The Avengers

Legions of super hero fans have anticipated this mother of all comic book movies for half a decade as Marvel has shamelessly teased it since Iron Man in 2008. In fact, the abrupt teaser at the end of Captain America actually ruined that film for me, but I’m pleased to say that the super duper hype was actually worth it.

Before seeing the film, I feared that this mash up of marvels would be a circus similar to what happened with Iron Man 2 and the mid ‘90s Batman movies — too many characters and too many stories. But the opposite happened. What makes this film so absorbing is the interaction of the multiple characters.

Which is true to what made Marvel’s The Avengers such a revolutionary ‘60s comic book in the first place- the collection of egotistical, complicated heroes created a dynamic situation. Power struggles vs. power team dynamics. Super egos vs super friends. Here we get all that and Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. 

When these troubled freaks interact and unleash on each other, it’s a smash. Hulk – smash!

Simply put:  Marvelous. Zippy banter.  Spectacular effects. And the best Bruce Banner yet. Sure to please die hards — and casual movie fans too.

Award potential:  Unlikely. Judged against other super hero films it’s in the elite club with the first and last Batman movies, ‘70s Superman,‘90s Spiderman, 2000's Iron Man, and 2010's XMen:First Class.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.

Summer Movie List

2012 Summer Movies - By Opening Weekend

May 4

The Avengers

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith)

May 11

Dark Shadows (Johnny Depp)

The Dictator (Sacha Baron Cohen)

May 18

Battleship

What To Expect When You’re Expecting (Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Chris Rock)

May 25

Men In Black 3 (Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones)

Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson film with Bruce Willis, Ed Norton)

June 1

Snow White and the Huntsman (Charlize Theron)

Piranha 3D

June 8

Promethus (Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender)

Madagascar 3

June 15

Rock of Ages (Tom Cruise)

That’s My Boy (Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg)

The Woman in the Fifth (Kristin Scott Thomas)

June 22

To Rome With Love (Woody Allen film with Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz)

Brave (Animated w/ voice of Emma Thompson)

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

Seeking A Friend For The End of The World (Keira Knightley, Adam Brody)

June 29

Ted (Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, Mila Kunis)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis)

Magic Mike (Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey)

July 3

The Amazing Spider-Man

July 6

Savages (Oliver Stone film with Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, John Travolta)

Katy Perry: Part of Me 3-D

The Queen of Versailles (doc)

The Magic of Belle Isle (Morgan Freeeman)

July  13

Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D

July 20

The Dark Knight Rises

July 27

Step Up Revolution

Neighborhood Watch (Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill)

Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor (Kim Kardashian)

August 3

The Bourne Legacy (Jeremy Renner)

Total Recall (Colin Farrell)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

August 10

The Campaign (Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis)

Hope Springs (Meryl Streep, Steve Carell)

Wednesday, August 15

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (Disney)

August 17

Expendables 2 (Arnold, Stalone, Bruce Willis)

Sparkle (Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks)

ParaNorman (Animated)

August 24

Premium Rush (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

Hit and Run/Outrun (Bradley Cooper, Kristen Bell)

August 31

7500

Lawless (Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce)

The Magic of Belle Isle

Morgan Freeman is grandfatherly curmudgeon Monte Wildhorn, a Western novelist who has more passion for drinking than writing these days.  Rob Reiner’s The Magic of Belle Isle opens as Monte moves into a bungalow for the summer, adjacent to a single mother (Virginia Madsen) and her three kids.

Does the family inspire ornery, wheelchair bound Monte to write again? Does he develop a romance with the young lady next door? You won’t find many surprises in this family-friendly film, just some sweet moments between Morgan and a young girl who wants to learn how to “imagine”.

And be warned, the creators lazily utilize Freemans fabulous voice to narrate the story, including many of the scenes he’s actually on screen for. 

The Magic of Belle Isle opens July 6, 2012

Simply put:  This is a movie about imagination, created with anything but.

Award potential:  Freeman’s voice alone deserves an award, but not for this.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks. Fine as a simple family rental, nothing more.

The Queen of Versailles

The Lauren Greenfield-directed documentary tells the story of top 1-percent-ers David and Jackie Siegel, who began building the largest home in America (the 90,000 square foot Orlando mansion modeled after Versailles) before the housing crash put their fortune in jeopardy. Greenfield spent three years with the unfiltered couple and their family. And a lot happened in that short span.

The film offers not only a peek at the time-share industry mogul and his company, but also a rare look at fragile moments of the extremely wealthy. Most of the film is played for laughs, but it’s the heartfelt moments from the extended family that take this documentary beyond the likes of television reality shows about the rich and distracted. 

This is a larger-than-life family in monstrous denial so their unique brand of humility won’t leave you sympathetic, but you’ll be surprised how much you care about the outcome of their situation. Which leads to my only complaint; finished in 2011, this film seems like it’s missing a final act.

Simply put:  Expertly plays more like a fascinating character study film and unscripted comedy than a reality show.

Award potential:  As a comedy it’s too slight to get a nod for Oscar Best Documentary. Greenfield took best documentary director at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for this film. 

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks. Probably worth your hard-earned ten bucks just to hear what the Hertz rental car salesman has to say to Jackie.

Darling Companion

A lost dog forces a stellar ensemble of couples (Diane Keaton & Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest and Richard Jenkins) to spend days hiking around the Rockies to look for a lost dog — and sort through their relationships.

But the film is every bit as lost.

If the dialogue had been more sharp than soggy, perhaps the lost dog premise might have worked as a catalyst to explore marital tensions. Unfortunately, the script is soft and Lawrence Kasdan’s (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Body Heat, Big Chill, Accidental Tourist) first film in 9 years is... a dog.  

Darling Companion opens in Dallas May 2012.

Simply put:  Lost dog, lost film

Award potential:  No awards.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks. Rent Enchanted April or Kasdan’s Grand Canyon instead.

Heleno

Heleno de Freitas (portrayed by Rodrigo Santoro) was a soccer icon in Rio de Janeiro during the 1940s, before his playboy lifestyle, temper and hubris led to a lonely end. Pele became the star that Heleno could have been.

Sounds like a great setup for a sports biography, or the soccer-version of Raging Bull, but if you want info about Heleno’s fabled soccer career, you’ll have to visit Wikipedia. If you just want to see his self-destruction, you’re in luck.

The sometimes-gorgeous black and white film starts with Heleno’s later years and flashes back and forward and back again with musings on his love triangles and temper tantrums.

There is something powerful in this film about the story of a man whose life was ruined by his passion for a World Cup title that would never be his (WWII caused the cancellation of the 1942 and 1946 World Cups during his prime) — but I never really cared enough about the title character. The creators would have been wiser to introduce us to the soccer star before his downfall so we’d be more invested in the outcome.

Simply put:  Heleno de Freitas never attained the glory he sought, nor does the film about him.

Award potential:  The buzz on this film could translate to Best Foreign Film, but I wouldn’t count on it.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks.

Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz is a beloved book that spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold over 1.5 million copies.

It’s one man’s story about the complexities of living out your faith. For our character Don (and likely to many viewers), the college years ignite opportunities to re-examine both faith and purpose.

But taking this earnest story to cinema resulted in an indie movie with a lot of heart and a lot of missteps: stereotypes, hit-you-over-the-head storytelling, uneven acting and even some awkward creative choices utilizing  —  I’m not kidding — digital cartoon animals.

Traditional Hollywood hasn’t been graceful to faith-based stories. Unfortunately, neither is this.

Simply put:  I wasn’t jazzed how this personal story comes across on screen but it might lead to some strong discussions — or lead viewers to the book.

Award potential:  None.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks and two hours. Grab the book instead.