The Raid looks really fucking cool.  I have no idea what it’s about, but it looks cool.

In Time, starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde and Cillian Murphy, looks pretty decent.

Hopefully the final product will match the trailer.

But they’re not.

No.  We get mindless dumb shit like Battleship.  Liam Neeson should know better.

It’s due out on May 18th 2012, just so you know to stay away from the cinema.

Written by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Genre: Action, comic, war, sci-fi

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) fights for a place on a top secret research project run by Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and Dr Erskine (Stanley Tucci) that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

I should start by saying that whilst I’m not American I do love America.  I grew up in England and now live in Australia but ever since I first visited the US in 1984 I’ve felt a love for the country that simply isn’t there for my native land.  I’ve been back seven more times since then and long for the chance to move to the US on a permanent basis.  All this is a kinda gooey, hokey way to say that I’m not one of these people who dislike America for it’s storybook ideals and “we’re number 1″ attitude.

The most disappointing thing about Captain America: The First Avenger is that it’s going to be (or already is) number 1 at the box office not because it’s a particularly good film, but because it plays to that phony rah rah attitude of American superiority.  I know America is awesome, I don’t need to be hit over the head with nostalgic patriotism.

As for the film as a whole, I found that the first act was my favourite section of the film because we actually got to spend some time with the characters, whereas Joe Johnston sped through the story in the later acts just so he could get to the next action sequence.  I know it’s a delicate balance when it comes to the pacing of a film, you don’t want to skip ahead too quickly or linger too long, but with Captain America I feel that the whole campaign against Hydra begun, proceeded and concluded far to quickly.  Yeah, he’s Captain America, but that doesn’t mean he can’t encounter some kind of obstacle or setback.  We all know he’s gonna win in the end, the hero always does, but the protagonist needs to face an obstacle.  That’s screenwriting 101.

On the actor side of things I think Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones did a decent job, but Haley Atwell as the sexy 1940s pinup-like  officer was a real negative for the film.  I realise they can’t cast some skinny blonde bombshell but my complaint isn’t entirely based on Atwell’s looks.  I think she gave a somewhat OK performance with the material she was given, but that whole romance between her and Captain America was completely manufactured.  There was nothing natural or organic about their relationship, and the “meet in one week” conversation as his plane was going down was laughable.  I’m very hopeful given the way the film ended that Atwell won’t be returning in any form in either The Avengers or the likely sequel.

And speaking of how the film ended, I hope they explain how a guy can be buried in ice in the Antarctic(?) for 70 years and neither age or die.  That seems ludicrous even for a comic movie.

RATING:  6/10

CONCLUSION
I think Captain America: The First Avenger works best as an origin story which sets up Joss Whedon’s upcoming The Avengers.  The first act is decent but the rest feels rushed and paced far too quickly.  Chris Evans is a credible Steve Rogers and Hugo Weaving once again does a good job as a villain.  The special effects are OK and the film is passable.  I wasn’t expecting to be blown away and Captain America: The First Avenger met those expectations.

That being said, I am a fan of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, so this reboot does have something going for it.  Plus it’s never really a bad thing when you can get a new Spider-Man film.

Here’s the non-bootleg teaser for The Amazing Spider-Man.  Due for release on July 3rd 2012 in spectacular 3D.

Written by: Ehren Kruger
Directed by: Michael Bay
Genre: Action, 3D, comedy(?)

The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.

It’s worth noting right from the outset that Transformers: Dark of the Moon suffers from not having Megan Fox it in.  And I fucking hated the lame ass jokes/asides concerning the absence of Mikaela.

As for the film, it is what it is, and you’ll enjoy it just as much as you expect.  Nothing’s really changed since the first film and if you go in on the understanding that the film is simply a dumb summer blockbuster then you should come away feeling OK about the money you’ve just spent.  I will say that I enjoyed the 3D and despite the notoriously “busy” special effects of the franchise I found that I didn’t suffer any kind of eye strain or headache from watching the 157 minute film.

New transformers are introduced, as they were in the second film, with the notable one being Sentinel Prime.  I found it to be pretty distracting watching a transformer that clearly looked like Leonard Nimoy who spoke with that unmistakable cadence, but he was pretty bad-ass when he was kicking Optimus Prime all over the place.  A scene of particular note which is a fantastic display of special effects is the one featuring Shockwave (who I think is new to the franchise) tearing a whole building apart whilst the good guys are inside as it breaks in half and crashes against a neighboring building.  Really fucking cool.

Comic relief is provided by LaBeouf, Witwicky’s parents played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White (although they’re not in it nearly enough), John Turturro, the legendary Ken Jeong, and Alan Tudyk (who makes his first appearance in the franchise).

Not much more to say about the film beyond that.

RATING: 6.5/10

CONCLUSION
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a dumb action film just like the first two and just like everything else Michael Bay makes.  But if you go in wanting and expecting that, you won’t be disappointed.  I take some points off because it doesn’t have Megan Fox in it but I add some because it does feature the comedically flawless Ken Jeong.

Title: Faster

Directed by: George Tillman Jr

Written by: Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton

Initial Flickchart position:  #772 of 1393 overall.  My #63 film, of 77, from the year 2010.

What It’s About:
An ex-con (Dwayne Johnson) sets out to avenge his brother’s death after they were double-crossed during a heist years ago. During his campaign, however, he’s tracked by a veteran cop and an egocentric hit man.

General Comments:
I would have given this a below average score if it weren’t for the fact that The Rock just walks up and kills people.  That alone is the reason this by the numbers revenge flick gets the score it does.

Watch Faster because The Rock has finally done an action movie after his string of shitty family/kids films.

Rating:  5/10

Title: Season of the Witch

Directed by: Dominic Sena

Written by: Bragi F. Schut

Initial Flickchart position:  #1068 of 1392 overall.  My #5 film, of 5, from the year 2011.

What It’s About:
14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

General Comments:
Nic Cage really does make some odd choices with his roles.  Red Rock West, Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, Bringing Out the Dead, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans, Kick-Ass.  They’re all good to great films, but then he goes and appears in garbage like Ghost Rider, Next, Bangkok Dangerous and Knowing.  Season of the Witch falls into the latter category.  It features some truly terrible dialogue, a whole bunch of religious bullshit, Cage getting angry and yelling through spit, and Ron Perlman doing his “I’m big and hitting stuff” routine.  It’s below average in every possible way, and makes Drive Angry look like a masterpiece.

Watch Season of the Witch too see how low Nic Cage is willing to go.

Rating:  4.5/10

Title: Drive Angry

Directed by: Patrick Lussier

Written by: Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier

Initial Flickchart position:  #400 of 1383 overall.  My #1 film, of 2, from the year 2011.

What It’s About:
A vengeful father (Nicolas Cage) escapes from hell and chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.

General Comments:
It’s cheesy, trashy, harmless fun that’s bolstered by the smoking hot Amber Heard and the always fun William Fichtner.  Other that there’s not much else to say about the film.  I will give it props for featuring Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away”, and not censoring it.

Watch Drive Angry because it has a sex scene gunfight featuring Charlotte Ross.

Rating:  5.5/10

Title: Public Enemies

Directed by: Michael Mann

Written by: Ronan Bennett and Michael Mann & Ann Biderman

Initial Flickchart position:  #291 of 1378 overall.  My #26 film, of 77, from the year 2009 (but this seems too low).

What It’s About:
The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.

General Comments:
There’s definitely a certain amount of poetic licence taken with the story, and I’m not convinced that Mann’s trademark shakycam fits with the 1930′s aesthetic, but aside from those two quibbles Public Enemies is a very enjoyable film.  Depp oozes the style, confidence and charisma needed for the part, and Bale is able to convey the false sense of confidence that his character demands extremely well.  I was also quite impressed by Marion Cotillard, who’s just as good here as she is in Inception.  I’m actually really disappointed that it took me nearly two years to see this film.

Watch Public Enemies because Johnny Depp is awesome, the story, style and mood of the film is fantastic, and because absolutely everyone in it does a great job.

Rating:  7/10