REVIEW: The Avengers

Hate it or love it, The Avengers is a huge box office success. Here is a film which juggles six super heroes in such a way that many people thought not possible. I really don't understand why people thought this wasn't possible, as X-Men movies have been managing just fine but I suppose it is because the heroes in The Avengers are each grand enough for their own films; which besides Black Widow and Hawkeye, they each have.The real reason the film works lies in Joss Whedon's fantastic script which balances each super hero so well that the film actually feels like an Avengers film, and not just a movie with one or two super heroes dominating the film. In the X-Men franchise, for the most part Wolverine took center stage.

REVIEW: Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine is a well directed and well acted film starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams(wife of the late Heath Ledger). It is said that the two actors improvised often on set. The thing that I found amazing was its been reported that director Derek Cianfrance hardly ever had more than one take on any given shot. Not only is it difficult as a filmmaker to be able to get perfect shots in one go, but it's incredibly difficult to make such a gripping film based on those shots. Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a filmmaker is not getting enough coverage. Making such a film on limited coverage is almost as uncommon as non-yellow taxis.

REVIEW: Avatar Extended Edition

What makes Avatar so great is not it's story, or it's action, but it's technical achievements. James Cameron pushed the envelope in terms of what 3-D can truly do, as well as special-effects. In the three years since Avatars released nothing has come close to matching what Cameron was able to pull off. It's breathtaking how a majority of the film does not even exist in the real world and never will. It is pure zeros and ones. The special-effects the Cameron uses are not to entirely used to render items like in the Transformers trilogy. Here, his special effects are designed to immerse you into the film. If one did not know about Avatar and you asked what parts are real and which aren't, I guarantee they could not tell the difference. To be honest, I cannot even tell myself.

Por El Amor A Mi Padre

Synopsis: When Hector Villarreal, a wealthy business owner, passes away, he gives his entire fortune away to two individuals he never once met; His children. When Victoria Villarreal, the only daughter Hector raised, finds out she not only has other siblings, but that they are inheriting all of Hector's fortune, she becomes enraged and helps devise a plan to take back what she feels is rightfully hers.

REVIEW: Rampart

Is man inherently evil? That is one of the questions I had while watching Rampart. What could drive a man so far off the edge? Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) is a Vietnam veteran. His "brother" Terry (Ben Foster), or as Dave calls him "the general", also served in Vietnam. However Dave clearly was not affected by the Vietnam experience. He clearly acts the way he does now without any influence from the Vietnam war. It would be interesting to see what he was like during high school.The General clear suffers from shell-shock as well as alcoholism.

REVIEW: The Raid: Redemption

Here is a film that is being described by Rotten Tomatoes as "No frills and all thrills, The Raid: Redemption is an inventive action film expertly paced and edited for maximum entertainment". It currently sits at 83% Certified Fresh. It only proves that sometimes the Tomatometer is inaccurate. The Raid is all action and no story, but somehow manages to keep your attention, but is that a good thing?

REVIEW: The Cabin in the Woods

In general originality is hard to come by in films. Originality is even harder to come by in films in the horror genre. Most horror films of late try to follow the path of Hostel. Extreme violence over actual horror and scares. Joss Whedon has said that this film is a love letter to the horror genre. In reality The Cabin in The Woods is actually a dissection of the horror genre. Joss and screenwriting partner Drew Goddard(director of Cloverfield)present the audience a traditional horror narrative. For those who have not seen the film but are reading this first, please be warned that major spoilers loom ahead.

Louie: Poker/Divorce Review

In film school one of the first assignments we are told to do is to shoot a poker scene. The purpose is to practice the 180 degree line. In order to deliver an intelligible edit. The opening to this episode is a poker scene. However it is not how the scene is shot that is important or even the poker game itself. What's important is the conversation that takes place. What starts off as a couple of guys making jokes towards their gay friend, turns into a rather important and touching social commentary. To me this is always when Louis CK is at his funniest. Like the great George Carlin, Louis is able to pinpoint reality and creatively analyze our everyday life. All while being funny. He has his beliefs and he expresses them.

Louie: Pilot Review

My 8th grade English teacher would describe Louis CK as someone who is rude crude and unattractive. The great thing about Louis is he knows he is all of these things and embellishes it. I've seen three of Louis comedy specials and I have to say the man is talented. Really good comedians always impress me. I cannot understand how it is they come up with new material at the rate that they do. His new show Louie feels like somewhat of an autobiography of his life. The show is acted written directed and edited by Louis which is very odd. Odd because you typically wouldn't see this on a network. But supposedly FX wanted him so badly that they offered him 200,000 to basically do what he wanted, which apparently was a much lower sum then other networks offered him albeit without the creative control he now has.

REVIEW: American Reunion

During American Reunion's credits there is a montage of all the actors as they appeared 13 years ago during American Pie. It's a sentimental piece for a movie that has such crude humor. If there ever was a reason to bring the cast back for one more film it only makes sense that it be a reunion movie. The film is chalk full of 90's nostalgia, as well as retaining the same 90's humor that was first introduced into the series 13 years ago.

REVIEW: Titanic 3D

15 years ago Director James Cameron proclaimed he was the king of the world after winning both Best Director and Best Picture for his film Titanic. He received a lot of criticism for his arrogance, but hell if I just made Titanic I would feel the same way he did.

REVIEW: A Separation

The beauty of A Separation is how the elegantly the film is able to throw the audience into the world and culture of the characters on screen. Everything is fleshed out and detailed. I never once found myself lost or confused, despite a rather complex plot. Despite never visiting Iran or being apart of the culture, I felt like I understood everything. The story is so universal yet so personal to these people.

REVIEW: The Artist

The Artist is a throwback to films made during the Silent Era. I was going to write my review directly after watching the film a few months ago but I knew that the film had to resonate inside of me before I could be honest about what I watched. Or else the review would have easily been a negative one. To truly enjoy The Artist is a difficult task for those who do not have a passion for film. The film has been said to be a film for film lovers and to an extent it is true. However I do not need a silent film to tell me why I love movies. There is a reason why silent films are no longer made.

REVIEW: Act of Valor

The action in this film is great. The use of real Navy Seals is effective for the action sequences because you become involved with the film in a way you normally wouldn't in a typical action film. The Seals portrayed are for the most part real Navy Seals, however they also are accompanied by trained actors. The moments when the real Seals interact with trained actors is where film suffers most.

REVIEW: Project X

When I first saw the trailer for Project X I will admit I was very eager to watch the film. The trailer just screamed "watch me". I am not the party type, but something about a wild night of partying culminating with a man torching the neighborhood just was intriguing to me. The film that I saw was definitely not what I had hopes for. What I watched was easily one of the worst films I have seen in 2012, if not the worst.

REVIEW: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is a science fiction film that details a new society called Panem after what we know as North America collapsed. Panem was originally sectioned off into 13 Districts. After much oppression District 13 revolted against the Capitol, Panem's governing body. In the Process District 13 was completely destroyed. As a result of the revolution the Capitol instituted the Hunger Games, "as a remembrance for those who were lost." The games act as a control for the entire population, as well as a national televised event. Two individuals, a boy and a girl, are chosen from the remaining 12 Districts as "tributes" and are brought to fight one another until only one remains.

REVIEW: Casa de Mi Padre

The movie opens with a narrator telling the audience both that the film is in Spanish and to deal with it. Will Ferrell is Armando Alvarez. He is a failure in life and tries to live one with nature. His father loves his brother Raul Alvarez(Diego Luna) more than Armando, despite Raul's secret identity as a drug dealer. However the same cannot be said for Raul's fiancee, Sonia (Génesis Rodríguez). She is uncertain on whether or not Raul is right for her, especially after meeting Armando. If while reading you thought the plot sounded like a soap opera or a TV novella, then you are absolutely correct.

REVIEW: Inception

Christopher Nolan's Inception is hardcore science fiction done for mainstream audiences. If you understood the film upon first viewing I applaud you. The film is structured to be a massive undertaking that demands multiple viewings in order to truly grasp what is taking place. The premise is simple, however the film is anything but simple. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a thief named Dominic Cobb. However Dominic is not your ordinary thief. He actually does not steal physical materials, instead he steals what is inside an individuals mind through their very own dreams.

REVIEW: The Vow

The most surprising element to Michael Sucsy’s The Vow is the ending isn’t happy. After watching Channing Tatum try and win back Paige(Rachel McAdams) for 104 minutes, I wanted him to get her back. Instead Michael attempts to place the film in reality, in order to separate it from films like Dear John or The Last Song. However this film is exactly like those above mentioned and was marketed that way, and as a result suffers horrendously for trying to be a film it cannot be.

REVIEW: The Woman in Black

It’s hard to watch this film without looking at Daniel Radcliffe and not think of Harry Potter. It’s nice to see him putting himself in a role that is completely unlike anything he did in the Potter franchise however. There are moments when this film works well as a haunted house horror film, however the simple truth is there are not enough of these moments to truly be scary.