I grew up the the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, so I was skeptical about the reboot, Man of Steel. I wasn't impressed with the original reveal of /Henry Cavelli/ as the new Superman, nor of the first movie poster (which was just a screengrab from the film). I found the teaser trailer to be less than compelling. But I tried to keep an open mind. And I'm glad I did.

This version of Superman is grittier, more action focus and quite simply, super. It took awhile to build a good pace, but then the movie took off. Zod was badass cool. Lois Lane was even more fierce and tenacious than ever.

And Superman was a bit more real. The visual effects were incredible, seemlessly integrated with the live action. The Metropolis fight scene was a breathtaking, no-holds-barred battle truly fitting of the Superman legacy.

THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: Awesome!

Fantastic. Hitch is well played by Anthony Hopkins, so much so that if I closed my eyes, I would swear that Hitchcock had come back from the dead to star in this film. Compelling and unusual just like the man himself. I liked the mini mystery within the movie as well as seeing the behind-the-scenes of the filming of Pyscho. Not sure how much was real vs. "artistic license", but it played well on screen and felt authentic through and through. If you are a fan of Hitchcock movies, you have to see this delightful romp.
THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: Awesome!

Andrew Lloyd Weber was at his height during my teen years I pent many an hour listening to Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis on CD. It wasn't until a few years ago that I finally got to see the stage production of Les Miserables. it was so totally worth the wait. Then the theatrical version came along. It looked good, but coming off the high of watching the stage production, I wasn't sure it would quite live up to the hype. Thankfully, this movie delivers a compelling version of Victor Hugo's masterpiece. It downplays the humor a bit, but it is compelling and moving experience. All the stars performances were utterly amazing. It would be difficult to chose a fav, but I think that Hugh Jackman has the edge here. The visual effects are. Perfectly integrated into the scenes, enhancing them, but staying subtle so as not to disrupt my suspension of disbelief. For any fan of Les Mis, this is a must-see.

THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: Awesome! 

I loved rebooted Star Trek movie released in. 2009. So naturally, I was awaiting the sequel with great anticipation. Of course, I was also skeptical: could they match the great mix of action and story while remaining true to the Star Trek legacy? The answer is mostly yes. Star Trek Into Darkness is a fantastic movie and a worthy successor to the original. More action and a great story that honors the Star Trek heritage. 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

For me, the only part that really made no sense was when "young" Spock calls old Spock for advice. WTH? Spock is a rule follower and loci gal, and calling his other self is neither of these things. The only other small issue I had was the final fight scene. First they beam down Spock, he gets his ass kicked, so then they beam down Ohura, why?! Spock should have been able to beat Kahn on his own. 

Other than these minor issues, the movie was fantastic and a must-see for any fan of the rebooted movie series.

THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: Awesome!

Many people across the world love The Wizard of Oz, so to take on this prequel Oz the Great and Powerful is truly a challenge. I went into this movie with skepticism, but came out a believer. I was convinced almost as soon as the curtain went up with the gorgeous opening title cards that captured the era and the spirit of Oz perfectly. The storyline is great, it honors the original Oz and its characters while expanding upon each in a fresh way. The movie has a good pace throughout. The visuals were amazing, fitting of such a magical world.. Some scenes did seem a bit obvious they were on sets, but I find it forgivable in this instance since the rest of the movie was spectacular. Nice action, excellent characters and performances throughout. A must see, especially if you have children.
THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: Awesome!

I've just seen Oblivion. Wow. What an amazing movie. This is not a shoot 'em sci-if adventure, but rather a mystery wrapped in an enigma. There are many levels to this movie, I would love to see it again to see what I missed the first time. The story is compelling, as are the characters. The design aesthetic is fantastic. All clean lines, great tech, beautiful to look at. The visual effects were top-notch, no flaws from live action to CG work that I could see. I did have a few small quibbles with few plot points, but they are minor and in no way detracted from the experience.
THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: Awesome!

Rise of the Guardians features an interesting twist on beloved characters from our childhood: Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, and Jack Frost. They are guardians of the children of the world fighting to stop the vile Boogeyman. It's a great concept and well executed. The story sucks you in right away and there are fantastic little moments throughout the movie that really make it enjoyable. The character designs are top-notch. The subtle textures of frost on Jack's Frost's hoodie, the Naughty and Nice tattoos on Santa's arms really enrich each character. While he doesn't say much (anything really) I think the Sandman is my favorite character. Kids will love seeing these characters in a new light. As a designer, one of my favorite parts was the end credits with the cool icons for each character that reinforces the mythology of this universe.
THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: Awesome!

I'll be the first to admit it: I'm not a James Bond fan. On occasion, my friends have persuaded me to see a movie or two, but I missed most of the older Bond films. I did see Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Both were good, but Solace left me in confusion and not really wanting to see another Bond film. But the preview for Skyfall looked really good and my buddy and I had some free time on a trip, so I went to see it. Loved how we were dropped right into the middle of the action right away. Nice tension and action got me excited to see where the movie went next. The opening title sequence was beautiful, but like all Bond openers that I've seen, looks like it was a drug induced hallucination. Don't get me wrong, the imagery was beautiful as was the song by Adele. But it just makes me think of drugs for some reason. The dialog was sharp and had just the right amount of wit. The photography and locations, especially Shanghai and Scotland were gorgeous.

The best part for me, visually speaking was that the effects were seamless. Not once did I feel as if something was greenscreened or shot on a soundstage. Oh I know parts were, but you couldn't tell. So a big kudos to the visual effects artists on this one! Bond's gadgets were well designed, simply elegant in their form and function. For the most part, the plot did move along at a fair pace. The villain is a hardcore bad guy, twisted and one step ahead most of the movie. I really enjoyed the "back to basics" feel to the movie and I'm hopeful that Skyfall will be starting a good trend in Bond movies for the foreseeable future. 

THIS MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: AWESOME!

Chadwick Boseman plays Jackie Robinson in 42 with a great balance of dignity, power, and vulnerability. Wow, I didn't recognize Harrison Ford at first as Branch Rickey! Probably one of his best performances ever. The storyline flowed pretty evenly throughout, except near the end some quick cuts and  sequences played out of order seemed a strange choice. Looked like they were trying to cram too much into the ending. However, this did not lessen the emotional impact of the story in any way. The CG stadiums for the most part were nice to look at, but a bit too obvious that they were shot green screen. Despite my few nitpicks, 42 is a fantastic movie and is not to be missed!
MOVIEDOOD RATES IT: AWESOME!

Keeping Mum: Awesome! Murder. Religion. Sex. British Humour. What's not to love? :D http://bit.ly/3PhVX1

Gran Turino is now on DVD/BR: Awesome! Fantastic story, compelling characters. A must see! http://tinyurl.com/66fblk

Dances w/Wolves: Awesome! Stunning cinematography. Compelling. Moving. Funny. Beautiful. Moving. Long but worth it. http://tinyurl.com/7xd6h

Fool's Gold: Awesome! Fun & Funny. Gorgeous scenery. Great story. Good action. Great chem btwn Kate & Matt. http://tinyurl.com/6m6yqp

P.S. I Love You: Awesome! Charming. Touching. Funny. Beautiful. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0431308/

Terminator Salvation: Awesome! Great action & sound. Story works well w/prev flix. Fast-paced, very entertaining! http://tinyurl.com/ghhbz

UP: AWESOME!: Sweet. Touching. Fun. Funny. Beautiful. The Spirit of Adventure! http://tinyurl.com/62zalh

Once: Awesome! Loveable, real characters. Simple yet elegant story. Great music. Must see! http://ping.fm/uwJp7

Role Models: Awesome! Super funny, Scott & Rudd rock. Lots of laughs, great story as the backbone. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430922/