You know the feeling after you wake up from a dream and your uncertainty of weather what you just experienced was real or all in your head? That is the concept that director Christopher Nolan’s latest masterpiece Inception is built upon. When you suddenly wake up from a dream, or even a nightmare, you typically can’t piece together what you just experienced so it is coherent. Nolan takes that notion and runs with it. What would you do if you could control your dream? If you could manipulate the dreams and ideas of other people? This brilliant approach to storytelling is the fundamental aspect that engages the audience and takes them into a dream world they could have never imagined. With Inception Christopher Nolan has taken an inspired vision and has created a intelligent, creative, and authentically original film that is beyond all other word’s an accomplishment in superb film making.

Not since The Matrix hit theaters in 1999 has a film taken an original concept and completely changed the game for filmmakers. Remember when everyone thought that Keanu Reeve’s dodging slow motion bullets in was one of the most visually exciting action scenes ever made? Inception makes The Matrix look like an old school video game. The technology, the special effects, the elaborate fight scenes are all perfect in this film. It is all a visual treat for the eyes.

So what is it all about? If you have yet to watch the film I encourage you to read no further. My above praise is all you need (and then some.) This is the type of film that works best when your knowledge is minimal. Not to say if you know the basic fundamentals of the film you won’t enjoy it – because you will. But I believe a more authentic screening will bring the most satisfaction for the audience. The rest of this review will refrain from major spoilers, but it is near impossible to analyze this movie without providing some details. So without further ado…

Christopher Nolan’s Inception follows a team of “extractors,” a term used for those who break into the dreams of others to “extract” information. Usually secrets that the victim is hiding within are the target, and the method involves building a dream world, where those in this maze-like universe, have  no idea that this alternate reality is just that. Leonardo DiCaprio, in an Oscar worthy performance, plays the go-to-guy for extraction. His character Dom Cobb is a tortured soul, one who has gone so far with extraction that his reality is tested by a spinning top. If the top continuously spins – he is in a dream world. If it falls he is in the real world. Cobb is a fugitive in America, a problem that presents a solution when a wealthy businessman (Ken Watanabe) offers Cobb the chance to return home if he performs a different kind of job for him. Instead of extraction, Cobb has been hired to perform inception.

Extraction is the process of stealing a secret or idea from an unsuspecting victim. Inception is the opposite. Instead of taking something, Cobb will plant an idea and make the person think it is their own thought or belief. The victim is the son of a prominent business tycoon who is on his deathbed. His son is set to inherit the company and Saito (Watanabe) wants to convince the son that he should break this company up therefore making no competition for Saito’s own energy company.

Cobb accepts the job and puts together his team which includes a point man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a forger (Tom Hardy), a chemist (Dileep Raio), and an architect to construct the dream world (Ellen Page) where they will plant this idea in the mind of Robert Fischer, Jr (Cillian Murphy). The first half on Inception takes the time to construct a direction for the plot to move forward. It establishes the characters, their motivations, and most importantly explains the rules of inception. The explanations of these rules provide the viewer with some much needed guidance to fully understand this high concept film. This movie is more than sci-fi, more than an action adventure. It combines the elements of  The Matrix, with the sophistication of James Bond, the action of the Call of Duty video game, and performances that should be honored at the Academy Awards.

Inception is an extremely dynamic film because Nolan is an extremely gifted director. Drawing comparisons from legendary film makers like Hitchcock and Kubrick, Christopher Nolan has spun an original tale, with complex characters, and a unique idea, that should be recognized as a modern day masterpiece. With Inception Nolan has written DiCaprio’s character into a whirl wind of turmoil with intentions that are both selfish yet understandable. Cobb is haunted by his wife who has passed away yet lives vibrantly in Cobb’s self-conscious. We learn that a dreamer’s self-conscious is their biggest threat, to both themselves and to those in their dream. Cobb visits his dream world just so he can relive the memories he yearns for, the times when his family was together, a better time before his job consumed his life.

The mind games that Inception plays (to both the characters and the audience) are the most engaging aspects of the film. The tag-line for Inception says it all: ” The Dream is Real.” Convincing a person that their dreams are reality is no simple task. Cobb and his team navigate multiple dreams as they go deeper into the head of their target. Inception is exactly what movie making is about. In theaters filled with sequels, comic book films, franchise flicks, and uninspired drivel, Inception takes on the ultimate challenge and delivers with outstanding results. You may not remember a dream but you will not forget the experience that is Inception.

Fanboyz Grade: A+

The ultimate failure a movie can succumb to is the inability to entertain. That is why we go to watch movies, right? We want to be taken away to another world, one where we actually believe sorcerers and magic and epic battles really exist. This problem is the downfall for Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. It is not really much fun. And if a movie about sorcerers, wizards, and magic can’t be entertaining, then there is a serious problem. The film has all the ingredients to make a fun and exciting adventure, but the correct mixture, balance, and storytelling are really off kilter here.

Beginning in New York City in the year 2000, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice centers on a young boy named Dave who wanders into a mysterious shop where he is met by Nicolas Cage’s character Balthazar Blake. Before we meet young Dave we are given some back story about sorcerers, wizards, and villains who have been fighting a battle for thousands of years.Blake has been searching for an apprentice to help him battle these villains. He has searched all over the world without any luck, until, you guessed it, Dave walks into his store and what do ya know – he is “the one.” Chaos ensues inside the store when Dave breaks a ceramic vase that contains a villain named Maxim Hovarth (played effectively by Alfred Molina.) Long story short, both Blake and Hovarth end up trapped inside this ceramic vase where they spend the next ten years and Dave escapes the scene with a magical ring that was given to him by Balthazar.

Jump ahead to modern day New York City where Dave (Jay Baruchel) is a geeky physics student who spends most of his time in a underground lair working with electric currents. After being confined for ten years Balthazar and Maxim escape from captivity and both seek out Dave who has held onto the magical ring given to him ten years ago. Maxim goes after Dave to gain possession of the ring so he can be the most powerful sorcerer, and raise other sorcerers and wizards from the dead. Balthazar finds Dave and wants to align with the 20 year old to join forces to stop these villains from rising.

Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder, She’s Out of My League) plays the insecure, but lovable nerd perfectly. He is uncomfortable to watch – but that works for his character, a guy who has been obsessed with the same girl all his life. A guy who doesn’t get much respect from his peers but is clearly a brilliant scientist. Balthazar, in a role pretty much phoned in by Nic Cage, is a street smart sorcerer who sees the potential in Dave. He makes Dave his apprentice and the two go to work on training Dave in the science of sorcery.

Sounds like a fun story, eh? The potential is all there. The cast is appealing, the director Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure) is in his element, but something is just lacking. The movie seems to get too caught up in an elaborate story with too many characters, when the highlights of the entire film are the training of Dave to be a sorcerer. Disney should take some notes from the Harry Potter franchise on how to make a movie about magic entertaining for all ages. Sure, there are some exciting scenes including a high speed car chase through Times Square, but the movie falls flat on making us care what is really happening on screen. There are wizards and sorcerers running amok in New York City and everyone just accepts this? What could have been a fun filled adventure like the National Treasure movies, or the Harry Potter series, drops the ball on a potential franchise.

With a run time that is far too long for its own good, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice failed to do the one thing it set out to do: be magical.

Fanboyz Grade: C-

I’m something of an expert on the Predator mythos as my love affair with all things Predator goes back roughly 22 years.  I had both Predator and Predator 2 virtually memorized before my voice had even begun to crack in puberty. At the age of 12, while all of my friends were reading “X-Men” and “Spider-Man,” I was reading the myriad “Predator” comic books published by Dark Horse. I was obsessed. That obsession continued through my 20’s with the “Aliens vs. Predator” computer game, the “Predator: Concrete Jungle” game for PS2, the action figure lines released by McFarlane Toys, and the release of the two AvP movies.

In short, I’m pretty much the kind of rabid fan-boy that Robert Rodriguez knew he’d have howling for his blood (and possibly crapping on his lawn in the middle of the night) if he screwed up his reboot of the franchise.

Predators is the third installment of my beloved series (And no, I’m not counting AvP because those weren’t Predator movies; those were 90-minute action figure commercials).The tables are turned this time in that the alien Predators are no longer visiting Earth, but are instead hand-picking the toughest prey from all over the galaxy, then dropping them off and hunting them down on a planet which acts as a sort of “game preserve” (as Adrian Brody’s character calls it). Seven very capable killers (and one unassuming, nerdy doctor) from all different conflict zones on Earth have been brought to this planet and must band together to survive. The question is: Who packs the gear to make it out alive and who is going to end up skinned, stuffed, and mounted over the fireplace?

The tagline of Predators is “Terror Is Reborn,” which should tell you that the filmmakers set out to recreate the same claustrophobic atmosphere and suspense that made the first Predator film such a visceral experience. For the most part they succeeded because even though we pretty much know what’s coming, there are still some tense moments and genuine scares to be had. While the film definitely harkens back to the original Predator and even directly emulates some of the same lines (“I’m here! Kill me!”) and even some of the same scenery (such as Schwarzenegger’s iconic waterfall jump), the filmmakers tread lightly and it’s never done with a wink. That said, one may conclude that Predators works more as a clever homage to the original instead of the tongue-in-cheek, self-referential rip-off it could have been.

After the AvP films, it’s oddly satisfying to have the Predators firmly back in the “boogeyman” role with arsenals that are beautifully amped up compared to the first two films. Mercifully, the weapons are not overdone in the campy, Freudian way that Paul Anderson did it in AvP. If I had a gripe with this movie, it would be that the kills weren’t terribly creative, with the same kind of wrist-blade impalements and plasma-caster blowouts we all came to know and love in first two films. However, much to my (and pretty much every other Predator fan-boy’s) satisfaction, there’s at least one victim who gets his skull and spine ripped straight out of his body (When is that not cool?).

I guess this is where I dispense with the obligatory film critic foppery regarding character development and dialogue and will just say that I had an absolute BLAST watching this movie. This is the movie I’d hoped would some day be made when we got our first glimpse into the Predators’ culture at the end of Predator 2. I’m extremely pleased with Predators and anticipate that I’ll be viewing it multiple times until the sequel comes out (Yeah…they left it WIDE OPEN).

Congratulations, Mr. Rodriguez. Your life and lawn are safe.

For now……..

Fanboyz Grade: A

In a world where the elements are wielded by those called “benders”, young Aang is the successor to a long line of Avatars. The Avatar is supposed to be the one being that can bend all four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth. His presence has been foretold to unite the elemental tribes and bring peace. However, the Avatar has been missing for 100 years and the powerful Fire Nation has gained control of a large part of each realm. It is up to Aang and his friends to restore order and balance to the world.

Director M. Night Shyamalan brings us this onscreen adaptation of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. I have been reading many reviews that have been panning this film as it doesn’t seem to be well received among all viewers. Before I get started though, I’d like to reiterate that this is a movie based on a kids cartoon. With that said, the film is highly entertaining  from a visual stand point. For a director that hasn’t relied on stunning shots and broad angles in the past, I thought that Shyamalan put on his action boots and gave us some great looks and made the film feel epic. I really liked all of the CGI in the film. The bending of the elements looked very cool and it teamed well with the martial arts.

I am a martial arts enthusiast. It’s either done very well or horribly. I never see a middle of the road when it comes to martial arts in films, but The Last Airbender has found that path. I’m not sure of the backgrounds of the choreographers for the movie, but they managed to put in just enough well thought out fight scenes mixed with great CGI. Even if the choreography wasn’t completely tight you didn’t care because you got a great elemental visual to go with it. Just from watching each nation do their particular bending, I could tell that each had their own martial art that they practiced  to use their powers. It was a nice touch to add to each nation. For the future films I would like to see some more hand to hand combat, but I don’t think that is in the nature of the series.

The big problem with the film is the acting. Most of the main characters do not have a lot of experience under their belts. They had some difficulty bringing me into the story with just their words. What I found interesting though, was the way these actors used their bodies and expressions. I have always enjoyed when an actor doesn’t have to say much of anything, but you can feel what they are feeling just by looking at them. I got a lot of that from this film and I felt that most of the cast pulled this off very well even with their lack of film background. Noah Ringer (Aang) did this far better than the rest of the cast and I am excited to see him grow as an actor.

Right now, the series is plotted out to be three films. I hope that this first one makes enough money so that they do not drop the franchise. I thought that the story was there in this film, though we may have needed a little more. It definitely left me curious and I am very interested in seeing another film. We do need the actors to work on their craft a little more, but as long as we see them improve with each project I think that we can be happy. Shyamalan did a good job being out of is element and I feel that he too, can also get better.

What did you think of the movie? Post below.

Fanboyz Grade: C+

When it comes to reviewing a movie like Twilight: Eclipse, it is difficult to separate the film from the cannon upon which it is based. Basically, to objectively critique the film, I have to put aside my stance on the series and look at the movie individually. In the third installment of the Twilight series, Bella and Edward are coming to terms with their future marriage, and the fact that she wishes to become a vampire like him. However, their plans are put on hold when a rogue vampire begins amassing a small army to avenge her lost love.

The story is more complex and mature, a stark difference from the first two films. Each of the characters gets well-needed depth and more relevancy. Bella has pretty much picked her guy, but still entertains the idea of Jacob in the back of her mind. Edward struggles with Bella’s request but knows he’d rather be with her. Jacob still voices his feelings for Bella and is unapologetic in believing he’s much better for her than Edward is. The addition of the character of Riley and bringing back Victoria provide much needed strong secondary characters. The first movie is about a girl and a vampire falling in love. The second is about him leaving and Bella finding comfort in the arms of another man. But Eclipse has a much stronger running storyline, involving the werewolves and vampires teaming up to protect Bella from the newly created vampire army sent to kill her.

There are a few problems with the movie though. First, the acting is still weak. Kristen Stewart has the emotional range of a Terminator, and unfortunately her character goes through so many highs and lows in the film it’s unavoidable. Taylor Lautner, playing the Lycan Jacob Black, is showing improvement and looks like he’ll have good future success in Hollywood. Robert Pattinson is pretty-boy gift wrap that overacts when he shouldn’t and plays it cool when he should be using any of the talent he has. Honestly, the other members of the Cullen family do an impressive job with their small roles.

Twilight: Eclipse isn’t enough to win anyone uninterested in the series, but so far is the most enjoyable of the other movies. Basically, each of the movies is telling the same story. However, Eclipse tells the story a bit better than the rest. The direction is improved, much of the dialogue is better, and the action is entertaining enough to keep the audience interested though they may not be sold on the story. If you’re getting dragged to Twilight: Eclipse by your girlfriend, don’t worry, you’ll find it somewhat enjoyable

Fanboyz Grade: C+

After a decade of Spy-on-the-run flicks ranging from the entertaining ( The BOURNE Series) to the mundane (KILLERS). Let’s stop kidding ourselves, they didn’t do whatever the government suits claim they did. If they did though, it wasn’t for the reasons given. In KNIGHT AND DAY, Tom Cruise plays a super spy hunted by the government for taking a valuable piece of technology. A chance encounter with Cameron Diaz ends up linking the pair on their adventure. Read my thoughts on KNIGHT AND DAY below.

The best way to describe KNIGHT AND DAY is that it is like a carousel. The story begins with Roy catching a flight that June (Cameron Diaz) also happens to be booked on. Government officials put agents on the flight and before long Roy and June are globetrotting fending off weapons dealers and shady double agents. What is the big chase about? Roy has a battery, a battery that never runs out. His former partner set him up, so he took the battery and the inventor while attempting to clear his name. June is just along for the ride, but of course, they start to fall for each other.

The action is the most entertaining part of the film. Roy takes out a dozen people on the plane, including the pilots, while barely breaking a sweat and having a drink ready for June when she gets out of the restroom. Lots of car chases and shootouts fill the movie with a few sequences of hand to hand combat. Roy and June collect a lot of miles on their Airline account, going around America, Europe, South America and even Roy’s secret island. Other than a few cool action set pieces, there is little left in the film to really entertain the audience.

Tom Cruise does little to lift the movie from generic, which is unfortunate because he is genuinely a good actor. However, KNIGHT AND DAY feels more like a movie suited to launch someone’s career rather than be fitted for a big star. Cameron Diaz isn’t known for her action flicks, she actually seems fairly well suited for the role. Cruise dropped out of SALT to do KNIGHT AND DAY, so that may explain why it doesn’t seem like the right role for him. His playful banter with Diaz is funny but almost crosses the line into absurd. He is intensely talkative during some of the action scenes, then pulls back and is reserved when things slow down. Cameron Diaz doesn’t overplay her role, although she seems to pick up a good shooting habit in one particular chase scene which seemed odd.

The carousel goes around in a circle (predictable) but the ride is fun if you’ve never been on one. After a while, the ride loses it’s novelty. Nothing about KNIGHT AND DAY makes it stand out from the rest of the Spy-on-the-run flicks other than its decent action and somewhat playful banter. Too often, though, the movie relies on self-sustaining numerous repetition, like June constantly being drugged. KNIGHT AND DAY is another summer popcorn flick that not even star power will keep from being ultimately forgettable.

Fanboyz Grade: C

Woody, Buzz and the gang return for the third installment of the secret life of toys in TOY STORY 3. Andy is all grown up and heading off to college. Through the years he has matured and needed his toys less and less. Only a few remain from the first film and they are preparing themselves for the worst…. being thrown away. Woody, ever the optimist, reassures the rest of them that Andy may have gotten rid of some of his toys, but he has kept them all this time. He tells them that they are “Andy’s toys” and that they will always be there when he needs them. The rest of the group is less hopeful, but try to follow their fearless leader. What does the future hold for them? And can they stay together?

Read more after the jump.

When was the last time that you weren’t blown away by a Pixar film? For me, it was TOY STORY 2. I just wasn’t a big fan of it. It was leaps and bounds better than most animated films that have come out, though I thought that is was a pale follow up to the first film. Good thing that the boys and girls at Pixar know how to book end a series. TOY STORY 3 lives up to the expectations of a trilogy. I feel that you should enjoy the first film in a trilogy, pick apart the sequel, then be happy with how it wraps up. It was great to see these characters again on screen and the story was very well thought out. I was extremely worried that this was an attempt to milk the franchise for the cash, but it was the total opposite. I think that we needed to see this chapter of the toys.

The great part about a trilogy like this is that we have all been there. We have all had toys and had to make the decision of how to part with them. Whether that be through throwing them away, giving them to siblings or friends, selling or donation. We have all been through it. It’s an interesting concept when you think about how your possessions feel about being cast aside. Pixar puts a good spin on the toys, especially Woody and Buzz, and what they believe their purposes to be. Woody feels that his job is to always be there for Andy. Even if that means staying in the attic until Andy has children and wants his kids to play with him. Buzz feels that his mission is complete. Andy played with him and now maybe it’s time to move on. It is a great dynamic between friends and their perception. And as the audience we get to see how Andy has grown up and how he see his toys. We have essentially watched Andy grow and you feel the weight of the decisions as he is trying to make them. It’s not like the film is all dramatic like Andy’s walking in the rain or seeing a priest about getting rid of his toys, but the subtle ways we see his thoughts are there.  The film truly tells a great story about moving on and letting go. Doing what’s best for yourself, while trying not to hurt those you love. Very deep for a kids movie.

I think that I was most impressed at the evolution of the animation process at Pixar as well. Watch the first film, then watch this and you see a vast improvement. I mean, the first film is 15 years old and it blew away audiences back then and now it’s even better. The way the bodies move and the facial expressions are just amazing. Obviously, they don’t look exactly like real people, which I think is great, but I want to say that they look more real that the previous films. I know that we all expected it to get better visually and it would have been ridiculous to think otherwise. I’m just saying that I appreciate the finished product.

The new movie is full of new toys and probably the best addition is Ken. I think that everyone saw it coming from the trailer that Ken,voiced by Michael Keaton, was going to be huge. I thought that he was the show stealer every time that he was on screen. It was so funny hearing him talk and see him move, especially when he dances a little bit. He moves like a Ken doll would move. No joints in the elbows or knees so he has a very distinct walk about him. Our main antagonist Lotso is a great villain. He is this cuddly old timer that smells like strawberries who basically runs the toy community at the Sunnyside Day Care. You really want to like him and kind of feel bad for his character. Plus, having Ned Beatty voice him makes him that more lovable. To have a great animated film you must have great voice talent.

I may sing the praise of the Pixar world a little too much to some, but I feel that they deserve it. I feel like every time I watch a film of theirs I learn something new about myself. Whether you cross oceans to learn how to let your children grow, fly across the sky to fulfill promises, or you just need to learn how to move on, Pixar has the best way to teach you.

Fanboyz Grade: A

Summer is a good time to go to the movies and unwind. Beat the heat and the sun by sitting in a nice air conditioned theater and watch a flick for two hours. That is why popcorn flicks, or movies that are meant to be entertaining and fun, are best marketed for summer. When Joe Carnahan took the task of adapting one of televisions most iconic fun action shows, he must have done his homework. The result is a fun and entertaining movie that embodies the spirit of the show while updating it for a new generation. Read more about THE A-TEAM below.

The cast is one of the best part of the movie. Liam Neeson, who is Hollywood’s go-to leader character, showed his action chops in TAKEN and kept it up in THE A-TEAM. Although his character Hannibal is the team’s leader and master-planner, he doesn’t avoid getting his hands dirty and throwing down. Bradley Cooper, playing the heartbreaking Faceman, gets some laughs with his wit and has great chemistry with love interest Jessica Biel. Making his big Hollywood debut, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson does a good job filling in Mr. T’s classic B.A. Baracus character, smackin’ fools and taking names. However, Baracus has a side story in the movie that doesn’t fit good, but more on that later. Lastly, Sharlto Copley follows up DISTRICT 9 with a completely ridiculous and hilarious portrayal of “Howling Mad” Murdoch, the teams pilot/eccentric goof. He will probably be the favorite character to most viewers because he’s so entertaining.

The action in the movie is over the top. That’s actually an understatement, it’s beyond crazy. The plans the team comes up with are brilliantly planned and spectacularly entertaining to see implemented. One scene shows the team in a helicopter getting shot at by an enemy chopper. They go straight into the air, stall, dodge heat-seeking missiles, and end up getting to safety. There’s lots of shooting, punching, air battles, and explosions. Anyone who says, “I didn’t like the movie because the action was just silly and unrealistic” should be punched in the face by “Rampage” Jackson. It’s THE A-TEAM, that’s what the show was about. If the movie was grounded in reality and limited to what could be feasibly done, it would have been boring and not worth watching.

The movie starts off with Hannibal attempting to rescue Face who is held by the Mexican general he went there to kill. Hannibal happens to run into B.A. Baracus, a fellow US Ranger, and he joins Hannibal to rescue Face. Then, they flee the general by the flight skills of Murdoch, and thus the A-Team is born. Jump ahead 8 years, and the team takes on a mission in Iraq that ends up going south. Framed for the death of their superior, they are incarcerated for 6 months before breaking out. However, B.A. has come to renounce violence and doesn’t want to rejoin the group in their attempt to clear their names. This part of the movie feels awkward and misplaced. I understand they wanted to give each of the characters some depth, but I think it’d have been better to go another route. They set out to clear their names and apprehend the responsible parties while being chased by Face’s former flame.

Overall, the movie is a lot of fun. The action is great, the actors are entertaining, the story is sometimes convoluted but still compliments the action. If you’re looking for fun at the movies this summer, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can watch… THE A-TEAM.

Fanboyz Grade: B+

While on vacation in France, Jen (Katherine Heigl) meets the man of her dreams and falls head over heels. Though her new beau is not all that he seems to be. Spencer ( Ashton Kutcher) seems like a mild mannered consultant, but underneath he is a cool and collected secret agent with a license to kill. After making a choice to get out of the game and settle down, Spencer realizes that it’s not that easy to retire from his former life. Can there relationship handle the pressure of Spencer’s past?

Robert Luketic, the director of such films as THE UGLY TRUTH, 21 and MONSTER -in-LAW, brings us his latest attempt at a Katherine Heigl romantic comedy with KILLERS. Now, I’m a sucker for a romantic comedy, they happen to be a guilty pleasure of mine, but I was just not sold on this particular one. The plot has been done well in the past with films like TRUE LIES and MR. AND MRS. SMITH, but I can’t say that the magic was found again in this spy who gets married style film. The entire story is a train wreck. From start to finish this film does not know what it is trying to be. There are these weird jumps in the story as far as time is concerned and we don’t get a good enough feeling of who this couple is. I know it’s not supposed to be some heavy plot driven film, but you never feel their love grow. I think that you need that moment where your realize it with the characters on screen that love has blossomed. It’s a constant in the romantic comedy genre.

I’m always on the fence when it comes to Katherine Heigl. She has been in some movies that I have liked (KNOCKED UP, 27  DRESSES) though, I found it hard to like her in this role. I think that she did what was asked of her as an actress, but the role was just not very good. Her character is annoying and has some serious daddy issues. She never decides if she is independant or daddy’s little girl. She just wasn’t a very strong lead. Asthon Kutcher didn’t really make me believe his character either. He really reminded me of Bill Paxton’s character in  TRUE LIES where he is that used car salesman who pretends to be a spy to get ladies but he’s really this big wuss. Yeah, that’s how I felt listening to the Spencer character. He was very mono toned when he spoke of the spy life and had that douche bag look with the scowl where he doesn’t look at you, but near you. I really couldn’t get into either of the main characters at all.

The action was very bipolar in this movie. The only part that kept me entertained was that there were some pretty good fight scenes. The hand to hand and gun fights were very enjoyable. I could actually watch another action film with Kutcher as long as the story was better. It was nice to have these fights done so well because there were some other action beats that just misfired. It seems that you must have a car chase of some kind in this style of film. Again, in our before mentioned great spy romantic comedies there were great car chases. Jamie Lee Curtis on the Florida Keys Bridge and Pitt Jolie on the freeway. Those are great chase scenes. The one in KILLERS was very slow, through a neighborhood and ends in a construction site where homes are being built. It was such a slow pace that I got bored and wondered why they didn’t just get out and run.

I would not recommend this film for couples looking for a fun date night movie. It may make your significant other unhappy and bored. Though, gentlemen, if you have to go at least the fights are good. Try to talk your girl in to seeing it with friends while the boys get a beer.

Fanboyz Grade: D

Industrialist/ Superhero Tony Stark returns in the action packed summer blockbuster IRON MAN 2. Tony Stark is viewed by many as a force for peace in the world with his Iron Man armor. The US Government demands that he give over the technology, but as you may recall, Tony is out of the weapons making business. Severe changes in Tony’s personal and professional life cause him to make some radical choices including making long time assistant Pepper Potts (Gwenyth Paltrow) the new CEO of Stark Industries.  With the pleasant surprise that the first IRON MAN film was could this one top it?

IRON MAN 2 has landed and I think that we can all agree that we needed it. It’s a rare thing when a sequel is as good as the first film, but with comic book movies that has been the case. X2, SPIDER-MAN 2 and THE DARK KNIGHT can attest to that fact, however, IRON MAN 2 didn’t fit that bill for me. First off, the film is a lot of fun and I wont deny that. I just felt that the story was a bit messy. The film tries to do a lot in its two hour run time and it seemed like they wanted to cram as much in that time as possible. It just wasn’t a very cohesive story line. I really liked the majority of the stuff that we saw, but we needed to spend a little more time on some of the plot and characters. The cast is so big that you could easily forget that a star like Mickey Rourke (Ivan Vanko, Whiplash) was even in the picture.

When you have Don Cheadle (James Rhodes, War Machine) and Scarlett Johansson (Natalie Rushman, Black Widow) mixed in the cast that we have already listed it becomes hard because you want to see more of each of them. I do think that the screen time that each character had was well spent, but right when you got used to that person we were off to the next character. I really enjoyed Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer in the movie. He felt like that rich kid you knew as a child who didn’t know how to be anything but rich. The dynamic of seeing Stark and Hammer together was fun. It’s like Hammer has all of this money, but all he wants is to have the respect that Stark has. And Stark makes sure that Hammer knows that he doesn’t command that respect.  Hammer is just awkward enough that you feel bad for him and just a jerk enough that you don’t like him. I am sad to say that I felt that Rourke was severely under used. Being promoted as the main villain I expected way more from him. When he is on screen he is great, but it was like he was there, then gone, then he was back at the end. I think that might be the ultimate fate of most super villain’s in film is that they are never used as much as you would like.

The CGI and the action in this movie was epic. That was the only thing about IRON MAN 2 that was better than the first. There are times when Downey Jr. is in the plastic version of the armor and then it goes to the CGI and it is so seem less. There is a fight with Iron Man, War Machine and the “Hammer-Droids” that I thought was pretty spectacular. Some people I spoke with felt like the end battle was lacking, but it is pretty much what I expected. The Black Widow has some really good physical stuff in the film that was so well choreographed I could watch it again and again. She was like a sexy Mexican wrestler.

There are a few reasons that the story was a little weak in the film. They could be saving some great stuff for a third film or even for THE AVENGERS movie. Either way, if you liked the first film I believe that you will like the second, I just wouldn’t expect it to blow you away as much as the first. It’s a solid summer movie epic that’s for sure and we are eager to hear your thoughts. Post comments below.

Fanboyz Grade B-