Captain America: The First Avenger
There’s one thing that Marvel films does better than anyone else: tell a great origin story. Marvel has always been about digging into who the character is as a person before giving them their powers and then exploring what those powers mean to the character wielding them. I roughly know Cap’s origin story (he got injected with Super Soldier Serum, fought Nazis, the Red Skull, and got frozen until the Avengers found him years later) but there is a lot of story in-between that the film deftly covered.
Good: Great origin story – well fleshed-out. Chris Evans does a great job being the hero that other heroes look up to (I can’t wait for Avengers). The part after the credits is fantastic and I can’t wait for Avengers (did I already say that?).
Bad: Very little shield throwing. But to be fair, I wanted him to throw it every 3 seconds in a fight scene.
Own It/See It/Pass: I’ve seen it twice and intend to add it to my blu ray shelf next to the other movies leading up to Avengers.
Cowboys & Aliens
There have been a lot of bad reviews. A lot of people hated this movie. I like it. A lot.
Good: The story was good and there were a lot of great scenes with Harrison Ford. The battle between the Cowboys, Indians vs the Aliens was fantastic.
Bad: The device around Daniel Craig’s wrist did most of the fighting for him through most of the film.
Own It/See It/Pass: I liked this movie a lot. Definite add.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
I watched Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone the day before the movie and two things struck me, 1) How young the cast was and 2) how great their acting has become.
Good: Fantastic story even if it didn’t conform to the book. I know how it ends (I read the spoilers (i.e. the book)) but was still tense. The action and the acting and the loving way these characters are portrayed really brought these characters to life.
Bad: Not enough Neville in the previous films. In the book, he has a tragic backstory but he’s growing to be more and more of a badass every book. The film did a great job of showing you the result of all of his growth but to people who have only seen the films, it might seem sudden. Also, I loved the books and the films and I’m not happy that it’s come to an end.
Own It/See It/Pass: See it 20 times and buy it 30 times. If it’s not on your blu ray shelf, your shelf will hate you for it.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Here is another film critics hated (as did most fans). This is another film I liked a lot. I know Sam was really whiny (which seems to be drawing the bulk of the venom toward the movie) but I saw it as a parallel between being a child star or an ex-millionaire. When a child star is popular and everyone is kissing up and they’re getting all the fan mail, money, and attention – they expect that. When their show is canceled, they have to adjust to not having any of that stuff (or at least not as much). Sam is a kid who helped save the world so he knows what being a hero is like and wants to do something important. When a Decepticon comes after him at work, he goes to the Autobots for help and is refused by the guards protecting their secret base. Of course Sam flips out – he’s saved the world, is friends with the Autobots, and he needs their help.
Good: Another great action sequence like in the first movie. The final action sequence is a non-stop fight for about 20 minutes and it is high octane, exciting, and everything we love about Michael Bay films.
Bad: As much as people love/hate Megan Fox, I don’t like the new girl and I didn’t like Megan Fox. I don’t like the female love interest because she hasn’t added much to any of the 3 films. Even the scene with her and Megatron at the end seems wedged in there to make her useful.
Own It/See It/Pass: I’ve also seen this movie twice in the theatre and considering all of the detail in the special effects (specifically the transformations) you should see this on the big screen. A friend of mine gave me the first two films for Christmas and I liked this film, so yeah – I’m going to add this one to the blu ray collection.
30 Minutes or Less
Description from movietickets.com: In the action-comedy "30 Minutes or Less", Nick is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds. The volatile duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With mere hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet. As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.
Good: There are a lot of great comedic actors here and Dilshad Vadsaria is super-hot.
Bad: The tagline for this movie should be “30 Minutes or Less: The Amount of Time You’ll Spend Enjoying This Film.”
Own It/See It/Pass: PASS.
