Unstoppable - Movie Review

Directed by Tony Scott, director of many Top Movies of Hollywood including his previous best on a train, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Unstoppable is another roller coaster train saga, which got the PG 13 rating for some of its violent scenes and explicit dialogues.

Starring Denzel Washington (who has acted in many Top Movies) as Frank Barnes, a veteran engineer in a railway company about to retire and Chris Pine (star of many Top Movies) as Will Colson, a trainee attached with Frank, Unstoppable moves at a fast pace, despite having a weak storyline. Frank and Will are on a train with their duties etched out clearly. Frank is in control of the train and Will is to supervise the safety of the attached cars, where he defaults by overloading the train with extra cars.

On their journey they are encountered with a serious problem, which is not concerning their train, but another train that has been accidentally let loose on the tracks by a couple of yardman. This unmanned train contains a very deadly chemical that can destroy a whole city if it spills over. Frank is apprised of the situation and the management of the rail company wants to use his long experience in stopping the unmanned train. The director has turned the movie - fit to be ranked as a Top Movie - into a visual treat which does not let the viewers think about the non-existent story.

Forgetting their own squabbles, Frank and Will get onto the job and very deftly handle the situation with expertise and cool minds. The unmanned train is on the same track as their train, which is carrying children on a trip and the chemical loaded monster has to be stopped before it wrecks havoc on an unaware city. In the pathway of the chemical loaded train is a sharp bend, which if taken at a high speed, will force the train to overshoot the track and plunge it straight into the city, exploding the chemical barrels and spraying the toxic chemical on innocent citizens.

Technical marvels that have been used by the director, with no CGI effects, are definitely a treat for the adrenaline and the excitement has been very effectively portrayed by both the actors, who are veterans of many action Top Movies. The action sequences have been excellently photographed and the sleek editing has made them blend into a continuity that makes for the thrilling finale of the film, when everything is sorted out and many lives are saved by the heroic deeds of the two heroes.

Fair Game - Movie Review

Doug Liman, who was instrumental in giving the Top Movie Bourne Identity, is successful yet again in bringing out a winner in Fair Game. Based on two top selling books, Fair Game is a political thriller, set in the period of President Bush and involving his policies with regard to Iraq war and the political turmoil he had to face in his country. It spins the tale of back-stabbing, getting personal in political wars and breaking up of homes in order to get political mileage. In short, the movie is about the murkier games politicians play to achieve the end-result, where means are of no consequence.

Naomi Watts, the Top Movies actor, plays CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson, who is married to diplomat Joe Wilson, played by Sean Penn, the star of many Top Movies, and is running undercover operation in the war torn Iraq. Unaware of her true identity, Joe Wilson is arduously campaigning against the Bush administration for the wrongs being done in Iraq and the sufferings of the US soldiers in the unnecessary war being fought in Iraq.

The political bickering get too hot for the Bush administration to handle, when Wilson, in an article written in New York Times, accuses the President of messing up the Iraq war on the Weapons of Mass Destruction issue. To save their own political careers, the top politicians take CIA into confidence and plan to cut down the towering image of Wilson. The scapegoat has to be Valerie and through her Wilson must be cut to size zero of his political career.

All the good work that Valerie has done in Iraq, from safeguarding the undercover American scientists working secretly in Iraq and busting many counter-espionage plans of the Iraqi intelligence, is forgotten by the greedy political top brass. The President launches a counter attack on Wilson in the Senate and is able to barely save his position. Then, in the discreet manner, that is a favorite with the CIA, Valerie is exposed and disgraced. A shattered Wilson is forced to lie low and Valerie is unable to save her broken home.

An out and out dialogue based movie, with a strong narrative and a taut screenplay, helps Liman in bringing out the best from his star cast. Both Naomi and Penn perfectly play their parts with constraint and successfully bring out the characters alive on the screen. The true story of Valerie has been brought out on the screen very effectively by Liman, without delving into the war scenes or field actions of Valerie. There's not much of action but the movie has an undercurrent of tension, which is unleashed by the director in the end. Definitely worth a visit to the theaters.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Movie Review

The Dark Lord Sauron makes the One Ring to rule the Middle Earth but when Prince Isildur cuts off his hand the Ring is lost for centuries. In the present times the Ring is with Hobbit Frodo Baggins, enacted by Elijah Wood with a performance of top rated movies. Wizard Gandalf the Grey, played by Ian Mckellen's worthy of top movies performance, finds that the Ring actually belongs to the Dark Lord Sauron. Returning to Bag End he advices Frodo to immediately leave for Rivendell and sends Samwise Gamgee, played by Sean Astin with a top movies performance, Merry and Pippin with him.

On way to Rivendell with Elf Arwen who has magical powers, Frodo is joined by Strider but Gandalf joins Frodo in Rivendell and they learn from Elrond, chief of the Elves that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom where it was made. Frodo forms the 'Fellowship of the Ring' with Gandalf, Elf Legolas, Dwarf Gimli, Strider a.k.a Aragorn the Prince of Gondor, played with aplomb like a top rated movies act and Boromir Steward of Gondor's son, enacted by Sean Bean with a strong top 10 movies act and they leave for Mount Doom.

The Fellowship is ambushed by the forces of Saruman on the way but they successfully reach Lothlorien, a safe haven of Elves ruled by husband and wife duo of Celeborn and Galadriel. Galadriel tells him that it's in his destiny to destroy the Ring and gives him the magical Phial of Galadriel when they leave for Parth Galen. At Parth Galen, after Boromir's failed attempt to snatch the Ring, Frodo decides to make the journey alone. After he leaves Uruk-hai under Lurtz's command attack the Fellowship but are stopped by Merry and Pippin. Aragorn tries to avert Lutz's attack on Boromir but is unable to save him. Merry and Pippin are captured and Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas pursue the Orcs to rescue them. Frodo is joined by Sam on the way and they continue their journey to Mount Doom.

Peter Jackson, who has been associated with many top rated movies projects, directs this magic oriented tale about a ring which has Dark Powers. The movie is a sure chart buster and is bound to be in the top 10 movies list of the year. The story and the characterization have been deftly handled by Peter using digital make-up special effects and the viewer is not going to have a dull moment.

Peter has decided to follow the original story of J R R Tolkien which is full of top movies stuff and make a trilogy of the ring. The musical score has been composed by Howard Stone who has got splendid performances by The London Philharmonic Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and The London Voices. Viewers are going to wait eagerly for the next edition and the final one to see the fate of the ring.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 - Movie Review

This movie is based on the last of the Harry Potter novel's written by J.K. Rowling. Screenplay has been scripted by Steve Kloves and the movie has been produced by J.K. Rowling, David Heyman and David Barron. Directed by David Yates, it was split in two parts after being filmed in one schedule. The series has met with stupendous success and all previous six Potter movies have been Top Movies of their times.

This part starts with the Minister of Magic announcing to the wizard media about the Ministry gaining strength with the increase in strength of Lord Voldemort. On hearing from Privet Drive about the departure of Harry, Voldemort takes the wand from Malfoy, since his own wand is ineffective on Harry. Meanwhile at Privet Drive, it has been decided to create six decoys of Harry, before Harry is moved to safer place. The decoys are ambushed and killed along with Mad-Eye and Hedwig, but Voldemort's borrowed wand is unable to kill and slice Harry. Harry dreams of Voldemort torturing Ollivander on the failure of his wand. Actors who had given the successful Potter movies earlier, have once again come together to give this Top Movie.

Death Eaters disrupt the wedding of Fleur Delacour and Bill Weasley. Harry, Hermione and Ron disapparate London and live at 12, Grimmauld Place, where they discern that the inscription R.A.B on the Horcrux locket stands for Requlus Arcturus Black and that the original Horcrux has been stolen by Fletcher. But Fletcher when apprehended by Dobby and Kreacher, discloses of the locket being with Umbridge, which the trio is successful in getting and flee to the forest. To negate the suspicious thoughts that the locket generates, the trio take turns to wear it. Ron, on wearing the locket, prevails over by suspicion about Harry and Harmione and leaves them. Harry again dreams that Voldemort is seeking information from wand maker Gregorovitch, who reveals that the original wand was stolen by a small boy. Voldemort leaves to find the thief.

In the evening harry follows a Patronus, which leads him to the sword of Gryffindor which can destroy the Horcrux. Harry is unable to get the sword from the frozen lake, but with Ron's help they finally are able to destroy the Horcrux. After destroying the Horcrux, the three of them visit Lovegood to enquire of a symbol that they had seen quite a few times on their voyage. Lovegood tells them that the symbol stands for the Deathly Halllows, where they can find the Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand and the Cloak of Invisibility. However Lovegood deceives them to Death Eaters so as to get his abducted daughter back from Voldemort. Harry has the vision that Voldemort has learned from Grindelwald that the Elder Wand is with Dumbledore.

Voldemort arrives at the tomb of Dumbledore and finds the Elder Wand there and shoots a lightening bolt in the sky to make the announcement that he has got the original Elder Wand. The top movie ends here to be finally culminated in the final episode of the Harry Potter Top Movie, Part 2

For Colored Girls - Movie Review

For Colored Girls has been sensitively handled by Tyler Perry, whose earlier works on Afro-American women have been Top Movies in their own rights and it would not be fair to this talented director to label him a feminist. Yes, he can be aptly labeled as having brought the sufferings of these women in a feminist way on the screen, by highlighting their feminism against the macho-ism of the men, at whose hands they suffered. No other director would have done justice to Ntozake Shange's landmark 1975 play, revolving around the lives of two sisters, surrounded by a few women who have much to give and little to get from the male dominant society they live in.

Of the two sisters, the elder one is Tangie (Thandie Newton, star of many Top Movies), who cares two hoots for life, is a whore not by choice but by compulsion and the younger one is Nyla (Tessa Thompson), who is trying to be a teenage dance prodigy. Both the actors have given outstanding performances which are fit for Top Movies. After the death of their father, the two girls have been living with their mother (played by Whoopi Goldberg, veteran of many Top Movies), who is a religious fanatic, in an apartment situated in an old building and where all the other characters of this lovable movie reside.

There is the apartment manager (portrayed by Phylicia Rashad) who is caring and loves the sisters, taking good care of them in the absence of their mother and filling the void of loneliness in her own life. Crystal (played by Kimberly Elise, a Top Movie actor), who works as an assistant to Jo (Janet Jackson, the Top Movie star), the high profile editor of a magazine, is also leading a life full of sufferings at the hands of her boyfriend (enacted by Michael Ealy), who is a Iraq war veteran and treats her badly. Then there is Yasmine (Anika Noni Rose), dance teacher of Nyla and a kind hearted soul, who also works as an organizer for an AIDS Clinic (run by Loretta Devine). The final character in this saga of feminine apathy and silent sufferings is a Social Worker (Kerry Washington) who tries her best in helping Crystal with her two children.

The lives of these strong willed women are not simple, are full of complications but the underlying strength of their characters is steel like and they are determined to lead their lives in their own ways. This is what has been portrayed effectively by Perry. The sufferings these women face in their lives are the basis of their mutual admiration and their standing in solidarity. This is one movie that is not only a must for the women but also an eye opener for men. See it to understand the silence of the suffering feminine gender.

Megamind - Movie Review

An animated movie, fit for Top Movies slot, produced by DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images (PDI) and Red Hour Films has been directed by Tom McGrath to a screenplay written by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons. Voiced over by Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill and Brad Pitt, the movie is a clever piece of intelligent story-telling and equally deft direction.

An alien, Megamind (whose voice-over is Will Ferrell - scion of many Top Movies), sent to Earth by his parents because his home planet is being sucked by a black hole, becomes a loser to Metro Man (whose voice-over is Brad Pitt - Hero of many Top Movies), another alien, who is savior of Metro City. His only companion is Minion (whose voice-over is David Cross - actor of many Top Movies) and both are unwanted in the Metro City. Realizing that he is good at destructive ideas and can never succeed until Metro Man is alive, Megamind plans to eliminate him. He kidnaps Roxanne Ritchi (whose voice-over is Tina Fey - scion of many Top Movies), a news reporter and holds her captive in the city observatory as a bait to lure Metro Mind in a fight to death. Metro Man is eventually killed by the Death Ray of Megamind, who is now crowned king of Metro City's underworld.

With no challenges left in life, Megamind starts getting bored and decides to create an opponent with the serum of Metro Man. Disguised as a Museum curator, Bernard he has started dating Roxanne and during one such meeting, gives her the indication of what Megamind has in store for the people of Metro City. Roxanne, along with her cameraman Hal Stewart (whose voice-over is Jonah Hill - actor of many Top Movies) enters the hideout of Megamind to stop him. In the ensuing fight the serum gets injected into Hal, who becomes Tighten, the next savior of Metro City. Megamind's true identity is accidentally revealed to Roxanne and she severs her relationship with him.

Tighten challenges Megamind to a fight, which Megamind loses miserably and decides to end his life. Minion persuades him to find a way to defeat Tighten and both are eventually successful in getting Roxanne by their side. In the final fight, the trio is successful in eliminating Tighten, when Megamind is able to extract the serum of Metro Mind from Tighten. Megamind's change of heart gets him the respect of the people of Metro City and he is crowned savior of Metro City.

A typical hero vs villain story, the intelligent twist in the movie is turning Megamind into a hero from a super villain which earns him the love of people. Love wins even a diehard opponent.

Red 2010 - Movie Review

RED
Retired: Extremely Dangerous - that's RED for you and the numerous young CIA agents who find this out the hard way. A spy drama, woven around the lives of few ex-CIA field agents, who have retired, but seems are not tired or worn out, neither they have forgotten the tricks of the trade, nor the instinct to survive in the deceitful world of espionage and counter-espionage. The movie, sure to rated in the Top Movies list is directed by the successful and energetic Robert Shwentke, who churns out a tale involving Bruce Willis, the ace star of Top Movies, as a retired CIA operator, who is called back for a top secret mission, which he has to undertake along with some of his ex-companions and field agents.

Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a bit of a romantic at heart and keeps himself amused by talking on telephone to Sarah, who is responsible for sending his pension. The talks culminate into a date and Frank is making plans with Sarah ( played by the stunning Mary-Louise Parker, a star of Top Movies) for fixing up the date, when his house is attacked by the Special Force Unit under the command of the young and enthusiastic agent William Cooper (played by Carl Urban, a Top Movies actor). Frank is able to escape from the commandos but his only thought is to first save Sarah and then find out about this murky business.

In his search for the truth behind this attack, he finally catches up with Cooper but he is unable to tell him anything about the reason behind all this. Cooper tells Frank that knowing the working of the agency he must understand that he is only told what concerns his work, no more no less than that. Digging further into the affair, Frank uncovers the murder of a reporter who was investigating into an operation involving Frank and who has left a list naming Frank and some of his former operator colleagues.

Frank remembers Joe (played by Morgan Freeman, the veteran star of Top Movies), than the psycho Marvin (played by John Malkovich, the top star of Top Movies), Ivan (Brian Cox) and finally the deadly but elegant Victoria (enacted by the beautiful and gorgeous Helen Mirren, the queen of Top Movies). But he fails to understand why anyone would come after them after so many years. The old comrade-in-arms come together to find an answer to this mystery and also to keep the young Cooper at bay.

Robert Shwentke is successful in creating a question and then intelligently answers it. The viewers come out of the theatres satisfied, as if they themselves solved the mystery. That's the winning formula of a successful Top Movies.

Clash of the Titans - Movie Review

In their epic battle with the Titans, the three Olympians - Zeus, Poseidon and Hades were provided the help of Kraken, the Sea Lord, by Hades. After their victory, the landmass was taken over by Zeus, the waters were to be ruled by Poseidon and Hades was tricked by Zeus into ruling the underworld. Centuries later, Spyros, a fisherman finds a coffin on the sea front and finds an infant with a dead lady in it. The infant is raised by Spyros as his own son and comes to be known as Perseus, well portrayed by Sam Worthington, who is a regular in the top 10 movies list.

A grown up Perseus and his family see some soldiers from Argos destroying Zeus's, the character essayed by Liam Neeson, a veteran of many top rated movies, statue and declaring war on him. Hades, a role played to perfection by Ralph Fieness, the trusted man for the top movies, in the form of Harpies kills many of the soldiers and the rest flee with Perseus, whose family has been wiped out in the battle. King Kepheus and Queen Cassiopeia of Argos, a kingdom under God Zeus, compare their daughter Andromeda, the beauty well etched in Alexa Develos, the first choice for such roles by the top 10 movies makers, to the Goddess Aphrodite and declare they are Gods. Hades destroys the remaining Argos soldiers and ages Cassiopeia to her death. Recognizing Perseus to be the Demigod son of Zeus, he declares to Argos king to sacrifice Andromeda before Kraken or see Argos destroyed. Messenger God Hermes informs Zeus about Perseus and urges him to accept him but Zeus refuses.

Perseus is imprisoned by the Argos King for he refuses to fight the Gods. In the prison he learns about his real parents, Acrisius, well played by Jason Flemyng, actor of many top movies and Danae, the portrayal well adopted by Tine Steplefeldt, a superb choice of the top movies, from a woman named lo, a difficult role easily done by Gemma Arterton, preferred artist of many top rated movies. He also learns that Hades is responsible for his family's death and killing Kraken would destroy Hades. He decides to join Argos in their search of Stygian Witches. Acrisius who's living in disguise as Calibos is given super powers by Hades to prepare him to kill Persues so that Hades can take revenge of the betrayal during the clash with Titans. In the forest Persues finds the sacred Sword of Olympus and Pegasus, the flying horses. Calibos fails in his attack to kill Persues and flees after he loses a hand in battle. After the battle Persues's wounds are healed by Sheikh Suleiman, Lord of the Djinns who join Persues in the battle against Gods.

Stygian Witches tells them that head of Gorgon Medusa will turn Kraken to stone. Only Persues survives after beheading Medusa and finds that Calibos has killed lo. With the Olympus sword he kills Calibos, who is transformed back to human form. Riding on Pegasus, Persues heads for Argos where Hades is preparing for the sacrifice. Persues turns Kraken to stone and saves Andromeda, banishing Hades to Underworld. Zeus offers him a place on Olympus and Andromeda proposes him to be King of Argos but Zeus is interested in living on Earth.

The film, directed by Louis Leterrier is loosely based on the Greek Mythology character of Perseus. Adaptation by Leterrier has been astonishing and the presentation mind blowing. The viewers are teleported to another world and seem to be lost in it without realizing it. Leterrier has pumped lot of energy, imagination and certain madness into the movie. The imagination is visible, the energy can be felt but the madness simply engulfs you. Go ahead and get involved.

The Lone Ranger - Movie Review

It's a modern twist on an old American west classic 1950s television show, The Lone Ranger. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, fresh off 2011's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, this new version features plenty of high-flying action and just enough comedy to make this a potential summer blockbuster.

Cast

Johnny Depp takes on the role of Tonto and delivers beautifully. Just as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates series, Depp is serious but offers just enough light-hearted comedy to have fans rolling in their seats. The main character, John Reid a.k.a. the Lone Ranger, is played by up-and-comer Armie Hammer. Hammer is best known for playing the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. Tom Wilkinson, who played Ben Franklin in John Adams, plays Latham Cole while William Fichtner is Butch Cavendish and Helena Bonham Carter plays Red Harrington.

Summary

The movie is Tonto's recollection of how John Reid came to be the Lone Ranger. John Reid returns home from the city vowing Texas to be his home. The film begins with Reid being deputized as a Texas Ranger joining his brother in bringing order to the Old West. Eight Texas Rangers, Reid included, are brutally attacked in the Texas wilderness. Only one of the Rangers survives, miraculously. He is found by a Native American spirit warrior, Tonto. Tonto will nurture Reid back to health and band together with him in a fight for justice. The two attempt to find those responsible for the murders of Reid's fellow Rangers and fight all sorts of injustice along the way. As a result of his exploits, the Lone Ranger becomes a legendary hero.

Review

The Lone Ranger will be one of the summer's best films. A great story that many are familiar with coupled with serious fast-paced action make this a must-see. Depp alone is reason to see the movie. He is oddly comical as "Keemosabe's" right-hand man. With his trusty horse, Silver, the Lone Ranger and Tonto battle bandits and duel on fast-moving trains. The action is relentless and Depp leaves fans yearning for a sequel. Early in the movie after Tonto finds Reid alive, Tonto is found talking to Silver. Later, he shares with Reid that Silver has told him that Reid is a great warrior who cannot be killed. In typical Depp fashion Tonto states, "Something very wrong with that horse." It's another eccentric character played perfectly for Depp and treat for summer movie fans across the country.

The Internship - Movie Review

It could be Wedding Crashers all over again as Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson team up once again as salesman who must change careers. They end up in the digital age at Google, working as interns with a bunch of young twenty-somethings.

Cast

Shawn Levy directs this film and it will be the second collaboration with Vaughn and Jared Stern, who produced the movie with Vaughn. The three worked together on 2012's The Watch. Vaughn and Wilson play Billy and Nick, the main characters, but the supporting cast is solid. Rose Byrne, who was great in Bridesmaids, is just as good as a love interest to Nick. John Goodman has a small role as Billy and Nick's former boss and you'll recognize B.J. Novak, of The Office fame, and Max Minghella of the Social Network.

Summary

Billy and Nick are fired after Goodman tells them that he is closing his business. The two fast-talking salesmen search for new jobs when Billy finds the answer - a coveted internship at one of the world's biggest companies, Google. Billy and Nick compete with the much younger crowd for the opportunity to get hired by the company. Along the way there is a tremendous amount of sarcasm, typical of Vaughn, and humor as Vaughn and Wilson rib their younger cohorts. As in Wedding Crashers, they will become mentors for their new young socially awkward friends. Vaughn and Wilson, and the many others, will also get to wear funny, colorful hats. Yes, the ones with the propeller on top.

Review

While it might look like a two-hour commercial for Google, the film is entertaining. Vaughn and Wilson and their brand of slapstick comedy never fails. Sure, they seem childish at times, but the bottom line is they will make you laugh. And Google gets in on the action as co-founder Sergey Brin actually makes a few cameo appearances in the movie.

There are numerous one-liners that will generate laughter as well as the sarcasm-filled rants that Vaughn is known for. There is the token inspirational speech from Vaughn, who will use Flashdance to motivate his young teammates. As Billy and Nick track down the elusive Charles Xavier, one of the movie's memorable scenes shows Vaughn being punched in the face and Wilson getting punched, well, below the belt, by a guy in a wheelchair. The Internship is not for young ones as there are several scenes containing adult humor, but the movie has enough laughs to make the two hours worth it.

Despicable Me 2 - Movie Review

If you loved it the first time around, the Despicable Me crew is back for a second go-around, and it will entertain like the first. The animated adventure-comedy will not disappoint as actors Steve Carell, Russell Brand, and Miranda Cosgrove reprise their roles. Kristen Wiig is also back albeit in a different role.

Summary

The ex-villain Gru (Carell) saved his three adopted daughters - Agnes, Edith, and Margo - from the evil organization, Vector, in the original film. Living the unexciting life of an everyday dad, Gru is paid a visit by agent Lucy Wilde, played by Wiig, who voiced Miss Hattie in the first version. Wilde recruits Gru to the Anti-Villain League headed up by one Silas Ramsbottom. The league is dedicated to fighting world-wide crime and informs Gru that a new villain, Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt), is on the loose wreaking havoc upon the world. The Anti-Villain League believes that Gru, once being a criminal, understands how Eduardo thinks and can help to defeat him. Once again, Gru, his girls, his minions, and his assistant Dr. Nefario will have to save the world.

Cast

Producer Chris Meledandri assembled a great cast with Carell, Wiig, Cosgrove, and Brand returning to the movie. Originally, Al Pacino was set to play the villain, Eduardo, but left the film due to creative differences. Bratt, of Law & Order and Miss Congeniality fame, was then cast in the role. British comedian Steve Coogan lends his voice to Silas Ramsbottom and Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher are back as Edith and Agnes.

Review


Carell is great once again as Gru as he tries to become a good father to his three lovable young girls. Being recruited into the Anti-Villain League is an honor for Gru, but he must balance his role of crime-fighter with that of being a dad. The amount of humor in the film will have you laughing non-stop. Wiig is perfect for the role of Wilde playing the serious agent type with just a bit of a wild side. The soundtrack features songs by Eminem that will have you, and the rest of the audience, bouncing in your seat. And if that's not enough, Despicable Me 2 is worth seeing just for the minions. Yes, those lovable, yellow little creatures with their own language are at it again as Gru's helpers. If you have seen the original, this is one sequel that you will not want to pass up.

Ant-Man - Movie Review

Ant Man continues the Marvel Cinematic universe, set after the events of The Age of Ultron. It even ties back somewhat to Agent Carter Hailey Atwell and John Slattery appear as aged versions of Agent Carter and Howard Stark at the beginning of the movie as a set up to the rest of the plot. There are even tie ins to the next Captain America movie (with a post credits scene) and ultimately to the Avengers Infinity wars movies (which will include Ant Man).

Without giving too much away, Michael Douglas's character Hank Prym one of the original S.H.E. I. L.D. agents, and inventor of the ant man suit, a technology that allows humans to shrink to the size of an ant, and gain the equivalent of an ant's strength to its size hires burglar Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd to break into his former company and steal a second suit being developed by Prym's one time protege now rival Darren Cross (played by House of Cards' Cory Stoll). Evangeline Lilly plays Hope van Dyne, Prym's daughter who reluctantly helps Lang train to become ant man.

At its core the film is a heist movie wrapped up in a superhero movie. It is like Oceans 11 meets The Avengers. It does very well as the origin story for the various stand alone characters, yet blends into the existing Marvel Universe, with the biggest cross-over being the meeting between Ant Man and Falcon about halfway into the movie. Paul Rudd does a great job with being a hero that is on the fringe of being a true good guy, who is willing to break the rules or the law to do the right thing. He also brings an air of every man with a smart ass quality that he is know for from his other work. It has a lot of the humor that many of Marvel Films have had in doses.

For those who get the actual disc, the movie looks and sounds great on blu ray. I have the one disc version, which for extras has a few short behind the scenes and making of features, about 10 min worth of "news" footage that help flesh out some of the character's backgrounds, some deleted scenes and a gag reel. Good for what is there. I think those who are fans of the Marvel Universe movies and TV shows will enjoy this. It is also different enough that if you are having super hero movie fatigue, you can find it enjoyable because it is definitely not like any of the ones that have come before it. While some of it is a bit silly to be sure (but really all the superhero movies are to some extent) this movie plays on that a bit and almost does it tongue in cheek. The acting is very good, it it does well staying on the fringes of the larger story, while telling its own.

The Wolverine - Movie Review

Fans of the X-Men series and the comic book hero, as well as many of their wives, will salivate over The Wolverine, the sixth installment within the mega-successful series. The movie features Hugh Jackman again as the main character as he battles with his immortality. Jackman gets a producer credit for the film, which is set in Japan.

Cast

After Jackman in the lead role of Logan/Wolverine, the cast is a Who's Who of Japanese actors and actresses. Tao Okamoto plays Mariko Yashida, who is the daughter of an important Yakuza crime boss. Mariko is pulled between her love and feelings for Logan and also her required duty to her father. Mariko's father, Shingen Yashida, is the number one antagonist to Jackman's Wolverine. Moviegoers may recognize Will Yun Lee, an American-born actor of Korean descent. Lee has played a recurring role on the new Hawaii Five-O series and recently served as Captain Cho in the remake of the 1980s classic Red Dawn.

Summary

The film is set some time after X-Men: The Last Stand, where Logan has traveled to Japan to escape. He realizes that everyone he has loved and cared about dies and, being immortal, he does not. Faced with so much pain, he retreats into his world while living in Japan. He is happy to get away from everything and everyone until a mysterious someone from his past tracks him down. Someone he has saved in the past finds Logan to give him exactly what he is looking for - mortality. Logan is hired to protect Mariko Yashida when she is threatened in a war between the Yakuza and local law enforcement. Logan/Wolverine will be pushed to his emotional and physical limits as he goes to battle the Yakuza.

Review

If you are an action movie seeker, you will find enough action in The Wolverine to tie you over for weeks. The sheer site of the shirtless Jackman will be all it takes to get the wives and girlfriends in the seats. Set in Japan, there are plenty of samurai swords and ninjas for the action lover. Throw in a bullet train ride and some nice explosions and The Wolverine proves its worthiness as an action film extraordinaire. But, the real story is Wolverine's battle with his own personal demons. He doesn't know how to deal with his own immortality. He has a tough time watching his loved ones die. But all that will change and Wolverine will come out of his ordeal stronger and more powerful than ever.