2012 Summer Movie Season - Month 2 Preview (June 2012)

  Fate Meets Destiny!!! Brave and Heroic Heroines Set the Stage For Exciting Month of June.

   By: Brandon Porter

     

Evening Followers!!! With the Opening Month of the Summer Movie Season winding down, we look to the month of June where things really start getting into full swing. Stars such as Kristen Stewart, Noomi Rapace, and Charlize Theron are only a handful of the big names poised to grace the big screen this month. In addition, Disney and Pixar will get the opportunity of redemption with their latest film after a mediocre showing the previous year. Without further ado, Let's get the breakdown...

   

Eric The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) gaurds Snow White
(Kristen Stewart) from the iminant dangers of the Dark Forest

Snow White and The Huntsman (Universal Pictures, June 1st)

If you were a little kid who loved fairy tales, it’s almost guaranteed you have heard the story of Snow White. It may also be clear that when you hear "Snow White", Disney automatically pops into your head. Well, this is your wakeup call!!! Universal Pictures is set to give the world a new view of the classic fairy tale. But when we say new, we actually mean they're giving you the REAL story. With a hauntingly darker tone, top notch visual effects, adrenaline pumping action sequences, and slew of talent actors and actress such as Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron, It is clear this defiantly no fairy tale. We’ll see if even this more darker retelling can still end in happily ever after when Snow White and The Huntsman arrives in theaters on June 1st.

Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), Charlie Holloway
 (Logan Marshall-Green), and David (Michael Fassbender)
explore a mysterious chamber in search of Man's begining. 

Prometheus (20th Century Fox, June 8th)

In 1979, film director Ridley Scott gave the world Alien, a terrifying Sci-fi horror classic that set the bar for other film of the genre. 33 years later, Scott returns to his horror roots with Prometheus. Headline by an impressive crop of talent such as Michael Fassbender, Chalize Theron, Idris Elba, and many more, Prometheus has become one of the more intriguing entries into the Summer Movie Season. Mystery, suspense, and all out creepiness surround this potential summer blockbuster. But you can't expect anything less from Ridley Scott film. Will the Prometheus gang's search for our beginning lead to our end? We will see when Prometheus lands in theaters on June 8th.

Merida explores the dangers that lurk outside of her Kingdom

Brave (Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios, June 22nd)

For years, Disney and Pixar have been the purest example of consistency when it comes to making movies. Each one their films from Toy Story 1, 2, & 3, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and Up have been some of the greatest acts of storytelling over the past decade. However, after a less than impressive reception brought in by Cars 2, Disney and Pixar have found themselves for the first time on the negative side of universal acclaim. But the studios will look to change their fate with Brave, their latest fantasy adventure told through the eyes of their heroic heroine Merida. Based on what has been seen, Brave seem to be just what Pixar needs to get back in the fans and critics good graces. The ultimate test of courage, love, and sacrifice will be on full display when Brave comes to theaters on June 22nd.






A solid line up of films makeup what appears to be a great month of June. The reviews and analyses for these films will be coming very soon so keep on the lookout. Take care and see ya next time!!!

2012 Summer Movie Season -Battleship: Review & Analysis

Lost at Sea: Universal's Sci-Fi Ocean Thriller Misses Mark At Being Summer Blockbuster
     By: Brandon Porter

"Warning Red...Weapons Tight....I Want Everything Loaded!!!" - Admiral Shane

     



The Story

In the islands of Hawaii, The Navy's top military groups have gathered to participate in the 2012 RIMPAC Naval Exercises. Among these soldiers is Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch), a hot headed slacker with the skill set of a senior officer and the disciplinary attitude of an obnoxious high school dropout. Aside from trying to get the blessing from Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson) to marry his lovely daughter Sam (Brooklyn Decker), Hopper has been informed that these Naval Excercises might be the last time he represents the US Navy. With his older brother Commander Stone Hopper (Alexander Skarsgård) and his fellow crew members aboard the USS John Paul Jones including Petty Officers Walter 'The Beast' Lynch and Cora Raikes (John Tui and Rihanna), Alex sets out on his last days as a salior...until THEY arrive. Soon, strange objects crash into the pacific ocean and turn out to be alian war vessels manned by a race called The Regents. Now Alex and his fellow crew members have been trapped within a force field and find themselves in the fight of their lives. Hopper must now find a way to defeat the enemies and save his planet from destruction...The Battle For Earth...Begins At Sea!!!!!

  

Analysis 

Cora Raikes (Rihanna) and Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch)
evaluate the radar for strange activity near their position.

 When Battleship was first annonced, a large majority of eyebrows were raised, some groans were heard and even laughter came when the first trailer was shown to the public. The stuck up reviewers wanted to know why a movie that was based on a board game was being made or even made it out of the developing room. To some, this was the final straw!! Hollywood had finally hit rock bottom. But for others, they wanted to give this film a chance thinking it would be a fun Sci-Fi action popcorn flick. The end result...about what you'ed expect. Battleship garnered a below average score of 36% on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to a less than immpressive box office performance of $9 Million as of May 18th. Some of the critics panned the film's plot, pace, and dialog while others looked at it as an action movie that dosen't take itself to seriously. One of the main things audiences wanted to see was how Rihanna would do in her first acting role. The reception she recieved came with many praise as well as criticism. Overall, everyone had their own views on the film. Some were good, but most were bad. Some people are just really sensitive and stuck up about things that are meant to be viewed for fun.

 

 

 

The Uss Missouri takes on the Regents' Command Ship

Review

Rihanna's first big screen debut gets an A
for effort and a B- for result.
 This isn't a bad career move for her,
 but hopefully she will
get better down the road.

When I first saw the trailer for Battleship, I initially didn't pay much attention to it but at the same time, I knew that this film would not be taken seriously. But after seeing the next few trailers, I started to get real excited. It looked like a great summer action film similar to Transformers. When I finally saw it on opening day, it was somewhat an underwhelming experience. My biggest issue was the action in the film. Though it was intense, it was in no way like previous Sci-Fi action movies I've seen in the past. The action sequences were sluggishly paced and inconsistent. With the Transformers series and even The Avengers film earlier this month, the action sequences in those films are outstanding!!! The action is constant and fast-paced with millions of things happening at once while also keeping the story progressing nicely. Battleship on the other hand was the opposite. It seemed like every action scene took forever to come to light and I found myself losing interest pretty rapidly. When a scene occurred, it felt like the next scene took almost 10-15 minutes to happen. This inconsistency really hurt the film’s entertainment value in my eyes. As far as the acting in the film, It was pretty average. After hearing the outstanding script of The Avengers, Battleship’s script was a pretty big step down. The actors try hard to make do with what their given, but the end result is sloppy and sometimes annoying (preferably Hamish Linklater's character Cal). But one thing I wanted to see was how pop star Rihanna would do in her first movie role and I must say...She did pretty well!!! She was very convincing as the Hardcore Petty Officer Cora Raikes from her Navy look to how she presented the character. I must say I am pretty pleased with her performance. But despite that, she has only scratched the surface. There is still plenty of room for improvement. Hopefully, she will get better with experience. All in all, I expected a fun fast paced summer action film but instead I got a pretty average movie with obvious flaws as far as acting and action. Maybe if they actually do a sequel, these things will improve.

Rating and Final Thoughs

79% C+

In the end, it was slow paced and inconsistent action that ended up hurting the film. It's a shame to see such a great potential summer blockbuster end up sinking into the waters of mediocrity.

 

If ideas for a second Battleship movie are truly
 being thrown in, Universal better revaluate their
battle stratagy to make sure the next one is a HIT!!!

 

   

2012 Summer Movie Season -The Avengers: Review & Analysis

Avengers Assemble and Conqure!!! Marvel's Team Of All-Stars Make Early Case for Superhero Film of The Decade

 

     By: Brandon Porter

"If we can't protect the Earth...You Better Be Damn Sure We'll Avenge It!!!" - Tony Stark/Iron Man

   The People Brought together by the Avengers Inititive

The Story

The Earth is on the brink of a catastrophic event. Loki, the corrupted fallen member of Asgard, has returned to Earth to enslave the human race and claim absolute power. To do this, he will need the all powerful Tesseract, an ancient artifact from Asgard with the power to annihilate an entire planet. With time running out and all options lost, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., has a way to save the planet. He enlists the help of individuals to help counter the coming storm. The Demi-God of Asgard (Chris Hemsworth), Two of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents (Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner), a hot headed genius with a super powered suit (Robert Downey, Jr), a doctor with a monstrous split personality (Mark Ruffalo), and a brave war hero once frozen in ice and now reawakened in the present (Chris Evans). They are people with extraordinary abilities, they are mankind's last line of defense, they're Earth's mightiest heroes, they are THE AVENGERS!!!!

  Like All Teams, It took A While for the Chemistry to Kick In

 Analysis

Marvel Studios has been building up hype for this film ever since the release of Iron Man in 2008. Over the next four years, the studio gave fans quality films that both entertain and get them ready for what is to come. Now in 2012, the wait is finally over. With Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger being released in 2011, the stage was finally set to bring the super powerful team together on the big screen. Most fans had been waiting more than 40 years to see The Avengers on film and from the look of things..the wait was worth it. The Avengers became an instant blockbuster overseas and in North America. The film garnered $628,900,000 overseas and once the film hit America, it received $373,182,000 when the film was released in North American theaters. But the real high light is the film's worldwide box office total of $1,002,082,000. This puts The Avengers in tremendous company as it becomes the highest grossing film based on comics and the twelfth film in cinematic history to earn more than $1 billion. The film took 19 days to reach the billion dollar mark which ties it with Avatar and Deathly Hallows Part 2. In North America, The Avengers were no surprise a huge hit. Not only did it receive a 93% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it also became the highest grossing film of 2012 beating out The Hunger Games and it became the 11th highest grossing film of all time. Numerous records were also shattered as well. Avengers now hold the records for all-time opening weekend record and an IMAX opening-weekend record of $15.3 million (both records previously held by last year's Deathly Hallows Part 2). The Avengers exceeded initial skepticism and expectations to become one of the must see films of the year. Audiences will be waiting eagerly to see what the next installment has in store.

  AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!!!!!!!!

Review

I was already anticipating that the Summer Movie Season this year would be one to remember. The Avengers was a more than perfect way to get the 2012 Summer Movie Season underway. I finally was able to see the film a week after being released and couldn't be more pleased with the finished product. The film was an all around good time!!! It had everything you want in a summer blockbuster and more. A recurring theme in the Summer Movie Season is style over substance (explosions, special effects, and females over plot, meaning, and character development). With The Avengers, It was outstanding style mixed with tremendous substance. Joss Whedon did amazing job bring this film to audiences. The film had a number of positives. One positive was the writing. The movie's script was extremely well put together and really played to each character’s strengths. Comedic timing also was a big surprise in the film. Tony Stark's quick wit and Hulk's out of nowhere physical antics had audiences laughing and surprised at the same time. Another was the amount of realism within the frame work of the team. Whedon really did a great job of putting his team of heroes through the trials of any team or organization. Team friction was one of the recurring issues that the team faced in the film. Egos and personalities like Tony Stark's easy going carefree attitude and Captain Rogers' disciplined and by the book persona resulted in the two butting heads a few times which was brilliant and realistic. But the real treat was the climactic showdown in New York. That brings me to my next strength of the film..showcase!!! Each member did great in their alone time on screen, Thor brought the thunder, Hawkeye shot straight, Black Widow kicked butt, Captain America was brave and heroic, and Iron Man flew high. Whedon did a good job at giving each of his heroes a substantial amount of individual screen time to show off for the fans. However, the one person who took full advantage of his screen time was Hulk!!! He has put himself among Hollywood’s greatest show stealers!!! Whether it was his surprise sucker punch on Thor or Bashing Loki around the room like a rag doll, Hulk clearly was the fan favorite in this film. As expected, the action was insane, fast paced, and intense!!! Just like I like it. Even if this is the first movie of the summer, this has been most fun I've had at the movies so far this Summer Movie Season. I can't wait to see what Marvel comes out with next.

Rating and Final Thoughs

94% A

Easily one of Marvel Studios' best films ever!!! Fast paced action, a well written script, and just all around FUN!!!!! I can't imagine how they are gonna top this, but I'm sure they'll think of something.

The Avengers have clearly sent a message to the rest of the films
of the Summer Movie Season and made itself the movie to beat this
summer. The Dark Knight Rises will have to be even better than originally
expected after this fantastic showing by Marvel.

2012 Summer Movie Season: Special Edition

Screen Sizzlers: The Women of the Summer Movie Season

By: Brandon Porter

What's good Followers!!! I know I'm a day late but here is the special treat I promised you. In this special post, you will get a breakdown of the gorgeous female leads in the films for the Summer Movie Season. We all know that the Summer Movie Season is all about fun, action, big explosions, and gorgeous women :-) Here is a short list of a few of them.

Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow in The Avengers)

Scarlett Johansson heats things up early as S.H.E.I.L.D agent Black Widow in the Summer Season kick-off, The Avengers. Specially trained, headstong, and just plain kicks butt, It's no question that Black Widow can hold her own with her Avengers teammates. Johansson's on-screen presence will make the ladies cheer as well as make the fellas drool.

Eva Green (Angelique Bouchard in Dark Shadows)

   After Black Widow throws down in Avengers, Eva Green will heat up the screen as Barnabas Collins' obssesed witch of a lover. Green has a steady background as both a model and an actress. She is also no stranger to playing the role of steamy on screen hottie. She stared along side Daniel Craig in 007 Casino Royale joining the the ranks as on of the "Bond Girls". Now she is set to star in Tim Burton's gothic summer comedy. She is sure to put a spell on everyone in the audience.

Rihanna (Cora Raikes in Battleship)

   Making her big screen debut, sexy pop star and recording artist Rihanna gets ready to bring the pain as Officer Cora Raikes in Universal's Battleship. For Rihanna, no introduction is needed. She has already established herself as a bonified head turner. The Grammy Award winning artist now takes on a new career oppurtunity..acting. She is set to play the tough navy officer with a nose for weapons and combat. From the trailiers, Rihanna seems to have this role down pat. Can't wait to see her in action.

Charlize Theron (Queen Revenna in Snow White and The Huntsman and Captian Meredith Vickers in Prometheus)

   Academy Award winning actress Charlize Theron will actually be appering on the silver screen for the first two weeks of June. Her first film will have her as the evil Queen Revenna in Snow White and The Huntsman alongside Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart and the following week, she will portray Meredith Vickers in Ridley Scott's Prometheus. At the age of 36, Theron has established herself as one of hollywoods most elite actresses. She will have plenty of screen time this summer as she stars in two potential blockbusters.

                                                                    

 Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye in G.I. Joe: Retaliation)

 Adding to the already great list of bad-ass female leads, Adrianne Palicki comes in as Lady Jaye in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. With Sienna Miller and Rachel Nichols exiting the franchise, Palicki, along with Elodie Yung as Jinx, will fill the voids as the films' female leads. Palicki has a solid acting background starring in TV roles such as Tyra Collette in Friday Night Lights and Jessica Moore in Supernatural. However, get used to seeing Palicki with an assult rifle for she will be fighting alongside Chris Hemsworth and Hunger Games star Josh Hutherson in Red Dawn due out in theaters later this year.

 Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man)

   Kicking off the explosive month of July is the lovely and talented Emma Stone. She will grace the role of Peter Parker's crush and love intrest Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man. Stone is no stranger to the summer movie season for she starred in two critically acclaimed hits The Help and Crazy, Stupid, Love. This year, she stars alongside Andrew Garfield in the reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise. I'm sure she will be one to watch when The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters and IMAX on July 3rd.

 Anne Hathaway (Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises)

  Last but not least, rounding it out is Anne Hathaway as the sexy, sultry, and slick Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. There is no doubt that Hathaway is under a heaping load of pressure in the summer's most anticipated film. After Michelle Pfeiffer's acclaimed performance as the charater in Batman Returns, Hathaway will attempt to breathe new life into the character in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster to be. But after Heath Ledger's staggering performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, I'm certain that Anne Hathaway will get the same reception as Selina Kyle.

That is pretty much the overall rundown of all the big time actresses in the 2012 Summer Movie Season. Be on the lookout for these ladies and others on a big screen near you. Check back later for the Review/Analysis on The Avengers. I'll leave you with some more pics of the female actresses in action. See ya later!!!