2011 Summer Movie Season - Month 3 Preview (July 2011)

The End of Eras!!! Final Installments of Blockbuster Franchices Prepare To Make Box Office Fireworks

        By: Brandon Porter

    Hello followers!!! Words can not describe how excited I am to bring you this post. With Month 2 the summer movie season ending, all focus shifts to the month of July. There has never been a more spectacular line-up of summer films than this one. Two of hollywood's most precious film franchices prepare to make their final curtain call and both promise to go out with a bang!!!! In other words, all the movies you've seen so far this summer were just appitizers...Here is a preview of the main course!!!!!!





Shia LaBeouf and new actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
will be in an all out warzone in downtown
Chicago in the final chapter of the
Transformers saga.
.

 Transformers: Dark of The Moon (Paramount Pictures, June 29th)
 

   What if everything you knew about your country's history...was all a lie? Everyone knows of the historic Apollo 11 moon mission when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to land on the moon. But what if there was more to that mission than what we originally thought? That's what Sam Whitwiky (Shia LaBeouf) is trying to find out. After discovering classified information about the moon landing mission, Sam believes that there is a huge secret the government is hiding from humanity and more importantly...the autobots. Now earth is on the brink of destruction as an enormous decepticon army emerge from the shadows of the moon and begin laying seige on downtown Chigago led by the newly remodled Megatron and the decepticon assassin Shockwave. Now Sam, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the rest of the heroic autobots must race against the decepticons to uncover a cybertronian object that could very well determine the outcome of the autobot and decepticon civil war. The clock is ticking and humanity is on life support as the autobots make one last stand to protect human kind and they will soon discover an enemy they never thought of before. If there was anymore hype put on this film, it would burst into a million pieces. The Transformers film series has both captivated and excited us for the past 4 years and now the time has come for the final chapter. With the critical faliure of Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, Michael Bay is under a boat load of pressure to not repeat his mistakes and truly deliver what he believes is "The best Transformers movie ever!!!" We'll see if redemption will be met when earth goes dark in Transformers : Dark of The Moon on June 29th.



After 11 years together, Harry, Ron, and Hermione prepare
the final showdown in the most anticipated movie
of the summer.



 Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Warner Bros, July 15th)

     Everything he's been through, every triumph, every loss, every painful revalation..has led him to this moment. Harry Potter and his friends couldn't be in a more dark time period. Lord Voldemort is on the brink of absolute power which has brought the wizarding and muggle worlds to their knees. With Albus Dumbledore gone, the elder wand stolen from his very grave, and a massive army of death eaters by the dark lord's side. Hope seems like nothing but a dream. The only way to stop Voldemort now is by destroying the Horcruxes that maintain his immortality. While a majority of them have already been dispossessed of, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stll have more to destroy. The journey will take them back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry only to face Voldemort and his armada of death eaters including Dumbledore's former colleuge Severus Snape and the demented Belletrix Lestrange. The time has now come. The end is near, the battle lines have been drawn, and only one can live. It's hard to believe that 11 years ago, that we were introduced to Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Daniel Radcliffe. Now the time is almost here to say good bye. We all grew up with these amazing actors that helped bring one of the most beloved books of all time to life. Though their time with Harry Potter has ended, it still won't shake the fact that they will always be known as Harry, Ron, and Hermione in our hearts forever. We will finally find out who lives the through the epic Battle of Hogwarts as everything comes to an end when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 arrives in theaters on July 15th.

    Followers, believe me when I say that this will be one for the history books. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 along with Transformers: Dark of The Moon are almost certain to turn every theater around the world into a mad house. The month of July will be the most intense month of the summer movie season yet. So I just got three words for you...Are You Ready?!

2011 Summer Movie Season - Cars 2: Review & Analysis

Spy-Tacular Photo Finish!!!!! Pixar's Latest Film Ends Month 2 of Summer Movie Season on a High Note
                  By: Brandon Porter


   "Finn McMissle, British Integellence"
   "Tow Mater, Averege Intellengence" - Mater and Finn 



Lightning McQueen and his best pal Mater look to burn
rubber in the sequel of the hit 2006 film and the latest film by
Disney and Pixar.



The Story 
   After a life changing experience during his rookie season in the Piston Cup 4 years ago, racing superstar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is ready to hit the track again in a new challenge, the World Grand Prix. But Lightning isn't alone for he's brought his reliable best friend Tow Mater (Larry The Cable Guy) as well as the rest of the gang from Radiator Springs. The race will take them to three of the world's biggest countries such as Japan, Italy, and England. But things soon get intresting when Mater is mistaken as an american spy by high profile secret agents Finn McMissle (Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). Now Mater is faced with the toughest decision of his life: Help Lightning win the biggest race of the year or help Holly and Finn stop an international mad man from destroying the world.

                                                                                                                        



Mater takes on the role of international superspy and as the
film's primary protaganist switching places with McQueen.



 Analysis

    Cars 2 came into the summer movie season  with alot of scepticism and concern which is very rare for a Disney/Pixar film. The early trailers dipicting a spy theamed plot would cause some people to believe that Pixar was taking a very serious risk and putting their famed perfect film streak in jeopardy. Sadly, the concerns were all to accurate. With a dreadful 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and bad reviews all around, Cars 2 has hands down become Pixar's worst film ever. With this film putting the studio against the wall, Pixar will have to pull off something big  in their future projects to erase the memory of this film from the minds of critics everywhere.

Review  

Lightning McQueen takes on another big time rival
Francesco Bernoulli from Italy in the first race of the
World Grand Prix.

  Even with me having early concerns about how Cars 2 would turn out, I still was willing to give the film an honest shot being it was coming from Pixar. Happily, I was satisfied very much. Though I do admit it was kind of a step down from previous films such as Toy Story 3, Up, Wall-E, and Finding Nemo, I have no dought that this film does not deserve the critical reception it's getting. The movie carries elements of an exciting spy movie and takes on the identity of a true summer movie: Fun, fast, and entertaining. As opposed to his memorably hilarious role in the first film, Mater takes center stage as the film's protaganist in the second installment. I loved the overall tone and mystery in the film. You try to follow the clues closely and don't discover who the real villian is until the very end. In doing so, the film keeps you guessing until the movie is solved which is like any other spy and mystery movie. The action was surprisingly well done, even if it does come short of the action seen in The Incredibles, But it is right up there with it as one of Pixar's most action packed films. Overall, Cars 2 delivers in ways that the critics don't obviously see. and until they can realize that, films like this will never have a chance. 

 

Cars 2 combines great racing and
spy action sequences
 giving the film the exact feel
of a high octane summer movie 



   









Rating and Final Thoughs

 82% B-

     Cars 2 may not be Pixar's best film, but it still deserves significant praise for its great action and overall fun tone thereby keeping Pixar's streak alive. Hopefully Pixar's next film Brave, due out next summer, will bring the studio back to critical prowess. 

After all the concern surrounding it, Cars 2 manages to be a very
good summer film that bearly keeps the Pixar streak afloat.

2011 Summer Movie Season - Super 8: Review & Analysis

  Dream Duo Is Born! Abrams and Spielberg Make Movie Magic In Thrilling and Chilling Blockbuster, Super 8!!!
                    By: Brandon Porter



"I saw it, No one believes me!!!."
"I Believe You." - Joe Lamb and an Injured Louis Dainard












Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), Charles Kaznyk (Riley Griffiths),
Carey (Ryan Lee), and Martin (Gabriel Basso) return to their
town were it is under siege from the mysterious being.



The Story

 In life, there are thing that can't be explained and there are things you have to see to believe. That is the case for 13 year old Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) and his friends. Just months after the tragic death of his mother, Joe finds himself living with his father the town deputy (Kyle Chandler) who dosen't seem to intrested in taking on the role of parent. But things soon change when Joe and his friends are filming a low budget monster movie with their super 8 camera and witness a horrifying train crash during production. Soon after, strange dissapearances and supernatural events start to unfold causing confusion and fear through out the town. Now Joe, his best friend Charles (Riley Griffiths), and the rest of their group are in for the ride of their lives as they try to discover the truth behind these unexplainable happenings and discover a danger never witnessed before.






The great chemistry of Super 8's fresh young cast was just
one of the film's main driving forces.



Analysis

  With so much secrecy surrounding Super 8 when the film was officially announced earlier this year, many critics had reason to believe that they were in for an enjoyable experience or being completely set up to watch something they had seen before. J.J. Abrams unique marketing technique was one that would either be hit or miss. And happy to say it wasn't just a hit, but a home run!!! Critics have been raving about the movie's tone and style calling it a flashback of the films that they watch when they were kids. In working with Steven Spielberg, Abrams made it clear that he was one of the great influences for getting him into film. Super 8 features some familiar story elements from Speilberg's past works such as E.T, Jaws, and The Goonies with just a hint of one of Abrams' own work like Cloverfield. In addition to reciving an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Jamie Graham from british film magazine Total Film, gave the film a 5 star rating stating that Like Steven, Abrams has an eye for awe, his deft orchestration of indelible images, a tank trundling through a children’s playground, a plot-pivotal landmark framed in the distance through a small hole in a bedroom wall,  marking him as a born storyteller. However, critics state that the film's biggest winner is the young actors. With Joel Courtney and Riley Griffiths both appearing in their first big budget film, they showed great chemistry with the veteran members of the cast. It will be intresting to see how these two do in Hollywood down the road. The film has a great feel to it that is exciting for young moviegoers and a trip to the past for the old school crowd. So all mebers of the audience young and old get the best of both worlds.



With heart warming moments, insane action sequneces, and
suspenseful situations that will  leave you breathless, Super 8
makes it's presence felt to become one of the best
experiences you'll have at the movies this summer.



Review   Words can't descibe long I wanted to see this movie. After having to wait a week after it's release to deal with some important matters, I finally saw it in IMAX the following weekend. And my early expectations were totally exceded. Super 8 is one movie that was worth waiting for!!! When I first saw the trailers, I had the thought of Abrams is being real hush hush about this movie leaving me suspicious of what the creature that busted out of the train really was. The story has some elements of movies I'd seen before from both Abrams and Steven Speilberg, both of whom I have tremendous respect for. Abrams looked to have taken elements from Speilberg's past works and combined it with his own. The components fit very nicely resulting in something original instead of a repeat of past works or a crime of plagerism. The action sequences in the movie I originally thought were gonna be average, but instead I was completly blown away!!! The train crash action sequence was more intense than I had originally anticipated which excited me greatly. That scene is right up there with past actions sequences I've seen from Transformers, Avatar, and recently Fast Five. The real winner however has to be the job Joel Courtney and Riley Griffiths did acting wise in the film. It was hard to imagine that this was their first ever movie for it seemed like they had been doing this for years. In addition, the amount of suspense in most moments of the film were both thrilling and chilling at the same time. There would be one moment were I was relaxed, then out of nowhere, a startling event ocurrs that made my heart stop. Despite the intense action and suspenseful moments, the movie surprisingly also does a good job of having a very heart felt tone. The story was actually about Joel's character, Joe learning to let go of pain and loss. Being he lost his mother, it was great to see that he actually grew over the course of the film at the very end of the film learned to not hold on to sorrow and saddness. This is the best entertainment I have had so far all summer and it's hard to believe that the best is yet to come.

Rating and Final Thoughs

 88% B+

   Super 8 is a phenomenal blend of heart, thrills, and chills that translate into a surefire summer hit!!! Speilberg and Abrams make a great team and I look forward to seeing them do other projects together in the future.



There is always that one movie that you regret passing up to
go see. Super 8 is definatly a movie that would be an absolute
travisty to miss.



2011 Summer Movie Season - X-Men: First Class: Review & Analysis

Class is in Session: Inaugural X-Men
Team Makes Big Noise at Summer Movie Box Office
         By: Brandon Porter

"Listen to me very carefully my friend...killing will not bring you peace."
"Peace was never an option......." - Charles Xaviar and Erik Lehnsherr



The Very First X-Men (Left to Right) Charles Xaviar, Banshee
Havok, Magneto, and Mystique

 The Story

  Every person has a destiny and every legend has a beginging. That is the case for Charles Xaviar (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender). Two young mutants with extrodinary abilities but with completly different upbringings and life experiences. One a survivor of the holocaust with the power to manipulate and control metal, the other an intellegent college graduate with extrodinary telepathic abilities. With a dangerous new enemy looking to start a nuclear armaggedon, Charles and Erik team up to recruit a squad of young talented mutants to face the impending threat. With the battle lines drawn and Earth on the brink of World War III, humanities only hope for survival lies with Charles, Erik, and their team to stop the sinister plot and the end result will forever change the world and shape the destinies of Xaviar and Erik.





Taking a page out of The Dark Knight,
X-Men: First Class looked to establish a
darker more serious tone but still have the
great action and humor that has made the
franchise entertaining for the past decade. 



Analysis

   With big time superhero films lined up for the summer movie season, X-Men: First Class looked to make a case to being the only superhero film to truly see this summer. Happily, the results are really proving their theory right. With the film grossing over $56 million dollars and given an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, X-Men: First Class has become the best superhero film so far in this summer movie season. The crew truly worked hard to make a film that had all the feel of a summer movie, but have a great story and tone to back it up. The amount of detail in the story is one of the films strong points, focusing mostly on the relationship between Charles and Erik and making them the central focus. As for the film's dark tone, it's somewhat taking a page out of The Dark Knight. Looking at the films before that one, the Batman film franchise really stumbled before hand. When Batman Begins and The Dark Knight came, It gave the series a new identity as a more serious and darker version of the Batman universe which help the films tremendously critically and box office wise. The same is now being said for this latest edition to the X-Men franchise with most critics saying it's right up there with Dark Knight as the greatest superhero movie ever; Though some people think otherwise. But one thing is certain, if Fox and Marvel can keep the franchise on this path, then it's a strong possibility that it will reach the same success as the revitalized Batman franchise if not exceed it.





Actor James McAvoy gives audiences a side of Professor X
never witnessed before...A young, fresh, fun, and youthful
personality but yet at the same time, still carries the witful
 and peaceful carisma of the one we are used to seeing.


Review

   When I first saw the trailers for X-Men: First Class, I kind of brushed it off not really finding to much intrest in seeing it. But over time, I started to become quite intrested in the overall set up and decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did!!! This movie was unlike any summer movie or superhero movie I've ever seen before. With so many summer movies going with style over substance, picking big explosions, crashes, overbearing visual effects, and hot women over a strong character driven plot, First Class was the first film I've seen that had plenty of substace, and yet did it with tremendous style. The overall concept or set up for the movie is that it is an origin story retelling the formations of the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. As I watched the film, I couldn't help but be engaged in it. Being it took place during the civil rights movment and the cuban missle crisis, two important historical events in American history, I felt that putting the debut of mutants in this most crucial time period was a great approach that actually fit quite nicely. The cast really made the movie a joy to watch. James McAvoy's role as Charles Xaviar was a treat throughtout the entire film. Being that I've seen my share of X-Men T.V. shows, I always looked at Xaviar as a serious and compassionate leader. But McAvoy gave Xaviar a personality I never thought he had...a fresh, fun loving, and energetic personality. Whether it was boze drinking or using pick up lines on girls, James made watching Charles Xaviar fun to watch and at the same time he was still able, during the course of the film, grow into the Professor X we know today. On the other side, Michael Fassbender gives an equally strong proformace as Magneto. Seeing what Erik went though really was a real emotional experience. From having his mother murdered during the holocaust to his undoughting desire to want to avenge her death, you see that the events he goes through really shape him into the man we know now. Being consumed by hatred, saddness, and an unreachable want for belonging, this traps him in a web of antagonism and turns him into the iconic villian. The other characters however, don't really have the same type of depth. Mystique, Banshee, Havok, Beast, Angel, and Darwin though they are important characters in the story, really don't have much of a vital role in the overall plot. But since the story was mainly focusing on Charles and Erik's relationship, this issue can be overlooked. But in saying that, I would have liked to see a little more background on mutants such as Havok and Banshee being they will be part of the team for a while. Mystique has a little more depth, though it still dosen't match the depth that Magneto and Professor X have. I really liked the relationship that her and Charles had. It was big brother big sister type of love that really worked and made her an almost equally vital character. As far as action, though not the driving force of the movie, it was still satisfying and had the most fast paced and thrilling intensity of any movie I've seen this summer. The climactic battle scene I feel could have been a little more intense than it was. It really felt toned down from other action movies i've seen. Summing it up, It was a great film that really had me satisfied in a way no movie has before. It's something I hope the franchise builds on if this is truly the start of a new trilogy.

Rating and Final Thoughs

 87% B+

   Though I don't consider it the greatest superhero film since The Dark Knight, It is right up there with it. This is the first summer movie I've seen that the driving force is not the special effects and explosions, but a strong character driven plot with a emotinonal and heart felt tone.

                        

               Xaviar's School for Gifted Youngsters Inaugural Class of 1962

Charles Xaviar (Professor X)

Raven Darkholme (Mystique)

Hank McCoy (Beast)

Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto)  

Sean Cassidy (Banshee)

Alex Summers (Havok)

Angel Salvadore (Angel)





2011 Summer Movie Season - Month 2 Preview (June 2011)

 Unlikely Heroes: Heroric Group of Youngsters ready to take Summer Box Office By Storm

          By: Brandon Porter  

  Hey there followers!!! Well, month one of the summer movie season is in the books. Now, we start getting into the full swing of things. A plethora of summer blockbusters headline the  month of June. In this post, we'll preview the biggest films to hit theaters this month. Witness the beginning of one of the greatest superhero teams ever created, follow six kids in their action packed journey to find an unknown anomaly, and start your engines as America's two most beloved automobiles make their long awaited return to the big screen.



Actors James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender potray young
Charles Xaviar and Erik Lehnsherr, future
leaders of the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. 

X-Men: First Class (20th Century Fox, June 3rd)   

   

   When you're about to build a team of superheroes, it's pretty clear you need members that have superabilities...or members who have these abilities but don't know how to control them or use them properly. X-Men: First Class is the much anticipated prequel to the original X-Men film trilogy. The film follows the lives of Charles Xaviar (who we know today as Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Who we know today as Magneto) in the early stages of the mutant prowess. X-Men First Class serves as the origin stories for the antagonistic Brotherhood of Mutants and the heroric mutant black ops team, the X-Men. There will be dozens of mutants in the movie, some familiar such as Mystique and Beast played by Jennifer Stone and Nicholas Hoult and some mostly new including Havok (Jason Till), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), and Angel ( Zoë Kravitz). Cleverly set in the early 60s around the Civil Right Movement, the film serves as an alternate backstory to the cuban missle crisis as Erik and Charles try to stop a nuclear war fueled by the evil Hell Fire Club, a mutant terrorist orginization bent on world domination led by Sabatian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). The stakes will be high as well as the intensity when X-Men First Class opens in theaters nationwide on June 3rd.



Joel Courtney and Riley Griffiths make their big screen
 debuts in J.J. Abrams' Sci-Fi suspense thriller.



  Super 8 (Paramount Pictures, June 10th)  

     

    When was the last time you saw something that just stopped you in your tracks and had your mouth open for hours? Was it a supernatural happening or a terrifying enconter with an object of unknown origin? That's what Joe Lamb and his friends will soon find out in the suspenseful sci-fi thriller Super 8 directed by J.J. Abrams. After J.J. Abrams outstanding revival of the Star Trek series, he is teaming up with film legend Steven Speilberg to create an original blockbuster masterpiece. Set in a small town in Ohio in the summer of 1979, Joe Lamb, played by Joel Courtney, is filming a movie with his friends using a super 8 camera when they witness a horrific train crash. On top of that, there is something that has broken out and escaped one of the cars. Soon after, supernatural events as well as disappearances take place causing confusion and city wide panic. With military and local law enforcement on the scene but not able to find any anwsers, It's up to Joe and the others to find the mysterious being and find out what it wants and what it's doing here. And their discovery..will presumably be the most terriffying thing they have ever witnessed. For the cast, Joel isn't the only one making his first stint in film. Riley Griffiths, who plays Joe's best friend Charles, will make his movie debut as well. Accompanied by a group of acting veterans, these two will take the first step into being hollywood's next big stars. Another big factor is the fact that J.J. has been hush hush on the film since the release of the teaser trailer. Leaving people wondering what the mysterious being that busted out of the train really is. Is it an alien? A robot? A superhuman experiment gone wrong? This method Abrams is using will be hit or miss when audiences actually head into the theaters to see the actual film. One thing for sure, all of our questions will be anwsered when Super 8 arrives in theaters June 10th.



 



After a five year absence, Lightning McQueen and Mater
are back in their latest road rippin adventure.



 Cars 2 (Walt Disney Pictures, June 24th)

   Let me take you back a few years, say around 2006. You entered a world with endless possibilities and met characters you only dreamed of. A race car that got a lesson in life and an oppurtunity to show he had the heart of a true champion win or lose. Now, fast forward to now, you are about to return to that world with old friends returning and new ones waiting for you. Welcome to Cars 2. Disney & Pixar prepare to put the pedal to the metal as Lightning McQueen, now a global superstar, gets ready to partake in the inaugural world grand prix with Mater and the rest of his radiator springs pals as his pit crew. But Mater soon finds himself in an adventure of his own when he is mistaken as an international spy by british secret agents Finn McMissile and Holly Shiftwell. Mater is now pressed with the biggest descion of his life: Help Lightning win the biggest race of the year or assist in a top secret spy mission. My intial thoughs on Cars 2 were hopeful and confident, but partly sceptical. Watching the trailers and story set up, it was an approch that kind of had me feeling iffy on weather the film would sit well with critics. But on the other hand,  Pixar has had a remarkable track record of every single one of their films being critical box office bahemeths, so part of me is saying I'm worried over nothing and this film will continue the streak. We'll see if the race will be worth the price of addmission when Cars 2 reves into theaters on June 24th.


   It's shaping up to be an amazing month of June. Be on the look out for the reviews and anaylysis of these films as well as the others for this month. Until then, See ya later :-)