• Director: Bill Condon
• Release Date: November 2011
• Writers: Melissa Rosenberg, Stephenie Meyer
• Run Time: 117
• Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Tagline: Forever is only the beginning

Review: Im a huge fan of the books, but Ive been disappointed with the last two movies so my hopes werent that high for this one. I shouldnt have worried. Breaking Dawn blew me away from the first scene. Stewart is finally acting, which is one of the biggest reasons why this movie is so much better than the others. She portrays Bella in a way that is so close to the book, and its wonderful to see her and Pattinson playing lovers that are so, so, so in love. The fact that Bill Condon (director) gave the happy couple so much time to be just that, happy, makes you really believe in their love and it makes you understand why they cant live without each other. Such an important part (or THE most important thing I should say) but something that the previous directors have failed in showing.

This movie takes you from a beautiful wedding, complete with the most hilarious toasts (Jessica and Charlie) wonderful music, stunning dresses and declarations of love that will touch everyones hearts, to South America for a sexy, funny and exciting honeymoon where we see heartfelt smiles, kissing, cuddling and teasing along with the epic headboard breaking scene. It then settles back in Forks, where we get to witness the most terrifying pregnancy imaginable. The special effects team deserve an Oscar for the work theyve done on making Stewart look like shes slowly fading away. The moments leading up to the birth scene are actually scarier than the scene itself. It really is a horror film towards the end, and some scenes should maybe have been rated R. It ends in the perfect place, such a natural and obvious cut. I am so thankful that Breaking Dawn has been split into two parts, because I cant imagine even once scene in this part that could have been skipped. Condon is a genius.

• Director: Gavin O Connor
• Release Date: September 2011
• Writers: Gavin O Connor, Anthony Tambakis
• Run Time: 140
• Genre: Action, Drama, Sport

Tagline: Family is worth fighting for.

Review: Warrior brings to the table the world of mixed martial arts, where punches, kicks, holds, and everything else goes. The inception of new international tournament Sparta puts on a collision course Paddy (Nick Nolte), Brendan (Joel Edgerton), and Tom Conlon (Tom Hardy), all part of an estranged family torn apart in the past by abuse, favoritism, and abandonment. Tom resurfaces in society to enlist the help of his formerly alcoholic father Paddy to train him for the tournament, while at the same time Brendan revisits his UFC training in hopes to win the $5 million purse for his struggling family. The two underdogs face some of the toughest MMA fighters on the planet, but the true struggle appears to lie within them. Paddy battles for forgiveness against the resentment of his sons, Tom fights to prove to himself that he is strong, and Brendan struggles to come to terms with his older family while trying to support one of his own.

The fantastic thing here is two protagonists entering the same tournament. Each brother has his own respectable reasons for fighting, a fact that is sure to divide the audience when it comes time to choose which one to root for. The story truly is gut-wrenchingly powerful and presented in an engaging fashion. Little by little through the films dialogue, we are allowed a glimpse into the past hardships of the Conlon family, and the characters motivations for retaining such hatred are revealed gradually. Through the incredible acting talents of Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte, this confused and passionate chemistry really comes alive. All three actors put up some of the most convincing and heartbreaking performances of their careers; and seeing as how The Fighter garnered so many Oscar nominations, I cant see why Warrior will not do the same. My only beef with the movie is its cliched climax and rather bleak inconclusive ending, though it still does good to the emotional schism the movie intended to create.

Warrior is one of those sports films with a magical mixture of emotional and physical battle. Its a wonderful story showing how sometimes the worlds strongest forces are insignificant in comparison to the troubles of a scarred family. Warrior is without a doubt worth a visit to the theater. One of the best of 2011! And whether youre an MMA fan or not, the adrenaline-pumping fights will have you up and cheering and applauding.

• Director: Brett Ratner
• Release Date: November 2011
• Writers: Ted Griffin, Jeff Nathanson
• Run Time: 104
• Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Tagline: Ordinary guys. An extraordinary robbery.

Review: This movie has a lot of star power with big comedians like Ben Stiller and Eddie Murray. Some of the marketing plays it up as a semicomedy or comparisons to the Oceans 11 movies. I was expecting to laugh. While there were some minor (very minor) chuckles, it was far from a comedy. As a pure heist movie, it was okay but when you factor in all the star power and potential, I had to rate it poorly.

Eddie Murray does have one mild rant but otherwise is way under utilized. I seldom like characters played by Alan Alda since the first few seasons of MASH and this was no exception. The fact he was trying to play an unlikeable character is beside the point I believe. Matthew Broderick was in the movie but there was really nothing about the part that showcased his talent. Tea Leonis FBI character was also confusing and it was like her characters motivation would change to fit whatever fit the plot at that particular moment. Ben Stiller did a good job but as with the others in the movie, there was very little of either the funny Stiller or the drama Stiller. What finished the movie off for me as a poor 3 out of 10 rating was the ending. No spoiler here about it except to say that the ending turned it from an okay unfunny heist movie to a movie I am very disappointed to have wasted my money to see.

I went with my wife and 2 children. I have not seen many movies at the theaters in the last few months. Looking at this movie along with the ~$65 I paid helps convince me I do not want to see many more. People beside me felt it appropriate to talk back to the screen frequently, someone in front of us might have had TB based on the amount of hacking coughing, someone behind my daughter had another discussion going on and overall I was left thinking I would rather have waited for the DVD, paid $1 and watched it in my living room. I hope theater owners wake up before it is too late for them.

• Director: Bruce Robinson
• Release Date: October 2011
• Writers: Bruce Robinson, Hunter S. Thompson
• Run Time: 120
• Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Tagline: One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well.

Review: Rum Diary was an interesting movie that told the story of a writer at a crossroads in his life who flees to Puerto Rico in 1960 to either find something better in himself or get lost in a river of rum.

Johnny Depp goes a good job as a failing novelist who takes to journalism for the San Juan Star in hoping that writing something will help him ultimately succeed at writing novels. Depp is captivating in every scene, as his character falls into endless trouble but finds ways out. Ultimately, the chaos around him helps Depp’s character find focus and purpose.

Michael Ribosi does an outstanding job as Depp’s sidekick and American guide to Puerto Rico. Ribosi’s character survives on rum and the occasional hamburger. Despite his characters self-destructive nature, his character adds warmth and humanity to the film.

I initially went to see Rum Diary for its setting in Puerto Rico. I have lived in Puerto Rico and visited many times. The rural settings accurately depict the rural Puerto Rican lifestyle even today. And the beauty of the island and Old San Juan is captured nicely throughout the movie, albeit less than I hoped.

The Rum Diary is a captivating look into a fascinating and flawed character in a unique time and place.

• Director: Andrew Niccol
• Release Date: October 2011
• Writers: Andrew Niccol
• Run Time: 109
• Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Tagline: Time Is Power

Review: Justin Timberlake is impressive as Will Salas, a 28 year old man who is chronically living day to day, literally, due to the fact that he was born in a slum, in a world where your life span is the only currency out there. Of course we are left with no doubt that although he feels the pressure acutely, he is still very generous to the people in his community.

One night at a local bar, Will happens to meet Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer), a man who has lots of time, but is weary after having living for more than a century already. Will saves Henry from a gang of time hustlers known as Minute Men by hiding out in a factory. It is there, after Will sleeps, that Henry empties his clock of all but 5 minutes, topping up Wills life span before leaving to secure a poetic end for himself.

Will all this time on his clock, Will gives some to his drunkard friend, and intends to use much of the rest to treat his 50 year old Mother Rachel (Olivia Wilde), only to get to her too late to prevent her from “timing out” for good. Devastated by her loss, Will decides to work to help others and shake up the system.

Along the way, Will is pursued Timekeeper Leon (played effectively by Cillian Murphy) and by Fortis (supurbly played by the gorgeous Alex Pettyfer) and his Minute Men gang. While trying to evade both men and their factions, Will takes rich girl Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried) hostage, which turns into a romance.

The film itself however works because the commentary is so relevant: Will sees the system for its cruelty, but as he works to change it, hes unable to do it without the help of Sylvia. Timekeeper Leon was once in the ghetto like Will, and he seems to be a fair man, but he believes that the system is the best one available to THIS society at THIS time, so its best to uphold it and accept it. Fortis is the scumbag criminal (albeit gorgeous) who plays dirty and cannibalizes his own community to get ahead, so he likes the system because it lets him do what he wants to do. Sylvia is the curious and insulated branch of affluence who knows the system is unfair, but is unsure of how to change it.

• Director: Jennifer Yuh
• Release Date: May 2011
• Writers: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
• Run Time: 90
• Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
• Rating: PG
• IMDB: Kung Fu Panda 2

Tagline: Prepare for the return of awesomeness.

Review: My biggest fear about sequels is its gonna end up pretty bad and ruin the first one. But I remember, Dreamworks already understand how to make a true good animated movie so I dont have to worry. Now the sequel just got more awesome. Non stop action and non stop laughs. The heart is also there. Kung Fu Panda 2 is just as good as the first one.

The trailer makes us dubious but this is Dreamworks. Anyways, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a great continuation of the series. The story still has a heart and some scenes can almost move you to tears. The movie has bigger and more Kung Fu action and yes, the action never stops. Its all kick butt action.

I like it how they improved the editing. Remember Megamind, It feels like you were flying in every flying sequences. They did the same thing in Kung Fu Panda 2. Fast Moving Action that its fun to see it even if its in 2D. I dont really bash 3D though. The jokes are obviously everywhere. Even in serious scenes it suddenly has humor.

The new comers from the cast did a great job. Gary Oldman is definitely good at being a villain in movies even if its animated. Michelle Yeoh made her character likable. Jean Claude Van Damme is awesome even though his scenes were few. This movie still has the same style from the first movie. Magnificent flash animation in the intro, flashbacks, and the dream sequence. Nice music score. And a lot more.

I just said this movie is as good as the first movie but if I had to pick which Kung Fu Panda movie is better then it would be the first one. Its more heart warming but Kung Fu Panda 2 is already good enough as a sequel because its bigger and too awesome. Unfortunately, Its too awesome it moderates the heart a little bit but its entertaining at its best. To be honest, this could be the best movie of the summer so far.

• Director: Matthew Vaughn
• Release Date: June 2011
• Writers: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz
• Run Time: 132
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
• Rating: PG-13
• IMDB: X-Men First Class

Tagline: The story begins

Review: I love the Xmen, I will not beat around the bush. There are so many mutants, heroes and anti-heroes that you relate can to at least one of them. The franchise has had its ups and downs. The first two films made the superhero genre what it is today. Stunning set pieces, breath taking special effects and a group dynamic that was brilliantly cemented in the second film. The third struck a middle ground where the spectacle overshadowed the narrative but was still a fun ride, and the last title Xmen Origins: Wolverine, was the only miss-step in the series. Xmen first Class is really very good. It manages to keep up with the first two whilst retaining an originality in its own right.

The Direction is great, Vaughns clearly got a knack for angles and keeping the audience engaged whilst the story chops and changes. The look of the film is modern, yet still has a 60s and almost retro look about it. The special effects are very good, though some how not quite up there with Xmen: The Last Stand. The energy is fast and relentless and the action sequences blend in with the dialogue sequences seamlessly.

The acting is very good, though Patrick Stewart and Ian Mckellen are definitely missed, McAvoy and Fassbender do excellent jobs and really are in keeping with the characters you already know and love. Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw are deliciously malevolent and Moira Mctaggart is perfectly pitched. My only reservation about the acting in the film is of Mystique, who I believe wasnt quite right, her motives in the film dont seem in complete continuity with the rest of the films.

A sequel has already been planned and I shall be eagerly awaiting it. Having Storm back in the series would be a personal highlight for myself, but not necessary. I would highly recommend this film to anyone that has watched the original films and even for newcomers.

• Director: Todd Phillips
• Release Date: May 2011
• Writers: Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong
• Run Time: 102
• Genre: Comedy
• Rating: R
• IMDB: Hangover Part 2

Tagline: The Wolfpack is back!

Review: Just about everyone and their mother knows the original Hangover was amazing and one of the best comedies, possibly in all of film history, well of the past decade easily. This sequel is very strange in that its hardly a sequel, its more like a reworking.

They seemed to have used the exact same formula of the original, including major plot points and even what musicians soundtrack which scenes, theres a Kanye song playing on both when theyre going out, theres a Wolfmother song playing again near the climax, that same singer with the eerie voice has a song at the beginning during the credits, after the we screwed up phone call, but somehow they managed to basically copy themselves without it feeling cheap.

Im not sure how they achieved this, but as unoriginal as the film is, it just works. They basically took every crazy scene of the original and amplified times 100. Everything is absolutely insane, they are definitely some things that will catch you by huge surprise. In some ways, this does indeed make this movie funnier and more action packed than the original, but what really made the Hangover so great was that the characters seemed very real, like you could see all of those things happening to you and your friends if you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, several times in a row.

That feeling of realistic characters and believable disasters is hardly present in the Hangover 2, because the events are so extreme and the characters choices go past the morals of an average man, take into consideration that I believe the characters in the original were close to average men. If you havent seen the first one though, you could possibly think this is one of the funniest movies ever.

So while it is funnier, it is less believable which takes away from some of the humor, but I still say it levels out to be about as good as the original.

• Director: Rob Marshall
• Release Date: May 2011
• Writers: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
• Run Time: 137
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• Rating: PG-13
• IMDB: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Tagline: On Stranger Tides…

Review: Stranger Tides brings tidings from strangers in this extension of a 1 part turned 3 part franchise, now pitted to carry on into its sixth instalment of the saga. Rob Marshall steps in to take the helm as director, as Johnny Depp continues his reign as the titular Jack Sparrow. No longer legend for his captaincy, we find Sparrow in London amidst the largest collection of known British actors outside of Harry Potter. After rescuing first mate Gibbs (hes the one who slept with the pigs) from hanging under Sparrows name, our swaggering swashbuckler discovers theres a new Jack in town.

Meanwhile an arms race is taking place between the Brits (led by Geoffrey Rushs now peg legged Barbossa), the Spaniards, and big ol Blackbeard to find the Fountain of Youth. Pretty self explanatory, their motives and maps are laid out in a series of hops back and forth from exposition to rehashed sword fight and chase sequences through the streets of London. While Jacks runaways are more Austin Powers than Bond, the swift swish of metal is far preferable to Verbinskis interminable distraction with ship battles in parts 2 and 3. It takes a long time to get to the captain crossover and corrupt bargaining that the first film did so well, with a race to the finish opposed to a tactical playoff. But, warming up to a reunion between Sparrow and Barbossa, its the archival camaraderies that bring out the best in the remaining key characters. Its in this unlikely union youll find most of the laughs.

Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane team up as Sparrows ex lover Angelica and evil buccaneer Blackbeard, though her needy deception and his one note barbarism dont liven up proceedings as much as Will and Elizabeths foolish frivolities have in prequels past. In a despairing attempt to plug the gap, too much is made of an attraction between a random mercenary and mermaid by the by, a depiction of the mythical creatures is too close to a Lynx advert for comfort, and the key to a center piece so pointless that its almost a relief that CG was similarly cut and plugged with slow searing 3D effects.

Hingeing heavily on Sparrows well documented improvisation, many of the set pieces are fun and nimble, though frustratingly hampered by needless 3D which knocks the pace of the action sequences. Hans Zimmers ever excellent score pulls together all the rogue threads, keeping well within the range of the first film and injecting a vigorous dose of fun. Restrained and keeping convention, Pirates 4 is far from heading up the franchise, but remains a solid addition to the fleet.

• Director: David Gordon Green
• Release Date: April 2011
• Writers: Danny McBride, Ben Best
• Run Time: 102
• Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
• Rating: R
• IMDB: Your Highness

Tagline: This spring, prepare for their excellency.

Review: Your Highness could have so easily become just another spoof along the lines of Epic Movie or Meet the Spartans but surprisingly just as the action was treated seriously in Pineapple Express, the fantasy elements here are just as important as the comedy. The special effects and production design are very impressive and the film certainly looks epic using the country of Ireland as its backdrop. There are evil witches firing lightning all over the place, there are mechanical beasts right out of the original Clash of the Titans and there is a weird hand/pit/monster thing that is cool as hell. Its also mega gory, limbs are hacked off and there is plenty of blood. Of course there is silly humor, very silly. If you didnt get Greens last comedy you may struggle here although Your Highness is probably the better film.

This could well be the film that breaks Danny McBride into super stardom as he is the main star here. He delivers his lines in a pretty flawless English accent and the character is a classic spoiled loser who must learn to be a man. Just wait until you see the scene where he takes a trophy from a kill, its hilarious and gross. James Franco is being himself but also gets plenty of laughs jabbing away at the image of the handsome prince who writes poetry while also being handy with a sword. Portman is her usual brilliant self and for all her male fans there is a bathing scene that will get your temperature up. The main cast are supported by some more traditional thespian types. Toby Jones plays a creepy town crier type, Charles Dance is the king, Damian Lewis plays a treacherous knight and Justin Theroux nearly steals the whole thing as Leezar. Previously best known for smaller roles in David Lynch films and writing Tropic Thunder, Theroux is a comic revelation here delivering many of the films best lines with prosthetic teeth and a hideous wig. I laughed a lot and loudly and so did the packed audience.

The script is written by McBride with his frequent collaborator Ben Best and clearly they have a lot of affection for the 1980s fantasy movies they (and I) grew up with. Films like Krull, Clash of The Titans, Hawk the Slayer, Willow, Conan and Beastmaster are all wonderfully homaged and never poked fun at. It really could have died on its ass for being so ambitious but in the hands of a craftsman like David Gordon Green it works wonders.