Limitless

Limitless is an edge of your seat thriller. While we are always taught by our parents to not judge a book by its cover. It is even more important to not judge a film by its trailer/marketing campaign. From everything leading up to this film we are sold that Bradley Cooper gets a drug fix from Robert De Niro and then a game of cat and mouse ensues between the two. What Limitless truly ends up being is a movie where Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a struggling writer/slob who acquires a drug called NZT-48, a pill that allows him to recall everything from the briefest of encounters. In minutes he is transformed from a guy no one could believe has a book deal to a man no one can do without. Eddie's problem solving solutions end up fanning the flames of questions around him, and before long it seems that everyone in the city is after him. The intricate dynamics that weave this trail of lies is one of the best that I can remember in a movie in a long time.

Bradley Cooper shows how he is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. His performance is brilliant as he is able to go from panicked addict to conversationalist genius back and forth flawlessly without losing the support of the audience. What really made Limitless in many ways unique was that there was truly no other key character for Morra to confide in or take along in the journey, Cooper's strong performance became even more vital. The downside I found in this was that the supporting roles particularly those played by Robert De Niro and Abbie Cornish did not give them the range that they are both capable of as they are reduced to merely plot points.

There are not enough words to describe how amazingly brisk and sharp the production comes across. There truly is not a single scene in this film where artistic appeal is not put in throughout. One of the aspects that has become a new way to tell the story is that of giving us a starting point where the climax is already at hand, only to then move back days, weeks or months to tell the story back to that point and beyond. With this story telling style I love how it only helps at least on my end to put me even more on the edge of my seat from moment one. A lot of praise needs to be given to the visual effects and the use of a warm color palette to show the moments when the effects of NZT-48 are influencing Cooper's character. This distinct difference really contrasts life at the moments when only the small amount of our brain is used in comparison to those moments when the mind is fully opened up to all the possibilities.

Limitless is a film that is part of a new genre that has turned up recently and that is the self discovery genre. The primary goal of this genre is simply to delve into the metaphysical realm to find out what makes us tick. Limitless ends up asking the question to the audience of what is holding each of us back from being the perfect versions of ourselves. While there are those moments where the plot is full of holes, most movies have similar plot holes that in order for the movie to be fun and entertaining the audience just needs to go with it. First and foremost for me I am there to be entertained so I am more then willing to let the movies get away with some absurd stunts or even some moments that would not happen in real life. The action keeps the pace of this film moving that those that want to nit pick the holes and say it is not based enough on reality need to just sit back and enjoy because while they were nit picking they probably missed some key elements to the action and plot.

Limitless ends up being a fun movie that will not only have you wondering some things about yourself in the end, but one of the best concepts is at the end the director allows you the audience to draw your own conclusions on certain aspects of the film. I think by allowing the audience to make the decision really can show a person how they view the world themselves. Cooper does a great performance and is truly seamless between what becomes the two separate versions of himself in the movie. If you are in the mood for a edge of your seat thriller Limitless is a great choice. I am giving Limitless three buckets of popcorn out of five. This movie is well worth the price to rent.

-The Movie Man

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two brings the long awaited end to the Harry Potter series and it has truly been a movie series where the audience has been able to see Harry Potter and his friends grow up right before all of our eyes. Harry, Ron and Hermione are continuing in their quest to destroy the remaining Horcruxes and as all sides continue on their paths it all leads to an epic and final confrontation between not only Voldemort and Harry, but the classic good vs. evil battle. This final movie is truly a summer blockbuster as it seems to go from moment to moment and the action is intense.

The British cast is once again stupendous and is exactly as strong and powerful as the audience has grown accustomed to as the movie franchise has progressed over the years. Ray Fiennes as Voldemort was in my opinion one of the smartest moves the studio made. He brings such a presence that for me he was exactly how I pictured Voldemort as I read the books. Not only does he bring a great presence but he truly exudes the polar opposite characteristics that Harry has. The supporting cast gives great performances from Alan Rickman to Jason Isaacs. Yet I think even though his role is very small Michael Gambon as Dumbledore has been one of the great supporting cast positions since he simply had to replace Richard Harris after he past away. While Gambon did not always portray Dumbledore in the way that I pictured him in the books he did command the screen and really gave some great moments especially in the interactions with Harry. The main three of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint are once again superb and it is truly amazing to see the changes and progression they have made since the first film.

Where the first movie showed the emotion and even desperation everyone was feeling part two takes the development in the story and characters that were laid down in part one made for the great action in this final installment. Having now seen part two I think that it would have been great had they taken the two movie approach with the movies starting with book four. With the two movies I think it allowed the movie to be the movie that followed the book the closest. Of course had they gone the two movie approach it would have taken the number of movies into the Land Before Time realm of how many different movies there are. The final installment had some of the best action sequences, especially when it came to the final set of battle sequences. With such an epic ending it can be really easy for all the secondary story lines to fall to the wayside as the focus goes onto the confrontation between the main antagonist and protagonist. Yet, the final installment allows all the secondary story lines to be tied up.

Yates reserves the most emotional moment in not only the film but the entire series for Severus Snape's (Alan Rickman) vindication, long thought to be the Judas Iscariot-equivalent in the Order and the one who pushed Dumbledore to his death. Yates delivers a truly poignant and deeply heartfelt revelation of Snape's true colours, and it is a farewell that even those who have read the book and can expect what is to come will be overwhelmed by its sheer emotional muscle. While Part Two was always meant to be an action-packed spectacle, it is to Yates' credit that there is still as much heart as before in the storytelling. Though brief, this revelation also works brilliantly as a catalyst that propels Harry to come to terms with the sacrifice he has to make. Harry's realization of this leads up perfectly to the ultimate duel between him and Voldemort, one that is fierce, ferocious and- thanks to Yates' imagination- more exhilarating than reading it off the page.

With this movie it is the only movie they did that was in 3D. We saw it in 3D and it only added to everything as it immersed you fully in this magical world that was in turmoil. I love the fact that most of the 3D movies now are a lot less about eye popping the 3D at you and instead more about immersion with the 3D abilities.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two does an amazing job at bringing the epic Harry Potter series to a close. The cast is amazing and does not disappoint even giving us some new emotions from secondary characters. Now there are those of you that may look at my review of part one and wonder how it is that Part Two received a lower rating than Part One. My reasoning for this is two reasons, first is that of the future scene. The future scene ended up being very corny, hokey and did not have the same feel that one felt while reading the closing to book seven. Second, is while the action was non-stop this ended up being the shortest of the films and I think there were a few moments where Yates rushes through moments when he did not need to. Even with that I am giving Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two three and three-fourth buckets of popcorn out of five. This is definitely a movie that is going to be well worth having not only as part of the Harry Potter series but a stand alone movie in and of itself.

-The Movie Man

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is definitely a rebound from the second installment in the Transformers franchise. Everywhere that Revenge of the Fallen fell short Dark of the Moon succeeded at in this go around. Michael Bay is simply himself in this third installment and does not disappoint. The focal point of Dark of the Moon rewrites in history the reasoning behind the United States involvement in the race to the moon. This time more importantly there is I believe is a much stronger plot and storyline to go along with the CGI and action that one comes to expect from Michael Bay. From the onset of this third installment everyone involved realized that the plot of the last film was paper thin, and because of that it truly made the movie suffer.

The acting throughout the movie is workable. I am sure everyone's first question on the acting with the movie dealt with replacing the eye candy of Megan Fox. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley filled the eye candy role admirably. Basically, they replaced one eye candy actress with an eye candy actress that had never acted before. Whiteley actually surpassed my expectations for the role and I actually believe she might be able to act her way out of a paper bag, which I am not so sure that Megan fox can do. Shia LaBeouf gives a strong enough performance for the lead but he really in a way is a subsidiary character in relation to the interaction between the autobots and the decepticons.

One of the biggest surprises for me was that of Leonard Nimoy providing the voice for Sentinel Prime, he gives the voice strength that we would definitely expect of the original leader and wisest autobot. One important thing to look out for is Nimoy has a great throwout to his old Star Trek days. Now the one casting that I think was definitely a real risk was that of Patrick Dempsey as Dylan, who is the human antagonist. Dempsey has almost always been the guy everyone loves and so the casting of him as the antagonist was very new and I think it really worked. Dempsey does all the great acts that greatly allows the audience to not only loathe him but hate him for everything he stands for.

Michael Bay's direction was a great rebound after his train wreck directing in the second Transformers. While the CGI and action are exactly what is expected of in a Michael Bay movie. Yet, this time around he gets back in line with a story that is almost as strong as the original Transformers movie. It is truly amazing to see the autobots and decepticons, blended so smoothly into the film that at times you truly believe that they are not actually CGI on the screen. The single best part of the whole movie for me took place in the buildup to the final confrontation, with the base jumpers flying through downtown Chicago. Also, it was great to see Linkin Park rebound in their third go around with the main song for Transformers. It was nice to see them come with a song that sounded different from the previous two.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a fun thrill ride movie with great action packed moments from start to finish. More importantly, this was a return back to the original by Bay in that he focused on both action and story. The acting was on par with a summer blockbuster and the new eye candy ended up being a new fresh face within the movie and in my opinion did just as well as Megan Fox would have done. For the return to the original Transformers and the fact that it was a fun popcorn eating summer blockbuster, I am giving Transformers: Dark of the Moon two and three fourth buckets of popcorn out of five. This is one I would recommend for anyone that loves the summer fun blockbuster seeing.

-The Movie Man

X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class while at first look First Class seems to be a prequel related to the original trilogy, however after seeing First Class it is truly a film that stands not only on its own, but is really not even truly tied to the original trilogy. Just like it states in the first trailer for this movie it tells of the story of Professor X and Magneto when they were simply known as Charles and Erik. Being brought together as they both begin to understand their own powers they become friends who while fighting for mutant rights begin to see the vast differences in the roads they believe they should go down for the rights of all mutants. First Class was very interesting to see the origins of some of the mutants that we have never known how they came about to be.

While it was definitely not the same to not have Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan in the roles of Professor X and Magneto, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender perform admirably in the roles. McAvoy and Fassbender come across as being very believable as the younger versions of the roles that Stewart and McKellan have played so strongly. The surprise for me that I thought I would probably never see in a comic/superhero movie was that of Kevin Bacon in it. Kevin Bacon plays the villainous role of Sebastian Shaw and is truly hateable throughout the movie. The supporting cast was strong enough for the movie but it is truly carried by Bacon, McAvoy and Fassbender. The part of the movie that I would have liked to see more of was to receive more of a back story on the origins of the bad mutants and how they came about, the backstorys for all the other main characters were very poignant and gave a great understanding of each mutant.

While most summer blockbusters are more action based then story, First Class focuses on telling the story with a little action. Matthew Vaughn's directing is strong as his pacing makes the movie continue forward which can especially be difficult in a summer blockbuster when action is so greatly expected. Because of this desire for such action when they actually try to tell the story it becomes completely bogged down. Yet it is important to remember that while the action is not exactly explosive it is still superb and one of the coolest scenes of all is when Erik pulls the submarine out of the water and suspends it. The makeup effects in the movie are also pretty amazing. I am sure it took a lot of time every day for the actors to sit and be put in so much makeup. With the makeup my personal favorite is that of Azazel, now part of this feeling for him being a favorite from this movie may simply be that I have always been partial to Nightcrawler and Azazel is his father.

X-Men: First Class is a strong reboot film. While there are some obvious differences from the X-Men storyline, at least more of these were differences that I was able to easily overlook because of the strength of the acting and carrying on between the different characters. Kevin Bacon was obviously the biggest surprise in this movie. The back story particularly for Charles and Erik really were very interesting and gave the movie exactly what you might expect. Also there is a cameo within the movie that while it is only seconds long it is enjoyable to see. I am giving X-Men: First Class three buckets of popcorn out of five. This is definitely a film worth watching and is one that will probably be added to the DVD collection in the future.

-The Movie Man

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America was probably my most anticipated movie of the summer for me. Having that thought process with a movie is always dangerous in that it just may not meet that high anticipation. Captain America though managed to meet these expectations for me and really has made me excited for the Avengers movie next summer. Captain America ends up being a fun origin story that does a great job of not only delivering a strong story but as well meets the requisites that we all expect in a summer blockbuster movie especially that of great special effects and in your face action.

Chris Evans in the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America ended up being very fitting for the role. While at the beginning I was not sure if he would fit into the role of Captain America especially since he had been a super hero previously. Evans though did a great job at really portraying the power, strength and confidence that we would expect in a super hero that is the embodiment of America. The scene that shows this is when Tommy Lee Jones' character does not believe Rogers to be the right candidate to undergo the transformation. In trying to prove his point he tosses a grenade into the line of the candidates, without hesitation Rogers jumps onto the grenade and tells everyone else to get out of the way. Yet in any super hero movie, no matter how good the acting is by the super hero it is all for naught if there is not an equally strong villain, and Hugo Weaving does not disappoint. Portraying Red Skull, Weaving is not only powerful on screen, but you truly believe that his undergoing of the transformation truly did amplify his evil characteristics and you believe him to be quite insane. The supporting cast from Stanley Tucci, Samuel L. Jackson to Tommy Lee Jones all give strong performances to really help support up the main conflict that builds throughout between Captain America and Red Skull.

The special effects in Captain America are precisely what is expected in a summer blockbuster. The effect to alter Chris Evans to make him look like such a short and weak person throughout the early beginnings of the film is one example of strong effects. While originally they were going to place his head on a double that was smaller and shorter they felt this did not fit properly and so instead they used CGI to create the body of Steve Rogers. This CGI was exactly what was needed for the movie and while you know that it is not a natural view the CGI is not really noticeable. The other effect was that of the makeup used to create the look of Red Skull. The makeup ends up really being a strong point for the intimidation and general evil feeling that we receive from looking at Red Skull. The look of Red Skull could have truly come off looking childish/cartoonish or even campy, luckily they do not get caught in this trap. After all the individual films for the Avenger I think that Red Skull has been my favorite villain simply because of his look.

The theme of the film is simple and interesting enough to make you stick to your seat. It's storyline is simple yet classic and does exactly what was asked to do in establishing it's lead character as an iconic superhero. Throughout the movie you get one-liners here and there that make the audience laugh. Likewise, the music throughout the film fit perfectly for not only the time period but the genre of a comic book super hero movie. Not to mention the film gives us great action, explosions and some pretty fun fighting sequences. While the final fight sequence is a little anti-climatic there is one sequence in the middle part of the movie is truly fun and gives a great fight between Red Skull and Captain America.

Captain America: The First Avenger is a fun movie that although even a little campy it fits perfectly for the character of Captain America as well as that of the WWII era. With Captain America being a super soldier and even the rah-rah aspect of who Captain America is, parts of it could almost pass off as being an actual recruitment video. Red Skull is a great villain and is currently my favorite villain to date in the Avenger universe. I will let any one know in case they have not heard but after all the credits there is a quick sneak peek look at next years The Avengers movie. I am giving Captain America: The First Avenger three and three-fourths buckets of popcorn out of five. This movie was well worth the price of admission and is definitely worth watching on a movie theater screen. While I did not see it on an IMAX screen if you have the opportunity to see it on an IMAX I would definitely jump on it.

-The Movie Man

Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens is a western that delivers all the action and fun that one would definitely expect from a western movie. Of course the unique aspect of this western is the thrown in villains of aliens. While initially I was unsure about what I would think of a western with a science fiction twist, but the aspect of this movie having Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig made me not disregard this movie from the first teaser trailer. While I am not familiar with the comic book that Cowboys & Aliens is based on but the film provides us exactly what the title suggests. While this movie does not provide anything that is mind blowing, it provides Sci-Fi action with western violence.

Cowboys & Aliens is nothing but to entertain you. The only thing that is unique here is the Western & Sci-Fi collaboration. The film is just your typical Western movie but instead of Indians or some sadistic bandit, the aliens are the antagonist of the film. The aliens are pretty intriguing but we don't see them that much until the third act. It's disappointing if you are expecting too much aliens. Yet for me they did not overkill the aliens to us which really made them seem more mysterious. The only things we see them do are ride their ships, stab people, shoot with their weapons, and jump scare the audiences. It's also your typical alien invasion film.

Daniel Craig in the role of Jake Lonergan is stupendous. It is definitely a strong aspect of a film and shows Craig's skills acting with his ability to command the screen with the fact that he is on the screen a lot but has relatively few lines. And with those few lines he gives a pretty good American accent. Harrison Ford plays the old grumpy man to perfection. Although Ford in his last few roles has played the old grumpy man makes one wonder how much acting he is actually doing. Olivia Wilde commands the screen herself and really does a great job at not being overshadowed by the veteran actors.

Jon Favreau's directing is precisely what is to be expected of the Iron man director. He surely knows how to make the action sequences exciting, with some great explosions. It is easy to recognize the CGI effects were done by Industrial Light & Magic, since the aliens look just like any monster in a J.J. Abrams film. The score for this movie follows exactly what is expected in a western movie.

The best part of the movie: The fights mean something. You care what happens to Lonerman, Dolarhyde, Elle, Doc, and Emmett. When characters die, the persons close to them emote. The characters who die are characters you grow attached to. You want their deaths avenged. You are made known in none-uncertain-terms that the situation is dire. And that's what makes Cowboys & Aliens a very strong movie.

Cowboys & Aliens is a fun Sci-Fi/Western that definitely met my expectations. Ford, Craig and Wilde give strong performances, with a strong supporting cast. Cowboys & Aliens provides the action, explosion and fun that audiences want and expect in summer movie blockbusters. I am giving Cowboys & Aliens three and a half buckets of popcorn out of five. This is definitely a movie that allows you to simply enjoy being at the movies and not have to worry about the stresses of everyday life. This is a movie that I found to be well worth the price of admission.

-The Movie Man

Fanboys

Fanboys is a film that is made for the Star Wars fans out there that would have dreamed of a similar road trip. Although the overall plot of a bunch of males going on a road trip for some sort of grand purpose in which male bonding ensues, is nothing new I rather enjoyed the story that was laid on top of this typical plot line. Fanboys while nothing special ended up being quite the enjoyable movie and did a great job at making me laugh throughout.

The acting in this movie is nothing overly special, but each character fits there role perfectly. Sam Huntington is perfect in his role and ends up being the most endearing even believable characters as most of the others are entirely over the top. The part of Huntington's portrayal that is the most intriguing to me is the parallel between his character and Luke Skywalker. Huntington played the inner conflict over the decision to pursue his own dream which would be far riskier versus following what his father would expect of him.

Director Kyle Newman pays some nice homage to George Lucas and obviously Star Wars throughout the movie. The infamous side wipes that Lucas uses to transition in those movies appear a couple times and the security at the ranch resembles the uniforms from THX 1138. The writing also pays homage by inserting famous quotes such as "never tell the odds" when appropriate and even one of the funniest scenes in the movie when the gang ends up in George Lucas' trash.

Nearly all of the humor in the film is related to the original epic trilogy and while casual fans will understand most of the references, a portion will go over their heads. A lot of the laughs come from throwbacks to iconic moments like the malfunctioning hyperdrive on the falcon/Hutch's "lightspeed" on the van failing to function, to the cameos scattered throughout the movie. The cameos make for some great moments, the cameos seem to be happening in every other scene. Danny Trejo, Seth Rogen ( in not one, but three parts), Ethan Suplee, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewesm and a few cameos that I will not spoil here for those who will see the movie, the best cameo being the "inside man" who supplies the information for breaking into Lucas' ranch.

I am going to straight up admit that I may be biased because of the fact I love Star Wars. I really enjoyed the road trip aspect and I though the plot to steal a final copy of Star Wars Episode I before its release was fun and what every die hard movie fan would love to do before  the big movie releases.  I am giving Fanboys three and three-fourth buckets of popcorn out of five. While non-Star Wars fans may not love this movie, it is a fun movie for the Star Wars fans. I know this will eventually become a part of my DVD collection.

-The Movie Man