Film Review - Captain America: The First Avenger

 So far, so good for The Avengers this summer. Thor’s a pretty cool guy and now it’s Captain America to show off what he’s got. Sure, he comes with the superhero standards – buff body, noble intentions and a sleek costume – but other than that, he’s nothing more than a poster boy for Marvel movies. Steve Rogers makes for a better propaganda symbol than superhero.

Chris Evans is Steve Rogers, a Brooklyn native desperate to serve his country. Sadly, his intense determination isn’t enough to make up for his slight stature and asthma, amongst other physical deficits, and his enlistment application is stamped with a big red F, time and time again. It isn’t until Steve crosses paths with Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) that he finally gets the chance to prove himself, well, an enhanced version of himself. Erskine straps Steve to some high tech contraption, pumps him full of glowing blue fluid and so Captain America is born.

Meanwhile, Hitler is building the ultimate weapon for himself, or so he thinks. The Nazi regime funnels resources into their deep science division, Hydra, in hopes that the unit’s leader, Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), will deliver a power the Allies cannot defeat. Problem is, Schmidt is obsessed with some sort of otherworldly power, a power his cohorts don’t believe in. When Hitler attempts to shut Hydra down, Schmidt, or Red Skull, is ready to take the reigns and conquer the world for himself. The only one who can stop him? Guess who.

Sure, Steve Rogers is a noble character and his dream of joining the army is endearing, but the entire first act of the film is tainted by poor CGI. Little Steve looks more like a character out of a Tim Burton animation than he does a legitimate smaller version of Evans. In fact, the character would fit perfectly in Tarik Saleh’s Metropia. The only time the pre-Captain America Steve looks legitimate is when his back is to the camera and that’s because that’s the only time he’s 100% a real person.

Things get much better once Steve emerges from the Erskine pod. A mix-up lands Steve in an army propaganda play rather than on the battlefield and that’s where the power of the cheesy time-lapse montage kicks in. We follow Steve from show to show as he gets into the gig and builds an audience. However, when he takes his act overseas and performs for the soldiers, he’s stopped dead in his tracks, as is the film. The switch is so abrupt between goofy wannabe soldier and man on the front lines that it’s hard to digest. Sure, Steve is far more muscular and has super strength, but what does this guy know about infiltrating a heavily armed compound? And who taught him how to parachute out of a plane in the midst of an airborne firefight?

Of course, any superhero film comes with some believability issues, but that’s the challenge, to overcome them and Captain America just doesn’t pull it off. Much of the blame belongs to some terrible effect work, in terms of little Steve and beyond. It’s so glaringly obvious when practical stunt work is used as opposed to CGI, it’s distracting and takes you out of the film.

In terms of the performances, they’re one note almost across the board. The only person that’s the slightest bit engaging and alive is Toby Jones as Red Skull’s right hand man, Dr. Arnim Zola. He’s a bit of an enigma and the fact that you can practically see the wheels turning in his head makes you desperate to get inside it. Otherwise, Captain America offers up a bunch of straight shooters. Evans is the noble hero, Weaving the dubious villain, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, the loyal sidekick and Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter, the Captain’s crush. They’re playing superhero movie stereotypes and make no effort to take them further.

However, again, this is a superhero movie we’re talking about and that also inherently has the power to be somewhat entertaining when working with the basics. There are some visually stimulating action sequences, cool costumes and poignant hero-saves-the-day moments, but otherwise, Captain America has little to nothing to offer. Then again, there is that teaser for The Avengers after the credits.

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough

Film Review: Transformers 3: Dark Of The Moon

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Never thought I'd find myself sticking up for the ungracious Megan Fox who appeared in the first two Transformer pictures, but she's a helluva better actress than the comely Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who comes to this movie direct from a Victoria's Secret runway.

OK, that's not saying much as Fox isn't a great thespian, but she can utter lines better than Huntington-Whiteley does in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third in director Michael Bay's series of sci-fi epics featuring the heroic Autobots and the nasty Decepticons.

For those of you who have been living on a planet far, far away, you should know that Fox was dismissed from Dark of the Moon before shooting began for dissing Bay in a magazine interview.

Huntington-Whiteley plays Carly Miller who works for some Washington government organisation.

She hooks up with the movie's human hero Sam Witwicky ,played ,for the third time by Shia LaBeouf.

Huntington-Whiteley shows up in a figure-hugging, tighty-whitey dress but she's all window dressing and doesn't exactly excel at delivering her banal lines. Poor Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. She may be beautiful but she can't act for toffee.

As one wag joked after the screening I attended in London, 'Rosie makes Megan's acting look as good as Kate Winslet's'.

Well, that might be stretching it a bit, and bringing Kate Winslet into it is a bit of an insult, but I knew what he meant.

And ,it could be said that this kind of automated, 3D extravaganza doesn't require actors with great thespian skills, although Oscar winner Frances McDormand playing head of the national intelligence agency is class personified.

It's the action between the good guys, sorry, robots, led by Optimus Prime and the Deceptiicons that counts and Bay doesn't disappoint.

There are some fabulous action sequences and epic battles that take your breath away.

It's technically sublime, but if does go on a bit. After two and a half hours I did feel as If I was suffering from metal fatigue.

However, Bay sets the story up well with a prologue set in the early 60s, when Kennedy was in the White House, and the movie suggests that the space race between The USA and Russia was kicked off when each nation detected an unknown vessel had crashed on the dark side of the moon.

By the way, this is the second summer blockbuster that begins in the Sixties .Remember , Matthew Vaughn's briliant X Men:First Class. That , too, was set against a backdrop of the 60s.

Anyway, the American moon astronauts had a secret mission, they had the task of finding out what had crash-landed there.

Decades later, with President Obama in office (we get to see Nixon in the White House, too) the 'package' from the moon turns out to be more than bad news.

Could this be the end of the Earth as we know it? Not if Optimus and his transformers can help it.

There's plenty of deception and betrayal to add to the mix and a pretty scary giant metal worm creature that causes a lotta havoc.

These Transformer movies are nonsense, of course, but they allow Bay and his team to push the envelope as far as movie technology is concerned and at least you feel get a sense of the shock and awe of giant hulking metal creatures clashing.

After a while though your brain yearns for signs of intelligent life in the universe. You know, creatures who can, perhaps, hold a sensible conversations instead of merely booming in a baritone voice about the end of this and the end of that.

That said, I enjoyed the odd flashes of wit ,like a scene showing a bit of Star Trek featuring Spock

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and, as every Transformer fanboy knows, Leonard Nimoy provides the voice of Sentinel Prime.

And Bay has a couple of mini Autobots deliver a withering smackdown of Fox's character Mikaela Banes.

It's an amusing moment, to be sure, but a bit below the belt.

Bay didn't need to make such an obvious dig about Fox,especially as she's not in the movie and doesn't have a right of reply.

 Watch Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Unseen Hot Videos 

International Hollywood Box Office Results

International Box Office: ‘Fast Five’ sets Universal record with US$86.6M

Universal Studios Fast Five roared to the Top of the foreign theatrical circuit’s box office chart on the weekend, grossing US$86.6M from 6,979 locations; for a per-screen average of more than US$12,000 in 58 overseas territories.

Opening in 44 new markets and almost doubling its $45.9 million gross from the pastr week, Fast Five’s take was described by Universal as the biggest International weekend in the Company’s history, besting the previous weekend record, US$84.3M grossed by Y 2005’s King Kong update.

Fast Five, has been playing overseas for three weeks no, and has taken US$184.8M offshore, lifting its Worldwide total to date to US$324.7M.

The film’s Mexico opening, US$8.6M from 500 spots, was a market record for a Universal title. In Brazil, Fast Five was # 1 with US$5M from 310 locations.

Market opening records for Universal were also set in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Uruguay. Fast Five is also # 1 in Italy, US$7.4 million at 420 spots, and in France US$8.8M from 500 sites.

The 5th sequel in the Turbo-charged Car action franchise, directed by Justin Lin and co-Starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Paul Walker, has 5 territories yet to play with 3 opening this week including China.

The Top foreign grosser in the Action Car franchise is Y 2009’s Fast & Furious, drawing US$208M offshore.

Paramount’s release of Marvel Entertainment’s Thor, last weekend # 1 title on the foreign circuit, finished 2nd this time with $46 million drawn from 12,476 locations in 60 offshore markets. That was a about a 50% drop from the $87 million gross marked in the 1st round.

Director Kenneth Branagh’s 3-D interpretation of a Stan Lee comic book about an otherworldly Warrior defending Planet Earth opened in 4 markets, the biggest was China where “preliminary indications” put the debut gross at $2.3 million from the film’s 1-day Sunday opening, said Paramount.

In 11 days, Thor has grossed $176 million offshore.

Rio, 20th Century Fox’s family-oriented animation title, finished # 3 on the weekend with $16.2 million from from 8,706 screens in 67 markets, raising the film’s take after a month of overseas playtime to $292.3 million.

Opening in 23 markets on the weekend, Fox’s Water for Elephants, the Depression-era drama costarring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, grossed $11.1 million from 3,764 screens in 45 markets for an offshore take of $21.3 million. Water finished # 4 overall.

Sony opened Priest, a SYFY thriller in 3-D co-starring Paul Bettany and Cam Gigandet, at 1,460 sites in 4 markets for a weekend take of $5.5 million. The biggest debut was Russia, where the take was $2.9 million from some 700 locations. Priest finished # 5 on the weekend.

Summit International’s Source Code opened # 2 in South Korea, and grossed an estimated $4.3 on the weekend overall from 1,350 screens in 39 markets. The thriller starring Jake Gyllenhall has a foreign take of $40.8 million.

Warner’s period Werewolf fantasy Red Riding Hood pushed its foreign gross total to $50 million thanks to a $2.6 million weekend at some 2,400 screens in 44 markets. Its Arthur update starring Russell Brand, drew $2.3 million from 1,100 screens in 17 markets for an international take of 12.7 million.

Other International takes: Sony’s Just Go With It, $109.8 million; Warner’s Hall Pass, $36.4 million; Universal’s Hanna, $1.9 million in opener in the U.K. at 413 sites; Fox’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid, $6.6 million; Universal’s Paul, $50.4 million; Fox’s Gulliver’s Travels, $194 million; and Universal’s Hop, $61.9 million.

Johnny Depp speaks out on 'Pirates' franchise

Johnny Depp opens up to the Hollywood Reporter on his hands-on role behind the scenes of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise ("On Stranger Tides" hits theaters May 20) and why he admires the principles of the plunderers.

Q: It's been four years since the third "Pirates." What happened?

A: Had I had a little more control at the wheel early on, I would have spaced them out more. One of the reasons "On Stranger Tides" took this amount of time was to really focus on what we could do to make it interesting and new and fresh and not just rehash the same old jokes.

Q: Was it right to shoot the previous two back-to-back?

A: The second and third parts were tacked on, in a way. It wasn't initially written as a trilogy, so the writers had to find the mathematics to connect all three — and in doing that, there were subplots and sub-subplots, and it got confusing and a bit complicated. I said, "Look, let's make it very simple and to the point."

Q: Is that why you worked so closely with the writers? And when did you all start?

A: I was doing "Public Enemies" at the time we had our initial talk. And then we would sit down and go: "What do you think of this? What do you think of that?" And I'd throw my two cents in. I can't help myself! Just in terms of the character, there are bits and bobs that come as you are going through the story meetings, or as late as when the camera's about to roll.

Q: Did you continue researching real-life pirates?

A: I'm always doing research. It's a lifelong fascination. In a weird way, pirates had an ethic that was infinitely more agreeable than [that of] the government and the British military. For example, when you became a pirate, even if you were just press-ganged and chucked on ship, there were equal shares; you got a certain amount of rations of rum each day. In the British military, they could be awful: "You'll do this, and you won't like it, and it'll be tough."

Q: Speaking of tough, what was the toughest part of the shoot?

A: I had a little bit of a physical ailment. I must have done something to my back during a stunt and ended up with this bad sciatic situation. It was this horrible, grinding electricity going through me. I kept shooting; there was no choice. I'd just limp on set. It was monstrous, man — so horrible that I actually started to like it! It was bad, and I had it a good three weeks to a month. But I got used to it and kind of missed it when it was gone.

Q: Would that make you think twice about a fifth "Pirates?" A script is in the works.

A: I've seen nothing yet. It boils down to story, script and filmmaker. But it's not something where I would say, "Let's shoot it next month to get it out by Christmas 2012." We should hold off for a bit. They should be special, just like they're special to me.

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Movie Review: Attack The Block

Attack The Block, or Attack Da Block, Yo, Innit, if we want to go for the full street effect, is a riotous blast of sci-fi with a quintessential British sense of humour. That doesn't mean its laugh-out-loud every step of the way, no, its comedy lies in the premise as much as offering visual gags and one-liners.

Despite the cast mixing up American and British slang (they our British bobbies 'Feds', for example) and dealing with outer space beasties, this is a very British affair. Forget Richard Curtis' smug Oxbridge rom-coms with their calculated international appeal and picture-postcard London.

Director Joe Cornish offers a more convincing portrayal of modern city and its inhabitants. It isn't some Broken Britain rant or a Ken Loach movie with aliens. Although that would be interesting to see. Instead it's a half-believable portrayal of kids lives on a council estate in south London. Basically they smoke weed, mug strangers and talk shit. Then some aliens turn up.

Moses, Pest, Jerome and the gang are little thugs who in the opening scene mug a young nurse walking home at night after work. The opener is highly convincing and even scary. It's depressingly accurate. The movie's origin lies in Cornish's own mugging six years ago. Instead of 'taking out the scum' and making Harry Brown, he made a fun sci-fi comedy where 'inner city meets outer space'.

Cornish plays a very neat trick as his central characters, at first, are very unlikeable. He coaxes out sympathy and understanding as the story goes on. It might not be totally convincing, but at least he tries to offer an emotional arc. Once the alien lands and the kids, naturally, kick the shit out of it and parade it around their estate like a trophy, the shit hits the fan and they learn - very quickly - that their actions have consequences.

In some ways Attack The Block is reminiscent of last year's French zombie actioner The Horde. The high rise council block is the locale for a fantasy event where different types of people come together in an uneasy alliance. When all hell breaks loose the young lads and gals stand up to the terror and slowly but surely open up as human beings. Moses has a troubled background and looks older than he actually is. Pest gets most of the film's big laughs whether he's trying to chat up the nurse they've come to rely on after mugging, or admitting the whole scenario is scary but "sick" at the same time.

Cornish's debut is an assured film and lots of fun. The street lingo is spot on and often bemusing. It also looks fantastic - and most importantly - cinematic. One scene involving aliens, a smoke-filled corridor and the gang is genuinely creepy. It stops being a comedy for a moment and enters the horror world. Amazingly, Cornish isn't above killing off the odd kid, either. This is a comedy, sure, but it's not Monster Squad or Goonie larks.

The best and worst summer flicks hollywood is coming, for better or worse

The summer of 2011 will bring some strange things to movie theaters:

Cowboys on horseback shot at by space ships.

Little blue men on a mission.

And Captain Jack Sparrow in pursuit of a mermaid.

But despite the oddities of the coming movie season, there's a cornucopia of films coming that will undoubtedly include some gems, some bombs and many, many movies somewhere in the middle.

Best Bets:

"Priest," with Paul Bettany. This tale of a retired priest who's been a veteran vampire hunter just looks fascinating in previews, and Bettany is one of the best action actors around.

"Larry Crowne," with Tom Hanks as a fired worker who goes to get a college degree, with Julia Roberts as his downer of a teacher. Hanks is perfect for his role as a positively upbeat guy who turns his teacher's world around.

"Bad Teacher" is about just that, but Cameron Diaz looks perfect as a shallow teach trying to win a contest and a rich suitor played by Justin Timberlake.

Could she recapture the crazy comedy of "Something About Mary"?

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" just has to end the series with a bang. The young actors have grown--literally and figuratively--and the story itself has everything you'd want to finish an epic series.

"The Help" has a great cast and is one of the most popular books of our time. Emma Stone and Viola Davis should become bigger names after this tale of African-American maids.

"Green Lantern" looks to be the best of the summer's comic-book flicks, a list that includes "Thor," an "X-Men" sequel, "Captain America: The First Avenger" and more.

"Lantern" has the appealing Ryan Reynolds, and previews have included some very cool special effects.

"Something Borrowed" has Kate Hudson as the spoiled gal she plays so well, and the under-appreciated Gennifer Goodwin as the friend she takes advantage of--this time, taking her man.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part-2 New Trailer:

Pirates of The Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides New Trailer

Priest New Trailer

Harry Potter Emma Watson Unseen Hot Videos

Harry Potter Emma Watson Unseen Hot Pictures

Hollywood Movie Thor opens “Superhero Season”

"Thor", the first of several superheroes debuting on movie screens this summer, hits US theaters with out-sized hopes resting on the Norse deity's expansive shoulders. 

Hollywood is praying that the God of Thunder and Marvel Comics staple will electrify a dismal 2011 box office, and squeeze more life out of a superhero genre that - with some of the most iconic characters already established franchises - is beginning to look tired.

"Thor" might seem an unlikely candidate to resuscitate the North American box office. The founding member of the original Avengers vanquishes his foes with a magical war hammer and the ability to call down thunder and lightning.

But with most of the marquee Marvel and DC Comics pantheon already committed to film, Hollywood is reaching ever deeper into the barrel to fish out new action hero franchises.

The challenge for classically-trained British film director Kenneth Branagh - more usually associated with Shakespeare - was to make sure his first venture into the world of the 3D action genre stood above the fray.

"It flips the usual superhero story. It isn't the ordinary man who's bitten by a spider and acquires supernatural powers," Branagh told.

"Here we have a superhero with those powers - a God indeed - who has to lose everything and engage with our audience," he said.

From the looks of things, "Thor" commands an edge in avoiding me-too status. It boasts Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins, and fellow Oscar winner and fanboy favorite Natalie Portman.

It's also among the first out the gate, beating "Green Lantern", an X-Men prequel and "Captain America" to the punch, and is one of the few originals in a summer movie season packed with sequels like "Fast Five" and "Hangover 2".

"As Marvel said to me when I joined up: 'this is our most difficult property'. There's so many ways for this to go wrong: too kitschy, too campy, too broad comedy, too sci-fi," said Branagh, adding that he relished the challenge of doing a movie so completely out of his comfort zone.

'The Hangover 2' Release Threatened Over Tattoo Accusation

"The Hangover Part II" faces a problem less than a month before it hits theaters. S. Victor Whitmill, a tattoo artist who gave Mike Tyson his distinctive facial art, is suing Warner Bros. Pictures over the similar-looking facial ink on Ed Helms' face, and asking for an injunction to stop the movie's release.

A complaint has been filed on Thursday, April 28 in federal court in St. Louis. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the statement read, "When Mr. Whitmill created the Original Tattoo, Mr Tyson agreed that Mr. Whitmill would own the artwork and thus, the copyright in the Original Tattoo."

"Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. - without attempting to contact Mr. Whitmill, obtain his permission, or credit his creation - has copied Mr. Whitmill's Original Tattoo and placed it on the face of another actor...," the statement continued. "This unauthorized exploitation of the Original Tattoo constitutes copyright infringement."

Also being attached to the lawsuit was Whitmill's copyright registration for the "Original Tattoo", and Tyson's signature as a proof that the ex-champ granted rights in the work. In addition the document, some pictures of Whitmill applying the design on Tyson's face were included.

In trailers and posters for the second installment of the comedy, Helms sports a body art while enduring the hilarious situation in Bangkok. Helm's tattoo looks like Tyson's, and was also chiseled on the same spot as Tyson's. Tyson himself made an appearance in "The Hangover" as himself, chasing the main characters after they stole his tiger.

On another "The Hangover 2" news, Ken Jeong has recently posted on his Twitter page a new poster for the movie. The actor wrote, "Latest poster for The Hangover Part II...." , before attaching the new picture.

"The Hangover 2" is scheduled for May 26 release across the nation during Memorial Day weekend. The gang from the first film are in Bangkok to celebrate Stu's wedding when they discover themselves in another state of black-out.

Also reprising their roles as Helms' buddies are Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha. Jamie Chung, Nick Cassavetes and Juliette Lewis are among actors supporting the movie. Todd Phillips returns to serve behind the lens.

The Hangover Part-II New Trailer

Film Review: `Thor`, Hollywood extravaganza at its shiniest best

It will go down in history as the most elaborately planned movie franchisee, spanning years and different movies (including sequels) and multiple characters with individual films. And despite knowing that such an extravaganza can be possible only from the marriage of one between Marvel and Hollywood, you continue to marvel at it. The latest marvelous addition to this collection is "Thor".

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) a god, grows up to be a warrior too arrogant of his strength to maintain a fragile peace in the kingdom. Seeing his arrogance Odin takes his power and casts him to earth so he can learn to be humble.

Devoid of his power and unable to even move his weapon, a hammer forged from a dying star, he, with the help of a kind scientist Jane (Natalie Portman) learns the value of life and a humility and in the end is ready to sacrifice himself to save his friends.

"Thor" was a dangerous gamble for Marvel. He is not one of the popular characters among the avengers. To dedicate and entire movie, some would have said, was foolhardy. But the film "Thor" amply illustrates that if the will is right, creativity can indeed be brought to be a good slave.

"Thor" is Hollywood extravaganza at its best. It is expected of a film of this magnitude to have good effects. However, the film understands that the effects have to serve the story and not mask a nonexistent one. To bring out human elements in a story about gods, takes skill.

Also the costumes, set design and magical elements are put up in such a way as to make the clan of gods look like and advanced alien race rather than a magical race of gods. That gives the story a science fiction angle, like the other films in the Avengers` series, "Iron Man" and "Hulk", and the upcoming "Captain America", instead of a mythical, magical dimension that would not have fit in with the others.

Chris Hemsworth has gained more than few pounds for his role as Thor. From his impish arrogance of "Star Trek" to the magnificent arrogance of a god, he has come a long way both as an actor and as a star.

The film would delight fans of Avengers and Marvel comics with its hidden references. So we see the agent Coulson from SHIELD we first encountered in "Iron Man"; Samuel L. Jackson makes a unaccredited appearance after the end credits; and there`s reference to Tony Stark, Jeremy Rainer in a small cameo is set up to be "Hawk Eye" in the "Avengers" and Loki is set up to the arch-enemy for the "Avengers".

The Marvel master, Stan Lee too makes an appearance in a funny cameo. Fans should sit through the last credits, for a minute extra that has become an USP of this series.

"Thor" makes a good metaphor against vanity. One should not be too proud to be strong and that wisdom is worth aspiring for. Hope Marvel would have the wisdom to continue with good cinema in the next "Captain America" and "Avengers" offerings.

Vin Diesel spends time in the ‘Fast’ lane

In Hollywood, substantial careers are said to have legs — but in Vin Diesel’s case, it’s wheels.

Ever since the shiny-domed tough guy burned rubber as the breakout star of 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious,” Diesel’s Dom Toretto, the hulking chief of a ring of car thieves, has been the bread and butter of Diesel’s career.

This Friday’s “Fast Five” is the fifth installment of the rubber-burning franchise.

The gravel-voiced actor skipped the first sequel, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” had a cameo in the next, “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” and returned to star in “Fast & Furious,” which reignited the franchise. Here’s a peek in the rearview:

“The Fast and the Furious” (2001)

Plot: Cars go vroom as undercover cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) infiltrates street racer Dom Toretto’s (Diesel) hijacking truck ring and falls for his sister Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster).

Also starring: Modified Honda Civics

Box-office domestic gross: $145 million

“2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003)

Plot: O’Conner, no longer a cop, is busted by the FBI and watched by customs agent Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes). He’s also forced to infiltrate gangster Carter Verone’s (Cole Hauser) crew to get his record cleaned. He partners with childhood buddy and ex-con Roman “Rom” Pearce (Tyrese Gibson).

Also starring: Modified Nissan Skyline, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and a Mitsubishi Eclipse

Box-office domestic gross: $127 million

“The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (2006)

Plot: Street-racing teen Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) is sent to Tokyo to be with his military dad after a crash. There he meets military brat Twinkie (Bow Wow), who introduces him to underground drift racing. They tussle with the Drift King (Brian Tee).

Also starring: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Box-office domestic gross: $63 million

“Fast & Furious” (2009)

Plot: O’Conner, now with the FBI, needs to infiltrate a heroin ring run by the mysterious Braga (John Ortiz). Dom comes out of hiding as he searches for the killer of his lover Letty (Michelle Rodriguez).

Also starring: Nissan Skyline GT-R, Chevrolet Chevelle

Box-office domestic gross: $155 million

Hollywood 3-D Animation Movie 'Rio' Continues on top of the US box office

 Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg's talking birds have edged out Tyler Perry's sass-talking grandma at the weekend box office.

Hathaway and Eisenberg's animated family adventure “Rio” took in US$26.8 million to remain the No. 1 movie for the second-straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

“Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family” debuted a close second with US$25.8 million, another solid opening for writer-director Perry, who also stars as boisterous, opinionated grandma Madea.

Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson's circus romance “Water for Elephants” premiered in third-place with US$17.5 million.

“It's nice to have two movies in the top-three,” said Bert Livingston, distribution executive for 20th Century Fox, which released both “Rio” and “Water for Elephants.”

The weekend's other new wide release, Disney's nature documentary “African Cats,” opened at No. 6 with US$6.4 million.

Morgan Spurlock's product-placement documentary “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” opened with fair but unremarkable business in limited release.

The latest from the maker of the hit documentary “Super Size Me” took in US$135,139 in 18 theaters, averaging US$7,508 a cinema. That compares to an US$11,254 average in 2,288 theaters for “Madea's Big Happy Family,” which had by far the best cinema average among the top-10 movies.

Hollywood scored its second-straight weekend of rising revenues, good news for studios that have been in a box-office slide since last fall.

Receipts totaled US$138 million, up 39 percent from the same weekend last year, when “How to Train Your Dragon” was No. 1 with US$15.4 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

The upward trend likely will continue next weekend with “Fast Five,” the latest movie in “The Fast and the Furious” action franchise, expected to have a huge opening, said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

“I think we're going to have three up weekends in a row, and for us, that's a roll. We've been down for so long,” Dergarabedian said. “It really points out how cyclical this business is.”

A love-bird story centered on rare parrots, “Rio” raised its domestic total to US$81.3 million. The movie has taken in US$204.7 million more overseas, for a worldwide haul of US$286 million.

“Rio” held on well to its audience, revenues dropping a scant 32 percent in the second weekend, while “Water for Elephants” came in a bit above industry expectations.

Adapted from the best-selling novel, “Water for Elephants” features Witherspoon as the star of a Depression-era circus, with Pattinson co-starring as a veterinarian who falls for her despite her jealous, tyrannical husband.

“It felt like old-time filmmaking for me and I think for the audience,” Livingston said. “I think it's going to play for a long time. People are going to talk about it.”

While Perry's latest “Madea” flick was unable to knock “Rio” off its perch, the filmmaker has been a prolific and consistent box-office earner, averaging two movies a year for distributor Lionsgate over the last four years.

“He has the most loyal fan base that I certainly have ever been associated with,” said David Spitz, head of distribution for Lionsgate. “They just continue to come out and flock to the cinemas and see his movies, whether it's a drama or comedy. He knows how to speak to his audience.”

Hollywood Movie Fast Five: Review

Starring: 

Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Dwayne Johnson
Director: 

Justin Lin
Release dates: 

April 20, 2011 (Australia), April 21, 2011 (United Kingdom), April 29, 2011 (United States)

Who would have thought when The Fast And The Furious was released back in 2001 that this movie would kick of a very successful five movie franchise that would last a decade.

Well that is exactly what has happened as Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are back in Fast Five - with Justin Lin returning to direct a third movie in the series.

Since Brian and Mia Toretto (Brewster) broke Dom out of custody, they’ve blown across many borders to elude authorities.

Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom.
As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he’s not the only one on their tail.

Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them.

But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can’t separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey…before someone else runs them down first.

We all know what we are going to get when we watch the latest instalment of this franchise - fast plot, fast cars, great stunts and heart pounding action; and that is exactly what we get fifth time around.

Except director Justin Lin has pushed the boat out even further this time around everything is just bigger and boulder - resulting in Fast Five being an all out action ride.

The great thing about this movie is it never takes itself too seriously - Lin and the cast know what this franchise is about delivering the action, the speed as well as the cars perfectly.

Sure there is some attempt of bringing a more human story to the film and develop some of the character’s relationships further but that never becomes the focus of Fast Five.

And it’s not all about the cars this time around as Lin has turned Fast Five more into a heist movie - part way through you would be forgiven for thinking that you were watching Ocean’s Eleven - until the director throws in a jaw dropping car chase at the end.

Despite being the fifth movie in the series this franchise has not run out of gas and it’s not scraping the bottom of the barrel it’s an exciting, adrenaline fuelled ride that proved some great twists and thrilling action.

It’s great to see Vin Diesel and Paul Walker returning to the roles of Dom and Brian and they are joined this time round by Dwayne Johnson - who is perfectly cast as harass Hobbs; a federal agent who has been sent to track them down.

Ok so the end is perhaps a little bit predictable but that doesn’t mean that getting there wasn’t a great ride.

Fast Five is a great addition to the franchise and I wouldn’t rule out further movies if this finds success at the box office.

Hollywood movie "Water for Elephants": Film Review

Water for Elephants is a 2011 drama film based on Sara Gruen's novel of the same name, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Reese Witherspoon as Marlena Rosenbluth, Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski, and Christoph Waltz as August Rosenbluth. Hal Holbrook will play the older Jacob Jankowski.

Other cast members include Mark Povinelli as Kinko/Walter, Jim Norton as Camel, Scott MacDonald as Blackie, James Frain as Rosie's caretaker, Ken Foree as Earl and Paul Schneider as Charlie O'Brien. The film opened to mixed reviews.

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson) was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and for Jacob (Holbrook), now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.

It was there he met Marlena, (Witherspoon) the beautiful equestrian star married to August (Waltz), the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. Here he also met Rosie, an untrainable elephant and the only hope for this third-rate traveling show.

On a budget of $40 million, filming began on May 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, Piru, Fillmore in California; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Kensington and Chickamauga in Georgia. The filming wrapped up on August 4, 2010. This is the second time Witherspoon and Pattinson have costarred together as they had filmed a deleted scene from 2004's Vanity Fair in which he was her estranged son. Reshoots for the film were scheduled for mid January, 2011.


“Water for Elephants” has received mostly lukewarm reviews. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 50% of critics have given the film a negative review based on 81 reviews, with an average score of 6.2 out of 10. The critical consensus is that the characters lack chemistry but the landscape is engaging. Film Journal International said the movie has “one-dimensional characters and an unfulfilling storyline” and that some scenes made the reviewer “cringe.” Access Hollywood reviewer Scott Mantz, on the other hand, compared Water for Elephants to Titanic, “thanks to an engaging love story and strong performances.”

Cast:

    Reese Witherspoon as Marlena Rosenbluth
    Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski
    Christoph Waltz as August Rosenbluth
    Tai as Rosie, the elephant
    James Frain as Rosie's caretaker
    Hal Holbrook as Older Jacob Jankowski
    Paul Schneider as Charlie O'Brien
    Ken Foree as Earl
    Tim Guinee as Diamond Joe
    Mark Povinelli as Kinko/Walter
    Scott MacDonald as Blackie
    Jim Norton as Camel
    Richard Brake as Grady

Release date: April 22, 2011

‘Splice’ – Confused ending spoils a good film

There is a interesting kind of bankruptcy of ideas in Hollywood , where producers insist on emulating success instead of allowing a film to reach its natural ending. ‘Splice’, that is way less than the sum of its parts, ends up being a perfect example of this trend.

Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) are genetic engineers working to create new animals by splicing DNA of different species together to make medicine for humans.

When they are asked not to splice further, they rebel and this time splice human DNA with animals. And like Frankenstein, they create a creature Dren (Delphine Chaneac) that has human intelligence, but with the instinct, strength and agility of different animals that will challenge both their professional and personal life.

‘Splice’ is a well directed film that neutralizes all its good work in the last 10 minutes – the time during which from an ethical thriller, it desperately tries to become a monster horror film.

It is uncalled for in an otherwise smooth film that could have had a different yet satisfying end. Yet, in an attempt to bring ‘horror’ in its ending, it loses way.

‘Splice’, despite the evident influence of both ‘Alien’ and ‘Species’, treads its path with ethical questions about cloning, which is the main driver of the story. Also, the creature that is formed is both vulnerable and dangerous in equal measure, much different from the ‘monstors’ of ‘Alien’ and ‘Species’. Hence, to see the dark, violent shades in the end seems jarring.

Thus, despite the promising build up, film whimpers to a sad, unsatisfying end that is minus the thrills or horrors of a good climax from a movie of that genre.

Sadly, director Vincenzo Natali, who had earlier given us cult hits ‘Cube’ and ‘Cypher’, fails to get his slice of success this time.

Pirates of the Caribbean4: On Stranger Tides” New Trailer Released

          Disney released another set of movie stills this time featuring Johnny Depp in the upcoming film “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” coming to theaters May 20, 2011. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” by director Rob Marshall (Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago) stars Johnny Depp (Sin City 3, Public Enemies), Ian McShane (Kung Fu Panda, Deadwood), Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush.

       “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise –this time in Disney Digital 3D(TM). In this action-packed tale of truth, betrayal, youth and demise, Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz), and he’s not sure if it’s love–or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. 

When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.

   

Rush reprises his role as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and Kevin R. McNally returns as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs. Claflin stars as a stalwart missionary, while Berges-Frisbey is transformed into a mysterious mermaid. 

Pirates 4 Mermaid "Syrena" Astrid-Berges-Frisbey Hot Pictures

      

Battle Los Angeles: Film Review

Sony's male-driven Battle: Los Angeles is on its way to grossing$38 million or more for the weekend in a much needed win for Hollywood, which is facing a steep downturn in domestic box office revenues. Battle , costing $70 million to produce, made an estimated $13.5million Friday as it opened in 3,417theaters nationwide. It also debuted in a number of key international territories.

       There also was good news for Paramount's family friendly Rango , which played great in its second Friday, dropping a narrow 43% toan estimated $5.4 million for a cume of $51.1 million. The JohnnyDepp -voiced toon placed No. 2. Rango did nearly three time the business of Disney's new family entry Mars Needs Moms , which grossed a dismal $1.7 million from 3,117 theaters, despite higher priced 3D tickets. The performance capture film could have trouble reaching $8 million for the weekend, breaking Disney's recent winning streak with family fare. Mars , coming in No. 5 Friday, cost$150 million to produce and is thefinal film under Robert Zemeckis ' now-severed deal withDisney. Placing No. 3 Friday behind Battle and Rango was Warner Bros.' darkfantasy Red Riding Hood , starring Amanda Seyfried and targetingthe Twilight crowd. Film grossed an estimated $5 million as it opened in 3,030 theaters, a softer-than-expected showing, although Warners expects traffic to pick up Saturday. Red Riding Hood had been projected to gross $18 million to$20 million for the weekend, but it may not meet that mark.

        Still, Warners is in solid shape financially, since the movie -- directed by Twilight's Catherine Hardwicke -- only cost $39 million to produce. Among holdovers, Universal's The Adjustment Bureau came in No. 4 on Friday, falling 49% to an estimated $3.4 million for a cume of $30.4 million as it heads into itssecond weekend. The Weinstein Co.'s The King's Speech fell to No. 10 on Friday, grossing an estimated $950,000 for a cume of $126.4 million.