The Dark Knight Rises

Genre: Action/Adventure/Crime // Running Time: 164 minutes // Release Date: July 20, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

Synopsis: The story picks up 8 years after the end of The Dark Knight, and we find Gotham relatively crime free and in a time of peace. After taking the rap for Harvey Dent's murder, Batman has disappeared and Bruce Wayne has become a recluse. However, the appearance of a new villain named Bane forces Batman to emerge from hiding and try to save Gotham from total destruction at the hands of this new foe.

The movie itself is quite visually impressive. Batman's new toy 'The Bat', is much cooler than 'The Batwing' from earlier Batman films. There are a lot of great explosions, gun battles, and hand-to-hand fight scenes that are fantastic to watch (especially in Imax). That being said however, the story is not nearly as good as the previous two films in this series. Christopher Nolan seems to be working too hard to try and live up to the expectations generated from the first two films, as well as trying to tie up all the stray storylines to wrap up and put a nice bow on this series. There are a few too many flashbacks, tie-ins and otherwise distracting plotlines tied into the main story. The other key component missing from this film is that of a great villain and supporting cast. Tom Hardy's Bane is definitely evil and menacing, but nowhere near the level of Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight. He is close to level of The Scarecrow in Batman Begins, but when you combine The Scarecrow with Ra's Al Ghul, he falls far short of the level of villainy from the first two films. His voice is also unnecessarily strange and distracting, and it was pointed out to me that it sounds like Darrell Hammond's Sean Connery impression from the Celebrity Jeopardy skit on Saturday Night Live. Anne Hathaway does a good job as Selina Kyle (who is never actually referred to as Catwoman), but in comparison to supporting characters like Harvey Dent and the aforementioned Scarecrow and Al Ghul, she also falls way short.

Convoluted plot and slightly disappointing supporting cast aside, the movie still has its positives. You still have Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, and both of them are great (as always) in this movie. Michael Caine is especially good in this installment and you leave the theater wishing he was your butler, or father, or just your friend to give you advice all the time. The special effects and score are also great. I felt my heart pumping at times simply from the music accompanying the scenes. And as I mentioned before, there are plenty of explosions for action fans, and the hand-to-hand combat scenes in this movie are also excellent.

As a standalone movie, it would be an excellent piece of cinema. It's exciting, entertaining, and has some great characters. However, since it is part of one of the most (if not the most) popular series of movies (comic or otherwise) in the last 10 years, it will be compared to it's two predecessors and will undoubtedly fall short. It is nearly impossible to live up to the standards set by Heath Ledger, and even without his death making his performance that much more memorable, The Joker is still one of the greatest villains in movie history (in my opinon) and that is a pretty tough act to follow. Don't get me wrong, The Dark Knight Rises is still a great movie to watch, I did give it an 8/10 after all, but I would have given the first two a 9 or 9.5 in comparison. Maybe I'm just being too picky ... guess I'm turning into a real movie critic :-)

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Genre: Animation/Adventure/Comedy // Running Time: 88 minutes // Release Date: July, 13 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1667889/

Overall Rating 8 out of 10

Synopsis: Manny, Sid and Diego are stranded on an iceberg as the continents of the Earth begin to shift caused by Scrat and his never ending quest to get his acorn. The movie follows the trio, and Sid's Granny, as they drift through Earth's oceans in an effort to get back to Manny's family who are still on the continent. The group encounter giant crabs, hurricanes at sea, as well as a gang of pirates on their quest to return home.

As far as animated films go, this movie was fairly entertaining. It has a good pace to it, and for the fourth installment in this series, it's still pretty funny. As has been the case in all the movies in this series, the voice acting is excellent and each actor seems to suit each character perfectly. The addition of Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as Captain Gutt only serves to make the cast even better.

The animation in this movie is more or less the same as the other three in the series. I didn't watch this one in 3D, so I can't comment on whether or not the extra money would be worth the glasses in this case.

The movie is a decent one to watch. It has a lot of excitement and slapstick comedy that generally does well with the younger audiences. Adults will still find the movie entertaining and there's a few good jokes in there just for us ... although with the internet and the speed at which kids seem to be growing up these days, they might get the jokes that you don't.

Ted

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy // Running Time: 106 minutes // Release Date: June 29, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637725/

Overall Rating 8 out of 10

Synopsis: A young boy makes a wish that his new Christmas present, a teddy bear, will really come to life and talk to him and be his friend. Obviously, for the purposes of making a movie, that wish comes true, and the film follows the adventures of John (Mark Walberg) and Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane).

Basically, any movie that is made by the guy who makes Family Guy, and has a main character voiced by the guy who makes Family Guy, is going to seem pretty damn funny if you like, you guessed it, Family Guy. If you're one of those weirdos out there who doesn't "get" the humor of Family Guy, or finds it too crass, or too much like the Simpsons (it is), well first, stop reading my blog because we are no longer friends! And second, if you're still reading then I guess you're entitled to your own opinion.

This movie started out at a pretty high level of hilarity that I think would be tough to maintain for any movie, but they made a good effort in trying. I was laughing so hard through most of the movie that I had tears running down my face, but there were a few parts where the movie focuses in on the more serious stuff (romance, relationships, abduction, etc), and in those parts the movie seems to drag on just a little bit. However, that could also have been due to my high level of anticipation for what funny thing was coming up soon. I also couldn't get over the fact that you have the voices of Peter Griffin ("I do not sound like Peter Griffin"), Joe Swanson (Patrick Warburton) and Meg (Mila Kunis), but it's a live action movie and Meg is not ridiculed or ugly. Actually, I've watched so much Family Guy that it isn't until I see Mila Kunis that I remember her voice actually belongs to an attractive woman. MacFarlane also throws in Stewie & Quagmire's voices at one point I believe just to add to the Family Guy-esque experience.

Bottom line, the movie is pretty damn funny. I enjoyed it immensely. There's a ton of jokes, references, and random celebrity ridiculing for everyone to enjoy. And Giovanni Ribisi has a great show stealing role in this film and he is fantastic in it.

The Amazing Spider-man

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy // Running Time: 136 minutes // Release Date: July 3, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948470/

Overall Rating 7 out of 10

Synopsis: After growing up without knowing what happened to his parents, Peter discovers his father's old briefcase in his Uncle's basement which provides him with some clues about his father's past and leads him to Dr. Curt Connors, his father's old partner. On his trip to Oscorp to find Dr. Connors, Peter goes into a biolab and is bitten by a radioactive spider giving him enhanced strength, reflexes, and the ability to stick to things (hopefully you already knew all that!).

I was quite surprised by this film. Going in with little to no expectations might actually help to make movies seem better simply because I'm not disappointed by the film not meeting my expectations. I thought that this movie was pretty decent. It's definitely better than any of the 3 films with Tobey 'Seabiscuit' Maguire. First, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are better actors than Maguire and Dunst. Secondly, the supporting case is also stellar. Rhys Ifans is excellent in his role of Curt Connors and quite menacing as The Lizard. Martin Sheen provides his usual solid performance in the role of Uncle Ben, and the best part is, he doesn't tell Peter that "with great power comes great responsibility". And Dennis Leary, who in my mind should have been a police officer not a comedian because he plays these types of roles so well, brings a little humor into the film as Captain Stacy. Also, don't confuse Dennis Leary with Willem Dafoe who played Norman Osborn in the other Spiderman films, they look similar, but they are in fact different people.

The special effects in this movie are excellent. There's a great mix of CGI and physical stunts, and they use some of that parkour stuff the kids these days seem to love. The way they give Peter the ability to shoot 'webbing' was both clever and much more believable than past efforts. While the entire movie didn't have stunning 3D effects, there were parts in it that were absolutely fantastic. There are a few scenes where the 3D is used to give you a first person Spiderman view as he runs, climbs, and swings through the city, which in my opinion, was worth the extra money for 3D alone. There's also a few other parts where the 3D is used rather effectively, however like most movies, the 3D is only useful when the movie is using mainly CGI and not real actors.

This movie also has Stan Lee's best cameo appearance to date. When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about. And for those of you who don't know who Stan Lee is and why he keeps appearing in all the Marvel Studios movies, go look it up and educate yourself!

Fans of the comic book genre will definitely appreciate this movie, as will people like myself, who spent their childhood watching the same 5 frames of animation every morning before school. I don't know if it will live up to summer blockbuster status, but I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Brave

Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure // Running Time: 100 minutes // Release Date: June 22, 2012
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/

Overall Rating 6 out of 10

Synopsis: Merida is a princess who enjoys her freedom and doing her own thing, but when her parents tell her she is to be betrothed, she seeks the help of a witch in the woods to change her fate.

I must say that I was a little disappointed with this movie. After seeing the preview and knowing it was a Disney/Pixar production, I guess I had some lofty hopes. My main problem with this film is that is was far too focused on emphasizing the moral of the story, which just ended up making certain parts of the film seem very long and boring. However, in an attempt to balance these parts out, there were some really funny bits, and good action sequences which was kind of nice.

I was very impressed with the animation, but of course, it's Pixar, so obviously it will be top notch. The characters and the scenery were a visual treat for the eyes, and the voice acting was also pretty decent. However, I still feel like they tried too hard to really bring home the life lessons they were trying to get across and by spending multiple scenes and long stretches of time on these lessons, I found that it really detracted from the overall enjoyment I got from the film. If you have kids you can take them as I'm sure they'll enjoy the movie a lot, but otherwise just wait for the DVD.

Movies On The Fly

The following is a review of movies I watched while travelling back to Taiwan from Canada, hence the movies on the fly title (sleep deprivation makes you think you’re more clever than you actually are). These movies I presume are all out on DVD, so this one will be a DVD review rather than a cinema review.

Underworld: Awakening

Genre: Action/Fantasy/Horror // Running Time: 88 minutes
Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1496025/

6/10

Synopsis: The humans discover the existence of Vampires and Lycans and set out to exterminate them. Selene, the Vampire community’s most hated death dealer, is caught by the humans while trying to escape the ongoing purge and the story picks up after Selene awaken from cryostasis 12 years later.

If you’re a fan of the Underworld series, you’ll enjoy this one as well. If you’re not, well it’s definitely not the best one of the four, so you’ll probably want to skip it. If you like fantasy action flicks, this one’s not too bad, and if you’re looking for something to order on Shaw On Demand, or rent a DVD for a mindless night in, you could do worse than this one (you could also do better).

Man On A Ledge

Genre: Crime/Thriller // Running Time: 102 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568338/

7/10

Synopsis: An ex-cop convicted of a crime he insists he didn’t commit, escapes police custody and sets into play an elaborate plan to prove his innocence masked as a simple potential suicide.

The plot twists in this flick are pretty decent, there are a few things you might not see coming and the suspense level is maintained fairly well throughout most of the movie. If you’re a fan of police dramas or crime capers, you will enjoy this movie. This movie has slightly less action than Underworld, but there’s still a high speed car chase, a shootout, and some random explosions for the action junkie. This is another good choice for a quiet night in, but you’ll have to do a bit more thinking for this one.

21 Jump Street

Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime // Running Time: 109 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232829/

8/10

Synopsis: Two ex-classmates from high school meet in police academy and discover that a friendship/partnership could prove beneficial and they become a team of brain and brawn. They are later transferred to an undercover division where they must pose as high school students to attempt to infiltrate a drug dealing ring.

The reason I gave this movie a 4/5 is because it was one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time. I’m glad I watched this one early into the flight when most people were still awake, because I spent the first 45 minutes laughing rather loudly  (and obnoxiously) on the plane. There is a lot of humor in this movie of various kinds and it will definitely keep you entertained. The story itself isn’t the greatest, and the acting is also less than Oscar caliper, however, the random action and non-stop hilarity make this movie a great flick to watch if you’re looking for a good laugh and a good time. I was extremely surprised by how much I liked this movie and chances are, you will be too.

Contraband

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama // Running Time: 109 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1524137/

6/10

Synopsis: An ex-smuggler who turned legit is forced back into the smuggling game when his wife’s brother botches a deal and the debt becomes a potential threat to the whole family.

I honestly thought this movie was going to be a little more action and a little less story, however, the focus is more on the details of the story and the plot twists than the action. There’s definitely a bit of action involved, but mainly this is a high intensity drama film. This is the second movie I watched with Kate Beckinsale in it, and I can tell you, she’s not getting any uglier! If you’ve got nothing else to do (like say being stuck on a plane for 12 hours), give this one a look and who knows, you might enjoy it.

The Debt

Genre: Drama/Thriller // Running Time: 113 minutes

Full Cast & Crew: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226753/

7/10

Synopsis: The story centers around a team of spies who are attempting to capture a Nazi doctor responsible for the massacre of thousands of Jews and bring him back to Israel where he can stand trial.

The plot of this movie isn’t overly complicated, but the makers of the film work hard to make it seem more complicated than it actually is. They seemed to draw out and focus on parts that I felt weren’t overly important and I felt the story moved a bit too slowly for my liking. That being said, there are a few good twists at the end that make the movie worth the watch. It’s an interesting story, and if you enjoy espionage and drama, you’ll probably enjoy watching this film.

Prometheus

Genre: Action/Horror/Sci-fi // Running Time: 124 minutes // Release Date: June 8, 2012 (Canada)
Cast & Crew at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/

Overall Rating 8.5 out of 10

Synopsis: After discovering ancient cave symbols at an archeological site that are identical to symbols discovered at numerous other sites from other historical cultures, two scientists convince a rich industrialist to put together an expedition to a distant world in hopes of discovering the origins of human life.

I thought this movie was really well done. The story and the ideas it brings with it are very interesting and will force you to think about things introspectively a little bit, which is a nice change from the usual no brain required action films that have been released recently. Also, the interplay between characters really helps to build and keep the suspense throughout the film. It seems like almost every character has a hidden agenda and you find yourself constantly refining your ideas about what each character is trying to achieve as new twists in the story unfold. The acting in this movie is also fantastic, I felt that each character was well casted and very well played. I was especially impressed with Michael Fassbender, whose cyborg character David, supposedly devoid of human emotions and desires, seemed to have a sort of malevolence to him that made him a wild card character for the entire film, leaving the audience to wonder whose commands he was following or if he was simply acting on his own.

The special effects in the film are also fantastic. In this day and age, that is almost always a given for a big budget blockbuster film like this one. However, you don't need to pay the extra money just to see this in 3D. Some of the 3D was cool, but not so much that you must see it in 3D, 2D should be more than adequate.

If you're a fan of Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Blade Runner, Alien, Matchstick Men ... it's a long list), you will definitely enjoy this movie. Touted as somewhat of a prequel to the Alien series, this movie definitely has a similar feel as Scott's Alien. There is a lot of build up, suspense, and tension, and it might even be a little scary for the faint of heart out there. I really enjoyed this film, and after sitting down to think about it again to write this review, I want to go see it a second time. I guess that's the only part of the review you need to read ... too bad it's at the bottom.