X-Men Origins: Wolverine

B

I liked this movie. I was a little disappointed because I was expecting "great" and got "good." But it was good. It was packed with action, had a few laughs, and even had some tenderness. The violence felt a little excessive for PG-13, though. This film launches a new direction in the X-Men franchise: origin stories for their superheroes. In that sense all of these new movies are/will be prequels to the existing X-Men trilogy.

Seeking solace from his dark past, Logan (Hugh Jackman), better known as Wolverine, seems to have found love and contentment with Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins) . Logan's peaceful existence is shattered when Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber), his vicious brother, brutally murders Kayla. Logan's thirst for revenge propels him into the Weapon X program, where he undergoes a painful procedure to bond his bones with adamantium, making him virtually indestructible and more than a match for Victor.

Overall, it was a good movie. It connected some of the dots in the later movies and answers many of the questions raised about Wolverine's past in the trilogy. It is rated PG-13 for sci-fi, superhero violence (some of which may be hard to watch for a sensitive viewer).

Star Trek

A-

What a ride! This newest edition to the Star Trek franchise may be the best film yet. It was exciting and funny. And the opening scene was about the best I've ever seen.

Aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, the most sophisticated starship ever built, a young crew embarks on its maiden voyage. Their path takes them on a collision course with Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan commander whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. If humanity is to survive, a delinquent Iowa farm boy named James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and a coolly logical Vulcan named Spock (Zachary Quinto) must move beyond their bitter rivalry and find a way to defeat Nero before it is too late.

I really enjoyed this film. It didn't take itself too seriously and seemed to enjoy poking fun at itself. The characters were believable (given the sci-fi setting). There were plenty of little things that only Star Trek fans would get, yet even the uninitiated will find the the movie thrilling and fun. Well done! The movie is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some brief sexuality.

The Incredible Hulk

B+

Okay, so I finally got around to seeing the Incredible Hulk. It was pretty good. I enjoyed the experience. A little disclaimer, I am one of the only people in the world that liked the older version (2003) of the Hulk. The 2003 version was poetic, beautiful, and dripping with symbolism and Freudian psychology. Perhaps where it failed with the public was that they were expecting more "Hulk Smash!" and less beauty. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this new Hulk movie.

Five years have past since the last movie. Bruce Banner is hiding in South America desperately searching for a cure to his hulkish condition. In the meantime, he has practiced martial techniques of relaxation in order to maintain control over his hulking-out episodes. General Ross, however, relentlessly pursues Banner back to New York City. A new creature, The Abomination (a sadistic soldier who becomes an evil version of the Hulk) threatens the city. Banner is the city's only hope, but only if he can summon the Incredible Hulk and direct his blind fury at the right target.

This film was more of the "Hulk Smash!," high action movie that the Hulk fans wanted. I recommend it as a great addition to the franchise and as a great action movie. It is rated PG-13 for comic book style violence and intensity.

P.S. For those superhero fans who have been following it, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and a couple future movies (Thor, Captain America) are setting us up for a combined movie with all of the superheroes: The Avengers. Notice Samuel L. Jackson's appearance after Iron Man, and Robert Downey Jr.'s (Tony Stark/Iron Man) appearance after the Hulk.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Grade: B-

In assessing my grade of it, please take into account that It was meant to be viewed in 3-D, which I did not. This was a fun movie, a fine popcorn flick, though there was nothing long lasting about it.

During an expedition to Iceland, professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and their guide, Hannah (Anita Briem), get trapped in a cavern. As they follow their only escape route deeper and deeper below the Earth's surface, they pass through strange places and encounter incredible creatures, including dinosaurs. But as volcanic activity around them increases, they realize they must find their way out -- soon.

It was a little scary for my 3 year old, but my 7 year old loved it. The special effects were good, and there were some genuine laughs. If it comes out on DVD in 3D, it might be worth rented from Redbox, (with the glasses, of course).

Wall-e

Grade: A-

Visually stunning with a touching story. I (and more importantly my 3 and 7 year old kids) loved this movie. Pixar has done it again! I am amazed how they can continually reinvent the genre to avoid stagnating.

In the distant future, the Earth has become uninhabitable. WALL-E, short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class, is the last robot left on Earth. He spends his days tidying up the planet, one piece of garbage at a time. But after 700 years, WALL-E has developed a personality, and he's more than a little lonely. Then he spots EVE (Elissa Knight), a sleek and shapely probe sent back to Earth on a scanning mission. Smitten, WALL-E embarks on his greatest adventure yet when he follows EVE across the galaxy.

The overarching message is one of love which is displayed on many levels: artificially intelligent machines learning to love each other, people learning to love each other, and people learning to love the planet. In addition to the environmental message, we find a humorous social commentary on sedentary life. The animation was incredible. I was surprised at how much emotion the animators could evoke from robots who don't even really speak. The first 30 - 45 minutes was almost entirely dialogue free, but it was still mesmerizing to watch. I recommend this film for kids, parents of kids, Earth-lovers, and hopeless romantics. (If all you care about is action and blowing up stuff, then maybe this is not the movie for you, even though there are a few explosions.)

The Clone Wars

Grade: B

I really liked this movie, understanding that it was meant for kids. (My own kids loved it.) It was a fun little romp in the Star Wars universe. In fact, it is intended to kick off a new TV series with the same name on the Cartoon Network (I think).

The Clone Wars is a computer animated film that takes place between Episode II (Attack of the Clones) and III (Revenge of the Sith). We find Kenobe and Anikan fighting in the clone wars when Yoda sends a young apprentice to Anikan. They immediately butt heads as both are headstrong and somewhat arrogant and reckless. Together they embark on a mission to rescue Jabba the Hut's infant son from kidnappers in an effort to win his support in the Clone Wars. Both learn valuable lessons along the way, and we get to see a lot of action.

The action was exciting. The animation was adequate. It was fun.

Batman: The Dark Knight

Grade: A

Just brilliant!

The action was great, the acting superb, and the story compelling. Christian Bale turned in another great performance. Heath Ledger as the Joker knocked it out of the park. Aaron Eckhart, although overshadowed by the untimely death of ledger, was equally brilliant in his role as Harvey Dent / Two-Face. the story was definitely dark (as all Batman stories are), but they seemed to balance it out with having more of the events take place during daylight.

It is a year after the events from Batman Begins and Gotham City is again in trouble. The efforts of the vigilante Batman from outside the system, and Lt. Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent from within the system have made great strides in reducing the city's crime and corruption. The Joker emerges as the city's "new class of criminal," one that is not interested in personal gain but only in spreading chaos and terror. He holds the city in his grips as a homegrown, psychopathic terrorist with no agenda but destruction. The Joker represents all that is evil, Gordon represents all that is good and both the Bruce Wayne/Batman and Harvey Dent/Two-Face are in the middle. Harvey Dent, the "White Knight" who begins by giving the people hope then falls to his demons after personal tragedy in contrast to Bruce Wayne who begins in darkness (see Batman Begins) and rises above his demons to become the Dark Knight. The two characters are like mirror images, identical in every way except exact opposites, or like opposite sides of the same coin. Who will prevail, the ever good Lt. Gordon, the ever evil Joker, the White Knight turned villain Two-Face, or the Dark Knight turned hero Batman?

If you are a fan of the Batman franchise, you will LOVE this film. In fact, I am loving this new direction the Batman movies are being taken. The older generation of these movies were fun at the time, but these new ones are better in every way. It is rated PG-13 for very scary images and intense action. (Definitely not a movie for the light-hearted, or for children).

Kung Fu Panda

Grade: A

This may be Dreamworks’ best animated feature. It had the perfect combination of voice talent, script, cutting edge animation, humor, action, and emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed the film from beginning to end.

The chubby panda Po (Jack Black) works in the family noodle shop, but has dreams of acheiving kung fu glory with the five masters in the Jade Palace. In a twist of fate, Po is chosen to become the next “dragon warrior” charged with the high task of defeating a masterful enemy, despite his martial ineptitude. Sifu, the renowned kung fu instructor voiced by Dustin Hoffman, is equally skeptical of the unimpressive Po. Will he be able to defeat the ultimate enemy and save the village from destuction?

My children were totally enthralled for the entire 91 minutes, and I was too. The laughs are genuine, and the story has a great mix of comedy, cartoon martial arts action, and deeper themes for the adult watchers. It has something for everyone. I highly recommend Kung Fu Panda. It is rated PG for martial arts action and some scary images of the villainous snow leopard.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Grade: B

The famous book series "The Chronicles of Narnia," by C.S. Lewis, holds a special place in my heart. These stories found me during a critical and formative period of my life and have directly and indirectly shaped much of who I am. That is why I was very worried about “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,” worried that the filmmakers wouldn’t do it justice. I was pleasantly surprised. It was fantastic! So I went in to “Prince Caspian,” the sequel, with high hopes.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. It was fast paced and full of action. The acting was good enough. The special effects were pretty good (most of the time). And I liked some of the artistic license taken with facets of the story. But for some reason, which I can’t quite put my finger on, it lacked a little something. Perhaps the feeling comes from the fact that it is targeting kids. Or perhaps it is because the messianic message of The Wardrobe is tough to top.

The story begins in Narnia when an orphaned prince, Caspian, must flee the castle for his life soon after his power-hungry uncle fathers a son. At this point in Narnian history, the magic has all but gone extinct, including the plethora of magical creatures, exiled to folktales and myth. The story begins in our world when the four siblings Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan are once again magically whisked into Narnia. Although only 1 year has passed for them, 1,300 years have passed in Narnia. They must team up with the exiled Prince Caspian to once again fight a powerful enemy, bring freedom to the endangered Narnians, and restore the land to its fullness of magic and splendor.

As I said, overall I enjoyed it. The action/adventure was good and the story is great. They did a pretty good job with it. Despite my reservations, I do recommend it, especially if you liked the first one. If you have not seen the first one, however, you will be totally confused because it jumps right back into the story. It is rated PG for peril and battle scenes. There is a lot of killing, but no blood. It might be a little too scary for younger kids.

Iron Man

Grade: A+

I can't think of anything I didn't like. I must admit a few things first. When I heard that Robert Downey, Jr. was playing the lead role, I was very skeptical. And some of the movie's trailers made it look like it was going to be very corny. BUT, it was great. Downey was brilliant playing the likable prick, and soon to be superhero, Tony Stark. His supporting cast (Gweneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, etc.) was equally brilliant.

The mechanical genius and billionaire Tony Stark made a fortune creating and selling cutting edge weapons. However, after he is kidnapped by terrorists and forced to build a super weapon for them, he must use all of his ingenuity to build a weapon that will help him escape. He decides to devote himself to a superhero life, instead of that of a self-absorbed playboy, which he had led to that point. He becomes Iron Man, a hero who, like Bruce Wayne's Batman, holds the world's true superpowers: money and smarts. He builds a metal suit for himself that gives him strength, armor, projectile weapons, and (of course) flight.

I highly recommend this movie. It is PG-13 for some brief sexuality and epic superhero combat.

P.S. Stay until after the end credits for a little surprise.