Ever wondered what Katy Perry looked like as a little girl? Pretty much exactly the same as she looks now. Only her hair now is a bit bluer. Or pinker. Or blacker. Depending on the day.

A new clip from Katy Perry: Part of Me features footage of Perry as a girl, along with interviews from herself and her siblings about their upbringing. Check it out:

Katy Perry: Part of Me Movie Clip

Katy Perry: Part of Me is part documentary, part concert film, part silly silly wig party. It follows Perry's career and personal life, through her divorce with British comedian and Rock of Ages star Russell Brand and her California Dreams world tour.

The film premieres July 5. For more, check out the Katy Perry: Part of Me poster.

Emma Stone, although not one who grew up adoring Spider-Man as Andrew Garfield admitted in our interview, still keenly understands the appeal of the Peter Parker story that has enthralled millions. “He’s the only teenage superhero, which is major because a lot of times when you start reading comic books you are a teen so he’s the most identifiable. Instantly, you can relate to him,” Stone said to Movie Fanatic in New York recently.

“Not to mention he’s bullied, which is huge for a girl or a boy -- everyone has experienced something along those lines. The fact that he is bitten by a spider and his wish fulfillment comes true and he’s able to fight back the bullies is symbolism for kids. They have that much power within them to speak out, to stand up for themselves and to stay unique and stay true to who they are as Peter does.”

Yet, as shown in The Amazing Spider-Man trailer, Stone believes that our hero demonstrates heroic traits long before the fateful spider bite. “In this movie, what instigates Gwen and Peter’s interaction is when he’s standing up for a kid who is being bullied and takes the fall for a kid who is being humiliated in front of a group of people. I think that is why it is so resonant.”

Given the fact that Garfield and Stone connected on and off screen, it is easy to see the two have chemistry. Yet Stone cannot quantify it. “Can one explain chemistry? It’s hard to. With any actor or any person in life I’ve had chemistry with, it’s hard to pin down what chemistry is,” Stone said. “It doesn’t matter how good the actors might be. It really is indefinable.”

It is clear the actress marveled at her co-star’s natural gifts. “He is one of the best actors I’ve ever worked with and I instantly knew how much I could learn from him,” Stone added. “That challenged me. Rising to meet him every day was something really exciting and a huge growing and learning experience for me.”

The actress first read for the part of Mary Jane, but was called back when filmmakers decided to have Emma Stone play Gwen Stacy -- The Amazing Spider-Man’s love interest. She identified with Gwen, even though she feels she’s not quite as “voluptuous” as she’s described in the comics.

“It didn’t really go to those heights. That element of Gwen was unlike the comic books in some ways because she is such a beauty queen. I’m a lot more next door. But the signature headband and the thigh-highs and the coats was important… down to the make-up,” Stone said.

The actress zeroed in on her relationship with Denis Leary’s Captain Stacy and how a family member must live day to day, knowing her father could fall in the line of duty, when approaching her character dating the budding superhero.

“She’s the oldest daughter of a police chief so there’s that responsibility thing that kicks in when she thinks that her father could die every day. I think it’s important that she took on that energy of being in charge of her family. She could be there in case something should happen to him. Then, unwittingly, she’s drawn to a man who is in the same position -- a little Elektra complex thing.”

What about Gwen personally did she most identify with?

“I just feel in love with Gwen’s story because it is so incredibly epic, tragic and incredible. The way it affects Peter Parker going forward with Mary Jane, another character I love obviously, was enormous.”

And when it comes to the attraction of Peter and Gwen, Stone thinks he's drawn to her family life, even if it is headed by the policemen who has made it his mission to get Spider-Man.

“Peter didn’t necessarily have a sense of stability. Aunt Mae and Uncle Ben are a very stable environment for him but he has abandonment issues,” she said.

“I think he sees someone steady in Gwen and someone who can understand what it’s like to lose a father on a daily basis as you see in her bedroom scene where she doesn’t know if he’s going to come home every day. She feels that sense of abandonment as well. They’re so different but they also relate on love of learning and things like that. I think he sees something in Gwen and she becomes a confidant that he can trust.”

Stone worked closely with Leary as her dad and recalled one of her favorite scenes working with the stand-up turned serious actor.

“One of my favorite moments was the hallway scene (between Gwen and her dad). Marc (Webb, director) let me go off the cuff in the hallway scene to keep Denis out of my room,” she said and laughed.

“When you give me an inch, it’s not good! I thought, ‘What is the one thing that would keep a dad out of his teenage daughter’s room?’ Cramps -- anything related to that or hormones! I knew in an instant from my own life experience, dads don’t wanna talk about that.”

The wait is finally over! The Amazing Spider-Man hit theaters at midnight this morning, and as you trickle back from the theater, we'd like to hear your thoughts on the second giant superhero film of the year.

How do you think The Amazing Spider-Man's Andrew Garfield compared to Tobey Maguire of the last three films?

Do you prefer Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy or Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson?

How does The Lizard stack up as a villain?

And the $600 million-dollar question: Can The Amazing Spider-Man approach the success of The Avengers?

Give us your answers to these questions, and your general opinion about the film, in the comments section below.

What's better than the action-packed third biggest movie of all time coming to Blu-Ray? Why, the action-packed third biggest movie of all time coming to Blu-Ray along with a short film starring comedy darling Lizzy Caplan.

The list of features on the Avengers Blu-Ray included a "One Shot" titled Item 47. One Shots are short films within the Marvel Universe that expand on the film featured on the blu-ray. So far, the Thor Blu-Ray included a One Shot called The Consultant, and the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-Ray featured one titled A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer.

Item 47 will star Caplan and Jesse Bradford as a couple who, after the events of The Avengers, find an alien gun and use it to their advantage in a Bonnie and Clyde sort of way.

The Avengers Blu-Ray will be released on September 25. In the meantime, there are practically enough Avengers wallpapers to put a new one up every day until you get the DVD. Okay, not quite, but you can Photoshop Mad Men characters on there for some variety.

Deliverance is considered by many to be one of the best films of all time. The legendary four leads -- Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox (the Total Recall trailer has us intrigued, a remake of Cox's 1990 hit) -- recently sat down at Warner Bros. studios with Movie Fanatic for an interview to exclusively reflect on the film’s fortieth anniversary. To say it was an honor for us, is an understatement.

Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty Exclusive Interview

The film has arrived on Blu-Ray for the first time in a classic “book” format with loads of new information and features. When Deliverance arrived in 1972 it shocked the world. Nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture, it became the hallmark of director John Boorman’s career and two years ago, it became historic as the picture was given the highest honor of placement in the U.S. Film Registry for preservation.

Movie goers now have their first glimpse at Oz: The Great and Powerful. Sort of.

The March 2013 release stars James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz and tells the story of how a certain man behind a certain curtain rose to power - and now the first official poster for the film has been released.

It keeps Franco's title role look a mystery, but it does give us a gander at Emerald City and the famous brick road that takes one there:

Expect a lot more from Oz: The Great and Powerful at its Comic-Con panel next week, where attendees may be treated to the film's first trailer.

Movie Fanatic will be on the scene from July 12-15, updating the site constantly with scoop, clips and red carpet interviews.

The first thing one should know about the Katy Perry: Part of Me movie is that the superstar does not shy away from anything. Her whirlwind romance/divorce to Russell Brand? It’s in the picture. Her past as an evangelical preacher’s daughter… also featured front and center. What else fills her flick is what an inspirational story she possesses and an incredible gift for writing perfect pop songs.

Perry may seem like someone who shot to the top of the charts with I Kissed a Girl almost overnight. But, as teased in the Katy Perry: Part of Me trailer, it was a long, tiring effort that almost saw the Billboard chart record holder toil in obscurity. It was only through sticking to her guns and remaining true to herself that success followed. And when it happened, it exploded… like a Firework!

Throughout Part of Me, audiences are introduced to not only astoundingly shot concert performances of the songstress’ biggest hits including Hot and Cold, Last Friday Night, California Gurls and Extraterrestrial, but also the people who have made her who she has become.

Grandma, mom and dad all add their own two cents. The scene where Perry visits her grandma in Las Vegas is especially touching, particularly when the camera pans down to the Perry matriarch’s coffee table filled with magazines… all with her granddaughter on the cover.

She should be proud. In the short couple of years since she broke big, she has set the record for most number one songs off of a single album. Who did she surpass? Only the King of Pop, Michael Jackson!

Perry’s parents are an interesting couple. The devout Christians never fully got in the way of Perry pursuing her dreams, but their comfort level with some of her hits is made abundantly clear (ironically her first hit and its lesbian overtones is what made her a star and had her parents most worried!). They do adore Firework and its message of positivity, as her mom is seen dancing up a storm when Perry performs the song live.

Seeing clips of the singer as she first went after a singing career when her songs were all about extolling Christian values is fascinating. But, it was only when she moved to Los Angeles to become a pop star that the real artistry inside Perry rose to the top… and so did her star. Of particular interest is a video shot of the singer at 18 years old when she first arrived in L.A. It is insightful and powerful.

As a film, Part of Me works on so many levels. As stated previously, it is a visual marvel. Perry’s world, in its pinks, reds and blues, is a confection-filled treat for the eyes, especially in 3D. What else is striking is how the singer has resonated with young girls. Her concerts are filled with moms and daughters dancing to the delightful soundtrack of Perry’s pop music mastery. It is fantastic to see such a positive role model for so many living her dreams.

The most astounding aspect of Katy Perry: Part of Me is that when the credits are rolling, the audience leaves with this undeniable feeling that the singer is just getting started.

After a record-breaking Tuesday opening of $35 million--topping 2007's Transformers Tuesday premiere of $27.9--it has been announced that Andrew Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man movie will launch a trilogy.

While this may not surprise many, the studio had previously been noncommittal as to the number of films they planned to include in the rebooted Marvel franchise. Now, on the official Facebook page, The Amazing Spider-Man is described as "the first installment in a movie trilogy that will explore how our fave hero's journey was shaped by the disappearance of his parents."

Before the film even premiered, a sequel was already planned for release on May 2, 2014. Does the fact that a sequel to an action film is almost always guaranteed, with trilogies and even larger franchises becoming increasingly popular, say something about the film industry and us as movie-goers?

Between 2002 and 2014, there will have been five Spider-Man films with two different leads and at least two different directors, all (presumably) grossing mega-millions. With such sure bets, there's really no reason to stop. But how much can a character be re-used in such a short span? Perhaps the iconic 007 film franchise demonstrates that it's not an issue.

Numerous questions remain, however. Will The Amazing Spider-Man's Gwen Stacy return for the next two films, or will she make way for Mary Jane? Will Marc Webb direct? Who will the villains be? Give us your thoughts below.

The first still from the upcoming science fiction film Elysium features a fully-bald Matt Damon wearing a metal arm thingy (official name) and wielding a giant gun.

Elysium takes place in 2159, where all the world's wealthy have embraced bio-genetic engineering and moved onto a pristine space station called Elysium. Earth has been left a wasteland, overpopulated by the rest of humanity, and its citizens will stop at nothing to gain access to Elysium.

Damon plays Max, an ex-con who is cornered into agreeing to bring peace and equality to the two disparate worlds. Damon has become something of an action star with the Bourne series (which is being continued without him in The Bourne Legacy), though he was thrust into stardom with his 1997 dramedy Good Will Hunting. Check out some Good Will Hunting quotes.

Jodie Foster, Alice Braga, and Diego Luna also star, with Neill Blomkamp directing. Elysium hits theaters March 1, 2013.

Morgan Freeman has had many career highlights, but it appears his hooking up with co-star Virginia Madsen and his reteaming with Rob Reiner in The Magic of Belle Isle is near the top. Freeman and Madsen sat down with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive video interview to talk about their charming character driven drama that illustrates we can find love and happiness in the most unlikely of places.

Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen Exclusive Interview

The film arrives Friday and is one of our films that bring the heat in our July movie poll -- what's your most anticipated?

The Magic of Belle Isle not only has Freeman and Reiner joining forces for the first time since their super successful The Bucket List, but also has Madsen working with the esteemed director for the first time since 1996’s Ghosts of Mississippi.

Princess Diana is one of the most beloved figures of the last 30 years. As such, Naomi Watts has an immense task portraying her in the new film Diana. Watts is by no means a dead ringer for the Princess of Wales, but it looks like they've done a good job of transforming her. Check out the first photo from the film:

Diana will focus on the Princess' final two years of life and her relationships with Dr. Hasnat Khan and Dodi Fayed. Naveen Andrews, who played Sayid on Lost, will portray Khan.

The film is set to come out next year. It is directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.

If I were Lucius Fox, I'd have been like "right off the Bat, here's your new vehicle." And then Batman wouldn't have gotten the joke and it would have been awkward, so it's a good thing I'm not Lucius Fox.

The new international trailer for The Dark Knight Rises features heavily the flying vehicle called The Bat. Check it out:

Dark Knight Rises International Trailer

Christian Bale returns as the Caped Crusader in The Dark Knight Rises, the final film in Christopher Nolan's Batman series. Tom Hardy plays the villain Bane, with Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.

The Dark Knight Rises figures to be the third giant superhero film of the year, with Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, and the rest of The Avengers scoring big all summer, and Andrew Garfield and The Amazing Spider-Man seeing a very solid opening day earlier this week. How do you think The Dark Knight Rises will compare when it opens on July 20?

Fresh of his 2012 Oscar nomination for A Better Life, Demian Bichir is one of Oliver Stone’s Savages. The actor visits with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive interview that takes us inside the Stone filmmaking machine. Bichir also reflects on the Oscar nod, why it was particularly resonant given the film and also gushes how his Savages co-star Benicio Del Toro is the best in the biz.

Bichir plays Alex, an aide to Salma Hayek’s drug lord and long before he got the part, he met with Stone. He admits… that would have been enough.

“We chatted for an hour in his office. We talked about many, many things because he didn’t have a script yet. I just wanted to be able to tell my kids that I had the opportunity to talk to him,” Bichir said and smiled.

“When I got the offer to play Alex, I couldn’t have been happier because Oliver Stone, you know on one side, you have to go the minute that he calls. And then, when I found out about the rest of the cast, I just couldn’t believe my good luck. Everything was really rich and intense. And I want more.”

Who can blame him with the stellar cast, all adorned in the Savages poster. “I only wish I had more shooting days. We spent more time on the process during the shoot with the cast. Oliver immerses in it like no other,” Bichir said. “He’s a legend.”

Bichir gives a brilliant performance, and he is dressed brilliantly as well. Something the actor enjoyed, but also saw as an opportunity to give the viewer more of a window into this guy.

“We wanted that. That’s one of the things you have to agree with the director on when you’re building a character -- even down to what they wear and even the way my beard was. We talked about that. We wanted to show the audience how neat he was, even in those minute details. We also wanted him to have a strong Mexican feel, so we gave him cowboy boots. One of the boots he wore was the same that many of our cartels wear. They were beautiful! Everything is perfectly in order,” Bichir said.

Even his selection of a belt buckle showed why he obtained the position he has with the cartel. “He’s great for Salma Hayek’s drug lord because you can see how she would trust him. He’s neat, and nothing will ever be out of place. Those touches were essential.”

Savages Trailer

In our Benicio Del Toro interview, Bichir’s Savages co-star extolled the virtues of teaming up again after their work on Che. It’s a mutual adoration society with these two!

"I’m so lucky. He can be who he is and not be a good fellow peer -- not a good soccer player, teammate. That’s why he’s so great, because he is. He’s not only one of the great actors on the planet, but he’s also generous and he cares for you. He believes in that game that two actors play on the set. It’s a pleasure to find somebody like that. That’s the joy of it,” Bichir said.

Bichir’s on quite a run of late, one punctuated with that Oscar nomination for A Better Life. Yet, ever selfless, the performer sees his Best Actor attention as a vote for the little movie that could.

“That nomination was for a film that was small. It was not supposed to have that attention. We did. That nomination meant much more than simply the recognition for any actor. It’s a way of saying, 'This is an important film.' When the SAG nomination, Independent Spirit Award nomination and then the Academy nomination arrived, then a lot more people jumped to see the movie,” he said.

“I’ve been really lucky jumping from Fidel Castro in Che to Carlos in A Better Life to Alex in Savages, there are three totally different characters. That’s what you want. That’s the only way to extend your own capacities.”

We've seen him bumble around as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, we've seen him bumble around as a Woody Allen surrogate in To Rome with Love, and now Jesse Eisenberg will bumble around as...a drug dealer's right-hand man?

Jesse Eisenberg plays alongside Tracy Morgan and Melissa Leo in the new drug comedy Why Stop Now. Check out the first trailer:

Why Stop Now Trailer

Eisenberg plays Eli, a piano prodigy who attempts to check his mother Penny (Leo) into rehab on the morning of an important audition. An odd turn of events forces them to work together with Penny's drug dealer Sprinkles (Morgan) on an unexpected adventure.

Leo won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2010 for The Fighter. Morgan, best known for his role on as Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock, has had some film success as well. In 2010, he starred with Bruce Willis in Cop Out and made a cameo in Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell's comedy The Other Guys. Check out some The Other Guys quotes for more.

Why Stop Now will see a limited release on August 17.

We’re at the halfway point of 2012 and it’s time for Movie Fanatic’s annual look at the top movies of the year (so far). It’s been a varied year and one that has been filled with shock and awe. We knew The Avengers would be so fun, but also one of the best films of the year? And we adore Wes Anderson and had high hopes for Moonrise Kingdom. But would it be more Royal Tenenbaums than The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou?

As is the case with most years, there is a film or two that takes us by surprise -- one that came out of nowhere and blew us away. 2012 had several of those… so sit back and enjoy our Top 10 Movies of 2012 (so far).

10. 21 Jump Street
Admit it… when you first heard of a big screen version of the 1980’s TV series that put Johnny Depp on the map, the first thought was: Why? Then, add in the fact that the film was being presented as a comedy that would produce countless 21 Jump Street quotes and your second thought would be: Really? Toss in the fact that it would star Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill and the next thought is: Seriously? Yet, in one of the great surprises of 2012, 21 Jump Street scored on many levels. It is funny, charming, suspenseful and yes... one of the top movies of 2012.

9. Goon
One of the more brutish hockey movies ever filmed also is one of the flicks about the sport that has more heart than any other. Seann William Scott is the title character, a bar bouncer who is recruited into minor league hockey as an enforcer. He barely knows how to skate. But, he sure knows how to throw a punch. The audience goes on a journey over 90 minutes that is equally hilarious, heartfelt and surprisingly features Liev Schreiber in one of his best roles as Scott’s primary inspiration and foe.

8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
One of the art house film world’s quickest to make it to $100 million at the box office is also one of its most charming. A who’s-who of British talent, including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson star in this film about a group of older folks who give up everything in their homeland of the U.K. to pursue life in India at the titular establishment. The film is pure joy.

7. Ted
A foul-mouthed teddy bear and Mark Wahlberg join forces to anchor one of the best comedies -- if not the best comedy -- of the entire year. Seth MacFarlane leaves Family Guy’s restrictive TV world and unleashes his true comedy wit that will be hard to beat in 2012. We are not alone in our passion for Ted, the film opened to an astonishing $54 million in the middle of the blockbuster summer movie season and rightfully so, the film is a marvel to behold. Just a sampling of Ted quotes gives a glimpse into the brilliance of this silly, silly film.

6. People Like Us
Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks discover they are brother and sister after their father’s funeral. Director Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) channels his real life story into one of the more moving and fascinating looks at family in recent memory. Oh, and that Michelle Pfeiffer deserves an Oscar nomination for her performances as Pine’s onscreen mother.

5. The Cabin in the Woods
Joss Whedon is having a year for the ages. The man behind The Avengers served as co-writer of The Cabin in the Woods. The filmmaker took the horror genre and turned it on its head. The movie stars Chris Hemsworth (also from The Avengers) as the leader of a group of friends who head to the woods for a little rest and relaxation. What happens next is pure creative brilliance.

4. The Hunger Games
Expectations could not have been higher for fans of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling series and its jump to the big screen. Producers’ immediately scored on several fronts: Casting Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, naming Gary Ross writer-director and hiring Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. The film is pulse-pounder and one of the rare films that can be witnessed multiple times (this writer has seen it four times). To say we’re looking forward to Catching Fire is the understatement of 2012 (so far).

3. The Avengers
Whedon goes two-for-two in 2012 as his film not only gave us great The Avengers wallpapers, but exceeded expectations and did the impossible: Produced a killer Hulk movie where two previous efforts failed. Another difficult task: Give adequate screen time to all those superheroes who are gathered in one film, present a plot that fits into the Marvel universe and yet also create a film that stands on its own. Whedon's flick gave us beats of humor, action, suspense, thrills and power that few films achieve. Is it too early, and too outrageous, to ask the Academy to consider The Avengers for Best Picture? Hardly! It's more than the top money maker of the year, it is one of the year's absolute finest examples of cinematic greatness.

2. Moonrise Kingdom
Anderson scores in the most unlikely of ways with Moonrise Kingdom. The film is a love story centering on the romance of a couple of tweens living on a remote New England island in the early 1960’s. The filmmaker’s cast astounds including Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton, but it is his youngest stars -- Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward -- who steal scenes left and right from Anderson’s veteran cast. Quirky, charming and all cinematic delight… Moonrise Kingdom is another on this list that needs to be seen again, and again.

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild
It is rare that a first time filmmaker scores as extraordinarily as Benh Zeitlin did with Beasts of the Southern Wild. The film is an astounding, emotional, powerful and unforgettable tale of a father and his young daughter living on one of the secluded islands south of New Orleans. The film inspires in its showcasing of a community known as The Bathtub as it has already been  badly beaten by Katrina. How it rallies when a horrible storm further dampens their hope for survival is as uplifting and beautiful as movies get. Saw it a month a go and still cannot shake it.

There's a new IMAX poster for The Dark Knight Rises! No, the poster isn't in IMAX, the movie is. But if you wrap the poster around your face, you'll get the IMAX effect. Just don't forget to take breathing breaks.

The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale as Batman, who must return to save Gotham after the mysterious Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) arrives, setting in motion a series of events that causes the villainous Bane (Tom Hardy) to threaten the city. Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star.

Christopher Nolan takes the helm for the last time in this third installment of his Batman series. It will also mark the end of a three-month span of giant superhero movie events, with The Avengers becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time, and The Amazing Spider-Man seeing a terrific opening week heading into this weekend.

Catch The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX on July 20.

As a filmmaker, Rob Reiner has always gotten a clear message through in his films, even as audiences laugh or cry. In The Bucket List and now with The Magic of Belle Isle, both starring Morgan Freeman, the power of life lived to its fullest seems to be the permeating theme. As you'll see in my movie review below, it worked extremely well in the former and is charming in the latter.

As The Magic of Belle Isle begins, Freeman is being brought to a small Northeastern island town by his nephew (Kenan Thompson) to spend the summer hopefully putting pen to paper once again. Freeman’s Monte Wildhorn is a Western novelist who has not had a successful book in decades. He is a functioning alcoholic and more than a little bit prickly.

The audience gets a keen idea of his character when we learn that as part of the deal of him staying in this house for the summer, Freeman must look after the man's dog Ringo. Mr. Wildhorn doesn’t believe naming a dog after a mop-top drummer is appropriate and immediately changes his name to something more canine friendly: Spot.

Virginia Madsen’s Mrs. O’Neil lives across the street with her three daughters. She is a single mom and her first interaction with Monte is less than savory. Yes, you can immediately tell where this tale is going as she and Monte will strike up an unlikely friendship and perhaps an even less likely romance.

The plot is overly predictable. Yet, Reiner still handles it with the grace we’ve become accustomed to by the legendary filmmaker who gave us The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally. The budding relationship is nicely played out onscreen and that is largely due to the chemistry and talents of its leads. As told to us by the stars in our Freeman and Madsen exclusive video interview, and we agree, these two clearly enjoyed working together due to their keen chemistry.

The life lessons of The Magic of Belle Isle don’t strike the same power as Reiner achieved in The Bucket List. But, this is a slightly different movie. Where the filmmaker’s first movie with Freeman was about a friendship between two men, this film is about the power of love, whatever form that takes. It doesn’t strike the same emotional power, but it comes close.

Freeman, as always, is astounding. The actor’s performance alone is worth the price of admission. Toss in the fact that he has a leading lady in Madsen that is up for matching his performance note-for-note, and The Magic of Belle Isle is a solid, albeit light piece of movie making. The locale is also brilliant, and after viewing the film, one may be inclined to find this magical place. It’s hard to pinpoint where exactly this natural beauty is in real life. But, that is the magic of it all. Your happiness in nature can be found almost anywhere good friends and good souls inhabit.

There's a new trailer for Rise of the Guardians, with Jack Frost as the centerpiece. Check it out:

 

Rise of the Guardians Jack Frost Trailer

Rise of the Guardians tells the story of all the mythical figures you knew from childhood, called "guardians:" Jack Frost, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Sandman. The group must band together to stop the Bogeyman when he brings total darkness to the world by destroying the dreams of children.

Chris Pine voices Jack Frost, with Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, and Jude Law rounding out the cast. Pine, best known as Captain Kirk from the Star Trek movie, appeared earlier this year in the romantic comedy This Means War. Hugh Jackman, meanwhile, will be appearing later this year in Les Miserables. Check out the Les Miserables trailer for a look.

Rise of the Guardians comes out November 21. For more, check out these cool Rise of the Guardians character posters.

Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson were more than delighted with their chance to join the all-star cast that is so prominently shown off in the Savages poster. “It’s something that you’ll have for a long time,” Kitsch told Movie Fanatic of working with John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek and, of course, director Oliver Stone.

Savages follows a pair of best friends who just happen to run the most successful marijuana growing business in Southern California. They share a girlfriend in O (Blake Lively) and neither think, as it is portrayed on screen, it's about some purely sexual threesome. This is romance to the third power.

“I think it’s more of the trust thing. For us, it was more of a brotherhood. It really does come down to the trust and that was such an integral part of the movie because we have barely any scenes with her so we had to get it basically in one scene. In one scene we had to show this connection between three people that would literally die for each other,” Kitsch said.

Johnson believes that it’s more of a two halves of one person type of situation. “I think we’re really a yin and yang because Chon (Kitsch) is this ex-Marine, a kind of fighter, and my character’s a more sensitive, hippie kind of guy. So we were that balance that she looks for. I think she’s just (expletive) greedy, to be honest,” he said and laughed.

“I think that says a lot about these people that there’s no shame in their relationship, no jealousy, and it’s a bond that’s stronger than that. It’s sort of a three-way friendship that is based on a lot of loyalty and trust,” Kitsch added.

As the Mexican cartel (led by Hayek) moves in and demands a piece of their business, the duo refuses. O is kidnapped and as we said in our Savages review, a thriller of the highest order ensues.

Heading into the scenes with legends such as Travolta and Del Toro, the two actors felt they had to be at the top of their game.

“It’s John Travolta and Benicio and you just respect those guys. I think it just says so much about Benicio and John that they’re just like, ‘Yeah, let’s make this scene incredibly memorable and let it just serve the script and not selfishly our characters and ourselves,’” Kitsch said.

“They’re icons for a good reason. I hold a lot of pride to be working with these guys and Oliver.”

Johnson appreciated how much the ensemble allowed a freedom to explore the nuances of every character onscreen. “I think you get that opportunity with this great cast. They’re just free to kind of experiment and they’re not afraid to,” he said.

Having a director in Oliver Stone only added to the creative process. “Oliver is not afraid to allow that kind of creativity to happen,” Johnson said.

As the film’s plot of the Mexican cartel and the drug war was so timely, Johnson also stated that a fine line had to be keenly watched. “There was a reality barrier that we always were trying to juggle and I think that comes across really well in the film, that you never doubt anything. The situation that they’re in, you don’t ever find it unbelievable.”

 

Savages Trailer

Kitsch also reveled in the opportunity to break out of the science fiction mode he explored earlier this year in John Carter and Battleship.

“It’s back to being just mano a mano, working with actors and not green screen. It was very refreshing. Both of those films taught me an immense amount of patience and I think I really brought that over to Savages,” Kitsch said.

“I really love being on these sets with these actors and being a part of it, not that I didn’t with the others. But just to make it as raw as this film is, to get back to what it is, just going off another actor and really searching, creating and collaborating that way is refreshing and I’ll stay on that track. No green screen for a while.”

Today is the day for IMAX-y Batman things. Earlier this morning, we showed you The Dark Knight Rises IMAX poster, and now we've got the IMAX TV spot.

 

The Dark Knight Rises IMAX Trailer

So what makes a TV spot an IMAX TV spot? Well, it tells you that you can see the film in IMAX. Christopher Nolan shot a lot of the film with IMAX cameras, which mean that you will be getting about as good an IMAX experience as possible.

Tom Hardy stars as the villainous Bane, with Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, and Christian Bale as Batman. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine return as Lucius Fox and Alfred Pennyworth.

Watch The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX theaters on July 20.