Ok so everyone is saying go see Midnight in Paris, even though I hate Woody Allen, and I guess I still might, but first I fit in one more not quite summer blockbuster. I’m generally not a huge fan of what I’ll call the stupid comedy, and the first Hangover certainly fits within that category. But it also brought something else to it, a sort of interesting formula. And a good cast and some funny jokes didn’t hurt.

Well if you liked the first one then they did their darnedest to recreate it. Going in and expecting that but not as good was the right strategy. The guys are reunited for another wedding and somehow ‘it happened again.’ I was mostly able to suspend disbelief, and was only somewhat annoyed by the resolution of some of the situations. The far off setting of Thailand was able to top the Vegas setting and make the ridiculous possible and I was overall able to go along for the ride of yet another uncovering of a forgotten night to save the day.

At times it takes more than a normal step over the edge of good taste, but to have them uncover tasteful behavior would be disappointing. The guys again are all good in their wacky friendship and I should admit I still could just watch Bradley Cooper in anything. It ended up being a fun ride and a good excuse for popcorn. And if you didn’t see the first one I wouldn’t start with the second, get your Netflix on.

Notable dvd releases 7/5 and 7/12:

• 13 Assassins – An elite team of assassins, perhaps…
• Arthur* – This Russell Brand remake just appeared dreadful.
• Insidious – Haunted house is supposed to be pretty well done but not so much in my wheelhouse.
• The Lincoln Lawyer – Caught this McConaughey flick based on the Connelly book and it make good plane entertainment.
• Of Gods and Men – This monks among Muslims is supposed to be quite good, might see it.
• Rango* – Depp voicing over this cartoon lizard western isn’t enough draw for me.
• The Cape (Season 1) – Only a season of this ridiculous attempt at superhero appeal.
• Damages (Season 3) – I never quite got into this Glen Close legal machinations.
• Entourage (Season 7) – If you’re still with the guys they’re almost done.
• Eureka (Season 4) – For a light but fun fictional science to the max goes awry town.

* releases 7/15

X-Men: First Class

So I’m not a particular X-Men fan, but I have seen the earlier ones, I do in general like a good comic book flick, and I particularly like an origin flick. The reviews were in and it was supposed to be entertaining so it sounded like a good matinee, and the right time and place doesn’t hurt.

It’s called first class so you kind of know where the story is going, but it’s basically framed around the origins of and the relationship between Professor X and Magneto. Because they have a lot of story that they’re trying to tell the movie keeps moving. Unfortunately because they’re cranking through so much territory, and because you basically have a clear idea where things are going, you’re never quite invested.

Being a comic book franchise it makes it sort of ok that the characters are basically cartoonish, not just in their abilities but in their dimensionality (or lack thereof). What worked for them was the casting of James McAvoy (Atonement) as an idealistic man, a born leader able to bridge the gap between mutant and human using his mentalist abilities always for good, and Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) as a tortured boy and man who is clear that his abilities to manipulate metal make him separate from humans. They each capture the essence of where Charles (X) and Eric (Magneto) come from and map to who we see them as later in life.

So I can’t for the life of me keep all of these characters straight and I might have appreciated it more (or noticed inconsistencies more) if I were an avid follower. But overall I was able to appreciate some of the character development as well as a couple of cameos. All in all it did in fact keep me entertained as a good summer matinee.

Most intriguing preview: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara/Least intriguing preview: The Change-Up with Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds

Notable dvd releases 6/28:

• Barney’s Version – Dustin Hoffman looks back on his/Barney’s life – probably skip it
• Beastly – A cocky hot dude, Alex Pettyfer, gets the tables turned and must gain depth and love, Vanessa Hudgens – definite pass
• Cyrus – Can romance survive an awkward mother son relationship, with John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei – uncomfortable humor mostly worked
• Sucker Punch – Comic booky fake reality to escape prison – definite pass
• Law & Order: CI (Season 6) – More crazy criminals – for the usual fans
• Rizzoli & Isles (Season 1) – Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander do the cop coroner buddy thing – for fluffy formula fans
• Warehouse 13 (Season 2) – Weird things get found and stored, a syfy twist on partner cop formula – for syfy formula fans

Pchron reader Tom recently asked me, “Hey why don’t you write about movies?” (or something more elaborate than that). And as much as I love a good flick, or even sometimes a not so good one, I don’t always keep up to date. Feast or famine is sort of my way, but since I’m heading into a feast phase I thought I might take a stab at it and see how it goes. I’m still not thinking his suggestion to start reviewing international books is going to happen anytime soon…

Super 8

I had read good reviews and also seen some tweets about not spoiling it so I put this at the top of my list. I’m a fan of writer, director, and producer J.J. Abrams who we may most know from television for Felicity, Alias, and Lost but is no stranger to film-making with Mission Impossible III and Star Trek among others. But as we all know fandom can only get you so far in a movie.

In this case I wasn’t disappointed. The success of this film is taking a big budget, big action, big concept idea and telling it through a small lens. The movie is set in 1979 in a small Ohio town where they’re able to emphasize the simple things, kids riding bikes through the streets, great styling clothes, fun music, and of course make it possible for kids to be shooting a movie that takes time to develop (no flip cameras here). Showing the movie through the eyes of the kids was a strong choice, it just makes things able to be more pure. Our child protagonist suffering a recent loss was a great ambassador to their world and their summer. They’re helping a friend shoot his zombie movie and when something unexpected happens the town shows greater and greater signs that this isn’t your regular incident.

None of that would have been believable or engaging if the kids weren’t able to pull it off. Fresh talent Joel Courtney does an excellent job as well as his pack of misfit friends and of course love interest, the latest Fanning. The adults don’t have to be much more than archetypes which in this case works fine. As with any movie with a certain amount of action, and any sort of unknown, you need to suspend your disbelief, and in this case for the most part I was able. There is something about not only the world created and the way the story is told but also the juxtaposition of the kids making a movie that made some of the common themes of these movies resonate when they could have easily seemed trite. A very good summer showing.

Most intriguing preview: Cowboys & Aliens with Daniel Craig/Least intriguing preview: Zookeeper with Kevin James

Coming out on dvd 6/21:

• The Adjustment Bureau – Matt Damon runs around with a girl he’s not fated to be with – I’ll probably skip it
• Cedar Rapids – Naive Ed Helms get the full hotel convention treatment – Might catch it
• Unknown – Liam Neeson’s life is erased after a car crash, or is it? – I’ll probably skip it
• The Closer (6th Season) -Krya Sedgwick and her department are entertaining if not ground breaking solving ‘major crimes’ – Recommend for procedural likers
• Louie (1st Season) – This is definitely an offbeat comedian sitcom but give it a shot you might be one of the folks who find it hilarious – Recommend for comedian or quirky enthusiasts
• Medium (Full Series) – Turns out I don’t love Patricia Arquette in this but lots of fans out there enjoyed the her as seeing the dead helps solve a case wife and mother – Didn’t watch

In case I can’t keep up to date with flicks I thought I might keep an eye on what notable videos might be in the mix but we’ll see how this nets out as I move along.