Expendables 2 Was Awesome!

I just returned from the theater from watching Expendables 2 and this is the first movie this summer that not only met but exceeded my expectations. I saw the original a few summer's ago and enjoyed it but I felt this one was better; a lot better. I was burned out on super hero movies and wanted to see some ripped action heroes kick butt, shoot bad guys and blow things up instead of men in tights with weird powers duke it out against computer generated backgrounds. The original Expendables was a fun return to the eighties action flicks with most classic action starts in the film. Expendables 2 one ups the first film by adding better dialogue and better humor mixed in with awesome action scenes, and just about every action star you could want in the film. This movie has Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Randy Cotoure, and Jean-Claude Van Damme in a major or minor role. The greatest thing about this one is how pleasantly surprised, well, pleasantly shocked at how great Jean Claude Van-Damme was as the villain. I have always liked action flicks, but never thought Van-Damme was a great actor. I watched a handful of his movies, and his martial arts prowess was always impressive but his performance at times was either dull or laughable. His dramatic scenes in Bloodsport are nearly comical. However, Van-Damme plays the villain in this movie nearly like an Oscar winning pro. Yes seriously. I also did say nearly. He comes across as this vicious, sick, cruel bastard that just gets under your skin from the moment you meet him. Your dying to just punch the guy once you met the character and, as expected, Stallone and Van-Damme beat the tar out of each other in the last scene. Since you couldn't touch a guy like that in real life, we get to see Stallone beat the snot out of him for you. As a martial arts fan, I appreciate Van-Damme's talent so I wish another student of Asian fighting arts got to beat him in the movie but what can I say; this is a Stallone flick, and his scrappy boxing and wrestling look effective so I'm satisfied. Statham mixes it up plenty of times in this film for other fans of the Asian martial arts, and the beginning features the talents of Jet Li so I can't complain. Lastly, I love the fact it's called Expendables 2. Not Expendables Reloaded, Expendables Rising, Expendables Falling, Expendables: Curse of the Bad Protein Shake, or some witty name that with more sequels becomes a strained metaphor. It somehow makes it more eighties and more gritty.   


Expendables 2 was another must see for action fans, and the movie's good enough for non action fans to enjoy it or sit through the flick amicably. I honestly believe this is because Stallone lent his enormous and under rated writing talents to the screenplay. Stallone actually wrote or contributed to the screenplay of his most iconic and successful roles including Rocky and Rambo. One person I brought along that usually doesn't like this kind of movie came out with a smile on this face, and said it was just plain fun to see all the heroes he grew up with in one film, and to see old guys be the hero. That sums up the fun of both flicks well. It's safe to say those who only appreciate dramatic films like Black Swan  or the french art film every film student is talking about, and I haven't seen and probably never will might want to stay away. For those, like me, who appreciate a wide variety of movies and like a good summer action flick then look no further than Expendables 2.       

Reviews and Rants about Summer Flicks

Well sorry everyone but I was definitely MIA this summer. I've obtained some freelance work as a copywriter and I still work the day job. In addition to this, my resume has all of the sudden got hits like crazy on Monster, so I've had some important interviews as well. Still, I made it out to the movies to see a few summer flicks. I definitely did not get to see everything I wanted to this year. I was royally pissed that I missed Prometheus in the theaters, and to rub salt in the would the Katy Perry movie replaced the film in my favorite local theater. They bumped out something I've been dying to see from one of my favorite directors for a movie that will last two weeks to a month. Well maybe I'm wrong about that, but somehow the Katie Perry Movie sounds more like something that should have been a great You Tube video instead of a theatrical movie. I won't bother to even google the name of the Katy Perry movie...but actually, I think that's the name of it to make things worse. The Katy Perry Movie. Well, the teenage girl demographic wins over the nerdy guy demographic this time because they thought they'd get to the movies quicker and in bigger numbers.

So, on to some quick overviews/reviews of summer flicks. Loved Avengers and Dark Knight Rises which all met my expectations. I could pick at some things in Dark Knight Rises, but I'm going to save that for later posts on Batman. I saw Snow White and the Huntsman and overall enjoyed it and thought it was a pretty good flick. From the movie's first scenes with Kristen Stewart, I thought were have I seen that actress! It was driving me insane, until I just said to myself "Okay, she's Rouge from the X-Men movies. Stop thinking about it so you can enjoy the darn thing." I was wrong, of course. The storyline turned the familiar fairy tale into an adventure-romance-hybrid pretty well. It's a great date movie for that reason. Chris Hemsowrth aka Thor pays the huntsman role well. Originally a noble side character this film turns him into a burly action hero, as you might guess from the movie's name. I felt uncomfortably old fashioned at the film's climax as Snow White dons armor and a broadsword to attack the evil queen's castle. The girl's maybe 135 lbs soaking wet after eating at Moe's okay, and that stuff is heavy! The armor weighs as much as she does! Okay, let's say the forces of good are on her side and move on. I promise I'm not a sexist. It's just...If she had biceps bigger than Thor and her name was Helga it'd be different! Okay, I'm done. The film introduces a love triangle relationship that is unresolved at the end, perhaps leading the viewer into wanting to see a sequel. Wait...where's that girl from....Twilight! Yes, that's it. Oh, so we borrowed the whole love triangle thing that from that too....okay. Not a bad flick. The evil queen actually steals the show in this one, and really makes this fun to watch. My sister pointed out they stole the love triangle from Twilight by the way.


I wasn't sure how I would like Amazing Spiderman at first, but I saw it and enjoyed it. I never read the comic and the Tobey McGuire franchise was special to me since I graduated high school the years those characters did in the movie. I was in college and trying to break into my career, and the characters were doing the same in the movies. Plus, they were good movies in one of my favorite genres so I really loved them. The franchise reboot Amazing Spiderman was a heck of a good movie though. Some parts do feel to familiar since ten years ago the original came out, and the storyline is basically the same as Spiderman. The lizard, this film's villain, also hears voices just like green goblin which I think was too much. However, the special effects in this movie are amazing, no pun intended, and it's shocking to see how much film special effects can improve in ten years and with a bigger budget. Also, the romance is much better done and a lot steamier than in the first films. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield fog up the screen in their scenes together in ways that, sad to say, Mcguire and Dunst never could. We do have the one scene in the original that's now classic of Mary Jane kissing Spiderman upside down but, other than that, the love story is much better in this film. Overall, the story was a little different than the original and, I have been told, more authentic to the comics. I liked the fact that Parker was more a boy genius in this one, and his father is part of the storyline. I Still hope Spiderman can join the Avengers; though I have been informed by the comics gurus why this might be problematic. Well, If I get good sequels to Avengers, Thor and Iron Man I'll be pleased. I'm going to take a break from super hero flicks for a while, then re-watch all the Batman flicks after I get that urge again. That will tie me over until next summer.               

Monsters, Mayhem and More!

Yes, it finally happened. It happened to my mom, my dad, my sister, my cousin and now, it's happened to me. I thought it could pass me by, but it came upon me in my late twenties. I saw the signs coming, but I tried to ignore me thinking it would pass me by, that I would not have to live like them. However, I've discovered that I cannot escape who I am, and I am indeed fated to be one of them. I need glasses. Yes, I need glasses. What did you think had happened, I become a werewolf ? I had been reading Anne Rice's The Wolf's Gift and I have to say it's one of the best horror/monster stories I've read in a while. So, I've been busy getting glasses, fixing a computer problem, and trying to find a way to write for a living full time. In the meantime, I've found no time to write so sorry to my readers. That doesn't mean I haven't taken in a few flicks here and there, and found some Youtube videos for your enjoyment. Outside the genre's usually discussed on this blog, I've been enjoying AMC's ad Mad Men, and I got a chance to see the preview of Magic City on Starz and the finale of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Mad Men is like always slowly heating up to big dramatic conclusions, and I did enjoy Magic City, the gangster drama set in the early sixties Miami (part of a trend of Mad Men inspired shows beginning with The Playboy Club). Since my tastes are not so narrow, I plan on starting a separate movies and TV blog to share my thoughts about the great broad art I appreciate in all it's forms. Now, on to the video cheese that my fans and I crave.

A great sneak peek of the new Avengers movie is available online, and reveals a fight between Iron Man and Thor. Check it out here. This film looks like it could be one of the best action flicks yet, and will be the hottest movie this summer next to The Dark Knight Rises.



The original Journey to the Center of the Earth is one of my favorite vintage Science Fiction flicks. It's surprising that I've had the DVD of the 2008 Brenden Fraiser remake and had seen it in bits and pieces only. I finally sat through it and the 2008 version is probably one of the best remakes. The new film re-imagines the classic story as a modern children's fantasy adventure, and creatively uses the existence of the classic novel as part of the plot. The original novel is a science fiction classic by Jule Verne, whom is famous for predicting technology that would actually be invented later on in his novels. For instance, From the Earth to the Moon described a space travel voyage from Cape Canaveral Florida to the moon in the mid 1800's, and 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea was a submarine adventure written before they were invented. Sad to say that his most entertaining and endearing work, Journey to the Center of the Earth, is outlandish and completely off base scientifically. In this story, a professor lead a small expedition to the earth's interior which they discover is a strange prehistoric world filled with dinosaurs, caveman, and other types of creatures.



The novel has been filmed several times, beginning with a 1959 version starring James Mason and Pat Boone. A few other versions followed in the next decades, with a glut of recent made for TV or direct to DVD versions that were kind of amusing or totally crappy. I loved watching the original as a kid; so the idea of reworking this into a family adventure was a top notch idea. The idea of a world under the earth is such a bogus idea now it just works this way. I need to see the somewhat related new film Journey 2 the Mysterious Island. A slow but interesting version of this film Where Time Began is available on Youtube by CrazeDigitalMovies. They seem like a legitimate company with the proper copyright to put these movies online, or these flicks are public domain. I have streamed the film Where Time Began here for your viewing pleasure.

Go see John Carter

I did get a chance to see the latest big budget Sci-Fi adventure John Carter from Disney and it exceeded my expectations. I read read a lot about the film online and became excited about it, though I did not know much about the character. The movie is a fun popcorn flick with plenty of action and special effects, but also has really endearing characters that you care about as a viewer. Taylor Kitsch who plays Carter and Lynn Collins who plays Dejah Thoris play their characters well and are so nice to look at the film could be about another thirty minutes. Both the laides and the guys should be pleased with this one. The special effects are top notch, perhaps the best I've seen since Avatar, so there is never a lack of eye candy from this film, whether it's computer generated magic or God given good looks.



The storyline of John Carter is really engaging as the narrative is driven by interesting characters the viewer can really care about. Carter is only slightly guilty of the typical sins of action movies which fans easily forgive. The plot does not move to fast, but monumental events in the fictional land of Barsoom do seem to develop fast enough so that we can just have John Carter save the day. At the heart of this film is a really beautiful love story that is shoved under the table for the action because, well, I guess that's not what we came to see for the most part. Disney sadly knew what it was doing with this film. The John Carter stories were popular a long time ago, but were great stories. There was the risk that nobody would care about this movie, and they'd loose money making it on a grand scale. They took a nearly epic story and condensed it into a film that is just a little over two hours. I hope that there will be sequels. In my opinion, it should have been written as a trilogy, but instead is a fun action movie left open for a sequel.

There are things that one can pick at about this movie. The character was created in the 1800's, so the fact that it takes place on Mars (which we clearly know is not inhabited) is cheesy even if we can pretend it's the story of a now dead civilization. Some of the technology does seem dreamed up by an 1800's projection of the future. Still, the film is enjoyable and holds up well. I'd recommend it to fans of hardcore Science Fiction and Action, or anyone that an appreciate a nice popcorn flick. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this film is it does end on a high note about the need for people to move beyond past sufferings, and take up a cause in life other than making money. I'd say more about that, but I don't want to spoil it for you. Perhaps I'll get "deep" about this movie in later postings. I have to go to work and see what other movies the martian princess (Lynn Collins) from this movie was in.

John Carter hits the big screen

John Carter hits theaters March 9 (this Friday) and looks like a promising action adventure film. It is based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs A Princess of Mars. Burroughs is most known for creating the Tarzan character, but he also wrote many science fiction and fantasy stories some of which have been made into movies. John Carter was another popular character that he created. Another film based on the same novel which kept the original name, Princess of Mars, was recently released directly to DVD in 2009 and starred Antonio Sabato Jr. as the hero. The new film by Disney looks like it will be very entertaining, and I'm going to check my local library for the original books. Willem Dafoe stated in an interview recently that there would have been no Star Wars or Avatar had it not been for the John Carter stories. I am interested to read a series that apparently is one of the grandfathers of modern science fiction, so I'll have to check it out.




John Carter has appeared in several books by Burroughs, as well as short stories, comic books, and comic strips. The film's producers have released a sneak peek of the film on the Internet Movie Database, and a making of video which you can get to here.




While some aspects of this movie remind me a little of Star Wars Episode II and the mediocre Conan remake from last summer, I recognize that it comes from rich original source material by a master of science fiction. Still, that arena scene looks like the second bout on the fight card in Star Wars land. I can imagine the dialogue. "Hey after they kill the Jedi's, there killing a Conan look alike and a green thing, we should stick around man." The special effects look superb so far, so maybe the same masters of digital magic created them. Sadly, this film will not feature Jar-Jar's death in any way that I am aware of. Yeah, I know it's cheap to take a stab at Jar-Jar but after the release of Star Wars Episode One in theaters again, I can't help it. I can say John Carter looks like an entertaining flick drawn from great source material, and I'm planning on seeing it. Still high on my list is The Grey, an interesting film about Liam Neeson taking on a pack of wolves. I think a double feature might be in order my next day off. Yeah, I'll see Episode One in theaters again if it's still out there.

The Novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the last film version Princess of Mars are available for purchase at Amazon.com. Below I have included a sneak peak of the film made available by Disney. Enjoy!

Hobbit, Expendables 2 and Jack the Giant Killer

It's here; the official trailer for The Hobbit which comes out this December. For everyone who was not paying attention to movies for the last decade, The Hobbit is the prequel to the Lord of the Rings films. The novel by J.R.R. Tolkien leads into the next three books, each of which where made into films. Ian Mckellen is back as Gandolf, and Peter Jackson is back in the director's chair. I don't have much to say about this one other than the fans can't wait. For the rest of you rolling your eyes; go away! It's a million dollar movie franchise, so deal with it! I will commit the cardinal sin of internet marketing and say take your hits and explorations with you (only computer uber-geeks get that joke).




Do I call them, or do I call them? Last summer I speculated if Arnold Schwarzenegger would return to movies after the end of his political carrier and ugly divorce with his former wife Maria Shriver. Well, after the success of the high octane Expendables, in which Arnold had a cameo, he will return for possibly a bigger role in the film's sequel Expendables 2. The next film will feature an even longer list of action adventure legends and new stars including Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Damme, Randy Couture (a surprisingly good actor), Jason Statham, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren. Strangely, Yu Nan will join the crew as the first female expendable over the obvious choice, the pseudo famous Maggie Q of the fourth Die Hard movie, Naked Weapon, Priest and Balls of Fury. Yu's character will, interestingly enough, be named Maggie. I wonder if Miss Q backed out of a contract? Enjoy the trailer below.



So, on to an interesting new version of Jack and The Beanstalk. Yes, it does look good just watch the trailer below. Jack the Giant Killer is the name of a film coming out soon directed by Bryan Singer of the X-Men films. A relatively unknown film named Jack the Giant Killer was made in 1962, and it's unclear if this seeks to be both a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and a remake of that film, or to capitalize on a cult following of that movie with the title. The original Jack the Giant Killer featured then impressive stop motion effects, and seemed to copy the style of the legendary fantasy films of Ray Harryhausen. The original film starred Kerwin Matthews as Jack, whom had played Sinbad in Harryhausen's hit The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.




Expendables is available for purchase at Amazon.com, as is the original Jack the Giant Killer. Jack the Giant Killer in it's day was clearly made to capitalize on the success of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. While that film is clearly superior, Jack is not a bad vintage movie with some clear downfalls. Some versions of it on television have really hammy songs cut into it though, making it a sadly laughable movie. I rented a DVD of it years ago from the public library sans crappy music years ago. As far as I know, The film that is available on DVD has no songs in it, so the film is left alone in it's slightly respectable integrity. The ironic thing is that with The Lord of the Rings franchise, Hollywood has turned to fantasy to increase it's bank account, and ended up with Jack the Giant Killer as they run out of ideas (eh, we remade Clash of the Titans and Conan, Tolkien stuff is gone what's next)?

Also as a reminder, please no concerned phone calls from friends and family about me blogging about Jack the Giant Killer. You all know I am happy and well beyond help.

Dark Knight Rises Sneak Peak Right Here!

A new sneak peak for the Dark Knight Rises is available online, which I have posted to this blog. The film looks really promising, and I just don't have that many negative things to say about this wonderful franchise. Some people still did not like the last two Batman movies. I don't want to have that high standards in life, or I will never be pleased.



The trailer is available online as well, and reveals more about the third and final Batman film in the Nolan/Bale Franchise. This one looks like a worthy follow up to the previous two movies.



When I first learned that they were re-starting the Spiderman franchise, I was a little dismayed. The last Spiderman wasn't amazing (pun intended), but I had fun watching it. More importantly, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst have been Spiderman and Mary Jane to a generation. I was graduating high school when I saw the first film and so where the characters in the movie which made that film special to me. However, I have to admit from this trailer the film looks really good.



Did I ever write my scathing review on how much I hated the New Clash of the Titans remake? I'm sorry if I haven't posted it yet. As I understand it, a lot of people did not like that film. I remember everyone told me not to go see it, and a friend of mine told me that it was a waste of money. Yes, I saw it and hated it. Okay, so it looks like the movie made enough money for a sequel, the upcoming film Wrath of the Titans. I admit that this trailer makes this movie look awesome. I'll probably go see it, very likely will complain about it, but oh well. I do think this film was popular among people who had never seen the original, and just saw it as a modern special effects flick. I might have liked it if the original was not a special part of my childhood.



Clash of the Titans the remake is available on Amazon.com, as well as The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition) and Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3) [Blu-ray]