I watch a lot of movies and television and enjoy writing about what I'm watching. I own 750+ movies but I'm no expert, I put my DVDs in one disc at a time, just like you.
Welcome to the 2nd installation in my guilty pleasure series! Check out the first entry in my guilty pleasure series about Mean Girls and Rat Race HERE. A guilty pleasure movie is defined as being a "bad movie" but you don't care, you love it anyway. I was staring at my giant bookshelf of DVDs trying to pick new guilty pleasure choices and Ben Stiller stood out this time. Zoolander, Night at the Museum and Mystery Men. Let's go.
Night at the Museum (2006)- It's ALIVE!
Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum
The weakest of the three movies I've chosen, Night at the Museum is the most aptly named guilty pleasure film. It's a fun movie filled with a lot of comedians that are impressively notable but yet something about this film still falls flat. Ben Stiller leads with Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney among others. This movie is actually based on a book with the same title written by Milan Trenc.
Get ready for lots of green screen
The story follows Larry Daley, an ordinary divorced father in New York City who can't seem to hold a job with all of his "creative" inventions that never seem to take off (I.E. the "Snapper" instead of the Clapper to turn lights on and off) Finally Larry comes across a job as the night guardsmen at The Museum of Natural History. The only catch is that everything in the museum comes to life at night and Larry's task is to keep everything in order. Naturally chaos ensues and Larry finally finds a way to be a great man and succeed at his job, which he learns to love. He and his divorced stricken son (is that a thing?) bond over Larry's job and all's well that ends well. They made a sequel but it was much worse (sorry Amy Adams) so if you have to pick one to watch choose the first one.
It's a tiny, tiny Owen Wilson on a horse
My issues with this movie? Not much actually. There's somewhat frequent laughs throughout the film and it's campy fun and trucks along at a decent pace. This movie has a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's made more towards kids and if parents/ adults take it too serious or literal I could see how it would be seen in a more negative light. It's not something that I want to watch all the time but it's a good movie to just have on while doing other things... like writing about it on a blog. (SELF AWARE!) It's usually on TV all the time anyway, it's not on Netflix but check your TBS and FX listings every few weekends and you'll probably come across it.
Zoolander (2001)- To the left, to the left.
Anyone who grew up around my generation, early 90s kids, have seen this movie a BILLION times and I'm not even kidding. I haven't watched this movie in a number of years actually because I used to watch it so often then I would just get sick of it and the jokes weren't as fun. But seriously, blue steel is still a thing they just call it "duck face" now which is much less cool.
Blue Steel....
The thing about this movie is that it's amazing. If you've never seen it, shame on you. It's on Netflix Instant right now. The plot of the movie is that Derek Zoolander is no longer the top male fashion model and in his place is Hansel, played by Owen Wilson. Zoolander announces his retirement from modeling to reconnect with his father and brothers who are a miners but his family rejects him because of his frail nature.
Tribal Tats
Mugatu, played by Will Ferrell, has convinced Derek to come out of retirement to work with him and Mugatu's secret plan is to brainwash Derek to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Anyway, funny things happen and the cast of this movie is phenomenal and in the end Hansel and Derek defeat Mugatu and his evil plan and everything ends well. This film uses comedy to create commentary on the fashion industry and portrays the models as incredibly superficial and unintelligent people.
Will Ferrell's Mugatu
This movie is a guilty pleasure because although it's not considered "rotten" on RT many are bothered by the blatant satirical nature of the film. I would imagine that people who dislike this film already hate the fashion industry and therefore find this movie unnecessary and overly exaggerated. My problem with this film? It's a little bit too over the top to watch constantly but is clever and funny with a decent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It's technically not a guilty pleasure because it's still a good movie with many laughs and a plot that keeps the film going. Maybe it's a guilty pleasure because of how many times you've seen it? Either way this movie is always worth another watch every so often. Consistent laughs and a magnificent cast make this a fun one.
Mystery Men (1999)- #furious
Mr. Furious, "Mama Pajama"
What happens if you put a bunch of comedians together and dress them up as "B Class" Superheroes? You get this amazing movie. This movie was made before superhero films were such a huge cash cow blockbuster event. The film takes place in Champion City in a time setting that's the future but also has a classic old school, relatable feel to it. This is a world where superheroes and villains are everywhere and common. Our protagonists are not the great heroes that you expect them to be. When we meet them they're cool for about 3 seconds before showing that they're pretty pathetic when fighting crime. When the city's resident number one hero, Captain Amazing, is captured by the super villain, Casanova Frankenstein, it's up to our rag tag team of heroes to find a way to get him back. Don't feel too sorry for Captain Amazing though, he's basically a giant a-hole who lives in egotistical ignorance. Greg Kinnear plays the character well. Ben Stiller's Mr. Furious has the most interesting character arc and when they are about to go into battle he is no longer angry and doubts his powers.
Our super team, ready for action
"I can only become invisible when no one's watching" is Kel Mitchell's character's power. So why is this movie... amazing? "We're not you're classic superheroes, we're not your favorites, we're the other guys." That is William H. Macy's powerful motivational speech. Each of these eccentric characters have their problems but you still root for them because they have a lot of heart. William H. Macy's character is in an interracial marriage, which is so great to see in a late 90's movie. The Bowler keeps her father's skull in a bowling ball for revenge over his controversial death down an elevator shaft. Blue Raja's mother shows him special silverware once he tells her that he wield's forks like a pro in a touching moment, "these belonged to your great, great grandmother. I was saving them for your wedding day but by the looks of things that day is a long way off". The evil villain fights people with his extra long finger nails.
Tom Waits plays a non-lethal weapon's specialist who hits on old ladies
Kel Mitchell from 1997's Good Burger, William H. Macy Tom Waits, Hank Azaria, Greg Kinnear and Ben Stiller all in one movie? There's also cameo's from Cee Lo Green and Dane Cook. This movie is an absolutely fantastic cult classic hit. It's a spoof of superheroes and has an impressive cast. This movie is one of my personal favorite guilty pleasure films. It's fun and funny and kind of weird but you love it anyway, just like the characters. It's definitely not a typical superhero movie, especially by today's standards but something to keep in mind is that this movie was made 15 years ago before the outrageously expensive and extravagant superhero movies that we are used to now with over the top special effects. Also, it has Smash Mouth songs because really, isn't that what makes a guilty pleasure something wonderful?
One of my favorite guilty pleasures, "may the forks be with us".
It's a clever movie, "Lance Hunt wears glasses, Captain Amazing doesn't wear glasses." "He takes them off when he transforms." "That doesn't make sense he wouldn't be able to see." My problems with it? I don't really have any. You have to go into this movie knowing that it's a comedy and not something to be taken too seriously. It's supposed to be ridiculous and if you have that frame of mind you'll enjoy this film. This movie is still considered pretty good and therefore technically doesn't qualify as a proper guilty pleasure but it's a self aware cult hit and it does a good job of being an entertaining film. Some critics argue that this movie is undisciplined and messy and I can definitely see that but it's just fun at the end of the day. "We've got a blind date with destiny and it looks like she's ordered the lobster." It's original, funny, and a joy to watch. Just watch this movie. Trust me. It's not available to stream but rent it on iTunes for $3.99
It's June now and the surge of Summer Movies is already upon us!
May gave us a great variety (or at least an assortment) of HUGE Box Office Films like: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Check out my re-cap of the first Amazing Spider-Man HERE), Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past (Check out my re-cap of all six previous X-Men movies HERE) and Maleficent. Those are the one's I've seen so far. Also released this past month was: Neighbors, Blended, A Million Ways To Die in the West and Million Dollar Arm.
There's already been plenty to see so what else is coming out that you should look forward to? Here's some of the big names that you may or may not be excited to see. I'll also tell you if I'm planning on seeing the film with something along the lines of a "Yes", "No", or "Maybe".
What films are you excited to see come out this summer?
JUNE
June 6th
The Fault in Our Stars- Probably Yes. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort (PG-13) The story is about two teenagers with terminal cancer who fall in love. Apparently the book is excellent. I'm looking forward to reading it. Might try and read the book first if I find the time. This one is probably a cry movie but with such a highly regarded source material I'm definitely interested in this.
*I've seen this movie: It was great, just like the book. I recommend reading the book first then seeing the movie. It was enjoyable, lots of ECU's though that were too long or a little awkward. A relatable story that reminds you of what it was like to be in love as a teen and experience those emotions for the first time.
Edge of Tomorrow- Yes. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt (PG-13). Tom Cruise is caught in a time loop during an alien war. Every time he dies he starts back over a few days ago (Think like Kitty Pride's power in X-Men meets Groundhog Day with aliens). I like time travel/time jump movies so this interests me. I like Emily Blunt and I'm hoping there's a little bit more to this story than Tom Cruise is the only human with the power to stop the aliens and win the war. We will see.
*I've seen this movie: Very enjoyable and the acting was well done. There was a bit more to this story than the trailers showed. Fun and exciting movie with great performances and entertaining action sequences. It was captivating.
June 13
How to Train Your Dragon 2- YES. Absolutely. Jay Baruchel, Kristen Wiig, America Ferrera do voice overs (PG). The first movie was awesome. Can't wait for the sequel. Fingers crossed for a successful sequel to a good film.
*I've seen this movie: It was cute, I didn't love it as much as the original but the animation was beautiful and I loved all the flying scenes and all the different dragons they had. Basically the same plot of Lion King/ Hamlet though.
22 Jump Street- Probably Yes/ Maybe. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum (R). Okay the first one was great. It was a surprise comedy and I went to see it because of all the hype it got. This sequel could also be great. There is definite potential but honestly this feels like it's not going to be anything unique and special. Sure, they go to college this time but part of what I loved about 21 Jump Street was that I had no idea what to expect from it and it was a self aware movie. Hopefully this one does the same but amps it up. This feels like Hangover 2 to me now. The first one was surprisingly funny but the sequel was a let down because it didn't get much better. I'll probably wait and see how this one get reviewed first.
June 20
Think Like A Man Too- No. Kevin Hart and Gabrielle Union (PG-13) Are you getting sick of seeing sequels on this list yet? This movie is just the same as Couple Retreat and Grown Ups. I never saw any of those movies nor the original of this one. Nothing against it, I know there's definitely a market for that genre of films. I'm sure there's funny moments. Kevin Hart is a funny guy. Just not my thing.
Jersey Boys- Yes. Clint Eastwood directing (R). I'm so excited for this. It's the story behind how The Four Seasons were formed and their relationships. I love oldies music and musicals so I'm hoping for some great music and great visuals with this film.
June 27
Transformers: Age of Extinction- No. Mark Wahlburg (NR). Nope, sorry. Even with Marky Mark on board this time I lost interest after Transformers 2 and I'm tired of seeing all the women just there to serve the purpose of a "screaming hot girl". Unless someone whose film opinion I trust deeply tells me repeatedly and swears under oath that this is one of the best films of the summer I'm not seeing this. (I.E. my friend Matt aka Hyde)
JULY
Wednesday July 2
Earth to Echo- Maybe. Teo Halm (PG). It's ET meets Transformers meets Super 8. Could be good. I'm not ruling this out yet. Waiting to see some reviews first though. It looks like a cute movie with definitely potential for something a little bit different than a standard animated family film.
July 11
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - No. Gary Oldman and Keri Russell (NR). I was never a huge fan of these movies and never cared to see them. I can definitely see the appeal and I like Gary Oldman but this isn't my cup o' tea. I appreciate this series of films though.
And So It Goes- Nope. Diane Keaton and an easily interchangeable popular older male actor, this time it's Michael Douglas (PG-13). Isn't enough, enough already Diane Keaton? I guess there's a market for these movies. It is nice to have movies like this to counteract the action and crude humor comedies. As for me, I've seen it once and probably three or four times. I've seen it all. I do enjoy Rob Reiner's films though.
July 18
Sex Tape - Possibly, Maybe. Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel (NR). This could be funny, actually. Choosing two comedians instead of more general actors for these roles gives me hope that it might be funny. Do I think it's worth a $12-$15 ticket? Probably not. Could be a nice surprise hit though, we will have to wait and see.
The Purge: Anarchy - No. Frank Grillo (R). If you opened up a dictionary and looked up "unnecessary movie sequels" I'm pretty sure that this movie is going to be another entry in that column. Right under Hangover 2 and The Ring 2. The original is an interesting concept though, I never got around to seeing it but this is probably more of the same. If you're wondering why they made another one just close your eyes and picture dollar signs. There's not much more to it than that.
Planes: Fire & Rescue - No. Dane Cook and Julie Bowen voiceovers (PG). I'm not going to say anything bad about this because even though yes, it's very soon after the original Planes was released, it's summer and parents need a movie for their kids to see with the babysitter. Clearly it was popular enough to make a sequel so there you go. Little kids, rejoice!
July 25
Hercules - Maybe. Dwayne Johnson (NR). Sorry Kellan Lutz (The Legend of Hercules) but it seems like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was literally born to play Hercules. I might go see this, it could be pretty cool and action packed. I think this movie will be epic and awesome. At least I hope so.
Lucy - Yes. Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman (R). I love Sci-Fi and this movie is definitely going to stretch the imagination and could be awesome. She looks great and can definitely carry a movie. I'm excited for this one, as long as it doesn't try to take itself overly serious and become ridiculous. It's a fine balance.
Step Up: All In - Probably, Maybe. Alyson Stoner and Briana Evigan (PG-13). So these aren't the best movies ever but they're fun and the dancing is exciting and I like to watch them. This movie brings together many but not all (Rob Hoffman...): ) from the previous Step Up films and is set in Las Vegas. I think it'll be fun, nothing to shout about but something enjoyable to spend two hours on when you just feel like seeing an entertaining movie.
AUGUST
August 1
Guardians of the Galaxy - ABSOLUTELY. Chris Pratt and Vin Diesel (NR). Each trailer that comes out makes me more and more excited. Is Chris Pratt a leading man? YES and this is a great role for him to help prove it. It's going to be a comedic Marvel movie, something that Marvel has yet to do. Sure their movies have comedic moments and dialogue but they aren't comedies. This is going to be much more comedic than what we've seen before while still being an action, sci-fi adventure story that we know and love. Go see this. It's gonna be great.
Get On Up - Maybe. Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis (NR). It's a biography of James Brown. Something about this movie turns me off. I'm not sure what it is but from the trailers I've seen it seems to me like maybe the script wasn't too great. I would be glad to be wrong and have this as a great biography film about James Brown but until I see some reviews I'm staying undecided.
August 8
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Yes. Megan Fox and Will Arnett (NR). Despite Megan Fox I am still excited for this movie. But I'm saying if you put Megan Fox as April O'Neil and she takes away from the movie instead of making it awesome I will be severely upset. This movie has so much potential for greatness. Just be good! PLEASE!
Wednesday August 13
Let's Be Cops - Probably. Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans, Jr. (R). Two guys dress up like cops and enjoy the reactions they get so much that they continue the charade. Ruckus ensues. Should be pretty funny, the trailers have made me laugh so I'm hoping this one is decent enough to see.
August 15
The Expendables 3 - Probably Not. Sylvester Stalone and Mel Gibson (among MANY MANY others) (NR). I actually have never seen any of these movies but they seem fun. All the action stars you know and love are together in one movie doing action things. Appealing enough, I'm sure it'll be just as good as the other two.
The Giver - Yes. Brenton Thwaites and Jeff Bridges (NR). I loved this book so much. The trailer did not release much excitement over the anticipation of this film but I am still hopeful. It's about a boy who lives in a seemingly perfect community and learns about the real world from an elderly man, THE DUDE! Please be good, please be good.... Also Meryl Streep.
August 22
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - Most Likely. Jessica Alba and Mickey Rourke (NR). Sequel to the 2005 "groundbreaking" film, plus this time Joseph Gordon-Levitt so you know I'm in. Hopefully will be cool. We shall see.
In preparation for what is probably the movie I am looking forward to most this year, X-Men: Days of Future Past, I thought it made sense to review all 6 X-Men movies thus far. I debated going chronologically but I think it would be confusing so I'm going by release dates. There will be spoilers here, the purpose of this post is to catch up before seeing the new X-Men film.
It's time to prep for DAYS OF FUTURE PAST!
Up first is....
X-Men (2000)
Ah, the start of it all. What a beautiful beginning. This was back before superhero movies were so popular and this film kicked off the entire X-Men universe.
X-Men Poster
This film follows Rogue and Wolverine, two mutants with special abilities, as they make their way to Charles Xavier's school for the gifted. Xavier is one of the most powerful mutants in the X universe having the ability to read and control things with his mind. Xavier, or Professor X, and his team are up against Magneto, an equally powerful mutant with the ability to control metal. Magneto wants to make the rest of the world mutants too, he wants mutant equality and thinks that the only way to get that is through terror and force. Wolverine's power of healing and his adamantium claws make him an invaluable weapon in this fight as well as Rogue's ability to absorb other mutant's powers through skin contact. Much to Rogue's dismay, she can't touch people without hurting them, though. Xavier's X-Men stop Magneto before it's too late and all's well in the X world, for now.
Xavier and Magneto play chess a lot. It's a thing. They're old friends.
This movie has a great cast and does a good job at balancing so many characters in one film. It's a fun universe with a nearly infinite amount of different X-Men characters to choose from and add to various movies. The filmmakers did a good job of staying true to the comics here and it's a great beginning to a franchise. X-Men is directed by Bryan Singer, stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen (among many, many others. Halle Berry, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, etc.) It has an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
X2: X-Men United (2003)
My personal favorite X-Men movie, the opening sequence is wonderful and amazing. Why can't Nightcrawler be in more of these films?
This poster is all about the hair. Yes, even you Bobby Drake.
This sequel has the X-Men uniting (get it? the title of the movie...) with Magneto and his team to fight against William Stryker, an evil militant man who makes it his mission to use Xavier and Cerebro, his mutant locating machine, to get rid of all the mutants. Stryker is the key to Wolverine/ Logan's mysterious past and how he came to have adamantium throughout his entire body (don't worry that whole story will be explained in X-Origins: Wolverine). Stryker put all the metal throughout Logan's body long ago and he is also responsible for Logan's lack of any memory. The team works together to stop Stryker from killing all the mutants but Jean Grey gets trapped and "killed" letting the X-Men escape from an exploding dam.
Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler.
This movie does a great job continuing to build up the X-Men franchise, there's lots of new mutants and the story is interesting and well-done, the acting is superb, it's better than the first film. This movie is a great example of how a sequel should be done, especially for comic book films. It's one of the best. This movie is again directed by Bryan Singer stars all the same people from the previous film plus Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and a few others. It's at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
The downfall of what should've been an excellent triology, this movie falls flat of doing anything worthwhile to continue to build up this series. Let's remember what went wrong...
Angel's wings take up half the poster.
This time the X-Men must deal with a mutant cure that some scientists have created from a mutant who's power is to suppress other people's abilities. The film builds up to a suspenseful (somewhat?) climax of Xavier's X-Men versus Magneto's Brotherhood. Mutants must decide between giving up their powers and joining the human race or joining Magneto in fighting a war against humankind. Jean Grey is alive and has transformed into her evil and powerful alter ego, Phoenix (one of my favorite Marvel characters!). She is collected by Magneto and she is the powerful key to their battle against the humans. Mutants added to this film include Angel, Beast and Juggernaut. In the end, Wolverine kills Jean Grey, the woman he loves, in order to stop her destruction of humans and basically everything. It leaves the mutants disheartened, many of them killed like Cyclops and Jean Grey. Xavier is also seemingly dead but in the end of the film during a post-credits scene it is hinted that perhaps he actually is still alive.
Logan getting ready to kill Jean Grey/ Phoenix.
The reason that this film doesn't work is because all of the heart and emotion from the previous two films is gone and replaced with action sequences and explosions. There is a different director this time around, Brett Ratner taking the helm. The acting is still well done and the fact that the previous two films were so good is partly what carries this one but it's not enough to make this film great. It lacks the beauty and precision of Singer's films. It's at 58% on Rotten Tomatoes.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
The title pretty much says everything about this movie. It's an origin story. Unfortunately it's the weakest film in the X-Men canon. Everyone loves Wolverine, right? I'm pretty sure this is the thought process behind those responsible for choosing this as the next X-Men movie.
Gambit, Deadpool and Wolverine in one film? Where did this go wrong?!?
This film tells the origin of Wolverine, his brother Victor and how Wolverine got to be the lonely wanderer we met in the beginning of X-Men (2000). Basically, Wolverine aka James Logan and his brother Victor Creed both have sharp claws and healing powers and were born prior to 1845. They travel through wars together (the beginning sequence of them throughout the various wars is a highlight of the film, actually) and fight along side each other. They are found by William Stryker during Vietnam and he convinces they to join his team of mutants. They travel to find a meteorite in Nigeria and when the group uses unnecessary brutality on the local townspeople, Logan leaves. We find him years later living with his girlfriend, Kayla Silverfox, leading a quiet life. Victor is hunting down members of the old team, long disbanded, and Stryker comes to warn Logan about "someone" killing off the group. Stryker uses Logan's anger at learning that Victor is killing the mutants to put the adamantium in Logan's skeletal system.
Post-Op
Logan hears that they are planning to kill him and use his DNA and healing to create something more powerful. He escapes and is hunted down by Stryker's team. Some of the old team is still alive and Logan looks to them for help in finding Stryker and hunting him down. Logan learns that Gambit is the only one to escape from Stryker's prison and he takes Logan there. Logan learns that Victor and Kayla were both working for Stryker and that Stryker is building an "all powerful" mutant. He had Victor help him collect dozens of mutants and he put their powers into a single body known as Weapon XI. Weapon XI is formerly Wade Wilson, a member of the old team, aka Deadpool. Kayla helps Logan free all the imprisoned mutants and he goes and fights Weapon XI controlled by Stryker. Victor helps Logan out and they both defeated him by chopping his head off. Kayla dies and Stryker shoots Logan in the head with an adamantium bullet erasing all of his memories. He only knows his name by the dog tags around his neck saying Logan on one side and The Wolverine on the other. Stryker lives for now but is later killed off at the end of X2.
He was a great Deadpool.
I like all the different mutants and fan favorites, Gambit and Deadpool, in this film. The shame is that once they turn Ryan Reynolds into Deadpool they stitch up his mouth so he can't talk. Deadpool's smart mouth is one of his best qualities in the comics. The general dislike of this film is due to the story and it's lack of originality. It's too cliché and makes the film difficult to remember an hour after seeing it. (I had to go back through a plot summary to remember all these points to type up here). Once Victor and Logan separate in the film it loses it's focus and can't regain the momentum. Liev Schreiber delivers a great performance and Hugh Jackman is great as always in this role, he's played it enough times to have an incredibly strong grasp of the character. The film is directed by Gavin Hood and has a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
For all intents and purposes this movie is a reboot for a struggling franchise... and it succeeds! First Class breathed a much need new breath of life into this series.
I HAD to choose this poster because everyone's face is ridiculous. That's also why I made it so large.
This film follows the beginning and inception of the X-Men from Charles Xavier, played by James McAvoy, and Erik Lensherr/ Magneto, played by Michael Fassbender. It shows how they met and how they were once friends. Kevin Bacon plays the bad guy here, Sebastian Shaw, and it's so nice to have a fresh new villain to deal with in this movie. It makes the plot much more interesting and sustainable for the story here to make sense. The film is set in 1962 and the military enlists Xavier's help to stop Shaw from starting World War III by releasing nuclear missiles in Cuba. Magneto holds a grudge against Shaw who killed his mother in front of him during WWII when he was held in a concentration camp. Magneto often gets blinded by his need for revenge, a need that Xavier does not share and it ends up tearing apart their friendship in the end. BUT! Before that happens they work together to try and recruit other mutants to help them and fight against Shaw together, i.e. the First Class of the X-Men. I should mention that Mystique was taken in by Xavier when they were young children and he helped to raise her but in the end of the film she leaves him to join Magneto who has gone a separate way from Xavier. They end up stopping Shaw and killing him but Magneto changes and becomes the vengeful mutant that we know from the previous films and it breaks apart some of Xavier's team who decide to join Magneto instead.
See look, they're playing chess again. I told you it's a thing.
There's lots of great mutant characters in this film. We get to see how Hank McCoy turns into Beast, there's Alex Summers who is brother to Scott Summers (Cyclops from X-Men 1 and 2), Emma Frost and many others. The act is superb here, each of these actors knows how to use their craft in the best possible ways. The script here is strong, logical and most of all fun. The cast isn't mostly men anymore with a few women thrown in for good measure, the females here are powerful and can definitely hold their own. The best part of this is all the cameos. Hugh Jackman even makes a cameo giving him the right to say he's been in every X-Men movie. The movie is directed by Matthew Vaughn and has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Wolverine (2013)
The most recent X-Men film, The Wolverine takes place chronologically AFTER The Last Stand giving us a nice reprise from two back to back prequels.
ARM VEINS!!!!!
This film is a solo film and is done very well. It's difficult to break the audience away from the group cast format of all the previous X-Men films but this movie's successfully storytelling could open another branch for the franchise to create more solo films... Deadpool??
This film follows Wolverine as he struggles with accepting killing Jean Grey (remember, in Last Stand?) and he is called to Japan by an old acquaintance who he met during WWII. Wolverine is living a completely secluded life out in the woods when he's found and collected by Yukio to go to Japan and say goodbye to Yashida, an old friend of Wolverine's. He saved Yashida's life and Yashida saw Wolverine's healing ability first hand. Now old, Yashida wants to take this healing power from Wolverine so he can live forever and Logan can live out the rest of his life normally. Logan refuses but one of Yashida's people, Viper, comes into Logan's room that night and suppresses his healing power so now he can be injured. Logan also meets Mariko, Yashida's granddaughter. They end up having a stereotypical, she doesn't like him but he is entranced by her and she helps him get over Jean and they have a thing, etc. etc. Yashida dies and Mariko will inherit everything and be the most powerful person in Japan. She is constantly captured and we find out that her own father was trying to kill her before the will was read. Mariko is taken by Viper to one of Yashida's facilities in the mountains. Logan removes Viper's "curse" on his healing power and Logan is back to normal.
This is the giant samurai that Logan fights.
Viper leads an army of black-suited ninja's that Logan must fight through in order to reach Mariko at the top of the facility. He passes out due to the ninja's having arrows dipped in poison. He wakes up in the facility and he is strapped down. Viper tells Logan that Yashida was stocking up on adamantium due to his obsession with Logan's skeletal system and he built a giant mechanical samurai out of the material and therefore it can kill Logan. Viper provokes Wolverine into extending out his claws but prevents him from retracting them back and the giant samurai is about to cut off his claws when Mariko distracts it and he cuts Logan's restraints instead. Yukio arrives and battles Viper while Logan fights the samurai who cuts off one of his adamantium claws revealing bone underneath it. Logan slashes it's head off one handed and the samurai is spazzing out of control but one of his swords falls and cuts off Logan's other adamantium claws. Inside the suit is Yashida, who faked his death and drew Logan to this facility in order to take the life from him which he does but as the life is draining from Logan, Mariko comes and stabs/ confronts her grandfather. Logan kills Yashida and he finally dies and the life returns to Logan. Logan leaves Mariko as she inherits her grandfather's corporation and her duties lie in Japan. Yukio happily joins Logan and they leave together on an airplane going to an unknown location.
Wolverine vs. Ninjas. Sweet.
This movie is a great example of a solo film, it isn't advertised as an X-Men film because it's not a group picture but Wolverine is such a familiar character at this point that this movie has a wide draw. Hugh Jackman does an excellent job once again. This movie has the emotion that Logan has to deal with following The Last Stand and that emotion is the strongest part of the film. The film stays in Japan, which is nice and gives a lot of beautiful exteriors all around Japan. Again, lots of strong female characters here too and it's a welcome change from what easily could've been a completely male dominated story. While it's not the strongest film it is worthwhile to see as the action sequences are well done. Some of the dislikes of this film are that Wolverine's evolution throughout the film aren't very interesting, as though he's just going through the motions. See the film and judge for yourself. This film is directed by James Mangold and has 69% on Rotten Tomatoes.
**POST CREDITS SPOILER:
After the credits for Wolverine there is a short scene of Logan walking alone through an airport and a TV commercial shows an ad for Trask Industries (Bolivar Trask is the villain in Days of Future Past). Suddenly everything metallic begins to float and Logan (and the audience) is familiar with this and he ejects his bone claws and turns around to see Magneto (Ian McKellan) and he freezes Logan in place and asks him to lower his defenses. Logan then sees that everything around them is frozen in place (cue audience excitement as we know this sequence too) and the camera shows a wheelchair weaving through the frozen crowd (cue me jumping up and down in my seat due to excitement) and we see Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) definitely alive and Logan is speechless. Magneto tells Logan that they need him to save all of mutant-kind. (Cue me suppressing an excited scream because I'm so looking forward to Days of Future Past).
Fine, fine I'll post this clip below. Here's the post-credits scene:
Here's the movies listed chronologically:
1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (It begins in 1845)
2. X-Men: First Class
3. X-Men
4. X2: X-Men United
5. X-Men: The Last Stand
6. The Wolverine
Days of Future Past is a time traveling film to attempt and fix some of the mix-ups in the X-Men timeline so it takes place after The Wolverine and then time travels to after First Class. So now you're pretty much all caught up with everything X-Men and you're ready to see Days of Future Past as it's released on May 23, 2014! Days of Future Past currently has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Very high critical success so far, which bodes well. I personally can't wait to see it and for those who want to see more here's a trailer for Days of Future Past:
This trailer still gives me chills. Oh man it's so good.
Everyone has their own favorite guilty pleasure movies. A guilty pleasure movie is something that you shouldn't like but do, it's something that's generally defined as being a "bad movie" but you watch it anyway and it's a movie that you don't care how much other people may dislike it- it's something you can't help but love. In starting this post, which I hope to continue as a series, I didn't want to start with just my own guilty pleasures (don't worry we'll get to those too) but rather what other people's guilty pleasure movies were. So naturally, I posted a Facebook status about it. Here's some of the results I got:
I decided to start with two of the popular answers: Mean Girls and Rat Race. Let me clarify something first before beginning. Mean Girls DOES NOT actually qualify as a guilty pleasure but you could see how it could be seen as one don't worry I'll explain...
Mean Girls (2004)- Happy 10th Anniversary Mean Girls!
Is there anyone who HASN'T seen this movie a million times?
Funny, witty, relatable and well-written, this movie is overall not considered a bad movie! So why is that my friends along with other people feel like this is a guilty pleasure movie? Well, it's a teen comedy and it's about a bunch of girls. Most guys would be embarrassed to admit that they like this movie a lot but actually almost every guy I know has seen and liked this film. Teen comedies have a bad rep, and for a valid reason- there's a lot of stinkers out there, but this movie actually stands out as one of the better, smarter films in that category. So you feel guilty for liking a clever, funny movie about backstabbing girls in high school? So what. I say, don't feel guilty about this one.
It's written by Tina Fey. She's a master at work here.
Mean Girls is about Caty Heron who has been home schooled her whole life finally making her way to high school because her parents want to make sure she is socialized. She likes math and falls into the "un-popular" crowd who accept her for who she is. However, when she's noticed by the popular crowd, referred to as "The Plastics" she joins them to be a spy on the inside, telling her unpopular friends about all the ridiculous things they do and say. Caty ends up getting sucked into the popular world and finds that she vies for their acceptance and she becomes one of them. The whole film is a wonderful commentary about high school life and it portrays different cliques and how far teenagers will go to fit in and just be accepted by their peers. Except this movie uses comedy instead of drama and guilty to teach teens that being who you are is what's important.
Oh, Lindsay
It's filled with comedy greats and more memorable, quotable lines than you'll be able to keep straight. It's likable because haven't most of us been in Caty's situation? Whether it's the new kid in school or wanting to sit with the popular crowd and be in their world? I bet a lot of us at 16 and 17 years old would change our hair and clothes (and perhaps attitude?) if it meant sitting with the popular crowd. Now I'm not saying EVERYONE felt that way. By the time I was 17 I was more than ready to leave high school not stay in and try to hang with the popular girls. But I can still relate to this story. Guys like this film too. It's a well-written comedy and those are hard to come by and should be embraced like this movie has been.
Wednesdays.
So, now you know that while this movie is a teen comedy it's a stand-out among the pack for it's creativity and originality. The story is logical and progressive and the acting is easy to watch. Most of these people are big stars now, sorry Gretchen Wieners :(. If you're ever in the mood for a good movie and a good laugh, watch Mean Girls... and don't feel guilty about it! This non-guilty pleasure, but still somewhat of a guilty pleasure movie is at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rat Race (2001)- Wait? It's been 13 years?
I actually had a hard time figuring out what to say about Rat Race. The movie is about a group of strangers picked at random from a Las Vegas casino for a high stakes wager from casino owner Donald Sinclair. They each get a key and race to Silver City, New Mexico to get $2,000,000 from a locker. Of course they all end up getting there at the same time and they chase the money to a giant charity concert featuring Smash Mouth (if that doesn't date this movie I don't know what else will. Maybe the ancient cell phones?) who they end up giving all the money to. It's based off the 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Is it a little bit creepy that their heads are abnormally big? I'm looking at you, Cuba.
The funny parts are some of the gags that they do but most of them are actually not that funny and even hard to watch. I get that it's a race for money but the greediness of the characters is somewhat disheartening. A dad for a family of four won't pull over so his daughter can actually use the bathroom? He makes her go number 2 out of the window of the moving van. I guess that's supposed to be funny but I just found it obnoxious. Nearly everyone in the movie steals are car at some point and even the casino owner played by John Cleese wages on cruel things like how long a maid can from the curtains and who will end up throwing up first in an airplane. If more of the jokes came off as actually being funny it wouldn't be so hard to watch Seth Green knocking into about a dozen cows. Honestly, during that bit I was more worried about the cows than I was laughing at any of these ridiculous things.
Seth Green, before he steals cars, delays the airport, and hangs from a cow off a hot air balloon.
So lots of people like this movie, I think it's because the cast is somewhat impressive for a film that's just one gag after the next without much more substance to it. It actually comes off like someone wrote down a bunch of "funny"things that could happen under these circumstances (I use "could happen" very loosely here) and they just lined them up in the movie one after the other. Rowan Atkinson's character is actually amusing, he's the only one who just goes to the locker without trying to sabotage everyone else. Plus his narcolepsy is one of the funnier gags in the movie, being that he just all of a sudden falls asleep standing up and random times. Also, Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s character stealing a bus full of I Love Lucy impersonators is funny too.
Why do all these characters talk about the money so much? Lots of other people try to steal it too.
One critic wrote, "Take a couple of laughs here, a couple of smirks there, and the conclusion is obvious: If ever there was a movie designed with the fast- forward button in mind, Rat Race is the one"(Liam Lacey). So why is it such a popular guilty pleasure movie? Well because it's a bad movie that people can't help but watch. It's a great example of a guilty pleasure. There's enough funny parts to stick in your mind and after some time make you want to watch it again and the cycle continues. While I am not a huge fan of this movie, guilty pleasure or not, there are many people who are. It's a basic comedy with enough entertaining gags to push along the rest of the film to a sappy ending.
Cleese is one of the funniest actors around and doesn't get much humor here for someone of his caliber.
Rat Race has a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes making it a good example of a guilty pleasure film. There's a lot of elements here that just don't work, mostly unfunny jokes, but there are enough funny moments to make the film somewhat likable. It's worth seeing at least once if you never have and if you are a fan of transportation-related humor this is definitely the movie for you. Fun fact I actually met Breckin Meyer once while working at Sony, he was very nice and very funny although I think of him in reference to Clueless before this movie.
If you have your own favorite guilty pleasure movies comment below, I might feature them on my next guilty pleasure series!
