Is DARK KNIGHT RISES the best third movie in a film series?....why yes it is!

Upon a second viewing of The Dark Knight Rises, I truly believe it to be the best third film in a trilogy...ever! Now while I still like The Dark Knight a little bit more..not by much mind you, I will give Dark Knight Rises props as being the best third film in a movie trilogy ever. You know sometimes when a film series gets to that third chapter, it loses some of it's luster. Like The Godfather Part 3 and The Matrix: Revolutions. Or tries to pack so much into the concluding chapter that it feels bloated and overwhelming ala Austin Powers 3, Spider-Man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand. Now some third chapters get the job done like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Bourne Ultimatum, Toy Story 3 and Return of the King, but they are rare and few between. So it is with a sigh of relief that the third chapter in Christopher Nolan's excellent Batman series scores big time and becomes the best third movie in a trilogy of all time. Well at least to me it is. 

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012) wraps up an epic trilogy with an amazing finale!

Let me get my review started by immediately making this statement: The Dark Knight Rises is really good but it's not better than The Dark Knight, in my opinion. Sorry, had to go ahead and say that. Now onto my review.

*Just got back from seeing Dark Knight Rises for the second time and my initial rating holds up. As with most midnight screenings it's hard to be objective as the crowd is so into and amazing. Some films I have watched at midnight showings do not hold upon a second viewing..Phantom Menace and Superman Returns are good examples. But Dark Knight Rises does. With that said onto my full review.

Bruce Wayne about to suit up again for the first time in 8 years

The Dark Knight Rises picks up 8 years later after the events in the last film and Gotham is a much better place. Well crime wise it is. Batman has hung up his cape and cowl and resides in his alter ego guise of Bruce Wayne at his mammoth mansion. Christian Bale ratchets up his acting and is the best he has ever been in this series. Especially as Bruce, he comes across more wounded and human. And his Batman voice is much improved, thank god. But he is not the same Batman, as he has been away from the game for 8 years. His body is wracked as he needs surgery on his knee and shoulder and walks around with a cane. When you first see him, you think holy shit, there is no way this guy can take on Bane, the new villain played by Tom Hardy who terrorizes Gotham. This guy is a freak of nature as he is stronger and faster than Batman and is just as smart. Watching footage of this guy even Alfred says what we all are thinking.."Look at him Master Wayne, his speed and strength. You can't win!" Reminds me of what Adrian use to tell Rocky before a tough fight. 

Bane wreaking havoc in Gotham

Anyway Batman doesn't just have to worry about Bane's attack on Gotham's finest and richest but he is also attacked by a rival businessman who aims to take down Wayne Enterprises. So it is a two pronged attack that our hero doesn't see coming. And then there's the loose cannon in the form of Selina Kyle (played by Anne Hathaway) a sophisticated cat burglar who is at first a pain in the ass for Batman but then comes through at the end when he needs her help. By the way, Anne rocks as Selina. To all those naysayers who thought she was a bad choice for this role..I say, take that. She is dangerous, funny, smart and sexy as hell. Dare I say it, but she is my favorite Catwoman. I know other fans may take offense to that but she is. She pulls off an incredible performance that has you guessing which way she is going go. 

Selina Kyle/Catwoman

Bane on the other hand is a little different. While Tom Hardy is perfect in this role, his voice is sometimes hard to understand and when you do understand him, it's kind of weird sounding. I really can't describe it but once you see the film, you will immediately know what I'm talking about. After seeing it a second time, it still sounds weird.

Batman rides again

So back to the film which like I said is really good. But it falls just a little short of The Dark Knight. Which I knew would be pretty hard to top. But Chris Nolan and company give it their all and go for broke. The action is amped up with some intense fight scenes and shoot-outs. There is a tense hostage situation at the Gotham Stock Exchange where Bane and his cronies take over that is quite riveting. Which leads to a very cool chase sequence involving Batman on his Bat-pod and those bad guys on motorcycles and about 50 police cars. And Hans Zimmer works his magic music score once again as the theme swells every time things get a little tense and exciting.

John Blake on the job

All the regulars return and give solid performances again such as Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. Newcomers Joseph Gordon Levitt as cop John Blake and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Fox, a woman who has to bail out Bruce Wayne's struggling company are top notch. And it's very cool seeing Aidan Gillen in a role as a CIA operative dealing with Bane in the opening scene. Fans may remember Gillen from The Wire and recently Game of Thrones. Matthew Modine as the acting police commissioner is dreadful. Every time he speaks he says the most stupid and unbelievable things. Reminds me of Paul Gleason from the first Die Hard movie. Both are totally ridiculous characters.

Bane and Batman in the brawl of the decade

The film does have a few slow spots but considering it is 2 hours and 45 minutes long that was expected. But it never drags and you're are never checking your watch. You are caught up in everything that goes on. I will say that the plans the villains use to take down Bruce Wayne/Batman are methodical and strategical. Lots of planning and execution from a lot of parties. That being said, it makes The Joker's plan all that more amazing in The Dark Knight because he really didn't have a plan as he stated.  And he damn sure didn't have all the resources these baddies had. Either way, this was a worthy follow-up to that film and a great wrap up to an amazing film series. Long live Batman!
B+

Say what again! I dare ya!

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN is a fun summer movie!

I know there were a lot of naysayers out there saying it was too soon for a reboot after Sam Raimi had just delivered the divisive Spider-Man 3 five years ago. But I for one was thinking bring it on. A new director in Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer), a new Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Andrew Garfield and a slight spin on the origin story of our web slinging hero. Add all that up and you have one hell of a movie.

Peter just hanging out on his roof

The movie opens up with a young Peter being whisked away by his parents in the middle of the night and being left with Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (a really good performance by Martin Sheen). Peter's parents are then killed under mysterious circumstances and he grows up in the care of May and Ben. Flash forward a few year years and Peter is in high school dealing with bullying jocks, namely Flash Thompson. While at home he stumbles across some of his dad's old papers which lead him to Dr. Curt Connors (a surprisingly engaging Rhys Ifans) who worked with Peter's dad on some very hush hush secret experiments. One like cross-breeding animals genetic codes to other animals. Connors work at Oscorp, which will be familiar to all Spider-man fans and will have a teaser at the final credits. 

Peter suited up

It is here where Peter gets bitten by a radioactive spider and soon gains some really cool powers. But as the adage goes, with great power comes great responsibility which is a hard lesson Peter must soon learn. After a tragedy strikes his family, Peter makes himself a costume with some really cool web shooters and starts doing heroic deeds all over New York City. Meanwhile Dr. Connors is fired for not coming up with the formula that could help the company and he ends up using the highly dangerous formula on himself and turns into a raging reptilian creature called The Lizard. 

Doc Connors about to go through a serious change

Spider-Man and The Lizard have some particularly awesome fight scenes which has our hero constantly wise-cracking even though he takes quite the beating. Also going on is a potential love interest in Gwen Stacy (a winning performance by Emma Stone) that showcases some really good quiet moments between her and Peter.

A quiet moment between Gwen and Peter

Things collide with one hell of a smack down at Oscorp Tower between Spidey and The Lizard that will have you cheering by the time the credits roll. Like I said this is one great fun filled summer movie. Maybe not as good as The Avengers, but it is by far the best Spider-Man movie yet. Top notch performances by the entire cast, especially Garfield. He slides into the role of Peter Parker as if he was born to play him. No slight to Tobey Maguire but Garfield owns it. The visual effects are quite amazing too. If you see this film, see it in 3D. It pays off when Spider-Man starts swinging all over the city and you feel like you are swinging with him. A thrilling music score adds to the greatness of this film. I can't wait to see it again.
B+ 

The Lizard playing a little game of hide and seek

Garfield has got the moves and some game as Spidey

A great double dose of sci-fi with PROMETHEUS and MIB3

Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres and I just watched two really good sci-fi movies. Prometheus last night and Men In Black 3 just a few hours ago. And I highly recommend both of them. Wanted to let everyone know what I thought of them. I shall begin with Prometheus.

The title ship..impessive ain't she?

Prometheus is director Ridley Scott's quasi prequel to his classic 1979 film Alien. Loaded with a top tier cast in Charlie Theron, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce. About 80 years from now, some explorers from Earth head out in search of a race of beings they think may have created them. Noomi Rapace plays Elizabeth Shaw, the head scientist, who believes, this race left clues for humans to find them. Charlize Theron plays Meredith Vickers, the Weyland Company executive who comes along for the trip to make sure things go smoothly. Of course things don't go smoothly, as once the team lands on the distant planet, after some snooping around, all hell breaks loose. Let's just say several crew members get infected and then try to kill each other. 

Ummm...anyone?

The cast is superlative. Noomi is terrific as Elizabeth and is much tougher than you might expect. She has several horrific moments that she has to endure. In fact several scenes with her will cause some genuine moments of sheer terror. The other cast members are top notch too including Theron as Vickers; Elba as the captain; and Fassbender as the android Dave. He speaks with the most soft and sincere voice but is hiding a deadly secret that may cause harm to everyone else.

The inquisitive Dave

The visual effects are stunning. Some of the best I have ever scene. A great music score and top notch direction by Ridley Scott. I was quite pleased with Prometheus. Oh and there are several nods to the first Alien film including a new take on the chest bursting scene. Not for the squeamish!
B+

That's a wrap folks!

--------------------------------------------

Men In Black 3 is a cool and fresh entry in the series and it definitely improves on MIB 2.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return as Agents J and K, this time they have to stop Boris the Animal (played by Jemaine Clement, who makes for a terrific new villain) from killing the younger K (played by Josh Brolin) in 1969. 

J and K are back

So J must travel back in time to help the young K stop Boris from killing him and thus averting an alien invasion of Earth. By setting this new film in the past, makes it all that much fresher. Will Smith still has game as he handles most of the jokes and gets terrific chemistry with both Jones and Brolin. 

The young K, all business

The special effects, which are a hallmark of the series, are the best yet. Some truly inventive stuff takes place on the screen and you will be just in awe. So is it better than the first Men In Black? I would say close, but not quite. But it's still entertaining as can be.
B

Boris the Animal..not a nice guy..well alien

PROMETHEUS lands in theaters in one more day...

Ridley Scott's long awaited new film, Prometheus bows in theaters tomorrow at midnight in America. It opened abroad last week in several other countries. Billed as a quasi-prequel to his 1979 classic film, Alien, this new film features a top tier cast and spectacular visual effects. Starring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Idris Alba, and Guy Pearce. Going to see it Friday with some friends after work. Looking forward to it. Of course expect my full review almost immediately.

Seminal moments in comic book movies: The Crow walks in (THE CROW)

One of my all time favorite comic book movies is the 1994 film The Crow with Brandon Lee, in his last role before his accidental death. In this scene, Brandon walks into a room full of bad guys who have automatic weapons. What does he have? His pet crow. Yeah, the bad guys are in serious trouble.

In defense of The Avengers...

Maybe I'm the wrong guy to be defending the Avengers. Since I have been a fan of them since 1981 and have seen the film three times so far. Each time, the film just gets better and better. But I have seen some of the complaints about the film from a small majority of audience members. Which are few and far between considering the film just hit 1 billion dollars. I wanted to hit on some of the main issues some people have had and comment on them. So here goes:

#1 - Loki did not make a good villain:

I disagree wholeheartedly. Tom Hiddleston as Loki, picked up right where he left off in Thor and even took it up a notch. Along with being mad with a lust for power and a hatred for Thor, he showed signs of genuine craziness. I mean this guy was off his rocker. And Hiddleston was perfect in his portrayal. His scenes with Thor were solid as usual but I loved his brief little chat with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) where he really got to gloat and snarl and all that good stuff.

#2 - The film starts off slowly:

 Not to me, but if you're are expecting fireworks every 10 minutes, then yes it moved at a casual pace. Which I was more than fine with. Better to enjoy the movie that much more.

#3 - Compared to The Dark Knight, The Avengers doesn't come close:

 Really, come on people..trying to compare those two films is idiotic to begin with. They are totally different. I know a lot of Bat fans might be a little hurt now that Avengers is just making tons of money, but that actually benefits us all as more comic book movies will continue to get made. And if that causes Batman to have to raise his game up a little, then so be it.

#4 - The visual effects were just so-so: 

To that I will say...are you kidding. I was blown away by the effects. From the impressive SHIELD heli-carrier to the mass destruction finale in New York City, the effects were cool and amazing.

#5 - The finale was over-wrought and too reminiscent of Transformers 3:

 while I agree there may have been a feeling of deja vu between the two films..The Avengers did it far better. You could actually tell who was fighting who and the action seemed to flow seamless. And it didn't take a whole hour to do it.

#6 - Black Widow and Hawkeye were useless:

 Once again I have to disagree. Black Widow was much improved from her debut in Iron Man 2 with Scarlett Johansson being very good and in total sync with her character now. And Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye hung in there with gods and monsters with the best of them.

#7 - Cobie Smulders acting was weak:

 I tend to think as Maria Hill, Cobie played the part as I imagined Maria would be..tough, cold and by the book. What more could you want.

#8 - the film being described as one big cheese-fest:

 I can't recall any cheese inducing moments in the film and since I have seen it three times so far, you would think I would have noticed it by now.

#9 - The Hulk wasn't used enough:

Au contraire, he was used the right amount. After three times, they finally got the Hulk right. He is best used in small doses and as a supporting player, not having a movie built around him. And hats off to Mark Ruffalo, who nailed him with the right touch of humor and nerdiness.

#10 - why did Nick Fury have to be black:

Well when they started the Ultimate Avengers comic book version many years ago, they actually based Nick Fury on Samuel L. Jackson, so when it came time to cast the film version, you better believe they were gonna cast Samuel L. Jackson. And he was bad ass in this movie. 

I probably could go on and on, but as Tony Stark says to Loki in the movie..."You're missing my point!"

And the point is that The Avengers is a terrific and entertaining movie that is just plain fun to watch. You get the epic fights you have always dreamed about like Thor taking on Hulk. Seeing a team of heroes working together to fight off an invading army of aliens. Stuff like that will have you gasping and cheering the whole time. Like I said maybe I'm the wrong guy that should be defending them, because in my eyes, The Avengers are perfect.

Nick Fury met Hawkeye a few years ago, well their counterparts did....

I recently did a post about Chris Evans (Captain America) meeting Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) in a comedy years ago before suiting up as the Avengers. Well another pairing of future heroes took place back in 2003 when Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) co-starred in the action film S.W.A.T. Jackson was the leader of a s.w.a.t. unit while Renner was cast as Colin Farrell's (part of Sam's unit) ex-partner who turned rogue. Jackson and Renner didn't share too many scenes together but I thought it was cool that the future Fury and Hawkeye were in a movie together almost a decade before the Avengers assembled. Just another cool and random piece of trivia.

THE AVENGERS assemble for one terrific movie!

 Oh they are about to mess some shit up..believe that!

Just saw The Avengers for the second time in three days and all I can say is wow! As a diehard comic book fan for over 25 years, this is a moment in time I will always treasure. Seeing some of Earth's mightiest heroes team up in the same movie and do their thing. This is how you make an awesome movie! The midnight crowd was in a frenzy from the time the lights went dark and for the next 2 and a half hours, I was in sheer bliss. 

Captain America

Picking up from the endings of last year's two films Captain America and Thor, The Avengers begin with Thor's mad brother Loki (once again played by Tom Hiddleston and even better this time around) arriving on Earth at SHIELD's facility, and wreaking havoc. Shield director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson in a much more substantial role this time) is in possession of a cube of unimaginable power called the Tesseract. Loki wants it as he plans to use it to open a portal for his allies, an alien race called the Chitarui, to cross over and invade Earth. 

Iron Man

Fury quickly assembles a team to take on this threat. He recruits Captain America (played once again by Chris Evans, solidly might I add), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr..never better) and Bruce Banner aka The Hulk (this time played by Mark Ruffalo...who gives the best impression of Banner/Hulk by far). Also already in place is Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and ace archer Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Thor (Chris Hemsworth) will join the party a few scenes later. 

Thor

After a quick skirmish that has Loki captured by Cap and Iron Man, Thor arrives to personally settle things between him and his brother. Of course Iron Man takes offense and we have one hell of a fight that Cap has to break up. That's the thing about this film as there are so many cool fights between different characters. Thor and Hulk mix it up for another great fight. Hulk has a little beaut with Loki. Black Widow and Hawkeye go at it with lethal intensity as he is under the control of Loki. Just so many terrific matches that make a fan scream "Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"

Hulk

But amid all the action and spectacle there is the wonderful dialogue and direction by Joss Whedon, who has crafted some of the best series on TV ever in Buffy, Angel and Firefly. He guides this film with a deft hand and his imprint of engaging and witty cantor is on full display. Downey gets to rip off countless one liners as he butt heads repeatedly with Cap, Thor, Fury..hell everyone in the movie. Ruffalo gets to shine as we finally get the perfect guy to bring the perfect Hulk to the screen as he gets to have some fun in his role and the Hulk gets to let loose and smash. Johansson also gets a more fully developed role as Black Widow, a much improved character from Iron Man 2. In fact she has one of the better scenes in the film as she gets to have a little chat with Loki that gets very deep and personal.

Black Widow

The film is well paced as the beginning takes time to get going but once the ball gets rolling...oh boy, look out. The final 30 minutes as the team fights Loki and the alien race in downtown New York is one breathless, rollercoaster ride. So much action going on, it's just cool as hell to sit back and watch. When Banner finally gets to 'Hulk' out and smashes a giant alien in the face, the whole crowd just erupted. In fact the Hulk gets most of the best scenes as he gets two really funny scenes involving him and Thor, then him and Loki. Funny as can be. I also liked Renner as Hawkeye the archer. He was slinging arrows all over the place, from the side, from behind, no look, etc. Really wicked! And nice seeing Clark Gregg back as Agent Coulson. Gwyneth Paltrow pops up in a cameo as Pepper Potts, trying to carry on her romance with Tony Stark. And newcomer to the series, Agent Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders). Terrific cast!

Hawkeye

Man, this movie is awesome. Been waiting my whole life for this to happen and it finally has. I can't wait to see it a third time, which will be sometime this week. The Avengers is the best comic book movie I have ever seen. Better than my beloved X2. I'm still seriously stoked for Spider-Man and Batman later on this summer, but for me, The Avengers is it. Avengers Assemble!
A

 Nick Fury

Loki

 Agent Maria Hill

Hill and Agent Coulson

Seminal moments in comic book movies: Iron Man flexes his muscles

2008 brought the crowd cheering funtastic comic movie Iron Man to the big screen and audiences ate it up. Robert Downey, Jr. was perfectly cast as the titular character Iron Man and his alter ego, the brash inventor and savvy businessman Tony Stark. Loaded with cool special effects, lots of humor and RDJ's best role in years, Iron Man was awesome. In this clip, he arrives in a small town that is being overrun by militia who are using his company's weapons. He has had enough and decides to intervene.