Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

Avengers: Age of Ultron is here! Watch my thoughts on the film here!

X-Men: Days of Future Past Movie Review

Bryan Singer, if you somehow ever see this, thank you for returning to this franchise! You far exceeded any expectations I could have possibly put on this film, even managing to save more than just this movie. So from the fans to you, thank you for Days of Future Past. Like any successful film franchise, the X-men movies have had their ups and downs. This ranges from hits like X2 and First Class to those ones we try to think never happened, The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Without giving anyway anything, Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer somehow managed to rectify the franchises past mistakes with this film as well as telling a fantastic story. No stranger to the X-Men movies, having directed the first two films, Singer was able to bridge the gap between the original cast and the fresh new faces introduced in First Class. The plot is that in the future mutants are being hunted down by the Sentinels, a robotic army created by Dr. Bolivar Trask. So, in order to save the future, a member of the X-Men must go back in time and stop certain events from unfolding to prevent the coming- ahem, Apocalypse. While the film does have an incredible story as well as amazing social commentary, what truly makes the movie shine are the performances. Hugh Jackman is solid once again as Wolverine, making it tougher and tougher to think about the day when the actor hangs ups his claws for good. Like Sean Connery as Bond, Jackman is simply synonymous with Wolverine and is a powerhouse in the role. But, this is the first X-Men film where the Wolverine was not my favorite character or the character I wanted to see the most of. That honor fell to James McAvoy as young Charles Xavier. I liked McAvoy a lot in First Class, but absolutely loved his performance in Days of Future Past. He took the Xavier character to a place I had never seen before. While I often looked up to the Patrick Stewart Professor X for being a wonderful teacher, with young X I felt something new, pity and sadness. McAvoy, on more that one occasion, pulled on the heartstrings portraying a truly broken man who endures much pain. McAvoy is fascinating to watch, growing from a man being destroyed by his inner demons, to the man we all know he can be. Having one of the greatest heroes and mentors in comics struggle with his own demons, and enduring pain for the people he loves and ultimately makes him what he needs to be makes for an amazing performance. The other surprising performance was that of Evan Peters as Quicksilver. As difficult as it is to say now and then, I judged a book by its cover way too soon, as I usually do, and I was wrong. When the first picture was released of Peters’ Quicksilver, I laughed, said it was cheesy and horrible and that the character would be out of place and stupid in a more serious film. Yes I was wrong, you can laugh or whatever else you wish on the matter because Quicksilver was a scene stealer and incredible. Not only was he a blast to watch on screen, he also showed what a character with super speed was truly capable of. So, Warner Brothers, take notes if you ever want to do something with the Flash- do it just like this! Peters was hysterical in the role, even sharing a moment with Magneto that fans of the comics will surely appreciate. Finally, Days of Future Past was incredible for what the film said, just as well as what it showed. It was at times, an excellent reflection on society and the fears we may have or events that have happened. It reminds us of the horrors man is capable of, but also shows what good we can do. Like its predecessors, this X-Men film deals heavily with the theme of equality and living in harmony. And while it may be the darkest film in the franchise, I would argue that it is the one that hope shines through the most. Not unlike life itself actually, when the times are darkest, that is when hope is needed the most. Hope is key for this movie and hope it has!

Godzilla: Movie Review

The King has returned!
While I am by no means a Godzilla expert like some people I know, you know who you are, I can not help but think this phrase to myself coming out of Godzilla. Some may regard this movie as slow but in my opinion it makes for a greater payoff in the end. This film is far from perfect but it is certainly one of the most enjoyable films of the summer.

To quickly get the negatives out of the way, the characters were at times very meh. But asking for characters with incredible depth and personality is probably a bit of a stretch with a movie like this and that is perfectly fine, it knows what it is. The main human protagonist is Ford Brody played by fairly new comer Aaron Taylor-Johnson. While he was average at best in the role, Taylor-Johnson did provide a decent human perspective to a monstrous situation. I would say his performance was very similar to Charlie Hunnam’s in Pacific Rim: nothing special but gets the job done. Thankfully, Taylor-Johnson had a decent supporting cast to help hold fans over until the big star showed up. One such actor is Ken Wanatabe who continues to build a strong acting career while under the mainstream radar. My only main complaint would have been to get a different actor to lead the movie but I could still make do with Taylor-Johnson.

This is one of those few movies I will say needs to be seen in theaters for the sole fact of the atmosphere. The film demands to be seen on the biggest screen you can possibly see it on with the best speakers available. Whenever Godzilla roars, you can literally feel it shake the seats around you, making you feel the monster for yourself as opposed to just watching it. The visuals are some of the most impressive I have seen in quite some time with Godzilla himself having several impressive tricks up his sleaves. While this film is not necessarily a great film, I will say it’s an experience that demands a viewing.

What I enjoyed most about the film though was going back to its source material. It reminded me a lot of the original Jaws, relying mostly on fleeting glances of the creature and a built up suspense with a huge payoff in the finale. Some may consider the film slow at times, to which i would agree, but i would say the pacing helped with the final payoff. Even not being a big Godzilla fan, there was several scenes that made me cheer and let my inner child out for a bit. With numerous easter eggs and references to previous movies, it is certainly a film for both movie fans and Godzilla fans alike.