Reviews

Way back when I first heard that Captain America was being brought to the screen I kind of cringed. How could they translate the complexity of character and his true coolness but stay away from any cheese? Dress a guy in the flag and remain true to the seriousness of the Depression and World War Two era? Well, they managed to pull it off quite well in the first film. The director knew that you had to establish and truly care about the character. Making it a period piece really helps give it a flavor unlike any other comic adaptation. The Raiders of the Lost Ark flavor was there. In the second film, they met the new challenge of depicting Cap in the modern era. Now, everything established in both Captain America films and both Avengers pays BIG dividends in this Civil War movie. The universe has been established wonderfully and this film does the best job to date playing in that universe. Everything and every scene packs some sort of punch and resonates with true style and heart. They really let the action flow but also allow for key development of the overall story and over concept. This also allows them to probe deeper into the character's personalities. And I'm talking ALL the characters even the ones with smaller roles. This heightens the tension, so often missing from lesser comic-book movies, and adds real weight to the action sequences which are thrilling and often mesmerizing. Add more than a dash of thriller aspects and a few new characters that steal every scene that they appear in.

I honestly can't think of one way to improve this film. The result is a sequel that's just flat out exceptional and a trilogy that's the best any genre has ever seen.

The Wolverine is a movie that manages to carve a smarter, fresher niche in the genre that Fox has had trouble reaching before now. It's a wonderful character study first and a great adventure film second. I applaud this smarter approach.

In this film we finally get to see the depth of character that makes Logan one of Marvel's best all-around anti-heroes. I'm not one of those crybabies that hated the Origins movie but I always felt they could have done better with the character. Wolverine deserves better than any "7/10 not bad" movie. Well, Logan FINALLY gets a high caliber pay off with this film.

A true movie first, Wolverine is the most entertaining film of the summer season because it plays it just right. It didn't try to jump on the dark film bandwagon just for the sake of playing with grim emotions. The balance and depth it finds makes it a special film and what results was a true joy to watch on its own. Honestly, other releases this summer have disappointed because they couldn't deliver intelligence or heart with their characters. Wolverine should have patrons intrigued and enthused as they savor a movie done right. It's a perfect balance of intensity, pathos and action. It's the story that only Logan in Japan could deliver and it's as close as we've seen to getting the Logan from the books.

I don't expect any movie version to become the literary version because you really can't compete with 40 years of character development and you also can't make any movie figure an unstoppable killing machine. Yet, they come very close. As a fan, I did have a problem with the character's power level in the movie franchise. He seemed to get KO'd so easily in the trilogy. Sabretooth KO'd him (for hours?) with one swing from a tree branch. Magneto KO'd him on the train by slamming him in to the back wall. Also, a single regular (non-adamantium) bullet to the forehead sends him down in X2. They make Logan tougher and formidable in this film yet they flip it all and make him vulnerable. This adds texture and ups the stakes. Thus, it makes the film so much more intense and enjoyable. Hugh Jackman is the PERFECT Wolverine and now maybe certain fanboys will be forced to acknowledge just that fact. For those of us that already enjoyed his work, this film is a special treat because it's the best the character has ever looked and been portrayed in live action.

WOW! IM3 combines the thrills of a big summer romp with the craftsmanship of a prestige studio picture. Thank you Shane Black! It's not simple popcorn fun although it certainly works in that capacity but it's as complex as its conflicted protagonist. It's a slickly engineered special-effects extravaganza with a saucy sense of humor that's well-acted and masterful at every turn.

Most jaded critics dislike big Hollywood stuff that's hyped so much and will look for any reason to hate on a big film. Any negative Iron Man 3 reviews stem mostly from that fact and Avenger blow-back. No worries, it's a great film. Those jaded critics should stick to their little films about art-house global warming crusaders or Iranian kids and leave the truly great films to real movie fans.

Sad to say but this movie falls into the abyss of most summer movies - excellent advertising for an at-best mediocre product. Who saw that one coming? Just think, some people thought they could follow TDK without Ledger and that it would be just as good. If that's the case, then they are in for a HUGE let down. TDKR makes Spider-Man 3 look like Casablanca by comparison. Yes, Spider-Man 3 did the same thing that TDKR does here. It reached too far to tie loose ends and jammed too much in to the film. Yet, Spider-Man 3 honestly did it better. That's no joke, TDKR has all the flaws of Spider-Man 3 without its action strengths. TDKR hits FAR down the genre charts and ends the trilogy on a low note for the most part. Such a shame that even a Nolan led production couldn't avoid the curse of the terrible third movie.

TDKR offers nothing new in any way, shape or form. It's a convoluted mess that's caught in no man's land. It actually takes itself too seriously yet offers ridiculous action (ridiculous as in dumb, not as in wild or fun) and even more ridiculous characters. It wants to be taken seriously like TDK managed to deliver but functions in bizarre surroundings with a foolish plot. Movies like TDK and most efforts from Marvel work because they develop characters, tell a smart story by grounding the concept and still deliver the action. This movie tries to take a similar approach but it simply can't stand on its own as a film. Will the fondness for the past two films mask the terrible failure that hits the screen here? Will dumb and chaotic appeal to even the youngest crowds or the biggest Nolan fans? Maybe it does but the rest of us want way more in our summer movies.

2/10 is being very kind. Simply awful in every way that matters. This was a brutal, grim, discouraging and depressing film with little to no redeeming factors whatsoever. If you saw the movie Open Water and hated it (which I did) then you'll hate this movie (which I do). The only positive thing I can say about this thing is that it does make you appreciate not being stranded in the wilderness being hunted by giant wolves. Other than that, this was one complete and utter waste of two hours of my life.

Honestly, I can't imagine paying to see nine worse movies this year. So, this crap will have a permanent place on my "worst of the year" list for the next eleven months and beyond. Thumbs WAY down

This was pretty much the bloody video game type of film that I was expecting. Kate is always great in skin tight leather (so disappointed in the no skin thaw out scene, however). I just wish the writers didn't write down or talk down to the audience so much at every turn. Maybe their main clientèle are morons but having the audience sort through a few nuances isn't the worst thing in the world. They spelled EVERYTHING out and it wasn't exactly a complicated plot. The CGI was pretty bad but the action was quite good. Shallow, messy, near nonsensical but fun... just what we all come to expect from the Underworld series!

PS-Is it me or are they ripping off Marvel comics with every concept in this film? X-23, Days of Future Past, Werewolf Hulk mixed with Blade... nothing original at all.

When I first heard that Captain America was being brought to the screen I cringed. How could they translate the complexity of character and his true coolness but stay away from any cheese? Dress a guy in the flag and remain true to the seriousness of the Depression and World War Two era? Well, they managed to pull it off almost perfectly! The director knew that you had to establish and truly care about the character before he was transformed. He spends valuable screen time establishing his characters and the universe but does so with style and with heart. Making it a period piece really helps give it a flavor unlike any other comic adaptation. The director worked on Raiders of the Lost Ark and it shows. If you could compare Captain America to any film, it would be that one. Everything established early pays dividends, allowing the action to flow but also allowing for better development of the plot. This also allows them to probe deeper into the character's personalities. This heightens the tension, so often missing from comic-book movies, and adds real weight to the action sequences which are thrilling and often mesmerizing. The result is a film that's just flat out exceptional.

The first blockbuster of 2011 may be the best. They certainly set the bar very high. It's an exciting and certainly an all-around entertaining comic book adaptation. Nothing in this genre since LOTR has been any better. Everyone involved in the production should be proud to know that their movie can stand toe-to-toe with the likes of anything else that summer can throw at them.

They found the perfect combination of spectacle and guts and passion balanced with the human dynamic of the character. It delivers mind-bending visuals but it still very intelligent and thrilling. How many summer films can you say that about that you've seen over the past ten years or so???? The actors REALLY brought the characters to life. It was really amazing to see it develop on the big screen. There's no doubt that Hemsworth is a star in the making and a rather astounding leading man. Thor is a dazzling example of the superhero movie done right. There were some parts in the movie where I was just blown away. This film has a depth that no one could have expected and is very impressive in scale and design.

I love how the movie played out and it exceeded all my expectations. This was by far the adventure movie I've seen in years. Not too many movies continue to have character growth from start to finish but still pack in the action and heart.

The intrigue, conspiracy and drama present in this movie are off the charts. It's truly an intelligent film that captivates from start to finish. I didn't particularly like the final twist but it all makes sense. On a structural note, I find it ironic that the crusading media is portrayed as the constant moral compass and is the hero of the film when, in real life, journalism is now all about the presentation of different levels of liberal falsities. As for the performances, Russell Crowe and the ENTIRE cast are simply superb… everyone is top level talent on the top of their game. I can't remember a recent movie where the supporting players are this good. Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels and even Helen Mirren have very small roles but all have a huge impact on the film. Affleck and McAdams do a great job as well.

Vantage Point is a unique film that suffers from the very thing that makes it unique. Seeing events unfold from several different "vantage points" sounds clever but, in reality, it seemed tedious and shallow. NONE of the characters have any possibility for development in this format. When any emotion or character development is attempted (ex: Forest Whitaker's character) it seems unnecessary and blatantly hammered in to the wrong place. Another problem is that each rewind offers no clues you can follow or solve. Everything is revealed over time but it's presented to you, there's no intrigue. The pace was crisp and the car chase was thrilling (even if totally implausible) but the resolution was far too convenient to sell. Overall, a disappointment.

This was absolutely the equivalent of a TV pilot episode for a Sci-Fi channel type show. It was frustratingly shallow and offered no resolutions to what I can loosely call the story line. When I say NO resolutions, I mean it. There's no real ending to this movie and no use of common sense throughout. The FX and the concept are winners but the lack of story wastes both. Much like the movie Eragon, this movie spends it time setting up what hopes to be a franchise instead of producing a fun and worthwhile story. One can only hope that like Eragon, this waste of time doesn't hit and that no sequels will follow. How can they not give you some sort of closure and some sort of reward for having endured that awful acting?

"The Punisher" is a shining example of revenge and vigilante-style justice done right. It's also yet another comic book adaptation done properly. I thought this movie was one of the best I have seen in a long time. In the compendium of comic movies, this falls just shy of the two X-Men movies and Spider-Man but easily surpasses Batman, Batman Begins, Superman and The Hulk. The fact that it is an R-rated movie will kill any possible chance of decent box-office numbers, but it was a necessary step to take, and the quality of the movie just makes up for it. Hopefully this was Thomas Jane's breakout role, as he was outstanding and has the potential to be a contender to Ben Affleck, Hugh Jackman, Colin Farrell, and Matt Damon as the next big action star. If you like action movies, check out this movie. If you like comic book adaptations, check out this movie. Heck, if you just like movies in general, The Punisher is two hours well-spent. Like Thomas Jane himself says, "Frank Castle is dead. Long live The Punisher."