Movie Review - Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, and more.

Directed by: Scott Derrickson Written by: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, and C. Robert Cargill Based on the Comics by: Steve Ditko Cinematography by: Ben Davis Music by: Michael Giacchino 

Premise: A world famous surgeon loses the use of his hands after a terrible car accident. Determined to find a cure, he eventually ends up in Kathmandu, Nepal where he meets the Ancient One. Driven to succeed so he can go back to his old life, Strange finds himself embroiled in a conflict that could well decide the fate of the planet. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Benedict Cumberbatch did a great job as Doctor Stephen Strange. Cumberbatch took the character and made it his own. Though he's played many roles with ego filled men with hearts they deny, he still found a way to make Strange unique from all his other performances. Kudos! Tilda Swinton  was quite convincing as a female version of the Ancient One. Mads Mikkelsen was wonderful as Kaecilius. His conversation with Strange in the NY Sanctum was wicked and fabulous on so many levels. Not to be outdone, Chiwetel Ejiofor holds his own as Mordo. (For those who know the comic series, they do push him in the right direction by the end, so go with it.) Benedict Wong (I swear they made an in-joke of the fact they had two Benedicts) was a perfect and fun foil for Strange. Rachel McAdams was fun as Christine Palmer. Her reactions at a couple of places were priceless! :)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: If you can possibly see this film in IMAX 3D I would urge you to do so! I get motion sickness easily, but didn't have trouble with the film, so I think it should be safe for most people. All the warping of reality looked spectacular! 

The special effects team also handled a silent actor who just about stole the show - the Cloak of Levitation. Totally unexpected handling of the ancient artifact and it worked so well! Loved what they did with it! 

The mirror universe, Dormamu's universe, and all the weird manipulations of reality were fantastic. Dormamu himself, which you get a hint of during Stephen's first introduction to the unknown, looked fabulous! Wish we'd gotten a look at the Mindless ones, but I'm sure they're saving those for later. :P 

The spells themselves were super cool. The physicality added to them made them seem more real, which added more to the film than just straight visual effects would have. Awesome choice.

The Eye of Agamotto doesn't much resemble the iconic image used in the comics, but was still very cool. And wait untill you see the astral fight through the hospital! Fab!

And wait till you see what they do with the apple. Fantastic! And the backwards while still going forward combat was sublime!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: This is an intro story and most of the important facts fit with the stated mythology from the comics. Doctor Strange is hubby's favorite all time comic book hero so he's been slobbering to see it. :P And he was quite happy with the treatment. 

Three major changes from the comics  were in the film. The Ancient One is now female - though it was pulled off quite nicely. The second was the introduction of Kaecilius as Stephen's first nemesis. But that's only so they could build up what they'll be doing with Mordo later. Bwahahahaha! (Ahem...) The third was the addition of Christine Palmer into the origin story. But she made for a nice counterpoint with Strange. In essence, all the best parts of what make up Doctor Strange were definitely there.

The film had a lot of interspersed humor. It was quite a surprise, but it added a nice layer of fun to the film. 

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Between the training, the fighting and the effect of magic on others - the stunt team was kept very busy. Fights weren't on just the usual planes of existence anymore. This made for some challenging hand to hand combat! Even escaping was a major stunt trial. lol.  

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Both the real and the imagined locations were great! They had great flavor. They even used a couple of places where you saw one thing, but heard another, throwing the whole into a new context. What fun! Filming occurred in the real Kathmandu, Nepal. Also in Hong Kong, London, New York, Los Angeles and more. The addition of the Avenger's tower outside of Stephen's view was a nice touch.

And wait till you see the New York Sanctum. Sweet! 

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Major kudos to the makeup department, Benedict Cumberbatch, and the special effects group with respect to Stephen's messed up hands. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that they weren't the same as they'd been when he wakes up in the hospital after the accident. And later you can see the scars from the repairs and additional surgeries he had performed in an attempt to get them fixed. A constant reminder of his loss.

The group also did a fabulous job recreating Strange's unique look from the white in his hair to the blue gi like uniform. Great attention to detail!

Conclusion: Doctor Strange is an awesome rendition of the famous comic series. Fans will be please with how technology has finally caught up enough to bring this fabulous character to the world in the right way. There are two (yes two!) extra scenes during the credits. So stay all the way to the end! Stan Lee also has a cameo! (I know - like DUH!) :P

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad

Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Jared Leto, Karen Fukuhara, Ben Affleck, and many more.

Directed by: David Ayer Written by: David Ayer Based on the comics by: John Ostrander Cinematography by: Roman Vasyanov Music by: Steven Price

Premise: After Superman's disappearance, there's been a growing concern. What if someone like him reappears. A super human who didn't care to play by the rules and decides to become a terrorist. Amanda Waller has a solution. Use a handful of dangerous, imprisoned felons to run covert operations. Expendable people who could be used to take out metahuman threats. And she's found a way to make them cooperate, whether they like it or not. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Viola Davis proves once again why she is such a consummate actress. Her portrayal of Amanda Wallen is chilling. Will Smith showed multiple facets for the talented Deadshot. But it is Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn who steals the show. Her scenes with Jared Leto, who plays the Joker, have all manner of lovely subtext. :) Theirs is a complicated relationship to the extreme. :) 

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects were outstanding. And it was the little things that really ramped them up. The smoke and burning embers around the Enchantress. The beautiful dancing fire figures created by El Diablo. The gooey remains left during the brother's attacks. The one scene where the changed man's head undulates. Lots of wonderful little details.

And Deadshot's assassination and later his gun play show - awesome!

On a larger scale: we get lots of explosions, crashing helicopters, and a super cool looking magical death machine. The obligatory column of light and ring of matter looked fabulous! And wait till you see what El Diablo can truly do when he lets loose. :)

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Many of the characters who belong to the Suicide Squad I was already familiar with and others not so much. While the film does try to get the audience acquainted with most of the members; they do so in a briefing type style. Yet because of the number of members, it slowed the pace of the film quite a bit.

The "object lesson" character didn't get introduced much at all. Might have had more impact if they had - but they did already have their hands full. This is one of the biggest problem with films where you have a lot of headliners. Someone will lose out - be it the characters or the plot. And sometimes it's both.

Several themes and objects of "food for thought" are brought to the table. Mankind's duality, family, how adversity brings all sorts of people together. The different facets of love, and how it can free you or enslave you. Even how evil can come from all sorts of sources and in all sorts of ways.

And sadly, the previews give away almost all of Harley Quinn's lines. :(  (Though they got her so right! Mr. J, Pudding, even the hammer. Lol.) 

I do have to say that since June Moone is now an archeologist - she sure didn't act like one. She would have been kicked out of academia for willfully destroying the priceless artifact that got her into so much other trouble. *sigh*

No real surprises in the plot. Once it gets going it speeds along pretty well. And make sure to stay through the first part of the credits for a couple of more important minutes!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There are a ton of stunts pretty much throughout the entire film. From fighting the inmates to fighting the bad things. Lots of close combat with guns, bats, fists, katana, and boomerangs. Almost too much stuff to follow all at once. :)

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Some great makeup work in the film. El Diablo's tattoos were everywhere and looked fab. Harley's white skin and her funky eye and hair makeup were great. The Joker was also a fun bit of work. The tattoo on his hand of the laughing mouth was too fun! And let's not forget Killer Croc! The face getup and teeth were amazing. The Enchantress (despite her being a different take than in the comics) looked awesome as well. Super creepy. :)

Conclusion: "Suicide Squad" is a bit top heavy at the start, but still quite fun. No real surprises. Most of the snappy one liners have already been revealed. Yet it was still entertaining overall. Stay through the first half of the credits! 

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War

Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, and more.

Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Screenplay by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Comic Book by: Mark Millar Based on Characters Created by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Music by: Henry Jackman 

Premise: The United Nations has introduced a measure to make the Avengers missions fall under an oversight committee. Split on whether this would be a good thing or not, the team suffers a further rift when a bomb explodes during the UN meeting to ratify the measure and a grainy picture of someone resembling Bucky is caught on camera. The UN puts out a find and kill order, but Cap wants to try to bring him in alive. But there's more going on than any of them realize. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of our favorite people are back and we meet some new ones as well. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are great together as their characters' strong wills clash even as they desperately try to cling to their friendship. Scarlett Johansson can speak volumes with a raised eyebrow! Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa was a great choice. And loved to see Martin Freeman thrown into the mix as well. (Especially since his partner Sherlock will be the next Dr. Strange!)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots to love from the special effects department! The sequence with Tony Stark as an eighteen year old looked just like him! Amazing work.

All the mix of tech and super powers in mass battle looked awesome. Especially with Antman's couple of surprises at the airport. Talk about a battle! Ant-man playing inside Tony's armor? Priceless.

The russian lab and the underwater supermax prison were very cool. Both look super tough. And all of Falcon's awesome toys - I want them! Drool.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I'd worried a bit about the plot from what I'd seen in the previews. But overall it wasn't as bad as I'd feared it might be and they did have several surprises. As usual, though, the devil is in the details - and the details tend to be the first thing ignored when it gets in the way of causing trouble. One grainy photo and no one bothers to do actual research and police work? Please. Later it happens, but not where it should have. Most won't notice the oversight as the non-stop action goes at super speed.

Another minor issue is lack of communication - even amongst willful guys. It was yet another convenient item left out until too late - no one even tried saying Bucky didn't do it even after he told Cap as much. They were busy, but not that busy. And no one even tried to prove it one way or the other.

A lot of the driving force on the plot is the first initial rift with regards to the UN and the perceived lack of caring by the Avengers. While all these items kept getting brought up about how people were killed and things were destroyed, not once did anyone even try to point out how many more would have died had Wanda done nothing, or how many thousands would have been hurt or killed if they'd let the bad guys run off with the infectious disease they stole. Ultron or the aliens - hundreds of thousands to millions of dead if gone unchecked. While I grieve, and so do the heroes, for the deaths of the innocents, how many more would there have been if the Avengers did nothing? Reality bites, but the facts should not be ignored either.

Aside from that, the driving emotions and personalities seemed pretty spot on. Though the fact they wait to the very end for someone to finally mention Bucky is a VICTIM was yet another omission for convenience. So while I understood Tony's rage, I couldn't quite see that he'd go as far as he did because he knew about Bucky's brainwashing. But for whatever reason friends against friends seem to be the thing in all the plots lately.

Ton of fun moments! Ton of awesome one liners! Great introduction for the Black Panther! Lots of fun interaction between the characters. And I loved Cap's note to Tony at the end and Tony's indirect, yet totally meaningful response.

Oh, and Spidey's suggestion from that "old movie" and them doing it? Awesome!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Between the hand-to-hand combat, car chases, stairwell chases, air chases, and more - there is a ton to love from the stunt department. Real and imagined. :)

5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Lovely job on the cinematography. Cool angles and some lovely sweeping scenes so we could enjoy the action from any number of vantage points. Nice!

Conclusion: "Captain America: Civil War" is filled with awesome CGI work and magnificent battles and chases. A few bits were a little contrived, but they were in the minority and there were definitely unexpected surprises. This was a fun ride! (Two extra scenes so stay all the way through the credits!)

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again!)

Mind Sieve 8/31/15

Something of a hectic weekend. So I am running behind! Doh!

Listening Official Trailer - looks like it might be fascinating!

The Martian Official Trailer #2 - oh yeah!

Deadpool Official Trailer #1 - This is going to be so weird! lol.

Have a great one!

Movie Review - Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Haysberth, Ray Liotta, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Lloyd, Jamie King, Juno Temple, and more.

Directed by: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez Written by: Frank Miller Based on the Graphic Novels by: Frank Miller Cinematography by: Robert Rodriguez Music by: Robert Rodriguez and Carl Thiel

Premise: Sin City means different things to different people, but they all have a story to tell - the dancer trying to shore her courage to get revenge on the man who killed the only one who ever tried to protect her; the young buck trying to make a name for himself and ends up getting in too deep; the old lover drawn back by the femme fatale who broke his heart when she comes asking for his help. And all the stories tied together by the one man who knows the city best, except when his mind forgets - he has a condition. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Many familiar faces grace the screen -- several reprising roles from the original "Sin City" film, while other make their mark in the city for the first time. Mickey Rourke is still a total hoot as "Marv". Bruce Willis reprises his role as Hartigan, back from the grave. Jessica Alba definitely proves the nine years between films have not slowed her down, and she gives a great performance on multiple levels as Nancy. Josh Brolin is "noir" to his core. Eva Green, though, steals the show, proving once more her tremendous and hypnotic range.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: As in the original "Sin City" there's a lot of play with black and white and flashes of vivid colors or flip flopping contrasts -- they all looked great. Some subtle storytelling also went on with the colors, which added some nice flavor to the tales. The women were being their true selves when their hair, eyes, lips, or face had color, otherwise...

The characters with the larger than life faces or bodies were expertly done. The power player Ava talks to during her party looked so realistic I couldn't believe she wanted to be that close to him. And the few shots of Dwight's face after some of his troubles, and of Johnny's hand, had me twitching in sympathy in my seat.

The visuals and sweeps during Nancy's nightmare scene were very nice.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: It's been nine years between films, but "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" picks up not far from the end of the original, so those who've not seen the first movie either recently or ever, will have a hard time connecting with the characters. While they do give information on what has gone before it's not enough to deepen the experience. (So be sure to watch/rewatch the first one before seeing this one!)

There's three stories, all of which connect through Marv or the bar. You see a piece of each one in turn, the middle one running on through to its end, then back to the others in reverse order. Because they don't have much to do with each other, and the Dwight storyline was so involving and long, by the time they got to the other two, I'd totally forgotten about them - so it was almost a jolt to realize there was more.

There were also a couple of bits they threw in at the beginning with Marv that were never actually resolved - you knew to whom Marv's jacket and gloves belonged to, but not how he got them. So that made things seem a little disjointed, especially after so specifically drawing the audience's attention to them.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Gun battles, car chases, knives, jumping and being thrown through windows, and lots of fists totally fit the films "noir" feel. Add in some crossbows, samurai swords, and tough girls, and there's plenty of stunt fun to be had by all.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Real or imagined, the locations for the different scenes worked beautifully. Merging reality and CGI as well as playing with shadows and moonlight made for some lovely cinematography.

Conclusion: I'd definitely recommend making sure to see the original "Sin City" before venturing to see "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" - this should definitely fill in some of the gaps to make the film have more impact and get you as the audience more vested in what's going on. There's lots of lovely visuals and plenty of fist action. The R Rating should be taken seriously for younger viewers - this is not for kids. But the adults should have an entertaining time.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)  

Movie Review - The Amazing Spider-man 2

The Amazing Spider-man 2

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Sally Field, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Embeth Davidtz, Campbell Scott, Marton Csokas, Louis Cacelmi, and more.

Directed by: Marc Webb Screenplay by: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinker Screen Story by: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinker, and James Vanderbilt Based on the Marvel Comic by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Cinematography by: Daniel Mindel Music by: Hans Zimmer and the Magnificent Six

Premise: Peter Parker is haunted by the ghosts of his dead parents and Gwen's father, which straine his relationships with Gwen and his Aunt May. Harry Osborn comes back to New York to visit his father on his deathbed. But the old man doesn't go before revealing the family curse, and giving Harry the possible means to overcome it. Then comes Max, brilliant but invisible to those around him, until a terrible accident that Oscorp tries to bury away and make him disappear. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Andrew Garfield really brought home Spidey's tongue-in-cheek demeanor while crime fighting and even brought a little extra something extra to the web crusader. His scenes with Emma Stone have a lot of chemistry as well as a feeling of playfulness. Emma Stone lit up the screen whenever Gwen appeared. Dane DeHaan was a fun Harry Osborn - showing many facets; sharp, brooding, the shinning little boy, the desperate rich boy, and more. Jamie Fox was fascinating as the sad and almost creepy Max Dillon, then the much more outgoing and angry Electro.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There's a lot of CGI in the film, but it wasn't always obvious, so it was easy for the audience to immerse themselves in what was going on around them. Some neat third person camera angles as the web slinger made his rounds around New York - just enough to give you a sense of what it's like to travel as he does, but not enough to give you motion sickness.

All the effects relating to Electro were fantastic. I especially loved the scenes where he reconstituted himself in thin air. Some cool graphics with slow motion made for several spectacular scenes. The lost subway stop was very cool.

The most fun, however, were the little touches - like the juggling act with the radioactive material jars, the inventive ways Peter used his webbing, Osborn's cool desk computer, the gas settling over the spiders. Some really great work all around.

One poignant scene has his webbing spread out just enough to look like a reaching, overstretched hand, making it a true extension of Peter and his desires.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The film starts in a totally unexpected place with some reveals and hints on the answers to the mysteries alluded to in "The Amazing Spider-man". It then works its way back to present day where we get another treat as Spider-man deals with some terrorist trying to steal canisters of radioactive material.

The story flips back and forth between romantic, sad, hopeful, and even funny. Some of the best parts are these little vignettes of compressed time - shots of Peter when he's taking his costume off and the little visual clues to the type of day he's had - Peter doing experiments to try to find a work around for a flaw with his web dispensers - Peter at the cemetery over a five month period.

The tiny comedic moments peppered throughout also gave the story a boost - the way Peter buys Gwen some time when she's being tracked down by security - Aunt May and Peter arguing over the clothes washer because both of them have secrets they are keeping from each other in the laundry. The boost is a good thing, because chunks of the film were made up of standard fare and a few too many coincidences, so it needed all the help it could get to be anything other than cliche.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Stunts were a combination of live action and CGI and they were all done very well. There are a lot of blown up and thrown vehicles and lots of pedestrians running for cover, as well as people getting yanked out of danger in the nick of time

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The film has some great spanning shots of New York. These very shots make the city going dark look very impressive and disturbing. The Oscorp building itself, inside and out, screamed of innovation and expensive technology. In contrast, Ravencroft, despite some of the high tech equipment, looked medieval and full of pain and secrets.

Conclusion: "The Amazing Spider-man 2" was definitely better than its predecessor. The vignettes are a hoot. Combined with the little jokes and cute moments, they take enough of the staleness out of the cliched plot to make it decent. Seeing the big battle with Electro is totally worth it.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)  

Movie Review - 300: Rise of an Empire

300: Rise of an Empire

Starring: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Heady, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro, Jack O'Connell, Andrew Tiernan, Igar Naor, and more.

Directed by: Noam Murro Screenplay by: Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad Based on the Graphic Novel by: Frank Miller Cinematography by: Simon Duggan Music by: Junkie XL

Premise: Starting before the events of the "300", Queen Gorgo tells the story of Themistocles and his inadvertent triggering ten years before of events which drove Xerxes to wonder the dessert and absorb pure evil to become a God King with only one goal, the complete destruction of Athens and all Greece and everything they represent. (Rated PG-13)


Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Sullivan Stapleton did well as the tactician and guilt burdened Athenian Themistocles. Being made to follow the more intense King Leonidas (as portrayed by Gerard Butler in the original "300"), placed a major handicap on Stapleton's performance, as viewers can't help but compare the two, especially as Leonidas is mentioned several times. Lena Heady reprises her role as Queen Gorgo, and she makes it incredibly easy to believe she is a true Spartan Queen. Eva Green was great as the violated and vengeful Artemisia. She exuded both competence as a tactician and general and a poisonous sexuality that was enthralling.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: While the original "300" stuck to battles on land, "300: The Rise of an Empire" is filled with sea battles and close hand to hand combat. The recreations of the ships and execution of attacks looked amazing. Creative blood splatter and appendage removal populate the film throughout. In the beginning, the audience is given an unusual treat, by seeing first hand why helmets and other armor are quite important during battles, despite not seeming so in most movie combat. Helmets and armor/shields can definitely make the difference, even if later on helmets grew out of favor. (Hollywood has always appeared to believe that if you can't see an actor's face, the audience will think less of the film. Anyone who's watched "Dredd" with Karl Urban, can testify that not seeing the actors full face can actually work very well.)

The only thing that could have been done better with regards to the special effects and CGI would have been the introduction of certain details which were eventually revealed in later battles, but would have made the experience so much better if they'd shown them straight from the beginning. For example, the manner by which the Greeks kept their place on deck during ramming maneuvers, or the fact they too were using rowers to power their ships.

3) Story - Thumbs Up: Like the "300", "300: Rise of an Empire" clings to the general history of the period, then spices it up with a little mysticism for added flavor. The timeline pulls back to before the "300" then works up to it and beyond. The most fun was the fact they kept the tactics of several of the sea battles of the time, which were a lot of fun to watch being carried out.

Artemisia was indeed a female naval general in the navy of Xerxes, and she was deemed quite capable and intelligent, but the rest of the information imparted about her in the film is not accurate, although it did make for some great motivation for wanting to destroy Greece. From what I read, it was Xerxes who ordered the naval attacks against the Greeks in open water, while Artemisia had counselled against them, already aware of the Greeks prowess on the water.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The film has a beach side battle and many sea battles with close hand to hand combat. Several of these get the slow motion treatment, making their savagery beautiful. The shield and helmet use showed clearly why they were such necessary articles in warfare of this type. Outstanding choreography on all the battle sequences.

5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The visuals close up were great, and so were the far off shots showing a burning Athens, the fields of ships poised for battle, and other locations. When the Greeks first go against the Persian's in the sea, just seeing the view of the hundreds of masts, then the giant waves bringing the ships down right on top of them was an awesome visual.

Conclusion: "300: Rise of an Empire" does not reach the heights of the original "300" but offers a lot to enjoy regardless. Seeing the sea battles and cool tactics employed was a definite treat. Getting to watch the Athenians battle with their shields offensively and defensively? Priceless.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tim Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Idris Elba, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Rene Russo, Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård, and more.

Directed by: Alan Taylor Screenplay by: Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely Story by: Don Payne and Robert Rodat Based on the Comics by: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: Kramer Morgenthau Original Music by: Brian Tyler

Premise: Over five thousand years ago, though the time of darkness drew to a close, the dark elves discovered a way to return the universe to how it had been before. Stopped after a bloody war by Odin's father, the dark elves and the aether weapon they'd hoped to use were long thought destroyed. As a new convergence of the nine worlds nears, Jane Foster stumbles upon the fact neither is actually gone. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as the hammer weilding Thor. He's matured in the two years since his first arrival on earth and that maturity comes across easily thanks to Chris' skills. Natalie Portman also returns as Jane Foster. I loved all the weird quirkiness of the character, and it was a lot of fun watching her child like fascination as she gazed upon the people and wonders of Asgard, and 'geeking out' over the science. Tim Hiddleston gives great range to all that is Loki, a character as mercurial as the aether they seek to keep from the dark elves' grasp. Chris Eccleston brought a grave air to his portrayal of Malekith, even as Anthony Hopkins mirrored him in his fury to keep his way of life, even if it took every last living soul to do so.

2)  Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Tons of special effects work their magic through the film. From the super cool dark elf ships to the awesome grandeur of the convergence, the special effects team didn't disappoint.

I was very happy they took time to show us more of Asgard. The Asgardians' ceremony for dead was impressive. Even better, they didn't forget, as so many movies and TV shows do, that the headliner wasn't the only one to lose their life. The gorgeous ceremony looked like an amalgamation of viking/Norse, and Japanese traditions. Gorgeous.

The workings of Asgard's defenses were totally fun to watch, but even more so were the cool fighters of the dark elves. The technologies of the two races as well as the 'look and feel' were different from each other, reinforcing their separation, and the dark vs. light aspect of the story. The dark elf grenades were super nasty! They also made for some very cool visuals.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The story was always moving. Even in parts where you'd expect the action to slow down, they managed to do things in such a way that it kept moving forwards instead. The story also had tons of cute moments - quirky and/or funny bits that added layers of fun. One of them was an unexpected Captain America cameo - funny and unexpected yet totally fit the moment. Jane's dinner date was another.

The themes of family and responsibility are woven throughout, as well as that of stubbornness and resistance to change. They gave Heimdall some great scenes to play in!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The stunt guys were kept very busy in the film. There is a ton of hand-to-hand combat, getting thrown, falling, rolling. The whole department was very busy indeed.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Whether real or CGI, the cinematography was fantastic. The view during the ceremony for the dead, the close and intimate shots of Asgard, watching the dark elf ship cut furrows in Greenwich, the convergence of the nine worlds, and more - gorgeous! The film is worth watching just for the locations and beautiful shots alone. Wait until you see Thor's view from his bedroom or Heimdall's at his post - food for the eyes.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Each race and world had their own unique styles of clothing, armor, and even hair styles. Half the fun of watching Jane in Asgard was seeing her go native.

Conclusion: "Thor: The Dark World" easily outdoes the first"Thor" film. The movie is constantly moving and with the fun, quirky bits they throw in, totally entertaining. IMAX, if not IMAX 3D, would be well worth it for the great visuals. Make sure to sit through the ENTIRE set of credits. We get two extra bits, and one is at the very end.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - Man of Steel

Man of Steel

Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Kevin Costner, Harry Lennix, Richard Schiff, Christopher Meloni, Ayelet Zurer, Laurence Fishburne, Dylan Sprayberry, Cooper Timberline, and more.

Directed by: Zack Snyder Screenplay by: David S Goyer Story by: David S Goyer and Christopher Nolan Based on the Characters Created by: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster Cinematography by: Amir Mokri Original Music by: Hans Zimmer

Premise: On the throes of a dying Krypton, General Zod attempts a takeover, but Jor-El beats him to the coveted Codex containing all the DNA information for the Kryptonian race. Already having broken several laws by conceiving of a child physically rather than through the Genesis chamber, Jor-El uses the Codex and sends his baby son, Kal, to Earth. Unable to stop Jor-El, Zod is then caught and sent to the Phantom Zone, but he vows revenge. (Rated  PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Henry Cavill was a great Kal-El/Clark Kent. Charming, yet reserved, and even a little rough around the edges. Dylan Sprayberry and Cooper Timberline were outstanding as the younger Clark Kents - they conveyed Clark's clashing emotions when dealing with his blossoming powers, not fitting in, and trying live as an outsider. Amy Adams conveyed a very competent and energetic Lois Lane. I also totally enjoyed Kevin Costner's take on Johnathan Kent - overprotective of his son and his need to not stand out and yet wanting him to aim for greatness at the same time - great emotional conflict.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects were fantastic! A lot of trouble was taken to make Krypton a unique place, with its own science, culture, look and feel. The moldable bits of metal were used to awesome effect several times, especially when the computer tells Kal-El the story of his people.

Lots of explosions and great battle scenes both on Krypton and Earth. And the scenes of the machine pulsing and the way it affected cars and buildings were phenomenal. There was almost too much going on at times to keep track.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The story of Superman is one that's been done many times in both comic books and films. So trying to create a new take on the old story can sometimes be something of a hit and miss. Overall though, I thought the take on "Man of Steel" worked well. They tried to make it unique while still keeping the core story mostly intact. It also introduced issues and concerns not necessarily covered before, making the story more 'real' than previous versions in several respects.

There is a substantial amount of flashbacks in the movie. I felt the use of the technique added more depth and imparted more information than they could have othwerwise, but others might find it a little confusing, or not as enjoyable as a straight timeline story.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Aided by a lot of CGI, there was still a large amount of physical combat stunts, which were done quite well. Add in all the city mayhem scenes and it's obvious the stunt department was kept very busy. Great job!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Most of the film was done in Illinois, but there was enough variation and consistency in the chosen locations to suit the different places being depicted. There were plenty of sweeping camera shots in the real and CGI worlds to ground viewers and also help them appreciate the different locals. This also worked particularly well for Metropolis. (And don't miss the little caveat on the side of some tanker trucks in the city during the final battle.)

Conclusion: "Man of Steel" was visually awesome and the story pretty entertaining. DC is definitely proving it can dish it out as well as Marvel with regards to movies about our favorite heroes. A fun ride! Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission.)

There was also an awesome caption moment around midway through the film - "He wishes he were a perky, red haired reporter right now." See if you can find it. :)

Movie Review - The Amazing Spider-man

The Amazing Spider-man

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Sylka, and more.

Directed by: Marc Webb Screenplay by: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves Story by: James Vanderbilt Based on the Comic Book by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Cinematography by: John Schwartzman Original Music by: James Horner

Premise: When Peter Parker stumbles across and old leather briefcase that once belonged to his father, he finds an old newspaper picture of a colleague and decides to go to Oscorp and see what more he can find. While there, he illegally enters a lab and accidentally picks up a hitchhiker - a modified spider which later bites him in the back of the neck. As Peter tries to deal with his new found powers, high school problems, and budding affections for Gwen, he also inadvertently gives away a secret his father may have died to protect and opens the door for huge problems for New York City. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Andrew Garfield, with his great acting skills and thin, almost gawky build, was a great choice for Peter Parker. Emma Stone was vibrant as Gwen Stacy. Rhys Ifans gave us a multi layered Curt Connors. Denis Leary oozed protective parent and added a bit of fun and seriousness to his role as Captain Stacy.

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: While all the effects and CGI were well done, there was nothing spectacular presented. Following behind the awesome special effects in movies like "Prometheus", "John Carter", and others, "The Amazing Spider-man" appeared almost blase in comparison. Sadly, it made the higher expense of seeing it in IMAX 3D not worthwhile. Sadder still, there were several instances where they had an opportunity of doing so much more but didn't and it showed. (And most of the good ones were given away in the previews!)

But like I said, what was there was very well done - the room with the spiders and fibers was very cool. There just should have been more. And for the fans, they did incorporate several "classic moves" for the costumed vigilante that could have been pulled straight from the comic book pages. Those were a lot of fun. (They even sneaked in the traditional look of Dr. Connors' lizard form with the torn lab coat in there. Though the look of the lizard's face itself was not.)

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: To be honest, story wise, while replacing Mary Jane with Gwen, the Green Goblin with Dr. Connors, and adding a touch of mystery to what happened to Peter's parents and why, there was little that was different or all that new with regards to the story when compared to the 2002 "Spider-man" film. Not only that, but the way the story was set up added its own set of issues to trip it up without any new twists or real surprises.

Gwen is a high school student, yet she is not only working at Oscorp but has tremendous amounts of both training on very high tech equipment and security clearances. Also the means by which Peter picked up the spider didn't match the intelligence and cunning he showed in just getting to that section of the building. So it made it very difficult to believe it. More so was the fact no alarm was raised by his interference in the smooth running of the particular room. The major 'about face' by Flash with regards to Peter, just had me shaking my head.

Another big issue was Spider-man's web. He got the idea from a commercial of an Oscorp product and when we saw him build the wrist mechanisms, he used the containers we'd seen at the lab (which implied he was using their product in his machine). Logic dictates that not only would he not be able to afford to buy the stuff, the government would have seen the commercials and figured out what he was using and used that knowledge to try to track him down. (In the comics he'd come up with the formulas for the webbing and the mechanism on his own.)

But I must definitely give kudos for the writers' attempts to show Peter could not save New York alone, that everyone could do their part to help.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Whether real, CGI, or a mix of the two, the stunts for the film were great. The fight scenes were smooth and believable. Stan Lee's cameo during the high school combat was particularly fun.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Cool shifting points of view, a couple even done through Peter's eyes to try to give the audience an idea of what it would feel like to swing around from building to building in downtown New York. There were several great span shots and even overhead shots of the city. Several cool views of the bridge during combat were taken as well.

Conclusion: The movie is worth seeing for the great acting and watching Peter cope with his new found powers. Aside from trying to sow seeds for mysteries to explore in further films, the basic story of the web slinger remains much the same as previously shown. There were not enough cool things to make it worth the higher price of IMAX 3D, which was a pity.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Matinee Price)