"X-Men: Days of Future Past"

The franchise that started the golden era of superheroes is back with “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” with Bryan Singer (“Superman Returns”) returning to the director's chair. A sequel to the phenomenal “X-Men: First Class” than to the original X-Men trilogy, expectations towards the ambitious picture are at a premium.

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” unites some of the original X-Men from the trilogy (Professor X, Magneto, Storm, Wolverine) with the younger mutants from 'First Class.' The future is here and it's dire. Sentinel robots are hunting and killing humans and mutants alike. Impossibly powerful, they are relentless in their chase, easily adapt to mutant powers, defeat and destroy them, as witnessed in the massacre, a showdown of fire and ice with mutants Blink, Bishop, Iceman and Sunspot.

Facing an unwinnable war and extinction of their species, Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (IanMcKellen) utilizes Kitty Pryde's skill (Ellen Page, “Inception”) to send Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, “The Wolverine,” “Les Miserables”) 50 years into the past in order to prevent a certain act that would have a lasting impact into the future. An ageless mutant with self-healing ability, he's the only one strong enough to withstand the journey of time and space.

The act is the 1973 murder of an anti-mutant geneticist Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), by shape-shifter Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games,” “American Hustle”). He's been working on a program to build Sentinel robots as a line of defense against mutants. Ironically, his death would actually accelerate the program since Mystique is captured, have her DNA extracted and studied, which leads to a successful experiment that creates those Sentinels with adaptable mutant powers.

Wolverine finds the younger Professor X (James McAvoy, “Wanted”). To his surprise, his future leader is not what he expects. Drunken and dispirited, Charles has lost his way. Hit by a bullet and paralyzed from the Cuban missile battle with Magneto in 'First Class,' he's overdosing on a serum that treats his spine and lets him walk, even though it suppresses his telepathic ability. The mutant school has been closed for years. Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) is his only companion.

Not only Wolverine must convince Charles that everyone needs him, his power and wisdom, and that the future threat is real, he also has to reunite him with his frenemy, metal-manipulator Erik (Michael Fassbender, “Prometheus”), in order to track down and stop the estranged Mystique. After all, against Charles' idealistic principle, peaceful co-existence in a prejudiced society, Erik's influence has set Raven on a darker path. She displays her prowess more and more, confidently shifting shape and nimbly taking down those in her way of her goal.

With the help of speedy Peter/Quicksilver (Evan Peters), the duo breaks Erik out of a Pentagon prison, imprisoned for the purported assassination of President Kennedy. The movie mentions an offbeat explanation of the incident. Quicksilver gets themselves out of a bind in a flash, in a playful prison break sequence (shot in slow-motion and a real treat in 3-D). The plan to bring Mystique home doesn't work as planned. Erik is steadfast in his quest to save the mutant race at all costs and his go-for-broke action makes him at odds with Charles, who does his earnest to keep him in check. The action set pieces sizzle with special effects.

Time-travel is tricky by nature. It is a paradox that has to make sense to make the story works. On one side, there's doubt whether there's anything one can do to change the past. Even if one particular act is altered and it may result in a different sequence of events, the final impact, and thus the future, may be the same. The movie shows past scenes seamlessly intercutting with future ones.

The past concludes wisely, a choice made by free will and not by another's control. The future starts off fresh. X-Men fans would feel nostalgic seeing cameos of beloved characters from years past. It's amazing to remember that it was 14 years ago when we first saw these characters.

With compelling complexity and psychological depth, “X-Men: First Class” remains one of the best superhero movies of all-time. Aside from human themes and emotional resonance, the complicated, synergistic and antagonistic relationship between Charles and Erik is the cornerstone of the story. Here it's shown in bits and pieces. The best part of the movie is their heart-to-heart confrontation on the plane. McAvoy and Fassbender convey each man's hurt, loss, betrayal and abandonment believably.

While “X-Men: Days of Future Past” may not be in the all-time best league, it's a sequel that deftly rewrites history and opens up an array of possibilities for the future. And that future, “X-Men: Apocalypse” (stay for a post-credit scene), slated for 2016, holds promise.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-x-men-days-of-future-past/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/kbx37oh

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Upcoming Movies: September 2014

[Originally posted on 9/01/14]

September 5
"The Identical" (http://www.theidenticalmovie.com) - The path of a musical family from the Be Bop 1950s through the Glam Rock 1970s.

September 12
"The Drop" (http://www.thedrop-movie.com) - One man finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood's past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living - no matter the cost.

September 19
"The Maze Runner" (http://themazerunnermovie.com) - A teenage boy is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.

"A Walk Among the Tombstones" (http://www.awalkamongthetombstones.net) - A private investigator is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife.

September 26
"The Equalizer" (http://www.equalizerthemovie.com) - A former black ops commando who faked his death for a quiet life in Boston comes out of his retirement to rescue a young girl and finds himself face to face with Russian gangsters.

"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them" - One couple's story as they try to reclaim the life and love they once knew and pick up the pieces of a past that may be too far gone.

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Fall 2014 Movie Previews

[Originally posted on 8/23/14]

 

Summer is always a blast (superheroes, anyone?) , but fall is the season for meaty movies going for major awards.  Guess which ones would compete with last year's celebrated pictures, "Gravity," "Captain Philips," "Her," "American Hustle" or "The Wolf of Wall Street."

To give you a sense of the riches of what we have in store, Yahoo! Movies has compiled a list of nearly three dozens of mainstream and indie releases that have us the most excited, from the return of auteurs like David Fincher ("Gone Girl") and Christopher Nolan ("Interstellar") to the conclusions (or near-conclusions) of epic franchises like "The Hobbit" and "The Hunger Games."

Check out the following scoops:
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/fall-movie-preview-2014-the-32-movies-were-most-95471013582.html

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Upcoming Movies: August 2014

[Originally posted on 7/31/14]

August 1
"Guardians of the Galaxy" (http://marvel.com/guardians) - In the far reaches of space, a pilot named finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by a villain.

August 8
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (http://www.teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com/) - Darkness has settled over New York City as an evil clan has an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"The Hundred Foot Journey" (http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/the-hundred-foot-journey) - A story centered on an Indian family who moves to France and opens an eatery across the street from a Michelin-starred French restaurant.

August 15
"The Expendables 3" (http://theexpendables3film.com/#) - "The Expendables" team comes into conflict with a ruthless arms dealer, the Expendables' co-founder, who is determined to destroy the team.

"The Giver" (https://thegiverfilm.com/) - In a seemingly perfect community, without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man about the true pain and pleasure of the 'real' world.

August 22
"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" (http://sincity-2.com/) - The town's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more reviled inhabitants.

"If I Stay" (http://ifistaymovie.com/) - Life changes in an instant for a young woman after a car accident puts her in a coma. During an out-of-body experience, she must decide whether to wake up and live a life far different than she had imagined.

August 29
"The November Man"  (http://thenovemberman.com/) - An ex-CIA operative is brought back in on a very personal mission and finds himself pitted against his former pupil in a deadly game involving high level CIA officials and the Russian president-elect.

"The Congress" (http://thecongress-movie.com/) - An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.

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"The Amazing Spider-Man 2"

 

Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”) and Emma Stone (“The Amazing Spider-Man”) reprise their roles as the impossibly adorable couple, Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” directed by Marc Webb.

Peter, now has gotten the bearings of being a well-known web-slinger, swinging expertly from one skyscraper to another, merrily pulling off aerial acrobatic moves, getting cheeky with criminals, cops and citizens alike while saving the city.

Less successful is his on-and-off relationship with Gwen. After all, it's not easy to juggle his dual role as a superhero and boyfriend, graduating from high school and thinking about their future, whilst being haunted by the image of her late father, a sheriff, who died in the first installment. He made him promise to stay away from Gwen in order to keep her out of harm's way. Another element in Peter's life is his angst, needing to find out the truth behind the disappearance and death of his parents, which is in conflict with his protective aunt (Sally Field, “Lincoln”).

The trailer promotes Electro (Jamie Foxx, “White House Down”) as the main villain. A nerdy, self esteem-challenged electrical engineer with Oscorp and obsessive fan of Spider-Man, he gets supercharged and turns electric blue when he accidentally gets electrocuted in a water tank filled with eels in a lab mishap. The special effects on Electro and one-note grudge against Spider Man, are not convincing.

A much better, substantial villain is Harry Osborn (Dane DeHann, "Lincoln"), Peter's long-lost best friend and heir to Oscorp, who turns into Green Goblin toward the end. It would have been better had the story focused on Harry instead, and his friendship and history with Peter, and development towards his transformation. DeHann is terrific. From the start where Harry has a chilling encounter with his dad (Chris Cooper, "The Company Men"), head of Oscorp, dying of incurable disease and tells him that he would suffer the same fate because the disease is genetics, him desperately wanting self-healing Spider Man's blood, and to the end where he realizes who Spider-Man really is. Feeling severely betrayed by your best friend is a very personal kind of hurt.

As if two major villains are not enough, another villain, Rhino (Paul Giamatti, “The Ides of March”) makes an appearance, albeit briefly.

What strikes me the most is the style of the movie. It's filmed in a true comics fashion, with stop-and-go motions in action scenes, such as the way Spider-Man nimbly flips and hurls, and cars comically smash and pile up. The action set pieces, first dealing with a hijacked truck full of plutonium and later electrically charged fight in Times Square, are spectacular illustrations. The style make the actions not look as real, yet refreshing for a change.

A real-life couple, Garfield and Stone's chemistry is undeniable. Both as Peter and Spider Man, Garfield has an easy charm, whether being silly or solemn. Stone sparkles with smarts and style.  They're a delight to watch. If you know anything about Spider-Man comics, you would have a sinking feeling during the clock tower sequence, especially following a sweet bridge scene, and recalling Gwen's foreshadowing valedictorian speech at the beginning of the movie. In a movie of superhero and supervillains, Peter and Gwen's relationship is the strongest aspect of the story. It's hard to imagine how Mary Jane, Peter's future lady love, would top what he shares with Gwen.

The movie may be lacking focus, overstuffed and overlong (2.5 hours), but I didn't find the changing tone distracting. The cheery approach suits Spider-Man's lighter personality, but the movie seriously gets down to business as well.

Unlike last month's “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” may not be one of the most amazing superhero movies, but it's amazingly entertaining enough. 

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-the-amazing-spider-man-2/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/lw97btl

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"Maleficent"

[Originally posted on 6/03/14]

Joy for Jolie.  With majestic wings, pointy horns, glowing eyes and enhanced cheekbones, Angelina Jolie (“Wanted”) is a magnetic and menacing presence.  Elle Fanning (“Super 8”) as Aurora, unfortunately, isn't given much to do beyond dressing pretty and smiling incessantly, which is a shame, since Fanning is a talented young actress.

A re-imagined origin story, Maleficent is a humanized version of the iconic villain from “Sleeping Beauty,” a pure-hearted fairy who suffers an unspeakable cruelty at the hands of a loved one, a human and future king (Sharlto Copley, "Elysium"). She grows vengeful, leading her to bestow the infamous, eternal sleep curse on the king's baby daughter, Aurora.

With a running time of 97 minutes, the movie could benefit from an additional scene or two - showing the future king's progression from an innocent orphan boy to a cruel ruler, or the extent of Maleficent's power, which is magical in certain instances, but useless in others.

The movie is all over the map.  It doesn't know whether it wants to be an edgy action adventure like “Snow White and the Huntsman” or a delightful comedy fantasy like “Mirror Mirror.”  It never reaches the right balance like last year's wondrous “Oz: The Great and Powerful.”  Inconsistent tone with disturbing or violent scenes and segments of excessive cutesie-silliness.   The visuals, storybook moor, glistening glades, wall of thorns, colorful creatures, cavernous castle fare much better, even alternating with darker,  more realistic battle scenes.  A free-flying Maleficent and a still image of her standing among the clouds soar high.

With all elements of there - Maleficent, fire-breathing dragon, three fairy godmothers, Princess Aurora and Prince Philip - a twist on the cliché “true love's kiss” is a welcomed one.  While the princess is isolated for her safety and raised in the woods, and eventually meets her prince, the rest, fortunately, diverts from the history of the classic.

“Maleficent” may not be necessarily magnificent, but if you're a Disney fan, it's enchanting enough to see on the big screen.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-maleficent/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/ov2pbsp
DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/q5b9up8

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