Alan Time Jumps with the X-Men in 'Days of Future Past'

Starring

• James McAvoy
• Michael Fassbender
• Hugh Jackman
• Jennifer Lawrence
• Patrick Stewart
• Ian McKellan
• Peter Dinklage
• Halle Berry

Original Theatrical Release Date: 05/23/2014

Running Time: 131 mins

Synopsis: The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original "X-Men" film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from the past, "X-Men: First Class," in order to change a major historical event and fight in an epic battle that could save our future. --From Rotten Tomatoes

Review: The X-Men franchise has had its ups and downs, with 'X2: X-Men United' probably being considered the best by most, and 'X-Men: The Last Stand' and 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' faring among the worst. I, personally, liked all four of the 'X-Men' movies, and found both of the solo Wolverine outings a bit disappointing. But all in all, I'm a fan of the series as a whole. And if you are, then you're in for a treat.

'Days of Future Past' isn't as good as the previous installments. It's better. The storyline involves a somewhat dystopian future where machines called Sentinels are sent out to eradicate mutants. The plan backfires on the humans to a point, as the Sentinels not only target mutants, but they start targeting regular humans that do carry the necessary genetics to pass along to their potential mutant offspring. There doesn't seem to be a split between good and bad mutants in this future, as Professor Xavier and Magneto (played again by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan) are working together to try to stop this from happening. Enter Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde who uses her powers to send Wolverine's conscious back into the body of his younger self. This is where the series of course starts to merge the original series with the 'First Class' series. His objective is to partner with Professor X and Magneto of the past (James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender) to stop Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from killing the creator of the Sentinels, as her actions are pretty much what causes this terrible future. From that point, you just watch the Butterfly Effect take hold as different actions cause aspects of history to change. To see if it pans out, you'll have to see the movie for yourself. 

I was completely engaged the entire time. But that isn't saying that this new 'X-Men' isn't without its flaws. It's hard to tell whether this is a sequel, or a reboot. I know the cast is the same. So it should be a sequel, right? Well, therein lies the problem. 'Days of Future Past' does acknowledge bits and pieces of the previous movies. But it also completely ignores others. If director Bryan Singer had decided to completely retcon, or ignore the events of, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' and 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', erasing them from the canon, that would be one thing. But the continuity will definitely make you scratch your head in confusion. How is X alive? How did Y get this power? And so forth. So the movie forces you to remember the moments of the older movies that are referenced in this one, and pretty much throw the rest out of the window. 

If you're wanting an excellent 'X-Men' film, you have it in 'Days of Future Past'. Not since 'X2' has the series been this exciting. And while I do wish some of the continuity was explained or addressed, I'm also okay with just going with the flow and seeing what the franchise has in store for it next. 'Days of Future Past' has a great story, great cast (including cameos from earlier stars of the series), and astounding special effects. With a year full of superhero movies, 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' ranks as the best one for me thus far. 

Score: 

Is 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' Just That, or Does it Fall Flat?

Starring

• Andrew Garfield
• Emma Stone
• Jamie Foxx
• Sally Field
• Dane DeHaan

Original Theatrical Release Date: 05/02/2014

Running Time: 142 mins

Synopsis: We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.  --From Rotten Tomatoes

Review: So it goes without saying that I'm a big Spider-Man fan. He's been my favorite superhero since I was a kid. And Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man' trilogy not only belongs to my favorite superhero movies, but my favorite movies in general. Yes, I even really enjoyed the third one that everyone else on the planet seems to hate, even if it was my least favorite of them. 

One of my biggest issues with the reboot series is that it isn't necessary. While I liked the first installment, I felt like the better parts of it still weren't better than the worst parts of the original trilogy. I've had people tell me not to compare the two, but considering 'Spider-Man 3' came out a mere seven years ago, it seems kind of hard not to when that series is so fresh in my mind. I'd probably think differently if that set of flicks were terrible. But they weren't. THEY were the amazing Spider-Man movies. And the actual 'The Amazing Spider-Man' was decent, but failed to live up to the superior version.

'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' pretty much falls in the same exact category. It was good. But that's all it was. There were some things this sequel did that bested it's predecessor, and there were some things that were most definitely worse. I'll start off with the good. Andrew Garfield was much better in this movie. In his first run in the red and blue spandex, his Peter Parker wasn't really that likable. He was kind of arrogant, and just not the geek-to-hero character I've always envisioned as Peter Parker. But in the sequel, his portrayal of Parker isn't so moody. Emma Stone pretty much turns whatever she touches into gold, and her and Garfield's chemistry is spot-on, much more so than it was the last go round. 

The special effects were mind-blowingly good. Every time I see a new 'Spider-Man' movie, I literally sit in awe at just how great it looks seeing Spider-Man web sling through the city. And Electro's scenes were just as awe-inspiring to look at.  

So now to the negative. My first complaint is the story and script. Jamie Foxx's Electro storyline with him pretty much being obsessed with whoever gives him attention was just annoying and boring. He had the cheesiest dialogue. Jamie Foxx is a great actor. This movie wouldn't really support that statement. A lot of his dialogue made me have flashbacks to Joel Schumacher's train-wreck 'Batman & Robin'. I don't think Jamie Foxx was the problem, but his material was just lame. Harry Osbourne was severely miscast. All of you who griped about "Emo Peter" in 'Spider-Man 3'? Wait until you catch a drift of the guy who replaced James Franco. Dane DeHaan... He wasn't just a bad Harry Osbourne/Green Goblin. I don't think he's a very good actor period. The found-footage 'Chronicle' movie that I heard everyone raving about? Yeah, I wasn't impressed. So far, he is probably my biggest complaint about the new series. 

There's many pros and cons to this movie. One of the scenes at the end of the movie is probably one of the most heartfelt and tragic between both series. The score still wasn't as good as Danny Elfman's, even with Marc Webb bringing in Hans Zimmer to replace James Horner. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone had great screen chemistry. But still not as good as Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Spider-Man's witty one-liners were on the whole pretty amusing. Everyone else's were just bad. The backstory of Peter's parents was a good touch. The special effects were just spectacular, despite the fact that the slow-motion feature was overkilled. 

If you thought 'The Amazing Spider-Man' was better than the Raimi series, you'll like this one equally as much. If you're like me, and you liked it but still would've preferred a 'Spider-Man 4' to continue the original series, you'll probably like this one too, but it won't convince you that this reboot was a terrific idea. And if you haven't liked any of the Spidey flicks so far, you'll like this one even less. 

Score: 

Alan's Look Back at the Movies of 2013, and What Does 2014 Have in Store?

Let me preface this by saying that the ten movies I listed here, I am not claiming to be THE best movies of 2013. Admittedly, a lot of the big movies I had anticipated on seeing, I have yet to watch. I have the blu-rays of most of them, but the Mrs. gets irritated when I watch a movie she wants to see without her, even though every time I suggest one, she doesn't want to watch it. Haha. So I have yet to see 'Star Trek Into Darkness', or 'World War Z', or 'The Wolverine', or...

So with that being said, out of what I actually managed to see this year, these were my favorites.

10. This Is the End

This movie started a LITTLE bit slow for me, but once it got going, it was so over the top and ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh. The last half of the movie is definitely better than the first, but overall, it was just a fun movie. The actors all playing fictionalized versions of themselves was hilarious. Emma Watson, from 'Harry Potter' fame, to me had some of the funniest parts. Maybe it's because it was just more shocking hearing some of the stuff coming out of the mouth of Hermoine.

9. The Heat

Sometimes I love Sandra Bullock and sometimes I shake my head in disbelief at some of the crap she agrees to do. This one would be a case of the former. Bullock is an FBI agent while Melissa McCarthy is a cop. Bullock's character is very by the book while McCarthy's character definitely has some questionable tactics. But the movie was pretty much hilarious from start to finish. The real star was McCarthy, who has really departed from that squeaky clean 'Gilmore Girls' role. Highly recommend this one.

8. Iron Man 3

 'Iron Man 3' was probably my least favorite in the series. I think there were some issues in the story that were unnecessary and some were just a little dumb. I have to get this out. Not just in this movie, but in pretty much every movie that has one, I hate the whole "kid sidekick" thing. It's annoying. To me, it always seems like a kid is just tossed into a story so that the movie itself will appeal to kids. "Hey, that kid can be Iron Man's lackey, maybe I can too". Small detail, but it irked me. And there was a "twist" in this film that I didn't particularly care for concerning the villain. But I don't want to spoil anything. Gwyneth Paltrow has her biggest role in the series in this installment and admittedly, she's pretty badass in it. Robert Downey, Jr. IS Tony Stark so there's no way he wouldn't be excellent in it. The overall big story was really good, and the scenes at the end were just amazing to watch.

7. The Lone Ranger

Apparently I am in the minority here. Critics panned the movie. Many friends of mine told me to steer clear. My anticipation for watching it had somewhat dwindled away to nothing and then one night I reluctantly watched it. And I loved it. Johnny Depp as Tonto was brilliant acting as always. And Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger, I thought, was fantastic as well. Many complaints were that the Lone Ranger was more wussy in this movie than he's "supposed" to be. Well, for starters, I know bits and pieces of the original Lone Ranger, because to say it was before my time is an understatement. So I can't really compare the two interpretations of the titular character. What I can say is that I thought the story was believable. The guy starts as a lawyer, and becomes a vigilante of sorts, with no previous dealings with upholding the law. So I would expect someone in that predicament to make a few mistakes, be a little clumsy, not be the perfect hero. And that's what he was. A normal guy who decides to get justice. I'm just saying, if I were to put on a mask and try to beat up bad guys tomorrow, it probably wouldn't go so well for me either.

6. Monsters University

 'Monsters University' was a fun movie. It was even one of the better Pixar films from the past couple of years. But in my opinion, it still didn't hold up to the likes of 'Toy Story 3' or 'Finding Nemo', or even it's predecessor 'Monsters, Inc'. With that being said, it went back in the right direction. If for nothing else, it was a nice nostalgic trip with some familiar faces, and it was enjoyable. Sadly, there will not be a new Pixar release until 2015, where we get not one, but two new features from the computer animation kings.

5. Man of Steel

I really left 'Man of Steel' with so many mixed opinions and emotions, that I'm not really sure whether my little write-up here will convince anyone to watch it or stay far away from it. Let me start with the bad. 'Batman Begins' created a new kind of superhero. One that was dark, moody and dramatic. And that works for Batman, because of his backstory and his style alone. But just because it worked for Batman, doesn't mean that every superhero movie needs to follow that dark formula. That was one of my biggest complaints about 2012's 'The Amazing Spider-Man'. And 'Man of Steel' falls into the same trap. While it bothered me for the unnecessary Spider-Man reboot, it bothered me even more here. Superman is a symbol of hope. A hero that does the right thing no matter what. He embodies truth, justice and the American way. For this movie, the writers were like "Throw all that out, make him moody, and have him steel some clothes while he's at it, because that's something moody Supey does". I just thought there were too many instances in the movie that I couldn't see Superman actually doing. However, with the exception of Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, the casting was excellent. The overall story arc was enthralling. And the special effects were mind-blowing.

4. The Conjuring

'The Conjuring' is another one of those "Based on a True Story" horror flicks, and another haunted house story. Actually the couple that this film is about were also involved in the supposedly real events of the 'Amityville Horror' (though they are not mentioned in that film, nor or those events mentioned in this one. That was a separate case). But despite it having so much similarity to things that seem like they've been done 100 times now, this movie was quite anxiety inducing and very tense. And it showed that even Hollywood can take a been-there-done-that story and make it fresh and new again.

3. Maniac

Technically, 'Maniac' is a 2012 movie, but it was not released theatrically in the United States until June of this year. Even it's theatrical release was very limited. But this is a gem of a horror movie. I went in with little expectations, because truth be told, I didn't like the original so I didn't see how this remake would convince me of feeling any different towards it. But surprise! It did. I'm not sure if it was the acting, or the macabre style of the movie, but while the original bored me to tears, this one was enthralling from the moment it started. Who knew Frodo could be so vicious?

2. Evil Dead

The tagline on the poster reads 'The Most Terrifying Film You Will Ever Experience'. Was it worthy of such a bold statement? No. But horror movies aren't really that scary anymore. We've seen it all and that's caused a sort of desensitization to elements that maybe even five years ago would make you have nightmares. The remake/reboot/sequel did make me jump on several occasions though, and it the film overall was just downright brutal. It was creepy, disgusting and while the majority of the cast was either decent or "meh", Jane Levy of 'Suburgatory' fame in the lead role as Mia was perfect. She made you believe she was a druggie struggling with her addiction. And then she made you believe she was possessed by one of the nastiest demons we've seen in film in quite some time.

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

'Catching Fire' was one of the last big blockbusters released in the year, and it was so worth the wait. Jennifer Lawrence is proving that she is a force to be reckoned with. With the first installment in 'The Hunger Games' series just coming out last year, one could worry that it's sequel being released the following year was risky. Sure, 'Paranormal Activity' does not take a lot of preparation, but 'Catching Fire' is covered with impressive special effects from beginning to end. While I expected to like this movie very much, considering I really liked the first installment, I was surprised that it ended up being my favorite of the year, but alas, it has.

Most Anticipated of 2014 (in order by release date):

• Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (01/03)
• Muppets Most Wanted (03/21)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (04/04)
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (05/02)
• Godzilla (05/16)
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (05/23)
• Malificent (05/30)
• 22 Jump Street (06/13)
• Transformers: Age of Extinction (06/27)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (08/01)
• Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (08/22)
• Paranormal Activity 5 (10/24)
• Big Hero 6 (11/07)
• Dumb and Dumber To (11/14)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I (11/21)
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again (12/27)