Guardians of the Galaxy

Expectations:
Here, in our "Age of the Superhero Film," many moons have passed since Marvel's last bomb. Disney has taken a film franchise and turned it into THE film franchise, and no one expects anything but greatness from this point forward... including me. Sure, Guardians of the Galaxy was going to be different, but, unlike many, I never saw the film as a risk for the Disney's Marvel franchise. With Kevin Feige behind the curtain and Disney's marketing abilities abounding, Guardians was destined to be a hit! At this point, Marvel studios has the power to do absolutely anything that they want, as long as it's connected (however vaguely) to the Avengers' universe. With all that said, I expected Guardians of the Galaxy to be different from your typical Avengers flick, and, at the same time, I expected more of the same humorous, action-packed, mass marketable, superhero mumbo-jumbo that we are all hooked on!

Plot:
For some reason, the serious opening scene of the film did not quite fit with what was marketed to me as a fun, goofy superhero flick. As a result, I was quickly worried about the things to come. But, thankfully, the film jumped back into what I expected and never stopped entertaining me, from that point on.

I've heard so much about the differences of Guardians, compared to the other Avengers-related, Marvel films, but I must say that I disagree, to a certain extent. While there is no doubt that the jokes and dialogue were a bit more mature and clever, the characters and the storyline were really no different. There was a bad guy, who was threatening the universe. There were some good guys, who couldn't quite get along. There was a forced (and obvious) love interest for the main character. There was action. There was death and revival. There were forced connections to the Avengers-world. I mean, if you take out the dialogue of Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), you have absolutely nothing left to call unique! There's no doubt that Guardians of the Galaxy was one of my favorite Marvel films, to this point, so I'm not hating on what was done here, AT ALL. I just don't know why everyone believes the film is so unique...

Characters:
Kudos to the folks at Marvel for having the guts to make a film that featured a talking raccoon and a tree that could only say three words! Sure there were some predictable traits and quirks among the cast, but, Guardians is not a film that would have been financially successful three years ago. Impeccable timing is the key to Marvel's success, and I think the world had to get ready to see these types of characters, in this light, because we have already seen different versions of most of these characters before. Drax (played by Dave Bautista) was just a better version of Thor (100% better). Groot ("voiced" by Vin Diesel) was just a happier version Hulk. John C. Reilly's Corpsman Dey was a perfect clone of Agent Coulson. And, finally, Peter Quill (played by Chris Pratt) was a dumber version of Tony Stark. Let me know if you disagree!

Negatives:
Guardians' two leading, female characters were quite disappointing to me. First, Zoe Saldana's Gamora just didn't impress, in comparison to the other Guardians. She lacked the comedic element, which is what made the film work, and her storyline just didn't interest me. Add that to the fact that she belongs to Star Trek, and it just doesn't work for me. Additionally, her (un)sister Nebula (played by Karen Gillan) was absolutely useless. Remove her from the film, and nothing changes, at all!

Positives:
I'm going to use this space to praise the greatness that was the relationship between Groot (the tree)and Rocket (the raccoon). Basically, it was a mirror of that dude and his reindeer in Frozen... but it was interesting. Rocket absolutely made the movie and was probably the only super-unique character that came out of the film. I'm already hopeful for a Rocket spin-off (probably won't happen until Phase 45). I would watch the heck out of that!

Conclusion:
Although I ranted a bit about the lack of uniqueness, Guardians of the Galaxy deserves every bit of praise that it is receiving! Marvel continues to impress (minus the Thor stand-alones), and I don't see any end in sight. I mean, bringing in Paul Rudd certainly won't hurt! While I can't wait for The Avengers: Age of Ultron, I'm now even more excited for the second Guardians film to hit in a few years. If you happened to miss out on Guardians' opening weekend, go watch! Today! It's cheap ticket day, here in Hattiesburg! I give Guardians of the Galaxy 3.78 out of 5 stars.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

 

Expectations:
Holy moly! I could not wait for X-Men: Days of Future Past! When you go to the movies as much as I do, that giddy, movie-going feeling is diluted a bit, particularly in the summer months. From now until the end of August, I will likely grace the movie theater at least once a week, which means I will see many good, bad, and mediocre films. I will be excited about many and reluctant about a few, but there is absolutely no film that will get me as excited as I was for the X-Men se-pre-quel that I have been waiting on for about two years. In fact, I don't think I have been as excited for a film since 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. I love all of the mutants, and the entire X-Men storyline (yes, even The Last Stand). So, as you might expect, I anticipated great things with X-Men: Days of Future Past. I mean, come on! All of the freaking mutants, young and old, on one screen! It was sure to be absolutely brilliant!

Plot:
It was absolutely brilliant! I have no clue how Simon Kinberg and Bryan Singer were able to tie together the separate time periods and storylines as seamlessly as they did. Add to that their ability to create infinite potential storylines, and you have what could only be described as genius. For years, I've been baffled by the fact that the X-Men franchise was unable to become what Disney's Marvel franchise has become over the past few years. The answer may be found in the fact that Disney owns half of the world already. Regardless, I am certainly hopeful that the amazingly in-depth storyline of Days of Future Past doesn't fly over the heads of those who know no better than Captain America = Good and Loki = Bad. In my opinion, the Avengers will never be able to pull off a story anywhere close to the greatness that the X-Men just unleashed.

Characters:
What makes the X-Men franchise so fascinating is the vast potential of new and old characters that could be brought in out of nowhere. Honestly, I wish there was an X-Men TV show. I would watch the crap out of that! Here are a few high/low-lights of the Days of Future Past cast...

Negatives:
With such a large cast and so much going on, it would be impossible for Singer to bat 1.000, but he gave it his all. Unfortunately, there was one character that felt out of place for pretty much the entire film, and that was Nicholas Hoult's Beast/Hank. While his presence was necessary for a good portion of the storyline, he lacked an original storyline. On top of that, his infatuation with Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique/Raven was definitely forced, which distracted from the story at hand. Aside from Beast, the only other character who wasn't great was Lucas Till's Havok/Alex. With the quick deletion of many First Class cast members, his short time on screen was mostly just an annoying tease. I wanted to see more Havok!

Positives:
Allow me a moment to dote upon American Horror Story's main man and future mega-movie-star, Mr. Evan Peters. While many of you were (are) likely unfamiliar with Peters, he has always been impressive to me, particularly in AHS season 2. In Days of Future Past, Peters' Quicksilver/Peter singlehandedly created the most entertaining moments of the entire film, without a doubt in my mind. I can't wait to see what his future has in store! Additionally, James McAvoy (Professor X/Charles) was able to blow me away, yet again. McAvoy was my favorite part of First Class, and I'm glad that he was given such a large spotlight, yet again, in the sequel. Of course, Michael Fassbender was great, but I do think he was a bit underused in this film... Though, the movie couldn't go on forever.

Conclusion:
If there were a 2014 film that I wished went on forever, X-Men: Days of Future Past would be that film. Kudos to anyone involved in the making of this gloriously perfect film. Sure, there were a few hiccups, but, considering the task at hand, the filmmakers did a great job. After both The Avengers and The Dark Knight, I had a moment of realization that I would never be impressed by those sets of superheroes to that level, ever again. However, leaving the theater on Friday night, I could think of nothing but future possibilities for the X-Men franchise. Days of Future Past may have been good, but I truly believe that the future of the X-Men franchise will kick the butt of the franchise's past... a past that I already loved. X-Men: Days of Future Past gets 4.34 out of 5 stars. Go watch it!

A special side note:
X-Men: First Class was actually the first film that I reviewed on my blog. It is pretty easy to tell that I had no clue what I was doing, but, if you want, you can check it out here.

Great Expectations: April 2014

Easter is fast approaching, and I just couldn't resist sharing my favorite Easter meme, regardless of how sad it may be that I have a favorite Easter meme. So, there ya go!

Thankfully, this April, we are blessed with what is sure to be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2014. Of course, I'm talking about A Haunted House 2 Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Considering that April is an odd month for a superhero film to be released, it got me thinking about Disney's strategy, and I've come to the conclusion that the Disney folks realize they have the power to release any film with the word "Marvel" attached to it at ANY time of the year, without sacrificing any bit of success. Maybe the Disney folks are just flaunting their power. Maybe they wanted to leave a fair amount of time between Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy. Maybe they just drew a random weekend out of a hat. Regardless, I'm going to make a prediction that will one day make me quotable... The "summer" movie season will begin in April, starting around 2016. That's right, folks... No time for carrots and egg-hunting, we will have to go to the movies. I mean, think about how many sequels will have built up by that time. Where are they going to go? Batman v. Superman and Captain America 3 cannot be forced to occupy the same weekend, and people are sick of summer flicks by the end of August. So, April will soon be engulfed with blockbuster superhero films and unnecessary comedy sequels. Mark my words... It's happening, people...

Unfortunately, this April looks like it will be a month filled with rentals. So, enjoy Captain America!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

(April 4)

Saving Mr. Banks

Expectations:
Of all the December-released movies that I wanted to see, I probably wanted to see Saving Mr. Banks the least. Not to say that I expected bad things, but I have no special connection to Mary Poppins nor was I blown away by the magic-filled trailers for a film that looked as if it would shove Disney down your throat until you could no longer bare it. However, I knew that Emma Thompson's performance would be impressive, and I was intrigued to see how well Tom Hanks handled Walt Disney (even though I don't really a preconceived notion of what Walt Disney should act like). Also, I usually enjoy dramatic, non-cartoon, non-action Disney films, such as The Odd Life of Timothy Green, The Rookie, and Remember the Titans, so I figured I might enjoy Saving Mr. Banks...

Plot:
Although I knew the story would eventually end in the making of a Mary Poppins film, I must say that the path to the making of the film was quite intriguing. I don't know how true the story was, but I didn't really care. I just wanted to be entertained, and that I was. Thankfully, the amount of Disney-shoving-down-the-throat was minimal. Sure, there was a lot about Disney, but I wasn't overwhelmed by the praise that landed on the shoulders of Walt Disney and his love of all things him. With the good, there was some bad, however, and that bad came in the form of flashbacks to the childhood of Emma Thompson's P.L. Travers. Each and every time that the movie cut to Travers' childhood I just couldn't help but cringe. Not only did I not care, but I also hated the fact that the interesting story was being continually interrupted by an uninteresting story. If they had a spent a moment at the beginning of the film explaining her childhood, I would have been content. If they had spent a moment late in the film allowing her to tell the story of her childhood, I would have been content. But, instead, they interrupted the movie every ten minutes and revealed what was the slowest unfolding of a flashback that I have ever witnessed. Everyone may not have the same opinion as me, but I just couldn't stand that part, and it was a huge portion of the film.

Characters:
Saving Mr. Banks was certainly well-cast, and the performances were quite impressive. However, they weren't quite as impressive as I expected them to be. In fact, I wouldn't expect a film of this kind to be getting so much Oscar praise, but what do I know... Sure, Emma Thompson was good, but I don't think she was amazing. Luckily, however, there were a few actors who shone bright...

Negatives:
Ruth Wilson's Margaret Goff was one of the most shallow characters that I have ever been meant to feel sorry for. Although Collin Ferrell's character was supposed to cause her grief, I really didn't care about her whatsoever. Additionally shallow was Aunt Ellie, played by Rachel Griffiths. Her character was quite important, in the grand scheme of things, but she was only on screen for like 5 minutes, which was quite disappointing. If they were going to flash back and forth 300 times, they could have at least included her a bit more. I can't really explain who all these people are without ruining a large part of the story, so just take my word on these two.

Positives:
As I said before, I don't have a preconceived idea of the true Walt Disney, but I will say that I was quite impressed with Tom Hanks's performance. The way that he was able to make me care for Disney and avoid shoving Disney down everyone's throat was quite impressive. Without his performance, I think the film would have failed... big time. The only other character that I loved was Paul Giamatti's limo-driving Ralph, who really helped bring out the best in Emma Thompson's performance. Giamatti is one of my favorites, and I love it when he finds a role, such as this one, that is so well suited for him.

Conclusion:
Going in, I thought Saving Mr. Banks would be a bit of a one-woman show, but, as it turned out, the men really carried the film. Tom Hanks was absolutely great, and, if you take his performance from Captain Phillips and ad it to this one, he might make my list of best actors in 2013. You will just have to wait and see! Saving Mr. Banks was a nice family film that any Mary Poppins fan would thoroughly enjoy. If I was a Mary Poppins fan, there is no telling how much I would have enjoyed it. However, as far as being an Oscar contender goes, I don't understand what all the fuss is about. Usually, I can at least see what the Academy likes about a movie, but that is not the case with Saving Mr. Banks, which suffers a bit from that sappy Disney feel. Unlike Remember the Titans (one of the greatest sports films of all time), Saving Mr. Banks is not one of the greatest sports films of all time... In case you couldn't figure that one out on your own! But, oh well! I give Saving Mr. Banks 2.83 out of 5 stars.

Movie News for the Week of September 23, 2011

Unfortunately, this was a very slow week in the world of movie news, so I apologize for the brevity.

1. Chris Evans announced this week that he did not expect a Captain America sequel to be ready until 2014. Most people believed that the sequel would be out in 2013 along with Iron Man 3 and Thor 2, but it looks like we will have to wait a little longer until we get another good Marvel film.

2. Universal announced this week that they are working on a new Scarface movie. The studio says that the new film will be neither a sequel or a remake, but will just involve many elements of the Al Pacino version.

3. Future Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth has signed on to be a part of The Expendables 2. I don't quite understand what his role will be alongside all of the old men, but maybe it won't suck.

4. Disney announced this week that they will be adding a new attraction to their Disney World theme park based on.......... Avatar! "Avatar Land" will be inside of the Animal Kingdom park and will be about 12 acres in size. I have never been to Disney World, but Avatar was the coolest 3D thing ever, and I can only imagine how great the rides will be.

Here he is........... THE DARTH KNIGHT!!!

Movie News for the Week of July 12, 2011

1. The Star Wars news continues to roll in. Now a LEGO Star Wars TV special is being developed by George Lucas. The series will complement the Clone Wars series as Lucas promises a "new and fun" take on the classic.

2. An Angry Birds feature film is becoming more of a reality each day. I don't understand how this will be interesting, but I thought many people might be excited about it.

3. Javier Bardem has signed on to play in the new, untitled James Bond film. Most believe he will play a villain, but this has not been confirmed. The movie has taken a while to get started, due to the financial woes at the production company, but everything seems to be coming together.

4. FOX has ordered more scripts for a Napoleon Dynamite animated series. The series, based on the film, will premiere in the fall.

5. It has been rumored that Adam West will make an appearance in The Dark Knight Rises. West was the star of the original Batman TV series and would be a great surprise in the film, however big the role.

6. Paramount Pictures will replace the well known Dream Works name with a new animated division. The title of the new division is Paramount Animation (very original). Paramount will be working on a more limited budget, which could spell disaster for the films being made by the new division of the well-known company. Dream Works has yet to find a new home, but will likely be picked up by a new company in the future, sooner or later.

7. Not much of a surprise but certainly a big piece of movie news began this week. Johnny Depp is very very close to signing on for a fifth Pirates film. As a huge fan of the series who had mixed emotions about the fourth film, this news depresses me. I don't want one of the best film series ever to be ruined by Disney's quest for cash, but they never ask me.