Some recent stuff I’ve watched that can be summed up in 5 sentences or less.

Hereafter– Follow how 3 different people from 3 different walks of life deal with death. Clint Eastwood directs one of the most boring movies I’ve seen in quite some time. Matt Damon lends his star power to this snooze fest.

Twelve– A young drug dealer who really doesn’t dig life gets his world flipped over when his cousin is killed. Everything he calls on as a constant in his life ceases to. I usually dig these types of movies, but this one didn’t work for me and I’m not really sure why. The cast was decent but I think the journey wasn’t terribly interesting. Watch the amazing movie Pusher instead.

A.I. Artificial IntelligenceThis was the last movie Stanley Kubrick worked on, which Stephen Speilberg picked up to see it to completion. Wild sci-fi movie that I’ve been meaning to watch since it came out in 2001. Haley Joel Osment was The-Kid-Actor of Hollywood at this point and he did a remarkable job as David, a robot boy adopted to a family when their own sun is cryo-genically frozen until a cure for him is found. When the son comes back, David is cast out on his own to his bewilderment. He sets out on a journey to become a real boy so his family will take him back and love him. It’s a spin on the Pinocchio tale set in the future that really makes you think about what being human really means. Some crazy animatronic work by the late Stan Winston is in full effect in this often very visually striking film. I didn’t like the end though, it took a really weird turn there.

The Mechanic-Jason Statham laces up is action shoes again for this one. Arthur is a Mechanic (see: hitman) who is very good at his job. After he’s forced to take down a friend, he ends up taking his friends son as an apprentice, to teach him to channel his anger into this new, specialized line of work. The Mechanic is a solid action movie. Statham does his usual quality work here, the direction is good, the action is fun and often inventive and there are enough twists that keep things interesting (even if they are predictable).

Another Oscar favorite from last year, The Fighter stands tall next to other cinematic favorites like Rocky and Raging Bull.

Getting punched in the head is a dangerous profession. Equally so when you’re family is just as dangerous as the guy you’re facing in the ring. The Fighter based on the story of Micky Ward on his final run to become a boxing champ. With the help of his older brother Dicky as his trainer and his mother as his manager, Micky is stuck between a rock and hard place. With a brood of Boston sisters nipping and snapping behind him, Micky and his new girlfriend, Charlene, stick together to make some changes when the family status quo clearly isn’t working.

This is a hell of a movie. When Mark Wahlberg actually gives a shit about a movie, he puts in some fantastic work. This was a passion project for him and he had the great benefit of being able to act with Christian Bale as Dicky. They work incredibly well together, they really do come off as real life brothers. Often really funny even with a sad scenario, Dicky has a crack addiction that robbed him of his future, one that he wants his younger brother to obtain. Rounding out the wheelhouse is Melissa Leo as Alice, the mother of the 6 sisters and 2 boys. A maniac in heels, she steals almost every scene she’s in.

Such a good movie packed with great writing, actors and direction. The boxing scenes are terrific too, everyone should watch this movie, one of 2010’s best.

……..and the franchise is saved! After the train wreck of X-Men 3 and the embarrassing Wolverine movie from the passed 3 years, the X-Men flicks were all but ready to be forgotten. First Class cleans things up and shows us this universe has a lot left to offer audiences.

Turning the clock back to 1962, we watch as Professor Charles Xavier and and Erik “Magneto” Lensher step in front of the mutant movement and become the leaders of the two factions of the “next evolution of the human race.”

It’s a great idea going back to seeing how the two most powerful (somewhat arguable) and influential mutants in the X Men world befriended each other and ultimately split over ideological differences. It’s a well written and smart movie directed with a careful hand by Matthew Vaughn. Excellent casting and acting (I’m a big fan of James McAvoy and Michael Fastbender is a terrific Magneto) and some top notch special effects make the world come to life. Seeing the Cuban Missile Crisis in an alternate universe is a really cool experience and a great political and social backdrop for the story.

While the movie falls into some problems like comic book cliches (get to know you and training montages), odd changes that anger nerds (Havok is actually Cyclops younger brother, neither one of them would be alive at this time) and does run a bit too long at just over 2 hours. I’d say the biggest problem is that most of the mutants are unknown to most people so at times it doesn’t really feel like an X-Men tale. That said there is still a lot of respect given to the source material. Many nods to the series storied past giving winks that only comic book fans get and setting up characters and events for future stories. There are some great cameos tucked in here as well which are great additions.

Great job making this flick, which is not only a great summer blockbuster, but a great action movie in general. Gives great hope that the series is back on track and has me looking forward to the next one.

The King’s Speech won 4 very deserving Oscars this passed year. I wanted to see it based on the accolades and word of mouth buzz the movie had since it came out. I knew very little about the plot going in and what one would think would be a boring art film is actually a touching and brilliantly told story.

King George VI of Britain never wanted to be king, a reluctant hero (figure head really) to say the least. He was forced to step up in place of his struck-dumb-with-love brother and had a rough go at it. The good king had a brutal stutter since he was a child and as such had the self esteem and confidence of a wet mollusk.

It’s very human story that many people can relate to. King George had very pressured upbringing surrounded by a wall of unsympathetic people. As an adult he truly was the product of his environment. Stepping into the biggest public speaking role you could ever imagine KGVI seeks the help of many speech therapists who fail until he finds Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). This brilliant Aussie helps good George become a true King.

While technical praise for crafting this film from every department is necessary, The King’s Speech is carried entirely on the shoulders of Colin Firth as King George and Geoffrey Rush. Their acting ability and on screen chemistry elevates this movie to award winning territory. I don’t think the movie would have worked without them, they’re that impressive. Helena Bonham Carter is also notable as King George’s wife who is pretty much his rock through out the movie. As the saying goes, behind every good man is a better woman.

I’d recommend this to anyone, it’s a great movie with a lasting story that is rooted in our history.