Upcoming Movies: July 2012

July 3

"The Amazing Spiderman" (http://www.theamazingspiderman.com/) - Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young.  His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

 

July 6

"Savages" (http://www.savagesfilm.com/) - Pot growers face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.

 

July 13

"Ice Age 4: Continental Drift" (http://www.iceagemovie.com/) - Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift.  Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

 

July 20

"The Dark Knight Rises" (http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/) - Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

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"Prometheus"

"Prometheus" attempts to find answers to questions relating to the origin of mankind.  Where do we come from?  What's our purpose?  What happens when we die?  If you find signs pointing to an alien creature as your creator, wouldn't you take the chance to meet your maker while still alive?  Director Ridley Scott returns to the realms of sci-fi, a genre that he helped shape with "Alien" in 1979.  Charlize Theron ("Snow White and the Huntsman") may be the name most marketed as the biggest billing, but Noomi Rapace is the star here.  Incredibly strong, resilient, quick-thinking and gutsy, there's a heartbreaking vulnerability in her portrayal.  Michael Fassbender ("X-Men: First Class") is terrific as the cold, creepy android.  While the ending may not have all the answers, "Prometheus" should satisfy sci-fi fans.  Breathtaking in size and immersive in visuals.  Just watch out for those horrific, body-horror scenes (read: not for the squeamish).  

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/6pty8zn
DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/6rsalms

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"Snow White and the Huntsman"

The buzz started in the summer of 2011 at Comic-Con when first-time Director Rupert Sanders showed a glimpse of a two-minute clip and the sumptuous costumes donned by the stars. It quickly grew from there and "Snow White and the Huntsman" became the fairy tale to watch in 2012.

Charlie Theron ("Prometheus") embodies the malevolent queen, Queen Ravenna, who craves for royal power and timeless beauty. The backstory makes her the most interesting character. Flashing back to her childhood, she first learned black magic through a tragedy and found that beauty would give her the ultimate power. She carries her revenge from kingdom to kingdom, pretending to be a battle victim and putting herself in a position to be discovered by kings, wins their hearts with her beauty, and eventually kills them. With the help of her equally twisted brother (Sam Spruell), she takes over their kingdoms.

Time and time again, the golden mirror tells Queen Ravenna that she's the fairest of them all. That is until Snow White (Kristen Stewart, "Twilight"), daughter of the slayed King Magnus (Noah Huntley), locked up in a tower for years, comes of age. She believes that the mirror reveals a secret; if she consumes Snow White's heart, she would no longer have to drain souls to maintain her youth.

When being picked up from her cell by the queen's brother, Snow White seizes the opportunity and cleverly escapes from the castle through a sewer and plunges into a raging sea. And thus the adventure begins. Hunted by the soldiers, she ventures into a haunted forest. Because this forest is the one place where Queen Ravenna's power doesn't reach, she orders a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, "The Avengers, "Thor") to search and capture Snow White.

A heartbroken widower, the huntsman is a drunkard and feels that he has nothing to live for, until the queen promises him to bring his wife back from the dead. After running into Snow White and realizing who she is, the rightful heir to the throne, he gradually becomes her protector and mentor. He develops a sense of purpose and decides to fight for what he believes in.

Both do their best to survive the dangerous terrains and creatures of the forest, while running into and battling the queen's men. Somewhere along their journey, they come across the dwarfs (Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, Brian Gleeson), who in due course join forces and introduces them to the sanctuary, or the land of fairies. Meanwhile, William (Sam Claflin, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"), a duke's son from Snow White's childhood, who at the time of the king's death was able to break away from the riots, learns that she's still alive and tracks her down.

The queen's relentless pursuit of Snow White finally bears fruit and the princess falls to the brink of death. A twist in a heartfelt moment brings Snow White back to life, where she reunites with the Duke Hammond (Vincent Regan) and leads the army to wage war against the Evil Queen. The dwarfs are underutilized overall, but they do play a key role in the war.

Snow White may be the star of the tale, but acting-wise, Stewart acts just like Kristen Stewart. The Evil Queen, on the other hand, steals the stage with Theron's portrayal. Icily evil, she's devilishly menacing and ruthless to the core. Hemsworth, out of his otherworldly persona here, is quite solid.

The film's strength lies on the dazzling visual, which includes expansive vistas of mountains, ocean, cliffs and castle. Theron's elaborate costumes, glittering with gold or metal, or covered in beads or feathers, are artfully admirable. The superb cinematography and art direction deserve praise, but they could shorten the middle part of the story. Snow White has never been a damsel in distress, but more time could be spent on developing her transformation of into a leader who inspires her people and her turning into a warrior princess, and in turn making the battle more climatic.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" has all the elements of the classic tale; Snow White, Evil Queen, Prince Charming, Dwarfs, Dark Forest, Poisonous Apple. Although much darker and edgier, not to mention violent, it appeals to the masses, with a straightforward story of good versus evil, and good prevails. The other contemporary adaptation of the tale this year, "Mirror Mirror," is lighthearted, whimsical, and wickedly hilarious. But if it's epic adventure and action you're looking for, go for "Snow White and the Huntsman."

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-snow-white-and-the-huntsman/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/88c4sjv

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/7vj4nk6

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Upcoming Movies: June 2012

I was out of town and had a lot to catch up.  "Snow White and the Huntsman" review is coming up this week.  Happy Summer!

June 1

"Snow White and the Huntsman" (http://www.snowwhiteandthehuntsman.com/) - In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

June 8

"Prometheus" (http://www.projectprometheus.com/) - A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" (http://www.madagascarmovie.com/) - Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style.

June 15

"Rock of Ages" (http://rockofagesmovie.warnerbros.com/) - A small town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.

"The Woman in the Fifth" - A college lecturer flees to Paris after a scandal costs him his job. In the City of Lights, he meets a widow who might be involved in a series of murders.

June 22

"Brave" (http://disney.go.com/brave/?cmp=wdsmp_brv_url_dcombrave) - Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" - Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.

June 29

"People Like Us" (ltd. rls.) - A man is tasked with delivering $150K of his deceased father's fortune to the sister he has never met.                   

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