movie review

April 7, 2014April 9, 2014

Let’s talk about #CaptainAmerica ~ The Winter Soldier #MovieReview

Alrighty, folks! I’ve been holding off on this post because some of my friends asked me to. Now that the weekend has passed, I’m ready to talk about it. So, I reeeally hope you all went to see Captain America because that’s what this post is about.

And YES, there are spoilers! That being said, if you haven’t seen the movie stop reading this post right now!

I’d first like to say how proud I am of Chris Evans. He has come a looong way since the flick Not Another Teen Movie. I had my doubts about him portraying the first Avenger, especially after he was Johnny Storm/ Torch in the movie Fantastic Four, but he has shown the world how versatile of an actor he is.

Bravo, Mr. Evans! I will watch any movie you’re in, my friend.

Now let’s talk about the latest Captain America flick, The Winter Soldier.

This movie was so on point and so good I don’t even know where to start. From the beginning to the end, you are served major eye candy. First of all, so many villains popped up in this movie. Arnim Zola, Batroc the Leaper, Crossbones, Baron Von Strucker… Wow.

This movie left me so excited. It was difficult to go to sleep after watching it.

The fight scene between Batroc the Leaper and Captain America had me on the edge of my seat. Cap surprised us all when he tossed the shield and the mask to the side and took it to the streets. By that, I mean he showed Batroc he didn’t need the shield to whup up on his ass.

Just one more reason to love Captain America.

Marvel has it together when it comes to making superhero movies. The direction, the storyline and the action… All in all, the movie was dynamic! Right when you think Hydra is eliminated or at least in hibernation due to the absence of their fearless leader—Red Skull, they rise up again and infiltrate SHIELD. Who came up with that brilliant twist? This is not something that just happened over night. This had been going on right under SHIELD’s noses from the very beginning. The mad bioscientist Dr. Arnim Zola encrypted SHIELD’s system and Hydra continued its assault from behind the enemy lines.

“If a head is cut off, two more will take its place.”

Those words held true meaning in this movie. Hydra multiplied their forces and took over the biggest espionage and law-enforcement agency in the world. They were everywhere, and they were out for blood!

Head spy, Nick Fury noticed a few odd things going on in the SHIELD agency that didn’t include him, so he devised a plan to uncover what was lurking in the darkness, which ultimately resulted in his death. Or so we thought. A friend of mine said the Nick Fury car scene was a movie in itself—a mini movie within the Captain America movie. Boy, was he right. I was literally holding my pee and my breath during that whole scene.

Nick Fury showed us why he was the HNIC. He was not easily taken down, even when we thought he was dead.

One of my favorite scenes of the movie is when Captain America went in pursuit of the Winter Soldier after he’d shot Fury. Instead of going around the building, like a normal person would, he WENT THROUGH THAT BITCH! I was out of my seat! Whoa! He was blowing holes through walls, sending doors flying off the hinges… straight Hulk-like tendencies. That’s what you do when you’re chasing someone and you want them badly… Don’t let a building stand in your way. Run right through that bitch!

My next favorite is the elevator scene. *smh* A whole bunch of men packed in a small space, trying to handcuff Captain America… I’m sorry, that scene did it for me. I can’t even talk about it without feeling some kind of way. 😉

Moving on…

The Winter Soldier, who turned out to be the fallen soldier from the first movie aka Steve Rodgers’ best friend—BUCKY, was incredible, not to mention a fucking BEAST! I wanted to root for him because not only was he hawt, he was our beloved Bucky, but ooo, he was such a bad guy. He had a mission to kill and he did it very well. Remember in the first Captain America movie when Cap found Bucky strapped up in some room within Hydra headquarters, drifting in and out of consciousness and talking to himself? Well, when Hydra had him then, they were experimenting on him. Now fast-forward to when he fell from the train. Hydra found him after that fall, and turned him into a weapon, an indestructible assassin. A perfect enemy for Captain America. He had the speed, he had the strength, and he had a killer’s instinct.

When he and Cap went toe-to-toe for the first time, I had an eyegasm right there on the spot. It was a well plotted and well directed scene. It was easy to follow and there wasn’t a whole bunch of shaky camera action to confuse the flow of things. I loved it!

Once Captain America saw that the Winter Soldier was his old buddy Bucky, that flipped his world upside down. He was stuck on pause for a hot minute. And it fit so well with the moment, even though most of the people watching the movie knew it was Bucky to begin with.

The last fight scene between them was epic. There was a lot of emotion fueled in that scene, and when it ended, it pulled at my heartstrings. I wanted Bucky to remember his friend so badly I was in tears. When he did finally remember, and saved Cap’s life, it was an awesome moment.

Sebastian Stan, you made me want to kiss you.

Now I’m wondering if Bucky will make an appearance in the next Captain America movie. The scene after the ending credits suggests he will. And he’ll be going after Hydra. *fingers crossed*

Anthony Mackie was a great Falcon! I hope they plan to incorporate his character more in the upcoming movies. He wasn’t a “key” member of the Avengers but when he came onto the scene he became an important asset. I adored his relationship with Steve Rodgers. Bromance. Although they’d just met each other while jogging, they had an instantaneous connection and liked each other right away. Their friendship played a big role in the movie because Cap was faced with the dilemma of not knowing who to trust when the shit hit the fan.

I can go on and on about how amazing this movie is. There were so many parts that blew my mind, but I have to cut it short because I have quite a bit of writing to do. 😀 You know how it is. Deadlines and all…

Feel free to leave a comment. If you saw Captain America, the Winter Soldier, I would love to see your thoughts on it.

HAIL HYDRA, BIATCHES!!!

June 17, 2013June 17, 2013

Man of Steel is Now My Favorite Superman Movie! #MovieReview

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

First off, I have to say that this was an excellent film. The actors were phenomenal, the direction was on point and the action was intense. Being that many of my friends saw the movie before me and raved about how good it was, I walked into the theater expecting a great movie. Thankfully, Man Of Steel didn’t disappoint.

They changed quite a bit of Superman’s backstory, but they didn’t stray too far from the beaten path. They just enhanced it and added little twists here and there. I particularly liked the storyline’s direction and the flashes of Clark Kent’s childhood during the story. Most of us already know the tale of his childhood, from the past Superman movies and of course the old CW series Smallville. However, the way they laid it out in ‘Man of Steel’ made me feel like I was introduced to Clark Kent/Superman for the first time.

Oh, I loved the new suit!

Now there were some parts of it that gave me a little deja vu. I noticed elements were taken from other movies for the development of the planet Krypton and the creatures that resided there. That fact didn’t take away from the whole experience of the movie though.

Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El ~ Not only was Cavill stupid freaking hot in this movie, he embodied a more emotional Superman. He took this role and modernized it, made it fit the world we live in now. Even the way he spoke registered as a Superman of this day. When I first found out Cavill was going to be the new Superman, I was doused with excitement. I’ve followed his career ever since he was a young buck.

I remember him as Albert Mondego in one of my favorite flicks, The Count of Monte Cristo, Charles Brandon in the series The Tudors and Theseus in the movie, Immortals. And now he’s Superman! I’m almost sure he won’t live this role down any time soon, because so far he is the best Superman.

Yeah, that’s right. I said it! 😉

Don’t get me wrong. Reeves will always be Superman in our hearts, but in this new day and age, Cavill has owned this character and taken him to a-whole-nother level. I think he deserves the Superman cape.

Amy Adams as Lois Lane ~ Finally! A Lois Lane that isn’t annoying as hell. Thank you writers of Man of Steel! I’ve never been a Lois Lane fan, even though Superman loved her to death. In my opinion, every Lois Lane before this one expressed her annoying demeanor and personality, more so, the Lois Lane from Smallville. Ugh, I could not stand her. That aside, I loved the way Amy portrayed this character. Of course, she was nosey and curious like any reporter, but she was likeable, to me at least. She did some things in this movie that the old Lois Lane would’ve never done, like the right thing for the sake of mankind for instance. The old LL was selfish, all about getting her story out and didn’t care who she had to exploit to do it, but this new LL had a fairly sizeable conscious and actually listened to reason. Yeah, I was shocked too.

*Please Lois Lane fans, don’t send me any angry messages.* LOL!

Russell Crow as Jor-El ~ OH MY GOD! Best Jor-El EVER! Russell Crow owned that role! We all know he’s an exceptional actor. Well he reminded us of that fact in this movie. Jor-El was a badass. When General Zod accosted him like he was merely some defenseless scientist, he put Zod on his backside. *grin* Loved that scene! What I liked most about his character was that he was more dangerous in death than alive. Sure, he showed his physical strength when he went up against Zod and his army, but he displayed his brilliance and never-ending power in the afterlife when his son needed him. He was a soul that never died. I was awestruck while watching him.

Someone needs to give him an award for that role. Seriously.

Michael Shannon as General Zod ~ Michael first caught my attention in the movie Jonah Hex, then again in the series Boardwalk Empire, and recently in the movie Premium Rush. I think he has a crazed disposition in real life and it shows in the characters he plays. Don’t get mad at me for saying that. Just remember, it takes one to know one. 😉

General Zod had a deep-seeded cause for his madness and his passion to see it through was relentless. I feel Michael expressed that passion beautifully. Yeah, he was the bad guy and pretty damn crazy, but his goal had merit. No, I don’t agree with wiping out the human race to achieve this goal. Genocide is never the answer. *grin* But his will and determination to rebuild his world on earth could be felt through the screen. He would stop at nothing, not even Superman, to get it done.

Michael delivered an applause-worthy performance.

The fight scenes between General Zod and Superman had me about to jump out of my seat. They were epic, and probably the longest battle scenes I have ever seen. And the graphics… wow. Outstanding! The whole movie was awesome, but the Superman vs Zod scenes were memorable. It was so fast and intense, I was afraid to blink. I might’ve missed something. 😀

For the record, I will be going to see the Man of Steel a second time, just for the action scenes.

June 13, 2013June 14, 2013

After Earth, Why Did it Bomb? #MovieReview

One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind’s new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai’s craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance. Written by Columbia Pictures

Last weekend, I went with the family to go see After Earth. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t read the critic reviews on the movie before I went to see it.

And I’m glad I didn’t.

From watching the trailers alone, I expected to get nothing less than a good action/sci-fi/thriller movie. To my delight, that’s exactly what I got.

There was a heartfelt message in this movie that was difficult to miss. I cried, smiled and giggled at some parts. I had the perfect movie-going experience. In short, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Okay, I’ll do my best to explain this without giving away too much of the movie.

The thing I liked most about this film was the development of the father and son relationship. In the beginning, there was an obvious disconnect between Cypher—the father, and his family, more so with his son, Katai. Throughout the movie, flashes of the tragic backstory explained his emotionless demeanor and disconnect. He wanted to reconnect with his family again, and to do that he had to start with Katai. So he took Katai on an excursion, which turned out to be disastrous.

They crashed landed on earth. Now keep in mind, this is 1000 years later. The air was different. There were no buildings and roads, or subways and such. Nature had completely taken over, and animals, who were inferior to humans, ruled the planet. Some had even grown to massive sizes.

After gaining consciousness, Katai found his father alive, but fatally injured. That wasn’t the just of their dilemma though. The beacon to contact their home station had been damaged, and the other beacon was on the tail of the ship, which was torn off during the fall, and was more than a few miles away from them. On top of that, an alien creature known to torment and kill humans, crash landed with them. This creature feeds off fear. In addition to fighting and fleeing from all the other threats on earth, Katai had to cast aside his fears and battle this creature.

It gave a new meaning to the term, ‘Man up!’

I was literally on the edge of my seat during many parts of this movie. There were some powerful and scary scenes that pulled all kinds of emotions out of me. 😀 I walked out of the theater glad I saw the movie. And YES, I will be purchasing it when it releases in bluray. I have to add it to my sci-fi collection.

When I got home, I looked up the critic reviews and was shocked at what I found. The critics totally ripped the movie apart. I couldn’t help but think to myself, they couldn’t have seen the same movie I saw.

I had the same experience with John Carter. The critics panned that movie and I absolutely loved it. I only wished I would’ve seen it in the theater. After I
saw it and enjoyed it, I decided not to listen to the critics anymore.

Look, I understand the movie world is pissed at M. Night Shyamalan for what he did to The Last Airbender. I agree wholeheartedly that that flick was an epic fail, and I too was highly displeased because I’m a huge Avatar, the Last Airbender fan. But come on, let’s not stay mad at the man. After Earth was a great comeback. It was a fabulous storyline and it played out very well. In addition to that, Will Smith and his son, Jaden were a dynamic duo.

Instead of listening to the critics, I suggest you go see the movie yourself and make your own judgment.

December 30, 2012December 30, 2012

Movie Review: The Three Musketeers (2011)

After failing in a scheme to steal Leonardo Da Vinci’s airship blueprints, the Musketeers are disbanded by Cardinal Richelieu leaving Athos, Porthos and Aramis on the streets of Paris. In the meantime, the young, reckless and ambitious D’Artagnan has set off from Gascony with dreams of becoming a musketeer himself, not realizing that they have been disbanded. In no time, D’Artagnan manages to offend Athos, Porthos and Aramis on different occasions and challenges them all to duels. However before the duels can take place they are attacked by guards, trying to arrest them for illegal dueling. The ex-musketeers and D’Artagnan fight off the soldiers, leading to the four men becoming a band with the motto of “All for one, and one for all”. Count Richelieu is not only determined to be rid of the musketeers, but also schemes with Athos’ former lover Milady to undermine the reign of King Louis and his wife. The musketeers and D’Artagnan are determined to save the royal family and France itself. Written by Wellard Rockard
Having seen the 1998 film The Man in the Iron Mask, I was eager to see what The Three Musketeers had to offer. I have to say I wasn’t disappointed.
Now don’t get me wrong, I would never compare The Man in the Iron Mask to the Three Musketeers. As far as acting and plot goes, they are on two different levels, and it wouldn’t be fair to compare.
So I won’t even go there. 🙂
I really enjoyed the plot, and I thought the development of the film was fairly solid. I found it amusing how the arrogant, yet fearsome D’Artagnan got the 3 warriors to team up again after years of lying low. He did this by challenging them all to a duel. Though when he did so, I’m sure he didn’t know they were the legendary musketeers. The swordplay and action from this crew was thoroughly entertaining. I’m always thrilled by a little swashbuckling.
The Cardinal, who was the dastardly villain, devised a malicious plan to get rid of the Queen and thrust France into a vicious war with England. He played King Louis XIII like a fiddle. The king was after all young and easily manipulated. The key to the Cardinal’s scheme was the beautiful spy~assassin Milady de Winter. She was once an ally of the musketeers, more or less a musketeer herself, but she had a devious nature and betrayed the men who had come to see her as one of their own. Before her betrayal, they stole the blueprints for an airship, which Milady turned over to the Duke of Buckingham, played by Orlando Bloom. 🙂 He really cracked me up in this role. As this character, he had a Captain Jack Sparrow swag and a Prince (the artist formally known as) fashion sense.
I’m a big Milla Jovovich fan. However, I thought her presence in the movie as Milady de Winter was a little over the top. She was gorgeous, as usual, and carried her role as well as the director probably expected her to, but in my opinion, I think they should’ve handed that role to someone else. Like I said, I adore her, and loved many movies she’s been in, particularly the Resident Evil movies. I just think she should’ve passed on this movie. The role did not suit her.
This tale spun into a brilliant film. I appreciated the touches of steampunk and fantasy world machinery, such as the airship. I think it added a necessary flair to the imagery, and of course the plot. It wouldn’t have been as entertaining if they simply remade a story that had already been done many times.
Aside from the fact that this movie was based on D’Artagnan and the three Musketeers, what drew me in were the lead actors. I will pretty much watch anything that Orlando Bloom and Ray Stevenson star in. I became an Orlando Bloom fan after watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Ray Stevenson caught my eye while I was enthralled in the series Rome.
What I like most about this movie is the imagery and the costumes. The leather outfits that the main musketeers wore not only made them look dashing, but appealingly stylish as well. The dresses worn by the Queen and Milady were just as stylish, if not more.
Whoever designed the set and costumes definitely gets a thumbs up from me. 😀
All and all I enjoyed the movie. Was it a film that I’d add to my swashbuckling bluray collection? Probably not. But I’m glad I watched it.