Movies I want to see

Just when you think you've said goodbye to Middle Earth for good, it comes back to you with what is sure to be of the same terrific quality as the Lord of The Rings films. Sure, Peter Jackson may no longer be the director, but from what I've gathered, he is involved enough for us fans to be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Besides, Guillermo Del Toro is almost as fantastic of an director, and does respect the source material, so I think it's fair to say that this movie won't disappoint. I'm still kind of worried about how "The Hobbit 2" will turn out though, as it will not be directly based on any of Tolkien's novels, but rather something of Jackson's and Del Toro's own creation. But ah well, the more we get from that dream team the better, because at least they know how to do fantasy the right way.

Don't fix what ain't broken. Five words that summarizes the idea of this reboot. Granted that Spiderman 3 was a real letdown, but I just don't think it'll be the same without Raimi and McGuire. Oh well, I guess only time will tell.

One of my all-time favourite FPS games in the hands of the director who gave us the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. This could prove very promising :-)

Love the first two, so let's hope they don't screw this one up. Glad it's the same director, but I'm not too fond of the whole "pass the torch" thing. I'll definitely be watching it either way though.

Joss Whedon's epic superhero spectacle is everything I could have ever hoped it to be and more! Where most directors would settle for a run-of-the-mill money-maker, Whedon has gone beyond our collective dreams, pouring all his heart, soul and talent into a creation that can only be described as a godly entity of the comic book world. It's to Marvel's great universe what The Dark Knight is to DC's. An all-around stellar achievement, that brings out the best of all its characters, with great humor, warmth and phenomenally directed action. I mean, I knew it would be good, but I wasn't quite ready for this thoroughly mind-blowing experience.

Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johanssen and all the rest - there's not a performance in here that isn't absolutely smashing (quite literally in The Hulk's case). And what amazing chemistry between the lot, if not to rank it as utter perfection! The way they work together as a team, poking fun at each other's differences while uniting their various strengths in bona fide comradery, makes not only for grandiose entertainment, but also scenes of pure poignancy, when the common cause leaps into true friendship, involving audacious derring-dos and heart-gripping sacrifice.

Action-wise, it's a real powerhouse as well. I have seen some breath-taking battles through the years, but nothing could have prepared me for the awesome showdown of the film's monolithic third act. State-of-the-art visuals, coupled with an incredibly thrilling soundtrack and edge-of-your-seat suspense, leaves you with minimal room to catch your breath and goosebumps so frequent, it feels like the bumps on your skin are gonna stay permanently in that state. Additionally, the film boasts a strikingly cool villain, in the form of the powerful demi-god Loki, played with intensity and malice by a terrific Tom Hiddleston.

Easily the best film of the year so far and an extraordinarily stunning crowd-pleaser, that will have you laughing, applauding and overwhelmed with all possible emotions. And that's just to give the sum of it. In the details dwells so much more, and a movie so wealthy in excitement, that you never want it to end.

Blockbusters as fantastic as these only come out once every 5 years or so, and it's definitely gonna give Prometheus and The Dark Knight Rises a run for its money. An auteur's vision realized; filled to the brim with fireworks for the eyes and intellect alike. Yet no words can truly it do justice. Like the great arts and wonders of the world, you just have to see and experience it for yourself.

Big-budget special effects: Check! Patriotic cheese: Check! A script full of holes and nonsense, that yet somehow manages to be entertaining? Yup, that's a check on that too! This is a movie designed for all the Transformers fans out there, with all the good and bad that comes with it. A flag-waving love letter to the U.S. Navy, that at times will make you cringe, but for the most part works as servicable fun. You'll probably not be surprised to hear that it's strong points are chiefly found within its technical elements. Top-of-the-line SFX and an excitement-boosting soundtrack (it's a cliché to throw in, but ACDC's "Thunderstruck" just never gets old), elevates the experience in typical Hollywood fashion. But is it worth your hard-earned money? I would say yes, though I can very much sympathize with those who are at a demand for more substance. Question marks are raised throughout, and no matter how much I try to make sense of things, it's impossible to come to any sort of logical conclusion. For example, if the aliens can create force fields around a mile-wide section of water, why not implement the same technology around their own ships as well? Or this really preposterous scene, where a stereotypically nerdy science guy (don't ask me to remember his name) runs into an alien-infested camp, grabs a valuable case, is discovered, but the alien neither makes any decent attempt to stop him, nor chases after him. I mean, what gives? All stupidity aside though, I really enjoyed it on the whole. Very hit-and-miss perhaps, but you can't really expect too much of a movie based on a pen-and-paper game. An eye-popping action spectacle, that keeps itself afloat thanks to an agreeable cast (you can never go wrong with Liam Neeson) and its bombastic, big-scale battles. Rihanna ain't too bad either in her movie screen debut. Not the most developed of roles, but she does the job sufficiently. So to summarize: A solid popcorn flick, that may not offer anything new, but is good while it lasts if you can endure the aforementioned misfires.

Wow, this looks even better than I had imagined! So great to see Ridley Scott back in the sci-fi realm again.

John Carter begs the question: Where did all the money go? It certainly wasn't spent on the screenplay, that's for sure. And with a gargantuan budget of $250,000,000, you'd think the visual effects would look a little better. I've seen films that have done far more with less than half of those sums. No wonder it became such a huge fiasco at the box-office.

Placing Taylor Kitsch in lead wasn't such wise move either. Granted that he doesn't have a lot to work with, but he lacks both the appeal and charisma to really carry a film like this by himself. In the supporting cast it looks a little brighter though, including as many as three of the stars from HBO's Rome - one of my personal favourites in the TV realm. Again, however, they are served mere scraps and bones of dialogue, in a very watered-down story.

It isn't a complete and total failure though; on the whole its quite entertaining and thought they did a really good job with the creature- and production design. I bet George Lucas would love this film; particularily as it more or less borrows the whole Geonosis arena battle from "Attack of the Clones". It's an unmistakable parallel, that is impossible not to draw.

How sad though to see such an epic squandering of time, talent and money. Director Andrew Stanton, who have previously given us delightful adventures like Wall-E and Finding Nemo, makes a flawed and bumpy transition from animation to live-action. Maybe pressure from Disney is to blame, I don't know, but this soulless overload of blue-screens and CGI, doesn't even remotely resemble the warm and heartfelt features from Pixar studios. Not bad altogether, just grievously, inexplicably and spectacularly average.

There was a time when I associated LucasArts with the most pristine and spellbinding of cinematic magic. Three less-than-stellar prequels later, however, the name just doesn't glow anymore with the same awe-inspiring intensity. Unfortunately, "Red Tails" is no exception to that fact. For as much as the trailers encouraged me to see it, the reality of the full experience isn't quite as stimulating.

To be fair though, it's a solid enough WWII piece. The story per se, about a crew of African-American pilots, who are pitted against the Axis powers and racial bigotry alike, is one that still holds meaning in our ever-going social struggles. We may have come a long way since the 1940's, but prejudice remains nonetheless a very relevant issue.

Where things go a bit amiss is in the execution and writing. Not that it's downright bad, but it lacks a sense of authenticity and fails to propel itself beyond genericness. Decent acting overall, but often corny, wooden and short of memorable. This is especially true for the lame love story between one of the American pilots and a small town Italian girl. It was like watching Anakin and Padmé all over again.

There is one area, however, where it accumulates some shiny badges and that is, as you may have guessed, in the special effects department. Industrial Light and Magic have done a heck of a job, creating visually rousing air battles that are among the best and most bewildering I've ever had the pleasure to watch. Not unlike the Star Wars prequels, it's all very eye-popping, but also come with the same misfires, as in being largely devoid of substance.

As I was mainly in for the action, I can't say I was disappointed though. I suppose it all depends on what you're looking for. If amazing visuals is sufficient, it'll definitely still your cravings. But if you want something with a little more heart behind it, I suggest you watch a movie like "Glory" instead, which builds on a similar true story, but includes better-handled emotional gravitas.

For when all is said and done, "Red Tails" is undeniably a superficial affair. Entertaining and worth a rent, but just be sure you know in advance what you're getting yourself into. Because apart from the cutting-edge aerial battles, there's probably nothing in here that you haven't seen or encountered before.