A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST - Movie Review

 Title: A Million Ways to Die in the West
Running Time: 116 min
Director: Seth McFarlane
Starring: Seth McFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman

Review:
After "Ted", Family Guy -Creator Seth McFarlane goes for the big screen a second time and (next to writing/directing of course) steps from the recording booth in front of the camera. He is joined by a great cast including Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried and How I Met Your Mother Star Neil Patrick Harris. With a cast like this and a Wild West setting, the movie sounds very promising, but unfortunately does not live up to its potential at all.
The jokes are the typical MacFarlane Mix: There are great pop-culture references and hilarious cameos, random situations or lines that just make you laugh out lout, as well as cleverly written mocking of society today and back then... And then of course there is all the fart, penis, poop type of potty humor that feels out of place and really falls flat. You let a lot slide since McFarlane is such a damn likeable guy and when he manages to deliver it really is a stroke of brilliance, but very often he takes it a step to far. The love story holding it all together is, as in almost every comedy, predictable, but McFarlane and Theron have kind of a cute chemistry, and so the romantic scenes don't feel forced. They might however bore the movie goer, who is just there for the laughs.
In the end, "A Million Ways To Die in the West" is meant to be watched on a DVD night with some friends and a couple of beers: A good time, but not worth the movie ticket.

For Fans Of:
Ted (2012)
Southpark (TV-Show) 

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!

New Podcast: OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD

 Hello there puny humans,
my good friend B.A. came to me with the idea of making a podcast, and well, here it is: Outside Hollywood!
We picked "Godzilla" as our first topic to talk about, and later went on to discuss the latest Star Wars casting news and other stuff. This project is a little experiment and though we basically did it for fun, we'll be trying to improve it with every new episode. (Especially in the sound quality and taking notes department). We are planning to release an Episode every fortnight!

EDGE OF TOMORROW - Movie Review

 Title: Edge Of Tomorrow 3D
Running Time: 113 min
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson

Review: 
Tom Cruise might be the most controversial actor of our time. Thus, everytime a new project of his is released, there are a lot of people who wish to see him fail. But he has yet to do so. With lots and lots of audience favorites and box office hits in his filmography, he is one of the most successful people in Hollywood right now. So is Edge Of Tomorrow the epic fail Cruise Haters have been waiting for? Or is it another great piece of movie entertainment?
Well, it most certainly is the latter! Edge Of Tomorrow is a terrific action sci-fi piece that, in spite of a familiar concept, stays incredibly fresh and exciting. Following the Groundhog Day routine, this movie is about a guy who unvoluntarily finds himself at the battlefront against an alien invasion. When he dies, he suddenly wakes up a day earlier and the whole thing happens again... and again and again. But what makes this movie special, is the way it plays with that idea. You don't really get a counter on how many times our main character has done this before, which keeps you guessing, and in contrary to other movies of that type, he knows what to do to get out of the loop very early in the movie. As he learns new things with every repitition, he gets closer to his goal everytime, taking new routes, reaching new places and surviving a little bit longer each try.
Doug Liman really knows how to shoot action and the visuals are gandios. This is one of the more "dirty" science fiction films, where the new technology isn't all shiny and bright. The armour of the soldiers really looks like it has been used before, and setting the film in europe and the main battle at a beach really gives you some World War II vibes. The aliens are very unique, and after they were described as "working like one organism", I immediatly saw that they were exactly how I'd imagine giant neurons to look like! The 3D was not ground-breaking, but really didn't feel like a waste of money.
The actors are all doing great jobs as well. Tom Cruise is once more 100% committed to the action and you can really see and appreciate that he does his own stunts. Then there is Emily Blunt's Rita Vrataski aka. "The Angel of Verdun" who is probably one of the most bad ass chicks in cinema. She really owns that role and I'd love to see a spin-off for this beautiful ass-kicking lady.
The humor is very well placed, and the action and dialogue sequences take turns so nicely that you do not get bored with either. The last two minutes startled me a bit and I personally wished they had ended the movie just before, but this didn't have an impact on my over-all enjoyment of the film.
Edge Of Tomorrow is a big surprise, one of my favourite action films this year and will most definitely find its way into my DVD Collection. So go out and watch it! 

For Fans of:
Source Code (2011)
District 9 (2009)
Mission: Impossible 4 (2011)

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST - Movie Review

 Title: X-Men: Days of Future Past 3D
Running Time: 131 min
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Peter Dinklage, Nicholas Hoult, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Omar Sy 

Review: 
The mutant bunch is back. This time with a cast cross-over (the original trilogy vs. the "First Class" Reboot) and their old friend Bryan Singer from the first two films back in the director's chair. Also, with a subtitle like "Days of Future Past", we all knew we were in for some time travel.
The movie throws you right into the action, and you get to see a lot of new and old mutans showing off their powers in an awesome battle sequence. In general, this movie does a phenomenal job at portraying the individual "gifts" of the characters in a really awesome and at one point even artistic way (you'll know which scene, because it's the best one of the movie). Yes, this film is really good looking, be it the costumes, the powers or the almost creepy sentinels.
The cast has always been the strong point of the X-Men films and this installment is no exception. All of these excellent actors really dive into the characters and after six films you have almost no doubt that those people on screen really ARE Wolverine, Professor X and Magneto. Also, the size of the ensemble is handled very well, and the movie does not seem too crowded, due to the different states in time. Of course, the humor is placed in the exact right spot as usual and further, Singer references the other films of the franchise a lot, which makes it a bit less of a stand-alone film, but really rewards long time watchers.
Yet, the movie does have some problems: The explanation for the existence of time travel for example is somewhere in between "the easy way out" and "non-existant", and some parts of the otherwise solid story (like the main characters leaving a very powerful ally behind) leave you with some question marks. And eventhough the moral component has always been an important part within the X-Men stories, this movie felt like it had one monologue/speech too many.
The very end of the film leaves X-Fans with new hopes that could as well be concerns, but i don't want to give too much away, so see for yourself! All in all, "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" is a very good time and (if you save yourself the non-necessary 3D) worth watching in theatres. It's not THE strongest, but A strong new entry for the franchise and really changes things up! I'm curious for what's coming up!

For Fans of:
X-Men: First Class (2011)
X2 (2003)
X-Men (2000)
Matrix Reloaded (2003)

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!

GODZILLA 3D - Movie Review

 Title: Godzilla 3D
Running Time: 123 min
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Wanatabe

Review:
Finally, I got to see the King of Monsters return to the big screen for yet another time! After the first American atempt in 1998 was considered an abomination by Godzilla Fans, this movie really brings back the key elements of the old Japanese classics.
 As everyone probably hoped, the cinematography is phenomenal. Beautifully constructed shots with some great camera angles and mixed with top-notch special effects. Especially a real epic parachuting sequence.
Bryan Cranston gives us damn-fine acting as usual, and Aaron Taylor Johnson is a very sympathetic main character, who's luckily not as overly heroic as others in this genre. His chemistry with Elizabeth Olsen is pretty good too, and it will be interesting to see how they switch from couple to siblings in the upcoming "Avengers: Age of Ultron". Oh, and Ken Wanatabe has the best japanese accent to explain everything about: "Gojira" (as he's oiginally spelled).
Concerning the story, the trailers for this film really didn't give away much, and eventhough one would argue that there is not much to know about a monster movie, the film will most likely not quite be what you expected. Wether that is a good or a bad thing depends on the kind of movie goer you are.
Firstly, about half an hour in, the movie introduces a big part of the main plot, which might leave those not-so-well-versed in the Godzilla lore scratching their heads. Secondly, the film puts a big focus on the perspective of the humans, who will not only have to cope with a monster invasion but also with its side effects like plane crashes, earthquakes and tsunamis. This means that our beloved monstreous destructor doesn't get a full body action shot till the climax of the movie. However, this doesn't result in boredom as it brilliantly teases a leg, tail or an eye of the iconic character and it gives you chills as you really get the impression that this is a humongous creature.
All in all, Godzilla is a great modern monster film that feels oldschool while still staying fresh. Note that, obviously, it is not highly intellectual cinema, but it is an awesome piece of entertainment and a worthy installment of the Godzilla franchise, that by the way should be seen on the best screen you can get.
I myself chose 500m² IMAX 3D.... worth every penny.

For Fans of:
Pacific Rim (2013)
Godzilla (1954)
Gidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
Predator (1987)

And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!

CINEMARTIAN'S BIRTHDAY 1992 TRIVIA:

Hello there puny humans,
'Tis my birthday and since I am turning 22 (yes, your cinemartian is such a young fellow), I thought I'll give you a little movie trivia about the day and year I was born, so enjoy:

My Personal Top 3 Films released in 1992:

1.Reservoir Dogs

2.Batman Returns

3.Aladdin

My Personal Top 3 Modern Films set in 1992:
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
2. Into The Wild (2007)
3. The Informant!  (2009)

Top 3 Highest-grossing Films of that year:

1. Aladdin

2. The Bodyguard

3. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Oscar-Winners:
Best Picture - Unforgiven
Best Director - Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven)
Best Actor - Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman)
Best Actress - Emma Thompson (Howards Ende)
Best Supporting Actor - Gene Hackman (Unforgiven)
Best Supporting Actress - Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny)
Best Original Screenplay - The Crying Game (Neil Jordan)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Howards End (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala)

Number One Film the day I was Born, 20th May 1992: 

Lethal Weapon 3

 

  

There were also some interesting acting debuts in 1992: 

Jack Black, Daniel Craig, Penélope Cruz, Ralph Fiennes, Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Whitney Houston, Heath Ledger, Bernie Mac, Mike Myers, Gary Sinise,Will Smith, Hilary Swank

...and directorial ones:

Quentin Tarantino, Ang Lee, Robert Rodriguez, Baz Luhrmann

Lastly, a big shout out to Jack Gleeson, the actor known for his role as Joffrey Baratheon in the HBO series Game Of Thrones, who is also celebrating his 22nd birthday today! You do a brilliant job portraying that little Lannister bastard! You own that role, so happy birthday to you too!

Sincerely,
Your Cinemartian!

Movie Newsflash: FIRST GLIMPSE AT BEN AFFLECK'S BATMAN & NEW COMIC BOOK TV-SHOWS

 Hello there puny humans,
the 21st Century is a great time for comic book- and film fans, and hardly a week goes by without any news about costumed heroes on the big or small screen. So let me sum up the most recent ones:

Firstly, (and this made me very happy) ABC announced that they renewed Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a second season. The show evolves around Agent Coulson and his Team of Shield-Agents solving mysteries and weird cases, and ties in heavily with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (including guest appearances of Nick Fury, Maria Hill & Lady Sif). And if that wasn't enough, they also announced that there is going to be a new mini-series about the adventures of Agent Carter, whom you might remember as Captain America's love interest from his first movie. She was also featured in a Marvel One-Shot, that appeared  on the Iron Man 3 BluRay Edition, and was pretty much the kick-start for this series. Even though she is an "Agent of Shield" herself, the show will most likely have a different tone than the first one, as it will be set just after World War II, with an old-school (and hopefully Indiana Jones like) vibe.

But where there's a Marvel announcement, a DC-Comics one won't be far, and they too announced two new TV-Shows: One of those is Constantine, and yes, that is the same demon-chasing Constantine as in the 2005 Keanu Reeves movie of the same name. Both are based on the Hellblazer Comics and the first look promises, that the TV-Show will be much more faithful to the source material. The other show DC is putting out there is a show called Gotham, a show about the Dark Kight's famous hometown. However, the show will take place before Bruce Wayne became the Caped Crusader and rather focus on a young Jim Gordon. New to Gotham, he will have to face the town's biggest criminals, including younger versions of the Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman and others.

Speaking of Batman, there was another big reveal yesterday, concerning Man Of Steel 2 aka. Batman vs. Superman. After casting Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons as Alfred back in January (before this beauty of a blog existed), Zack Snyder now twittered a first picture of Ben Affleck in his costume with the Batmobile behind him:

I shot this with my @Leica_Camera M Monochrom. #Batman #Batmobile #Gotham http://t.co/WPHKLxgBLM pic.twitter.com/p5DEf6fLzJ
— ZackSnyder (@ZackSnyder) 13. Mai 2014

Seeing the new suit, i can imagine that it was inspired by Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns Comics, that showed us a grumpier, grittier and older Batman, which could be pretty cool  for this movie too. I personally think it looks bad-ass (or should i say bat-ass?) and it just makes me more excited for the team up. Hopefully, it will be the Batman vs. Superman movie we deserve AND the one we need right now! So fingers crossed that Batfleck learned from his Daredevil days....and maybe George Clooney gave him some advise warnings too...

Sincerely,
Your Cinemartian!

PS.: I know I've been lazy, but my X-Men, and Godzilla Review will be up in less than two weeks!