Hollywood's newest trend?

I have some great news! It seems that Hollywood is finally retiring the zombie and vampire fads of the past decade! Granted that earlier this year we did see the release of "I, Frankensten" and "Vampire Academy", but the fact that you can count the number of undead movie releases on one hand, is a great sign.

"The Hunger Games: Games of Hunger"
Oh, its just "Hunger Games"?

Yes it seems the champion is being dethroned, so what pray tell is going to take it's place? Everybody always jokes about how Hollywood is fresh out of ideas, but movies will still, inevitably, come out. There is a trend on the rise, and "Twilight" and "Hunger Games" are serving as the bridge into this new drift of film.

Prepare for the reign of young adult fiction book movies.

Last year saw the release of plenty of these films, including (but not limited to) "Enders Game", "Beautiful Creatures", "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones", "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters", "Hunger Games: Catching Fire", "The Host", and many more.

"The Hunger Games: Maze Runner"
Whoops, its just "The Maze Runner..."

The danger is that they're being replaced with as many Hunger games clones as possible. Now don't get me wrong, "Hunger Games" was extremely well done (though a bit unsettling for my tastes, what with the child murder and all). My issue with this is that because it was made so well, every studio wants to emulate it with every book they can get their hands on.

That isn't necessarily bad, but it could (and seems like it will) get old really fast. Expect to see a lot of these in the next year or two. 2014 will see the release of "Divergent", "The Maze Runner", "The Giver", and "Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1" just to name a few. Disney also announced last year that they'll be helming a movie based on the "Artemis Fowl " book series. Any way you slice it, its a great time to be a young adult actor/actress in Hollywood.

"Percy Jackson & the Hunger Games"
Wait, wait..."Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters"

So what is the "Hunger Games" theme that everybody is playing off of? Well, there's a few key elements:
1: Lead character is 14-17 years old.
2. Dystopian setting (anti-utopia, usually controlled by a well meaning, but overbearing government)
3. Love triangle
4. Dark/gritty color scheme

But I do have a big fat problem with this, in a way. Most of these books are part of a series (Twilight, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Enders Game, etc.), and the movie big-wigs are milking the crap out of it. Aw hell, I'll just say it. STOP DOING TWO-PART MOVIES. This started with Harry Potter, and was very necessary, as the book was gigantic, and had a LOT of story that was being built up over the course of seven books. But then you have a series like Hunger Games. I haven't read the books, but I've seen them, and they're not very big. If they can fit the first two into their own movies, they do NOT need two movies to tell the last book. Hobbit, I'm looking at you too. One book, three movies?! But I digress...

"The Hunger Games: The Giver"
Ack! This one's just "The Giver"

In short, get ready to be sick of movies starring angsty teens in repetitive plots. I'm placing my bet that we'll be seeing a lot of them for the next 10 years or so.

Now if only they had waited until now to do an Eragon movie...maybe it would have been at least a little better.

The Crow

The Crow
(R) 1994

Starring:Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott

The Story:
Based on the comic book series of the same name created by James O'Barr, The Crow follows Eric Draven, a musician living in a crime-ridden town with his Fiancee Shelly. The movie begins with the dual homicide of both Eric and Shelly on Devil's Night, October 30th. One year later, Eric is resurrected by a crow and given supernatural powers in order to reap revenge upon his and Shelly's murderers.

If you like...:
The Warriors, The Fifth Element, Robocop, Demolition Man, any Batman movie from the 80's or 90's

The movie garnered a lot of attention due to the accidental death of lead actor Brandon Lee during filming. To sum up, due to an error by the prop master, Lee was shot with a gun that was supposed to be filled with blanks, and was fatally wounded. After rewrites and some time away from production, the movie was completed using body doubles and special effects.

The Good:
The Crow carries a vibe very reminiscent to what I feel that Tim Burton's Batman movies SHOULD have looked like. Everything is very dark and gritty, giving the movie somewhat of a post-apocalyptic vibe due to the amount of crime the city experiences.

For a mid-90's action movie, the fight scenes are definitely a lot of fun. Eric Draven has no qualms about killing, which makes him a fun anti-hero to root for. Draven definitely gives off a terrifying vibe when he dons the "crow" make-up, and doles out vigilante justice. His character reminded me of what The Joker might look like if he wasn't so colorful. Scary for sure, but definitely awesome. Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) lends his talent excellently as Draven's support, police sergeant Albrecht. If Draven were Batman, Albrecht would undoubtedly be his Commissioner Gordon.



The Bad:

Let's be honest, there's a reason that Brandon Lee wasn't in a whole lot of movies over the years. As an actor, he wasn't the best. Then again, Draven, his character, isn't really expected to have long, heart-felt monologues. He's expected to kick ass, which he does. Still, in certain scenes it can be hard to get past his shaky voice work.

The plot is pretty bland as well. I mean, it gets the job done. He's out to kill four specific gang members, and that's all. But halfway through the movie we're introduced to a crime lord who basically gets himself involved just to be a dick. Top Dollar (played by Michael Wincott) definitely is a fun villain, if not a bit creepy with the ladies, but still felt a bit unnecessary in the overall plot, especially as the main villain. A minor complaint, but it did bug me.

Verdict:
6.5 out of 10
It's definitely fun, but other than the tragic death of lead actor Brandon Lee during filming, I'm not entirely sure that it needs to be called a "cult classic". Then again, if you're looking for a fun action packed 90's movie, give it a try.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

I'm back! It's been a busy few weeks, but here's a new review for ya!



Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
2005 (PG 13)

Starring: Steve Burton, Steve Staley, Crispin Freeman, Steve Blum

Plot: The movie functions as a sequel to the 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation. Without spending several hours recapping the story, characters, and spoiling the ending of the game, I'll try to summarize:

*takes a deeeeep breath* The movie itself actually begins with a brief summary of the events of the game, from beginning to end. The game (and movie) centers around Cloud Strife, an ex-soldier turned mercenary who assists a rebellion who is seeking to take down an evil corporation called Shinra, whose goal is to siphon the planet's life stream, and convert it into energy, unaware that in doing so, they are killing the planet.  Enter Sephiroth, a genetic experiment created by Shinra in an effort to create a perfect soldier, who wants to take over/destroy the world in a bloody quest for vengance against his creators. **SPOILER ALERT** He was killed during the ending of Final Fantasy VII.

The movie takes place several years after the events of the game, during which time large numbers of children have been stricken with a mysterious ailment that many believe to be the doing of the planet, angry at those who tried to kill it. The heroes of Final Fantasy VII must reunite in order to stop three mysterious new enemies seeking to resurrect Sephiroth.

Confused? It's to be expected. If you're not confused, you've probably beaten Final Fantasy VII, and watched the movie already. The game itself spawned a multitude of spin-off games, and a lore that spans decades. It's actually rather impressive considering it all came from one video game. If you want to know more, definitely go back and play the game, or check out the Final Fantasy Wiki. But here, I'll only be covering the movie itself.

The Good: I've said it before, I'll say it again. With animated movies maintaining popularity as they do, it's important for companies to set theirs apart in some way. Advent Children does this through gorgeous, action-packed visuals. And for this movie being almost 10 years old, it still looks beautiful. The animation is crisp, hair and clothing moves in a believable way (for anime-styled characters that is), action scenes invoke a sense of awe, whether it be in the scale of the monsters, the speed of the action, of the visuals of the sparks flying, or magic spells being cast. This is also one of the earlier computer-generated movies that I remember seeing that managed to fit such a massive amount of people on-screen at the same time, which still manages to impress.

In terms of sound, the score continues to impress, evoking a range of emotions. Most of the soundtrack consists of orchestrated versions of music pulled straight out of Final Fantasy VII. My personal favorite is the piano-only version of the video game's battle music. The voice acting is also wonderful. Popular voice actors including Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop), Steve Burton (Kingdom Hearts), and Quinton Flynn (Metal Gear Solid 2) are instantly recognizable by their fans, and bring into the movie the talent that they're known for as video game / anime voice actors.

If you're a well-versed fan of the Final Fantasy VII universe, the story is easy to follow, and offers plenty of fan service, whether it be a familiar place, or a familiar face.

In 2009, an extended version of the movie was released on Blu-Ray, titled "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete" which includes 25 extra minutes, and many completely redone scenes. For hardcore fans, this is a must.

The Bad: I'll start with the obvious: If you're NOT well-versed in the game, you're going to have a rough time with the story and characters. There's a lot to this movie, and aside from the short intro to the movie, the makers definitely assumed that if you are watching the movie, you already know the plot of Final Fantasy VII.

While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can get dangerous in the fact that sometimes it seems they assume too much. Personally, I'm a big fan of the game, and have played several of the spin-off titles. That said, I still find myself scratching my head a few times during the movie.

Verdict:
This movie is hard to give a final score to, so I'm actually going to split it into two sores.
If you're a gamer, 9/10.
If you're not, 6/10.

No matter which way you look at it, the movie is presented stunningly. It's worth a watch solely for the visuals, but if you are familiar with the series, it is exponentially better.

2014 Movie Guide part 2

And we're back! After taking a look at the upcoming movies from January - March of this year, let's take a look at April, May, and June! Summer blockbusters, aaaaaw yeah!

As usual, the trailer for each movie is linked to the title (if trailers are available for that movie).

April:
4/4
-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Ehem...as some of you may know, I'm a bit of a Cap fan...so my feelings on this movie are grossly biased. BUT I will still say something in more of an impartial light: Its being described as more of a "political thriller/action" so expect something much deeper than just *POW POW*. It picks up two years after the events of "The Avengers" with Cap struggling to adapt to modern society. Personally, I'll be first in line.

4/11
-Draft Day
Ugh...the only thing more boring to me than sports, is sports movies. Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner star in a movie about a sports manager for a football team. Watch the trailer, because I don't really care.

-Oculus
Horror movie. Surprise.

-Rio 2
I love animated movies, but they really have to try hard to stand out nowadays. I never saw the first Rio. The visuals look good, but the story just doesn't seem to stand out to me. Either way, I may watch it if its on TV sometime.


4/16
-Heaven Is For Real
Based on the book of the same name (I knew that thanks to my awesome book-loving wife), this story is based on the true story of a young boy who has a near-death experience, and sees heaven, which affects the lives of his friends and family. As a Lutheran, I'm a bit skeptical since I've never read the book, but I may actually give this one a try. The movie stars Greg Kinnear, a personal favorite of mine.

4/17
-Transcendence
Johnny Depp stars in a near-future science fiction epic where his character melds his brain with a machine to create the ultimate artificial intelligence. Seems like it will be somewhat political, but with a supporting cast including Morgan Freeman and Paul Bettany, I'm pretty intrigued! The feel of the trailer reminds me vaguely of the early 2000's movie A.I. mixed with the Terminator franchise.

4/25
-The Other Woman
Occasionally I enjoy a good chick flick, and the plot of this one honestly gave me a chuckle. Three girls all being played by the same guy decide to get their revenge. Not a fan of any of the actresses though, and the fact that Nicki Manaj exists in a movie turned me off 100% instantly. Just saying.

May:
5/2
-The Amazing Spider-Man 2
A lot of people I've talked to actually don't like the new Spider-Man movie as much as the old Toby Macguire series, but personally I adored the first Andrew Garfield one. This guy IS Peter Parker. I'm extremely excited for this movie! Villains inlude Rhino, Electro, and Green Goblin, and talent includes Paul Giamatti, and Jamie Foxx.

5/9
-Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
Starring Patrick Stewart, Dan Aackroyd, Jim Belushi and Kelsey Grammar, this is an animated "sequel" to the original Wizard of Oz. Personally I feel like the animation is just awful compared to what movies nowadays have been able to do. I mean look at Frozen, or even re-watch the trailer for Rio 2, they look ten times more detailed. Plus, why do we need a sequel to Wizard of Oz? The whole thing just feels totally unnecessary.

-Neighbors
A couple consisting of new parents and a young baby have new neighbors move in next door: a fraternity of loud, partying college guys. Hilarity ensues as the couple wages an all-out prank war against the frat, but the college guys retaliate with force. This looks to be a raunchy comedy, but the trailer sets up some great jokes! It's Seth Rogen vs Zac Effron!

5/16
-Godzilla
I've never really been big into Godzilla in the past, but I've always enjoyed gigantic monster movies like Cloverfield. This homage to the original Godzilla, with modern day special effects, looks down right spectacular! That monster legitimately scared me when I first saw this trailer! This movie carries a much MUCH darker tone than the 2000 film starring Matthew Broderick, as well as a big name cast including Bryan Cranston, and Ken Watanabe.

5/23
-X-Men: Days of Future Past
Did you like the original Bryan Singer-directed X-Men movies from the early 2000's? How about the more recent X-Men: First Class? If you liked either or both of those, chances are you'll be interested in Days of Future Past. I've always loved the X-Men, so I have high hopes for this movie. Recently they've released a lot of images of the various characters in the movie, and frankly a lot of their costumes just plain SUCK. I'll still see it though!

5/30
-A Million Ways to Die in the West
Directed and written by Seth McFarlane (Family Guy, Ted) and starring a lot of big names including Liam Neeson, Neil Patrick Harris, Charlize Theron, Sarah Silverman, and more, this movie is just going to be a gory, curse-filled, sex-joke-filled, most likely nudity-filled, probably drug and alcohol-filled mess. If you're into South Park and Family Guy, probably right up your alley.

-Filth
Based on a book written by Irivne Welsh, the author of Trainspotting, you can expect about the same. The movie looks grossly inappropriate, but in a much more demented way than your usual R-rated comedy. James Macavoy stars as a corrupted cop in Scotland. Be warned, the trailer is pretty R-rated in its own right.

-Maleficent
Angelina Jolie stars as the title character in this live-action adaptation of the famous Disney villain. The visuals look stunning, but I wish they had chosen a different lead actress. This is another one of those movies where it very well may be great, but it just feels kind of unnecessary. The visuals, though....wow.

June:
6/6
-Edge of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise is nuts as a person. The guy is just crazy. But when it comes to action movies, he can act his ass off! I love every modern Tom Cruise action movie, and Edge of Tomorrow looks very promising. He stars as a soldier who is cursed to re-live the same failed military invasion every day of his life. It's like Groundhog Day meets the video game Starcraft.

6/13
-22 Jump Street
Good god. Why is this a thing?

-How to Train Your Dragon 2
Remember what I said like 4 movies ago about how you need to make your animated movies stand out somehow since there are so many nowadays? Yeah. This movie is how you do it. The first How to Train Your Dragon is fantastic, and this just...wow. I can't wait for this movie. Just watch the trailer, it speaks for itself.

6/20
-The Purge: Anarchy
Another horror movie, yes. But the premise actually has me interested for once! This movie is a sequel to the 2013 film The Purge, in which America is a dominant world power with a strong economy, and almost nonexistent crime rate. This is achieved through The Purge: an annual event where for 8 hours, all crime is completely legal. I ignored the first film because it was your basic "we're being stalked" horror. The sequel however tasks a group with reaching a building across town, and having to survive The Purge. The plot sounds very much like a Hunger Games type of survival movie. There is no trailer as of yet, but if you click here, I placed a link for a trailer for the first movie.

6/27
-Transformers: Age of Extinction
Its the same as the first three, but with no Shia LeBeof. Big whoop.

The LEGO Movie

I still haven't forgotten about my 2014 movie preview! I promise! Besides you're all set until March anyways so what are you complaining about?!

Anywho...this is one of those rare opportunities where I got to see a movie within a week of it's theatrical release, and I couldn't WAIT to review it!





The LEGO Movie
(PG) 2013

Starring:
Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Will Forte, Nick Offerman, Shaquile O'Neal, Billy Dee Williams, Cobie Smulders, and on and on AND ON!!

The Plot:
Based on the popular children's toy, the movie is set in a LEGO world and follows the story of Emmett (Chris Pratt, Parks & Recreation), a regular guy who follows the instructions. He soon finds himself being looked up to as "The Special", the one who will save the LEGO world from evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell, Anchorman). With the help of his fellow master builders (including, but not limited to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, NBA all-stars, Batman, Superman, and several surprise guests I don't want to spoil here).





The Good:
Where do I begin? No seriously, this movie is fantastic! Most animated movies in this day and age throw in a few subtle jokes for the adults, or try to fill in the gaps with needless potty humor and fart jokes. This movie had me in stitches even during its most "serious" moments, and I can say the same for every single other adult in the theater (which was just about everyone).

The movie is animated very well. It's made using a mix of stop-motion and computer animation, resulting in some spectacular shots, and some hilarious moments. The water in the movie was probably the most visually incredible, if not a bit trippy. Anyone who has interest in the animation aspect of movies will greatly enjoy seeing how the obviously plastic figures move and interact.

The voice acting is also superb, and even the voice actors that I can't stand (coughJONAH HILLcough) had some great lines that were very well performed. The star-studded cast kept on coming until the very end, and even led to some unsuspected and wonderful twists in the last half hour.

Usually I'm not one in support of the "moral of the story" of movies like this. But the "anyone can be creative" and "you're all special" messages were so subtle, yet just obvious enough that it ties the whole movie together.





The Bad:
Honestly, while the movie comes in at a respectable 1 hour and 40 minutes, it felt a bit rushed at times. The very beginning of the movie shoots through the introduction of the world, and came close to feeling overwhelming.

My only other complaint (and I'm REALLY reaching for complaints) is that the LEGO universe is so expansive nowadays that I felt that there were some missed opportunities. Some of the most subtle references had me laughing the most, but there were so many LEGO sets that could have been included, but I feel like they weren't just because of the companies in charge of making the movie. (e.g. Warner Brothers had a hand, which means they'd include a ton of DC Comics characters, but without the rights to any Marvel Comics characters, even though there are plenty of Marvel LEGO sets).

But again, I'm trying hard to find things to complain about, and if that's the best I can muster, that should tell you something! Besides, there's always room in the sequel, eh?

Verdict:
10 awesome overpriced LEGO sets out of 10

As the movie's song says, "Everything Is Awesome."

The FP

Hey folks! I haven't forgotten about my 2014 year of movies previews, but I watched a movie last night that I just had to review. Check out..."The FP"





The FP 
(R) 2013

Starring: 
Jason Trost, Lee Valmassy, Art Hsu, Caitlyn Folley

If you liked...:
Idiocracy, Malibu's Most Wanted, Grindhouse, Army of Darkness, The Warriors

What's it about?: 
In a near-future "post-apocalypse" wasteland, two gangs fight for dominance of Frazier Park (the FP), where gang members compete by playing "Beat Beat Revalation" (a parody of Dance Dance Revolution) against each other, sometimes with deadly consequences. No. I'm not making this up.

Are you serious...?:
Yes. And most importantly, DO NOT go into this movie with high expectations of Oscar-worthy performances, massive plot twists, etc. It's purely what it was made to be: a weird, hilarious, "watch it once and be done with it" kind of movie.

For anyone familiar with their work, myself not included, the movie is typical M.O. for the Trost brothers (directors), whose movies tend to be off-the-wall, inappropriate B-movies.

The Good:
The plot is absolutely ludicrous. The acting is purposefully bad, and the characters are just weird. You'll hear more curse words in the first scene of the movie than you'll probably hear in the entirety of any other movie this year. But this movie is by no means bad! I mean, its not an award winner, but it is made to be ridiculous, and it succeeds very well.

To get an idea of what you're in for, picture "Mad Max" with a dose of "Rocky" and topped with a sprinkle of "The Warriors", if all of those movies took place in an arcade in the late 1990's.

BTRO (left) dance battles L Dubba E (right)

After a few instances of sighing, "Whaaaaat....?" I finally just gave in to the goofy insanity that the movie had to offer. If you don't just enjoy the ride for the crazy that it is, you won't like it. But by the end of the first scene, I had to keep watching, and it  was definitely worth it.

Outside of the goofiness, the visuals were, for such an extremely low budget movie, very appropriate, and well done. Whereas the synopsis states that the movie is supposed to be "post-apocalyptic", I'd more so classify it as the American south in about 50 years. The cage match-style "Beat Beat Revelation" scenes were always a lot of fun, and filled with color, in a 80s-meets-2013 sort of way.

The Bad:
As mentioned before, if you're not a fan of vulgar movies, steer clear . As an R-rated movie, there are a few scenes with some brief nudity, and some odd sexual content, but again, they're all very brief, and if you've seen an R-rated movie in the past, its nothing surprising. I expected it to be WAY raunchier than it turned out to be, honestly. A couple of vomit scenes too, which felt unnecessary, but then again almost everything did at some point.

Outside of that, I can't really complain about this movie, not because it was astoundingly great, but because it wasn't trying to be. If I caught myself saying the acting was bad, its because it was meant to be bad. If I thought the plot was extremely predictable, its because it was parodying the predictable plots of countless movies before it.

JTRO, the protagonist

If you really want to give this movie a chance, I cannot stress enough how much you have to just let loose and not think so hard. If you want a deep movie, throw in "The Shawshank Redemption." If you want goofy, one-time hilarity, try "The FP." And guess what?! IT'S ON NETFLIX! (Seriously...I need an endorsement deal...)




Verdict:
7 awesome dance moves out of 10

Good, not great. Very fun once, but I can't see myself watching it again in the near future. It's a parody for the sake of parody.

2014 Movie Guide part 1

Another holiday season has come and gone, and with it, all the best movies of the year. I have to admit, 2013 was pretty lackluster for movies if I do say so myself, but that said I am REALLY looking forward to 2014! From the upcoming summer hits like Amazing Spider-Man 2, to next holiday's sure-to-be smashes like the final Hobbit film, it's sure to be a good one!

That said, I'm guessing that those two that I mentioned are probably the highlights that most people know about. So today I'm going to be covering part one of my 2014 movie preview! So let's get started with January - March. And because I love you all sooo much, I've linked trailers to each movie if you click the titles! Enjoy!

I bet January will be great! I can't wait for January's awesome movies!
JANUARY:
1/2
-Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
Oh...another found-footage horror movie? This is also the 6th Paranormal Activity movie? Huh. Well, they can't all be winners, but I'm sure the rest of the month will be good!

1/9
-The Legend of Hercules
Huh. The first of two Hercules movies coming out in 2014, which is blatantly ripping off every scene from "300"...mmmkay so again maybe not a super original way to start the year, but let's move on.

1/17
-Devil's Due
A...another crappy Paranormal Activity-type horror movie? Two in the first month...um, okay, this isn't going well but I'm SURE there's one good one in January!

-Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Super-spy being chased by his own government, and doesn't know why...so, its just a Bourne movie? Wow, this is a bad start. But hey, we've got one more super hyped movie, I bet its totally original! I still have faith!

1/24
-I, Frankenstein
*sigh* From the producers of Underworld comes...Underworld, but this time starring the guy who played Two-Face in "The Dark Knight".

So all-in-all, every hyped movie in January is utter crap, and is in some way totally copying or ripping off something else in a huge way, with absolutely ZERO originality. Crap. Well, let's leave this garbage month behind, and see what February has...surely something note-worthy?!

FEBRUARY:
2/7
-The LEGO Movie
Awww yeah! Here we go! A HUGE cast of voice actors in a movie about one of the most popular toys of all time! This movie looks great, and the trailers seem to market it as one of those kids movies that will have plenty of jokes for the adults too. The movie will be featuring LEGO versions of hundreds of characters, including Batman, Superman, Ninja Turtles, several pro athletes, Abraham Lincoln, and many many more.

-The Monuments Men
Starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, and more, this movie is not your typical World War 2 shoot-em-up. It tells the true story of a group of art historians who were sent into Italy in WW2 to obtain as many timeless pieces of art as they could from out of the Nazi's hands. Definitely going to see this one!

2/12
-RoboCop
A reboot, with a very iffy mix of reactions so far, RoboCop brings a big-name cast (including Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Gary Oldman) to re-tell the origin of the futuristic cyborg law-bringer. I'll reserve judgement, as it looks good, but I know how hard it's been in the past for companies to reboot 80's action flicks.

-Vampire Academy
Ugh. The preview basically tells me that its Twilight, but trying to be sexier. In other words, a bunch of 17 year olds sucking each other's necks. Pass. But I figured I'd mention it since I'm sure you'll all be seeing countless commercials for it in the coming weeks.

2/21
-Pompeii
Another movie ripping off every famous scene from "300" from the looks of it. As the title implies, it tells the story of the destruction of Pompeii, but with all the slow-motion and streams of blood ripped off from every other movie made in this time period from the past 6 or 7 years. I may watch it if it ever goes on Netflix, but if I want to see the same shots over and over, I'll just watch "300" again. Y'know, a quick side-note here: "Troy" managed to pull off that time period just as well as "300" and without all the unnecessary Zack Snyder trademarks of slow-motion blood and sex scenes...I'm really excited for when movies STOP ripping off the Snyder style.

-The Wind Rises
Ok, after the few weeks of boredom there after you all went to see the "LEGO Movie", now we can all return to theaters to see Miyazaki's final masterpiece. If you've seen any of his past movies (My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, etc.) you'll know what to expect, because Miyazaki never disappoints!

2/28
-Son of God
Uh oh...a Biblical movie. Don't get me wrong, as a Lutheran I have absolutely nothing wrong with spreading the word through the big-screen, and I remember how big of an impact "Passion of the Christ" made. But that said, this movie looks like it may be foregoing the actual Bible in some areas, just to draw in a bigger crowd. I'm hopeful, but very wary on this one...

MARCH:
3/7
-300: Rise Of An Empire
Ooooh JOY. We're only in March, and we already have three movies based in the time period of ancient Greece, and with the exact same visual style. From the same director as the original "300" comes an extremely unnecessary, money-grubbing sequel. Just re-watch the original "300".

-The Grand Budapest Hotel
Here we go, something good! This is the newest film from director Wes Anderson, one of my favorites. If you've seen his past movies (The Royal Tennenbaums, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic) you know who will star in it, and what it'll be like. Although this one does add some actors relatively new to Wes Anderson, such as Ralph Fiennes, and Edward Norton!

-Journey To The West
From the makers of "Kung Fu Hustle" comes pretty much Kung Fu Hustle 2. I love Stephen Chow's movies, they're always a really absurd mix of kung fu, and slapstick comedy that I can only describe as what an anime would look like if it were filmed in live-action. Go watch "Kung Fu Hustle" and if you like it, you'll probably like this!

-Mr. Peabody & Sherman
An unnecessary 3D adaptation of a really old cartoon. Pass.

3/14
-Need for Speed
Starring the guy who played Jesse on "Breaking Bad" comes the closest thing you'll get to "Fast & Furious 7" this year. Fast cars, explosions, most likely women in short skirts. Enough said.

-Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club
WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SEEING THESE?! Tyler Perry...STAAAAHP!!!

3/21
-Muppets Most Wanted
Following the surprising success of the most recent Muppets movie, comes another star-studded family adventure! I'm looking forward to watching Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, and more interact with Kermit and his pals. I'll be seeing this one early on!

3/28
-Noah
Aaand here's our second Biblical adaptation of the year. I'm VERY wary of this one. It looks cool because of the big-name cast and very nice special effects, but from what I've read of the synopsis, they stray waaaaaay away from the actual Bible story of the flood. We'll have to see about this one...

PHEW! There you are, the biggest upcoming movies from January through March. Keep a lookout soon for part two, and sound off in the comments if I missed any that you've been looking forward to!