I've devised a new ratings system for the occasion and I hope it helps you out:
1. Buy it on Blu-Ray (must see ASAP)
2. Redbox the DVD (highly recommended)
3. Save it for HBO (deserves commercial-free viewing)
4. Catch it on TBS (doesn't deserve commercial-free viewing)
5. Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole (speaks for itself)
In Part 1, I'll be discussing: The Avengers, Ted, Moonrise Kingdom, To Rome with Love and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. And here we go now!
with Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L Jackson, Clark Gregg and Cobie Smulders
This superhero epic almost should not have worked. Bringing together 4 superheroes with larger than life personas, adding in two assassins and a Shakespearean villain--it's just too much. In other hands, this film would have seemed clunky and overcrowded. But Whedon, no stranger to ensembles, brings a nice sense of humor to the film, adds a zany group dynamic and makes sure that each character from Iron Man to Hawkeye to Loki gets a decent amount of character development. This film has already broken box office records and chances are if you wanted to see it you already did. This movie is probably the most fun you'll have all summer in a movie theater--The Avengers has entertainment on the mind and it delivers.
My rating: you should definitely Buy it on Blu-Ray.
with Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and the voice of Seth MacFarlane
Fans of Family Guy and American Dad will not be disappointed. Ted is raunchy, politically incorrect, crazy but tied together with a strong emotional backbone. The film is hysterical, going from zingers to sight gags to pop culture jokes. The problem is that it's a first feature which means the sitcom plot is stretched a little thin until the film goes for an odd thriller-type finale. The cast is game and they sell their characters quite well. I especially liked Mila Kunis' refreshing portrayal of the tired "frustrated girlfriend" trope. Macfarlane, as the voice of Ted the teddy bear, is good enough but the voice is too similar to Peter Griffin.
My rating: your best bet is to Save it for HBO.
with Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzmann, Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman and Tilda Swinton
I haven't seen many Wes Anderson movies but if they're all like Moonrise Kingdom, then I'm sure I'll love them all. Moonrise Kingdom is about preadolescents who fall in love and run away together. They're played quite convincingly by Gilman and Hayward. Their innocent but very serious romance baffles the adults around them who struggle to make sense of their own choices and their kids'. The script brims over with wit and insight, the comedy is subtle but also laugh-out-loud and the romance is treated with dignity and respect. Art direction, cinematography and editing are spectacular. Expect this one to get major awards attention in the coming months.
My rating: obviously you should Buy it on Blu-Ray
with Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin, Woody Allen, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Alison Pill, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig and Roberto Benigni
Woody Allen takes Rome by storm (well not really) in this frilly comedy. Allen returns to the front of the camera in this anthology film, which packs four unrelated stories all set in the Eternal City. These stories are silly but very witty. This is a fun movie, more akin to Scoop and Love and Death than more high minded fare like Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Hannah and Her Sisters. The cast is spectacular, each given good material perfectly suited to their talents. Allen goes from absurdist humor to romantic dilemmas to critiques of fame--it's vintage Allen mixed in together.
My rating: if you're a fan of Woody Allen, Redbox the DVD. If not, Save it for HBO.
with Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie and Rufus Sewell
I loved the premise of this movie: a historical epic mashed together with action-horror. It should have made for a deliciously silly, satisfyingly fun film but instead we get an over-serious, dead on arrival action movie that is so dull you wish you were at the business end of Lincoln's silver axe. The one saving grace is Walker, who seems to be under the impression he had been cast in Spielberg's more straightforwardly Oscar-worthy biopic (it's actually Daniel Day-Lewis in that one). The rest of the cast seems to be begging to ham it up but they're stifled by the serious tone. The action scenes are boring as anything and the script is just tedious to sit through.
My rating: Please for the love of God, Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole!!
Look out for Part 2! Leave your comments below!
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