Iron Man (2008)

8/10

Great film, great cast! Iron man has it all! Here is a film that combines the good nature of the super hero, the arrogence of a super rich kid/genius all packed into one awesome action bonanza. Robert Downey Jr is brilliant in this film, showing the world that he is back and better then ever before, mix in Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow and you have a cast that delivers well. Though it is really Downey that pulls this film off. Anyway forget my ramblings, just scroll down and watch the film!

The Plot:

Tony Stark is the complete playboy who also happens to be an engineering genius. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a new missile he's captured and wounded. His captors want him to assemble a missile for them but instead he creates an armored suit and a means to prevent his death from the shrapnel left in his chest by the attack. He uses the armored suit to escape. Back in the U.S. he announces his company will cease making weapons and he begins work on an updated armored suit only to find that Obadiah Stane, his second in command at Stark industries has been selling Stark weapons to the insurgents. He uses his new suit to return to Afghanistan to destroy the arms and then to stop Stane from misusing his research.


The Cast:

	Robert Downey Jr.	...	Tony Stark
	Terrence Howard	...	Rhodey
	Jeff Bridges	...	Obadiah Stane
	Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Pepper Pots
	Leslie Bibb	...	Christine Everhart
	Shaun Toub	...	Yinsen
	Faran Tahir	...	Raza
	Clark Gregg	...	Agent Coulsen
	Bill Smitrovich	...	General Gabriel
	Sayed Badreya	...	Abu Bakaar
	Paul Bettany	...	Jarvis (voice)
	Jon Favreau	...	Hogan
	Peter Billingsley	...	William Ginter Riva
	Tim Guinee	...	Major Allen

Trailer:



The Movie:

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

6/10 (8.5/10 for Disney fans)

Entertaining, very,very Disney. Imagine, Indiana Jones,crank up the family Disney levels, and you will have a real good idea what to expect from this film. Full of corny tongue in check humor, a crazy amount of crazy close calls, and a ton of Jurassic park effects and themes! The characters are put through more bone crushing thrills and spills, explosions that would sear the flesh from bones, falls that would make a large splat stain on the ground than in any other film I have seen recently. Yet they come out with a few smudges of dirt and no apparent loss of motor function. All in all the film is a goof and the fact that it isn't a film that is trying to be serious is the only reason it manages to stay entertaining despite it's ridiculousness. I think my opinion would have been higher if I had sen the 3d version though.

The Plot:

A science professor whose radical theories have completely tarnished his reputation. While backpacking across Iceland with his nephew Sean, the two explorers find a cave that leads them deep down into the bowels of the planet. And so they go on a quest to find out what has happened to the scientist's missing brother, a scientist, his nephew and their mountain guide discovers a fantastic and dangerous lost world in the center of the earth. There they discover a bizarre landscape filled with terrifying creatures.


The Cast:

	Brendan Fraser	...	Prof. Trevor Anderson
	Josh Hutcherson	...	Sean Anderson
	Anita Briem	...	Hannah Ásgeirsson
	Seth Meyers	...	Professor Alan Kitzens
	Jean Michel Paré	...	Max Anderson
	Jane Wheeler	...	Elizabeth Anderson
	Frank Fontaine	...	Old Man
	Giancarlo Caltabiano	...	Leonard
	Kaniehtiio Horn	...	Gum-Chewing Girl
	Garth Gilker	...	Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson

Trailer:

Hancock (2008)

8.5/10

A great idea for a superhero film! I liked this film for what it was and what it tried to do, within a genre that has been bombarded by Hollywood for the last few years. Hancock take the idea of being possessed with the powers to do great things, having the black mark on your character which usually pushes our heroes to shine and then saying what if the world still got that hero down? What if the hero didn't rise above his own turmoil for the greater good of others? It also adds a very important element to making the hero more human, by putting in the idea that all people great or small are only at their best with the support of others. A great theme and a great message. Hancock also has a very nice plot twist thrown in to help it stand further apart from so many other films of the genre.
Will Smith is really good in this role, I was never a fan of the independence day Smith, but his last several roles he has grown into an actor that I can depend on to deliver the character with alot of style and finese.

The Plot:

John Hancock (Will Smith) is an unhappy and reluctant superhero who is living in his own world. For some unknown reason, Hancock is depressed and has started drinking very heavily. He has saved many lives in Los Angeles over the years, but in doing so, he has no regards for damaging buildings, trains, roads, cars, or anything that gets in his way of getting the job done. The last time he captured several criminals, it cost the city $9 million to fix the damages. The public has had enough of Hancock, and they want him to stop or go to another city. Then one day, Hancock saves the life of Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) from being run over by a train. Ray is a public relations executive who now can go home to his wife and child, because Hancock was there. Ray owes Hancock his life, and he makes it his mission to change his superhero's image and have the public cheering him. Ray's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), believes Hancock cannot be fixed, and she doesn't want Ray to be hurt.

The Cast:

	Will Smith	...	John Hancock
	Charlize Theron	...	MAry Embrey
	Jason Bateman	...	Ray Embrey
	Jae Head	...	Aaron Kimberly
	Eddie Marsan	...	Kenneth 'Red' Parker Jr.
	David Mattey	...	Man Mountain
	Maetrix Fitten	...	Matrix
	Thomas Lennon	...	Mike
	Johnny Galecki	...	Jeremy
	Hayley Marie Norman	...	Hottie
	Dorothy Cecchi	...	Woman in Dive Bar
	Michelle Lemon	...	Girl at Bus Bench
	Akiva Goldsman	...	Executive #1
	Michael Mann	...	Executive #2
	Brad Leland	...	Executive #3

The Trailer:


The Movie:

Eagle Eye (2008)

8/10

Eagle Eye is a fast paced Big Brother meets 2001: space odyssee kinda film. We have seen this film before many times over; some cloaked figure is using the good guys as human lab rats, putting them through all kinds of near death moments, never revealing the real reason. But our brave protagonist has more than meets the eye and searches for the meaning of it all trying to save their skin and that of their new found loved ones before it is too late...blah,blah,blah! Actually I am a fan of these kinds of films, they do their job, they entertain the hell out of me!
Eagle Eye has just a little bit more though; Firstly they have Shia Labeouf heading up the main role as the anti-hero, this kid has more screen presence than just about anyone in his demographic. Second they take a stance against something real that we are all effected by at this crazy time in the world: The Patriot Act. I tend to find that most big budget action films throw hints at being topical, but Eagle Eye, is almost completely topical!

The Plot:

Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) returns home after the mysterious death of his successful twin brother. He and a single mother, Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), find out that they have been framed as terrorists, and they are threatened into becoming members of a cell tasked to assassinate a politician.

Cast:

	Shia LaBeouf	...	Jerry Shaw
	Michelle Monaghan	...	Rachel Holloman
	Rosario Dawson	...	Zoe Perez
	Michael Chiklis	...	Defense Secretary
	Anthony Mackie	...	Major William Bowman
	Ethan Embry	...	Agent Toby Grant
	Billy Bob Thornton	...	Agent Thomas Morgan
	Anthony Azizi	...	Ranim Khalid
	Cameron Boyce	...	Sam Holloman
	Lynn Cohen	...	Mrs. Wierzbowski
	Bill Smitrovich	...	Admiral Thompson
	Charles Carroll	...	Mr. Miller
	William Sadler	...	William Shaw
	Deborah Strang	...	Jerry's Mom
	Dariush Kashani	...	Sgt. Rourke (Translator)

Trailer:



The Movie:

Babylon A.D. (2008)

8.5/10

Great sci-fi film, Babylon A.D. manages to find a real nice balance between the film noir sci-fi and action genres. Unlike many sci-fi noir pieces, Babylon A.D. doesn't stay in the dark throughout, it presents the future dystopia by both day and night, under ground and above. Vin Diesel is a great choice for the main role in this film, drawing on the character of Riddick but infusing a very human conscience into the role. The film takes a look at the way religion is commonly used as nothing more than a tool to control people, without discounting the faith that so many people have in a creator. I recommend this film to all lovers of sci-fi noir who not only love to be entertained with great action sequences, but also dont mind having a little think along the way.

The Plot:

In the near future, Toorop (Vin Diesel) is a mercenary who takes the job of escorting a woman named Aurora from Central Asia to New York. While he thinks this is just an ordinary mission, he gradually finds out that his guest is carrying twins that have the potential to become the next Messiahs - and everybody wants to get their hands on them.

The Cast:

	Vin Diesel	...	Toorop
	Michelle Yeoh	...	Sister Rebeka
	Mélanie Thierry	...	Aurora
	Gérard Depardieu	...	Gorsky
	Charlotte Rampling	...	High Priestess
	Mark Strong	...	Finn
	Lambert Wilson	...	Darquandir
	Jérôme Le Banner	...	Killa
	Joel Kirby	...	Dr. Newton
	Souleymane Dicko	...	Jamal
	David Belle	...	Kid with Tattoos
	Radek Bruna	...	Karl
	Jan Unger	...	Fight Promoter
	Abraham Belaga	...	Assistant to High Priestess
	Gary Cowan	...	Neolite Executive

The Trailer:

The Dark Knight (2008)

9.5/10

The Dark Knight, the latest installment of the new style of Batman films is amazing, I have always loved the darkness of Batman, but found the installments that were released in the 90's to be too cartoonish, they really failed to capture the extreme drive that drove Bruce Wayne to become the anti-hero that he is. The Dark Knight, takes a real look at the world we live in right now, the terrorist themes, the idea that you can't deal with extremists without running the risk of becoming an extremist yourself. Health Ledger is incredible as the Joker, he portays the character's instability and genius brilliantly, and provides the perfect opponant to Christian bales Batman.
If you like your films dark, with a good dose of political critique and exceptional acting, then you will love "The Dark Knight"

The Plot:

Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) continues to eliminate crime in Gotham City with the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). The Dark Knight wants to finally get rid of organized crime for good and be free of their corruption. Batman soon finds that a new psychopathic mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) has taken over organized crime. After the fall of Carmine Falcone, the remaining crime bosses try to pick up the pieces. However, the Joker is killing them off one by one. The Joker's plan is to terrify the citizens and throw the city into chaos, and then kill Batman. Batman takes the fight with the Joker personal, which makes him confront his own beliefs. The Joker is the most dangerous criminal that Batman has encountered, and he will need all his strength and vigilance to defeat him.

Cast:

	Christian Bale	...	Bruce Wayne / Batman
	Heath Ledger	...	The Joker
	Aaron Eckhart	...	Dist. Atty. Harvey Dent / Two-Face
	Michael Caine	...	Alfred
	Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Rachel Dawes
	Gary Oldman	...	Gordon
	Morgan Freeman	...	Lucius Fox
	Monique Curnen	...	Det. Ramirez (as Monique Gabriela Curnen)
	Ron Dean	...	Detective Wuertz
	Cillian Murphy	...	Scarecrow
	Chin Han	...	Lau
	Nestor Carbonell	...	Mayor Anthony Garcia
	Eric Roberts	...	Salvatore Maroni
	Ritchie Coster	...	The Chechen
	Anthony Michael Hall	...	Mike Engel

Trailer:



The Movie:

X2 (2003)

9/10

The saga continues! This time the X-men are faced with a new foe, a foe that hates mutants with  a hate fueled by a personal vendetta. A foe with all the resources of the government and a very unique insight into the mutant world at his disposal! Rarely does a sequel surpass the original for me, but this one totally does. The characters are more defined, the relationships between them more entangled and the action is way more intense!
Once again Hugh Jackman steals the show in this film, immortalizing the iconic character of Wolverine even further, with more ferocity and intensity than in the original X-men movie!
If you liked X-men, then you are going to love X2!

The Plot:


Several months had passed since The X-Men defeated Magneto and imprisoned him in a plastic chamber. One day, a mutant going by the name of "Nightcrawler" infiltrates The White House and attempts to assassinate The President. Meanwhile, Logan is trying to discover his past, and wonder why he became a mutant. However, the friction between the humans and mutants is grinding much harder. As a scientist named William Stryker is assigned to discover about Professor X's secret school and his chamber called "Cerebro". Meanwhile, Magneto's partner, Mystique, is planning to break her leader out of prison. Then, Professor X's school is attacked by Stryker's forces. Logan, Rougue, Iceman and others escaped. The rest of The X-Men meet in Boston along with Magneto, who escaped from prison. They must work together to stop Stryker and rescue Professor X.























Cast:

Patrick Stewart...Professor Charles Xavier

Hugh Jackman...Logan / Wolverine

Ian McKellen...Eric Lensherr / Magneto

Halle Berry...Storm / Ororo Munroe

Famke Janssen...Jean Grey

James Marsden...Scott Summers / Cyclops

Anna Paquin...Rogue / Marie D'Ancanto

Rebecca Romijn...Mystique / Grace (as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)

Brian Cox...William Stryker

Alan Cumming...Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler

Bruce Davison...Senator Kelly

Aaron Stanford...John Allerdyce / Pyro

Shawn Ashmore...Bobby Drake / Iceman

Kelly Hu...Yuriko Oyama / Deathstrike

Katie Stuart...Kitty Pryde

Trailer

X-Men (2000)

8.5/10

This classic comic book adaptation for film exploded on the screen, with a league of fans whom emanated from both the comic book medium and the cartoon series. The film was met with both great expectation and great reserve as many hard-core fans expressed concern over how true the “Hollywood” adaptation would stay to the original vein of the X-MEN.
For those who are unfamiliar with the story, the X-men are a league of mutant humans, who believe that coexistence between mutants and humans is not only possible, but worth fighting for. Lead by Professor Xavier, founder of a school for gifted youngsters, aka Mutant adolescents, the X-men stand between Humankind and the ever present threat of war perpetuated by both humans who fear them and the mutants lead by Magneto, a very powerful mutant who believes that the only ay mutant kind will avoid persecution is to dominate the planet, at the cost of all human life.

Regardless of your age, the X-men has something to offer as a film, great action, great tongue in cheek comedy, a love story, a love triangle, pretty people, amazing special effects and of course Wolverine the iconic loner bad-boy, turned tame at the hand of a pretty woman.

On a deeper level the X-men is a look at racial equality, touching on the topic of genocide, fear of the unknown from both an aged angle and that of teen-agers struggling to find their place in the world while suffering racial persecution.
With that said, the X-men does not portray humankind as the bad guy, but rather tackles the close minded, ignorance and fear of that which is different which breeds racism.

The Plot:

Based off of the comic book. The time is the near future. There is a rift between normal humans and mutants. These mutants have gifts, these gifts can give them supernatural powers. Professor Charles Xavier has established a school where mutants can feel accepted and can learn to control their gifts. One day, a young girl calling herself "Rougue" runs away from home when she discovers her mutant gift. Then, she met a loner named Logan, then they were attacked by a group of mutants and were discovered by some of Proffessor X's students. They found out that the mutants that attacked them were a part of another mutant organization lead by "Magneto". Magneto believes that this dispute between humans and mutants will escalate into an all out war. He has also built a device that will unnaturally mutates humans. Now, Professor X's students must use their powers to stop Magneto, before it is too late.

Cast

Hugh Jackman ... Logan / Wolverine

Patrick Stewart ... Professor Charles Xavier

Ian McKellen ... Eric Lensherr / Magneto

Famke Janssen ... Jean Grey

James Marsden ... Scott Summers / Cyclops

Halle Berry ... Ororo Munroe / Storm

Anna Paquin ... Rogue / Marie D'Ancanto

Tyler Mane ... Sabretooth

Ray Park ... Toad

Rebecca Romijn ... Mystique (as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)

Bruce Davison ... Senator Kelly

Matthew Sharp ... Henry Gyrich

Rhona Shekter ... Magneto's Mother

Kenneth McGregor ... Magneto's Father

Shawn Roberts ... Rogue's Boyfriend

Trailer