It's been just over a week. In the summer Americans have been conditioned to do things. Hollywood has made big money on midnight openings. The Dark Knight Rises was expected to make massive amounts of money. I don't think anyone ever thought it would be associated with this kind of tragedy. Let's forget about all of the bad parenting arguments about kids even being there. I have certainly been a part of a few of them. Let's forget about the stupid lawsuits from people trying to make a buck. Let's remember the heroes. I read People magazine's articles about a few of them. Comic book worthy in a very real world.

  People will ask why for years to come. Was he bullied once or twice? Was he ignored at home? Why didn't the theatre do more? All legit questions, but asked at the wrong time. Tragedy is usually never been prevented because it's always easier to see what should've been done after the fact. It's not fair, but it sure seems to be reality. I think all of this is part of a bigger problem. One that I certainly don't know how to solve. Let's start with a 24 year old killer of men, women, and children.

 James Holmes was not in a gang. He was not a career criminal. He was an honor student. People seem to be saying he is getting different treatment for being white. I am not going to debate stereotypes or play the race card. It doesn't matter. I have a problem with this whole potential insanity thing...

“He claims he doesn’t know why he’s in jail,” the worker said Thursday. “He asked, ‘Why am I here?’”

Holmes, 24, who is charged with shooting a dozen people to death and wounding 58 more at a screening of the new Batman movie, was also complaining of a stomach ache caused by lousy jail food after his sixth day at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, the worker said.

“He’s claiming his belly hurts him,” the worker said. “He complained once that he didn’t like the food . . . The guy killed 12 people, and he’s upset that he’s not getting a four-star meal?”

He sat quietly in court as more than 100 counts were charged to him. I don't like the insanity plea for things like this. I know the definition of insanity and don't need it quoted back to me, but it should not be allowed. James Holmes knew exactly what he was doing. He planned it out. I don't buy this memory loss b.s. either.
So why did he do it? What is to blame? I don't know, but I will say it's not a movie, a video game, comic books, or a song.

 I've always believed that if someone has a screw loose they will snap anyway. It's not a movie. Millions of others saw the same movie and didn't go and shoot up a theatre. I think the problem is a couple of things.
In some cases we have become to nice. Growing up in the 80's was special. We could be parented by more than just our parents. We weren't handed everything. We didn't have video phones and You Tube.

 I'm not blaming any of those, but it has given people a vehicle to be heard and sometimes for the wrong reasons. Parents allow kids to have cell phones at age 8 or younger. Kids are allowed to dwell in their rooms online and doing whatever. There will be parents that will scream right now, "i know what my kids watch and who they talk to." I am here to tell you....NO YOU DON'T. You might think you do, but you don't. We have access to things that our parents don't know about. I was smoking pot and buying drugs at 13 and I guarantee that my parents didn't have a clue. It is so much worse now.

 Any kid with a computer can post a video. We are able to get attention for the wrong reasons and maybe this was his motive. He will now be famous. He will now be remembered. Things happen and they go viral.
We live in a world that craves attention. It's scary where that will lead.

 The suspect remains under 23-hour lock down, leaving his cell just once a day. Authorities fear that other inmates could target Holmes and have him wear a bulletproof vest during his daily walk.

The jail worker said most folks inside the county lockup consider Holmes’ memory loss a ruse.
“He needs to save his act for the jury because no one here is buying it,” the worker said. “Everyone is convinced he is faking it.” Published reports indicated that Holmes mailed a notebook filled with gruesome sketches and details of his plans for the attack in the crowded theater. The notebook was in a package sent to a professor at the University of Colorado, where Holmes was a Ph.D. candidate until dropping out of school just prior to the killings. The FBI snapped up the evidence after school officials notified them that the package was at the university

 I cannot imagine trying to defend this guy, but the insanity plea should not be allowed. I am afraid of what comes next. A couple of films are being re-cut or pulled from released. This is the wrong course of action. When we were young we played violent video games, we beat each other with sticks, and listened to violent rap music. The majority doesn't go and do these horrible things. A world of censorship isn't the answer, but I think we need something. This kind of thing will happen again. It seems that it always does.

 I feel for the victims. I am impressed by the heroes of that day. I think we should all learn to be more careful. We have so many things in this country that need fixing. I am disgusted that this tragedy has been turned into an excuse to argue fire arm rights. I hate that anyone can sue anyone at anytime. I think most of all I that these things continue to happen. We seem to take pride in our education, but it often feels like we don't learn a thing

Does the Dark Knight Rise?

     Comic book movies are everywhere. In the past few years they have become franchises and made billions, but they all seem to have a common curse. The plague of the third movie. Let's be honest. Blade Trinity, Xmen Last Stand, and Spider-Man 3 were all pretty much garbage. Now it's Bat-Man's turn. The Dark Knight was considered by most to be epic. Chris Nolan won everyone over with his realistic take on the legend of Bruce Wayne. There is ridiculous hype, questionable casting, and lot's of expectations. Can the movie live up?


  Eight years have passed since Bat-Man defeated the joker and assumed blame for Harvey Dent's crimes. Gotham is peaceful and Commissioner Gordon, again played brilliantly by Gary Oldman, is burdened. He is having a hard time with the decisions they made at the end of the second film. Bruce is a recluse and for some reason a plan is hatched by the mysterious Bane. Selena Kyle enters Gotham to rob from the rich and steals Bruce Wayne's finger prints. Wayne Industries is losing money. They have built a source of clean energy , but Bruce will not use it. Miranda Tate arrives as a questionable benefactor and Lucious Fox can only do so much.  Bane begins to return crime to Gotham and Bruce must don the cape and cowl to combat the very deadly Bane. He is given new allies in the form of John Blake, an honest cop, and possibly Selena Kyle if he can trust her. The bigger problem is when Bruce learns of Bane's ties with the League of Shadows. The evil entity from the first Nolan film.

  Nolan takes a lot of liberties with the Batman mythology. Pulling from several different comic stories for what is billed as an epic finale. It is a good story. It's a bit long and some of the characters are a bit too altered for my taste, but not so much as that I didn't enjoy them. Let's talk about the characters and the casting.

  Nolan took the most liberties with Bane. He is smaller. There is no wrestling mask. There were complaints with the voice and his signature "venom," is not around. Tom Hardy was brilliant. He did a great job with just his eyes and sometimes muffled voice. Nolan made the character pure evil and it was at last a villain that you were truly frightened of. The Joker was indeed chaos and Bane in Nolan's world is just plain evil. The origin was changed, but it worked well. Bane in my opinion does not disappoint.

 Marion Colliard was cast as Miranda Tate, but in reality is Talia Al Gul. The daughter a Ras and was played very well. It's hinted at several times before her reveal, but Nolan again does it very well. I wanted for her to refer to him as "Detective" so many times, but it doesn't happen. I like the way she emotionally plays Talia, but she was not as physically opposing as the character is. Talia is deadly and in this film she falls short of that.

 It is nice to see Liam return in flashback/ hallucination. I always liked his casting as Ras.

 The most controversial casting was Anne Hathaway as Catwoman/Selena Kyle. The suit was scrutinized and so was the mask and her storyline. Anne was incredible. Nolan did and excellent job of bringing Catwoman to life. She was very different from the Tim Burton version, but believable as a butt kicker and thief. I liked seeing her on screen and she might be the closest version to the current comic that we have seen yet. The debate of who is the best Catwoman is one that will rage for quite a while. I won't say she's the best, but she does do well.

 So what worked? I liked John Blake and there are hints of him possibly assuming the mantle or becoming the sidekick. I would prefer you just make JGL Dick Grayson and call it done. He was essentially Robin minus a costume. He was a bit of a Robin hybrid. Traits of all three of the most popular versions of Batman's sidekick. Michael Keaton was good, but I am not sure anyone will ever play Batman as good as Bale. He is so good a balancing both sides of the character.

 He begins injured which I will assume is a result of the fall at the end of the last film. I loved the way he overcomes the injury and he has great chemistry with Hathaway. The cameo by Cillian Murphy was great and the ties with the first film were weaved in very well. The first battle with Bane is filled with emotion and Nolan does it extremely well.

 It does have it's problems. I feel like there should have been a Joker reference, but I won't condemn the film for passing on it. The "conquered city," thing went a bit long and so did the prison sequence. I liked them as plot, but it felt like it could've been shortened. I wasn't happy with Bruce Wayne losing his money and company. He proved to be a smart business man in the first film and Lucious Fox would never let Wayne Ent become a profit losing company. He would have hidden some away and seen any hostile takeover coming.

 I wasn't a fan of Batman in the open fighting in daylight either. I know he needed an army of cops, but seeing him in the open gave me horrible classic tv show flashbacks.

 My biggest flaw is the ending. Hints are made, but what the audience is left with is completely opposite the character of Bruce Wayne. He is a guy driven by his need to seek justice and has condemned himself to pay the ultimate price for as long as he had to. He simply wouldn't walk away for anyone or anything. It's not who Batman is. I feel like Nolan just wanted to end it so he didn't have to make another one.

 The film is good. The action is stepped up a notch. It is by far the best third chapter comic book movie yet, but in my opinion it doesn't rise above The Dark Knight.

Spider-Man...Amazing or not worth getting caught in the web?

 
Comic book movies have been summer movie staples for the past few years. The last time we saw Spider-Man on the big screen, a bad taste was left in the mouths of fans everywhere. I for one was hoping that Sam and Tobey would reunite if for no other reason than to apologize for Spider-Man 3.

Sony had other plans. The franchise would be rebooted with an entirely new cast. We know all of this, but the question becomes does it work?



The rumor mill was flooded with stories. The direction would be that of the first Hulk. Peter would be genetically altered and that is why the spider bite changes him. Bad idea. Let me say that was merely a rumor. Thank God. The story we got was something different than the one we were familiar with. I was ok with Andrew Garfield, but we will come back to him later.



Marc Webb spins a different, but somewhat satisfying web. Peter Parker is surrendered to his Aunt and Uncle when his parents mysteriously flee. He grows up and awkward science nerd with daddy issues. In Webb’s tale he is infatuated with Gwen Stacy. A slightly more popular science nerd. Mary Jane Watson is nowhere to be found and this portion is much more true to the comic. Peter is bullied by Flash Thompson and is the star of the basketball team. I would have preferred football, but that is just me. Pete has a good heart, but isn't strong enough to stand up to Flash. When he finds his father’s missing research, he becomes involved with Oscorp and Dr. Curt Connors, who in this story was Pete's dad’s research partner. Gwen and Pete grow closer and Pete's obsession with his father's research grows as well. Genetically altered spiders play a part and of course Peter is bitten. We know this and it is done slightly different than both the comic and previous movies. The result is the same.



Pete develops the typical spider powers and learns to use them. I have problems with some of the way he does this. I am not a fan of using the powers in public. People are not that stupid. The scene on the basketball court is cute, but the minute you see Spidey on the news, you could probably figure out he was the kid from your gym class.

 Webb also returns to the comic roots by bringing back web shooters. I liked the explanation of where the fluid comes from and Peter's ability to build them. I was ok with the organic webs from the previous films, but I was a fan of the way they played out in this version. The ode to the wrestling ring is a nice touch and the way he builds to the suit works. Let's talk about the suit.

 
When I first saw it, I really wasn't sure. On screen it looks fantastic. It works really well and looks better than the classic suit that Tobey wore. I was never a fan of the bubble webs on the Raimi suit and this one is much cleaner. I give Webb and his crew mad props on the costume.



Peter learns more about Dr. Connors who has a break through, but it ultimately goes wrong leading to him becoming the Lizard. Spider-Man in the meantime is out playing vigilante after his Uncle is killed. If I had one major flaw with this film it was Uncle Ben. Martin Sheen does ok, but the story doesn't do the character justice. He is a moral anchor for Spider-Man, but it felt like his death was glazed over. It happened and Peter was out looking for revenge. I had a problem with this lack of emotion. Uncle Ben's death is pivotal in Pete becoming the character we love and I don't feel it was done justice in this film.



Pete looking for Ben's killer leads to the police hunting Spidey. Connors in the meantime is rampaging through the city as a giant lizard. He decides that he can make a better race and it becomes Spider-Man's mission to stop him. It's a simple story, but does it work?

 

Rhys Ifans was phenomenal. Webb lifted the Dr. Connors story almost exactly from the comic. A brilliant scientist who is full of morals, but accidently corrupts himself while trying to fix his own deformity. There is a back story that gets hinted at, but not followed through with and I'm ok with it. We are never formally introduced to Norman Osborn, but Oscorp plays a pivotal role in this story. The Lizard looks amazing on screen and the fight scenes are really good. I was a bit disappointed that we never meet Connor's family as they were big parts of the comic, but I can live with it.

 

I loved Dennis Leary as Capt. Stacy. He brings the usual sarcasm mixed with a sense of honor and duty. He is believable as the veteran police Captain and credible as the over protective father. It was great to see C. Thomas Howell in a decent cameo. Stay gold Pony Boy. I was a little disappointed with Sally Field as Aunt May. She never really looked the part for me. I kept waiting for her to tell Pete that "Life was like a box of chocolates."

 

Emma Stone is perfect as Gwen Stacy. She is the right amount of sexy with tough. She comes across as smart and good natured. The chemistry with her and Garfield works very well. It is every bit as solid as Tobey and Kirsten. I wanted to see their story continue and I am excited to see Emma take Gwen to her characters eventual close. Andrew Garfield does well as Spidey. I like the fact that he is so skinny. Spidey was never big and Garfield looks great when he is on screen in the suit. The wise cracks were there and he does a good job of bringing a modern Peter Parker to life, but there is still something missing. In fact it was missing from the entire movie.



The 3D is breath taking. The CGI looks awesome. The story is good and leaves you wanting more. The problem with Webb's Spider-Man was heart. The lack of it. This film fails to capture the emotion that Raimi and cast did so well. It goes back to what I said about Uncle Ben's death. You never really felt the emotion. You never really connect with this Peter on an emotional level. Emotion was always one of the keys to what made Spidey great and it is lacking in this movie. The visual is great and people will probably love it. Watching Spider-Man swing through New York is a lot of fun and I recommend I-Max 3D. If the story starts over from here, I can live with it. It is a decent take on a much loved character. The first hour drags a bit, but all in all better than many probably expected. I won't call it "amazing," but it was worth taking the spin.

Ted ...not just a kid's toy

 You could call it the first adult comedy of the summer. You could be shocked that Mark Wahlberg is doing this kind of movie. You could say that it it's completely ridiculous. On all counts, you would be right, but there is something about Ted that is a nice change of pace. We are in the middle of a summer that has boasted epic failures, huge successes and nothing like the Hangover for us to laugh at. Seth Mcfarlane is changing that.

 Ted is rude, crude, and you might even have fun with it. A boy who has no friends wishes his teddy bear could be alive and the wish is granted. We are introduced to a world that is accepting of a real life stuffed animal. Ted even becomes a celebrity for a while. The bear starts out cute and lovable , but quickly becomes a booze drinking, pot smoking, and foul mouthed roommate of Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg plays a 35 year old car rental salesman who has pretty much been wasting his life. The one thing he does have is a very hot and successful girlfriend played by Mila Kunis. Her boss has a thing for her, but she loves Wahlberg and the problems begin when Ted comes between their relationship with his antics.



 The movie is full of crude humor, but it is entertaining. Seth is not afraid to poke fun at Family Guy and even though he's showing his age, Wahlberg plays a good stoner. The best part of Ted is the supporting cast. Joel Mchale does great as the self centered boss, but small appearances make the movie. Giovani Ribisi is the perfect creaper and the cameos are fantastic.  Nora Jones and Ryan Reynolds show up and work great, but it is Sam J Jones from the cult favorite Flash Gordon that makes the movie.

 It's not the Hangover, but it is a good adult comedy. It's not or kids, but if you allow yourself to laugh at how silly this movie really is, you might just like it. I know I did.

  Ridley Scott finally unleashes the prequel to Alien or does he? We meet a couple of scientists who think they have discovered the origin of the human race. They get on a big ship funded by the Weyland Corporation. If that name sounds familiar, it should. It is the constant in all of the alien movies. The ship journeys two years into deep space lands on a planet in the middle of no where. The crew consists of mostly tech and science people. Charlize Theron is the corporate liaison and Michael Fassbender is the android. Those are also staples in the Alien films. Sounds like we've got ourselves a prequel, right?

 The crew searches through what they believe to be a pyramid and find clues of an alien race. Things go wrong and they discover a horror that could be our end rather than our beginning. In typical fashion people begin dying and the fate of earth is in question.

What works? There are alot of familiar images. The Geiger-Esq art, creatures that gestate inside a human host, and Michael Fassbender. I enjoyed his performance as the android David. You never know exactly what his motives are, but the same thing I loved also annoyed me. There is a rather intense "medical" scene that was kind of cool and might even make you cringe a bit. Guy Pierce done up as elderly man was also a cool visual.

So what lacks? Quite a bit. You never really know Fassbender's motives. He can watch some one's dreams, but it's never explained why or how? Charlize Theron is completely wasted. You could've put anyone in her role and it wouldn't have made a difference. The creatures were lacking. The best part of the previous alien movies were the aliens. They were terrifying. These might be the birth of those creatures, but they lack a lot of aggression. Prometheus lacks suspense. There are a couple of moments, but the film really lacks the "edge of your seat," suspense that you might expect. My biggest problem with this movie is the fact that it's boring.

 If there were no previous movies, I don't believe this is a solid enough movie to stand alone. The film exists in the same univers, but never says it's a prequel. The story is sub par and the so are the special effects. In a summer where The Avengers and Men In Black entertained, Prometheus feels like it belongs on cable.

Snow White and The 2 Hours I can't get back !

  The title of this blog might be harsh, but the high hopes for this movie that I had were really let down. If you go by the track record, Snow White is something best left to Disney. Earlier this year audiences were disappointed by Mirror Mirror and Snow returns to grace the big screen again. The summer movie season always brings high expectations and Snow White has some potential, but just doesn't play.


 The story is twisted around and Snow is imprisoned by an evil queen and escapes to reclaim her fathers kingdom. A huntsman is hired after she ventures into the forest and though charged with bringing her in, becomes her protector. She meets Dwarfs, 8 of them, and a rebel army. They all join forces to over throw Queen Ravenna the most evil woman in the land. Sounds like an OK story, but the problem begins with the cast.

 The film does incorporate several favorites from the Snow that most of us grew up on. Her with the various animals, the apple, dwarfs, and of course the mirror and prince. Kind of. The altered story isn't bad, but it feels longer than it actually is. Rupert Sanders does an OK job of giving this film and epic scale with beautiful shots of the land, but I think they are wasted on a story without heart. I am sorry, but Kristen Stewart is a horrible actress. She is Bella Swan in a Snow White dress. I would've loved to have seen an actress with more depth take on Snow. My choice would've been Nina Dobrev from The Vampire Diaries , but that didn't happen. Stewart is too awkward for Snow and her lack of depth really shows during her speech to rally the troops.

 While Stewart might fail, Theron shines. I liked her as The Evil Queen and it's a shame that a good villain is wasted on a sub par movie. She does a great job of giving the queen heart and making you dislike her at the same time. The big problem is only little girls will fear her and that makes it tough for an adult Snow White.
I would have liked to see her with a better supporting cast of minions. She is good when she shares the screen with Hemsworth, but she carries Stewart and it shows. The huntsman is an OK character. They try to get into the back story and develop him, but I feel like this character has been done before and done better. Helmsworth need not worry for he hath another Thor on the horizon and seems to have already owned the summer as an Avenger.

 Let's talk about the Dwarfs. All eight of them join the cause. Yes there are eight most likely due to a little Disney conflict. Some will say that they are the best part of the movie, but I will disagree. Bob Hoskins, Ray Winestone, and Ian McShane are easily recognizable and do well with what they are given. They cannot use the name "Doc," but Hoskins wheres the "bird like " mask of a medieval doctor. I spent more time trying to figure out who each dwarf was supposed to be based on their Disney counterpart than I did enjoying their screen time.

 This movie had a lot of the right ideas, but they were not executed correctly. You are stuck being torn between the Prince, who isn't a prince and the Huntsman. They changed a classic story and I am OK with that, but this movie drags on. Snow is fresh out of a 13 year prison sentence, but can grab a sword, put on some armor, and lead an army. It just doesn't play. I feel for any fantasy movie. Peter Jackson set the bar too high with Lord Of The Rings and like Conan, Narnia, and so many others, Snow White and The Huntsman fails to reach the bar. Bad casting and a story that fails to deliver. If you are dying for a movie fix this weekend, see The Avengers again. You won't be disappointed. Snow White fans will always have the original or ABC'S Once Upon A Time.

Battleship: It could've been worse!

 
 Some of the early reviews are pretty harsh on this wanna be epic adventure, but I gotta tell you I've seen much worse. G.I. Joe, Aliens VS Predator, Skyline, and the list goes on and on. Peter Berg has made a few good movies. Most of us enjoyed Hancock and this is another trip into the Sci-Fi action genre. The bar is set higher given this is billed as a summer blockbuster so the question becomes, does it deliver ?

 Berg assembles his cast led by Liam Neeson and Taylor Kitsch. Skarsgarrd is a fan favorite and is believable as a by the book Navy Captain. The action is good and special effects are well done. It is an OK story given the premise was based on a game from the eighties or even earlier. In the present day we have discovered away to send messages to planets we believe to be similar to ours. It is this that causes an alien race to land on earth. Enter Hopper a screw up who, after a comical attempt to impress Brooklyn Decker, is forced by his brother (Skarsgarrd) to join the Navy. He becomes a uniformed screw up and is in a relationship with Dekker who is the daughter of a Naval Admiral (Neeson). War games go badly when the aliens attack and Kitsch and his crew become our only line of defense. The alien race has surrounded the Hawaiian Islands with an impenetrable shield. A lone Naval Destroyer is on the inside and Kitsch is its unlikely commander.

 The alien race I found to be cool. Some would say the aliens look like soldiers out of Halo, but I liked the concept. The look of them without armor fits well with the little back story we get on them. I wanted more about them. Where are they from. How did their tech work? Why all the destruction?
Their ships and weapons were cool. The battle scenes were very well done and I give Berg credit for the way they implement the board game into the film. Involving the Missouri is a very nice touch and the way the find the alien weakness is allright.

 I liked a lot of things about this film, but the parts that didn't work for me were big. The cast being the biggest. Dekker is great eye candy, but little else. Rihanna is useless. She is a far better singer than actress. She could've been replaced by any no name actress and it would be the same or better. She is more distraction than added value. Many will disagree, but I am still not convinced the Kitsch is leading man. He was not a strong lead in John Carter and he is average here. Liam Neeson is good, but he doesn't get enough screen time and the same can be said for some of the other cast.

 Battleship wants to be epic so very badly, but it just misses the mark. It isn't a Transformers rip off and it comes with a decent story, but in the end it's not a great summer movie. I didn't want to leave the theatre, but I wasn't cheering out loud like I did when the Avengers assembled.
The movie doesn't sink, but it certainly doesn't hit it out of the park either.