Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), The IMAX Experience – Review

Review: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a ton of fun, very entertaining and filled with incredible action set pieces. The film, more so than other installments in the franchise, has emotional connections to the previous sequel (Mission: Impossible III), as the audiences finds Ethan Hunt in a foreign jail with rumors about what happened between his wife Julia and himself. And yet again, Ethan and his team are called on to foil the plans of a madman and save the world. Director Brad Bird picks up where J.J. Abrams (who produces the film) left off in terms of narrative structure. The film is almost a non-stop thrill of escalating grandiose action set pieces, but also has character development and momnts creating an emotional connection with the audience (which is key to its ultimate success). The audience cares about Ethan and the members of his team and thus have an emotional stake in their success, making all the big action all the more intense and gripping. Bird does a great job with the action. The set pieces are intricate and each has their own mini narrative. They absolutely absorb the viewer. The locations are also fantastic. Bird is equally adept at giving the characters moments – be it emotion, humor or levity. These moments are what sets this film apart from most of the action films that have come out this year, boasting the same big action set pieces (though, I would say these are very impressive and sort of blow everything else this year away) but they are merely just spectacle. They lack the same connection that these characters have with the audience. However, an issue that this film has (in comparison to III) is that the villain is not really given much character. He is basically a glorified nameless, faceless entity of evil. Owen Davian (the villain in III) by comparison is a much fuller and more realized character, which makes Ethan’s struggle with him more powerful. Plus, the stakes in that film are more personal for Ethan. It is not just about saving the world. Ghost Protocol lacks both a strong villain and deeper emotional stakes for Ethan. This does not detract from the overall entertainment of the film, but it does not resonate to the same extent. That said, this is the best pure action film of the year to date (and likely will maintain that title through the end of the year). It has the best action set pieces (all the stuff in Dubai and the parking garage scene in Mumbai are incredible), good character moments and humor – all the things Ghost Protocol needed to be great.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: There was never any question that Brad Bird would make a seamless transition into live-action. And given his work on The Incredibles, there was not really any question that he would make a fantastic action film with Ghost Protocol. I am very excited to see what he does next in live-action. Michael Giacchino’s score (as always) is very good (here is a piece). He builds on both the visual thrills and the emotional beats perfectly, while also capturing the flavor of the locations and franchise. His work on the film reminds me of a John Williams’s score at times (one of his main influences). Robert Elswit, whose work is often gritty, shoots the film with a very clean and glossy look, capitalizing (again) on the locations and huge action set pieces, and this is where the IMAX camera comes into play in a big way, amplifying what is already amazing (I highly recommend seeing this in IMAX, plus The Dark Knight Rises prologue is quite astounding). Production designer James Bissell also infuses the film with a lot of color and wonderful sets, which goes hand-in-hand with Elswit’s work. The international cast is very good. Josh Holloway, Lea Seydoux and Anil Kapoor are great in their small supporting roles. Miraj Grbic and Vladimir Mashkov are standouts among the supporting players. Michael Nyqvist is good as the villain, but really is not given much to do. Paula Patton has a potential star-making role in the film (and is good in it), while Simon Pegg is great comedic relief. Jeremy Renner plays his role with a fun skepticism and brings humanity to it as well. And finally, Tom Cruise has charisma and flair and completely owns the role of Ethan Hunt.

Summary & score: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is brilliantly entertaining with some of the greatest action set pieces, but has heart and character too. 8/10

At the Movies – December 2011 – Part 2: Hollywood Films

Romance and Rom-Coms:

New Year’s Eve (Garry Marshall) – Romantic Comedy Ensemble – Dec 9

Summary: The film is an amalgamation of intertwining stories involving singles and couples over the course of New Year’s Eve (much the same at Valentine’s Day). Filmmakers: Director Garry Marshall is best known for his romantic comedies like Pretty Woman and Overboard (probably my favorite of his films) and his comedy The Princess Diaries, but now seems to be relegated to making these celebrity-packed meaningless glorified holiday movies. He is working with previous collaborators: composer John Debney and cinematographer Charles Minsky from Valentine’s Day and production designer Mark Friedberg from Runaway Bride (though he has since done brilliant work on films like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited and Synecdoche, New York). Cast: The ensemble cast is stuffed with famous faces (see the whole list here), highlighted by Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank, Jessica Biel, Abigail Breslin, and John Lithgow. Expectations: I am not sure what gave rise to these films – was it He’s Just Not That Into You or The Holiday or something else?  Whatever it was, these movies feel like expensive Hallmark cards – capturing the commercial sentiment but void of any real emotion or meaning. They are essentially the big Hollywood mindless action movie equivalent for romance –which is fine, as they are somewhat entertaining and sometimes we do not need or even want entertainment that is also engaging and meaningful (but just do not expect it to be good). While Valentine’s Day focused on LA, this takes place in New York – next we will have President’s Day in DC or some other over commercialized holiday set in Las Vegas. Anyway, there are some good actors collecting paychecks in this and Garry Marshall has probably checked out at this point, but it will probably be somewhat entertaining. Trailer: Here.

Serious Films:

The Iron Lady (Phyllida Lloyd) – Biography – Dec 16

Summary: The film is a biography of Margaret Thatcher, a former Prime Minister of the U.K. with the focus of the price she paid for power. Filmmakers: Director Phyllida Lloyd made the adaptation of Mamma Mia! as her first feature, this is her second (and we can only hope it is much better, because let us be honest, that film is terrible). She is working with great composers Clint Mansell (Black Swan) and Thomas Newman (WALL-E), cinematographer Elliot Davis (Out of Sight) and production Simon Elliot (North & South). Cast: Meryl Streep stars, and Anthony Head, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, Roger Allam, Nick Dunning, and Hugh Ross provide supporting work. Expectations: Of course Streep is being mentioned in the Best Actress Oscar buzz, and is also the main reason this is even anticipated or relevant to Awards Season. I am suspect of it because of director Lloyd (as I was not a fan at all of Mamma Mia!, and I like musicals; it was just a poorly made film). However, Streep and my love of biographies will still see this make my Netflix queue. Trailer: Here.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Stephen Daldry) – Drama – Dec 25

Summary: The film is about a nine-year-old boy who searches New York for the lock that matches a mysterious key left by his father when he was killed in the September 11^th attacks. Filmmakers: Stephen Daldry is one of the best dramatic directors (he made Billy Elliot, The Hours and The Reader). He is working with an excellent group including producer Scott Rudin (pretty much every great film to come out lately), cinematographer Chris Menges (The Mission), composer Alexandre Desplat (the hardest working man in cinema), and production designer K.K. Barrett (Lost in Translation). Cast: Thomas Horn stars, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock co-star and John Goodman, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis, James Gandolfini, and Jeffrey Wright feature in support. Expectations: With Daldry directing, Rudin producing and actors like Hanks and Bullock, there is a very good chance this will be in the Best Picture conversation come February 2012 – in fact, it is probably the front runner along with War Horse. Von Sydow also has a ton of positive buzz surrounding is supporting performance. Daldry is a wonderful filmmaker, and therefor this is a film worth seeing. Trailer: Here.

War Horse (Steven Spielberg) – War Drama – Dec 25

Summary: Set during WWI, the film is about the friendship a young man, Albert, has with his horse. However, when his horse is sold to the military and sent to the front lines, Albert goes to France to rescue his friend, despite being too young to enlist. Filmmakers: Director Steven Spielberg brings his “A-Team” to the picture with composer John Williams (Jurassic Park), cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Saving Private Ryan), editor Michael Kahn (Schindler’s List), and production designer Rick Carter (Munich). Cast: While the cast does not feature any A-List stars, it is quite good with Tom Hoddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Watson, David Thewlis (side note, see his film Naked), Peter Mullan, Eddie Marsan, Jeremy Irvine (the star of this film), David Kross, and Niels Arestrup. Expectations: Many critics are projecting this to be among the Best Picture nominees at the 2012 Oscars, but based on the trailers I just do not see it. Sure, the filmmakers and cast are both very good, but the story seems a bit suspect – it is a film about a boy, his horse and WWI. And sure, this will be a tearjerker, but how much more powerful would this be if the horse were his brother or a human? That said, will I still see it? Yes. Too much quality behind the camera to dismiss based on the trailer. Trailer: Here. Review.

Action/Adventure:

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Guy Ritchie) – Action Adventure – Dec 16

Summary: Following up on where Sherlock Holmes left off, Holmes and Watson are on the trail of their most dangerous adversary Professor Moriarty. Filmmakers: Director Guy Ritchie returns, as do composer Hans Zimmer, cinematographer Philippe Rousselot and production designer Sarah Greenwood. Cast: Also returning are stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Supporting players Kelly Reilly and Eddie Marsan and Rachel McAdams are back too. New to the film are Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris and Stephen Fry. Expectations: The first film was a lot of fun, and this looks to be in the same style as if has all the key ingredients returning. However, most alluring (at least for me) is the prospect of a fantastic villain performance from Harris playing one of the great villains. Since this is a sequel, expect more action and explosions (certainly the trailer is living up to this), but hopefully story and characters remain the focus. Trailer: Here. Review.

The Adventures of Tintin (Steven Spielberg) – Animation Adventure – Dec 21

Summary: Likely the first part in a series (we will see how this one does and go from there), the film is about a young (Belgian) detective Tintin who sets off on a treasure hunt to find a famous sunken ship. He is helped by Captain Haddock, whose ancestor commanded the ship. Filmmakers: This has a dream-team, so to speak, of filmmaking talent behind it. Steven Spielberg (Raider of the Lost Ark) is directing, Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) is producing, Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) wrote the script, John Williams (Star Wars) is scoring, and Janusz Kaminski (Saving Private Ryan) is the D.P. Hard to beat that. Cast: The film stars the voice work of Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis, and features the supporting voice work of Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Cary Elwes, Toby Jones, Nick Frost, Mackenzie Crook, Daniel Mays, and Gad Elmaleh. Expectations: This has opened oversees to strong but not universal praise. The animation looks decent, but not amazing. However, as a film primarily targeted towards children, it will probably be a success. I will likely see it in theatres due to its grand scope and scale, but if I just end up renting it, that would be fine too. Really, with the cast and crew that it has, it should be amazing – too bad it fell just a bit short, but still good. Trailer: Here. Review.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (Brad Bird) – Action – Dec 23 [Dec 16 IMAX only]

Summary: The fourth installment in the franchise finds Ethan Hunt on the run after the IMF is shut down due to their implication in the bombing of the Kremlin. Hunt and his team must go rogue to clear the organization’s name. Filmmakers: The film marks the live-action debut of animation great Brad Bird (he has only made the films Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and worked on The Simpsons). He has a very good crew with producer (and director of MI 3) J.J. Abrams, composer Michael Giacchino (Super 8), cinematographer Robert Elswit (The Town), and production designer James Bissell (300). Cast: Returning to the series are star Tom Cruise and supporters Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames. While not officially listed as a cast member, it would make sense for Michelle Monaghan to have a cameo (she plays Ethan Hunt’s wife after all). New to the cast are a number of fantastic additions: Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Josh Holloway, Lea Seydoux, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Nyqvist, and Anil Kapoor. Expectations: As a big fan of MI 3, I am very interested in this film – yes, I would have rather Abrams directed, but at the same time I am enthusiastic to see how Bird approached the material (for all I know he may have made an even better film). The teaser trailer and full trailer are both quite good and action packed. Another reason to see this is that the prologue for The Dark Knight Rises apparently will play before the movie (much like how The Dark Knight’s prologue was a special feature on the Batman Begins Blu-ray release). Nothing against Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, but I think this will be the best action film of the month (and among the five best of the year). Trailer: Here. Review.

Comedy:

The Sitter (David Gordon Green) – Comedy – Dec 9

Summary: The film is about a college student who is tricked into babysitting the kids next door. It should be an easy job, but when he takes the kids into the city so he can meet up with a girl he likes things get out of hand. Filmmakers: Director David Gordon Green is giving comedy yet another crack – he has had success with Pineapple Express and Eastbound & Down, but his latest, Your Highness, was not well received (though, I thought it was funny). He is working with frequent collaborators composers Jeff McIlwain and David Wingo, cinematographer Tim Orr and production designer Richard Wright. Cast: The film has a good comedic cast with Jonah Hill starring (and executively producing) and supporting work from Sam Rockwell, Ari Graynor, Method Man, J.B. Smoove, Max Records, Alex Wolff, Landry Bender, and Kevin Hernandez. Expectations: The Sitter looks basically like an R-rated Adventures in Babysitting (which by the way is a lot of fun and worth checking out), but that is not a bad thing. Advanced screenings have resulted in positive critical buzz and it does look funny. Hill is a good fit to take on a comedy of this type (though, narratively it sort of resembles Get Him to the Greek). I think it will make for good alternative programming against the Oscar hopefuls and blockbusters. Trailer: Here. Review.

Horror:

The Darkest Hour (Chris Gorak) – Action Sci-Fi Thriller – Dec 25

Summary: Aliens invade Earth, kill almost everyone, but in Russia a few young adults struggle to survive. Filmmakers: Chris Gorak is back with his second feature (his first was the thriller Right at Your Door). He has an action thriller specialty crew with producer Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), composer Tyler Bates (Sucker Punch), cinematographer Scott Kevan (The Losers), and production designer Valeri Viktorov (Night Watch). Cast: It stars Emile Hirsch, Rachel Taylor, Olivia Thirlby, and Max Minghella. Expectations: While conceptually the film sounds cool, the stuff I have seen thus far has been less than compelling – I think this is directly due to the aliens being invisible, maybe. The cast is decent and the director should make an okay thriller, but this is probably only for fans of sci-fi thrillers and sci-fi horror. Trailer: Here.

Most Anticipated Films of 2011 – Part 1: Blockbusters

The Most Anticipated Films of 2011 is a two part look at the movies that (I am most excited about, mainly) should be the biggest and best of the year to come. Part One is a look at the biggest, the Blockbusters and Part Two will focus on the film that should be among the most fun and best (not counting the Blockbusters) that details are known about at present.

Blockbusters:

Title: Captain America: The First Avenger

Release: June 22nd

Genre: Action/Adventure

Director: Joe Johnston

Plot: The film is about Steve Rogers, a dedicated soldier who volunteers for a top secret military research experiment regarding super-soldiers after being deemed unfit for service.

Main Cast: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Stanley Tucci, Hayley Atwell, and Tommy Lee Jones.

Why It’s Anticipated: The last prequel to The Avengers, this film tells the story behind many fans favorite Avenger. The cast is awesome (check out the full list here). Joss Whedon worked on the script and linked it with his Avengers film, coming next year. It is set during WWII (which is one of my favorite time periods both in historical context and style in cinema). It will have big action set pieces featuring Captain America fighting Nazis. What is not to love?

Editor’s Thoughts: My one big concern is director Joe Johnston and his less than stellar track record helming the film. But, I am willing to give this film the benefit of the doubt, as everything I have heard and seen has been good. And thus, I am eagerly awaiting its release. I mean, come-on, it is a film about Captain America. Of course I am going to see it.

Trailer (Not yet available, but here is the trailer for Thor, which looks kind of cool)

Title: Cars 2

Release: June 24th

Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy/Animation

Director: John Lassater; co-director: Brad Lewis

Plot: The film follows racing star Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater on an international adventure going up against the world’s fastest cars (and apparently spies too).

Main Cast: Owen Wilson, Larry The Cable Guy, Jason Isaacs, Michael Caine, Michael Keaton, and Emily Mortimer.

Why It’s Anticipated: It is Pixar (that is really all that needs to be said)…It is their third sequel – the first two: Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3  (so clearly they make good sequels too). Plus, Pixar’s annual installment is generally the best animated film of the year, if the last three or so years are any indication. Director John Lassater (and president of Walt Disney Animation Studios) has made some great films in the past like Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

Editor’s Thoughts: Being that I am not a huge fan of Cars, I am not overly excited that Pixar used their yearly film to make a sequel to one of their lesser movies. I much rather would have liked to have seen an original story. But again, it is Pixar and they generally make great stuff and I am sure this film will do well among younger viewers.

Trailer

Title: Cowboys & Aliens

Release: July 29th

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Director: Jon Favreau

Plot: The film is about an outlaw Jake Lonergan and the man after him Col. Woodrow Dolarhyde. Lonergan is captured and brought forth for justice, but when a spaceship lays siege to the small town of Silver City, Arizona, the two must put aside their differences and fight a common enemy…Aliens.

Main Cast: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, and Keith Carradine.

Why It’s Anticipated: The film has a great cast (James Bond and Indiana Jones in the same movie!!!! And yes, I know this has happen before). Action director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) seems like the best fit to be at the helm. It is based on a very popular underground comic. The script is written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof (writers of projects like Star Trek, Fringe and Lost). Really, there is a lot to be excited about here.

Editor’s Thoughts: Aside from the almost postmodernly ironic title, as indeed the film literally features cowboys and aliens fighting each other, it should be a ton of fun. I did find the audience’s initial reactions to the trailer (see below) to be interesting – intrigued but taking it as a joke – thanks title. So, while the film while certainly have funny moments, Favreau’s approach to the material is to make a serious action sci-fi thriller – we shall see how that plays with general movie-going audiences.

Trailer

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Release: July 15th

Genre: Adventure

Director: David Yates

Plot: The finale of the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione as they battle the evil villainous Voldemort.

Main Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Why It’s Anticipated: Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was awesome and a great lead up to what should be an epic, action packed final chapter. This will likely be the biggest film of the year and a must see film for Potter fans. Director David Yates has done a fantastic job with his Potter films, blending humor in with the overall dark tone. Having the best British cast (possibly) ever assembled does not hurt either.

Editor’s Thoughts: If I could only see one film in theaters in 2011, this would be the one. Not that there will not be better movies, but in terms of excitement and theater experience, I am there opening night.

Trailer (trailer 1)

Title: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Release: December 16th

Genre: Action

Director: Brad Bird

Plot: Story details are not known, but it surely will involve Ethan Hunt and crew doing some action packed spy maneuvering.

Main Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Josh Halloway, Michael Nyqvist, and Anil Kapoor.

Why It’s Anticipated: While Tom Cruise may have fallen out of favor with audiences (if Knight and Day was any indication), the Mission: Impossible series still holds a good place in the action spy genre – especially for those who loved J.J. Abrams’s Mission: Impossible III (like I did). Abrams is back as a producer and co-writer of the story. Brad Bird, who is making his live-action directorial debut, has made wonderful films in the past (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille) and I am very interested to see what he does with this film. The casting of series newcomers (much like with the last film) has been very savvy too: Renner, who is being groomed to take over the series from Cruise, coming off The Hurt Locker and a strong performance in The Town, Halloway being a fan favorite from Lost, Nyqvist being from the hugely popular cult phenomenon The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Kapoor being memorable as the game show host in Slumdog Millionaire.

Editor’s Thoughts: I am really excited for this mainly because of Abrams’s involvement, as the last film was exceptional, and because Bird is directing. Though, I do hope Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Maggie Q show up at least for cameos to keep the continuity.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Release: May 20th

Genre: Adventure

Director: Rob Marshall

Plot: The film is about Jack Sparrow and Barbossa on an adventure that sees them embark to find the fountain of youth. However, Blackbeard and his daughter are after it as well.

Main Cast: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Richard Griffiths, and Stephen Graham.

Why It’s Anticipated: Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the biggest franchises of all-time and has a massive built-in audience. Plus with series star Depp and most of the cast (sans Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley) coming back, there is a lot to be excited for. Ian McShane and Penelope Cruz are wonderful additions which immediately take the film out of the “potentially unneeded sequel” column and into the “ok, now I want to see this” column. Director Rob Marshall is an interesting and sort of bizarre choice to take over from the original trilogy director Gore Verbinski. Marshall is known for his big musical set pieces and stunning visual style, both of which could translate into a fine addition to the Pirates series.

Editor’s Thoughts: Marshall has not really directed action before, but really how different can it be from large scale choreographed dance numbers. I think he will do a great job, and he has most of the principal crew coming back as well – Hans Zimmer and Dariusz Wolski notably. At World’s End was a big complicated caricature of itself and a mess. Hopefully, Marshall can bring the series back to what makes it work – humor, action and great characters.

Trailer 

Title: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Release: December 16th

Genre: Action/Mystery

Director: Guy Ritchie

Plot: Story details are not known, but based on the end of the first film Holmes and Watson will likely be facing off with Professor Moriaty.

Main Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Repace, Stephen Frey, and Jared Harris.

Why It’s Anticipated: Sherlock Holmes was a big hit last winter as it combined comedy and action quite well, and stars Downey Jr. and Law were perfect in their roles. The film set up for a sequel and everyone is back, including director Guy Ritchie, whose style seems to work well with both his cast and the tone of the film. Ritchie and the film’s producers have brought in excellent actors (and buzz worthy) for the sequel with the wonderful Frey and Harris and the much talked about co-star of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Noomi Repace (exciting many fans on the internet for sure).

Editor’s Thoughts: Most fans will probably want more of the same from this film, but I hope Ritchie, cast and crew take it further and a little darker in tone (but of course keep some of the humor and quirkiness – as that is what worked so well in the first). He certainly has the talent to make a great film. And I hope Kelly Reilly has a slightly bigger role (if a role at all), as she is quite good.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: Sucker Punch

Release: March 25th

Genre: Action

Director: Zack Snyder

Plot: The film is about a young girl, Baby Doll, who is institutionalized by her evil stepfather. As a coping mechanism, she creates an alternate reality, envisioning a grand plan for her escape from the facility. 

Main Cast: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, and Carla Gugino

Why it’s Anticipated: First off, the film is by Zack Snyder director of 300, Watchmen and Dawn of the Dead (the remake), and thus comes with an aesthetic style and fan base built in. Second, the trailer (see below) is epic, showing massive insane action sequences with Nazis, Samurais and other presumably cool stuff. And third, the film is essentially attractive young women playing out huge combat set pieces (and who, among this film’s intended audience, does not want to see that?).

Editor’s Thoughts: If you like Snyder’s other films, chances are you are going to like this one.

Trailer

Title: Super 8

Release: June 10th

Genre: Sci-Fi

Director: J.J. Abrams

Plot: Story details unknown, but from the teaser trailer (see below) there appears to be some sort of monster or alien that will wreck havoc on some unsuspecting people.

Main Cast: Kyle Chandler and Elle Fanning.

Why It’s Anticipated: J.J. Abrams is a brand onto himself, and thus his name alone gets people interested and excited for his projects (I know it does for me). Add the fact that Steven Spielberg is producing and that it is some type of monster/alien film, fans will be lining up in droves (I imagine at least). Abrams decided to cast relatively unknown actors in the film, which balks at the Hollywood system a bit, but has worked for him in the past. That said, both Chandler and Fanning have done notable work in past film and TV projects (Chandler is very good in Friday Night Lights and Fanning is getting great reviews for her performance in Somewhere). Based on Abrams’s great track record, this will probably be a fun summer movie.

Editor’s Thoughts: I am interested to see how the average movie-goer reacts to this film, no stars and it is being sold mostly on the names of Abrams and Spielberg. For me, that is enough, but I wonder how it will do among those that do not watch everything, read constantly about movies and TV and memorize the names of their favorite actors and filmmakers like me. I guess I will see with the reaction to the first full trailer.

Trailer

Title: X-Men: First Class

Release: June 3rd

Genre: Action/Adventure

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Plot: The film is a prequel (or reboot) to the X-Men trilogy and Wolverine film. Set in the 1960s, it focuses on Charles Xavier and Erik Lesherr (Professor X and Magneto respectively) before they were superheroes and villains – when they were young men discovering their powers and the social and political implications of such power(s).

Main Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult, and Kevin Bacon.

Why It’s Anticipated: The X-Men trilogy is ok. None of the films is anywhere near as good as Christopher Nolan’s Batman films or the first two Sam Raimi Spider-Man films. The finale of the trilogy and the Wolverine film were big letdowns. Thus when a new X-Men film was announced, it was met with mostly groans – and with Bryan Singer back in a creative role it seemed doomed for the same mediocre results. However since then, director Matthew Vaughn and his creative team including screenwriter Jane Goldman were hired and reworked the script. And, a fantastic group of actors have been cast. Now, this film has shot up the anticipation list for most fans. Vaughn’s Kick-Ass was a stylized and awesome superhero film. If he can do that with the X-Men, it should be amazing.

Editor’s Thoughts: I did not care about this film at all after the last two films in the X-Men film series. But like many others, Vaughn’s name immediately got me interested. He originally was set to direct X-Men: The Last Stand, but left the project due to disputes with the studio. Now, we finally get to see his X-Men film. I am also, again like many others, really excited with the cast – especially Lawrence (who is great in Winter’s Bone, see it), Jones, Fassbender, Rose Byrne, and Hoult. This is probably the blockbuster I am most looking forward to after Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Trailer (Not yet available)