Movies: Summer Movies

So I had the joy of seeing most of the movies I wanted to this summer, and even though the summer is not over yet, the "Summer Blockbusters" have come and gone. So I thought I would go through the films I got to see in theaters and let you know what I thought of them, as well as whether or not to grab it on DVD.

Ironman- This was an incredible film. Everything about it was fantastic from the beginning to end. You don't even need to be a fan of comic books to enjoy it. Terrorism, corruption, and greed are the enemy throughout the movie, and the hero is the opposite of all of heroes you've ever known. Robert Downey Jr. was the only man that could have played the character and he did it flawlessly. DVD: There is no doubt that I will be getting this when it comes out. I imagine there will be loads of special features to make this a very good buy.

Hancock- The first thing that comes to mind, is strange. Its a very clowny movie that tried very hard to get you to root for the characters, but there is a twist toward the end that will either make you wonder what's going to happen next, or why are you watching this movie. Will Smith is good, but when has he not been. I really like Jason Bateman, who plays Hancock's PR guy, so his addition to the cast made it much more watchable. DVD: This isn't a movie I feel that I will need to watch ever again, unless it's to refresh my memory for if a sequel ever happens (which I doubt ever will). Rent it if you like the genre, or Will Smith acting like a douche.

The Incredible Hulk- This one I am really on the fence with. It is loads better than the previous attempt, but not enough better that I would say that its the best they can do. The storyline is much more like the TV series (kinda), and you are somewhat thrown into it forced to have a tiny bit of an idea as to what the back story is. So it's not a big deal if you know somethings about Hulk but not so good if you know nothing. As it goes on, you get caught up with the past and present situations but a hardcore fan may not make it that far into the movie to care. Edward Norton got the job done, but not in any way that someone else couldn't have done it the same. The only thing that was truly entertaining is the action scenes and the main villain. DVD: This is definitely a rent if you didn't get to see it, and would like to. Whether or not to buy it is totally based on how much you liked it. I am choosing to skip this one.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army- I saw this on an impulse. I didn't love the first one, in fact, I barely even remember it. The main reason for seeing it was "Pan's Labyrinth". It was such a deep and profound film, that I figured I owed it to Guillermo del Toro to see his next movie, even though he did the first one too. So all in all, I would say I did enjoy it. I really laughed at some parts, and marveled at others. Visually, the film is right up there with "Pan's Labyrinth". The only genuinely weak aspect of the film is it's climax. There is so much build to it that you end up expecting more from it. DVD: There is no reason for me to own this one, as I don't own the first.

The Dark Knight- I can't really add anything to all the raving reviews of this excellent film. Batman Begins was great, and so is this, only on a much higher level. I love most of Christian Bale's movies, and he is one of the few actor's I would be very star-struck and intimidated by. I am super psyched he will be starring in the new Terminator Movie. Heath Ledger, dead or alive, should be awarded for his portrayal of The Joker. I really wish I could have seen this in IMAX. DVD: I will probably end up getting this. I don't know how much behind the scenes type stuff there will be though, and if possible I would love to see and uncut, unrated edition. With any luck they will release this in a 2-pack with Batman Begins.

Step Brothers- The last movie, to date, that I have seen this summer was so nonstop funny I wish I could have seen it again immediately after the first time. I love Will Farrell's humor and comic delivery, and not many people can say they don't agree. John C. Riley has been his comic "wingman" of sorts in many films now making them comedy gold. As a side note, "Semi-Pro" with Will Farrell, surprisingly not that great, however, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox" Story with John C. Riley is one of the funniest musical-esque movies of all time. DVD: This is a 100% no-brainer BUY for me. There will definitely be an unrated version because half of the commercials for the film featured lines that were not even in the movie. The standard Will Farrell movie DVD usually is loaded with improv and outtakes as well.

Looking back at the movies I saw this past couple months, I would say that some of the best movies of the past ten years came out this year. I would love to hear your opinions on these or any movies I missed.

Stay classy San Diego... and thanks for stopping by.

TV: Generation Kill

Greetings gals and gents!

In my quest to NOT let my blog drop into the depths of the Internet, I bring you a quick "check this out" type of thing.

Generation Kill is an HBO Film's mini-series that follows a battalion of US Marines from the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. There are the obvious creative liberties being taken but there are many aspects taken straight from newspaper headlines.

I will admit that I was not even slightly interested in watching it until a night that there was nothing of interest on TV, so I browsed the OnDemand. HBO OnDemand has the entire series (to date) up, so you can catch up in the story and characters just in time for the finale on August 24th. If you don't have HBO OnDemand you should still be able to catch some encore showings on HBO.

Enjoy.

DVD: Cloverfield

This movie is basically Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla.

Notes--
If you get motion sickness easily, you will probably have to look away from the screen a few times throughout the film.

The larger and louder the movie is when you view it, the better the experience is.

It is easier to enjoy the "horror" of it if you turn off your brain. If you start to ask why this happens or how they did see something, you are going to find too much wrong with the scenario to get into it.

There is a huge Internet viral campaign for Cloverfield, and it is worth it to look into it before AND after seeing the movie.

The DVD is packed full of interesting stuff. its about a 7 out of 10 as far as the extras are concerned.

Verdict: Exciting film. Very unique to the genre of "Giant Monster" movies. Worth seeing at least once, and perhaps more than once if it's you type of thing.

Cloverfield - definitely check out the external links at the bottom of the wiki.