Movie Reviews Roundup

This week has been super productive for only one reason.  I managed to view all the big summer blockbusters that I missed in theaters the first time around.  With the rising cost of movie tickets and the fact that these movies sometimes have a short run in theaters, it's better to catch them at your own convenience in your "home theater".  So in short span of four days, here are my quick reviews of the summer movie fare.


X-Men: First Class - I love the stories from the X-Men universe especially the ones that feature Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).  This current installment directed by Matthew Vaughn tells us how the two met and later went on their separate paths.  Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) aka Beast and Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) aka Mystique also show up as  youngsters along with other mutants like Banshee and Havok.  The big bad in this film is Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) who singlehandedly wants to start World War III by inciting USA and Russia into war.   The moments of the film that focused on Prof. Xavier and Magneto are the whole film because the actors who play them are riveting.  I wish it could have been more on their complicated relationship while the sequences featuring the younger mutants felt a bit amateurish.

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 Captain America: The First Avenger - Decent film about an earnest hero who gets a second chance at being a part of the war effort.  The movie is an origin story how Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans) becomes Captain America along with his fight against Hitler and the Nazis but mostly with rogue ex-Nazi, Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).  Along with a good supporting cast of actors as Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci), it is this summer's second introduction to next summer's big Avengers film.  It is a hardly outstanding but I think that has to do with the subject matter.  It was missing that extra spark of excitement.  But eventually serves to introduce us further into the world and universe of Avengers.

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 The Hangover Part II - The inevitable followup to Hangover which was the surprise breakout hit of summer 2009.  Here's the thing, Hangover was genuinely funny with outrageous yet hilarious situations.  This sequel tries to replicate that same magic again as the gang (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Leong and Justin Bartha) all heads to Thailand for Stu's wedding.  This time round, the characters face more outrageous scenarios to gain laughs.  And those were too few in coming.  I think this film was trying too hard, I much prefer the first film.  You could almost guess what was coming next in the film, it became that predictable.  I'm glad I didn't see this in the theaters, I'd have been disappointed to spend money on this.

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Thor - I've never been a fan of the character Thor but I admit I was intrigued by Kenneth Branagh directing this comic book film.  The result was highly enjoyable.  I had no clue about the character so the film did well to introduce me to its universe and the characters.  Anthony Hopkins as King Odin was well cast and I was quite impressed with Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki; their sibling rivalry looks to spill over to next Avengers film.  Natalie Portman doesn't have much to do except smile here.  I also didn't quite recognize Idris Elba as Heimdall, the mask he wears totally obscures his face.  Like the other films, this one too sets itself up for future sequels.  I'd be interested to see where the story goes.

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes - I saved the best for last.  I'm regretting missing this film in the theaters as it would have been amazing to view.  A scientist, Will Rodman (James Franco), testing a drug as cure for Alzheimer's for his father (John Lithgow), brings home a baby chimpanzee born in the lab.  As the chimp Caesar grows, so does his intelligence as he has genetically gotten the ALZ-112 drug in his DNA.  But Caesar begins to wonder about his place in society, he yearns to be free and be normal.  After an attack on a neighbor puts Caesar in an animal facility, he gets firsthand an experience of how other simians are treated.  He then assumes his role as the leader of the apes.  This is a well enacted film in all aspects; there is never a single dull moment.  The VFX is astonishing mostly because Andy Serkis' motion capture performance of Caesar.  The animation of all the other apes is well done too, the emotion seen in the eyes is especially chilling.  I enjoyed this movie immensely and wouldn't mind seeing it again.

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