MOVIE NEWS: "THE MUTANTS ARE BACK, WITH SOME TIME TRAVEL!"

Its official movie buffs!!! Comic lovers, Geeks, most especially those of us who were victims of bullies, and did not get the girls in High school, and were romanticized with the mirage that we had extraordinary abilities that were not clear to the naked eye, but would unleash itself later on, and maybe draw the chicks to us (I guess it was just me, stupid right), the Marvel comic that brought overly drawn sexy, hot chicks in tight costumes into our dreams, and nicely built men...in tight costumes (GAY), THE X MEN, which was adapted into the big screen years ago, is back with its seventh installment with the theme, 'DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.' Its being co-written, produced and directed by Bryan Singer. It is the third X-Men film directed by Singer after 2000's X-Men and 2003's X2.
The film is influenced by the "X-Men" comics 'Days of Future Past' (1981) and 'All-New X-Men' (2012), both of which involve time-traveling mutants who seek to change history for the better. This time the X-Men sends Wolverine to the past to change a major historical event that could globally impact man and mutant kind.

The "Days of Future Past" story-line was selected as the film's plot in part because it would allow the filmmakers to reconcile the continuity dissonance between X-Men: First Class and the original "X-Men" film series. The time travel element also allowed actors from the original series to appear in character once again, and remove certain elements from the original series continuity (in particular, the events of X-Men: The Last Stand) that would allow the original series to continue in sequel films, as well as the new time line as set in "First Class."

Yo, did I forget to mention that the movie will finally feature the 'Sentinels'?! My bad! That's right, the mutant-hunting robots - the Sentinels, who are three stories tall, capable of flight, projects energy blasts, and can detect mutants, will be blazing the big screen in this installment which makes one highly anticipate on watching this movie so as to see how it would be pulled off. Though we got a glimpse in 'X-Men: The Last Stand,' everyone’s favorite mutant super team has yet to truly tangle with the huge, evil robots on screen. Director Bryan Singer will finally change in X-Men: Days of Future Past.


The film which is being shot in 3D, acts as a sequel to both 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand and 2011's X-Men: First Class, featuring cast members from both: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart,Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Ellen Page, and Daniel Cudmore return from the 'X-Men: The Last Stand,' while James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult and Lucas Till return from 'X-Men: First Class.'

Peter Dinklage (portrayed as Bolivar Trask, based on the X-Men antagonist Kaga from the "Astonishing X-Men" comic, who had genetic disorders but didn't possess any superhuman abilities, and so was resentful of those mutants who possessed superpowers and launched a campaign to decimate them), Omar Sy, Booboo Stewart, Fan Bingbing, Adan Canto, Evan Peters and Josh Helman round out the film's principal cast. 

X-Men: Days of Future Past is scheduled to be released in 2D and 3D theaters on May 23, 2014. The movie is estimated to gulp a whooping $250, 000, 000 for production.

"THE OTHER SIDE OF WAR"

The name of the movie is 'Killing Season' and it stars veteran actors John Travolta, a  former Serbian soldier in the 1995 Bosnian war, and Robert De Niro, a retired American military veteran and former NATO operative haunted with his experience from his last campaign in Bosnia to restore peace in the war torn country, an event that has gone down in history because of the huge loss of lives in the 1990s.
I will go straight to the point, I loved this movie! Simple, fun, thrilling  and exciting story-line, short cast list coupled with a title that best depicts the plot of the movie. 

Former Serbian soldier Emil Kovac (John Travolta) meets his informant to retrieve a file on American military veteran and former NATO operative Colonel Benjamin Ford (Robert De Niro). Ford, retired, stays in a cabin retreat somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, to forget the war which he fought in. He meets Kovac, posing off as a European tourist, during a hunting trip. The two men strike an unlikely acquaintanceship which disappears when Kovac reveals his true identity. Kovac actually has ulterior motives, and with an Intent on revenge, he initiates a gory game of cat-and-mouse with Ford. The remaining scenes that accompany this revelation show both men stubbornly struggling to prove that they were both victims of the Bosnian war.

The movie is thrilling and will get the audience anxious on what moves either men will contemplate to inflict pain on each other.

Although the film has received unanimously negative reviews from critics, and currently holds an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, I would suggest you watch the movie because there is a great lesson to learn.

Yo, check out Johnny's side burns, he looks like a gay Elvis! just kidding (clearing throat)...God bless the King (now smiling sheepish)

"R.I.P.D. = MEN IN BLACK + GHOSTBUSTERS"

Picture this scenario - you are hanging out with friends. Everybody is having fun and making jokes, and because you don't want to be left out of all the fun you try so bloody hard to be funny but end up just looking so damn stupid?! Think hard...it must have happened but you just didn't know it at the time (Please God, I hope I am not speaking for myself here). 
Anyway, the afterlife has an enforcement agency, and one may not understand if these eternal officers of the...can I say Law, are being serious or unknowingly trying to be silly, because, as I watched this movie, I found myself twitching my left eye at some scenes which I presume the producers seemed to believe were funny.

They are the officers of the REST IN PEACE DEPARTMENT, R.I.P.D. as you may call them, and they have been indebted with the duty to bring back stowaways otherwise known as 'DEADOS' in the language of the aftermath, who escape back to earth after death.

R.I.P.D. stars Ryan Reynolds (Nick Walker) and Jeff Bridges (Roy Pulsipher)  as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department, to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side. 

Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people. His mission, to arrest and bring to justice a special brand of criminals trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth. 

On earth, Boston Police Department Detectives Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) and Bobby Hayes (Kevin Bacon...bad attempt for a comeback with a silly movie, DUDE) stole a chest full of gold found during a drug bust, and Nick buries his share of the gold in his backyard, intending to use it to create a better life for himself and his wife, Julia. However, he regrets his decision and informs Hayes he intends to return the gold. Later, during a raid on a warehouse, Nick and Hayes get into a shootout with criminals, and Hayes kills Nick to prevent him from returning the gold.

While ascending into the afterlife, Nick is pulled into the office of Mary-Louise Parker (Red, weeds) who plays Mildred Proctor played, director of the Boston division of the Rest In Peace Department (R.I.P.D.), an agency that recruits deceased police officers to patrol the afterlife and capture "Deados", spirits that failed to cross over and return to Earth as monstrous ghosts. Nick agrees to join the R.I.P.D. after Proctor explains that it would stave off a potentially negative final judgment for at least a century. He is placed as a Junior officer under his new partner, Roy Pulsipher, an ex-United States Marshal from the Wild West and veteran R.I.P.D. officer who lived in the 1800s.

Nick learns R.I.P.D. officers are assigned avatars, which is how humans perceive them. Nick's is an elderly Chinese man, Jerry Chen (James Hong) and Roy's is an attractive Russian woman, Opal Pavlenko (Marisa Miller). 

Nick accompanies Roy to the apartment of a suspect, Stanley Nawlicki, who tries to escape and is killed by the duo. Pieces of gold identical to the ones Nick stole are found in Nawlicki's possessions. This makes Nick suspect some kind of conspiracy... and the movie spirals from here!

For no reason at all, I have always hoped for the best for Ryan, son of legendary Hollywood actor, Burt Reynolds, who since his quitting sitcom 'Two guys, a girl, and a pizza place', and his inception into the big screen has featured in movies where he has played an action figure, comic or both. But after all his efforts, Ryan has been struggling to remain relevant in the Hollywood movies, which makes me feel bad for the guy.

Jeff Bridges, on the other hand, son of late comic actor Lloyd Bridges is a veteran in the American movie industry and is being acknowledged to be one of the most respected as a result of successful movies he has played leading roles in. I would have been expecting that the movie RIPD will assist Ryan Reynolds' acting career to finally take a successful turn, going by Jeff Bridges feature in the movie, but I was mistaken, the movie RIPD is dead on arrival!

R.I.P.D. received very negative reviews. The film currently holds a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 60 reviews with the consensus: "It has its moments -- most of them courtesy of Jeff Bridges' rootin' tootin' performance as an undead Wild West sheriff -- but R.I.P.D. is ultimately too dimwitted and formulaic to satisfy (Mehn that's a burn)!" Film critic Roger Moore gave the film one-and-a-half out of four stars, calling it "the worst comic book adaptation since Jonah Hex (A really stupid western movie about dead guys)!" At Metacritic the film received a generally unfavorable rating among critics, but has a mixed reception among the website's audience. Kyle Smith of the New York Post rated the film a half-star out of four, saying, "For a movie that so strenuously rips off Ghostbusters and Men in Black (hmmm...brotha totally read my mind), R.I.P.D. manages to come up with fresh new ways of being absolutely terrible." That's about enough...i can't take it no more. These guys didn't even cut my homeboyz jeff and Ryan some slack!

As of August 12, 2013, R.I.P.D. has grossed $31,970,110 in the United States, plus $24,000,000 internationally, for a combined gross of $55,970,110 and has been labeled a box office bomb, with the opening weekend bringing in less than 10% of the film's $130 million production budget. SMH!!!

Rest In Peace Department known by its acronym R.I.P.D., is a 2013 American supernatural comedy film directed by Robert Schwentke, based on the comic book Rest in Peace Department by Peter M. Lenkov and published by Dark Horse Entertainment.

"Z MEANS ZOMBIE!"

Its an epidermic. 99% of world's population are infected with some kind of virus that made them a 'walking dead' popularly called 'ZOMBIES', which leaves the other 1% scampering for safety and survival. There is pandemonium ..sounds familiar right?!

I have refused to watch any zombie movie for a while because I have always felt they all have a common story line. But the movie 'World War Z'  starring Brad Pitt got my attention, maybe its because I never imagined a highly sought after Hollywood actor like Brad to feature in a movie that shows an imminent extinction to human existence, but all in all, World War Z is a thrill to watch.

Brad Pitt is Gerry lane, a Former  UN employee Gerry Lane. His wife Karin and their two daughters, Rachel and Constance, sit in traffic when the city is attacked by hordes of zombies. As the chaos spreads, the Lanes escape the city and arrive at Newark, New Jersey. Deputy Secretary-General, Thierry Umutoni —an old friend of Gerry's—calls and tells the family that he is sending a helicopter to rescue them.

The helicopter extracts the Lanes to a fleet of U.S. Navy vessels off the coast of New York City, where scientists and military personnel analyze the scope of the worldwide outbreaks. A virologist, Dr. Andrew Fassbach , argues that the plague is a virus, whose origin must be found in order for a vaccine to be developed. Gerry, known for his expertise as a former UN investigator, is tasked with helping Fassbach find the outbreak's source. Gerry reluctantly agrees to help and is sent to Camp Humphreys, a military base in South Korea.

Moments after arriving at the base, Gerry's team is attacked by zombies. Fassbach panics and accidentally shoots himself. After being rescued by the base's surviving personnel, Gerry learns that the zombies are attracted to noise and the only way to stop them is to shoot their heads. Typical, right! 

A former CIA operative also a surviving prisoner at the base, tells Gerry to go to Jerusalem, where the Israeli Mossad have established a safe zone just before the outbreak was officially acknowledged, implying Israel might have had prior knowledge of what was to come. 

In Jerusalem, The Mossad reveals that they intercepted communications from an army general in India, who stated that Indian troops were fighting the "rakshasa," or "dead spirits." With this knowledge, the city quarantined itself. Gerry is taken to the gates of the walls that were built by the Israelis after quarantining the city where Israelis are allowing any survivors in to seek refuge inside the city. However, after hearing the loud singing and celebrations of the refugees within, the thousands of zombies outside begin forming massive piles, running and climbing over one another in an attempt to climb over the wall. Eventually, the zombies succeed in breaching the wall, and panic erupts everywhere as the infection spreads, with the military soon being overwhelmed. Escorts accompany Gerry to his airplane. During their escape, Gerry notices that an old man and an emaciated boy were ignored by the zombies. 

Gerry Lane now holds the fate of the world in his hands as he is forced to traverse the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.

As of release in June, World War Z has earned $197,473,000 in North America, and $305,200,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $502,673,000.

World War Z is a 2013 British-American apocalyptic film directed by Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland). The screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan is based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Max Brooks. Pitt's Plan B Entertainment secured the film rights in 2007. 

The film received a positive reaction from critics and was a commercial success, grossing over $500 million on a $190 million budget. A sequel, cancelled during the film's troubled filming process, is rumored to be in the works. The film World War Z is estimated to be Brad's most successful movie he has featured in.

since the inception of the Zombies in the 1970s, the audience has been fascinated with the imagination revolving the concept of the 'undead' and this has created avenues for movie makers to take advantage of public's acceptance of the concept. But what has been unfair is the continuous and streamlined story-line of every zombie like movie which have made most of us to predict that it all ends the same way, that is, "population of survivors at the beginning of the movie always reduce at the end, and that's it". 

But World War Z was adventurous with an intense story as depicted by Pitt’s performance. The film also keeps viewers on their toes, as several seemingly “important” characters are killed off quickly, showing that everyone is expendable. 

As a scientist in the story states, “Mother nature is a serial killer.” No character is safe here and movie goers, looking for a fresh take on zombie attacks, will likely be pleased by this and many other aspects of this story that make it stand out from other Zombie movies.

"THE FUN PART OF GROWING UP!"

The all-star comedy cast from Grown Ups returns (with some exciting new additions) for more summertime laughs.
Three years after the events of Grown Ups, Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler) has relocated his family back to Connecticut where he and his friends grew up. This time around, the grown ups are the ones learning lessons from their kids on a day notoriously full of surprises, the last day of school. In the beginning, all of them still think that their children are still kids, however throughout the film they begin to accept that their children are growing up.

Although immature, this movie is a great laugh for young adults, especially men who are terrified with the thought of old age and child responsibilities.

Grown Ups 2 is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, and produced by Adam Sandler. The film is the sequel to the 2010 film Grown Ups. It features an ensemble cast including Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Salma Hayek. The movie also features appearances by WWE hall of famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, sportscaster Michael Kay and includes Shaquille O'Neal as a cop.

The film is produced by Sandler's production company Happy Madison. The film was released on July 12, 2013.

"WHAT HAPPENS AFTER EARTH?!"

What happens after the movie after earth? it gets a nasty review like this! I have to say, Big Will has seized to amaze me and this has been ongoing for a while. 

I am a big fan of Will smith and have followed the actor/rapper/enterpreneur for years since he debuted his singing career in the late 80s, and his acting career in the early 90s.
Also love his personalty and lifestyle (I am sounding like a stalker, am I?) especially the way he has been not only a breadwinner to his family, but also a strong advocate in actualisng the aspirations of his wife, jada pinkett Smith and the children whom have already ventured into the entertainment industry recording huge success.

His film production outfit, Overbrook has produced some of his movies like Hitch, I am legend, Hancock which to critics like myself can say has a way of wetting the appetite of the audience and later a disappointment after viewing. Its sad to say, 'After earth' with its theme "Danger is real, fear is a choice", was not able to break that yoke, as the movie was exactly what I was expecting, 'a good start but a poor ending.'

Will Smith is a military father who with his teenage son crash land on Earth, one thousand years after cataclysmic events which forced humanity to abandon Earth for a new home planet. The son must save his dying father, by trekking alone across the hostile terrain, encountering highly evolved creatures and a ruthless alien beast along the way. His goal is to recover a rescue-beacon and also prove that he can live up to his father's reputation as a legendary soldier. 

My displeasure with this movie was its replica with Oblivion, another movie I was very disappointed with, starring Tom Cruise who plays a tech guy assigned to earth to repair drones after earth is uninhabitable and humans fled to another planet to start afresh.

The movie After earth reminds me of a role playing game (RPG) which I rarely played, and sadly as the movie starts with this video game concept, it also ends with the concept. it felt like a bloody 100 meter race for heaven's sake! No twist, no surprise, no nothing! Just young master smith running from one part of the diseased planet to another to get a beacon that will send a distress signal so that they can be rescued. In short, there is nothing else to look out for except the young and old generation Smiths' display that they share some sort of connection, and a past that broke the bond between them as father and son.

After Earth has been heavily criticized, as it is currently classified as "rotten" with a rating of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 172 reviews. It holds a score of 33 on Metacritic based on 35 reviews, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews"; however, the film still earned a B grade CinemaScore surveyed from the general audience on opening day. Under CinemaScore, a C grade is the equivalent of a failing grade, and a B grade signals general satisfaction (a survey I humbly insist to be re conducted).

After Earth is a 2013 American science fiction adventure drama film directed by M. Night Shyamalan (the sixth sense), which he co-wrote with Gary Whitta, based on an original story idea by Will Smith himself.

The movie is real... BUT WATCHING IT IS A CHOICE!!!

WHAT'S THERE TO FORGIVE?

Look at this pic and be warned people! You make a stupid movie, you end up ass whooped like my friend here, hunky Canadian Ryan Gosling, whom I refer to as the 'NEW BRAD PITT'.  

The movie 'Only God Forgives' I must say, got me speechless. Don't get me wrong, I am not taking sides on whether it was a good or bad movie. I just found myself confused and unsure that I watched a movie or just stared at a poster for over an hour!

In the usual manner of most Ryan's recent movies, Only God forgives is a movie with very few words and cast and one may find it hard trying to understand its theme and the basis of making this movie.

Only God Forgives is a 2013 French-Danish co-production crime  thriller film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Vithaya Pansringarm(Some Asian dude). The film was shot on location in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ryan Gosling plays Julian, a US expatriate living in Bangkok, Thailand who runs a boxing club, which is actually a front for a massive drug smuggling operation. His older brother Billy brutally rapes and kills an underage prostitute before surrendering to the Thai police. Lieutenant Chang – known as the "Angel of Vengeance" – arrives on the scene before informing the girl's father, Choi Yan Lee. Chang allows Choi to beat Billy to death, but cuts off the man's arm for allowing his young daughter to remain in the business of prostitution.

Julian and his crew go to Choi's kiosk to confront him about his part in Billy's murder. Choi reveals that he was forced to kill Billy by the "Angel of Vengeance", and, by having his arm severed, has paid the price for his crime. Julian is mesmerized by the near-mythical Angel of Vengeance and spares the man's life.

Julian's mother, Crystal, arrives in Bangkok to identify Billy's corpse. Crystal demands Julian find and kill the men who killed Billy, but he refuses—believing that Billy deserved what he got for his vile crimes against Choi's daughter. Crystal demands that Julian kill the Angel of Vengeance, but he again refuses.

Well Julian's refusal which was perceived by his mother as betrayal and jealousy led to a chain of events that saw Chang passing judgments and punishments by the sharp end of his sword which he carries with him at all times.

I have to confess, there were some scenes that got me admiring the movie, and i kinda enjoyed the concept where there were few words and glimpse of abstract images in some scenes that may not have any meaning but contributes some kind of uniqueness and weirdness to the movie. 

Personally I think the movie is meant for reflection rather than for entertainment. I found myself every once in a while drawn to the character of Chang, 'the angel of vengeance' who can be presumed to be 'Judge Dredd or 'the arm of the law' rather than Julian who is the lead character of the movie. I attached a philosophy to the movie which is that 'nobody is above the wrath of the law', I guess that is why I am finding it difficult to put a finger on it as I am trying to understand if the movie is a bad attempt to make an action flick, or just a thriller after all.

Well, if you are a fan of movies with little dialogue like 'a place beyond the pines' and 'drive' both of which starred pretty boy Ryan Gosling, then Only God forgives is the movie for you.