X-Men: First Class

When this movie was anounced I hadn't planned to go see it, until I saw the trailer. Once I saw the trailer my opinion changed. The movie seemed like it was going to be a breath of fresh air that the X-Men series really needed in order to respike my interest in it. After "The Last Stand" I had given up. "Wolverine" wasn't horrible, it just seemed like a movie trying to expand the profits while loosly fitting in with the comics. This movie changes that. Much how "The Dark Knight" has changed how people view Batman, "X-Men: First Class" can change how you can view X-Men. The cast is very well put together, and fit almost every character that has appeared in previous X-Men movies. The deal with this movie is that it is a prequel to everything that has ever been done (X-Men movie related-wise). It is the backstory of Charles Xavier and and Erik Lehnsherr (better known as Magneto). It shows how they discovered each other, as well as their own mutant powers all while attempting to show that mutants are not people to be feared. The adventure that unfolds will leave you hanging on to every turn that the movie takes you on, through hilarious cameos (Hugh Jackman may have won the best cameo in a movie award for me), and fun-to-watch action sequences. The movie is well put together and, while slightly inconsistant with both comics and the other movies, is very enjoyable to watch. I'd recommend it to the general movie goer looking for a good action flick and to the comic book nerd. You shouldn't be disappointed.

4.5 out of 5

The Hangover, Part 2

Tasteless, profane, and no limits. That was the formula that made up The Hangover, quite possibly the biggest comedy hit almost ever. I enjoyed the first part of the series quite well and found myself laughing frequently. However, when I heard that the second part would be coming out I rolled my eyes- another Hollywood sequel that didn't need to happen. Against my better judgment, I went in order to prove myself wrong- and didn't. This movie is indeed another Hollywood sequel that did not need to be made. Storywise, there is only so much you can do with the same kind of premise as the first movie- the guys party so hard they don't remember anything and find out they did some ridiculous things, including lose a member of their party. Look no further than the story of the first one to see the story of the second. This time Stu is getting married and the guys decide to have a calm bachlor's bonfire. When they wake up the next morning they're shaved, tatooed, and missing Stu's fiancè's brother. They then travel around Bangkok in order to find him and piece together the night. The jokes go to places that did not need to be travelled to in many instances causing me to merely shake my head in disbelief. Now, that's not to say the movie isn't funny- I found myself laughing quite a bit, it just is a completely different type of humor than the first one, though the same type of stuff is included. If you are a complete die-hard fan of the first Hangover you will probably enjoy this one a lot, but if you, like me, rolled your eyes at the thought of a sequel you probably should avoid this one.

2.5 out of 5

Black Swan

A very cleverly weaved tale that shows a fairly accurate depiction of behind-the-scenes of major dance companies. Having been in that kind of scene before even just for an audition you get a vibe that is very strongly similar to much of the goings-on in Black Swan. Not to say that all companies are the same, but it does exist. Portman's portrayal of the ballerina Nina was fairly believable, though sometimes cliché. She crafted a very self-conscious girl who wanted to be perfect and, for the most part, it worked. The shock to me was just how much of a "thriller" this movie is. I was not prepared for half of the things this movie throws at you and soon I was witnessing blood, cursing, and some moments intended to startle (one at which I did jump). Parts of the movie are rather grotesque and truly disturbing to witness and others are witty and clever to watch. The actual dancing aspect of the movie is well done, though mostly focused on Portman through interesting camera angles in order to show facial expressions and hear the small talk between the performers on stage. The movie was rather enjoyable and I'd recommend it for those looking to branch out of the ordinary and witness an interesting look inside of a "beautiful" production, however it is certainly not recommended for the faint of heart.

4 out of 5

The Return of Murphy!

Alright so here is a new update on Murphy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUh1WnrquUI

[copy and paste in the URL to view]

She's back and better than ever, featuring a new head and new pyro effects. Fast forward to about 5 minutes into that video to see the footage. Her magnificent return has been long awaited since September. At one point there were rumors of her not returning from the higher ups at Disney, however Murphy has returned and she is here to stay!

Halloween: Disney Style

It's come to that time of year again in the Disney parks all over the world- Halloween. Every Disney park worldwide has their own different festival for Halloween, all featuring unique and fascinating features. Disney World in Florida features Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for the youngsters (for an additional entrance fee) which offers Trick-or-Treating spots for the kids, special character meet-and-greets, and two spectacular shows. The first is the Villain's Mix-and-Mingle, a 7 minute high energy dance show followed by a chance to meet the villains. During the show Maleficent welcomes the guests and gets the show under way and then other Disney villains join her on stage (and new this year is the amazing Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog). The show gets better every year, this year featuring the entire front of the stage being engulfed in green flames, flash pots, and a much bigger pyrotechnic finale. Then once the end comes near Magic Kingdom presents Hallo-Wishes, a fireworks show featuring new versions of several classic Disney songs. I wouldn't pay extra to get in I don't think, but it would be well worth it if you have small children.
Disneyland in California features similar things including the mind-boggling, eye-popping Halloween Screams fireworks show, however new this year it's only being shown at the Halloween party which costs extra which has many people upset, but it's well worth a watch. Seeing Zero from Nightmare Before Christmas fly over Sleeping Beauty's castle is fantastic and the effects that happen all over the sky will blow your mind!
Hong Kong Disneyland features a pretty unique to-do which in itself wants to make me hop on a plane. The Glow in the Park parade is amazing just to see video of. The leader of the parade is a float with a giant animatronic Jack Skellington atop it but he can bend over to look at the audience! All the other floats feature similar things, Maleficent rides with Chernabog from Fantasia and it is simply amazing. They then have the Nightmare in the Sky fireworks show, which isn't as impressive as you would expect from Hong Kong Disneyland but still would be worth a watch live.
Tokyo Disney and Disneysea have multiple shows that are simply incredible. Mysterious Masquerade in Disneysea features all the classic characters trying to figure out what artifact is possessing guests and it is interesting to watch. The Tokyo Disneyland has a parade/show combo where the villains take over the Disney good-guys' Halloween bash and it's full of lots of fire.
All in all Disney knows how to throw a party, and if you get a chance to visit any of these places I'd highly recommend it!

Murphy's Law

Last summer in Disneyland, Fantasmic! was supposed to be graced with the addition of a 45 foot tall fire-breathing dragon. Well after the passing of the Summer Nighttastic even on September 1st, the dragon finally appeared after an entire summer of technical difficulties. The night she premiered the aptly named Murphy (after Murphy's Law that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) she didn't even breathe fire, but she was just as magnificent as ever. The following night she breathed fire and it was a magnificent sight to behold. However, during Saturday (the 28th)'s performance of the show, Murphy again proved to us that the law remains true and collapsed during the show


This is the scene now:


Murphy is now out of the show indefinitely until they can figure out all that's wrong with her. See Disney hired an outside company (that typically takes care of their animatronic figures) to build Murphy, however this has proven to be a mistake. I can only hope that Murphy has a speedy return to the show and that Disney doesn't decide to just remove her permanently.

King Kong 360-3D!

As many theme park goers know, Universal Studios Hollywood had a giant fire back in 2008 and lost the beloved King Kong attraction that was featured on the Backlot Tour. Well good news and bad news: Good news: Kong is now back! Bad news: It's not a new animatronic situation, it's a 3D movie that your tram rides through. I'm not sure how I feel about this because everything that happens on the tour is supposed to be real and in your face and riding through a 3D movie just does not seem as in-my-face as a giant animatronic Kong coming after you. Plus do you just hold the glasses with you the entire tram ride and use them that one time? It seems more of an inconvenience to me but we'll see how it plays out I suppose, the attractions open now and I'm hoping to see some video soon.

3-D!

Ok, so I know it's the "in thing" right now but the 3D movie fad has now gotten entirely too old. Seeing a 3D movie used to mean something to me- when you go to places like Disney World/Land and Universal Studios they're 3D movies truly immerse you in the movie- characters literally leap off the screen, effects happen to your seats and around the theater, and the whole experience is simply mind-blowing. However, now Hollywood has it's hands on "3D" technology, which consists of making the movie appear to be off of the screen because you're wearing silly looking glasses that you paid 3-4 bucks extra for. There's nothing immersive at all. The filmmakers simply add a layer to the film to make it seem "different" but if you take the glasses off you simply see the 2D version those smart movie-goers saw who paid 3 dollars less than you. That's another thing- you shouldn't be able to do that if it's truly 3D. Go to Disney World and watch Mickey's Philharmagic and take your 3D glasses off- you can't focus and everything is distorted. The glasses take you to the world of the movie. The 3D movies that come out in every movie theater across the globe take you to the concession stand to buy some popcorn because you're bored of the lack of 3D effects. It's a ploy to make money and now everyone's doing it- Disney is re-releasing both Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King in 3D later this year because of the fad. This is a disgrace, and a sure sign the 3D fad has gone too far...