Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger will focus on the early days of the Marvel universe when Steve Rogers (CHRIS EVANS) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the super soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America joins with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil Hydra Organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

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Thor

Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of superhero: THOR. This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. Kenneth Branagh directs this fantasy epic which stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as the ancient Norse god, Tom Hiddleston as his evil brother Loki, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, a young woman who befriends Thor on Earth, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Thor’s father and king of Asgard.

Opens Friday, May 6.

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Dylan Dog – Dead of Night

DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT is a new horror/comedy film based on one of the world’s most popular comics (60 million copies worldwide). Brandon Routh stars as Dylan Dog, world famous private investigator specializing in affairs of the undead. His PI business card reads “No Pulse? No Problem.” Armed with an edgy wit and carrying an arsenal of silver and wood-tipped bullets, Dylan must track down a dangerous artifact before a war ensues between his werewolf, vampire and zombie clients living undercover in the monster infested backstreets of New Orleans.

Opens Friday, April 29.

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Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams…literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him. Genre-smashing filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) tells the amazing story of one romantic slacker’s quest to power up with love in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Scott Pilgrim has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It’s getting rid of them that proves difficult. From the girl who kicked his heart’s ass—and now is back in town—to the teenage distraction he’s trying to shake when Ramona rollerblades into his world, love hasn’t been easy. He soon discovers, however, his new crush has the most unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of exes controls her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate him as a suitor.

As Scott gets closer to Ramona, he must face an increasingly vicious rogues’ gallery from her past—from infamous skateboarders to vegan rock stars and fearsomely identical twins. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over.

Opens August 13th.

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Review – Iron Man 2

Iron Man may be the funniest and wittiest superhero of all time, thanks to Robert Downey, Jr.’s outstanding performance and the film’s direction under Jon Favreau.

Unlike in most superhero films where the character is a caricature, Iron Man is believable in that it takes a bit of narcissism to think one can bring peace to the world by his own actions. Tony Stark, the billionaire behind the suit, has the resources and the intelligence to make things work, and this time he is up against the U.S. Senate. He keeps his wits about him as Justin Hammer (a weapons contractor played by Sam Rockwell) recruits a dangerous Russian, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a self-made, poor man’s superhero who also has past history issues with Stark, to outdo Stark and his weapons technology.

While the first Iron Man film was its Batman Begins storyline, this second installation attempts to introduce more nemeses and possible superhero partners. Scarlett Johansson, with a demure, straight-out-of-the-40s look as Natalie Rushman, Stark’s new executive assistant, astonishes the audience when she reverts to her alter ego, Natasha Romanoff (the name itself lends to images of Xenia Onatopp of 007’s collection). As Natasha, she sexily kicks ass with acrobatic martial arts moves in her skintight suit, knocking down scores of bad guys as Stark’s chauffeur (director Jon Favreau) happily exclaims he’s taken down one (his name is also “Happy”).

Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Pepper Potts, Stark’s super efficient personal assistant who keeps him intact until Stark begins to get reckless while hiding a secret from her. Their relationship progresses and it will be interesting to see how it works out should there be an Iron Man 3 in the future. In this feature, Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes. While Cheadle is a great actor, Howard’s previous version of Iron Man’s possible sidekick (the “silver” Iron Man) seemed to have more impact in comparison.

There are plenty of hard iron metal-on-metal action in this film as well as computer imagery. Iron Man battles not only Ivan the terribly unkempt and creepy technical genius, he fights his best friend and a mini army of soldier drones (similar to the metal soldiers in Star Wars Episode II). The sound editing is perfectly clunky-cool for all the flying metal and explosions. All the tough show of iron is offset by Stark’s use of computerized technology at the touch of his fingertips (shades of Minority Report). He manipulates digital graphics that seemingly float around him as he talks to the main “guy” Jarvis (voiced by Paul Bettany).

This is not the dark, psychological superhero film like Batman but a fun, entertaining ride with smart, witty Iron Man. The characters are memorably interactive with each other, and the dialogue at times is spontaneously funny. Iron Man’s suit is hard and shiny, yet he’s vulnerable to human weaknesses. Tony Stark remarks that he is Iron Man, but Robert Downey, Jr. is the perfect embodiment of Tony Stark.

Standard screen vs. Imax? That depends on how large an Iron Man you’d like to see onscreen.

Ultra cool moment in the film: Iron man literally suiting up in his suitcase.
Not-so-cool fact: the trailer clip that repeatedly plays on TV showing Iron Man telling Pepper that she completes him – is not featured in the full length feature.

P.S. After the ending credits there is a short clip hinting what’s to come next from Marvel Comics.

The Losers

An explosive action tale of betrayal and revenge, “The Losers” centers around the members of an elite Special Forces unit sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. But the team—Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar—soon find that they have become the target of a deadly double cross, instigated from the inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max.

Making good use of the fact that they are now presumed dead, the group goes deeply undercover in a dangerous plot to clear their names and even the score with Max. They are joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda, who is more than capable of scoring a few points of her own. Working together, when they’re not arguing amongst themselves, they have to stay one step ahead of the globetrotting Max—a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war for his own benefit. If they can take down Max and save the world at the same time, it’ll be a win win for the team now known as The Losers.

“The Losers” stars Jeffery Dean Morgan (“Watchmen”) as Clay; Zoe Saldana (“Avatar,” “Star Trek”) as Aisha; Chris Evans (the “Fantastic Four” films) as Jensen; Idris Elba (“Obsessed”) as Roque; Columbus Short (“Quarantine”) as Pooch; Oscar Jaeneda (“Che: Part Two”) as Cougar; and Jason Patric (My Sister’s

Opens nationwide on April 23, 2010

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Kick-Ass

“How come nobody’s ever tried to be a superhero?” When Dave Lizewski – ordinary New York teenager and rabid comic-book geek dons a green-and-yellow internet-bought wetsuit to become the no-nonsense vigilante, Kick-Ass, he soon finds an answer to his own question: because it hurts. But, overcoming all the odds, the eager yet inexperienced Dave quickly becomes a phenomenon, capturing the imagination of the public. However, he’s not the only superhero out there – the fearless and highly-trained father-daughter crime-fighting duo, Big Daddy and Hit Girl have been slowly but surely taking down the criminal empire of local Mafioso, Frank D’Amico. And, as Kick-Ass gets drawn into their no-holds-barred world of bullets and bloodletting with Frank’s son, Chris, now reborn as Kick-Ass’s arch-nemesis, Red Mist – the stage is set for a final showdown between the forces of good and evil – in which the DIY hero will have to live up to his name. Or die trying…

Opens April 16th.

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