Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Part 2) -- July 15!!

Karrboy84 alerted me to the new Harry Potter trailer released by Warner Brothers recently and I found it on YouTube to share it with everyone.

I think this is the same preview trailer that aired before the showing of Green Lantern on Friday.

New Trailer Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows -Part 2-



If you haven't read the final book of the Harry Potter series then let me clue you in that the second half of the book was very exciting and part 2 of the final movie should be the same.

Thanks Karrboy84!

Green Lantern or Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer??

Hey Guys and Gals! I saw the new movie Green Lantern at the theaters on Friday and let's just say the villain in this story was very reminiscent to the threat in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. So I guess Ryan Reynolds chiseled abs would make him the Silver Surfer.

I was happy to see Green Lantern make it to the silver screen and equally happy to see the beautiful Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) play the love interest opposite Ryan Reynolds. I wasn't happy however with the story. I don't know what happened with this movie. Maybe there just wasn't enough character development to care once the film makers started to bombard us with the CGI (Which was very good by the way!).

Even though Ryan Reynolds' performances was excellent, it wasn't enough to save this movie. The reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes gave Green Lantern 133 rotten tomatoes and I would have to agree that it was thinly written.

Green Lantern Trailer



On a side note, a friend of mine thought Green Lantern was better than Super 8, but I thought Super 8 was better (Check out my Blog Archive to read my review of Super 8). I guess you will have to decide for yourself!

Go enjoy yourself at a summer movie! :)

Super 8 : A Classic Summer Blockbuster

I liked Super 8, but it was definitely a Netflix or Redbox movie. I would not recommend it to someone on a budget. Your money could be better spent on another summer movie like X:Men: First Class or maybe Green Lantern. I’m going to see it tonight!

Super 8 reminded me of one of those movies my mom and dad would rent in the 80’s and make a big deal about it because it was a Steven Spielberg movie (I found out later that it actually was..LOL),but when you watched it, it was more about family strife or tension and how they resolved it then action. I agree with the reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes that it was a little bit too reminiscent of classic summer blockbuster movies for me.

Overall, it's a good story and there is action, but action is not the main focus in this movie; family and friends are. Pretty much I would say the movie was "The Sandlot" meets "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" meets "Godzilla"! And I am not talking about today’s Godzilla, but the Godzilla movies of the 80’s.

Super 8 Trailer



I want to point out that I specifically liked the beginning of the movie. It was unique and it really helped to get the suspense going, but then the action takes a break to deal with family and relationships. Oh, and I did like seeing there were several African American actors in the movie. Usually minorities specifically people of color get one role, if that, per movie.

If you do decide to go see Super 8, go with a loved one or a good friend. It really is a family oriented movie. ET phone home!

The Woes of Writing and X-Men: First Class Review

Hello guys! I feel like I've been cheating on my blog by not posting my thoughts on a few movies I have just seen. I also read a post on Karsten Knight's blog in which he talks about experiencing "writers guilt" for spending time writing on his blog and not on his then unpublished novel "Wildfire." I actually like what I have heard about the book and it seems right up my alley with mystical powers based on Roman or Greek Mythology (not sure which). Any who, what I am getting at here is that I often feel guilty if I spend "too much" time on other activities when I can be wrapping up my first book, which I am really excited about, but I promise I will have more to share by the end of July!

So, X-Men: First Class...I loved it and so did the reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie takes place before Charles Xavier becomes Professor X and before Erik Lehnsherr becomes Magneto. It definitely was worth watching in the theaters and it should even be worth it for the diehard fans.

Diehard fans will notice some discrepancies compared to the original comic book storyline, for example, Havoc is actually Scott Summers (Cyclops) younger brother, but he appears in the prequel. Also some of the first class members that appeared in the comics are MIA such as Jean Grey (Marvel Girl aka Phoenix).

X-Men: First Class Movie Trailer



In summary, regardless of the variants from the original story, X-Men:First Class is an excellent summer movie! Now back to my book!

Cheers!

I Am Number Four on DVD – Released May 24

A review on Rotten Tomatoes said “I Am Number Four” was a familiar plot and forgettable, but I am going to have to disagree. 61% of rotten tomatoes users said they liked it and I can understand why. The movie starring Alex Pettyfer ( John Smith) is about a 15-year old alien from the planet Lorien, who is trying to escape extinction after a race of beings called the Mogadorians destroyed their race and home planet. John is a part of the Garde, special Loriens who have abilities or powers. There are nine Garde left and John is number 4. The movie was directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia), produced by Michael Bay (Transformers) and the screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Writers of Smallville).

I Am Number Four Trailer

I thought the story plot was good and I loved the action. Any blind spots, such as the lack of character development and missing pieces in the back-story, I assumed it was lost in the adaptation from novel to movie. Wait! I didn’t mention the movie is based on a novel by the same name written by Pittacus Lore (a pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes)??? Oh, and didn’t I mention that James Frey is the same author of the controversial autobiographical book A Million Little Pieces?? Yup, he is! James Frey was invited to the Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss his book after she placed it on her book club list. Oprah then invited Frey back on the show to discuss allegations that emerged later that parts of the autobiography were embellished or a fraud.

James Frey on the Oprah Winfrey Show Reported by NBC Nightly News (Video)

Oprah Apologizes to James Frey (Video)

I Am Number Four, the book, spent 7 straight weeks at #1 on the children's chapter of The New York Times Best Sellers List and I plan to read it and the second book in the series, The Power of Six, when it is released August 23, 2011.

“I Am Number Four”, the move, is definitely worth watching at the redbox or on Netflix and you can decide if it is worth owning on DVD.