The Dark Knight Rises Review

It must be hard to make a sequel to one of the most successful and critically acclaimed films of all time, a film that set the bar for not only superhero movies, but for cinema in general. Such is the challenge faced by writer/director Christopher Nolan in the follow up to The Dark Knight.

Nolan approaches The Dark Knight Rises in much the same manner as he addressed his previous two Batman films – by turning audience expectations on its head.

The payoff is a film that has an unexpected story, provides intriguing characters, showcases intense action, and, ultimately, pays off the Batman trilogy with a satisfying conclusion.

The film picks up eight years after The Dark Knight with Batman (Christian Bale) in self-imposed exile following the death of Harvey Dent. Bruce Wayne himself is a recluse, a man physically and mentally broken down by the sacrifices he made as Batman who now wants nothing to do with his past as the Caped Crusader. It’s a unique starting point for the film, one of many bold choices that Nolan and company make with the narrative.

Soon though, the introduction of the sultry and compelling burglar Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway), an attack on his friend Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), and the emergence of the intense and menacing Bane (Tom Hardy) force Wayne to don the cape again. Wayne must relearn his old skills and prepare himself to make even greater sacrifices if he is to have a chance of thwarting Bane’s plan to destroy Gotham. Weave in weighty story lines involving Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), rookie cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and physicist/philanthropist Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) and there are a lot of moving pieces to The Dark Knight Rises. The story ties in nicely with the previous films paying off Ra’s al Ghul and Two-Face from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Nolan balances each of these characters and story elements with deftness and surety that keeps everything moving at a quick pace. It’s an exciting film that, despite its 2 hour, 44 minute, 27 second runtime, feels brisk.

Each of the cast put in standout performances, but Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy really shine. Hathaway plays the Catwoman role with the playfulness and ferocity that the character deserves, and she lights up the screen every time she’s in the frame. Heath Ledger was legendary as The Joker in The Dark Knight, but Bane is equally impressive, despite the weird mechanical voice effects. Whereas The Joker was an intellectual and cunning villain, who, while not afraid to get his hands dirty, was content to play a chess match with Batman, Bane is a down-and-dirty beast reared in the fighting pits of a distant land come to Gotham to beat down anyone and everyone who stands in his way. You will not forget his first encounter with Batman. 

The growth of Nolan as a filmmaker from Batman Begins to The Dark Knight Rises is readily apparent. The way he frames action, the pacing and intricacy of the story, and the way in which he allows each character a moment to shine all show a highly skilled and confident filmmaker working at the top of his game. This is a well-done film and would be the highlight of many other film makers filmography.

Batman logos through the years

It’s not perfect though. The story, while rich and detailed, doesn’t hold up well under the microscope. It’s not fundamentally flawed as, say, Prometheus, but there are a few elements that don’t hold water. For instance, I’m pretty sure that Bane’s plan to isolate Gotham would have come undone by a well-timed invasion by SEAL Team Six. The fact that the U.S. government just abandons the city in the face of Bane’s terrorism doesn’t sit well. There's no way the city would have just sat there for months while Bane had his way. Ultimately, the few nitpicky points of the story can easily be overlooked. It is a comic book movie after all; a little disregard for reality is expected.

What Nolan and company have pulled off with The Dark Knight Rises is nothing less than astonishing. It culminates the eight-hour Dark Knight saga of Batman with an intense and satisfying conclusion. It showcases a phenomenal director and cast in a grand finale that maintains the high bar set by the previous two films and ends with an epic conclusion. While some may not like all of the choices in the narrative or be put off by the mechanical speech of Bane, I guarantee that Bane vs. Batman fights will get your blood pumping and make the experience worth your theaters dollars.

4 out of 5 Stars

Did you like what you saw with The Dark Knight Rises? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter! 

Ice Age: Continental Drift Review

Ice Age: Continental Drift is the fourth entry in the Ice Age franchise, and it’s evident that the franchise has run out of steam. The film offers very little new substance to the proceedings. Instead, it retreads a lot of ground covered in the previous films. It’s sad to say, but there just isn’t much new here to keep any but the youngest of audiences engaged.

The previous films were about strong family values and all featured stories about reuniting with loved ones. Ice Age 4 is more of the same. The plot this time around sees Scrat, the voiceless sabre-toothed squirrel obsessed with finding and burying the perfect acorn, trigger the breakup of the Pangea supercontinent. The fracturing of landmasses takes place just as Manny (Ray Romano), Ellie (Queen Latifah) and Peaches (Keke Palmer) are fighting about Manny’s heavy-handed parenting. See, Peaches is a teenage wooly mammoth now, and as such, she wants to hang out with the cute guys and popular girls. Manny sees that as a path to delinquency and forbids such risky behavior. It’s a silly, standard teenage-angst and overbearing parents setup. During the arguement, the continents split, and Manny, Diego (Denis Leary), and Sid (John Leguizamo) find themselves on an iceberg floating out to sea. So, Manny promises to do everything in his power to make it back to the mainland to reunite with his family.

The addition of some new characters is a bid to keep the humor and drama fresh, but only two really stand out. Sid’s grandmother (Wanda Sikes) offers a little bit of fresh humor (lost dentures jokes are always are good for a laugh). A female sabre-tooth (Jennifer Lopez) cat tries to give Diego some romantic tension, and they have a few cute but totally derived moments together.

While out to sea, the gang encounters pirates and has various adventures. Too bad both the collection of pirates and the action elements are bland.

I really wanted to enjoy Ice Age: Continental Drift. Unfortunately, it comes across as a lengthy Saturday morning cartoon. None of the characters have notable arcs through the film, and as a result, the film feels very empty. We’ve seen enough from the earlier films to know that Diego is a sweethearted cat, Manny loves his family, Sid is dumb but loyal, etc. In this fourth outing, there simply isn't more to be said. Granted, there are a few funny bits, most of which involve Sid, but I’m not sure that a few gags here and there are worth the cost of admission. Unless the studio heads at Fox come up with a truly fresh approach to the franchise, I’ll be happy for them to take some time off for the series. 

2 out of 5 Stars

Marvel at Comic Con

Marvel Studios is still busy counting the receipts from The Avengers (#3 moneymaker all time, yo!), but they are hardly slowing down production of new films. They have a slew of projects in development, what they are referring to as “Phase Two” of their plan to dominate cinema. Their plan is to continue with the individual character films while also introducing new members of the Marvel Universe. All of this will lead up to The Avengers 2 sometime down the road.

As part of their Comic Con press conference, they revealed new information about films and announced the official titles of several more.

First up is Iron Man 3, whose official title apparently is... Iron Man 3. It’s currently filming, but Robert Downey Jr. was on hand at the press conference in San Diego to attend the panel. He even judged the youth Iron Man costume contest. I love that RDJ is embracing his megastar status so completely and doing little things like that. It’s due up on May 3, 2013.

The second Thor film will be coming on November 8, 2013 and will be titled Thor 2: The Dark World. In 2014, we’ll see Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4^th, and Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1^st.

The last one is a new addition to the Marvel stable of films. It is a superhero ensemble piece that features an all-alien cast with names such as Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Racoon, Groot, and Gamora. I’m not sure what the deal is with these guys except that one looks like a tree, one looks like a raccoon, one looks like an orc, and they all look armed to the teeth. Apparently, they tie in with Thanos somehow, who is the main bad guy in The Avengers 2. The Marvel Universe all ties together nicely.

Finally, there was an announcement and a screen test of Ant Man, another new character that Marvel wants to get into film rotation. Ant Man is a scientist who invents a formula that allows him to change size. He also has invented a helmet that lets him control ants. I’m sure E. O. Wilson would be interested in that. No word on when Ant Man will be released but 2015 seems likely.

That's a lot of Marvel movie magic. Two films per year in 2013 and 2014, and then we will presumably get The Avengers 2 and Ant Man in 2015. 

Is Marvel risking overexposure, or are we in for an awesome few years of films? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

Man of Steel Poster

The Warner Brothers press conference at Comic Con was pretty epic. They showed some footage from Guillermo Del Toro's upcoming Pacific Rim (poster and synopsis here), surprised everyone by teasing Godzilla, returned to Middle Earth with The Hobbit, and also gave a first look at Zack Snyder's reboot of Superman, Man of Steel.

Here is the newest teaser poster for Man of Steel. 


It looks like a big 'S' on a chest to me. It's hard to judge the potential quality of the film based on that. The three or four minutes of footage shown at Comic Con impressed many with a tone that was more in line with the comics and less like the 2006 film Superman Returns. Based on the Twitter buzz of the folks who were there, the footage showed a very personal tale of Supes finding himself, but it also promised plenty of conflict, showing a final shot of bad guy General Zod. The vision of director Snyder and the influence of producer Christopher Nolan gives hope that Man of Steel can put Superman back to the top of the superhero heap.

We won't have to wait long to judge the new look and feel of Superman for ourselves. A trailer will show before The Dark Knight Rises, which comes out next week.

Look for Man of Steel Summer 2013.

Are you excited for a new Superman film, one that is less mopey and more action? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

Godzilla

Surprise! Look who's coming! Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures snuck in unexpected and apparently good looking footage from their reboot of Godzilla at their Comic Con press conference. I don't think anyone necessarily expected to hear about this project, but I for one am happy to know it's looking good. Godzilla is an amazing character in theory, but American attempts to portray him have missed the mark pretty badly. The most recent attempt from 1998 was terrible by anyone's measure.

Gareth Edwards directed Monsters, a 2010 film about four friends trying to get back into the U.S. after a satellite crash brings an alien life form to Earth. Here's the trailer for that film.

It's easy to see why they chose Edwards for the Godzilla reboot. If he can create that sense of atmosphere and tension with a budget of less than $1 million, imagine what he can do with a budget of $150 million.

Look for it in 2014.

Are you happy for a return of the giant green lizard? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

Oz the Great and Powerful Trailer

The beautiful poster for the upcoming Sam Raimi film Oz the Great and Powerful was released last week before Comic Con, one of the major comic and film conventions in the industry. During the Disney press conference, the first trailer was officially released for the James Franco-starring The Wizard of Oz prequel.

I like that they are keeping the black-and-white-to-color transformation aesthetic from The Wizard of Oz with this one. Oz itself looks utterly fantastical. Bright colors, strange creatures, unusual geometry, all things that will make for a captivating experience. I hope that they don't overdo the 3D gimmickry, but I must say that this looks impressive.

Are you excited for another adventure in the land of Oz? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

For the Horror Fans

A trio of Comic-Con posters

Comic-Con is happening in San Diego right now. It's one of the largest conventions of the year for not only comic book artists and publishers, but it also has grown in importance over the past several years for movie studios. Several major motion picture studios use the convention as an opportunity to showcase films coming out later in the year and to give the first glimpses of the major releases for the following summer.

Leading up to the first official events of the show, a handful of new movie posters were released for some high profile and awesome upcoming films.

First up: The Expendables 2

This is a fantastic throwback to the style of movie posters from the 1980s, which is when many of the stars of this film were in their primes. The film stars action heavyweights Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren and Terry Crews. I have no idea what the story is about, but I know it involves these guys blowing the crap out of anything and everything that gets in their way. Actually, the story is about efforts to stop baddie Jean-Claude Van Damme from getting his hands on nuclear weapons-grade uranium or plutonium, but that doesn't matter. This will be another testosterone-fueled ensemble shoot-em-up, and that's all I need to know to get pumped for this one. We only have to wait until August 17!

Next up: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The promise of another beautiful and dangerous journey across Middle Earth. This poster reminds me quite a lot of the Oz: The Great and Powerful poster that came out a few days ago. Storm clouds are brewing in the distance, but Gandalf the Grey offers us a ray of hope amidst the darkness. Peter Jackson did amazing things with the Lord of the Rings trilogy a few years back, and I'm psyched that he's back behind the camera for The Hobbit. I'm a little concerned that they've split the story into two parts, but I trust that Jackson and company know what they are doing. Coming this Christmas!

Finally: Pacific Rim

Guillermo Del Torro has directed some amazing and downright brilliant films over his career. The Hellboy films were fun action-oriented monster movies with heart, and Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favorite films of all time. His next project is Pacific Rim, which features giant robots fighting interdimensional beings. If that sounds confusing, then maybe the official plot synopsis will clarify things.

"When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, were controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes - a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) - who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse."

And who says we don't have any original ideas in Hollywood? What is obvious from the poster is that the scale of this film will be massive. Those Jaegers are huge, and del Torro has promised lots of giant robot versus giant alien action. Look for Pacific Rim next summer. I'm sure we'll be seeing more about this one soon enough.

What upcoming film news would you like to see coming out of Comic-Con? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

The ACTUAL midnight release IMAX poster for TDKR

A few days ago, I told you that this:

was the poster that attendees of the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at IMAX theaters would receive as a "thank you" for being the first of the public to see the film.

Turns out, I was wrong.

The above poster is just a promo piece to let you know that The Dark Knight Rises will be presented in the IMAX format. I got confused in my excitement and anticipation of getting my hands on the usually awesome IMAX midnight release poster for what will surely be a great movie. And that is a pretty jazzy poster that I would have no troubles hanging on my wall. Anyway, my bad.

But fear not! There will be a special poster for the midnight release of TDKR after all! And it will look like this:

Very Bane-centric, very creepy. I dig it! I love the worn, rugged look of the print. I also love the nice touch of using Bane's eyes to form the image of Batman. Cool.

Are you are as eager to make it to July 20 and get your hands on this poster as I am? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

Best (and worst) of 2012 so far

We officially crossed the halfway point of 2012 a few days ago. I’m not sure where all that time went, but reviewing my list of movies seen in 2012 tells me that I spent quite a lot of those six months in the theater or on my couch watching Blu-Rays. A quick count from that list tells me that I’ve caught 128 films so far this year, which indicates to me that I’m going to cruise past last year’s total of 188 movies seen. 

There have been some good films out this year, and they’ve been scattered across virtually the entire year. I thought now would be a good time to reflect back on the year that has been and give you my rundown of the best films so far. Plus, I will throw in a couple of disappointments for you as well, films that carried high expectations but let me down in the end.  

Some of the selections might surprise you, others might not.

Top 10 of 2012 So Far

10. Prometheus

This one lands at #10 based purely on the visuals. The set design, production values and special effects for Prometheus are top notch. Director Ridley Scott did a fantastic job of transporting us to an alien world. Every frame popped with energy and was packed with rich detail. Everything about the film looked and sounded the way a proper big budget science fiction film should. I saw this one three times this year, twice in IMAX, and I kept finding new details to marvel at with each viewing. Now the story on the other hand… let’s just say to keep reading to the end of the piece.

9. Wrath of the Titans

This movie told a very simple story, and it did it with visceral action and fun special effects. It was a dumb popcorn movie all the way, but it was a very, very good dumb popcorn movie. The story is almost pure testosterone.  All the talky bits are just excuses to race from one crazy fight scene to the next. Even the lone female in the film is herself a warrior queen who enjoys dishing out damage every chance she gets. The 13-year-old boy in me loved this film and wants me to rank it higher.

8. Chronicle

The ‘found-footage’ genre is wearing quite thin with me. I view most films of this sort as lazy, ill-conceived, often incoherent, and a bore to watch. While watching ‘found-footage’ films, I just keep wanting a cinematographer somewhere to pull back the camera, frame the shot, and show me what’s going on. Then along came Chronicle. Here is a ‘found-footage’ film that gets it. The film follows a group of high school kids who gain superpowers and document their adjustments to their new abilities. The filmmakers manage to overcome many of the issues I have with the genre. Chronicle is smart, well structured, exciting and beautiful. I hope other directors of ‘found-footage’ films were taking note.

7. 21 Jump Street

Who would have guessed that Channing Tatum could be so funny? Not me. But the pairing of Tatum and Jonah Hill produced one of the best ‘buddy cop’ movies in a long time. Sending those guys into a high school was great, but flipping their roles so that Tatum was the smart one and Hill was the athlete was genius. That really set up some fun situations for the two leads to work through. Fun times!

6. The Woman in Black

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Daniel Radcliffe in his first major film role post-Harry Potter. It turn out, he attached himself to a very good and very creepy horror film. Radcliffe does well in his role as a lawyer whose main task is to sort through the paperwork of a haunted house. Sounds dull, but, hey, whatever it takes to get him into this house. The real star of the film is the director James Watkins. This is a creepy and atmospheric horror film that uses long, still shots and bizarre imagery to build a real sense of dread. The tension ratchets up right until the very end of the film, and the final shot is one that gave quite a few people chills. Solid horror film.

5. Brave

Pixar knows what they’re doing. They know how to make great films. Even a lesser Pixar film is better than most other studios best stuff, and Brave is certainly not a lesser Pixar film. The story of a princess who defies her parents in a bid to go her own way is sweet, funny, compassionate, exciting, and it even teaches us a lesson or two.

4. The Cabin in the Woods

Do you want to know a bad sign for a horror film, or for any horror film for that matter? It’s when our finished film sits on a shelf for a few years. Whenever this happens, it usually indicates that the studio backing the film isn’t sure what to do with the final product. Normally, such films get shoved onto DVD or are never heard from again. The Cabin in the Woods, however, is a great horror film. Written by generally bright guy Joss Whedon and starring several solid actors, the problem with The Cabin in the Woods is it’s content. The whole point of the film is to deconstruct popular horror film convention into its component pieces and then play with those pieces. It’s easy to see where such an exercise could lead to a terrible film, but the writing, directing and acting are superb. The end result is a film that walks the tight line between genius and stupid and lands solidly on the genius side. If you are a fan of horror films, The Cabin in the Woods is certain to delight.

3. The Raid: Redemption

How does an Indonesian martial arts film make it into the top three? Because it’s amazing, of course. While Wrath of the Titans was a testosterone-fest for the sake of getting to the next big action sequence, The Raid: Redemption is a testosterone-fest with purpose and heart. The story is pretty simple. A drug lord controls a housing block full of criminals, and the time has come to go in and arrest him. Easier said than done. A building full of maniacs are unleashed on our heroes the minute they set foot in the place. The film is packed with wild shootouts and bone-crunching fights. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how these guys pulled off some of these fights without literally breaking each other in half. Combine the fighting with layers of family drama, friendships made, friendships broken, double-crosses, and, ultimately, moving on with life and you’ve got a memorable film.

2. The Grey

Liam Neeson is a mighty fine actor, and he puts in another strong performance in this film. A group of men returning from a remote Alaskan worksite find themselves stranded and half dead when their airplane crashes. They must fight the elements, wolves, each other, and themselves if they ever want to get home alive. The film is one of the most intense experiences you’ll have in the theater. You’ll have to consciously force yourself to relax your jaw unless you want to walk away with a headache. But, not only is it a mesmerizing experience, it also has tons of heart. These guys just want to go home, and they are willing to endure whatever is necessary to see that they have a chance to get out alive. The final scene drives home the man versus nature theme of the film and provides a satisfying conclusion to a great story.

1. The Avengers

I’m guessing you’re not surprised by this selection. A $610 million dollar box office haul (and counting) must surely be a sign of a quality film, right? In this case, it is. The Avengers is a fantastic payoff for years of planning and setup by Marvel Studios. We’ve gotten to know the major players in prior films, and here we get to see them in all-star form unite to take on their toughest foe yet. The story was fun, the action exciting, the writing sharp, the characters likeable, the effects spectacular. In the end, The Avengers is an amazingly entertaining film and it delivers on the promise set up by the previous films. There might not be a better film this year.

Who disappointed in 2012?

5. Safe House – The pairing of Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in a spy film should have been exciting and entertaining. Instead, we were treated to a by-the-numbers snoozefest with zero memorable action scenes.

4. The Hunger Games – For all the hype and box office success, I thought this film was a mess. It was well acted, but poorly shot and poorly directed. I got the feeling that, if you hadn’t read the books beforehand, then you would be totally lost. I hope they do better with the next one.

3. Snow White and the Huntsman – Previews and still shots for the film looked impressive, but when it came to the actual moving picture, it all fell apart. The characters were stiff or downright unlikeable, they did stuff for no reason or motivation, and the dwarves felt completely unnecessary. It tried way too hard to be Lord of the Rings while lacking the heart to do so.

2. Dark Shadows – I’m kindof over Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. This was a lifeless and unfunny comedy. It looked good, but it ultimately was a hollow film.

1. Prometheus – Loved the look, hated the story. It baffles me how a film with so much care put into the look and feel could come off so very, very wrong. Picking out the plot holes, dumb character decisions, and missteps in this film would take too much time and effort. And I would just get angry to think that this is what happened to my most anticipated film of 2012.

What are your picks for best (and worst) films of the year? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

Oz: The Great and Powerful Poster

Sam Raimi, the director who was dumped from the Spider-Man franchise after three very successful films, is getting ready to show us details of his next film project. He moved on to Disney to work on Oz: The Great and Powerful, which will be ramping up promotion at Comic-Con next week in San Diego. Disney has released a poster for the film to give us a taste of what’s in store from the film, and I must say, it looks rather awesome.

Beautiful and menacing all at once.

I’m interested to see what Raimi does next, and I’m a fan of the film’s star, James Franco. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one and will share any cool developments from Comic-Con (a trailer perhaps?).

The official synopsis from Disney is as follows:

Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz: The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot – fame and fortune are his for the taking – that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity – and even a bit of wizardry – Oscar transforms himself into not only the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

Oz: The Great and Powerful is produced by Joe Roth and written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire (credit not final). Grant Curtis, Philip Steuer and Palak Patel are serving as executive producers. Oz: The Great and Powerful opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013.

That actually sounds pretty good to me. Are you interested in returning to the Land of Oz for another adventure? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

The Dark Knight Rises is How Long?

I told you guys yesterday about the cool poster you can get by attending the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at your local IMAX theater at 12:01AM, July 20.

Now we know just how long you’ll have to sit in your theater chair. 164 minutes, 27 seconds. That translates to 2 hours, 44 minutes, and 27 seconds. That’s the official runtime for the film, which is 12 minutes longer than The Dark Knight and 24 minutes longer than Batman Begins. You’re going to need the small drink and the large popcorn. The good news is that about 100 minutes of the film is supposed to be close-quarters combat, chase sequences, aerial battles, street warfare, and other action. So, we should all be entertained.

The Dark Knight Rises will be the longest film to be presented in IMAX. I’m a big fan of the IMAX format because of its superb visual clarity. The 70-millimeter frame size of IMAX prints dwarfs standard 35-millimeter prints. No, seriously. Individual IMAX frames are about four times the size of standard film.

IMAX on bottom, 35mm on top

A single IMAX frame is 4X larger than 35mm  

It’s no wonder IMAX films look so good and are the preferred format for discerning cinephiles everywhere. Combine the visual presentation with a stellar sound system, and you have a amazing theatrical experience. Seriously, see every film in IMAX if you can. It's worth the premium admission price.

The major drawbacks in terms of presentation for IMAX films are the enormous sizes and weights of the assembled film reels. Here’s a great video from the folks at the Liberty Science Center IMAX theater showing their IMAX projector and discussing preparations for showing The Dark Knight Rises.

The bullet point version is:

• The film will arrive on 50 separate film reels
• It will require 12+ hours to assemble them onto a single reel
• The final master reel will weigh 600 pounds
• It will take 6+ hours to load the master into the IMAX projector

Holy smokes! The good news is that all that hard work will be worth it. Can’t wait to see it in action.

Think you can wait until July 20 to see this beast in action? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

The Monster Hunters

I finally finished the Game of Thrones series. Five books, approximately 5,000 pages. I must admit that, although I enjoyed reading each book very much, they often were a slog to get through. There were a few too many pages dedicated solely to food and dress and dull political posturing for the series to be completely entertaining. I am invested enough in the world that George R. R. Martin created to read his follow-up book, whenever it comes out, and to watch the HBO show, and maybe to futz around with a Game of Thrones video game.

But, after investing so much time and energy into one series of relatively dense reading, I wanted something somewhat lighter.

Enter – Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

This is a completely silly, funny, action-packed, monster-filled rampage of a series. It combines a few of the book genres I really enjoy, namely military special forces books such as the Rogue Warrior series by Richard Marcinko and fantasy books such as those written by Martin and H. P. Lovecraft.

The book series follows a group of new recruits at Monster Hunters International (MHI), a company specializing in eradication of all sorts of nasty monsters, as they transition from their normal civilian lives to lives in which they must face down some of the most frightening monsters on Earth (and beyond). The books Correia has written are rich and fast-paced with plenty of finely written action scenes set in fascinating locations. Everything from office buildings to ships to inter-dimensional space, and much, much more gets blown apart with big guns and high explosives.

Each character is expertly crafted with great back-stories. The main protagonist is a former accountant who was recruited to the company after his boss turned into a werewolf. He was forced to beat his werewolf boss to death in hand-to-hand combat and succeeded by beating him up and throwing him out a 14-story window. Virtually everyone at MHI has a great back-story, and learning more about each one is a joy. The monsters they face off with or meet along the way also are unique and interesting. Werewolves, vampires, wights, inter-dimensional beings, cursed souls, and other nasty things are suitably terrifying beasts, while dancing orcs and trailer park elves offer a bit of whimsy to the proceedings. It’s a fun cast of characters that Correia has assembled. He’s packaged all of these characters into a unique and cool sci-fi/fantasy story that has tons of danger where the stakes are nothing less than the end of our world.

What’s most impressive about the work Correia has accomplished is that he is self-published. Well, he self-published when he started out, but now he has an actual publishing deal. These days you can get his stuff at Barnes & Noble. By day he is an accountant, and by night he pounds out a couple thousand words per week. He manages to finish a couple of books a year that way and has turned writing into quite the hobby. I am very impressed that someone who is not a formally trained author is able to create such intricate and entertaining works. I’ve read, or tried to read, several “authors” who were nowhere near this good. Not everyone has his understanding of plot or pacing or character depth or writing action scenes.

He has a very active blog, which you can find here, where he discusses his strategies for writing. I know there are a lot of people out there who are interested in writing novels as a hobby (I am one myself), and I have found several of his posts informative and inspirational. Here is a guy who actually did what I’ve been hoping to do for the past ten years. Finish that novel and get it published. It’s pretty cool stuff, and I’m glad he has shared his success story on the internet for our pleasure.

I can’t recommend reading Correia’s books highly enough. They are funny, fast-paced, engaging, and extremely entertaining. If you want, you can grab the collection of his first three novels in a collection called The Monster Hunters from Amazon right here.

Happy reading!

Are you familiar with Correia’s works? Are you as impressed as me? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

The Dark Knight Rises IMAX poster

Did you know that The Dark Knight Rises, the finale of the Christopher Nolan Batman film trilogy, was coming to theaters on July 20? Of course you did. I’m sure by now that you’ve read about all the movies coming this month in my July Movies of the Month preview.

The final film from Christopher Nolan’s trilogy of Batman films will be presented in the glorious, wide-screen, high-definition, audibly and visually immersive IMAX format. While many recent IMAX films were post-converted to the format, up-resolutioned from standard film stock after the films were completed, Nolan shot much of The Dark Knight Rises with IMAX cameras on IMAX film. It’s a proper IMAX film, and it's going to look and sound awesome.

Continuing the trend of IMAX for commissioning original artwork to be given to attendees of the midnight releases in their theaters, there is a new The Dark Knight Rises poster to share with you. You can score your very own copy of this bad boy if you are at the midnight release of the film at your local IMAX theater.

Yeah, that’s pretty rad. Given that this is an IMAX film, you know it will look and sound spectacular, and, since it’s a Chris Nolan film, you know the story is going to be equally spectacular. 

Be sure to show up at 12:01AM, July 20 to secure your copy of this sweet-looking poster. If you're really hardcore, consider the AMC Theaters Dark Knight Trilogy that will show Batman Begins and The Dark Knight before the midnight release of The Dark Knight Rises.

Do you already have your tickets for the IMAX screening? Are you already camping out in line for the show? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

Movies of the Month: July 2012

July is shaping up to be one of the biggest months all time at the box office. Mostly this is due to the conclusion of a certain trilogy of films featuring a caped crusader. The final installment of the Christopher Nolan-directed, Christian Bale-starring Batman films will undoubtedly be a huge hit and will rival the box office take of the other big hit of 2012, The Avengers, which currently sits at #3 all-time with ~$606 million (and counting). There’s big business in the bat. Fortunately for us, The Dark Knight Rises looks rather spectacular, so record-breaking box office success appears warranted.

But, July won’t be just a one-hit wonder. There are a few other films coming out in July that should provide plenty of entertainment and should do well at the box office too. A new Spider-Man film, a film by legendary director Oliver Stone, a new Ice Age film, and more are coming up for our entertainment.

Here is a preview of the major releases in July 2012, with a couple of limited release films to keep an eye on.

Week of July 6, 2012

The Amazing Spider-Man

The Plot: Mild mannered Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man and saves the day from the evil Lizard, all while romancing the cute Gwen Stacy.

Who’s in it? Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field

Ultimate Fate: I’ve been pretty down on the concept of a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. We are only a few years removed from the last Spider-Man film, and to me it seems absurd to start the whole process over from the beginning. Granted, Spider-Man 3 wasn’t so good, and Tobey McGuire and the other stars of Sam Raimi’s trilogy can’t pretend to be teenagers forever. I do, however, doubt the need to start over with the origin again. We know who Spider-Man is, so why not just recast everyone and move on? I mean, if it works for James Bond or the Batman franchise, then why show the awkward teenage years of Peter Parker again? Alas, neither Marvel Studios nor appropriately named director Marc Webb consulted me about the pros and cons of a reboot before making The Amazing Spider-Man.

My negativity aside, early reviews on the new film say it isn’t terrible. Apparently, the relationship stuff between Peter and Gwen is handled well and some of the action scenes are well shot. There is some hope that The Amazing Spider-Man will be entertaining. But I think ‘not terrible’ is hardly what the producers and Marvel Studios were shooting for when they decided to start over with Spidey. If you like superhero films, or Spider-Man in particular, then ignore what I think and give it a shot.

Savages

The Plot: A couple of world-class pot growers in Southern California are rising stars in the burgeoning medicinal marijuana market. When a Mexican cartel kidnaps their girl and threatens to force them out, they fight back.

Who’s in it? Taylor Kitsch (hoping to avoid his third flop of 2012), Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek

Ultimate Fate: This film is directed by Oliver Stone, and it’s about drugs and organized crime. I would say it has a lot going for it. Given a solid cast (I don’t think Kitsch was the problem with John Carter or Battleship) and a story that is squarely in Stone’s wheelhouse, this has the potential to be excellent counter-programming for The Amazing Spider-Man.

Katy Perry: Part of Me

The Plot: A concert film/documentary about pop singer Katy Perry.

Who’s in it? Katy Perry, naturally

Ultimate Fate: Some of these concert film/documentary hybrids have been fairly popular. The Justin Bieber: Never Say Never film did very well at the theaters when it had it’s run last year. These sorts of films cater directly to the fans of the singers and are more like half concert, half self-promotion films than proper documentaries. Perry is one of the most popular pop songstresses going today, so there is definitely a fan base for this film. Fans will enjoy, but few others will be drawn in to the experience.

Where I’ll be this weekend: You guys can have the swinging spider. Oliver Stone has a new film back in theaters, so Savages is where I’ll be.

Week of July 13, 2012

Ice Age: Continental Drift

The Plot: Manny and the boys get separated from their wives and children and must go on an adventure across the high seas to reunite with them.

Who’s in it? The voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Aziz Ansari, Queen Latifa

Ultimate Fate: The Ice Age films are essentially entertaining family dramas. Each of them is about building or reuniting with family, which is a universal and lovely theme. The ragtag, misfit group of prehistoric creatures are all cute and fun and share an unlikely camaraderie. The quality of these films has always been quite good, and they have all been very successful. There’s no reason to think this film will be any different from the rest. Expect a solid family film with this one.

Red Lights (limited)

The Plot: A cat-and-mouse tale of paranormal investigators who cross paths with a world-renowned psychic who seems to be able to read people’s minds. Is the doctor for real, or is he pulling an elaborate hoax?

Who’s in it? Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Cilian Murphy, Elisabeth Olsen

Ultimate Fate: A thriller staring Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, and Cillian Murphy? About a supposed psychic and the investigators trying to decide if he’s real or not? It sounds like a pretty good setup to me. They certainly have the right cast of actors to pull off this concept, but it remains to be seen if the story is any good. A limited release with this group of actors make me wonder about the quality of the film.

Where I’ll be this weekend: I like sloths. To clarify, Sid the Sloth is a really fun and silly character who is one of the better parts of the Ice Age films. Plus, in this one, Sid apparently gets a girl! I’m down for some Ice Age: Continental Drift.

Week of July 20, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises

The Plot: Years after his encounter with The Joker, Batman faces off against Bane, perhaps his toughest foe yet. The thug Bane leads an uprising that threatens to destroy Gotham City, and it is up to Batman to save the day.

Who’s in it? Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard

Ultimate Fate: This is going to be good. Very, very good. The final film in the Christopher Nolan Batman film franchise will be a blockbuster among blockbusters. The previous Batman films under his watch have both been stellar, and all indications are that this one maintains that quality. I’m not sure what I can say about this one except that everyone and his brother will be seeing this film, and that we all will be entertained.

Where I’ll be this weekend: There’s only one major release this weekend, but it’s a biggie. The Dark Knight Rises all the way.

Week of July 27, 2012

The Watch

The Plot: A group of suburban dads set up a neighborhood watch to keep away boredom and somehow stumble upon an alien invasion plot.

Who’s in it? Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade

Ultimate Fate: The previews for this make it seem like a Middle-Aged Comics Gone Wild movie. In the trailers, all of the characters are completely off their chains, giving new meaning to the term, ‘over-the-top’. Vaughn’s character in particular is completely unhinged in his performance in this film. If you like aggressive comedy, then you should enjoy the film. We saw with Attack the Block last year that the concept of defending your neighborhood from alien invasion could be lots of fun. Here’s hoping that The Watch captures some of the charm from that film, which just missed my Top 10 of 2011 list.

Step Up Revolution

The Plot: The leader of a dance crew must save her neighborhood from a ruthless developer.

Who’s in it? Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman, Stephen Boss, other people with fly moves

Ultimate Fate: This is a dance movie, so the actual story matters little here. It’s all about the moves. If this has good choreography, and these films tend to have what is best described as ‘outrageous’ choreography, then the kids who are into dancing will respond. It’s certainly not for everyone, but these films do have something of an audience and perform reliably.

Killer Joe (limited)

The Plot: A Texas cop moonlights as a killer-for-hire. When a couple can’t come up with his fee for a hit, their lives are on the line.

Who’s in it? Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church

Ultimate Fate: If you get in trouble and want someone whacked, you better be able to pay the killer you hire. If you can’t, then he’s going to mess up your life. Cool premise. Apparently this is one violent film; it earned a NC-17 rating on the basis of its violence. McConaughey’s hit-man character doesn’t hold anything back and is as ruthless a killer as they come. His menacing performance has earned rave reviews on the festival circuit and apparently is one to watch.

Where I’ll be this weekend: I am curious to see just how charming and deadly McConaughey can be. He’s a solid actor, and he apparently shines in Killer Joe.

Movie of the Month: Several of these films should entertain, but there really is only one choice this month. The Dark Knight Rises caps off one of the best and most successful film franchises of all time. Can’t miss that.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found something to pique your interest at the cinema this month. Let me know which film(s) you're looking forward to in the comments below or on Twitter!