This Means War (2012)

As you know, I'm not a fan romantic comedies but I like Reese Witherspoon, I have a crush on Chris Pine since I was twelve and Tom Hardy, well, he's hot, so, after putting it off literally for years, I finally gave This Means War a chance. 

The story follows two CIA agents who are also best friends, Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pine), as they hit the dating scene after being benched because an international criminal, Karl Heinrich (Til Schweiger) is after them. While the first tries online dating, the latter goes for the old "picking up a lonely woman at video store" approach, and they both meet Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a product-testing executive with no luck in love. When the two friends find out they are dating the same woman, they begin to compete with one another to win her.

The storyline alone should be enough to keep people away from this but if you are weak like me and watch anything, any sort of crap for actors you like, then you'll find yourself barely entertained by This Means War's predictable and unexciting plot filled with holes, clichés, non-clever twists and a subplot involving a German terrorist —because Germans still are the bad guys, no matter if the story is not set during WWII— that is completely wasted and adds absolutely nothing to the whole thing.

The writers didn't put a lot of thought into the characters either so all the film has to offer is shallow, clichéd characters who, if it wasn't for the actors playing them, wouldn't even be that likeable. Not to mention the number of dumb things the three main characters, especially Tuck and FDR, do throughout the film considering that they are supposed to be smart, brilliant people. It's like watching a group of retarded morons.

20th Century Fox

As I said above though, the cast does a fairly good job. Chris Pine is charming as usual as the ladies' man, and Tom Hardy also shines charisma as the desperate, divorced single father. Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, gives a pretty flat performance as the woman craving for love and eventually getting the attention of two hot men. Chelsea Handler provides good support as Lauren's constantly horny best friend. Yes, that's all the characterization these people have.

Unfortunately, the cast is pretty much the only good thing about This Means War as the dialogue is pretty awful, the banter feels forced, the jokes are predictable and fall flat most of the time, and the action scenes lack suspense and excitement —there are fights, chases and explosions, but it's all so bland, uninspired.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

I'm not going to lie, I was not interested in seeing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at all after seeing the trailer, it just didn't click with me. Then the movie hit theatres everywhere but my country, people were loving it and I decided I'd give it a chance. Too bad my city had screenings only on Christmas and Boxing Day, I was busy with family and stuff, and I missed it. 

This umpteenth movie about your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man follows Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), a teen from Brooklyn struggling with school and friends. One night he sneaks out of his dorm room to visit his uncle, Aron (Mahershala Ali), who brings him to paint graffiti in an abandoned subway station. Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider and Spider-Man. There's already a Spider-Man (voiced by Chris Pine) but he's killed by Kingpin (voiced by Liev Schreiber). Luckily, Kingpin's dimension-crossing super-collider brings in Spider-Man from other universes, and Miles must team up with them to stop Kingpin. 

After countless Spider-Man origin movies —okay, there's three of them, but I feel like there's two too much— Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse offers a fresh, compelling take on the Spider-Man origin story with a compelling, fun and engaging plot that takes some interesting and unexpected turns and doesn't waste time with useless subplots —i.e. romance.

That said, the best part about the film is the characters and the way they and their diversities are handled. Every version of Spider-Man, whether it's Miles or Spider-Woman or Spider-Man noir, is fun, likeable and interesting as they all have their own personality that makes each one of them stand out. Mixing the character from different universes is handled so well and the interaction between characters are fun and entertaining. The villain, on the other hand, has the typical Marvel issue, he lacks depth and characterization. All we learn about Kingpin is that he is an enormous evil man. We learn something, very little, about his family, and that's it. Kingpin is such a menacing man and deserves better than this.

The voice cast does a really good job the highlights being Shameik Moore who embodies very well the personality of Miles, Hailee Steinfeld who is simply delightful as Gwen/Spider-Woman, and Mahershala Ali who is perfect as Uncle Aron —and damn his voice is sexy.

Sony Pictures Releasing

 As for the animation, it's gorgeous —it feels like watching a comic book come to life, literally, and it's awesome. It's the styling animation every movie based on a comic book should have. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse also has plenty of humour; however, while it works wonderfully in the first part, as the story moves forward and become more serious, the humour doesn't work as well. Also, the emotional scenes didn't really work for me.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

I have a crush on Chris Pine since he did that movie with Linsday Lohan —I don't remember the title, it was something about luck, I think— so of course I wanted to see A Wrinkle in Time when it hit theatres. But then the bad, really bad reviews came and I skipped it. And I'm glad because I finally gave it a chance and it was a huge waste of time. 

The film follows Meg Murry (Storm Reid), her younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and her classmate Calvin (Levi Miller) as they join three magical beigns —Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey)— to travel across the universe to search for her father (Chris Pine) who disappeared four years earlier.

I haven't read Madeleine L'Engle's novel so I don't know who is to be blamed for it, but the plot is absolutely not well put together, it does not flow smoothly as it just  jumps from place to place —at least, that's what it felt like—, it's filled with clichés and holes, and it's extremely boring.

The characters aren't any better than the plot. They are shallow, to say the least, every single one of them. It's impossible to connect with them and care about them. They have no development whatsoever and make the most idiotic decisions ever, and for no apparent reason. In other words, they are bland and uninteresting.

Just like the actors who play them. While Chris Pine tries to do something with that little he's given —there isn't a lot to do though—, the rest of the cast is just terrible. Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey are dull, and Mindy Kaling is annoying as hell and the kid actors simply can't act. When will Disney start hiring talented actors instead of these pretty but cringy kids? Also, Zach Galifianakis plays a character who had the potential to be wonderful if Michael Peña played him. Instead, they had Peña play a bland dude with red eyes.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

If anything, A Wrinkle in Time is visually beautiful with its nice cinematography and great special effects. Unfortunately, this cannot make up for the messy plot, the lack of any kind of action that would prevent it from being dreadfully boring, and a cast can't do anything or doesn't know what to do with the script. I can't believe Ava DuVernay, the same woman who directed Selma, made this. I just can't.

Outlaw King (2018)

I was pretty excited about Outlaw King, so much so that I even marked the day on my calendar to make sure I'd remember. Then a lot of shit happened and, after a long day, I finally managed to watch it on Saturday evening. Right now, I can't think of a bigger waste of time than this movie as it was outrageously boring and the scene was the biggest disappointment of 2018. 

Netflix's original tells the true story of Robert the Bruce (Chris Pine), the 14th-century Scottish king who, after being declared outlaw by the English Empire, rose an army of Scottish men in rebellion against the tyrannical King Edward I of England (Stephen Dillane) and his son, the Prince of Wales (Billy Howle). 

History was not my favourite subject in high school and we didn't study British history anyway so I don't know whether the movie is historically accurate or inaccurate —I lean more on the latter as I doubt a 14-century man would treat a woman like that, and wouldn't even consummate on the wedding night. What I do know is that Outlaw King has the typical historical movie plot that builds up to an epic final battle scene, that has a romance —because Hollywood just can't get enough of those and also, a Medieval movie without boobs? Straight men would riot, especially after seeing the blurry and blink-and-you-miss-it Pine tree— and a pacing so slow it challenges you to stay awake. 

The characters aren't much better. They barely have a characterization, development is nowhere to be found, and it's even hard to understand what drives them. In other words, they all are one-dimensional, some of them nothing but stereotypes, and because of that, you don't feel for any of them.

The cast doesn't do much either. While Stephen Dillane gives a pretty good performance as Edward I of England —I'm still shocked considering how poorly written that character is—, the rest are just average, especially Chirs Pine who is not so convincing in the role of Robert the Bruce as it's hard to buy he'd be able to lead anyone; he does a good job with the accent though —it's not perfect but I think we can all agree Scottish is hard to nail.

Netflix

It's not all downs though, Outlaw King also has some ups. The opening sequence, for instance, which is an about 10-minute long continuous tracking shot, is superb; the cinematography by Barry Ackroyd is quite captivating —one of the few reasons I kept watching— and captures the beauties of Scottland to perfection; and the haunting score, although it is a bit intrusive at times, fit the film very well.

MUST WATCH: New WONDER WOMAN Trailer!

It's finally here and it's looking like WONDER WOMAN may be getting the movie she deserves! I'm not sure what to make of the storyline yet as we just don't know the details, but visually the trailer rocks!

Gal Gadot is absolutely stunning in the role as we saw in BvS and the addition of Chris Pine here will pay off I think.

I'm loving the production quality, the attention to detail and of course, WW's Bracelets of Submission which, as you can see, easily deflect oncoming bullets.

Enjoy!



WONDER WOMAN is slated for release June 2, 2017. Stay tuned for more!

New Image, Villain Speculation For STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS!

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Hmmm. Here's the newest still from J.J. Abrams STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS featuring left to right Zackary Quinto (Spock), Benedict Cumberbatch (???) and Chris Pine (Kirk).

Note that Paramount labeled Cumberbatch's character in the photo as John Harrison. Who the heck is that? Intentionally fake? We'll soon find out.

Once again we can see that Cumberbatch's character is indeed wearing a Starfleet uniform. I would say it's a safe wager that he is not playing Khan unless this new universe for Star Trek is indeed completely disoriented.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

So what do you think? A red herring from Abrams? A false name for Khan who reveals himself later in the movie? Twins? Alternative universe to the alternative universe? This is science fiction after all. ANYTHING is possible.

Don't forget! 9 minutes of INTO DARKNESS is pre-rolling in front of THE HOBBIT this weekend!

MUST WATCH: Extended International Trailer For STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS!!

Here's the extended international (Japanese) version of the shorter trailer that was released earlier - this newer cut has an additional 15 seconds or so of awesomeness.

Of course there is one scene in this trailer that immediately brings back intense memories for any Trek fan from STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN. When you see it - you will know what it is. In fact you may already know what I am talking about before seeing the trailer ;-)

I love how Benedict Cumberbatch is narrating this thing - what an amazing voice. Seriously. Cumberbatch is set to dominate this generation's crop of fine actors along with a certain Martin Freeman (BBC's SHERLOCK is amazing if you haven't seen it yet! Both of them star in it so what are you waiting for?).

Here's the storyline for the movie:
In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: His crew.

The effects look amazing, the flares never looked finer and Captain James Tiberius Kirk has his hands full yet again. What more could a fan want? Oh yeah, it's in 3D this time!! Can't wait.

STAR TREK IN TO DARKNESS opens on May 17, 2013.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer...

MUST SEE: New Animated Poster From DWA's RISE OF THE GUARDIANS!

Very cool poster here guys. Like I said before, RISE OF THE GUARDIANS is set to explode. Young kids and the young-at-heart will all be clamoring for this thing! That includes me.

The movie features the voices of Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine, Isla Fisher and Jude Law.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS is an epic and magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost – legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS opens on November 21. More details here.

Must See: new Character Posters For DWA's RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

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Check out the new character posters for Dreamworks Animation's RISE OF THE GUARDIANS! I am quite bullish on this upcoming 3D animation feature that features the vocal stylings of Chris Pine (Jack Frost), Hugh Jackman (Easter Bunny), Alec Baldwin (Nicholas St. North), Jude Law (The Boogeyman) and Isla Fisher (The Tooth Fairy). 

It's kinda like a child-friendly version of THE AVENGERS. Love that the creative genius of Guillermo del Toro has an influence here!

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Here's the official movie storyline:
Rise of the Guardians, based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, will be released on November 21, 2012. It is directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space) and co-directed by Joyce. The film is being produced by Christina Steinberg (Bee Movie, National Treasure) and Nancy Bernstein, long-time head of Production at DreamWorks Animation. Rise of the Guardians is being written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and Michael Siegel. It stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS hits theaters on November 21. For all of our coverage on RISE OF THE GUARDIANS including it's first trailer, click here.