The Avengers Entertainment Value Is Top Dollar

Tremendous hype surrounding a movie can be a very good thing. Usually it guarantees some big box office numbers for at least the opening weekend. But this is not always the case. The downside to so much hype around a movie is that many people tend to make up their minds before even setting foot in the theater. When this happens it takes a very well made movie to up peoples expectations.

Three weeks ago one of the most hyped movies, if not the most hyped movie, of the year opened with The Avengers. Opening weekend in the US (it opened throughout the world the week before) broke every opening weekend recored, taking in $207 million. It would go on to make another $100 million in it’s second weekend and cruise to $1 billion world wide in no time at all. This for all purposes, is a movie that lived up to the hype and more.

I chose to let the hype die down before viewing the movie for review purposes, so as not to get caught up in everything BUT the movie. Yesterday was the day to view The Avengers and try not to get caught up in the Avenger storm.

Based on the comic book which is a compilation of several different comic book characters, The Avengers is a secret team of superheroes put together should the world be on the brink of disaster. There wouldn’t be much of a movie if the world didn’t come to the brink of disaster when Thor’s brother Loki comes to earth to obtain the most precious source of energy in the world known as the tesseract. When Loki controls the mind of some of S.H.I.E.L.D.s personnel to help with his sinister plot, director Nick Fury initiates the avengers program. After some difficult persuading the avengers do in fact come together. The movie climaxes with an epic battle throughout New York City.

With the possibility of this movie being an epic failure, director Joss Whedon was very fortunate to have actors from each of their respective characters films, with the exception of The Hulk who had two different Bruce Banner’s but was superbly cast with Mark Ruffalo. The talent and good acting by each person in their roles helped tremendously with the success of this film. With Robert Downey Jr. all but leading the cast as Iron Man/Tony Stark in a role he has really come to own, each one was exactly who was needed for their roles. The introduction of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye was a great choice. He is on the rise in popularity and a fine actor in his own right.

The story is not one that is complex and difficult to follow. It is almost the quintessential superhero story line that has every twist and close call we have come to know and love with these types of movies. Don’t look for a surprise ending but also don’t expect to be bored with a plot line that is too simple. The purpose of this movie is the effects and action and just seeing a lot of favorite superheroes together at once and Joss Whedon executes that perfectly.

It is a fun exciting 2 1/2 hours and money well spent (for the 2D we did not see the 3D). It’s everything everyone wants in a summer blockbuster movie. It is not hard to see why it is pulling in the money it is. It is just another case of giving the movie going audience what they want and making it well.

There is still the possibility that all the records that The Avengers has set could be short lived come the end of July when Christopher Nolan unleashes his final installment in the Dark Knight series. That aside, The Avengers, up to this point, is not only the best summer blockbuster but the best movie SO FAR this year.

Chronicle Is Not All It Could Have Been

With a recent rash of new films using the “found footage” style of film making, Chronicle continues that trend with a superhero/sci-fi twist. The story revolves around three high school students. One who seems to be an outcast with an extremely difficult home life and his cousin who tries to keep him in his life. They soon become connected to a third student in a most unusual way. While Andrew, the outcast, begins filming every moment of his life with a newly acquired hand held camera, they come across a strange happening while attending a party. After discovering a strange underground occurrence they are bestowed with what appears to be superhuman powers.

While the movie continues each character begins to define who they are in a superhero story line. With one emerging as the villain and one the hero, the beginnings of a comic book-esque story starts to develop. Trying to bring a reality  to this style but severely coming up short. When making a faux documentary style movie, the one key to making it believable is that the acting has to be very good and Chronicle falls very short in this department. Along with poor acting is the sub-par special effects, which also becomes key with this style of film. Not unlike a similar style movie a few years ago, the J.J. Abrams abomination, Cloverfield which also suffered from bad acting altho the effects were just fine until the creature appeared on screen.

If you are really in the mood for an off standard superhero type movie you may be better off watch the underrated M. Night Shamaylan movie, Unbreakable. Or if you are a fan of the pseudo documentary style no one has been able to top the original which is The Blair Witch Project.

With Disney channel acting levels and obvious green screen graphics, Chronicle disappoints what could have been a better story had it been in the hands of the right people. Still, it will have it’s appeal to some. Not every movie is perfect and all movies have a redeeming quality somewhere, Chronicle felt to be lacking in too many areas to be able to truly recommend it as a decent movie.

Woody Harrelson Has Emerged As The Star Of The Cheers Alumni

Without question one of the most popular, if not the most popular sitcom of the 1980’s was Cheers. Making stars out of Ted Danson, Shelly Long and Kirstie Alley it was wildly popular and consistently good despite key cast member changes and additions. Cheers called final call in 1993 leaving the cast to make new paths for themselves and would let us see who would forever be remembered for their character only and who would blaze a bold new path. All would have varying success but no cast member may have shown more surprising talents and gone on to be the most prolific actor amongst the cast than Woody Harrelson.

Harrelson was a definite wild card when he was cast to replace the extremely popular Nicolas Colasanto who played the beloved “Coach” after he passed away. Woody was thrust into what could have been an impossible situation. Replaces loved man and character with an unknown actor whose new character had many similarities to Coach. Woody couldn’t have done any better! As the years went on he fit right in with the cast of characters and proved to be the right choice. The unknown with Woody and his character when the show ended was, would he be typecast as the dimwitted Woody Boyd? Harrelson with a determination and series of acting choices, would not let that happen.

While taking roles towards the end of Cheers in movies like, White Men Can’t Jump and Indecent Proposal audiences were able to notice that, maybe there is more to Mr. Harrelson as an actor than previously thought. But still audiences weren’t sold. Taking the role of Pepper Lewis in The Cowboy Way alongside Kiefer Sutherland seemed to be more what audiences expected. It would be two months later when Oliver Stone released his highly controversial Natural Born Killers that Woody would make people stand up and take notice. The sadistic character of Mickey Knox was the polar opposite of the innocent mild mannered Woody Boyd. With his shaved head and evil look he was starting down a path that would leave Cheers far in the past.

Never abandoning his comedic roots with such films as Kingpin and Edtv and even the critically panned Play It To The Bone, it would be his dramatic work that would define his post Cheers career. He received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the highly controversial public figure and often condemned pornographer, Larry Flynt in Milos Forman’s The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Woody has always made a concentrated effort to stay diverse and open when it comes to film choices and never abandon his comedy talents and roots. With roles in the hysterical Will Ferrell basketball spoof Semi-Pro to the next year being in the powerful post Iraq war drama The Messenger for which he again received and Oscar nomination and showed that his dramatic ability is on par with the best actors in Hollywood and his comedic talents are on the same level.

Woody’s latest few movies continue on the great eclectic path he has carved for himself with the intense, gut shot movie Rampart along side the HBO political drama Game Change for which it would be no surprise if he was garnered with various nominations including the Golden Globe. He is most recently in the blockbuster movie The Hunger Games in which he initially seemed out of place but made the character his own to the point he became a great choice.

Woody will continue to awe and entertain with laughter and tears. He has become a safe bet in Hollywood without being typecast like was originally feared. He without a doubt has emerged as the true actor and most successful of the Cheers alumni, with all due respect to Kelsey Grammar whose success as Frasier is quite impressive but doesn’t contain the range and ability that Woody has shown.

Box Office Success Is Still Possible

For quite a few years now, we have been hearing about the loss of box office revenue and how Hollywood seems to be losing money hand over fist. It has been claimed that this is due directly to the internet and illegal downloading of movies. But is that really the case? Without question the illegal downloading of movies carries it’s fair share of blame in this situation. But is it not true that Hollywood also needs to look at itself to shoulder some of the blame?

If the record breaking weekend that The Avengers had and continued success it continues to have has taught us anything, it’s that people are still willing to go to the theater and despite ridiculously high ticket prices and the ability to download the movie. There may be several reasons for this. One possible reason is the 3-D aspect. Only in the theater can you see The Avengers in 3-D and people want the full IMAX 3-D affect. Another possible reason is the increasing popularity of the comic book and superhero genre. It has gotten increasingly popular every year for quite a while now and shows no signs of slowing down. The third reason for the success quite literally combines the first two in the fact of, GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT! People want their superheroes and a well made action movie that thoroughly entertains.

Where Hollywood has strayed st that they seem to have have run out of good ideas. This isn’t necessarily the case it only seems this way because the movie industry is guilty of making so many bad movies and at the same time wringing out a style and genre till there is nothing left worth making. For example The found footage style of film making goes back 13 years to The Blair Witch Project and has been severely played out. It has reached a point that if someone knows that’s the style of movie it is, they are less likely to see it, if they are tired of seeing those styles of movies.

This summer one of the projected blockbuster movies is supposedly based on a children’s game, Battleship. 25 years ago this idea wouldn’t have made to a pitch presentation.

The lack of creativity or willingness to take chances has left a bad taste in the movie goers mouth. When they get a taste of what they like spending the money is not an issue for most. The economy and high ticket prices will still keep plenty away but the right idea and story will bring others in the door in droves. The award winning movies will still have to wait to make there money on video and will continue to be released limitedly and in smaller independent theaters and that’s OK. Hollywood just needs to know that the ability to make big money is still out there as long as they stop treating fans as if they are content with the same thing or as if they are willing to watch anything. Give the people what they want and treat them right and they will always come back for more.

A Look Back At The All Time Greatest Summer Blockbusters

As we all know it’s summer blockbuster season and we have already looked at what may be the big movies of the summer and we know that The Avengers has already set the opening weekend box office record but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best summer blockbuster of all time. Let’s take a look back and see what has been the best summer blockbuster which doesn’t exactly mean the biggest either.

We will examine the top 5 all-time best summer blockbusters ever. These are movies that have transcended generations of viewers and have stood the test of time not just what was a big money maker when it arrived. Here is the list 10-1 let the debating begin.

 

10. Alien

Ridley Scott’s epic sci-fi tale proved to be his breakout film even though he had a well received debut feature film with The Duelist. It was a terrifying adventure unlike anything that had been seen before. With a great cast, Alien made a star out of it’s director an lead, Sigourney Weaver. The futuristic tale of blue collar workers in space who come across a breading ground for the most violent and scary aliens seen on screen to that point instantly became a phenomenon. Alien had made an impact with memorable scenes like the birth of the alien through the stomach of John Hurt and left fans clamoring for more which they most definitely would get.

 9. Terminator 2

James Cameron’s follow up to his breakout feature, The Terminator, 7 years after it’s initial release. Fan’s had been waiting all 7 years for a follow up to what, at that time, was the greatest action movie ever. Turning things around and introducing an enemy whom seemed to be invincible and making the former villain the now hero was a great move. The further development of the story and more details made it a much more engaging story to go along with it’s great action and groundbreaking effects.

 8. Braveheart

Mel Gibson’s second directing effort has gone down in film history and continues to be as powerful as it was on May 24, 1995. It is considered by many to be the greatest “Guy Movie” of all time, yet the love William Wallace had for his wife and what it drove him to do is also considered by many women to be the greatest love shown on screen. Bringing back the epic film is something that is not overlooked on Gibson’s greatest cinematic achievement and the epic film shows no signs of going away. the same cannot be said for Gibson’s career and credibility.

 7. The Dark Knight

Without a doubt the most recent film on our list but that does not take away from how great this movie was. Anchored unquestionably by Heath Ledger’s performance, which may be in a top 5 list of greatest performances ever, it was a truly engaging and compelling movie. The Dark Knight is quite possibly the greatest superhero/comic book movie ever and continues to be as the genre grows and gets more popular. It’s action and terrific character development, combined with having scenes shot with an IMAX camera and making the most of it. While it was a crying shame that Ledger wasn’t able to enjoy his and it’s success, there is no better film for him to be fondly remembered for.

6. Jurassic Park

The movie that wowed movie goers all summer long with it’s outstanding special effects the brought the term CGI into the national vocabulary. With a great adaptation to Michael Crichton’s best selling novel, Jurassic Park thrilled audiences and kept everyone coming back for more all summer long.

 5. Batman (1989)

Tim Burton brought to life his favorite comic book hero reviving the comic book genre in grand fashion. Staring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson as The Joker now ranks second to Ledger’s but was still as haunting. With screen shots almost directly out of the comic book, Burton’s Batman is still among one of the best of the genre and proved to not only be a high grossing, great film but a marketing masterpiece.

4. Back To The Future

Michael J. Fox was already a household name with his daytime job on TV’s Family Ties but Back To The Future catapulted him into super stardom. A movie that has become a staple of the decade of the 80’s despite taking place almost entirely in the 50’s. With a memorable and greatly original script and a theme song to go along with it, Back To The Future quickly became one of the most beloved films of all time.

 3. Raiders Of The Lost Ark

We declared this movie the greatest adventure film of all time. A great story, exotic locations and a leading man that is loved equally by men and women. No boy went and saw this movie and didn’t come out cracking a whip and wanting a fedora hat. Indiana Jones went down as one of the greatest heroes in cinema and it all started with Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

 2. Star Wars (1977)

The greatest sci-fi movie ever and the ultimate space adventure took a nation by storm not only on the screen but in toy boxes, on t-shirts and on lunch boxes in every school in America. George Lucas cemented his legacy while taking the country by storm with some of the greatest character and alien creations ever and costumes that everyone wanted a piece of. Anyone could make a very strong and legitimate claim to make this number one but we have reasons that make this number 2.

 1. Jaws

Jaws, plain and simple, created what is now summer blockbuster season. It made everyone afraid to go into the water the whole summer it was out and for many more years to come. Jaws is the original summer blockbuster. It made Steven Spielberg’s career and proved to all future films that even a special effects movie can be a GREAT movie. It is a film that has been thrust into the annals of box office legends setting records never before thought of, let alone seen. Jaws also gave the disaster movie a new enemy to fight, mother nature’s beast of the ocean. Perfectly cast and with as great a background story as is on the screen, it will terrify new viewers for generations to come.

We understand we couldn’t include more and that many of you will have your own choices so we decided to create and honorable mention list for some that weren’t quite top 10 quality but still were worthy.

Spiderman

Toy Story

Independence Day

Men In Black

Top Gun

Morgan Spurlock Takes A Deep Look Into Geek Life And Culture

With a rash of superhero/comic book movies set to unleash once again this year there is one movie that shows the heart and soul of the culture that allowed these movies to become the blockbusters they are and the pandemonium they create.

The true fact of the matter is we are all geeks about something in one way or another. Be it movies, comics, video games or even things such as finance, or your jobs or sports. In one form or another we all “geek out” about something.

Once a year in San Diego is the ultimate pop-culture/comic book convention known as Comic-Con. Started in 1970 as a strict comic book convention for collectors and a place where new illustrators could come to be discovered. Over forty years later it has morphed into the ultimate pop culture gathering. Many hardcore enthusiast despise what comic-con has become but attend every year, regardless. Filled with  many obsessed fans and casual goers. Morgan Spurlock’s Comic-Con Episode IV A Fan’s Hope is a deep look into the convention itself and a handful of the people who make up the heart of what comic-con has become. Focusing on 2 artistic hopefuls, a costume designer and a couple who met and fell in love at comic-con and the surprise proposal that is going to happen.

The movie clearly shows the power that geek culture has gained in the last 10-15 years. With television shows like The Big Bang Theory that has helped make the geek life more acceptable and recognized . It’s ok for those who like sci-fi and comic books and video game addicts to be ok with themselves and comic-con is their Super Bowl, Oscars and any top event for those who love what they do. With various celebrity interviews and insight into what drives those who live and love this lifestyle proves to be fascinating and shows that these people are no longer in the minority.

There will always people who think these people are strange and make no mistake, there are people at these events that may cross the line as far as obsession goes, but this is their event and their time to let loose.

Everyone has a little geek in them and geek culture has grown tremendously and this is a brief glimpse into the culture that made being geek, cool.

Ben Affleck’s Star Seems To Be Hitting His All-Time High

All actors and directors and writers have various highs and lows in their career and some of these have been commented about on this site and documented in the world of entertainment journalism quite well.

There may be very few careers that have been such a roller coaster of extreme highs and deep lows, as that of Ben Affleck. Affleck is set to release his third directorial effort in October. It is entitled Argo is set during the Iran hostage incident. The trailer alone will leave your jaw open salivating for the release of what very well may be a big Oscar contender with an all star cast, including Affleck in the lead role.

Ben Affleck had a small steady career starting to carve for himself appearing in various successful indie movies a few for his friend, director Kevin Smith when he was at the height of his talents with roles in such films as Mallrats and Chasing Amy and a somewhat breakout role in the cult icon film Dazed And Confused. In 1998 he became a household name over night when he and childhood best friend Matt Damon won the Academy Award for best original screenplay for Good Will Hunting. The two friends were on the fast track to fame, fortune and success. With a few big blockbuster movies and decent roles in fine movies following Good Will Hunting like Armageddon, Shakespeare In Love, Boiler Room and the money making but disappointing Pearl Harbor and then things started to slide. It wouldn’t be far fetched to point the start of the slide at The Sum Of All Fears which while was not that bad a movie, quite entertaining actually, it was the role he played that people weren’t happy with. the role of Jack Ryan had come to be loved because of Harrison Ford flawlessly portraying the tom Clancy character. While Affleck only played a young Jack Ryan and didn’t continue the story or Ford’s version of the character people were immediately turned off. This is where the mudslide begins with the widely panned comic book/superhero adaptation of Daredevil and followed with a string of movies one as bad as the next almost. Gili with then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez has made the top of various worst all time movies lists. Even re-teaming with friend Kevin Smith for Jersey Girl didn’t help as it appeared Kevin Smith’s better days were behind him and on to Surviving Christmas and Clerks 2.

Affleck next took a role that appeared to be a big departure since it was a much smaller supporting role as he played the almost mythic actor George Reeves in Hollywoodland and even received Oscar buzz for his role. It appeared to be a step in the right direction.

Ben would take a three year break during which his life and career would change drastically and forever. Ben stepped behind the camera to direct his first feature length film and cast his little brother in the lead role. Based on the Dennis Lehane novel, Gone Baby Gone would go on to blow everyone away as to how good of a film Affleck could make and maybe this was his true calling. He played Gone Baby Gone somewhat safe since it is based in his home town Boston he had an advantage going into the project, but, it couldn’t have been a better first movie for him to direct.

He would return to the screen in what again wouldn’t be a leading role but still a role with depth and that had some teeth to it with 2009’s State Of Play staring Russell Crowe based on the BBC miniseries.

Picking up a couple of roles here and there since he then returned behind the camera in 2010 with another Boston crime tale with The Town which he would also star in and would again gain wide praise for his directing ability and his love letters to his hometown of Boston.

It has been 2 years since The Town and Affleck is back behind and in front of the camera for Argo. He leaves the comfort of Boston for the hostile territory of late 70’s, early 80’s Iran. He has found his voice and true talent. He may never win an acting Oscar like his friend Matt Damon may do someday but he no doubt is leaving his mark, albeit early, as a director. His career is hitting the highs it once did when he joyously received his Oscar with friend Matt Damon and things truly are looking up for Ben.

Shut Up Little Man Looks At Going Viral For The First Time

With todays wide spread accessibility of the internet the best way to gain that infamous 15 minutes of fame is to tape something or write something or create something and, Go Viral!! 25 years ago the term going viral wasn’t part of the populations vocabulary. That didn’t stop unique videos, recordings and from being an underground phenomenon. One such situation took place in the late 80’s and carried on thru the 90’s when two recent college chose to move to the iconic neighborhood of Haight St. in San Francisco in what could be the dumpiest apartment building in the city. What they soon discovered was they had the two most unique neighbors anyone could ask for.

What was initially a severe annoyance of two men who drank all day and as a result viciously argued and fought all night, quickly became a fascination and underground hit. While the neighbors, Peter and Ray constantly argued it took a turn from annoying to hilarious at some point and out fear, fear for either ones life and that it may become legally necessary, the two began recording the nights occurrences.

The recordings soon piled up to two years worth and found themselves covering the country with various people looking to cash in on them in various ways from comic books to movies to plays.

The documentary, Shut Up Little Man, taken from Peter’s favorite line to Ray, is not only a look into the two young men, Eddie and Mitch and not only their time on Haight St. next to Peter and Ray but the struggle and control of the phenomenon they had created.

With various legal and ethical issues at hand they had been thrust into a world and situation that they had no knowledge of and had not prepared for. With everyone looking to profit on the crazy characters Peter and Ray no doubt were various legal and ethical questions were raised and ultimately kept the Shut Up Little Man tapes and story from hitting the mainstream.

The documentary also hits on several other levels and while the arguments are funny, although extremely profanity laced, there is a sadness to the lives the two men had come to live late in life. Both obvious severe alcoholics and Peter being a homosexual and Ray vocally having a hatred for them made for a very volatile relationship, of which there is some mystery and question, and ultimately a toxic life together.

What has been called the first pop culture viral break out, calls morals and ethics into question with what seems so easily accessible today. A deep look into what popularity these tapes had and how they were really light years ahead of anything of it’s kind, Shut Up Little Man is about so much more than the tapes and recordings, it’s about the lives of the two men on those tapes and the lives they unknowingly affected by bringing laughter and joy to millions and by affecting the lives of all who tried to profit from their misery and sad lives. It will make laugh no doubt because that is just our nature as people but it will make you think as well and feel for the men who unknowingly were just like rock stars.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark Is Still The Ultimate Adventure

An adventure movie is quite different from an action movie for a few reasons. While it does contain action it is always more about story and getting somewhere or something whereas action will always be about just that, the actions that take place and more geared towards stunts and effects. With these thoughts in mind we decided to take a look at what makes, in our opinion mind you, Raiders Of The Lost Ark the greatest adventure movie of all time. We know there will be many of you who have opinions and thoughts on other films for consideration and why and we encourage all your comments, but our focus is to pinpoint all the elements that make this a great adventure movie.

To begin our analysis we look at the characters and how each one is the perfect fit for the story. First obviously is Indiana Jones. With a name that just screams adventure he has the ideal costume for an every man of his time without it being like a super hero suit you can immediately identify with him. He has a profession that makes the exotic locations not seem out of place. He has a style and demeanor that you can’t help but root for. The casting of Indiana couldn’t have been more perfect. Harrison Ford has the perfect look that isn’t too worn yet not polished at all with a smile that makes you smirk and smile too.

It’s Indiana’s friends that aid him in his adventure and search for the ark that complete him. He has the woman on his arm who is pretty but not ravishingly beautiful and she knows and even shares his love of searching for the rare, this makes her the perfect companion on his adventure.

Sallah is the guy around the city of Cairo that knows everyone has the connections and knowledge of the area unlike anyone and tries to live vicariously through Indy by helping him.

As for the villains in Raiders non could be better than the always hated Nazi’s along with Jones’ consummate arch enemy Dr. Belloq who teams with the Nazi’s and takes advantage of there equipment and money to try and out do Indy who has almost primitive tools of the trade and relies on his knowledge and instinct. Along with the behind the scenes overseer for the third reich is the creepy, typical Nazi Major Toht who just breeds evil love for Hitler and his goals.

Raiders offered great worldly locations right from the beginning where Indy finds a treasure cave perfectly booby trapped for which only Indiana knows the way through the traps that are set. Frozen land of Nepal to the desert of Cairo to a remote island that will witness the power of the ark for all there to see.

The story itself is near flawless, from the perfectly timed trouble Jones encounters to the wit and humor woven throughout the story and the perfect amount of action and fight scenes. You are never lost due to complicated plot lines and too many things going on at once yet you are engrossed in the story from start to finish.

There is something for everyone in Raiders from an underlying love story to the carefully used elements of history and even ancient history. It is a movie and story most everyone loves and no doubt it’s one you have to finish watching every time you come across it on TV. It never seems to be over played and everyone has a favorite part of the movie, whether it’s the giant stone ball chasing Indy to start the film to shooting the town sword master in the street. every young boy gravitates to Indiana Jones and wants a fedora hat and whip yet there is enough of a great story that a lot of women don’t get bored by the film. It’s a perfect homage to adventure films of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s yet it still rises above them all. It’s an adventure we all want to be on and let ourselves get lost in without it getting old.

2012 Summer Has Big Blockbuster’s On The Horizon

While we at Love Your Movies mostly look back on films of the past and review recent releases, there is no denying this summer is setting up to be one of the biggest blockbuster seasons in recent memory and we wanted to take a look at what is going to succeed and why and what will fall on it’s face. Some of these movies have been anticipated for years and some have come out of no where. While we haven’t seen any of them, we are going based on plot lines and trailers alone as to what we think will be the summers biggest blockbuster. Here’s how we think they will stack up 10-1 Enjoy!

10. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Yes that’s a real title of a soon to be released movie. No it’s not gonna work. It’s the most drowned genre in history and not even America’s greatest president can save it. It’s a bizarre plot and a bad one at that. It sounds like one of those dreams you have when you are half asleep on the couch with the history channel on the TV in the middle of the night. It’s bordering on offensive to Abe Lincoln.

9. Battleship

Before this one even get’s going, to use what’s going to be an extremely over used phrase, this battleship is sunk. Even the never aging tough guy, Liam Neeson can save this. Based on a game that does not translate to cinema along with a mix of Transformers and all kinds of other hodgepodge of ideas it’s just not gonna work. This without question will be one of two hands down bombs at the box office.

8. G.I. Joe: Retaliation 

Despite what anyone thinks, The Rock can act and is a hands down action star. He’s never gonna win an award other than a WWE Slammy but he makes a decent and flat out entertaining movie. With the first G.I. Joe movie being all but a disaster, a better script and better cast which also includes the great Jonathan Pryce, look for this to be a better movie but the downside still will be that it’s a G.I. Joe which just won’t be that great a series.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man

Taking a page out of The Hulk’s playbook, Spider-Man get’s a re-boot quite quickly after the Tobey Maguire version of the series finished it’s successful trilogy. The difference between Spider-Man and Hulk is that Spider-Man had much better made and much more successful films. Andrew Garfield actually may be a better choice for Peter Parker than Maguire in that he is a better actor and there is more of a believability factor. It will draw decent numbers but don’t be shocked if it doesn’t fly based on the fact that it’s just too soon for this. All that said, the suit looks much better.

6. Total Recall

Maybe the most controversial and temperamental of the summer movies because it is a former well loved sci-fi book and somewhat of a cult movie. It may be way too early for this to be remade but that never stopped Hollywood from making what they are sure will bring in some coin, and Total Recall will most definitely bring in the money. Casting Colin Farrell is a good move he has the edge to wherewithal to take on such a massive undertaking and risk. Look for it to be a decent movie and do fairly well but loyalist to the original won’t be satisfied regardless of how good it truly is.

5. Men In Black 3

This looks to be a safe bet. It will be right in the middle of the pact profits wise and will most likely entertain you. The Men In Black series is just that, entertaining. Will Smith is a safe bet and the introduction of Josh Brolin is a great addition and it appears his best Tommy Lee Jones impression is spot on even though I’m sure he’s been working on it since No Country For Old Men production. Don’t sweat about spending your money on this installment it will not leave you with a still hungry type feeling.

4. Bourne Legacy

Another tough movie to gauge. The fourth installment in a great action series based on highly loved books that had Matt Damon carry the series…until now. Turning the reigns over to Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner who will not play Jason Bourne but continues the story is a fine choice. Renner is coming off a very well received role in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and will fill in nicely but don’t expect the same success as the Matt Damon half of the series but look for more great action and intriguing plot lines. Most likely should be a good one.

3. Prometheus

Not much needs to be said about Prometheus other than this, Ridley Scott returns to his sci-fi roots! For fans of his and of the sci-fi genre in general this will be a massive breath of fresh air. Prometheus was originally planned to be an Alien prequel, but that idea was scraped and it was decided it would be an original idea. A stellar cast that will most likely be a break out for Noomi Rapace who garnered some excellent praise for her role in the original Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Also starring the always fabulous Charlize Theron and Hollywoods hottest leading man Michael Fassbender. Mostly likely due to what is likely to be an R rating this won’t challenge The Dark Knight Rises or The Avengers for profit but it very well may be the best of the summer movies.

2. The Avengers

With all due respect to The Hunger Games and the title of our review for it, The Avengers is the true kick of to summer blockbuster season. With an all-star cast and every major super hero of the past few years and the major stars that played them, The Avengers will no doubt rake in the dough at the box office and have comic book/superhero fans drooling with their need to see all their favorite heroes assemble and take over the box office with what is sure to be amazing action and state of the art CGI. The Avengers will most likely be the one of the two biggest box office draws.

1. The Dark Knight Rises

Maybe the most anticipated of all the summer blockbusters, The Dark Knight Rises also has the most to lose because of what it has to live up to. The Dark Knight quite possibly was the greatest comic book/superhero movie of all time. With no Heath Ledger to carry this production the weight is on Christian Bale who made everyone rabid Batman fans again with his original performance in Batman Begins. With a good player on the opposite end in the gorgeous Anne Hathaway, while one of the best stars of her generation don’t expect her to be able to carry the film the way Heath did. None the less it will be between this and Prometheus for the best of the summer flix.