Man of Steel (2013)

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This film is based off a character created by DC comics. Clark Kent has spent his life keeping his alien heritage a secret while working various odd jobs. Criminal General Zod arrives with his soldiers on earth in search of escaped Clark Kent/Kal-El, and the genetic codex given to Kent.

This film was directed by Zack Snyder. This film had the production assistance of Christopher Nolan. This reboot film attempts to give the world of Superman more of a darker edge similar to The Dark Knight. Superman, himself, maintains his heroic American good-boy heart. This film's story focus' on his discovering of himself and his heritage. There are flashbacks of his childhood that give the character his emotion. The story of Clark facing others of his species was great. It gave the character an actual struggle that was great for an origin story. It was also great to see more of his alien culture. However, he still felt to invincible. There was a ton of computer animation in the film. Almost every scene appeared to be computer animated. It was humours to see how much destruction was caused merely by the alien characters fighting. There is plenty of action in this film, and it is suitable for younger audiences. There isn't much secondary character development. Henry Cavill played the role of Clark Kent/Kal-El. He was great in his role. He kept the character familiar. Russel Crowe played the role of Jor-El (Kal-El's father's). He created a very different father image for this film. Being the biological father, he created the good image of the alien race. Michael Shannon played the role of General Zod. He made a good villain. It was great watching him oppose Kent/El. Amy Adams played the role of Lois Lane. She was good, but not much was done with her character.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It is a good superhero origin story, and action film. 

Answer to last blog: Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary, also wrote the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (which became a film in 1998).

Que: What horror film did director Zack Snyder direct?

Dawn of the Dead

The Butterfly Effect

Club Dread

Secret Window

The Rum Diary

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This film is based off a novel, of the same title, written by Hunter S. Thompson. American journalist Paul Kemp decides to take a freelance job for a local newspaper in Puerto Rico. Kemp struggles, in the 1960's, to find his journalistic voice while learning about the immigration and island culture. 

This film was directed by Bruce Robinson. The novel was discovered by Johnny Depp. The focus of the story is unclear. The story follows the author as he travels through Puerto Rico trying to find his voice. This film was meant to have humor and drama, but it all mingles together strangely making it unclear of what the its meant to be.This film follows the lives of the immigrants, and their grab for power, but fails to present the problems it would cause for the island people. This film also depicts a lot of drug use and some sexual content. The film's background makes it good to watch. The story could've opened the characters better, but it was effective. Johnny Depp plays the role of Paul Kemp. He offered the character some life, but didn't offer anything impressive on screen.

I give this film 2 out of 5 stars! This films lack of focus keeps it from being great, but there is some heart.

Answer to last blog: Director Marc Forster, World War Z, also directed the film Stranger Than Fiction.

Que: What other novel did Hunter S. Thompson write that became a film?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Dark City
The Big Lebowski
The Thin Red Line

World War Z

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This film is based off the novel, of the same title, written by Max Brooks. The zombie outbreak is destroying nations and governments. United Nations employee Gerry Lane travels to various parts of the word in hopes of finding a cure for the zombie outbreak to save his family. 

This film was directed by Marc Forster. This film suffered through several setbacks, rewrites, and revisions. However, this film strays away from the original source-which is unfortunate. This film fails to carry that impactful sociological and psychological intensity. However, it does carry the feeling of major epidemic that starts a global world war. The story carries on like a familiar  zombie war-human survival story. At its core, it does have a heartfelt story about a familiar survival  The story does feel cut and paste-especially the ending. It contains the average horror movie scares that can make it predictable. There is plenty of action in the film. The zombie are treated more like an virus than the dead rising. The zombies do often look very computer animated particularly when in large combat situation. Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane, and is the most human in this film. He gave the film its heart. Daniella Kertesz played the role of Segen. More could have been done with her character, but she did create a friendly companion for Pitt. Mireille Enos, Sterling Jerins, Abigail Hargrove play the roles of Karin Lane, Constance Lane, and Rachel Lane.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! This film is a good zombie summer film.

Answer to last blog: Actor Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, also starred in the film We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Que: What other film has director Marc Forster starred in?

Casino Royale
Stranger Than Fiction
Pan's Labyrinth
The Prestige

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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This film is based on the epistolary novel, of the same title, written by Stephen Chbosky. This film follows Charlie, an introvert entering his freshman year of high school. Charlie meets Sam and Patrick, two high school seniors. Through them, Charlie gets a taste of the real world.

This film was written and directed by Stephen Chbosky. This film is a remembrance of high school film. It follows some of the cliches of high school films while breaking some new barriers with its dark themes. The story explores the lives of this one teenager trying to discover his sanity and his humanity while being highly introverted. It's common to have the least popular person in school be the main character, but it is unusual to follow the story of the person who barely speaks. Although, it is interesting how little the adults are needed in the film. The films keeps a lot of subtleties, and can be moderately predictable. Through the cinematography and screenwriting, the film maintains that feeling of epistolary. Some older audiences may not find the characters believable, because it does center around a group of teenagers. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller lead the cast of misfit toys into a spiral of heartfelt friendships. They brought a fresh experience to the high school experience.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars!

Answer to last blog: Actor Micheal Shanks took over the role of Dr. Daniel Jackson in the show Stargate SG-1.

Que: What other film has actor Ezra Miller starred in?

Drive

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Martha Marcy May Marlene

A Separation

Stargate (1994)

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Mankind has discovered an installer teleportation device in Egypt. Dr. Daniel Jackson is pulled into researching this discovery, and goes on a mission to a new planet with Col. Jonathan "Jack" O'Neil and a team. They come across a society resembling ancient Egypt and a civilization that worships, and is enslaved by, Ra. 

This film was directed by Roland Emmerich. This French-American science fiction film is unique, and a precursor to the Stargate franchise. This film falls into several popular cliches. The story is predictable once the world has been established. The story is great for moderate adventure, and scientific theory. The film was sued for potentially stealing the story idea. The stylings of ancient Egypt are great to watch on screen. The effects are good for the time. The technology is simple, but effective. The costumes are amazing. It adds to the personalities, and living situations, of the characters. 

The cast worked great together. James Spader played the role of Dr. Daniel Jackson. He was great in his role. He created the unlikely hero. Kurt Russell played the role of Col. Jonathan "Jack" O'Neil. He was good in his role. He created the image of a broken man. Alexis Cruz played the role of Skaara. He was good in his small role. He added humour to the film. Jaye Davidson played the role of Ra. He was great in his role. By the end you had no other option but to hate him. Mili Avital played the role of Sha'uri. She was good in her limited role.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It has become a classic among science fiction films. This film is cheesy and predictable, but it is fun to watch.

Answer to last blog: Actors Will Smith and Jaden Smith, After Earth, co-starred in the film The Pursuit of Happyness.

Que: Which actor took over the character of Dr. Daniel Jackson for the television spin-off Stargate SG-1?

Christopher Judge
Don S. Davis
Michael Shanks
Richard Dean Anderson

After Earth

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A thousand years in the future, Earth was abandoned due to an environmental cataclysm. Humans land on a new world they call Nova Prime. Nova Prime had come into conflict with the S'Krell-aliens wanting to conquer Nova Prime. S'Krell use Ursas (creatures that can sense fear) as weapons. Cypher Raige creates a new fighting technique called "ghosting" (allowing a person to mask their fears to be undetectable to the Ursas). This technique saves Nova Prime, but the technique is still taught to others. While on a mission, Kitai and Cypher Raige are stranded on the abandoned planet Earth after their ship crashed. Cypher Raige is severally injured, and Kitai is forced onto a dangerous journey to signal for help. 

This film was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. This film is about Jaden Smith more than Will Smith. Will Smith created the original story, and produced the film, but Jaden Smith was meant to be the films star. It would not have been a bad thing had both actors given everything to the characters. The introduction of the world could have been explained better, but the general idea is still present. The character story is very simple. It is a general science fiction story that is predictable. The cinematography adds to the idea. The story of a father and son adds to the films story, but not much. There have been some allegations that it shares beliefs with scientology. This film was shot with a 4K resolution, but the visual effect shots were shot with a 2K resolution. This makes the film appear slightly off-balance sometimes. The special effects were good on screen, but not great. There is a lot of action, but little violence in this film. Oddly, there may be a sequel coming out for this film.

The cast worked good together. Will Smith played the role of Cypher Raige. This is not his greatest role. Often, it feels like Will is holding back on his acting skills. Instead of being a deep character, he is the emotionless father. Jaden Smith played the role of Kitai Raige. He is good in his role. His speaking lacks in fluidity, but his physical ability is incredible.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! Its a decent science fiction film. It has the basics for a great film, but its mainly lacking in its acting and visual effects.

Answer to last blog: Actors Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine, from Now You See Me, have been featured in comic based films.

Que: What other film has actors Will Smith and Jaden Smith also starred in?

The Karate Kid
The Pursuit of Happyness
Seven Pounds
Hancock

Now You See Me

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Dylan Rhodes and FBI agent, is paired with Alma Dray, an Interpol agent to stop the Four Horsemen. The Four Horsemen are a modern group of magicians who conduct bank heists and give the money to their audiences. 

This film was directed by Louis Leterrier. This films story follows the main character Rhodes, but it also has a secondary plot that slightly follows the Four Horsemen. The film also allows you to see both the illusions, and the truth behind the illusion. However, there are a few things left unanswered. Which could possibly led to a sequel.  There is a lot of Hollywood cliches, and it is moderately predictable. This caper film is unique in that it is very clean. There are a few tense moments, but there is limited violence and no nudity. The film also doesn't try to fool its audience. The cinematography helps to pull you into the edge of the magical world. There is also surprisingly a lot technology. The fight sequences are very enjoyable to watch combining magic with hand to hand combat. 

The cast worked great together. Mark Ruffalo played the role of Dylan Rhodes. He was great in his role. He created a character fairly well grounded. Jesse Eisenberg played the role of J. Daniel Atlas. He was great in his role. It was impressive watching his frequent slight of hand. Woody Harrelson played the role of Merritt McKinney. He was great in his role of being the mentalist. Isla Fisher played the role of Henley Reeves. She was good in her role performing the survival stunts. Dave Franco played the role of Jack Wilder. He was great in his role. Melanie Laurent played the role of Alma Dray. She was great in her small role. Morgan Freeman played the role of Thaddeus Tressler. He was great in his villainous role. Michael Caine played the role of Arthur Tressler. He was great in his limited role.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! This film spends a lot of time setting for a potential sequel that it leaves several questions about the films plot. But, the film is fun summer caper film to watch.

Answer to last blog: Actor Aaron Thomas played the role of eight year old Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal Rising.

Que: Which actors have been in a popular films based off comics?

Mark Ruffalo, Dave Franco, Jesse Eisenberg
Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine
Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman
Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman