Captain America: The First Avenger

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a skinny kid from Brooklyn with a big heart is finally accepted into the U.S. Army during WW II after agreeing to volunteer for a top secret project that turns him into super-strong super hero Captain America.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Armitage

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Hollywood is churning out superhero films by the boatload these days with varying degrees of success. But it's obvious Marvel Studios is taking the greatest of care with their well-known characters and this one is no exception. Staying true to an origin story that took place 70 years ago makes for a nice change of pace while watching a super-strong man try to save the world.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is a sly sense of humor woven throughout the film that will keep a smile on your face. Especially when Cap mistakes the meaning of the word "fondue."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, and we can thank the filmmakers for not trying to go somewhere that this film didn't need to go.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: A pitch should be made for costume design. It's a deft blend between a clever winking nod to the absurdity of superhero costumes and some beautiful designs that take into account historical accuracy along with top-notch creative talent and inspiration. (I guess this has been a week for good costumes, here at the blog.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Chris Evans was an inspired choice for this role; his performance is an effortless blend between humor/earnestness and sensitivity/machismo. This is one of those moments in time when the exact right actor is paired with the exact right part. Hugo Weaving thankfully keeps things in check as the main villain and Hayley Atwell is a nice new face as Cap's love interest who proves to be as tough as him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The period film looks beautiful and the pace is perfect both in set-up and pay-offs. One might wish some of the action scenes were less montage-y, but for those wanting to see Captain America wield his ultra strong shield as a lethal weapon, you definitely won't be disappointed.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I'd like to thank Marvel Studios for hiring good screenwriters who ultimately deliver a straightforward, entertaining script. No one is trying to reinvent the wheel with this one, and that alone should be commended. It could be said that Captain America is more Americana-Apple-Pie than even Superman himself, and this film feeds into that ideal beautifully. You might not recognize the America on display in this movie, but the reminder of what it once was will give you goosebumps (and then probably make you depressed).

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Yes, two things: 1. Stick around until the end credits are done to see a continuation of the last scene which turns into a teaser-trailer for next summer's The Avengers movie (which Captain America will be a big part of). 2. Everyone is talking about the visual effect of "skinny" cap at the start of the film (before he transforms). Many assume it's Chis Evans' head on another actor's body (like they did with Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button). It's not though; it's all Chris Evans and they digitally made him thinner and shorter. An amazing effect in a film full of them.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Captain America: The First Avenger Trailer

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Green Lantern

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A daredevil fighter pilot (Ryan Reynolds) is recruited by an intergalactic peace-keeping squadron and given a mystical green ring that bestows him with super-human powers.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Tim Robbins, Angela Bassett, Jay O. Sanders

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Filling a space somewhere between the excellence of Iron Man and the inexplicable awfulness of Iron Man 2, Green Lantern ultimately fails in justifying a reason for making a movie about a second-tier Marvel comic book superhero who gets his power from a lantern. Yeah, a lantern.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Ryan Reynolds plays the title character so there was probably some initial idea about infusing humor into both the film and character because Ryan Reynolds has been known to be funny. Ryan Reynolds is not funny in this movie, but I think he was trying to be.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're a big Green Lantern fan from reading the comic books, then most likely yes. But not as much as when you cried over what they did to Daredevil when they made that film.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Sometimes the questions in these reviews simply don't apply. Here is one instance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Here is a second instance...

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Way back in 2006 director Martin Campbell thrillingly revived the Bond series by directing Casino Royale. Hopes were high that he could pull off something equally as thrilling by launching Green Lantern into a fantastic film franchise filled with lots of numbers after the words “Green Lantern.” If you've been paying attention to this review, then you know that did not happen. Regardless, there is still some cool stuff in Green Lantern that we can give Martin credit for.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Clearly Green Lantern's origin story is a complicated one that, much like Thor, involves plot lines on two completely different planets with two completely different sets of characters. This script tries hard to keep things clear, but too often it just feels like it's going through the standard superhero movie motions and it all feels like been-there-done-that stuff. There are always ways to keep a new superhero movie fresh even though it might not seem that original. Iron Man achieved it, and so did this summer's X-Men: First Class. Green Lantern did not.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Green Lantern Trailer

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X-Men: First Class

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Before they were X-Men, they were X-boys and girls. This is the story of how they found each other, developed their powers, and chose sides.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, January Jones, Oliver Platt, Zoe Kravitz, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Edi Gathegi, Alex Gonzalez, Jason Flemyng, Matt Craven, Laurence Belcher, Bill Milner, Demitri Goritsas, Glenn Morshower

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! In the world of superheroes, the story of how they became who they are is always going to be the most interesting part. And that goes for stories about regular people, too.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There's a lot that's light-hearted and fun, but none of it will really make you laugh.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The ending is really sad, because it has to leave us off where the original films begin. But it's also kind of exciting because we knew they had to get there. Kind of like the end of Revenge of the Sith.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I give it the Award for not using 3D! I guess when you have a good story, you don't have to rely on gimmicks to get the audiences interested.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The most emotional performance is Mystique's morphing. Can we give acting accolades to the special effects department?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: With Stardust, Kick-Ass and this, Matthew Vaughn can add another to his quickly growing list of films that I've given green lights. Except that I only gave Stardust a green light in my mind, because it came out a few months before I developed my mutant super power of giving out lights.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I enjoyed how they incorporated the story of mutant superheroes into the actually history of WWII and the Cuban Missile Crisis. It's especially great because now, when we want to confuse our children about where the line is between history and fiction, we no longer have to rely solely on the 24 hour news networks.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: X-Men: First Class Trailer

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Super

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man's (Rainn Wilson) wife (Liv Tyler) leaves him for a drug kingpin (Kevin Bacon), and convinced that she was kidnapped, and didn't leave voluntarily, he decides to become a superhero, donning a costume and going after bad guys, until he is ready to go after the kingpin who stole his wife.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Andre Royo, Sean Gunn, Stephen Blackehart, Don Mac, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Go see Kick-Ass instead.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you are sick and twisted... but not in the good way.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I felt sad for them that they came out after Kick-Ass. I also felt sad for all the A-list actors who signed up to be in a film so amateurish.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: There are a handful of nerds who will shower this with blogger awards because the character is so pathetic, he will make anybody feel better about themselves.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I have honestly never seen Ellen Page or Kevin Bacon do anything I didn't like... until now.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: James Gunn should invest in a cinematographer. The whole thing looks like it was made for twenty bucks. And the wanna-be Scott Pilgrim vs. the World graphics have already been done in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Dark, dark, dark comedy. This is the first time I've truly contemplated the age old question of whether superheroes are actually the bad guys posing as good guys. In this story the heroes show no remorse about killing anybody, and in fact, often take great pleasure in it.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: I went to pre-school with a guy named Super, and he was weird, too.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Super Trailer

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The Green Hornet

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A spoiled rich kid (Seth Rogen) who's mad at his dead dad (Tom Wilkinson) teams up with his dad's newly unemployed barrista/mechanic (Jay Chou) to fight crime in Los Angeles.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Tom Wilkinson, David Harbour, Edward James Olmos, Jamie Harris, Chad Coleman, Edward Furlong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. There is something very exciting about this movie... But it might just be the car.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The humor is very dark and a little weird. I liked it... But I might have just been excited about that car.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Seth Rogen loses his mother, then his father... But I mostly felt bad about what happened to the car.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Better Car than the Batmobile. Yeah, I said it, Batmaniacs, bring it on!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jay Chou is not John Cho with a Chinese accent. Although, he's equally as funny, in a much more Taiwanese way.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Michel Gondry plays down his abilities for the first time ever, simply telling the story without drawing excessive attention to his own superb directing skillz. He only showboats in two scenes. The first one is the opening party scene which feels forced and out of place next to the style of the rest of the film. The second showboating scene, though, where all of L.A.'s criminals spread the word about a million dollar bounty, leads your eye in so many interesting directions that you want to watch it more than once just to figure out how he did it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Seth Rogen co-wrote the script, so I'm surprised he didn't make his own character a little more likeable. It's probably the one thing that could've really taken this movie from slightly off-putting and vaguely disturbing to just plain great.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Green Hornet Trailer

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Megamind 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Megamind (Will Ferrell) was born evil, so it's his moral obligation to conquer good. But when he finally succeeds, he goes into full-fledged identity-crisis mode.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, Brad Pitt, Ben Stiller, J.K. Simmons

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's cute, but the superhero movie has been so overdone, that there's not much left to imagine about it that's fresh or original.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The superhero movie has been so overdone, that it's easy to make jokes out of all the cliches that aren't fresh or original, and that can be quite original.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Your kids might cry when one of the characters announces that there's no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy. I suggest you prepare a comeback (read: lie) to tell them, if you want to keep the myth alive after they see this. Hey, maybe that's why it's rated PG, so you don't bring kids who are too young to find out that their stupid old teeth aren't really worth money to anybody, and the brown egg-shaped things that comes out of a rabbit's butt aren't really chocolate.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Prettiest Eyes... Or is it Giantest Eyes?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It's animated, so it's weird that they were able to come up with characters who fit Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, and Jonah Hill's shtick so perfectly... It's also weird that they're all so much better looking in this movie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: What I love about 3D is that after you pay a $4 surcharge, you get confused and a headache for about 5 minutes, and then you totally forget that you're watching 3D. It's worth it... Okay, I obviously have a vendetta against this whole trend, but for those of you who like 3D (read: idiots), I should tell you that director, Tom McGrath, uses it very well. By the way, no offense. (Did that work? Are you not offended now?)

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Will Ferrell's evil character is so sweet that you sort of know right from the start where the story's gonna go, so the only question you're left asking yourself is "how?" In this case, the how gets somewhat convoluted with a body switch scenario that goes in 3 Directions. Yet another example of one too many Ds.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Prepare to introduce your children to the smooth vocal stylings of Ozzy Osborne and AC/DC.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/megamind/33136/trailers

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Iron Man 2

(Guest Review by Annette)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Billionaire playboy/weapons specialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is back. The government wants him to hand over the Iron Man technology, the energy core is poisoning him, and there’s a bad Russian (Mickey Rourke) in town who is bent on revenge.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Favreau, Garry Shandling, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Leslie Bibb, Christiane Amanpour, Larry Ellison, DJ Am, Stan Lee, Olivia Munn, Jack White

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It’s not as good as the original, but if you like high-octane action (read: lots of stuff blowing up) and don’t mind a predictable storyline, go see Iron Man Part Deux.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: RDJ delivers the trademark Tony Stark snark. Expect a few chuckles, but don’t worry about popping your stitches.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you thought Mickey Rourke was hot in 9 ½ Weeks, you’ll spend the entire movie getting choked up about the fact that he never became a silver-fox like George Clooney.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The New Coke Award given out to all the sequels that just don’t live up to the original.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark. Like every character he takes on, you just can’t imagine any other actor in that role. Mickey Rourke makes an awesome villain without even trying; he’d be the first person you’d cast in a movie about Genghis Khan or Janice Dickinson. Sam Rockwell makes a great sleazy weasel—the kind that makes you wish you had a whack-a-mole mallet. Jackson and Cheadle are under-utilized and it's sad to see their talent wasted in such underdeveloped roles. ScarJo is merely a set decoration to ramp up the comic fanboy drool factor. Don’t ask me about Gwyneth Paltrow. She irks.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: CGI heavy.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Weighed down with too many subplots. Lots of things blow up. Tony Stark has clever dialogue. That pretty much sums it up.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: I think Chelsea Handler is the only person who wouldn’t realize they swapped out Terrance Howard for Don Cheadle in the role of Lt. Col. Rhodey Rhodes. (see explanation of this joke here: http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/05/21/chelsea-handler-mixes-up-african-american-actors-video/)

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/iron-man-2/33909/trailers

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Kick-Ass

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A high school nobody (Aaron Johnson) decides to become a superhero, by buying a skin-tight outfit and making pathetic efforts to fight crime. But soon, he gets mixed up in some trouble that goes all the way to the top of the mob.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Lyndsy Fonseca, Mark Strong, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Michael Rispoli, Omari Hardwick, Xander Berkeley

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's a fun, fast-paced ride, filled with geek power and girl power. But be warned, it's not rated R by accident. The violence is in your face, and at times really hard to stomach.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The humor is both dark and broad, which is a rare combination, almost never seen in an action comedy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Rarely has death been treated so nonchalantly.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be nominated for Best Fight at the MTV Awards. And Best Batman costume at a local Halloween party.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: You heard it here first, folks, Aaron Johnson and Logan Lerman are the same person. And you thought it was hard to tell Naomi Watts and Maria Bello apart! Oh, and lookout Elle Fanning, there's a new totally adorable, miniature actress in town: Chloe Grace Moretz is kick-ass.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Super-duper-excellent. Great action, and some of the best transitions I've ever seen.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is mostly predictable and there's a lot of unexplained suspension of disbelief (especially when it comes to questions of reality, like "Why isn't anyone going to jail for this stuff?" and "How come child services hasn't taken Hit-Girl away from Big Daddy?"), so in the hands of the wrong director, this script could've gone down a very ugly road.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/kick-ass/39243/trailers

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Where did Wolverine come from? How did he get to be the way he is? You will find out, but he won't.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Ryan Reynolds

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. After resisting seeing this movie, I have to say, it's not nearly as bad as you think it's going to be. I'd even go so far as to admit that it's a lot of fun-- so long as you don't require any elements that you've never seen before in a film.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are several efforts made, but none of them are successful.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I hope you don't mind fingernails on a chalkboard, because in a movie featuring so many characters with remarkable nails, you're bound to get a lot of them scratching up things... and the flesh is almost easier to take than the metal.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: How great is Weapon XI? Best bad guy ever! Talk about having it all!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: As good of an actor as Hugh Jackman is, I sometimes have a hard time getting past his total thespianism. His posture in the the way he walks, and stands, and glares is so actor-y to me, that I don't always see a tough guy-killer, but rather a sweet, family man, who likes to take on interesting roles. And I love Danny Huston, but the mere fact that he's cast in a role, gives away who the bad guy is going to be. He needs to play some nice guys soon, to bring back that element of surprise.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing is fast-paced and move-y. So much so, that it inspired me to make up a word... only to realize that the word already exists, and it's spelled, "movie." But, yeah, I thought the directing was great.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The fights, the superpowers, the special effects, are all there. And the story is absolutely adequate, too. They kind of had it easy though, since we already know that Wolverine doesn't remember his past, from the X-Men movies we've already seen. So the writers could basically do anything, because they have to erase his memory by the end, for continuity, so this story is ultimately irrelevant to the rest of the lore.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Do not stay for the little scene after the credits. It's not nearly interesting enough to justify sitting through approximately 17 minutes of visual effects credits.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/x-men-origins-wolverine/30722/trailers

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