Movie Review For July 17. 2015: ANT-MAN and TRAINWRECK

ANT-MAN
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll
Plot: A down-on-his-luck man is recruited by a scientific genius to help make sure his greatest invention doesn't end up in the hands of Hydra.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

This is the third comic-book movie I've walked into with a bad feeling about it. The first was GREEN LANTERN and those feelings were justified. The second was GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and that is currently my favorite comic book film of all time. This time I walked out of the theater pleasantly surprised.

On a comic book scale, ANT-MAN is not quite as good as AVENGERS, but as an origin story, it is better than the first IRON MAN.

The actors all do a nice job and the characters all have a depth to them that is pretty rare for comic book movies. Even the villain has a nice arc and motivation.

I will say that the movie does feel like it digresses into an adult version of HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS at points, but there are other times where the attention to detail when Ant-Man is small is spectacular.

The action is well done and virtually non-stop throughout the second half of the film. Which leads me to say that while I highly recommend seeing this movie in 3D, I would stay away from the IMAX or Big D screens because the massive 3D action is really quite fatiguing after a while.

Overall though, this is a great summer action flick worthy of your movie-going dollars.




TRAINWRECK
Rated: R
Stars: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, LeBron James, Colin Quinn
Plot: A woman with a deep fear of commitment ends up falling for a guy that might be the one.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

I saw this film in a theater full of 20-something women and the general consensus on the way out was that they loved it and many wanted to see it again. I, being firmly outside of the target audience for this film, didn't like it nearly as much as they did.

There are several funny moments, but the film also feels like it drags on. This movie is 100% formulaic rom-com. If you walk into this movie with a Rom-Com Bingo card it will be blacked out by the credits.

Bill Hader is fantastic and LeBron James is surprisingly talented as an actor. Amy Schumer is Amy Schumer. If you like her you'll like her in this, if you don't, she will annoy you.

There is nothing noteworthy in this film that makes it worth seeing in theaters. You would be just fine waiting for the DVD. That said, if you are a 20-something girl, grab your friends and make a fun night of it. I'm sure you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Movie Review for May 2, 2014

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
PG-13
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dean DeHaan
Plot: Peter Parker continues his journey to discover more about his parents while fighting new villains and past demons.
Trailer

Clint Says: See this as soon as possible and spend the extra money for the huge screen

When the original Andrew Garfield as SPIDER-MAN reboot hit theaters I was nervous that it would be simply another rehash of a tired story with better graphics. I was happily surprised at how compelling and well done it was.

The second in the series is just as good and just as compelling as the first and the graphics are insanely incredible. I was thrilled to see that the director took the time to give us close up, slow motion shots of the action rather than flash through it as quickly as possible, as is typical for many other comic-book action movies.

SPIDER-MAN 2 also bucks the trend of the one-dimensional villain. Both Electro and The Green Goblin are flawed, misunderstood and sympathetic characters rather than being evil for evil's sake. Jamie Foxx does a superb job of transforming from a misfit to an angry, delusional misfit with the power to do something about his situation. The moment where he is forced to decide to follow Spider-Man or try to destroy him is heart-breaking and tragic, but entirely understandable.

Emma Stone returns as Gwen, the love interest of Peter Parker, but she is so much more than that. The dynamic she brings to the role and the way her character is written is as beautiful and strong as any leading lady I've seen in a while. It's refreshing to see her do her part to save the day to the point where Spider-Man couldn't succeed without her, both against the bad guys and in their own relationship.

Andrew Garfield may be one of the best actors in Hollywood right now. His banter and delivery throughout this two-hour plus movie keeps it light and refreshing without losing the drama of the moment.

Without giving anything away, I will say I was very excited to see the film makers make a very gutsy decision, that will have people talking as they leave the theaters. If I had any kind of heart at all I would have ugly cried.

If I had to say anything bad about this film, it's that the movie ends and then there is another half hour of movie. I'm not sure why MARVEL movies tend to be edited this way, but the climax comes really early and then there is a ton of clean-up work left to do. The climax in this movie is so powerful, but it gets watered down and even a bit lost as we sit through the tidying up process. Even so, this is an incredibly fun, exciting and well done film.

So far it's looking like the MARVEL/DISNEY marriage is a huge success, not only for their company, but for moviegoers as well.

Movie Review for April 4, 2014

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Rated PG-13
Stars: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan
Plot: Captain America is forced into a battle with an old foe, but he must be careful because he's not sure who he can trust.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

It is surprising that the studio decided to release this movie in early April rather than wait for the summer blockbuster season. It fits all the criteria for a summer blockbuster: explosions, action, explosions, hot girl that might be good but is probably bad, explosions, epic fight scenes, a good guy that turns out to be bad, explosions, a bad guy that turns good, oh...and a super-good looking hero that slowly walks away from explosions.

CAPTAIN AMERICA is exactly what we have come to expect from the MARVEL series. It's an excellent action movie and a really good, fun time for viewers. Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America) and Scarlett Johannson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) play well off of each other giving the audience entertaining and witty banter throughout the film.

There are several great moments throughout the movie that had our audience breaking out into applause a good six or seven times. (MARVEL movies are always best to see with uber fans). We also get some answers to long-held questions from the first CAPTAIN AMERICA movie.

THE WINTER SOLDIER is better than the original because it is much faster paced and we get to see a more developed hero. It's still not quite as good as the IRON MAN or THOR series, but it is definitely a worthy competitor.

As with all of the other MARVEL movies there are a couple of things to look for while munching on your popcorn: 1. Stan Lee (MARVEL creator) has a cameo. Look for him in the Smithsonian, 2. There are two secret scenes at the end of the movie. Wait until the very end of the credits to see both.

The end-of-the-movie tease aheads will make for some interesting conversation among the MARVEL geekdom and fans of the movies. I won't say much as not to ruin anything other than, yes, that belongs to Loki.

If you like action movie and/or comic book based movies I highly recommend this one.