Friends heading to Vegas for a friend's bachelor party. What. On. Earth. Could. Go. Wrong. And that's what Vegas does, baby!
2.
Ocean's Eleven
Steven Soderbergh's first effort at the Ocean's movies was a pure treat. With Sin City as the backdrop, a heist flick was never so fun. And it made the city look quite enticing.
3.
Viva Las Vegas
Elvis Presley in a musical set in Las Vegas? Also starring Ann Margret? Where do we sign up?!
4.
Bugsy
Bugsy is always so tragic to us. I mean, Bugsy essentially founded Las Vegas and was killed by his mob friends because it was taking too long and cost too much money. But that factoid at the end of the movie about how much $ the mob has made off of Vegas, like we said -- tragic.
5.
Casino
Another film that shows the darker side of Vegas! Martin Scorsese reunited with Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro for a different kind of gangster story and if Sharon Stone didn't just ruin it all for De Niro! From the beginning, like a "sure thing" bet, we just didn't trust her!
6.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The bright lights of Las Vegas seen through the drug-addled eyes of Hunter S. Thompson with Johnny Depp as the famed writer is one brilliant stroke of cinematic genius.
7.
Rain Man
Sure, all of Rain Main doesn't take place in Las Vegas. But, the part that does is not only pure delight, but a turning point in the entire movie. That scene where they're coming down the escalator alone is perfection.
8.
Honeymoon in Vegas
Sure, it seemed like a good enough idea to head to Vegas and get married for Sarah Jessica Parker and NIcolas Cage. But, then they met James Caan.
9.
Vegas Vacation
The Vacation series sends the Griswold family to Las Vegas and with Chevy Chase as Clark, hilarity does ensue. Even the Wayne Newton (aka Mr. Las Vegas) cameo is spot-on!
10.
Go
Again, the whole movie isn't set in Vegas, but the part that is truly anchors the movie. And that car chase scene down Las Vegas Boulevard with Magic Carpet Ride remixed by the Chemical Brothers is astounding.
11.
Leaving Las Vegas
If you're going to go to a city to drink yourself to death, isn't Las Vegas the perfect spot? But, when Nicolas Cage meets Elisabeth Shue, something changes and a classic movie coupling is born. Cage even won an Oscar for the role!
The start date for J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII is inching closer. We know it will be sometime in May (thanks to Carrie Fisher), but no specifics appear to be coming closer into view.
Badass Digest is reporting that the exact date is May 14 and that it will officially start shooting in Morocco. Fans of the series know that is the locale that George Lucas used for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. In fact, many of the items he built back in the 1970s are still there!
Another piece of shooting information is that the highly anticipated December 18, 2015 release will not only film much of its green screen work on the famed soundstages of Pinewood Studios (where a certain spy uttered some iconic James Bond quotes), but also in Iceland. Again, fans of the galaxy far, far away series know that doubled as Hoth.
Given that we know that Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Fisher will return and that this first chapter will focus on them and three younger leads, we’re starting to think that Star Wars: Episode VII will return to Hoth and Tatooine.
Maybe it was how it was written. Perhaps, it was how it was played by Jake Lloyd... and maybe it was both. But young Anakin Skywalker, known as Ani, was just plain awful. .. and annoying!
Maybe it was how it was written. Perhaps, it was how it was played by Jake Lloyd... and maybe it was both. But young Anakin Skywalker, known as Ani, was just plain awful. .. and annoying!
2.
Jar Jar Binks
Surprised? Hardly! Jar Jar Binks was not only annoying, but his portrayal also flirted with being a little racist. We know Lucas wanted to give the kids another fun character, but this guy?!
3.
Yarna D'al Gargan
In Return of the Jedi there were many exotic characters in Jabba's lair. Yarna D'al Gargan was not exotic... just annoying.
4.
Bail Organa
On paper, Bail Organa should have been a compelling character. Perhaps it was how it was written or how Lucas directed star Jimmy Smits, but how it came to be in the second trilogy... Bail was stale, stiff and just frankly irked us.
5.
General Grievous
How is General Grievous supposed to be one of the most feared villains in the Star Wars world? He coughs all the time and he appears like a frail robot who could be taken out by a blaster. We find Grievous not fear-inducing... just funny.
6.
Jedis Who Get Wiped Out in Revenge of the Sith
All those wasted Jedis! Supposedly, they're the most trained warriors in the galaxy, yet Lucas wastes hundreds of them in one scene that simply annoys us more than anything. These "soldiers" look like they just picked up a lightsaber last week!
7.
Watto
That thing kept Ani and his mother as slaves. Couldn't they have just grabbed him and then beaten the crap out of him and escaped? Surely, Ani's menacing slave master could have been more... menacing?
8.
The Neimoidians
If Jar Jar Binks was a slightly racially offensive effort, then we must also consider the Asian stereotypes that were truly insulting with the existence of the Neimoidians. Surely, Lucas could have done something better for these legislators.
9.
Fode
Was it us, or did this guy seem completely out of place? And we get the play by play and comedic color commentary, but why not create two vastly different characters instead of having one with two heads? Just. Silly. And annoying!
We've got two new photos from X-Men: Days of Future Past and each has quite a different feel to it.
There's the "fun" one, which features Evan Peters' Quicksilver playing with tape. Given how he can move at the speed of sound, we're eager to see this scene before the person tied up is taped to the wall!
The next pic features Nicholas Hoult, back as the Beast from X-Men: First Class.
Now, Beast is not having so much fun. In fact, he looks quite stressed. Could it be that is because of the wrath of hell that seems to be coming at our mutants, teased in the X-Men: Days of Future Past trailer?!
The X-Men movie from Bryan Singer that combines the worlds of X-Men old and new arrives May 23.
Check out our new photos, and then click through and bask in the glory of our entire X-Men: Days of Future Past photo gallery! And head back to the beginning and see how it all started and watch X-Men online.
Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to being super, heck, with her turns in Iron Man 2, The Avengers and the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
But, there is something uniquely super about her character in Luc Besson’s Lucy!
Besson is one of our favorite filmmakers, what with his work on The Fifth Element, The Professional and La Femme Nikita. And as you can tell from those films, he has a knack for creating uber-strong female characters. It appears that they have all led up to Lucy.
The trailer for Lucy has just arrived, and from what we can tell, someone has put drugs into her stomach and expected her to be a drug mule.
But, when they leak -- the side effect is something completely unexpected. Lucy gets superpowers and it appears nothing can stop her. To say she wants justice for what “they” did to her just scratches the surface of Lucy’s new mission in life.
Lucy lands August 8 and also stars Morgan Freeman.
Universal has also released a series of stills from Lucy. Click through and check out Scarlett becoming super and then watch The Avengers online to compare her "super" parts!
The Expendables 3 has greatly expanded its all-star cast. In fact, it currently stands at 16. That's a large group!
So, what better way than to feature each of the action heroes in a series of character posters. Smart move, Lionsgate!
Sylvester Stallone, creator of The Expendables, is back for his third tour, along with Terry Crews and Jason Statham. Arnold Schwarzenegger returns for a larger role in this third film.
For fans of any film, the success of the home release is all about the extras. And when it comes to the Anchorman 2 DVD, fans should be in comedy heaven. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download and we’d be hard pressed to find a home video release in recent memory that had so much going for it -- beyond the movie itself.
It goes without saying if you read our theatrical Anchorman 2 review, that Movie Fanatic adored the sequel to the film that gave us those unforgettable and timeless Anchorman quotes.
Anchorman 2 finds Will Ferrell back as Ron Burgundy and he’s getting the Action News Team back together for a move from San Diego to New York to be part of something revolutionary, the 24-hours cable news network. There was something priceless about the chemistry between Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner that continues the moment they reconnect (as seen in this Anchorman 2 clip!).
What is so bloody fantastic about the Anchorman 2 DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download release is it not only has four hours of bonus content (more on that in a moment), but the film arrives in three versions: The theatrical version, the Super-Sized R-Rated Version that has a promised 763 new jokes and the completely unrated version. All three add something different and fans of Anchorman will want to check out all three. And don’t scoff -- there are literally 763 new jokes in the Super-Sized R-Rated Version!
And as you can see in the Anchorman 2 gag reel, this is not just a few scenes pieced together -- this is a gag reel for the ages. And that is just the tip of the iceberg of Anchorman 2 home video bonus features. And there are so many gags, that there is even a gag reel, part 2! Don’t. Miss. Either!
Audio commentary by stars and filmmakers sometimes can be a useless exercise in our opinion. But with Anchorman 2, the home video features hilarious and insightful audio commentary to the various film versions by director Adam McKay, as well as producer Judd Apatow, Ferrell, Carell, Rudd and Koechner. That element alone is worth the price of admission. These guys are so naturally funny -- they can’t even provide audio commentary without cracking jokes that are better than 90-percent of the comedies out there!
Even the behind-the-scenes feature, Newsroom -- Inside the Making of the Film is a lesson in how to create comic hilarity. It is also a fascinating study in the secret to the comic chemistry not just between the big four, but also Christina Applegate and new to the series James Marsden and Meagan Good.
For those who love our compiled Anchorman 2 quotes, you will adore the Line-O-Rama feature that showcases a non-stop attack of alternative lines from the film. And that girl-fight scenes scene between Applegate and Good, well that is featured in an expanded form with some gut-busting one-liners from the two actresses who show that the comic insanity doesn’t just come from the four men.
And for those of you who had the good fortune of witnessing the film in theaters, you don’t want to miss an extended scene of Burgundy at his worst, hosting the dolphin show in San Diego. You think you’ve seen Ferrell riff off the cuff, think again!
You might have heard about initial ideas that they would make Anchorman 2 a musical, well (honestly thank goodness) that never happened. But, the bonus feature Anchorman 2: The Musical takes a look at the songfest that almost was.
Who doesn’t love Baxter? Ron’s beloved dog is joined in the cute animal department in Anchorman 2 by Doby and the two animals are given their own featurette with Baxter & Doby.
And those are just a few of the dozens of bonus features we adored in the Anchorman 2 DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download release. But before we close this Anchorman 2 DVD review, we have to highlight the bonus featurette, News Fight. It takes a look at the biggest and most astounding news throw-down that could possibly have been imagined.
A large number of the terrific cameos in Anchorman 2 arrive in that scene and to see them truly go at it in a New York City park was pure joy in the theater. To see how it all came together and witness all these talents putting together in the bonus feature -- is simply the icing on a hilarious and astounding home video cake.
Hot on the heels of that jaw-dropping Godzilla TV trailer that bowed yesterday, Warner Bros. has released another and Movie Fanatic thinks that this monster movie has got some serious legs.
Of course, when we're talking Godzilla, that monster has huge legs!
In the latest teaser, Aaron Taylor Johnson has called home and he's talking to his love, played by fellow Avengers: Age of Ultron star Elizabeth Olsen.
Taylor Johnson is not sure he's going to make it home alive. She has trouble understanding why, and then we presume she turns on the news -- and it becomes crystal clear.
Morgan Freeman has appeared in over 100 titles as an actor. That is supremely impressive, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Just this year alone, he uttered those amazing The LEGO Movie quotes, he narrates Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, appears in Transcendence opposite Johnny Depp and was just seen in that powerful Lucy trailer with Scarlett Johansson!
It is a difficult task to define his "best" films, but we give it a go. You can see one right now when you watch Se7en online!
Click through and check out our 15 most magnificent Morgan Freeman movies!
Freeman's cop (and mentor to Brad Pitt) is in way over his head in this riveting cop drama.
2.
The LEGO Movie
Morgan Freeman is Vitruvius and it is he who launches the quest that sends Chris Pratt's Emmet from ordinary to extraordinary. One simply awesome movie!
3.
Million Dollar Baby
Freeman plays a boxing coach with Clint Eastwood in the Best Picture-winning Million Dollar Baby. What's not to love about his role and this movie?
4.
Amistad
Freeman always does great work, but there's something about his turn for Steven Spielberg in Amistad that is truly incredible
5.
Unforgiven
In many ways, Freeman's character is the heart of Unforgiven. And given that this is a movie about morality and the compass that guides us, that is saying something.
6.
The Shawshank Redemption
Freeman and Tim Robbins make beautiful music together in this film based on the Stephen King short.
7.
The Dark Knight
Freeman is fantastic in all the Dark Knight movies, but there is something about his turn in the middle one that is truly extraordinary.
8.
Deep Impact
Morgan Freeman as the president? Sign us up!
9.
Red
Is it us, or does it seem like Morgan Freeman is having the time of his life in Red?! And thus, we are too.
10.
Invictus
There are few roles as important as the one Freeman played in Invictus. Can you imagine the pressure of playing Nelson Mandela?
11.
Wanted
Freeman is kind of the zen leader of an interesting group of assassins in Wanted and we want more!
12.
Bruce Almighty
Morgan Freeman played God. What more needs to be said? Well, the fact that the film is supremely funny and our man looks really good in an all white suit.
13.
Glory
The true story of the first African American military unit fighting in the Civil War is beyond powerful. It is a must-see.
14.
Lean on Me
Lean on Me is the film that introduced Morgan to many audiences. The true story of a tough inner city school that turns around with the strong arm of a principal is inspiring.
After two movies as Natasha, aka Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson tells us that in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this is the first time we are truly getting to know her.
“You know, we saw a little bit of her in The Avengers and we saw a bit of her back story -- and we’ll see more of that in Avengers II -- but in this film, we really get to see Natasha as a person who gets up, gets ready for work in the morning, has a life outside of just her job once she’s out of the suit,” Johansson said.
The actress also said that given what both Captain America and Black Widow are going through at this point in their Marvel universe arc, it's fitting that Natasha join Steve for his second solo adventure.
“She’s a woman and she has her own kind of reality, and as the plot unfolds, we find both Steve and Natasha questioning their own identity. They are realizing that they thought that they had pretty strong beliefs. But at the end of it, they realize, 'Wait, I actually don’t know who I am. I’ve been this sort of hired hand!'"
Both of these characters are kind of left hanging in many ways with how Captain America: The Winter Soldier progresses, a film that rocks the Marvel boat. “In some ways there’s a cliffhanger at the end, because you really see that they’re just cresting the wave of having this huge moment of self-discovery and I think we’ll be able to track where that goes in the next installments,” Johansson said.
Johansson admitted that Natasha has been a fun character to portray and that she has played complex souls before, but there is something truly unique about Black Widow.
“I think Natasha is a bit of a reluctant superhero. She doesn’t necessarily have this really strong golden moral compass. Let’s not forget, she started out her career as essentially a mercenary,” Johansson said.
“I think one of the things that’s very attractive to me about the character is that she uses her feminine wiles as a part of her job, but she doesn’t rely on her sexuality or appeal, physical appeal, to get the job done. She’s extremely smart. She thinks on her feet. She’s a leader and I think has a lot of foresight.”
The actress thinks that those aspects make her a solid soul for young girls to look up to -- particularly in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. “Those are all qualities that I think it’s wonderful to celebrate for young women. And of course, it’s really rad for me to have my friends’ kids look up to that character and dress up like her at Halloween and play with the boys and be rough,” Johansson admitted. “I always say, ‘The Widow always wins!’ And it’s true. And that’s a nice sentiment.”
It is a physically demanding role, clearly, but Johansson was ready for it after doing eight shows a week on the Great White Way.
“I had come off of doing a Broadway run, which is pretty much the most physically challenging thing you can do. I felt like if anything was going to prepare me to have stamina, it was that,” Johansson said. “Everything seemed like a piece of cake after treading the boards for that long.”
Usually she plays characters whose worlds are wrapped up by the time the credits roll. Johansson is enjoying her run as Black Widow, because there seems to be no end -- as of yet.
“I’ve never really had the opportunity to do something like this. It’s an interesting challenge to keep coming back to this character. I have the good fortune of playing a character that’s sort of evolving with each installment that you see her in. I have to understand who this character is and where she comes from and have this rich back story,” she said.
“I think the exciting thing is just scraping away at a little part of that each time to reveal a small part of the bigger picture of her and it’s a very complex character. Over the period of time that I’ve played her, I’ve also grown, as you do in your career, your work, your life. So I feel that this story is becoming more enriched as my own experiences are.”
As now it is April, the release date for X-Men: Days of Future Past is officially next month!
20th Century Fox is marking the occasion of those months of anticipation now being merely weeks by releasing five new featurettes that not only take fans behind the scenes with the stars and director Bryan Singer, but show off a ton of new footage.
Hot on the heels of the X-Men: Days of Future Past TV spot that truly wowed us, we delve deeper into the very special release from Singer, who clearly has a passion for the series that made him want to get into storytelling in the first place.
Singer hosts and narrates several of the featurettes below, including tours of Professor X’s office, going inside the Cerebro and he’s the subject of a terrific short entitled Bryan’s Passion that features glorious thoughts from the cast, especially one from James McAvoy.
We particularly enjoy the featurette called Sending Logan Back in Time that features Ellen Page describing how her character holds the key to the entire movie!
Keanu Reeves returns to martial arts in47 Ronin for the first time since kicking butt while uttering those classic The Matrix quotes. Reeves stars as Kai, a slave half-breed who goes from being discounted to someone who may hold the key to justice for his “adopted” clan.
47 Ronin is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download and for fans of Reeves and martial arts -- the film is a pretty solid entry for the actor and the genre. And you could add fantasy to the genres included by this picture as well. Let’s explain…
Reeves’ Kai is grateful to be rescued in a madcap world (look out for the witches!) and knows his place in the village where the group of samurai warriors -- called Ronin -- protect the royal family and ensure that life continues as it has for centuries.
Japan is feudal at the moment, but a strong (almost dictator-like) leader rules over the entire land. When he comes to Kai’s village for their hosting of the nationwide games that celebrate the greatness of each clan’s warriors, nefarious plans ensue. Most of the royal family is taken out and the village is taken over. The Ronin’s leader is killed and they scatter across the land.
Kai gets away and spends his days as a trained warrior fighting in a Fight Club-type locale. Years have passed and Kai has gotten incredibly adept with his fighting skills. One of the village’s Ronin tracks him down, knowing deep in his heart that this former slave half-breed is the key to the Ronin reuniting and getting justice for what happened to their village and their kind.
Reeves' fighting skills are top notch, as we stated in our theatrical 47 Ronin review. And the fact that his dialogue is short and to the point truly fits the actor and he gels with Kai like a glove.
This is not your straightforward martial arts film as there are supernatural elements at play here too, so the bonus features for 47 Ronin are an added treat to take us inside the magic.
Keanu & Kai is a fantastic featurette that looks at Reeves and how much martial arts he had to learn and execute for 47 Ronin to even work. The film’s director, Carl Rinsch, and Reeves talk about what the actor had to go through to have it be convincing that this “half-breed” would be as good of a fighter as those who embody a centuries-old tradition of warring excellence.
The reason to see 47 Ronin, let’s be real, is the fight scenes. Steel Fury: The Fights of 47 Ronin delves deeper into how those scenes were shot and the choreography that makes them some of the freshest looking battle scenes we’ve witnessed in some time. It is one intense featurette.
As we mentioned, there is a fantasy element to 47 Ronin and how that was achieved is explored in Myths, Magic & Monsters: The FX of 47 Ronin. The clip illustrates how filmmakers used creatures from classic Japanese culture, including the Kirin (a beast with the head of a dragon and the body of a deer!), the Oni troll, the demonic Tengu Monks and of course, the Ktsune witch
But the best of the bonus features is Re-Forging the Legend. Fans of the Ronin lore and Japanese legends will treasure this look at how 47 Ronin sought to take great influence from the legendary passed-down tales of this time and bring them to life in the form of a thrilling action adventure.
We knew the moment we heard those hilarious 21 Jump Street quotes, that audiences would respond to the wildly smart small screen to big screen effort from directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
But, we never could have expected that we would get a sequel.
We are getting one, 22 Jump Street, and we cannot wait -- it is one of our must-see movies of 2014.
This time out, as teased in the 22 Jump Street trailer, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are moving across the street (thus the different address) and Ice Cube is sending them undercover... to college!
Sony has released a whole slew of awesome photos from the June 13 release, including a look at Tatum going out for the football team, Hill taking a walk of shame and the boys being challenged to a game of beer pong. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do when you're undercover.
As the sequel's release date inches closer, let's go back and see how it all got started and watch 21 Jump Street online.
Morgan Freeman has found equal success as a narrator for astounding nature movies (March of the Penguins, Born to be Wild) as he has for his acting work (check out his best in the slideshow below).
Movie Fanatic caught up with Freeman for an exclusive video interview to talk about his dulcet tones contributing to the narrating duties of his latest nature film, Island of Lemurs: Madagascar.
Freeman tells us how his participation came to be and after doing several of these films, whether the plight of these creatures featured in these documentaries weighs on him or motivates the Oscar winner to do more -- all in an effort to further educate the public as to how humankind's actions are threatening life for so many innocent creatures.
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar follows the story of Madagascar's lemurs and their million years in the making tale. It is a fascinating look at a species that only lives on that one island and how man's further expansion is threatening their existence.
“I feel we have to do more to get the word out to somehow make some sort of difference, some sort of change,” Freeman said. “And that is really hard to do.”
Freeman's cop (and mentor to Brad Pitt) is in way over his head in this riveting cop drama.
2.
The LEGO Movie
Morgan Freeman is Vitruvius and it is he who launches the quest that sends Chris Pratt's Emmet from ordinary to extraordinary. One simply awesome movie!
3.
Million Dollar Baby
Freeman plays a boxing coach with Clint Eastwood in the Best Picture-winning Million Dollar Baby. What's not to love about his role and this movie?
4.
Amistad
Freeman always does great work, but there's something about his turn for Steven Spielberg in Amistad that is truly incredible
5.
Unforgiven
In many ways, Freeman's character is the heart of Unforgiven. And given that this is a movie about morality and the compass that guides us, that is saying something.
6.
The Shawshank Redemption
Freeman and Tim Robbins make beautiful music together in this film based on the Stephen King short.
7.
The Dark Knight
Freeman is fantastic in all the Dark Knight movies, but there is something about his turn in the middle one that is truly extraordinary.
8.
Deep Impact
Morgan Freeman as the president? Sign us up!
9.
Red
Is it us, or does it seem like Morgan Freeman is having the time of his life in Red?! And thus, we are too.
10.
Invictus
There are few roles as important as the one Freeman played in Invictus. Can you imagine the pressure of playing Nelson Mandela?
11.
Wanted
Freeman is kind of the zen leader of an interesting group of assassins in Wanted and we want more!
12.
Bruce Almighty
Morgan Freeman played God. What more needs to be said? Well, the fact that the film is supremely funny and our man looks really good in an all white suit.
13.
Glory
The true story of the first African American military unit fighting in the Civil War is beyond powerful. It is a must-see.
14.
Lean on Me
Lean on Me is the film that introduced Morgan to many audiences. The true story of a tough inner city school that turns around with the strong arm of a principal is inspiring.
Maleficent has released a fantastic banner from the upcoming film featuring Angelina Jolie as the Sleeping Beauty villain.
The extra-wide poster, released by Disney, features not only Jolie, but the entire Maleficent world that audiences can dive into when the film debuts May 23.
Judging by that Maleficent trailer, Jolie could not be better cast in the film that gives us a compelling origins story for how this fallen fairy became one of fairy tales' most feared foes.
The banner, that leads off our slideshow that features every poster and photo we have from Maleficent, gives us that magical and fantastic feel that one would expect from this story, and even features the character who will be taking a long nap very soon, played by Elle Fanning.
Missing from it, is the little actress who plays Fanning as a young girl, none other than Vivienne Jolie-Pitt!
Captain America: The Winter Soldieris not just a gem because it’s a great superhero movie. What makes it so spectacular is not even that it is such an astounding and eye-popping action movie spectacle. The sequel to Captain America: The First Avengers is simply a perfect film, regardless of its genre.
Marvel has done a solid job of showing the “what’s next” for our favorite superheroes after the Battle of New York at the end of The Avengers. But, it is Captain America: The Winter Soldier that truly takes us behind the scenes of S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization at the heart of the Marvel universe.
We meet Cap (Chris Evans, better than ever) as he is going for a high-speed jog around the mall in Washington, D.C. – as only he can with his superhuman speed. He passes, repeatedly, Anthony Mackie, who joins the franchise as Sam Wilson. After their respective runs are over, they have a nice conversation about Mackie’s appreciation for Steve Rogers and his service, and we learn that Mackie’s Wilson is a veteran of several tours himself and now he works at a veteran facility that helps soldiers adjust to life after war.
It’s an interesting intro to the film and it does an impeccable job at setting up the budding friendship between Cap and the man who will be the Falcon. But, before we know it, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow shows up in a sports car to whisk Rogers away for our first action sequence. And, unlike some throw-away opening action scenes in movies, this one is integral to the overall arc of the Captain America: The Winter Soldier riveting plot.
We also meet Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, who is central to this mission and the film as a whole. There is also an introduction to Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, a higher-up in S.H.I.E.L.D. The joining of Redford to the Marvel universe speaks volumes as to how far comic book movies have come over the decades. This is an Oscar winner, in the later years of his career, joining a series that could have once been considered child’s play.
It is in fact, one of the best movies of the year and clearly Redford saw that when he read the script.
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely’s (who will be back for Captain America 3) script is impeccably tight. Yes, the movie clocks in at over two hours… but it cooks. And Markus and McFeely have formed a perfect tandem with directors Anthony and Joe Russo.
The creative force quartet behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier has given us a powerful film that also touches on matters of the day in a way that few movies of this type have. But what is truly astounding is how the plot arc of the film manages to reach all the way back to Cap’s origins in World War II, specifically with its connection to our titular villain, the Winter Soldier.
The Winter Soldier is an almost perfect note for note match for Cap on so many levels. It’s fascinating to witness Cap trying to figure out how to defeat someone who anticipates his move around every turn. It’s an action movie that gets cerebral in that sense and it only adds to the power of the fight scenes.
Then, there is Mackie as the Falcon. He and Evans have impeccable chemistry, and watching Cap and Falcon battle our villain(s) is pure joy in that they are each a yin to the other’s yang. We hope Mackie continues in the role in future installments in the Marvel universe, specifically Avengers: Age of Ultron!
Our Captain America: The Winter Soldier review can report that Movie Fanatic believes this is Marvel’s best movie yet. And yes, that is saying something. The Avengers was nothing short of brilliant. And if there is a spot past brilliance, this film has found it.
And by the way, stay until the end of the last credits... there are two bonus scenes!
The duo that works out together fights together! Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie star in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
2.
Cap & Black Widow in plain clothes!
The superheroes dress for casual Friday.
3.
Anthony Mackie is Falcon
Cap has help in the form of Anthony Mackie's Falcon.
4.
Sebastian Stan is the Winter Soldier
Sebastian Stan is our villain, the Winter Soldier.
5.
Scarlett Johansson is Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson is back as Black Widow. She and Cap had such great chemistry in The Avengers, watch for sparks to fly in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
6.
Anthony Mackie is Armed and Dangerous
Anthony Mackie is Falcon, and he's ready to take flight.
7.
Cobie Smulders is back!
Cobie Smulders continues her role from The Avengers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Hot on the heels of the release of those 16 The Expendables 3 character posters, Lionsgate has released a quintet of stills from the highly anticipated action flick that lands August 15.
Sylvester Stallone must be beside himself. All along, the creator of The Expendables had wanted to take some of action movies' greatest heroes and put them in one flick.
With this third edition of The Expendables adventure, he not only has Harrison Ford, but also Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson and Antonio Banderas.
That's Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Blade, Martin Riggs and Zorro!
Upon leaving the IMAX theater after witnessing Island of Lemurs: Madagascar one thing becomes clear. After the success of their nature doc Born to be Wild– also narrated by Morgan Freeman -- director David Douglas and writer Drew Fellman clearly have a successful formula for engaging audiences, entertaining them and most importantly, spurring us to action.
As Island of Lemurs: Madagascar begins, the dulcet-toned man who should narrate everything, Freeman, informs us that lemurs were the only animal species to survive the catastrophic asteroid blast that wiped out the dinosaurs. After a massive storm drove them clinging to trees from the continent of Africa to the nearby island of Madagascar, they have lived there pretty peacefully for millions of years.
Then, man arrived and as humans have done pretty much everywhere they go, they produced a landscape that is increasingly more hostile to nature and as such, many of Madagascar’s lemurs are endangered.
The fact that there are dozens of subspecies of lemurs is just one facet of knowledge that is imparted in the short documentary that was not known before. The other is that these creatures are only found on the island of Madagascar and nowhere else on Earth. Therefore, if they are run out of Madagascar by man’s advancement, the lemur will be gone… forever.
Douglas gives the audience a human face to the situation in Dr. Patricia C. Wright. The woman has devoted much of her life to studying lemurs as well as bringing news of their endangered plight to the world.
There is no bigger platform Wright could have than an IMAX nature documentary that does an uncanny job of introducing the world to lemurs, giving a history lesson as to where they came from, sociology instruction as to how they interact and a scientific lesson about how the encroachment of man has brought many of them to the brink of extinction.
And all this is accomplished in under an hour, all while being greatly entertaining with a vibrant musical score and scenes that will have you going back and forth between uttering “too cute” and literally laughing out loud at the lemurs and their unbridled joy of life.
And with Freeman and Wright trading the duties of progressing the story of Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, it is a priceless one-two punch presented on the human side of the story. And that is key to the lemurs' survival.
Yes, this is a family film that will have the kids clamoring to learn more about lemurs. But, it also is a movie that will have everyone who sees it yearning to do something to help these adorable creatures find a way to live another several million years.
Our Island of Lemurs: Madagascar review finds that with Earth Day coming soon, there can be no better way to celebrate it than by experiencing this film -- and then promptly discovering how you can help.
After their triumphant turns in The Wedding Singer and Fifty First Dates, the pair reunite as single parents each raising children and doing the best they can.
When they meet on a blind date set up by mutual friends that goes disastrously wrong, they agree to never see each other again.
In theory, that sounds perfect.
But, then the two wind up on the same African vacation and the resort has mistakenly booked them in the same room. Wonder how that’s going to work out? Given Sandler and Barrymore’s keen comic (and romantic) chemistry in the past -- we think quite nicely, thank you.
Look for Blended in theaters May 23. It also stars Joel McHale, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kevin Nealon and Terry Crews as you’ve never seen him before.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has been teasing us with a trio of villains -- all while letting us know that the main baddie will be Jamie Foxx as Electro. Yet, we are incredibly compelled by the classic confrontation that is promised from Spidey and Green Goblin.
The latest, "extended," trailer from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actually shows off a pivotal moment for the first time in that battle. Dane DeHaan's Green Goblin swoops in and gets between Spider-Man and Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy (on the roof of Oscorp no less!).
We've come a long way in the teasing department since that first The Amazing Spider-Man trailer debuted! The above teaser even shows off the big battle between Paul Giamatti as the Rhino and the webbed wonder!
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings into theaters May 2.
We saw the opening 15 minutes and can say that the film opens with an extended, and incredibly thrilling, sequence that fills in some blanks when it comes to Peter's parents. Richard Parker is even more involved in the science behind Spider-Man than previously thought.
We saw the opening 15 minutes and can say that the film opens with an extended, and incredibly thrilling, sequence that fills in some blanks when it comes to Peter's parents. Richard Parker is even more involved in the science behind Spider-Man than previously thought.
2.
Peter & Gwen Graduate, Gwen's Valedictorian
Peter and Gwen are graduating high school and heading into the "real' world. Why, Webb explains: "There's a thematic resonance with people moving on, with graduation, which felt really potent to us. The graduation speech was a way to introduce the universe and the themes of the movie in an interesting way. That just felt right."
3.
Comedy Dream Team Helped Write Jokes!
Spider-Man has always been adored because of his humor. Webb told us that is even more present in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. "We did something that sometimes big comedy movies do, which is you get a roundtable of comedians and you just have them spit jokes out. You can't really tell who's in it! But these amazing comedians, many of them are comic book fans, came in and helped us with coming up with the one-liners and quips that are part of Spider-Man's universe."
4.
Norman Osborn Not Only Osborn Causing Trouble
Norman Osborn still has a part in this Spider-Man world. "Norman Osborn, who is played by Chris Cooper, has a really interesting component," Webb told us.
5.
Gwen & Peter Part!
Sure, they graduate together. But, in the footage we saw, Gwen and Peter have agreed to separate and it's been a year before they see each other again. See... Peter's promise to Captain Stacy from the first movie is weighing heavily on him.
6.
We See What Electro Sees
Webb utilizes movie technology impeccably and further proof of that is how he shows us what Electro sees. The world, to him, is one big electric grid. It is visually arresting.
7.
Times Square Action Sequence Sizzles
Webb has outdone himself and crafted one incredible action sequence that takes place in Times Square and features the first true encounter between Electro and Spider-Man. It. Is. Explosive.
8.
Harry Breaks Out Electro
Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn has issues, there is no question. Since he will become a Spider-Man villain in Green Goblin, he knows he has an ally in Electro. So, he breaks him out of capture and the two head out to "catch themselves a spider."
9.
What is Roosevelt?
Richard Parker uploads something called the Roosevelt files. They get further explained in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Their contents are worth killing for.
10.
Spider-Man Meets Max Dillon
Max Dillon becomes Electro, but before that happens, Spider-Man saves his life. So... what happened that these two would become arch enemies?!
11.
Lizard Question Answered
At the end of The Amazing Spider-Man, the Lizard was talking to someone. We find out who that is!
X-Men: Days of Future Past has released a series of character posters that are truly pieces of art and remind us why we adore movie posters in the first place.
Leading off we present the best of the bunch, one we like to call "The Two Magnetos." It features both Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender.
Now, in the X-Men: Days of Future Past trailer, we did not see too much of those two together. But, these posters have us thinking that those two characters work together quite a bit.
Click through and enjoy these gorgeous X-Men: Days of Future Past posters, and to get ready for the film's May 23 release, we suggest two films from the series: Watch X-Men online and watch X-Men: First Class online.
