REVIEW: Sin City: A Dame To Kill For 3D

MOVIE
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

CAST
Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 22, 2014

DIRECTOR(S)
Robert Rodriguez,
Frank Miller

STUDIO(S)
Dimension Films (TWC),
Troublemaker Studios

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 42 minutes






STARS
**1/2







REVIEW:

About 10 years ago, a film called "Sin City" came along and entertained many people everywhere.  The film was based on a series of celebrated graphic novels by Frank Miller, and was brought to the screen by Miller himself, along with the likes of Robert Rodriguez and (special guest director) Quentin Tarantino.  It's almost interesting how long this movie has been in the works, considering how much of a delay there was to get this bad boy into production.  But alas, here we are, and now this movie is here, this time with most of the same cast and crew, but also with new additions, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Eva Green.  While I enjoyed the first "Sin City" for what it was, the style of a neo-noir film isn't really for me, as I've learned recently.  This new sequel, "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For," tries to be goofier and more over the top while trying to recapture the grittiness of the original.  Unfortunately, the movie suffers because of this.  While there were many things to enjoy about this movie, "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" fails to recapture the epic and all-around enjoyment factor that the first one greatly had.

Just like with the first "Sin City," this film has separate storylines all told throughout the duration of the film.  To get this out of the way, the best one was easily Joseph Gordon-Levitt's one.  The reason for this is because it's slick, gritty, and felt the most engaging and the most authentic in terms of being compared to the original movie.  Not to mention, the acting from Gordon-Levitt and Powers Boothe really elevated the tension and the grittiness of each scene they were in.  This was the type of story and structure that I expected the other few stories in the film to have.  Unfortunately, to say the least, they don't.

Before I get into the stories that heavily involve characters from the original movie, I'm going to talk about the story that involves the characters played by Josh Brolin and Eva Green.  On paper, the idea of a man troubled by his old girlfriend and his old girlfriend coming back into his life to wreck havoc sounds like it would have lots of potential.  In the case of what's going on here, nothing about these scenes felt tense or engaging in the slightest.  Eva Green gives possibly the single most over-the-top performance I've seen all year, and Josh Brolin didn't seem to engaged with the story in all honesty.  Not to mention, we have ANOTHER storyline involving Christopher Meloni and Jeremy Piven that is so dumb and predictable, I'm still debating whether or not their scenes were supposed to be comedic.  If that couldn't get bad enough, then we have the stories with Mickey Rourke and Jessica Alba's characters.

As you might know, these guys were very big parts in the original "Sin City," so for them to come back is no particular surprise.  In looking up this movie, I saw that it was described as being both a sequel and a prequel to the original, sort of adding on and tying up loose knots from the original.  That's all fine and dandy, if they didn't create plot holes within themselves.  Characters that died in the first one are spontaneously alive now, and are somehow moving along in the storyline.  There are other characters featured in scenes that imply it to be taking place before the original film, but there are also these scenes where characters that died are interacting with other characters after their story lines have ended in the original.

Not only is that confusing, but it's just seemed like an excuse to have old actors come back for the sake of having them come back.  Not to mention, these stories weren't even that strong in the first place.  They just kind of felt a little goofy and just, well, there.  Some might find enjoyment in these stories, but for me, I preferred just having these characters in the first one.  Had they gotten an entirely new cast, with the exception of maybe a few surprise cameos, then maybe the film could have succeeded far more than it did here.

Being the man who directed "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Spy Kids" and "Desperado," I must say that Robert Rodriguez really has lost his touch based on his most recent movies.  I feel like he is trying so hard to be innovative and keep up with the times in terms of technology and special effects that he's losing the essence that makes a good movie: a well-thought out story.  Part of the blame can also go to Frank Miller, who actually wrote the screenplay based on his novels.  Both of these men seem to be focusing too much in the special effects and the 3D (which by the way isn't particularly that great) that they forgot how to tell a good story and get the best performances out of their actors.  Not to mention, it feels like Rodriguez and Miller are trying to make this as ridiculous and over-the-top as possible, when in the end that's not necessary in the slightest.  Word of advice to these guys: when trying to make a gritty neo-noir comic book movie, try to make it more like "Watchmen" and less like a sequel to "Machete."  This might be just personal taste, but that's how I felt about the structure and direction that these two made here.

"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" had potentially a lot going for it.  Unfortunately, it doesn't give that many things that are considered "good" in return.  Despite the visuals looking as great as they did in 2005, and the story arc with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character being riveting and engaging, the film suffers from being too cheesy, relying too much on special effects, and having a couple plot holes that really drive the movie into its own whirl pool of confusion and absurdity.  There was honestly honestly potential for this to have been a good, if not, great sequel to "Sin City."  Unfortunately, that wasn't delivered here, and instead we got a movie that's half good, and half mediocre.

So in the end, "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For" is not the worst movie of the summer.  It's really just an average movie that's kind of stuck in between the really good films and the really bad films.   Considering though a lot of the other movies we've gotten, including the comic book films "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and most recently "Guardians of the Galaxy," this could have and should have been a lot better in quality.  This movie didn't make enough money opening weekend to warrant the idea of a "Sin City 3" to be considered.  Frankly, though, I don't even think I want another chance to go into this world again after seeing this movie.



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REVIEW: Frank

MOVIE
Frank

CAST
Domhnall Gleeson,
Michael Fassbender

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 15, 2014
(VOD/LIMITED)

DIRECTOR
Lenny Abrahamson

STUDIO
Magnolia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 33 minutes






STARS
****








REVIEW:

Who would have ever thought that Michael Fassbender, arguably one of the most talented and best looking men working in Hollywood today, would sign on to a role that requires him to wear a giant papier-mâché head throughout mostly the entire duration of the film?  Well I sure as hell didn't, but thank goodness he did, as we probably wouldn't have gotten as hilarious and fantastic of a performance that he delivered here as "Frank."  Loosely based on the British character Frank Sidebottom, Fassbender is the perfectionist leader of a bizarre band who finds inspiration in literally everything he comes across.  The band members, including one played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, all follow this man and consider him to be an underground genius.  Pretty soon, Domhnall Gleeson's character, an aspiring musician on his own, spontaneously joins Frank's band, and his presence begins to change the way they're all exposed to the world that they live in.

If you can't get past the fact that the titular character wears a giant head throughout most of the movie, then this most likely is not something you would probably get in to.  I'm not gonna lie, this is one insanely weird movie.  It's kind of like a strange breeding of the off-beat humor that "Napoleon Dynamite" possessed and a lot of noises and sounds that this group of misfits and weirdos call "music."  At the center of it all is a quirky character who, past the giant head, is a lot more complex and fascinating than one may expect.  From the moment we're introduced to Gleeson's character Jon as he's walking around his hometown trying to find inspiration for a song, immediately I was grabbed by the line and yanked into the abyss that is this movie.  "Frank" is not a movie for the faint of heart, but if you're able to get sucked in by its absolute weirdness, then I have a feeling you're really going to enjoy this flick.

Michael Fassbender's performance as Frank is unlike anything he's done in his career thus far.  Usually being seen as an antagonist in films like "X-Men: Days of Future Past" or as dark, tortured characters in films like "Shame," one of the main things that makes this performance stand out from the others, aside from the head, is the fact that Fassbender is funny here.  In fact, I'd even say that he was hilarious in this movie.  Since you can never see his face for the most part, what drives this performance is the physicality of the character as well as the way his voice sounds.  However, as the third act comes rolling in, we as an audience get to see a dark and upsetting side of Frank that makes us care for him and actually cry with him.  In fact, the last scene of this movie, without giving anything away, actually made me feel like I was going to tear up.  Me tearing up in a movie is a very rare occurrence, so for a movie to move me like that really says something special at how well something can get to me.  And most of that was thanks to Fassbender's killer performance.

Domhnall Gleeson, probably best known for the overlooked film from last year "About Time," delivers a great performance here as well.  Gleeson's character Jon is like ourselves when we join a group of outsiders for the first time and fall in love with their absurd behaviors and tastes in things.  While I don't think his performance was as strong as his role in "About Time," I still found Gleeson's character and performance to be enjoyable and relatable all at the same time.  Everyone else here, including Maggie Gyllenhaal, are all really good as well.  Having said that, even they couldn't top how method and crazy-awesome of a performance Fassbender gave as Frank.

If you're not into absurd and strange comedies like "Frank," then I doubt that this will change your mind on them.  As someone who digs these types of films, as well as movies that successfully tell a strong three-act story with colorful characters, I personally loved the crap out of this movie.  There's some type of charm that this film possesses that made me happy to invest 90 minutes of my time in the presence of these characters.  The direction is actually well-done and the script is quirky and hilarious while also dark and saddening at the same time, which elevated the movie in quality for me.    Not to mention, the music is strangely enchanting and really catchy, especially the last song in the film called "I Love You All."  If "Frank" is at a local indie theater near you, then do yourself a favor and check it out.  If it's not, then luckily this movie is on all VOD platforms for your viewing pleasure.  If you enjoy absurd films along the lines of "Napoleon Dynamite" and don't mind the titular character wearing a giant papier-mâché for mostly the entirety of the film, then I have a feeling that you are really going to enjoy "Frank."


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White Bird In A Blizzard

REWIND REVIEW: Locke

MOVIE
Locke

CAST
Tom Hardy, Olivia Coleman

RATING
R

RELEASE
April 25, 2014

DIRECTOR
Steven Knight

STUDIO
A24

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 25 minutes






STARS
****






REVIEW:

Ok, before you watch the trailer for this movie, (if you haven't already) I want you to look at the poster for this movie.  My guess is that the image of a man like Tom Hardy just sitting in his car with critic blurbs saying that the film is "suspenseful" and "compelling" made you think that this is some sort of action flick with violence, mobsters, and other things of that sort.  Hell, even that's what I thought this was about prior to watching it.  However, having seen the film in its 85 minute glory, I can happily say that "Locke" is compelling and suspenseful for all of the reasons you wouldn't expect just by looking at it from the poster, or even the trailer if you give that a watch.

Basically imagine a movie that takes place in one location that revolves around a man who receives a phone call that turns his life and flips it on his head.  That's the best plot description I can give you without giving too much of the story away.  All you really need to know about this movie, aside from that, is that this is a movie that is incredibly worthy of your attention and time.  In a year where indie films have flourished more than ever, "Locke" undeservedly slipped under the cracks of the people's attention, making it lost in the shuffle of all of the "Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Begin Again's" of 2014.  If you want to see arguably Tom Hardy's most raw and engaging performance to date, as well as a compelling story that relies solely on dialogue and a single performance from the sole actor in the film to keep your attention, then definitely look for "Locke" whether it's On Demand or at your local Redbox.  This is, in my opinion, one of the most well-structured, paced, and thrilling movies to have come out this year so far, and something that I would definitely watch again and again given the opportunity.

REVIEW: If I Stay

MOVIE
If I Stay

CAST
Chloë Grace Moretz,
Jamie Blackley

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 22, 2014

DIRECTOR
R.J. Cutler

STUDIO(S)
Warner Bros. Pictures,
New Line Cinema,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 47 minutes





STARS
***








REVIEW:

Being a fan of Chloë Grace Moretz, I'm game for whatever role she decides to choose next.  When I heard that her latest project was, for lack of a better term, a "chick-flick," I was more interested than actually excited for it.  The movie is basically about a girl pondering whether or not she wants to continue living life after a car accident has left her in a comatose state and as possibly the sole survivor of the crash.  Of course there's a hunky boyfriend, and of course there is a lot of drama present.  Getting past that, though, all that matters is if the film itself got enough things right to be considered good.  In the case of "If I Stay," I think it did.  Sure this isn't a perfect movie by any means, but for the most part, I actually enjoyed this movie more than I expected myself to.

First off, the acting in the film is actually better than one would expect. Chloë Grace Moretz might not be giving her best performance here, but as a whole, she pulls off her role fairly well and manages to carry this movie on her own for the most part. Blackley actually surprised me in the sense that he actually gave a decent performance and brought some emotion to the role. The other performances in the movie are nothing particularly special, though I will say that there’s a scene with Stacey Keach's character in a hospital room that was actually pretty emotional. Otherwise, nobody other than Moretz and Blackley really stood out for me.

The overall tones that the movie possessed were something of a mixed bag for me. On one hand, the film felt sappy, forced and too manipulative for my liking. On the other hand, there were moments of genuinely authentic and pleasant vibes that actually moved me and made me actually care for these characters.  When these pleasant moments were allowed to shine, the film strived and succeeded at keeping this critic invested.  Having said that, these moments don't make up for the flaws that this film unfortunately possesses.

Now for those who have read the book that this film is based on, the flaw I'm about to talk about may upset you.  However, there's a reason as to why I had this while watching the film. The editing in this film felt incredibly jumbled and got annoying to me a little. From what I've heard of from the book, the lead character Mia was recalling memories she had as she's having this comatose out of body experience. In the movie, that’s never addressed whatsoever, so instead it’s just randomly cutting to and from the hospital in every other scene, making it feel almost unnecessary in a way. Unless you read the book, I doubt many would catch on to that, as it’s never even shown that Mia is remembering things in the first place.  The ending of this movie also ticked me off quite a bit.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*
We as an audience are given this intriguing and fascinating emotional climax about Mia choosing either to “stay” or “go” in terms of living, and then the screen fades to a white light. The screen then fades from the white light into the hospital room, where the last seconds of the movie is Mia simply opening her eyes.  The reason why this ticked me off is for two reasons:  The first reason is that it sets up for a sequel that I doubt many people who haven't read the book would actually want.  The second reason is that the close up shot of opening eyes has been done in countless other movies beforehand, so the surprise of that has worn its welcome and instead made me just say "really?" out loud.  If these two things were either better structured or unique in their own way, then I have a feeling that I would have enjoyed this movie more.
*END OF SPOILERS*

Despite the flaws that I found present here, I actually enjoyed "If I Stay" more than I expected to. Chloe Moretz and Jamie Blackley had solid chemistry and did solid jobs here in regards to their performances, the story kept me invested, and there were several scenes that moved me in both a happy and a sad way. If you’re a teen girl, or somebody who has read the book that this movie’s based on, I’d say check this movie out. From what I’ve heard, this actually stays true to the book, which is always a good sign. As for the guys, unless you’re like me and you either A.) like chick flicks, B.) rarely dislike movies, or C.) all of the above, this isn’t a movie made for you. And if your girlfriends drag you to this one, at least you’re giving the lady something that they’ll thank you for taking them to.  This isn't on the levels of something like "The Fault in Our Stars," but this is a young adult adaptation that I would recommend as a solid rental for a girl's sleepover party.


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REVIEW: The One I Love

MOVIE
The One I Love

CAST
Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 22, 2014 (LIMITED)

DIRECTOR
Charlie McDowell

STUDIO
Radius-TWC

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 31 minutes





STARS
***3/4







REVIEW:

If you've seen any other reviews for this movie, one of the first things they tell you is that this is one of those movies where it's hard to really talk about without giving away something ridiculously original, crucial, and unique to the movie.  Personally, I agree with everyone who has said this, as "The One I Love" is one of those rare movies that's best to know as little as possible about before going to see it.  Even though the trailer doesn't give much of the "surprise" away, it's still best to avoid it until seeing the film.  All you need to know about this movie is that a struggling married couple go away to a luxurious vacation spot in order to settle some of their differences and try to get their marriage back into shape.

What happens at this vacation spot isn't necessarily scary, but it's very jarring and extremely clever, so much so that the audiences at the numerous film festivals where this played had no idea how the studio who'd pick this up for distribution would sell it without giving away the big twist.  Luckily, Radius-TWC for the most part did a bang up job selling this quirky little indie to audiences.  This "twist" I'm hyping up might sound like a gimmick, but believe me when I say it isn't.  All I'm saying is that not knowing the twist adds to the surprise of this movie.  Regardless of knowing anything or not, "The One I Love" at its whole is a clever, funny, and surprisingly creepy take on one couple's mission to pick up the pieces of their crumbling marriage.

Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss share great chemistry together, plain and simple.  As the two sole actors in the movie, (aside from Ted Danson in a couple of scenes) these actors have the responsibility of carrying the entire show based solely on their performances.  Luckily, they do just that, and in return make us believe that they are a struggling married couple.  There are so many layers to their characters that I can't begin to discuss here, but once you see the movie, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.  In fact, I'm just gonna stop now before I potentially give anything else away.

Director Charlie McDowell and screenwriter Justin Lader have together made something of a modern romantic marvel with this movie.  Things might not be as fully explained as some of us would want it to be, but considering that this was their first foray into filmmaking territories, I must say that these two have done a bang up job and have really started their careers off with a bang.  This is a movie that, once the twist that I keep hyping up happens, the story spirals into unpredictable territories that leaves you mesmerized and guessing until the end.  Although, even the end of the movie will have you guessing as to what has happened.  I doubt the twist will have a positive effect on everyone, but for this critic here, it worked exceedingly well.  As a whole, "The One I Love" is a funny, romantic, and even pretty dark movie that takes the average idea of a dysfunctional married couple and turns it on its head.

REVIEW: The Giver

MOVIE
The Giver

CAST
Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 15, 2014

DIRECTOR
Phillip Noyce

STUDIO
The Weinstein Company

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 40 minutes






STARS
***1/4









REVIEW:

In 1993, author Lois Lowry published "The Giver," a book about a society with no free will and the individuals who have access to the memories of the past.  For years, Jeff Bridges had wanted to make this movie, and he even wanted his father Lloyd Bridges to play the titular character.  However there were several falling-outs between Bridges and the studios that had owned the rights to the book that prevented the movie from being made.  But alas, after over two decades of negotiating and jumping from place to place, Bridges has finally brought this story to the big screen.  As someone who never read the award-winning book, I wasn't particularly that excited for this movie.  Even with Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep as two of the main characters, there was something about this movie that just didn't fully grab me the way previous young-adult book adaptations have before.  Having now seen the film, I can honestly say that, like many other book to film adaptations that have come out this year, I was pleasantly surprised with "The Giver."

Jeff Bridges was at his wisest and his "dudiest" here as the titular character.  The performance overall was engaging to watch and overall was just a fascinating character to learn about in general.  Meryl Streep, though in a hippie-esque wig, was also really good as the leader of the Elders in the community.  I liked how menacing her character could be while not showing that much emotion.  Think of her as the Hal 3000 but with the face of Meryl Streep, more emotion, and the hairdo of Tommy Chong.  However these guys weren't quite as impressive as their younger co-stars, in my eyes.

Brenton Thwaites pulls off a solid breakout-esque performance as Jonas, being a really likable guy and a pretty good actor as well.  Same goes for Odeya Rush, though she isn’t as developed as she should have been in my opinion.  Even Taylor Swift was pretty good in the movie, though she was only in it for about 10 minutes or so. Now with every solid set of actors, there's bound to be a couple who don't really shine as brightly as the others.  In the case of this movie, there were two performances that did just that, which is upsetting considering how much talent they have in general.

Alexander Skarsgard I thought was fine in general, but he wasn’t particularly memorable in the slightest and was just reading his lines and not getting lost in his character.  And then, there was Katie Holmes' mediocre performance.  It’s not that the character was written poorly, because she actually might have been somewhat interesting; It’s just that Holmes brought nothing to this performance and just made me somewhat cringe every time she was talking.  It kind of reminded me of Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance in "Terminator Salvation," in which they were just there to be a snooty supporter of someone.  Overall, every performance (aside from Holmes) was actually pretty good, which is probably thanks to the work from director Phillip Noyce.

The only other Phillip Noyce directed film I have seen was the 2010 Angelina Jolie flick "Salt," which I particularly wasn’t a fan of.  However, the direction in that film I will admit was pretty solid.  Noyce definitely shows he understands the craft here, and through that helps to tell an interesting story that so many around the world have only been able to imagine in their heads.  What I admired the most about his direction is how he used color in this movie.  Staying true to the book, (from what I've heard) the first 20 or so minutes of this movie, aside from a few little shots here and there, are entirely in black and white.  Once Jonas sees these memories for the first time, the colors from them feel more vibrant and give off the illusion that we as an audience are too experiencing colors for the first time.  The funny thing about that is that once the film fully transitions into color, the community and everything that isn't in a memory looks grey and a bit muted.  This, to me, was Noyce's representation of the bland and bleak world that Jonas lived in all his life, which made me admire his direction even more.

Now as for the other things I didn't care for in this movie, other than Katie Holmes, is the fact that the beginning didn't grab me and the ending was pretty rushed. I thought the beginning of this movie was a little too generic for my liking and it didn’t really suck me in the way I wanted it to. It was when Meryl Streep first appears, that the movie really started to peak my interest. As for the ending, this huge climax happens that has the audience on the edge of their seats, and then there's literally one minute of "resolution" before the credits start rolling. That might have been setting up for a sequel, but honestly I don't care. It's the type of ending that makes us audience members longing for just 5 more minutes in this world that we've already spent over 90 minutes in. Putting those problems aside, this as a whole is a pretty solid movie.

The performances are solid, the story kept my attention, and the direction/use of color here is pretty great. Judging from what I’ve been told from those who have read the book and have seen the movie, this is a pretty faithful adaptation despite some changes here and there.  The movie itself might be flawed, but the positives outweigh the negatives, which gives me pleasure to recommend this to people.  While films like "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Divergent" were better made films, "The Giver" managed to hold its own and even give people something to see as the summer is winding down.  Overall, "The Giver" got the job done in what it was trying to do, and in return gave me an entertaining movie that I can happily recommend.

REVIEW: How To Train Your Dragon 2

MOVIE
How To Train Your Dragon 2

CAST
Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett

RATING
PG

RELEASE
June 13, 2014

DIRECTOR
Dean DeBlois

STUDIO(S)
DreamWorks Animation,
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 42 minutes





STARS
****








REVIEW:

It's one thing for a sequel to be a worthy successor to the original, but for it to be superior to the original is another story.  Case in point, here "How To Train Your Dragon 2" is to surprise me so much in a summer that has already given us so many great movies as it is.  I missed this movie throughout the season due to plans falling through, other movies conflicting, and other things of the sort; and while the movie wasn't in 3D when I saw it, I still found everything else to be just as exhilarating and immersive as it would have been with the goofy glasses on.  Seriously, this is the single biggest surprise of the summer for me, and something I'm really glad I got to see on the big screen before it left.

Before anyone asks, there are plenty of chichéd things present here.  For example, many moments are very easy to predict and aren't the most original of ideas.  Not to mention, there's a random subplot of a love square (yeah that's right, four people are involved here) between some of the smaller supporting characters for no reason other than just to have comedy.  But here's the thing: I honestly gave in to everything this movie presented my way.  Recent films like "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "Maleficent" were good overall, but their predictability and overused story lines took me out of the experience a little bit, making them drop in quality for me.  Here is a movie that managed to suck me in from frame one and never let me go, regardless of the little tiny flaws that others would have.

As a whole, the story itself is actually well developed and well done considering it had to live up to the original "How To Train Your Dragon."  The main protagonist Hiccup has to go up against a foe who claims to be forming a dragon army, and at the same time has to deal with his father wanting him to be the leader of his Viking tribe as he is now an adult.  Other family issues are present as well, and they all are blended into the story pretty damn well if I say so myself.  The conflicts and moral dilemmas that Hiccup goes through here are not only great to watch, but they were also incredibly relatable to me as somebody getting ready for his final year of high school before college and life take their place.  This is just one of those movies that came into my life at the right time, if that makes any sense, and I think that's why I enjoyed this so much.

As with all DreamWorks movies, one has to talk about how well the voice acting and animation are.  Well, to simply put it, this is the most beautiful animation I've ever seen DreamWorks do.  I'm being completely serious when I say that the animation is the most visceral, entrancing, and gorgeous work that the studio has done in all of their years as a company.  Even though my print of the flick wasn't the 3D cut, I still found the animation to be so good that it on its own kept off the screen.  And as for the voice acting, everyone here did a fantastic job in their respected roles.  Major props go out to Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, and Djimon Hounsou for really bringing their A-game to their performances and giving it their all, which in return gave some incredible voice work that appropriately fit with their respected characters.  Everyone else in the movie is great as well, but these four just stood out to me among the rest.

So if you haven't guessed already, I absolutely adored "How To Train Your Dragon 2."  Everything about this movie, including the formulaic stuff that normally would bother me, just simply worked for me.  I'm not going to say this is flawless, because it's not, but it's one of those rare instances where nothing about this movie felt sour or too much.  Instead, I was captivated with every laugh, thrill, and emotion that this movie had within it.  DreamWorks has truly outdone themselves here, and that's saying something considering their previous movies.  If this movie is still playing near you and you haven't had the chance to see it, I implore you to make the time to do so.  This is a movie that, while just as enjoyable on a TV screen at home, is something that is a great theater experience overall.  If you can't make it to the theater, though, try to make the time to see this movie when it arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray.  "How To Train Your Dragon 2" is overall a smart, funny, emotionally investing, and riveting work of animation that just, for me, got every single thing about it right.




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MINI-REVIEW: Life After Beth

MOVIE
Life After Beth

CAST
Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 15, 2014

DIRECTOR
John Baena

STUDIO
A24

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 29 minutes







STARS
**1/2







REVIEW:

With a cast and a concept like the ones featured in "Life After Beth," one would expect something kind of hilariously awesome, right?  Well, that's not particularly what was delivered here.  "Life After Beth" stars Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, and many other recognizable faces that'll surprise you.  The movie is about a girl named Beth (I guess the title spoiled that) who died, but then mysteriously comes back to life to her boyfriend Zach (what a good name) and parent's surprise.  However Beth isn't the same as she was when she was first alive, and pretty soon she starts changing into something sort of supernatural.  The problem that the movie possesses is that it doesn't know what genre it wants to be.  Is it supposed to be a comedy with horror elements, or a horror with comedic elements?  Either way, the film feels very uneven.

Aside from a few clever jokes, the humor in this movie felt very dull and restrained.  The horror elements never feel smart or clever, and rather it just tries to go for the usual horror cliches that have been done so many times before.  This movie is kind of like an American version of "Shaun of the Dead" but without the heart and soul that that movie had.  I did like Aubrey Plaza and Dane DeHaan's performances, though, as they managed to bring something to their performances.  Plaza even manages to play a pretty good zombie when she's fully transformed into the flesh-eating undead creature.  However, that doesn't make up for the movie's unbalanced script.

Some characters in this movie are written in one way, and then in the second half pull a complete 180 and turn into something that comes literally out of nowhere.  Not to mention, the ending out of the blue goes from this grim setting to a relatively happy one for no reason other than to have a happy ending.  This was writer/director John Baena's first movie, and it clearly shows.  While there were things to like about "Life After Beth," the negatives bring it down and make it just an average and forgettable horror-comedy.  If it was on cable one day and there was nothing else I was doing, then maybe I'd check it out.  Other than that, if this is something you really want to see, I'd say just wait for when it comes out on DVD or something.  Overall, "Life After Beth" is an average and disappointing movie with some solid performances and some decent jokes, but suffers from a jumbled script and a sense of confusion on the writer/director's part.

REVIEW: Let's Be Cops

MOVIE
Let's Be Cops

CAST
Damon Wayans Jr.,
Jake Johnson

RATING
R

RELEASE
August 13, 2014

DIRECTOR
Luke Greenfield

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 44 minutes






STARS
***3/4








REVIEW:

At the time of first seeing this movie, I had only one thing to show me what this was going to be like, and that was a 3 minute long "red band" trailer.  What made me happy about that was that the trailer focused on mostly what was going on in the first half hour or so of the movie, and even then it didn't even shine on the film's full plot line.  "Let's Be Cops" follows "New Girl" stars Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. as a pair of best friends, one a video game designer and the other a man trying to make his way around life, who mistakenly dress up as cops for a masquerade party.  After ditching the party and walking around town, they soon realize that people really think they're cops, and being a cop has its advantages.  While Damon Wayans' character Justin wants to leave their one night of fun in the past, Jake Johnson's character Nick doesn't, and he decides to actually patrol the streets as if he were a legit cop, which is highly illegal.  However, things start to get very crazy for Nick and Justin as they get involved in a ruthless criminal world of mobsters, which forces them into the line of duty for real.  At least, until they don't get caught.

I think one of the key things that helps the film work is the undeniably strong chemistry between Johnson and Wayans.  From the moment we meet these two guys at the beginning of the movie singing the Backstreet Boys song "I Want It That Way," you can immediately tell that these two are best friends, both in the film and in real life.  The things that come out of their mouths are both hilarious and pretty real things that guy friends would say to one another.  I loved the dynamics they get themselves into once they become "cops" and get themselves involved with real police work.  While some of the stuff was implausible and over the top, these guys helped to make it work thanks to their reactions and how they fired one-liners off one another.  If it was anyone else in these roles, I honestly don't know if the film would have been as good since these two practically MADE the film as funny as it was.

Nina Dobrev plays a solid role in here as the love interest to Damon Wayans Jr.'s character.  She might not spew out one-liners like how most of the people do in this movie, but she's still entertaining and she doesn't come off as a straight up damsel in distress, which is always a plus one in my book.  Rob Riggle, well, when isn't Rob Riggle funny in a movie?  Seriously, I think Riggle is something of a comedic genius in terms of the way he acts in general and the way he just shoots joke after joke at you non-stop.  In this movie, he is no exception, as he is not only hilarious but manages to be a badass in his own right as well.  Also among the hilarious cast is Keegan-Michael Key, best known for his work on the show "Key & Peele."  This role is definitely up is alley, and further shows how hilarious of a comedian he is.

Aside from the jokes, the thing that shocked me the most about this movie is how it addresses the violence presented in police-related media.  This movie actually tries to be somewhat realistic despite the concept being incredibly ridiculous.  That's just one of the many things that makes "Let's Be Cops" unique and a standout amongst the countless other comedies that have come out this year.  The jokes hit hard, the story is somewhat smarter than one would expect, and Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. have incredible chemistry together.  I can see a good amount of people not liking this because of its implausibility, but for me, nearly everything about this movie hit pretty damn hard.  For that, I highly recommend you checking this movie out, as it's a pretty great way to turn your brain off and have a good laugh before the summer ends.






ME AND MY FRIEND CHRIS FYFE WITH "LET'S BE COPS" STARS DAMON WAYANS JR. AND JAKE JOHNSON AT A SPECIAL MEET AND GREET/SUPER EARLY ADVANCE SCREENING OF THE FILM ON APRIL 22, 2014!!

ME WITH JOSHUA ORMOND, AKA "LITTLE JOEY" FROM "LET'S BE COPS" AFTER AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BETWEEN HIM AND I ON JULY 30, 2014!!  CHECK OUT OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BELOW THIS PICTURE!

MINI-REVIEW: The Hundred-Foot Journey

MOVIE
The Hundred-Foot Journey

CAST
Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal

RATING
PG

RELEASE
August 8, 2014

DIRECTOR
Lasse Hallström

STUDIO(S)
DreamWorks Pictures,
Touchstone Pictures (Disney)

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 2 minutes





STARS
***








REVIEW:

When Disney produces live action movies, I think it's safe to say that a schmaltz-fest is expected, especially when it's a film about people from another part of the world changing things up for locals.  Well for the first hour of "The Hundred-Foot Journey," that's exactly what it is: a pure schmaltz-fest filled with quotes made just for the trailer, as well as jokes that aren't even that funny and an incredibly predictable romance between two characters.  However once the first hour has passed, and the story goes beyond this Indian family opening up an Indian restaurant in France, that's when the movie actually got interesting.  The main character isn't Helen Mirren's character, as the poster/trailer might suggest.  The movie actually focuses on Manish Dayal's character, who is an aspiring chef.  Basically the second half focuses on him getting his big break and stuff, differing away from all of the cliched crap.  The movie is well-acted, and the script is fine for the most part.  Despite all of the cliches and typical "inspirational story" bullsh** that is seen far too often, I didn't mind "The Hundred-Foot Journey."  At best, this is a fine rental to have with the family on a rainy night.  There's no point seeing this in the theater, but I did smile a few times, and for that, I'll recommend this sucker.

REVIEW: A Most Wanted Man

MOVIE
A Most Wanted Man

CAST
Phillip Seymour Hoffman,
Rachel McAdams

RATING
R

RELEASE
July 25, 2014

DIRECTOR
Anton Corbijn

STUDIO(S)
Lionsgate,
Roadside Attractions

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 2 minutes





STARS
***1/2









REVIEW:

The death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman brought a lot of sadness and shock to many people around the world.  He was considered by many to be one of the best actors of this generation, giving his all in every single performance he gave.  However, despite leaving us unexpectedly, he did leave behind a few films that let us see his incredible presence on the big screen one more time.  One of those movies is "A Most Wanted Man," a spy movie based on the novel by John le Carré.  The film is about a counter-terrorist expert in our post 9/11 world who has his attention now focused on a man who has just immigrated to Hamberg, Germany.  The man has been brutally tortured throughout is life and claims to be in Hamberg to collect the money that his criminal father has left for him.  Both the German government that Hoffman's character works for and the US government take interest in this man, trying to figure out whether he's telling the truth or is actually a terrorist hell-bent on causing destruction.

The first thing I should talk about is Hoffman's performance, since I'm guessing that's what most people reading this actually care about.  Well to be perfectly honest, Hoffman is incredible in this movie.  His performance is incredibly subtle and calm, which actually makes his character a lot more interesting to watch.  He is able to be engaging, intense, and even a little funny without yelling or doing anything really crazy.  Not to mention, his German accent is so perfect that I forgot that he was American for a decent portion of the movie.  He was just able to lose himself in his characters, and it's no exception here.  If you didn't believe that he was an incredible actor before, then check this film out and see why people even now, 6 months since his passing, are still mourning his loss.

Rachel McAdams dons an interesting German accent here, and she actually does a pretty good job here as the lawyer helping out the suspected terrorist.  She's believable in the part and helps to carry the story along well.  Willem Dafoe also sports a German accent here, and honestly, he nearly rivals Hoffman's performance in my opinion.  While he's in the movie for maybe 30 minutes or so, he captivates almost every scene he's in and delivers some great work alongside Hoffman.  Robin Wright also pops up in the movie as a CIA agent investigating the terrorist, and for what she does in the movie, she's gives a very good performance.  Everyone here is really good, but Hoffman steals the show, though Dafoe rivals him at times.

While I got confused and even a little bored during this movie, I still think "A Most Wanted Man" is a captivating spy thriller overall.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman delivers an incredible performance and one hell of a swan song in terms of leading roles.  The story never lost my attention and managed to be thrilling even in its quieter and slower moments.  The rest of the actors also delivers solid performances, though none compare to the late leading man.  Anton Corbijn has made a spy movie that may very well appeal to anyone who enjoy but fascinating spy flicks that also happen to be slowly-paced.  The movie might be doing so well now simply because people want to see Hoffman's final leading role, but in return they're getting something more: an intense, entertaining, yet slow and somewhat confusing thriller with great performances and a story that people can follow and understand mostly, especially considering the times that we live in.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Pride

Love Is Strange

Land Ho

The Giver

Gone Girl

RIP Robin Williams (1951-2014)

Words can't fully describe how heartbreakingly tragic this is.  As someone who grew up watching films like "Hook," "Jumanji," and "Mrs. Doubtfire," hearing about the death of Robin Williams hit me more so than any other death I have been alive to sadly experience.  You'd never think of someone as light-hearted and happy like Robin Williams being taken out of this world at such a young age.  63 might not be the youngest someone could be, but it is pretty young considering how long others have lived for.  For me, this is incredibly hard to comprehend.  His movies have made me laugh so much and have given me so much joy in life.  But alas, the beauty that can be taken out of all of this is that he will forever live on in the movies that we have grown to love him in.  Mrs. Doubtfire will always be there to care to our needs and make us laugh.  The Genie will be there to grant our wishes and to sing a catchy number or two.  And finally, Williams will always be there to tug at our heart strings, whether that's in "Good Will Hunting" or "Patch Adams."  Peter Panning decided to grow up in "Hook," but he still kept the kindred spirit that will live in all of us, even if we choose to grow up.  We must maintain the spirit that he has left in our hearts while our minds and bodies continue to grow year after year.  I wish nothing but the best of luck to his friends and family, and I hope nothing but the best for them at this sad moment in time.  Everybody dies, but Robin Williams passing away here and now is something else.  Long live Robin Williams , and may he rest in peace and continue to make the world laugh, cry, and smile with his endless collection of movies.

REVIEW: What If

MOVIE
What If

CAST
Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 8, 2014

DIRECTOR
Michael Dowse

STUDIO
CBS Films

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 42 minutes





STARS
***3/4








REVIEW:

The formula for a romantic comedy is simple: boy meets girl, girl meets boy, conflict prevents them from being together, drama is put in there, boy and girl fall in love, happily ever after.  This has been done so many times over, but recently there haven't been many legitimately great romantic comedies that manage to stand the test of time and shine over all of the other ones.  "What If" is an example of how great romantic comedies can still be.  Originally titled "The F Word," this movie stars Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan as two people in two different situations.  Radcliffe's Wallace has just dropped out of medical school and is currently single.  Kazan's Chantry is an animator living with her longtime boyfriend Ben and is currently being offered promotions at work.  Wallace and Chantry meet at a party one night, and the chemistry begins flying like bullets in a western stand-off.  Unfortunately Wallace can't date Chantry, so he willingly sticks himself in the friend zone and the two become incredibly close.

So as you might be able to guess, the entire film follows the basic romantic comedy tropes, and the ending will go exactly as you would expect.  However in the case of this movie, it really doesn't matter whether or not you know the eventual outcome of the two leads.  The main things that matter are whether the story is told well, the script is well written, and the two romantic leads have solid chemistry.   Believe me when I say now that, for me at least, the film had all of that and more.  I had such a big smile on my face while watching this movie that it almost hurt.  "What If" might seem generic on the outside, but the bulk of the movie shows something with fantastic chemistry, a hilarious script, and a story that keeps the attention of its audience members, despite it being predictable and not the most original.

Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan are irresistible in the scenes when they share the screen.  It's not just because they're talented actors and they're instantly likable just by the sight of them together, but the dialogue that they fly off one another feels authentic and genuine while being touching and hilarious at the same time.  Radcliffe is really proving himself to be a legitimately talented and smart actor in the sense that he's successfully pushing himself away from his "Harry Potter" image.  As for Kazan, I've always liked her screen presence and have been a fan of hers since "Ruby Sparks."  She has the type of spark that actresses like Brit Marling and Jennifer Lawrence have, which hopefully will take her to extensively great places in her career.  Other actors featured in fantastic supporting roles here include Adam Driver, Mackenzie Davis, and Rafe Spall.  All manage to put their own spin into the movie and make the roles their own.  Having said that, it's Radcliffe and Kazan's performances that you'll be thinking about when the movie ends.

When looking at the IMDB page for screenwriter Elan Mastai, the track record isn't exactly the best.  Movies that he has written in the past include "The Samaritan," "MVP: Most Vertical Primate," and the critically slammed Uwe Ball flick "Alone in the Dark."  Even director Michael Dowse's track record isn't the greatest, with his most critically successful film being the 2012 Canadian hockey comedy "Goon."  However, these two together have made something authentically true, and a true romantic comedy for the ages.  The dialogue and story is something many can relate to, and Dowse's direction is unique and creative in ways that I can't say without ruining some of the film's magic.

"What If" is something that I think audiences will grab onto and clutch tightly to their chests the way I did with "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" back in 2012.  The jokes in this flick hit like bullets to the chest and burst with laughter as they make impact.  The chemistry between Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan is absolutely irresistible, and something I think many people could relate to.  To top it off, the drama in this movie feels real, despite being as predictable as any romantic comedy out there.  Despite the sheer predictability of it, I had a blast with "What If" and I cannot wait to see this movie again.  Hell, I may even buy it when it comes out on Blu-Ray.

REVIEW: Get on Up

MOVIE
Get on Up

CAST
Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 1, 2014

DIRECTOR
Tate Taylor

STUDIO
Universal Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 19 minutes





STARS
***








REVIEW:

Tate Taylor's "The Help," released back in 2011, was truly one of the biggest surprises of that year for me.  I was even one of the first to boldly state "Octavia Spencer is going to win the Oscar" then.  When I found out that Taylor was making a new film starring Chadwick Boseman from "42" and his leading ladies from "The Help," Spencer and Viola Davis, I couldn't have been more intrigued.  I didn't really know much about James Brown other than a few of his songs going into the movie, so I was hoping that the film would tell a fascinating enough story to get my attention peaked. And while the story is interesting, and Chadwick Boseman's performance as James Brown is fantastic, I felt that the reason why "Get on Up" fails to deliver the way "The Help" delivered is due to the film itself feeling jumbled and bloated.

My biggest complaint here is how the movie has a fetish of sorts for jumping all throughout the life of James Brown.  One scene could take place in 1988, and the next scene could take place in 1939.  There's no purpose to this movie being like this, and yet it's done I guess for some type of artistic merit that the editors and screenwriters felt they had.  Not to mention, there are some sequences, particularly one involving Viola Davis as an older lady, that are literally separated by 45 minutes to an hour's worth of other material for no apparent reason.  In fact, I turned to my buddy as we were both thinking "Where did Viola Davis go?"  There's even a scene that shows Brown slapping his wife, and this is literally never addressed again for the rest of the movie.  That just kind of bugged me, personally.  Also, there were some scenes where Brown was breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience.  I don't know why this happened, but it did, and it was pretty damn unnecessary if you ask me.  If there was a method to why the filmmakers were doing this, then I would have been fine with this.  But honestly, I couldn't see any reason why these guys did what they did.

As I said, Chadwick Boseman is great in the movie as James Brown.  He totally channels James Brown and makes the character vile, greedy, and very charismatic all at the same time.  While I didn't think he was as great in this as he was playing Jackie Robinson in "42," Boseman still owns every scene he's in and gives further reason as to why I called him "the next Denzel Washington."  Another actor in the film who I felt really stole some of the show from Boseman is Nelsan Ellis, playing Bobby Byrd.  I haven't seen his work on the show "True Blood," but I could tell from this performance how talented he is.  I'd love to see him in many more films, because he brought a nice blend of energy that appropriately clashed with Brown's sly attitude.  Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Dan Aykroyd are also very good in the film, but not much can really be said about them other than that.

"Get on Up" is not as good as a movie with talent of this caliber behind it should have been, but I would still say it's worth checking out at home when it becomes available digitally.  The editing might not make much sense and there might be moments that are totally out of place or never really gone into any further, but it's really thanks to Boseman's engaging presence and the story of the Godfather of Soul itself being pretty interesting that makes me recommend this.  It's nowhere near the quality of "The Help," but I still see Tate Taylor becoming a very successful director if he chooses more engaging and interesting scripts.  This applies to Chadwick Boseman too, as I still think he captures the same type of charisma and energy that Denzel Washington still has in his roles today.  Overall, "Get on Up" has its fair share of flaws, but if you can get past them, this is a pretty decent film to rent in a few months.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

The Identical

Exodus: Gods & Kings

A Walk Among The Tombstones

Unbroken

Addicted

Beyond The Lights

MINI-REVIEW: Wish I Was Here

MOVIE
Wish I Was Here

CAST
Zach Braff, Kate Hudson

RATING
R

RELEASE
July 18, 2014 (LIMITED)

DIRECTOR
Zach Braff

STUDIO
Focus Features

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 47 minutes






STARS
***1/4







REVIEW:

Ten years is a long time in terms of making a follow up to a very popular film.  Zach Braff back in 2004 made "Garden State," which I personally believe is one of the best films of the last decade.  When it was announced that Braff had started a Kickstarter page for a new film project of his, I couldn't have been more excited.  Here we are now, a year later, and Braff's directorial follow-up  "Wish I Was Here" is out in the open for public eyes to see.  I won't lie by saying that Braff has made another masterpiece, because this movie isn't.  The film can be a bit too schmaltzy at times and it features a few characters who honestly have no real purpose of being there.  However when the emotions hit, they hit something near and true.  I liked all of the characters because I felt like I knew these people.  It might have been because Braff's family is a Jewish family and I got all of the Jewish lingo, but who knows.

I don't know if I would watch "Wish I Was Here" again, but I will say that it did not disappoint despite some obvious flaws presented in it.  Overall, if you're a fan of "Garden State," I will say that this movie is a major step down from it.  As its own thing, though, "Wish I Was Here" is a funny, sweet, and heartfelt movie that, despite its flaws, is something I would recommend seeing.  The acting is top-notch, the story is sweet, and there are some moments in here that will put a genuine smile on your face.  Hopefully Zach Braff doesn't wait another decade to direct another film, because he is a really talented director and somebody I think people would go back to see.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

What If

The Best of Me

The Hundred Foot Journey

A Walk Among The Tombstones

This Is Where I Leave You

Kill The Messenger

REVIEW: Guardians of the Galaxy 3D

MOVIE
Guardians of the Galaxy

CAST
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
August 1, 2014

DIRECTOR
James Gunn

STUDIO
Marvel Studios (Disney)

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 1 minute







STARS
***3/4









REVIEW:

So, here we are again: Marvel has brought yet another one of their superhero properties to the big screen.  The reason why "Guardians of the Galaxy," directed by James Gunn of "Slither" and "Super," stands out from all of the others is because of how ambitious it is to bring these unusual characters to life in the first place.  Not only are these heroes relatively unknown to the general masses of people, but the so-called "heroes" in the story include a talking tree and a wise-cracking raccoon possessing a machine gun as his weapon of choice.  Without a doubt this is definitely the biggest gamble that Marvel has done thus far in their history of filmmaking.  For those who were still skeptic on how the film would actually be overall, I can happily say that Marvel made an awesome choice in gambling on this.  Fast paced, very funny, and even pretty damn heartfelt at times, "Guardians of the Galaxy" is an awesome summer movie that will most likely meet and even exceed everyone's expectations.

The film itself is about five different individuals who all are not exactly friendly to the law.  One of them is a smuggler from Earth, one is a ruthless assassin on a bounty to get an object for her boss, one is a maniac on a mission to exact revenge on the murder of his family, and the other two are thugs who look like a wise-cracking talking raccoon and a tree-like figure who can only say three words.  Together these misfits all join up together in order to fight an enemy who is attempting to rule the galaxy.  So of course, the story itself is relatively predictable and not the most original thing you could see.  However, the execution of it all is what made the story of this movie work incredibly well.

James Gunn and  Nicole Perlman's screenplay allowed the characters to be fleshed out and given proper development, and it also allowed the audience members to care about them and feel for them when the drama hits.  They show here that they understand how to appeal to both the comic-book crowd and the mainstream crowd, making it a solid entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Not to mention, Gunn adds his particular obscure style of filmmaking/artistic direction in here, and he does it with such grace that they simply fit into the movie.  It was recently announced that he's going to be returning for "Guardians of the Galaxy 2," and after seeing this movie I'm really excited to see what he does to add on to this soon-to-be film series.

It's kind of funny for me to say that my favorite character in the film is the one who  only has three words in the entire duration of the film.  It might have just been the visual effects department doing a bang up job on his design, but I thought Groot, played by Vin Diesel, really stole the show here.  He was funny, sweet, and a pretty badass individual overall.  Then we have Chris Pratt's Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, who is mostly the center of the story.  Pratt shows that he's not only a qualified action hero, but also further proves just how great his comedic timing his under the right direction.  Zoe Saldana's Gamora and Dave Bautista's Drax also stole certain scenes with their comedic timing and their awesome action sequences.  As for Bradley Cooper's Rocket Raccoon, well, I thought he was the least interesting character of the Guardians.  I'm not dissing his performance at all, because he's really good in the movie.  I personally just felt that the script was trying so hard to make him the "scene-stealer" that it got a little old after a while, therefore putting my attention more to the other characters.

The one character who I thought was written mediocrely was Karen Gillan's Nebula, who's basically the cliched attention-sealing/jealous type who only is in the film to conflict against Gamora.  Sure she's a great fighter, but the character itself just got on my nerves for the wrong reason.  Having said that, she didn't destroy the film for me.  The rest of the supporting cast, regardless of how much they're in the film, are all really good.  Lee Pace makes a great villain as Ronan, managing to be awesome and menacing at the same time.  Michael Rooker is just a blast to watch as Yondu, a fellow smuggler to Star-Lord.  He has some wickedly awesome and hilarious scenes spread out all throughout the film, which makes him a standout in my book.  Glenn Close and John C. Reilly have small roles as government officials in the movie, and both are solid.  And finally, Benicio Del Toro shows up for one scene playing The Collector, and he is both enchanting and mysterious during his time.  These are all characters I'd like to know more about, but since at least one of these guys, well, meets their end, it would be hard to see them again unless there was a prequel film.

I have a strong feeling that a lot of people are going to love "Guardians of the Galaxy," and for good reason in fact.  The comedy hits hard, the acting is solid, and the story is incredibly fascinating and stands out among many of the Marvel films.  It's not as great as "The Avengers" or "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," but it is still fun and awesome enough to recommend.  I'd even recommend seeing this film in 3D because it's actually some of the best 3D I've seen this year so far.  The film is hysterical and fun at times, and emotionally investing at other times, which makes this movie a nearly perfect blend of the genres.  Overall, this is a movie that is well worth your time, and is sure to find an audience that fully appreciates how fun and deep a summer blockbuster can be.  Oh, and one other quick little thing: the soundtrack of this movie is friggin' great, blending the sounds of the 80s with this modern superhero film with swift force.  This is a movie that will definitely get you, as Blue Swede said, "Hooked on a Feeling."