely afford the expensive treatments and medications.This concept is intriguing, and this is where I will get into the mental stimulation the film inspires.

In the film, there is a physical division amongst communities where the poverty-stricken vs. the wealthy live, just as such divisions exist in modern culture today. There is a clear divide in towns and cities in socio-economic status, and this divide is illustrated with suburbs and high-rise apartment complexes being the places where the middle to upper-middle classes live, and ghettos and “projects” being the places members of the lowest socio-economic classes reside. In In Time, this concept is no different. This divide in the film is the exact same.  You also see the illustration of the phrase, “the rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer.” Everyday you see the people in the ghettos in which Timberlake’s character, Will Salas, resides struggle everyday to make ends meet. Most of them only live day-to-day. This concept is also familiar. Most Americans in actuality only live on a day-to-day basis. Many people are only one pay check away from living completely on the street. This sounds extreme, but it is often very true. This movie does such a great job of bringing all of these ideas and realities to life.  Will’s mother dies in his arms after paying their bills for the month because  she has literally run out of “time.” These are major issues in American culture and history right now. With the United States economy the lowest generations have seen, this movie hits on major relevant events.

Another interesting aspect about the film is that no one ages after 25 years old. Once you hit 25, you physically stop aging. This is also the age when you have to start fighting, in a sense, to stay alive.  Your time has run out and every additional minute you are alive is a minute that you worked, stole, or bargained for. This concept in the film can be paralled with what happens when we turn 18 years old. At 18, our parents are no longer responsible for us financially or otherwise. Or, in my case, and in the case of many of my peers, 22 is that daunting age. You’ve just graduated from college, financial aid is done, living with your parents is out of the question, and finding and supporting yourself with a job that you hopefully enjoy to some degree seems like a near impossible task. Will I be able to do it? Am I going to be able to support myself? These are the questions we ask ourselves before the inevitable graduation day.

Aside from all of the real life parallels and great intellectual aspects of the film, it’s a lot of fun! Timberlake and Amanda Seyfriend, (who plays, the stereotypical rich girl who loathes her overly privileged life and decides to escape with poor bad boy) are sexy and they are a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. Timberlake is as smooth and suave as he was 5 years ago with the release of his world-wide hit “Sexy Back.” Seyfried is good. She keeps up with Timberlake’s energy and stamina well. There is a lot of action in the film--sexy cars, racing and chase scenes in those sexy cars,  explosions, robberies, and well-dressed and incredibly attractive men and women are all over, pushing the no one ages over 25 thematic. It’s exciting! It keeps you on the edge of your seat. The script also has its witty points, and it is overall, a worthwhile film.

The movie is good, but I wouldn’t say it is great. If you watch it, and pay attention to the themes and characters, it’s a good movie that you can get a lot out of. The only reason I cannot give it a higher rating, is because we have seen movies like this before. We’ve seen Bonnie and Clyde, we’ve seen Thelma and Louise, and we’ve also been seeing an increasing amount of future-set films in recent years, and I don't think In Time does any of these themes exceptionally. It does them well, but not exceptionally well. All films "bite" off of each other. Such types of films are successful because we as audience members like to see them. Nonetheless, the movie is good. It is definitely worth a see. The thematic, real-life paralleling elements alone make it a worthy watch.

The Ides of March

Well, it was a Ryan Gosling kind of weekend for me, and for Hollywood, it has been a Ryan Gosling kind of summer, turned fall, and it doesn’t look like his reign on Hollywood will be stopping anytime soon. Gosling leads a star-studded cast alongside Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei and George Clooney, whom also directed the political thriller.

The Ides of March, this title carrying a double-meaning, is a film adaptation of the successful stage play Farragut North by Beau Willimon. March is the month in which the storyline of the film unfolds, and it is also a nod at the Shakespeare epic, Julius Caeasar which includes the line, “Beware the Ides of March,” where the word ides, meaning the 15^th of the month, is the day Caesar was stabbed to death by members of the Roman Senate. In other words, his death was a conspiracy of his own people against he, their king.

The film tells a very similar tale.  Gosling plays Stephen Meyers, Governor Morris’ (Clooney) very young, very intelligent, very talented, but even more naive press secretary. Repeated in the film, Stephen is quoted as saying that he will do anything, if he believes in it. For Stephen, politics is his life, simply and evidently, and what is more evident is his belief in Morris. As the movie unfolds, Meyers’ talents prove to be more of a curse than a blessing as things become very convoluted when the opposing campaign appears to want Stephen to work for them. From this point on, there is not much more I can say without giving too much of the plot away. I will say this- everything hits the fan when an intern exposes a secret about the Governor that quickly sends Meyers’ career on a downward spiral, and in order to save himself, and his career, his naïveté and quintessential political ideals quickly go astray.

The Ides of March is a gripping political thriller that came at a picture perfect time of the year and in this nation's history when Washington is torn apart politically, and at a time where we are currently heading into what looks to be another nasty, and potentially historical primary, as we gear up for election 2012. I love that with this film I got an inside perspective on what it takes to run a campaign. We only see one side of a campaign through the media. We see either the glitz and the glory of the next American hero, or we see the shame and disgrace of a fallen American hope. What we do not see as voters, and civilians of the United States is the story behind it all and how many lives one public figures downfall, or uprising effects. The Ides of March tells this story, and the details are sure to entice.

Drive

Drive is a neo-noir fairytale starring Ryan Gosling, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. “Neo-noir fairy tale.” So, what is that exactly, you might ask? Noir is the French term for “dark” and film noir is a classic period in Hollywood cinema typically classified by the 1940s-50s where there was a major production influx of crime dramas with low-key black and white cinematography, very dark lighting, often with intense shadow play with the underlay of a dark, gritty script and storyline.  The term neo, is an alternate term for the word new.

As complicated as its classification sounds, I assure you the film, with a very small production budget of a mere 13 million dollars is a very authentic piece of art. Ryan Gosling plays the unnamed, antihero, credited as “Driver” of the film that by day plays a stunt-driver in Los Angeles “for the movies” and by night drives get-away cars for major heists. He meets mother and waitress Irene, played by Carey Mulligan, in his apartment building who just so happens to also be his next-door neighbor. He ends up getting heavily involved with Irene, and even ends up taking on  a father-figure role to her son, whose biological father happens to be in prison. About midway through the film, the father is released from prison, and finds himself in trouble from a left over debt he owed before he was incarcerated. From this point on, the plot takes one turn after another and you find yourself on a raw, pulse-pounding, very  twisted, and very bloody ride from one scene to the next. Gosling is an antihero and on his journey to save the woman he loves, and the son he has grown a delusional attachment to, he wreaks havoc and anarchy on everything within his path.

The film is a fairytale both in cinematic explication and in storyline. Absurd occurrences happen to this “Driver.” He has extraordinary capabilities as a driver but seemingly ordinary humanistic characteristics, making you both love him and be very afraid of him, all at the same time. Although few words are spoken between the two of them, and even fewer displays of affection, the love and intrigue between Gosling and Mulligan's characters is apparent.

This film, unlike Transformers, unlike The Help, and even unlike The Social Network and Inception, is about the art, and this film is much more about the art than the storyline. By "art," I mean the cinematic elements that go into filmmaking-the logistics, the use of visual technique to evoke certain feelings such as lighting, camera angle, sound, etc. This film makes great use of such elements. It is primarily shot through lighting with red and yellow undertones with red illuminating the dark, murderous and masochistic occurrences within the plot, and with yellow bringing attention to such thematics as a life of decay, and disease as a result of a life of crime and corruption.  The film is very light on dialogue. Most of the storyline is captivated by up-tempo, seemingly 1980’s inspired, highly-synthesized pop music. The film would not be the unique work that it is without the music. Unlike most films, where music simply adds to the overall effect of the movie experience, both music and cinematography work together in Drive to create a truly special cinema event.

Ryan Gosling has yet to disappoint. He is 30 years old and has yet to do a piece of work that is not on some level incredibly meaningful, incredibly deep, or enchantingly dark. Movies like Drive, actors like Ryan Gosling, and actresses like Carey Mulligan make me extremely excited about the future of movie making. These are not good, but great young actors. All of this, in combination with such a visionary like Nicolas Winding Refn doing extraordinary work behind the camera, I sleep well knowing that the future of the movies is in good hands. 

The Help

It will be hard for me to solely write about the movie, without referencing the book as well. First off, I should say I do not think that I would recommend seeing the movie, without first reading the book. Unfortunately, movies cannot capture every single storyline written in a 500 page book. On the other hand, what movies can do, that books cannot, is show you, and make you feel things through the visuals that you cannot get by just reading words off of a page.

For me, this was the greatest part about seeing The Help in motion picture. I was able to see these characters in real life and have their stories truly come to life for me. I laughed with them. I cried with them. For those that have not read the book, it is about 1960's Jackson, Mississippi and a group of women from the southern town that decide to write a book about what it is like to work as "the help" for white families in Jackson. The character that decides to write the book is Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone) who is a recent college graduate of Ole Miss and an aspiring "serious" writer. After returning home from school, post-graduation,  Skeeter finds her maid growing up, Constantine, to no longer be working with her family. Throughout the book and film, Skeeter is in a constant struggle with her mother trying to find out the true story as to why Constantine, the woman who raised her, suddenly left the family she worked for, for 27 years.

It is a fact that Skeeter is from Jackson, but it is evident that she never belonged there. She comes back from college questioning everything she grew up knowing to be normal. In search of meaning and understanding of the world she lives in, Skeeter sets out to write The Help: an expose of sorts from the point of view of the help (the maids) in Jackson. Aibileen and Minnie are the two African American maids that set out on this journey with Skeeter.

The journey for these women was not easy. They set out to write this book during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. The nation was in a state of disarray with the death of President Kennedy and an approaching march on Washington, D.C. by Dr. King. It was a very dangerous time in the United States, and a terrifying time in the deep south. This movie, this book, is a story of courage and strength. I have no idea what it was like to live in that time. I have no idea what it is like to work as a maid, to make below minimum wage, raising someone else's children, and still be treated like a second class citizen, often by the families that I worked for. I have no idea what it is like to be forced into a working environment, because I literally had no other option.  I do not know what a life like this is like, but I have a new found respect for the women that came before me, and what they endured- what my own great grandmother and great aunts endured as maids in 1960's Virginia, just so I could have the life I have now.

This isn't a movie about blacks or whites. It is not a movie about civil rights and the Civil Rights Movement. It is a movie about women. It is a movie about people and about this world that we live in and this life that we lead. It forces you to ask questions and it gives new meaning to the phrase, if you don't know where you came from, you cannot truly know where you're going. The Help shows us where we came from,  helps us understand where we are, and makes us realize that we still have so  much further to go.

Read The Help. After that, watch the film. I can guarantee that no matter how you feel after reading it, after watching it, you will certainly have felt something and it will be very real, and this in itself is very rare in entertainment, but very important.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

It's cute. It's very cute. It's good, but not great, and the only reason I cannot give it an outstanding rating is because there is nothing that truly sets it apart from any other romantic comedy. It definitely has its pluses, however, and I would still recommend the movie if you're looking for some light, heart-warming laughter.

The film's best quality is its star-studded cast comprised of Julianne Moore, Steve Carrell, Kevin Bacon, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone.The movie if very well-acted and the directors, Glen Ficarra and John Requa (I Love You Phillip Morris, Bad Santa) take an interesting spin in terms of the direction. The movie has a dream-like feel to it in terms of its cinematography, and the script, although categorized as a romantic comedy, has a very satirical feel to it. I found myself attentive to these cinematic qualities, but slightly puzzled at first, as well. I was not quite sure how these effects fit with the overall message of the film. As the movie progressed, I felt more at ease with the film's direction. Even if off-putting at first, it is interesting to watch and that is important. Not many romantic comedies deviate from standard cinematic filmmaking devices and this one did, in terms of both script and effect, and I think that is respectable. 

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have tremendous chemistry and they are a joy to watch. Gosling is handsome, and witty, and Stone is charming, and natural. Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore are seasoned veterans and I think they definitely do justice to their respective roles. I said earlier that there is not much that sets this film apart from any other romantic comedy. In terms of the film's overall message, this is very true. It's cliche'd but I think it is in the best way possible. Gosling's character is the age old story of the alpha male that never takes women or love seriously, until one girl comes along that changes everything for him. Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore tell the story of the once perfect love, that turned into the perfect marriage, that somewhere along the way turned sour because two people became too comfortable, and all romance became lost between the two of them. One of them cheats, both are heart broken, and then one sets out on a journey of self-discovery, in the end bringing the two of them back together with love and romance rekindled. The movie ends in the overly-done way where the entire ensemble-cast is actually connected, although throughout the movie they had no idea their lives were so intertwined, until that one scene where all story lines with all characters collapse into one climactic scene. It was cute, but completely unnecessary.

These may be stories that are told time and time again, but there is reason for their familiarity. People love hearing them! People want to hear messages of hope through film, art, and entertainment. This message of hope and optimism is what makes them entertaining in most cases. There's nothing wrong with a good cliche now and again. And if you love a feel-good movie every now and then as much as I do, I would say go see Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Friends With Benefits

You are about to read a very unlikely film review. You are about to delve into a film review about a movie of the romantic comedy genre, that is completely stellar. Publicity for this film has been absurd. I've been waiting for this movie to come out probably since May. However, I've been waiting for it from a very skeptical stand point. As I have discussed in earlier blogs, Justin Timberlake, in his recent film endeavors, has yet to really "tickle my fancy" with his performances. After all, it is just a romantic comedy, and you can only expect but so much, right? I saw No Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher a few months back, which is a movie with the exact same plot concept as that of Friends With Benefits, also very well-publicized and highly anticipated, and it didn't live up to the hype for me. It was good, but it wasn't great, but how often does one say a romantic comedy is great?

Friends With Benefits, on the other hand, is a totally different story. I, in no way, expected to like this movie as much as I did. I loved it, and I would see it again. I like a good ol' romantic comedy just as much as the next girl does. But never have I had a desire to pay to see one twice.

Mila Kunis is fantastic. I love her. I think she's a natural and I cannot say this about a lot of actresses today, but I completely understand the hype surrounding her in Hollywood and in the public eye. She's cool. She's funny. She's spunky and she just doesn't seem like the average chick. I would bet that the character she played in this movie is pretty close to her character in real life. This means that the movie may not have been a huge display of her acting capability, but it sure as hell told me that she's someone I would want to hang out with.

Justin is funny. He's funny and genuine and that is the first time I can say that out of probably all the films I have seen him in. He plays a real person and he's totally natural. I loved watching him in this. Did I mention he's hot? I mean, extra hot. His body? Ridiculous. Six pack, washboard abs and that rear end of his? You have the pleasure of seeing that several times throughout the film. And, yes, it is an absolute pleasure to see.

Timberlake and Kunis are both beautiful, they look great together, and their chemistry in the movie is fantastic. You actually believe that the two of them are best friends that just decided to have sex. They play that messy situation very well. There are a lot of sex scenes in this, obviously, and even in romantic comedies, sex scenes can be a little awkward to watch. All of these scenes in Friends With Benefits are pure comedy. I am not sure if that is because the movie is so well written and well directed (director, Will Gluck who also directed Easy A), or if it is because Justin and Mila are so great together.

The movie is very "cool." It is based in New York City and it stays true to NYC roots and culture. Kunis' character, Jamie, when they first meet, takes Dylan, Timberlake's character, to a flash mob occurring in Times Square to try to convince him to make the move from Los Angeles, to New York for the new job at GQ that she has recruited him for. New York City culture is very much an active part of this movie. It drives the development of the relationship between the two lead characters and is evident even down to the fashion worn by Justin and Mila.

The other great part about this film, that sets it apart from No Strings Attached, specifically, is the fact that each character had a reason for only wanting a sexual relationship. They had some hang up because of some situation from their past, and the movie explained it, and delved into this very human part of each of them. I loved that. I loved that you get to know Dylan's dad, and Jamie's mom and that through those relationships came the explanation for Dylan and Jamie's weaknesses.  I am not sure if everyone will like this movie as much as I did, but I loved it. I connected to it for some reason, and I may still be on a high from seeing it, but it actually might be the best modern day romantic comedy that I have ever seen.

The Adjustment Bureau

I had to re-post this one because it's now on NetFlix and RedBox for rent, and I LOVED this movie and I want EVERYONE to see it.

First off, I just have to say that this movie is a philosophy major's dream. Seeing as I am a philosophy major myself, the movie kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. However, for the larger majority of you that hate philosophy, or do not know what the hell it actually is (cause I sure dunno what the hell it is), the movie is so fantastic because it is so relatable and relevant to our every day lives.

This film completely surprised me. I did not read the synopsis before going in, and I had no idea what the previews were revealing about the plot. The only expectations I had for the film was that it would hopefully be entertaining. It surpassed my expectations. As always, Matt Damon is excellent. His leading lady, The Devil Wears Prada star, Emily Blunt, is wonderful. She and Damon have incredible chemistry and it's hard to take your eyes off of them.

The movie is filled with twists, flips, and turns, keeping you guessing until the very end. The cinematic style is great. The visual effects are pleasing. For me, however, the greatest part of this film is its originality and message. The plot is brilliant. To put if very briefly, it takes the unexpected, unexplainable parts of life, and makes them tangible and concrete, turning our real lives into a sci-fi/action film. I loved it. It explores life. It explores life's meanings, it explores love and the inexplicable, overwhelming emotions and impulses that come with it. It forces you to dig deep within yourself, question your dreams, to find them, to go for them.

There is not much more I can say without going into too much plot detail. I want each of you to be just as surprised and overjoyed with this film as I was. I laughed, I screamed, and at the end, I even cried and trust me, that is a rarity. Just go see it. That's all I've got to say on this one. Go to your local RedBox and pick this one up! 

Horrible Bosses

Well...it definitely wasn't horrible. I am at a loss actually on how to evaluate this film exactly. I'm not 100% positive how I feel about it. It was funny. It was hilarious in some parts, actually. In other parts, I'm not so sure. I think it might have been over-done in certain areas, and under-done in others. Before I begin rambling, let me get to what I know for sure...

I know absolutely that no one has ever seen this side of Jennifer Aniston. She's darker, and she is absurdly sexy. I would like to emphasize the word absurd to describe both her physically and verbally explicit character in this film. She plays a crude, unbelievably raunchy, over-sexed dentist that is lusting so deeply for one of her engaged employees, she even threatens to go as far as breaking up his relationship, if he doesn't have sex with her. Sounds contradictory and kind of crazy, right? Aniston completely owned this role. It is so far removed from the typical roles she plays and because of that, she is more than a pleasure to watch. She will shock you.

Now, for the difficult part. As I said earlier, parts of this movie are absolutely hilarious. It is really difficult to go terribly wrong with a movie starring comedian veterans like Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis. However, I can say that other parts of the movie are a little flat. The best way I can evaluate it will be to compare it to comedies I have recently written about. I would say that for overall execution, it is better than Bad Teacher, but I do not think it comes close to measuring up to Bridesmaids. The concept of the movie is great. At a point in everyone's life, we end up working for someone we cannot stand. The script, and comedic execution in parts of the film are just so-so. In others, it's fantastic. I would say if nothing else, go see it for Jennifer Aniston. As for the rest of the film, I'll let you make that judgement. In fact, I encourage you to see it because I want to hear back from you. Go see it, tell me what you think, and help me take a stance on how I really feel about this movie!

Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher gets a B+, and that grade may be slightly generous. It’s a decently funny movie, but there are not a lot of redeeming qualities about the film. I cannot say anything that truly separates it from other comedies. However, I can say that Cameron Diaz is fantastic. She does a great job of being a “bad teacher.” Her characterization is on another level. You've never seen crude, dirty, Cameron Diaz, and you definitely get her in this film. She's fun.

I know what the film was attempting. It made an attempt at being an outlandish, over-the-top, comedy about life as a middle-class school teacher, and what that working environment is like, on a parodied level, where each character, is in fact a caricature. On a basic level, this was successful. However, I feel that each character was so excessive, it was difficult to find any realism in the film. That is what makes comedies funny-being able to draw the parallel between the ridiculous comedic situation, and the small bit of truth of that situation in your real life. I think this movie lacks that. The characters and the acting is over-done. Jason Segel is the only realistic, normalized character in the movie. His character was a relief, but I found myself only wanting to watch him.

Justin Timberlake. I could write a book on this man. That’s how in love with him I am. However, outside of Saturday Night Live, I think his comedic film endeavors fall flat. As much as it pains me to say this, I do not think he’s great in the movies I have seen him in thus far. I thought he was “good” in Black Snake Moan and “good” in Alpha Dog. He was an amateur actor in these early films, though, and I never expected a performance worthy of an Oscar nod. I LOVED The Social Network, as did most people. Again, I didn’t think JT’s performance added anything special to the movie. I thought his portrayal of Sean Parker was caricature-like. I did not think it was very realistic. I felt as though it was over-done. I have yet to be overwhelmingly impressed, especially since he’s getting good roles in major movies, with major actors and directors! Don’t get me wrong-I love him. I think he’s one of, if not the most talented person in Hollywood. His roles just aren’t “doing it” for me like I hoped they would. However, Friends With Benefits, his new movie, and biggest role yet, with Mila Kunis comes out Friday, and I heard it’s hilarious, so I’m definitely optimistic.

Overall conclusion: The movie is decent. You will certainly have a few laughs. And I would still recommend it. If you happen to have an uneventful afternoon heading your way in the near feature, and perhaps you’re in need of a few cheap laughs, go see the “Super Bargain Matinee” at your nearest cinema and check this one out.

Super 8

Spielberg did it again. If you grew up loving E.T., and wanting one for yourself. If you still get goosebumps thinking about the first installment of Jaws. If you see Harrison Ford on the red carpet at the Oscars, but you call him “Indiana Jones.” If Robin Williams in Hook was one of your favorite childhood movies. If any bit of this applies to you, you will absolutely love Super 8. It has the same magic that is so emblematic of these older films.

The child cast is lead by rising star, Elle Fanning and she absolutely shines. She is sister of child star, now turning adult actress, Dakota Fanning. I think it goes without saying that performance is in the blood in that family. Watching Super 8, I felt very similarly to how I felt the first time I watched E.T. You feel slightly nervous and a little caught off guard. At the same time, you feel gleeful, exhilarated even, and it’s hard to explain why you feel this way. Super 8 is based in the 1970’s and E.T. was filmed in and based in the early 1980s. I think this fact certainly adds to the inculpable nature of the film. The storyline begins with kids, making a horror movie on an 8mm camera, hence the name, Super 8. Kids don’t really do these things anymore. We live in a world of technology where children play video games and live on the internet. The 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s are a time we can admire and be envious of and truly cherish in history because it was a very real, and honest time. People lived more neighborly, and children acted more like children. Steven Spielberg gives us back the magic of these years in this film.

The major difference in this movie, than that of E.T., that I so heavily compare it to, is its action. It is action-packed! I will not say anymore than this, but the kick-off event in the film is a train wreck. This movie is NOT in 3D and I can honestly say you feel as if you are really there. The audio is out of this world, and the visuals are impeccable. This is a film for the sci-fi lover. This is a film for the action junkie. This is a film for date night. This is a film for the family. Director, and king of sci-fi cinema, J.J. Abrams, and executive producer, Steven Spielberg truly out-did themselves.

X-Men: First Class

Alright. So, let me premise this by saying that before this one, I had never seen any of the X-Men movies before, and because of that, this blog will be particularly short. I heard, however, that this movie was especially well done, and I figured that since this movie was about how the X-Men saga began, I would be able to follow pretty well. I was right. And so was everything I heard leading up to my viewing of the movie. I loved it. I thought the story-telling was fantastic. You saw the evolution of each character.

More than anything, I loved the historical context of the movie. I am not sure if this is well-known throughout the rest of the films, but this particular X-Men installment is based in the 1960s, and Professor X and Magneto parallel the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. What each of these characters stand for in X-Men is reflective of what each of these historical figures stood for in American history.

It’s a great action flick. Obvioulsy. If you loved the old ones for this, you will love First Class even more. I recommend this film to anyone-new fans, like myself, and old!

The Hangover Part II

Funny. But on a much different level than the first one. The thing about sequels is the fact that the audience goes in with an expectation that this one, must be as great as the first one. That is why you’re seeing it, right? The only reason we go see sequels is because we saw an original that took our breath away. The Hangover (part 1), will go down in film comedy history as a classic. With its release in the summer of 2009, it was a comedy like none of us had seen before-at least not in recent years. There was situational humor, a laugh-out-loud, hilariously written script, and a cast full of (mostly) no-name actors that rocked all of our worlds.

The best way I can describe the second movie is that, it’s a sequel. It’s as simple as that. They almost never measure up to the spark and excitement of the first. However, that is not to say that The Hangover Part II is not funny. The movie is, without question, very funny. If I had not already seen the first one, I would probably find it wildly hilarious. However, it just doesn’t quite measure up. The plot of the film is the exact overall plot of the first film, except the entire story takes place in Bangkok, for Stu’s wedding, instead of Las Vegas. The film follows the same mishap timeline as the first one, but it never quite rises to the occasion to match the insanity of the first movie. I think that they tried too hard with this one. The first film was a big hit, and they churned out a new script for a second movie very quickly, and it missed the mark. With all that said, I still encourage you to see it. If you loved the first movie as much as I did, out of pure curiousity, you have to see the second. It is for sure a guaranteed laugh. I just don’t advise you to go in with through-the-roof expectations.

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is the first "female" comedy in years. The great thing about this movie is that "female" in "female comedy" does not at all mean a film that caters to feminine humor or a more female audience. This is a comedic ride for everyone.

The film star's Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. This pair is absolutely hilarious, with Kristen Wiig's character, Annie, leading the comedy whirlwind this film truly is. These women are funny. It's as simple as that. The film is comprised of physical comedy, situational humor, crude humor, absurd and exaggerated characters and is fueled by a downright gut-bustingly well-written, and well-executed script.

At the core of its extraordinary comedy, are very human characters with very human desires, hang-ups, and life-situations. I could spend the entire blog entry raving about how uproariously funny Kristen Wiig and her fellow cast mates are, but you just need to see it. No words can explain the hilarity.

I would honestly recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. So make it a date-night, and if this one is still in a theater near you, go see it! You won't regret it.

TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon

SEXY.

EXPLOSIVE.

JAW-DROPPING.

HEART-STOPPING.

Michael Bay did not lie when he said Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the ultimate summer movie. Like many fans of the franchise did, I did not grow up with Transformers. I didn't have the robots, or read the comic books. I am purely just a fan of the films. However, for those that did grow up with Transformers, many found summer 2009's second installment of the film to be disappointing. The script was kind of all over the place. The overall plot and motivations of the robots were just unclear. Much of this was due to the writing of the script being caught in the middle of the writer's strike. However, Bay said that with the third part of the franchise, he did things differently. He wanted to make a film that he would be proud of.

In Dark of the Moon, the cast is hotter than ever before. With the return of cast members, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson, and with the new additions of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Patrick Dempsey, this fact was unavoidable. The robots are bigger, faster, and more badass than ever. The movie is action packed from beginning to end. But unlike most action flicks, especially ones that revolve around robots, it has raw emotion. There is passion, love, deceit, and betrayal. The script is funny. It has genuine comedic merit. You know where the plot is going from start to finish. Michael Bay takes the audience on a joy ride for the entire two and a half hours. I laughed. I screamed. I cried. There were parts where I actually sat on the edge of my seat, and held my breath in anticipation.

As you know, the movie was released in 3-D. I saw the 2-D version because I am not a fan of what studios have been doing with 3-D technology in the last few years, and Michael Bay seems to agree with me. He made this movie for 3-D and he is sure that this will change the way 3-D is done. He didn't mis-use the technology just for the sake of making a 3-Diminsional film. He utilized it for experience purposes. The 3-Dimensional movie is supposed to add to the viewing experience. These days, many of the films look cheap, as if the way the 3-D would actually play into the viewer experience was not taken into consideration. Michael Bay wants to assure the audience that he has done quite the opposite. With the level of action in this film, I can only imagine how tremendous my experience would have been in 3-D. Needless to say, I'm seeing this one a second time, and this time, in 3-Dimensions. Go see it. You will be making the biggest mistake of your 2011 summer if you don't. I promise.

Tron:Legacy

I am indeed a little late seeing this one but I am going to write about it anyway. My overall rating of the film is just...okay. I am surprised because there was a great amount of anticipation behind it and I had heard from numerous other people that it was a "good movie." When people give this movie a high rating, I think they are rating the flash and highly stylized special effects. It is visually stimulating and in certain points, action packed. However, to be frank, I found even the action and special effects to be less than stellar.

There was nothing in this movie that you have not seen in other movies. The dialogue was incredibly predictable and I truly detest that in action/sci-fi films. I hate the corny one liners and unfortunately, this movie was filled with them. It was not the worst action/science-fiction film I have ever seen, but it was certainly not the best. At certain points, it was dull. Boring, even. The movie dragged. There were certain parts of the film that were pleasing, at least aesthetically, but often, I just found myself checking the time to see when the next overly, but poorly-done fight scene was going to occur or when the film would finally come to its anti-climactic end. On a high note, I would give the music in the film an A-. It was upbeat, and well-fitted to the plot of the film and kept the film moving along...or perhaps it just kept me awake. No matter what the reason, I did enjoy the musical scoring.

I feel the reason others regarded the film with such acclaim is because it's a "cool" film. Ninety-five percent of the film is special effects. There are lots of gadgets, toys, fight scenes, flashy music, and attractive people. As for the overall substance of the film, it is without. Go to the theater if you wish, but I think this one can wait for Redbox rental.