a lexicon & a cup of joe

Movie Review: X-Men: First Class

I couldn’t resist yet to use a shot of Emma Frost played by the beautiful January Jones as my picture. Also pictured is Sebastian Shaw played by Kevin Bacon.

I’ve said this before: I am not much of a comic book nerd, since I did not enjoy reading up until college. I did not read much during my lifetime. I only watched TV, played outside, and played video games. With that being said, I was only aware of comic book heroes by the pictures I saw and shows on TV. X-Men was one of the comic book turned into a TV show series that I watched; although, Spiderman was watched a lot more frequently. Maybe when I’m old and retire I’ll have time to read all the X-Men comics, until then I turn to these movies. Hope they keep it up.

Originally this movie was suppose to be the origins of antagonist Magneto, a mutant with the powers to manipulate, bend and move metal objects. I have high gratitude that this movie took a shared origins between Professor Xavier and Magneto, along with several new and familiar faces. Although a simple story, it rests well to know where these characters came from before X-Men 1, 2, and 3. 

X-Men: First Class will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It proved to be an excellent film and definitely worth watching. This was definitely one of the more realistic X-Men movies and the JFK time period was also quite pivotal to its success. The mutants truly have been much more advanced than the humans. However, I’d suggest seeing at least X-Men 1 & 2 first just to get an idea of what you’re in for. 

5/5 Stars.

Movie Review: Bridesmaids

It’s literally like totally a chick flick on coke! Liiiiikkkkeeee…. Oh. My. Gawd.  

 Well, I thought it was funny. It surely was The-Hangover-of-chick-flicks, whatever that means. I do give props to SNL star Kristen Wiig though. Not only did she star in it with her lame/funny character, but she did most of the writing for the flick.

I thought the chick from Gilmore Girls, Melissa McCarthy, was especially funny. She was definitely the “wild card” of the group, which could translate into the Zach Galifianakis-type character.

A great movie to see with your significant other!

3/5 Stars.

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

Jack Black has found his niche; and, it’s not playing the guitar, being fat, or singing. Black is the best when he does the voice for an animated panda named Po. This movie was even better than the first one. I really enjoyed it. And, the 3D was actually really cool. Three-dimensional films are definitely the best for the action genre (e.g. Avatar). This comedy-action-animated feature is no exception.

4.5/5 Stars.

Also, I’d be so stoked for a third!!!

Movie Review: The Hangover Part II

Well…. the wolfpack is back. Back in Bangkok, with an emphasis on the ‘kok’ part. This movie was more raunchy than the first. And by more raunch, I mean more penis. 

I can’t even recall the last comedy flick I saw in the theaters, let alone the last midnight showing I saw. (Maybe it was the last Harry Potter?) Anyways, this sequel to The Hangover was almost the exact same plot as the first, but took place in a different setting with some new characters involved. Don’t get me wrong, it was hilarious and definitely worth the change you scrap up under your couch to go and see it. I enjoyed it for the pure entertainment aspect. But, was it a good movie?… I don’t know about that. I really hope they don’t make a third one. Just be sure to bring a brown bag in case you need to hurl.

3/5 Stars.

DVD Reviews: Graduation Edition

This post will be the first of many movie related this summer. Post-graduation I intend on watching a lot of film. I thought it was appropriate that the ones I have seen during my time at Illinois State were mostly of the documentary variety (with the exception of the last three listed). Below is a list and a brief review of each, whether it be a sentence or a paragraph.

Capitalism: A Love Story – 5/5 Stars. Democracy is needed more than ever cause of Wall Street is basically what Michael Moore is saying. I agree. You should watch and decide for yourself.

The Obama Deception – 2/5 Stars. Is Obama after something other than “change”?? This documentary looks into a conspiracy theory, although interesting, does not seem plausible (at least for our sake).

Gasland – 4/5 Stars. A look at the environmental concerns and health threats that Natural Gas Industry pose. Don’t believe all those natural gas commercials you see on TV.

The End of America – 3.5/5 Stars. An inside look of the policy changes done by the Bush administration and what this means for our country’s democracy. Although I enjoyed it, I felt like the mode of this lecture documentary style (similar to Al Gore’s An Incontinent Truth) will reluctantly make the audience bored… another outlining problem with our country.

Not Just A Game: Power, Politics and American Sports – 4/5 Stars. A great look at the political agenda in American sports, or the absence of said “athletic politicians.”

Crude – 4/5 Stars. The story of Ecuadorans against Chevron for the painful contamination of oil in their land. A great story and film! It started in 1993 and was just recently decided. Chevron lost!

Rushmore – 3/5 Stars. Hilarious, but still seems to come up short.

Youth in Revolt – 3.5/5 Stars. Finally Micheal Cera plays a character that isn’t a complete sissy.

The King’s Speech – 4.5/5 Stars. An excellent film. Very rich in history and subject matter. The cinematography was bloody brilliant and the acting was all the same. I do give it a 1/2 star shy of perfection simply because it was seemingly predictable at times. And, be sure to be wide awake when you watch this royal feature.

Movie Review: Thor

I was never much of an actually comic book nerd as a kid (probably because I never really enjoyed reading growing up). I only watched the comic book heroes on TV (i.e. Spiderman, X-Men, TMNT, Batman, etc.). I never knew much about the more miniscule series like that of Thor or Captain America. All I knew about Thor before coming into this movie was that he originated as some story from Norway and his weapon was a hammer. By just knowing those two measly tidbits of information, I think the story was in my favor as it enlightened my curiousity. Similar to my ignorance of Star Trek before I witnessed J.J. Abrams’ rendition. Might I add that Abrams’ new project, alongside producer Steven Spielberg, entitled Super 8 looks quite interesting. Mark your calendars for that one, in theaters on June 10th.

The first question before I asked myself what day and time I wanted to see this film was: did I want to watch it two-dimensional or three-dimensional? Well, besides the fact that the “3-D fad” is seemingly in existence to boost revenue (c’mon… I know, I studied marketing in college); it can’t cost that much to post-produce a movie for 3-D. And I’m not saying that all movies done in 3-D are bad. For example, all Avatar had going for it was the 3-D. With the exception of the first eight minutes of the film, 3-D would have been out right dumb. I’m glad that I did my research by Google-ing geeky comic book nerd forums beforehand. This movie was better in 2-D.

With all of that dimensional babble beyond us, I can now talk about the actually film. I thought it was surprisingly good. The story made sense: Thor is good and his brother is evil, so who will prevail? Although mostly predictable it did have some twists and turns along the way. I thought that the B-list of actors did a pretty decent job and the town they made in New Mexico worked out well. I’m not going to get into specific plot points here mainly because all the names of the worlds and those whom take occupancy are confusing enough to say as they are to understand (with the exception of the Frost Giant people). I will say that the world in which Thor resides is pretty cool looking on screen though. I’ll leave it up to you to see if for yourself. And I might add that Natalie Portman is some definite eye-candy in this picture.

We will see Thor next in The Avengers, which is scheduled for a 2012 release.

4/5 Stars.

Sports: Windy City Hockey to Beantown Puck

To be honest, I don’t really know why I am so fond of the Boston Bruins, I’ve never been a fan of any Boston sports organization - the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots and the like. And, I’ve never even set foot in the town. Perhaps it’s my true love of the only video game that I currently play: NHL 11, or maybe its the thought that an Original Six team hasn’t won the Cup since the ’70s, or maybe I just appreciate hockey so much I know where it flourishes: Boston College.

Growing up I was big into most video games, especially sports, and especially the NHL series of professional ice hockey developed by EA Canada. I can remember the day my brother and I received our Sony Playstation console wide a selection of EA Sports games, all of the ‘98 variety. And, the NHL one was undoubtedly my favorite.

The Boston Bruins, with the help of Slovakian native Zdeno Chara, have always been a prominent defensive-style team. Political ideologies aside, I have always found myself on the conservative-side of hockey strategy. I believe that a strong “D” in ice hockey will ultimately lead to a productive “O”. How a team plays defensively will open up opportunities for breakouts, odd-man rushes, and produce shutouts for the net minder. I know everyone likes the goals, obviously I do too; but I enjoy the, I guess you could say geometry of hockey. By which I mean the angle the puck takes to get in the back of the net. It fascinates me. Not to mention that they’re playing on a hard-ice surface with minimal padding protection. Also, did I mention that Chara holds the record for the hardest shot recorded in the NHL All-Star Competition with 105.9 MPH?!… He is also the tallest player on skates to ever play, 7-foot. And, he’s my most recent jersey purchase!

With the exception of the Toronto Maple Leafs that had their glory in the ’40s and ’60s, and my Chicago Blackhawks that won it last year, the Bruins have had the longest drought for a Stanley Cup amongst the “Original Six” teams. Those six are, in case you were unaware, the: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’d be nice to see Bean Town (a highly regarded hockey town in America) to see a cup in the new millennium. 

I wish the Frozen Four (hockey’s college championship) received more, if not as much media coverage as the Final Four (basketball’s college championship). The Boston College Eagle’s ice hockey team has long been considered one of the best programs in America, with most recent and notable alumni to play in the NHL such as: Brian Gionta, Brooks Orpik, Bill Guerin, Brian Leetch, Marty Reasoner, Mike Mottau, Bobby Allen, Ryan Shannon, and Patrick Eaves. If you don’t recognize those names then you should perhaps Google a few. I really like seeing all of these Canadian hockey players go to college for ice hockey in the States.

So, the “B’s” are my obvious team of the East in this year’s quest for the Cup. And, with out mention, my 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhwawks are my number 1 favorite and team in the Western Conference.  Thank you, Wild!

It should be yet another fun and thrilling NHL playoff season! Be sure to check your local listings for times and watch the excitement unfold for the best sporting event (nearly tied with baseball) in the world!!!

Movie Review: Sucker Punch

Black Swan meets The Lord of the Rings meets I, Robot meets Watchmen meets a great video game with a terrible campaign mode.

That’s really the best way to describe Zack Snyder’s latest project: Sucker Punch.

It had potential with such a great trailer, but Sucker Punch truly proves that you cannot judge a book by its cover; or in this case, a movie by its trailer.

Given that this epic “video game-like” journey packed with too many “Snyder-motions” (that slow motion you saw in 300 or Watchmen), I do like to take out the positives.

I thought Emily Browning did a fine job. She obviously doesn’t deserve any awards or anything, but she really worked for what Snyder was going for; whatever that was….

I guess Snyder was trying to penetrate the video game and comic book geekdom that is undoubtedly present in our late Gen Y and current Generation Z. I guess you could call it the “Dot Com Era.” And, I am as guilty as the next guy.

Snyder seems to portray a world in which anything is possible but questions the consequences…. I wasn’t necessarily sure what he was after. I suppose it’s for the audience to decide. It seemed like the movie was all about the looks and not the context.

It’ll be interesting to see how his next project, Superman: Man of Steel, does when it comes out in December of 2012.

Stars: 2/5 (2 Bonus Stars for pure entertainment purposes. As a movie it really did put the suck in Sucker Punch.)

I was also disappointed that Silversun Pickups didn’t appear in the movie’s cover-band-filled soundtrack.

DVD Reviews: Spring Break Edition

Well, it’s been a quick week for my non-party, thus productive spring break. I have watched the news, read from a few books, went to the movies twice, browsed the internet, applied for jobs, and of course watched some movies. Below are the movies that I watched, and just a short opinion about each of them.

Religulous - With such a title playing on two words (religion and ridiculous) I can clearly understand why some critics and religious folks would not appreciate this comedic documentary done by Bill Maher, but that doesn’t mean they should ignore the underling message: religion is out of control. 5/5 Stars.

Green Zone - Another spectacular film starring Matt Damon. Taken place within the battleground of Iraq in 2003, this fictitious action packed war movie questions why we even went to war in the first place. I’m glad I bought it on Blu-ray. 5/5 Stars.

Fair Game - Based on the memoir by former CIA Operations Officer Valerie Plame (played by Naomi Watts) and former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson (played by Sean Penn) this thriller takes a look at the alleged purchase of yellowcake uranium by Iraq from Niger leading up to a reason why Bush and our troops went to war in 2003. How accurate it is of Hollywood is for you to decide. And, it’s a coiencidence that I watched two Iraqi related films. 4.5/5 Stars.

Youth Without Youth - Although I enjoyed the visuals from the ’30s across the pond and the dialog of the story, I felt that a man named Francis Ford Coppola who’s done such masterpieces as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now could produce better films in the 21st century. 3.5/5 Stars.

*All the highlighted phrases link to IMDB.com.