Dark Shadows

Johnny Depp has again teamed with Tim Burton in a dark but comedic role that will make any fan proud. The first part of the movie sets up the background: Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean series, Alice in Wonderland) plays Barnabas Collins, a wealthy 18^th Century fishing industrialist that gets turned into a vampire by a love-sick, jealous witch, Angelique (the wicked Eva Green). This eventually gets him cast as a monster, being buried in a lead coffin in the woods.

Cut to 200 years later and Depp is uncovered by a McDonald’s construction crew (I usually despise plugs but this one tickled me). Collins is reunited with what is left of his lineage including Elizabeth (the enchanting Michelle Pfeiffer) and Carolyn (the incomparable Chloe Grace Moretz). I keep growing founder of Moretz ever since “(500) Days of Summer,” and this film is no exception. She executes the role of an angst-ridden teenager flawlessly, a role she has never tackled until now.

Collins runs into Angelique (aka Angela) and his long-lost love. Jealously between Angela and Collins and his love picks up where it left off two centuries ago. This leads to a climactic fight between good and evil.

The script has many humorous elements pulling from the bloopers in the original television show. Depp is marvelous in these witty moments. Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, A Nightmare on Elm), is hilarious playing Collins’ slow-witted, right-hand man Willie.

Viewers need to realize that the acting in this film is extremely over-dramatic for a reason. If you have ever seen the original, it was basically a soap opera. If you enjoy two hours of solid laughs, this movie is for you.

The Avengers

First off, let me express my ridiculous love of all things superhero. I’m a straight-up nerd in that respect (also in others that you will learn soon enough. So having six heroes in one movie may be coolest movie experience ever. “The Avengers” not only has a line-up of awesome Marvel characters, but it has high-caliber, and in some cases iconic, actors playing those heroes. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansen) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

The premise is simple enough, Loki, the adoptive brother of Thor wants to obtain power to rule earth and have all of humanity as his minions. Obviously The Avengers aren’t going to let this fly. So a misfit team of heroes forms. But with six different personalities come six butting heads. Comic relief from a tense situation (trying to save the world and all) comes from the sarcastic Downey and the surprisingly hilarious Ruffalo. Bruce Banner has some of the best lines in the movie, but there are major laughs in one particular fight scene between The Hulk and Loki.

Joss Whedon (TV Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Cabin in the Woods) has directed a beautifully concocted script that would make any comic book fan would be proud of, probably the reason it was the best opening weekend for a film of all time. It mixes the dramatic and comedic perfectly in an action-packed adventure.

Make sure you stay until the end of the credits for a nibble of what will come in the sequel.

The Lucky One

Nicholas Sparks.

That’s all I have to say to "spark" a quick resolve for men to hate the film and women to love it and then drag those same men to see it. Sparks (A Walk to Remember, The Notebook) has written some of the most influential love stories of our time. “The Lucky One” may not become an instant classic, but it has a lot of heart (and a lot of shirtless Zac Efron).

Efron plays Logan Thibault, a marine who found a picture of a woman in the desert and miraculously survived several deadly accidents overseas. When he gets back home he feels he needs to thank the woman who inadvertently saved his life. And so the love story begins.
Logan travels across the country by using Google to find the woman in the picture (sweet but unrealistic). When he finds the woman (Elizabeth played by Taylor Schilling) he’s unable to tell her the truth. This leads to Elizabeth falling for Logan, ripped abs and everything.

The only competition Logan has is with the evil ex-husband, Clayton. The audience, at least me, roots for Logan to lose his even-tempered manner and sock him in the face.

This film executes a seemingly unique plot-line pretty well. If you’ve read the book you understand the characters and their dynamics better. But, the challenge of a film is to put all these elements into a movie without having to have your audience do homework before hand. Efron is elegant in his role as the quiet, stand-up guy. And, if you’re like me, you’re completely OK with a silent Efron, as long as he’s buff like he is in the movie.

“The Lucky One” may not be the stand-out movie of the year, but it has heart and comes with a positive message that love conquers all. If you feel like escaping into love story you’ll enjoy it. And guys, at least pretend you enjoy it in front of your girlfriends, they'll appreciate it.

The Hunger Games

Alright, so I was the only person on planet Earth who had not read the books. My bad. Since I saw this film that has changed dramatically (I read all three in a week). “The Hunger Games” did something for me. It quenched my thirst for a film that had three things: amazing acting, a terrific script and a politically motivated message that actually wasn’t preachy.

The plot takes us to a future world where The Capitol rules what is left of America by controlling all 12 districts after District 13 started an uprising and lost the fight. Now, to pay the price all other districts must sacrifice one boy and one girl to go and fight to the death in The Hunger Games. The winner is allowed to live in peace and wealth.  The only catch is the mental trauma will haunt them for the rest of their life, but they're still alive.

First, all credit goes to Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, X-Men: First Class) for doing a non-independent piece of work with the heart she usually puts into her indie films. She is kick-ass as Katniss, the girl from District 12 who saves her sister from being chucked into the Games. She shows vulnerability while simultaneously playing a smart and strong warrior, on and off the playing field.

Her partner from Distrtict 12, Peeta (played by the lovely Josh Hutcherson) isn’t the best fighter but he has awesome PR skills that make him a fan favorite, especially when he professes his love for Katniss on live TV. This leads to tension between the two fights but eventually is resolved on the playing field.

Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada), Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock) and Lenny Kravitz have wonderful performances that at times steal the show. Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) plays the stern but appealing Gail, Katniss’s other love interest who also lives in District 12.

This film is a dramatic interpretation on our current wars and what they could lead to. It also brings up the issue of what certain types of leaders could accomplish to stifle the freedom of an entire nation. It scarily realistic at times, but if younger viewers actually absorb the message we may end up having more politically active young people in the near future. Here’s to hoping.