Review- X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class is the fifth film from the X-Men franchise and a prequel to the first film. It takes place in 1962 and the two different roads Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr(aka Magneto) took before they had met. As like the first film, it opens up with what happens with Lehnsherr as a kid. It proceeds to expand on what you know. There is a moment that takes place after that with Sebastian Shaw(Kevin Bacon, in an great villainous performance) that will cause Lehnsherr(Micheal Fassbender) to hunt him across the Earth. Xavier(James McAvoy) works on his study on genetic mutation with childhood friend Raven aka Mystique(Jennifer Lawrence) by his side.  Their paths cross as they both try to stop Shaw: one for revenge and one for peace. The theme of which path do you choose is the strength on this movie. The action is good and it does a decent job making sense of what is happening. For the regular movie/non comic fan, this will be a great movie to see. If you are a fan of the original ongoing stories from the comic, some of it might not sit well. It is nowhere near as bad as the things that happened in the third film or X-Men Origins:Wolverine though. If you like the first two movies, you will like this one. Some scenes may be too intense for younger audiences.

Review-Green Lantern

Green Lantern is the newest movie based on characters from DC Comics,which brought you Batman and Superman. The movie centered around Hal Jordan(Ryan Reynolds), a test pilot who is courageous and reckless with himself in mind. When a member of the Green Lantern Corps (a group of beings in charge of policing the universe) crashes on Earth, he needs to find his replacement. The ring that he wears chose Hal as his suitable replacement. While this is happening, there is a being called Parallax that is killing off Corps members and getting stronger from it. It feeds on the fear of those it encounters. Corps members are suppose to be fearless so it has everyone very concerned. What drives the movie is the story of what makes one fearless and the fear that hides inside us. What also makes this movie go is the performances of Reynolds as Hal/Green Lantern and Peter Sarsgaard as Hector, a scientist who becomes Green Lantern's nemesis on Earth. The negatives about the movie come from the beginning of the movie. Two elements took me out of the moment the movie: the graphics and Blake Lively.  The graphics was like food you try for the first time. It doesn't look right to you at first but you give it a try. After the first few bites, you start to get use to it and appreciate it for what it is. Blake Lively is another story. Her character Carol Ferris in the opening scenes is someone who stands her ground. She loves and is upset at Hal, all at the same time. She does not pull this off at all. As the movie goes on, she settles in her character and is not that bad. Overall, I like the movie but I would have liked it more if it grabbed me from the beginning. Make sure you stay for the front part of the credits.

Review-Art of Getting By

The Art of Getting By is a new independent film about a boy, a girl and figuring things out before graduation. The movie centered around George(Freddie Highmore, best known from Charlie and Chocolate Factory), a high school senior that does not see the point of doing anything. He believes that since we are going to die, doing things like schoolwork does not matter. He has gone through the school year without doing any assignments. For some strange reason, his principle(Blair Underwood) keeps giving him chances to correct things. He lives with his stressed out mom(Rita Wilson) and stepfather(Sam Robards) he does not respect. He admits that he is scared to live. Then, he meets Sally(Emma Roberts),  a girl in his graduating class that he opens up to. They share a connection with their dysfunctional family as Sally's mom(Elizabeth Reaser) is recently divorced and is making up for lost time. Their friendship ends up affecting everything they know and see about themselves. The movie works well as a study of how one person can change your outlook on life. It hits a hull in the middle of the third act but corrects itself towards the end. Even though the movie Charlie Bartlett handles some of the same topics better, it is a good movie for those who like indie films.

Review-Super 8

Super 8 is the newest movie from J.J. Abrams, the man who brought us Lost, Fringe and the last Star Trek film. The film takes place in 1979 and starts off showing the effects of a factory accident on a small town. It hits Jackson Lamb(Kyle Chandler),a local officer, and his son Joe(Joel Courtney) the hardest. Jackson copes by throws himself into his work, which strains their relationship. Joe helps his friends(Riley Griffiths, Zach Mills ,Ryan Lee, Ellie Fanning) make a movie after school, which Jackson doesn't understand at all.  After sneaking out the house last at night, Joe and his friends film scenes of their movie at the railroad station. While filming, there is a train wreck that destroys a lot of property. Something escapes the train during the crash and ,shortly after, strange things starts to happen in the town. Super 8 is a very good film that has many layers to it. It pays homage to sci-fi and monsters films that came before that adults still love from their childhood(too many to name). It is also about filmmakers (Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg) who loved to see films like this as a kid making that film through that childlike perspective. The film, underneath it all, is about what is good and evil from the eyes of another and the influence that it brings. Be sure that you don't leave after the credits start rolling.

Review- Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is a new comedy co-written and starring Kristen Wiig(SNL). Annie(Wiig) a single woman trying to get over a break up and loss of her business. She always has the support of her childhood best friend Lillian(Maya Rudolph). When Annie finds out Lillian wants her to plan her wedding, she says yes to support her. She having a hard time running her life but adding a planning she getting her stressed out. The chaos ensures when you add the bridesmaids in the equation. There is Helen(Rose Byrne), who wants to take Annie's place as best friend/wedding planner. Becca(Ellie Kemper from The Office) is a newlywed with a fresh eyed look at marriage.Rita(Wendi McLendon-Covey, best known from Reno 911) is the complete opposite and has experienced what marriage and kids bring to your life. Lastly, there is Megan(Melissa McCarthy), who is the sister of the groom and lays everything out of the table. There is a possible romance for Annie from Nathan Rhodes(Chris O'Dowd), an officer in the town. This is a hilarious movie and the ensemble cast shines through. This is especially true for McCarthy, who steals the show whenever she is onscreen..There is  an occasional slow moment throughout the film but it never last that long. The movie is produced by Judd Apatow, who has a good track record producing funny hits like Superbad, Step Brothers and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.