Some Spoiler-free Reasons Why 'The Avengers' is Great (Hint: JOSS)

I didn't quite know what to expect from The Avengers. Yeah, I love Joss Whedon's work. All of it. But when you're tackling a huge summer blockbuster film like this one, it's tough to get your way and have your style really shine through with all those suits breathing down your neck. Disney suits, too, even. On top of that, I wasn't a huge fan of the second Iron Man, and Mark Ruffalo is a dweeb.

Let it suffice to say that I didn't go into this film with the highest of expectations.

However, get yourself ready to heighten your own expectations: The Avengers is a very good film. And the main reason is Joss Whedon.

More often than not, tentpole films like this one get destroyed when a half-baked story ends up drowned beneath a pile of special effects, pop stars, and an edgy soundtrack with electric guitar-ridden Bob Dylan covers. But Writer/Director Joss Whedon is a talented storyteller, and it really shows.

The subtleties of each character come across as they individually trudge through their own emotional journeys. The debonair Tony Stark is as deliciously snarky as ever (and man is he cool). Captain America's stoicism, Thor's family issues, Bruce Banner's anger management, and even Fury's political struggles (and shiny eyepatch) are all poignantly portrayed. There is intense inter-personal drama and complication. While nothing got as heated or in-depth as it could have, and the villain could have been more motivated for his villainy, it all served its purpose of getting the audience emotionally-vested in what's going on.

But the important thing is that this quality character development is balanced perfectly with what the audience is really there for: explosions and capes and laughs. There are countless fight scenes, each with their own unique twist for added suspense and visual stunnery. You are constantly thrown for a loop as each character is dealt the next impossible task they have to accomplish. The shots soaring through the sky with Iron Man or jumping between buildings with the Hulk leave you feeling like you just took the wildest ride of your life. Like a super awesome roller coaster. With punches and flying. And more awesome.

And not only are the fights and effects spectacular in every sense of the word, but the writing is genuinely witty and the character interactions hilarious. I don't remember the last time I laughed in a movie theater that much. The film plays with audience expectations, exploits superhero stereotypes, and is just plain smart about the way it approaches its combination of high and lowbrow humor.

Without giving any plot detail or specific situations away, I am going to tell you, dear reader, that you should go see The Avengers. Whether you are familiar with the caped heroes or not, you'll have a blast. The writing is clever, the story is fleshed out Joss-style, the jokes are beyond funny, and the action is so action-packed that it should be illegal. It won't win an Oscar, but it will win the hearts of countless Americans with its unique brand of charming action and rakish dialogue.

This movie will break box office records. Everyone can enjoy it, and word of mouth will ensure that everybody will. A sequel will definitely be on its way, if it isn't already. And I'll be the first in line to see it.

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Mr. Peabody to get a new voice from Downey

Briefly: One of my favorite contemporary actors, Mr. Robert Downey, Jr., has been cast in a new film for DreamWorks, Mr. Peabody and Sherman. The film, of course, will be based on the original cartoon, which was a part of Jay Ward's classic Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Although I hope it will be as good as the following clip from the original show, I have my doubts--especially since it is coming to you from the writers of the recent Yogi Bear flop. Although, it is being headed by Rob Mikoff, director of The Lion King and Stuart Little. I just don't know what to think yet; I have so many conflicting emotions about this project . . .

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'The Avengers' Postponed

Marvel has just announced that they are postponing the releases of both The Avengers and Thor. The Avengers will feature popular superheroes such as Iron Man, Captain America, Ant-Man, Thor, and the Hulk; all of which will already have or will soon have their own films leading up to the release of The Avengers which was scheduled for July 15, 2011, but has been pushed back almost a year to May 4, 2012. These heroes featured in The Avengers will stay consistent with the individual heroes' movies: Robert Downey Jr. will play Iron Man, Edward Norton will play the Hulk, etc.

In conjunction with this announcement, Marvel mentioned that the release of Thor will be pushed back as well from July 16, 2010 to June 17, 2011.

Marvel also shifted the release date for The First Avenger: Captain America, which will now come out on July 22, 2011 instead of May 6, 2011.

Iron Man 2's release, however, is still on schedule with a release on May 7, 2010.


David Maisel, chairman of Marvel Studios, has said that Marvel decided to shuffle around these release dates because "it maximizes the visibility of our single character-focused films, leading to the highly anticipated release of the multi-character 'The Avengers' film in 2012."

Source: Reuters

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The Ultimate Guide to 2009 Movies

Now that the Oscars have come to a close, we can now turn our gaze from the movies of 2008 to the movies of this year: 2009. Here is a complete list, in chronological order, of all movies being released this year. The guide features trailers, movie posters, release dates, plot synopses, and my prospective ratings of these movies:

I'd like to start this post off with the clip shows directly after the Oscars showing the movies of 2009 (to the new song by Beck which is a cover of an old Bob Dylan song):




MARCH:


Probably the most anticipated movie of this year, Watchmen will be released in only a few weeks on March 6. It is based on the very popular novel of the same name by Alan Moore. The plot, as stated by IMDb.com: When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorschach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.

Hopefully the movie will do justice to the great graphic novel. Here's the trailer:



I think that this will be a great movie full of excitement, mystery, and romance, therefore I'll give it a 9.5 out of 10. I hope that it won't disappoint.


A remake of the original, live action Disney movie Escape to Witch Mountain, Race to Witch Mountain looks like it has potential. It has a star-studded cast (which doesn't really mean anything) of AnnaSophia Robb and Dwayne Johnson. The plot, as given by IMDb.com: A UFO expert enlists the help of a cabbie to protect two siblings with paranormal powers from the clutches of an organization that wants to use the kids for their nefarious plans. Here's the trailer:



I don't think that this movie will manage to be better than the original, but it shouldn't be too bad. I give this movie, for now, a 7 out of 10.


The next film being released by DreamWorks Animation is Monsters vs. Aliens, a film that utilizes all of the cheap animation gimmicks of the decade: a star-studded cast, cheap parodies and jokes that won't be funny in a few years, shallow characters, and, finally, 3D. I don't think that a star-studded cast adds anything to a movie, cheap parodies and jokes are simply stupid and worthless, and 3D adds nothing to a movie, and I believe that it is just a fad and will be gone in about 5 years or so. Here's the trailer:



Due to these silly gimmicks that, as you can tell, I have immense hostility towards, I give this movie a 4 out of 10.

APRIL:


Crank: High Voltage will be a very stupid, nonsensical, and awesome movie. It will have tons of plot holes, but will also be an exciting and fun action movie. You don't watch this kind of movie for plot or character development; you watch it to get your adrenaline pumping and to be entertained by car crashes and bullets being fired. Here's the exciting trailer:



Since it will make an entertaining, mindless action movie with Jason Statham, I will give it an 8 out of 10.


Robert Downey and Jamie Foxx sure won't disappoint in this movie which will be released on April 24. It should have a great story, and it seems like it has fantastic character development of both Downey's and Foxx's characters. I cannot wait to see this movie which has potential at next year's Oscars. Here is the trailer:



This movie will hopefully be a masterpiece of cinematic excellence, and, if not, it at least has Robert Downey Jr. in it. I'm giving it a 9 out of 10 for now.

MAY:


This should be a great performance by Hugh Jackman. I am excited to see this prequel to the successful X-men trilogy. Since Wolverine is my favorite character from the X-men series, I hope that this movie won't disappoint, and it doesn't look like it will. Here's the trailer:



Completely due to the "I'll cut your head off" segment in the trailer, I am giving this movie a 9 out of 10 for now.


I loved the first Night at the Museum. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Robin Williams are some of my favorite actors. And since they, including Amy Adams and Hank Azaria, are starring in the new movie, it should be a great one. After looking over the above poster, I don't think you need too much more explanation. Here is the trailer:



Although the plot may not be the strongest, I think that this feel-good film will be a great one. I give it an 8 out of 10.


Pixar's next feature, Up, will not disappoint. I am sure that it will have wholesome and complete characters, awe-inspiring animation, and a heart-touching plot. There isn't much more to say other than it is a Pixar production, since Pixar has made a name for itself; a name that makes everyone think of quality in plot, characters and animation. Here's the trailer:



I cannot wait to see Pixar's next movie. It is sure to be another stunning production by the world's best animation studio. (To see a lot more about Up click here.) I give it a 10 out of 10 already.

JUNE:


Transformers was a great movie, and I don't think that the second installment will be any worse. It will still have car chases, mystery and romance embedded throughout, and therefore remain a great motion picture. Here is the exciting trailer:



I love this movie franchise already, so I will give this movie a 9 out of 10.

JULY:

One of the movies I am most excited for this year is Public Enemies. It will star Johnny Depp as criminal Dillinger and Christian Bale as the federal agent after him. There hasn't been much released about the movie, not even a poster or a trailer, but I am sure it will be entertaining to say the least. I am giving it a 9 out of 10 for now.


The previous 5 Harry Potter movies have done pretty well interpretting the fabulous books by J.K Rowling. I loves the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and, as long as the film does the story justice and matches the greatness of the rest of the franchise, the movie should be a good one. Here's the trailer:



I'll give this one an 8 out of 10.


Everybody loves Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. They have never done a movie where they are both the leads, but I am excited to see it. Although it appears to have a sad premise (is the character development is done right), there should be some hilarious parts of the movie. And the fact that Judd Apatow is directing just makes me more confident that his will be a genuinely great movie. Here is the trailer for Funny People:



I'm gonna give this sure to be hilarious and heart-wrenching comedy/drama a 9.5 out of 10.

AUGUST:


This movie should be an interesting one. I already know that it will have a fantastic performance by Brad Pitt, as well as the rest of the cast. As given by IMDb.com, the plot is as follows: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers. Here is the trailer:



It is worth noting that, interestingly, Mike Myers is going to be in the movie playing the role of General Ed Fenech. I'm going to, tentatively, give this film a 9 out of 10.

NOVEMBER:


This may be the most exciting release of 2009: Guy Ritchie's (one of my favorite directors') Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey, Jr., one of my favorite actors. This movie will be amazing. I can't even describe how perfect the mix of cast and crew are for this film; it will be a masterpiece. There isn't even a trailer or movie poster released yet, but I am sure this movie will be a hit. I give it a 10 out of 10.

Well, there are all of the major releases of 2009, with posters, ratings and trailers. I hope that now you are as excited for a year at the movies as I am!

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Iron Man News Galore!

What is your favorite movie of the year? What about your favorite superhero movie of the year? How about your favorite movie featuring Robert Downey, Jr. of the year? I can guarantee that you answered at least one, if not all, of these questions with the answer of Iron Man.


Iron Man was a truly great movie. It had a strong plot, great character development, superb acting, and stupendous effects to top it all off. The movie, not surprisingly, grossed $578 million worldwide while in theaters (and that figure doesn't even include DVD/Blu-ray sales). No moviegoer can resist the charm of Downey, the action of a flying superhero, or the brilliance of the awesome Mach 2 suit.


For this reason, among others, Robert Downey, Jr. has extended his deal with Marvel; this deal will result in an Iron Man 2 (set to bow on May 7, 2010), an Iron Man 3, and The Avengers, all of which will feature Mr. Downey as your favorite playboy Tony Stark, and his red-suited alterego.

This is great news! This deal will help out everybody; we get to see more of the amazing Iron Man franchise, Robert Downey, Jr. gets well-deserved boffo bucks, and the studios get to reap the benefits of yet another superhero franchise. Hooray! Everybody wins!


The Avengers will feature Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor, all of which will have their own feature film(s), some of which already do. This already amazing movie, The Avengers, is set to be released on July 15, 2011--I can't wait!


The Iron Man franchise, as well as The Avengers, however, will feature Don Cheadle, instead of Terrence Howard, as Col. James Rhodes.


In addition to Downey's return, Joe Favreau, the director of the first Iron Man, will return to direct Iron Man 2, as well as be the executive producer for The Avengers.

In addition to these exciting superhero roles, Downey is set to play Sherlock Holmes in a 2009 feature film, and is rumored to play Hugh Hefner in a bio pic. Very interesting....

Source: Variety

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