Cinema 2009

CINEMA 2009





The International
Terminator: Salvation
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Watchmen
Terminator: Salvation
Antichrist
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Public Enemies
2012
New Moon
Last Ride
Antichrist
The International
Whiteout
9
The International
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Inglourious Basterds
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Oorlogswinter
Fast and Furious
Terminator: Salvation
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Terminator: Salvation
Watchmen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Sherlock Holmes
The Road
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Brothers
The Lovely Bones
The Box
District 9
Push
Killshot
Che
Watchmen
Fame
Public Enemies
Where The Wild Things Are
Star Trek
Duplicity
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Precious
Not Easily Broken
An Education
My Sister's Keeper
Mao's Last Dancer
Away We Go
The Boys Are Back
Where The Wild Things Are
Phoebe in Wonderland
Is Anybody There?
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Is Anybody There?
Revolutionary Road
New York, I Love You
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Crazy Heart
Gomorrah
The Hurt Locker
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Sunshine Cleaning
Public Enemies
Inglourious Basterds
Jennifer's Body
Two Lovers
This Is It
The Soloist
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
What Goes Up
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Nine
Phoebe in Wonderland
Moon
(500) Days of Summer
Avatar
Little Ashes
The Boat That Rocked
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Nine
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Terminator: Salvation
Knowing
Race to Witch Mountain
A Christmas Carol
Star Trek
Knowing
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Gentlemen Broncos
Dragonball: Evolution
Public Enemies
Star Trek
Amelia
Land of the Lost
Killshot
Terminator: Salvation
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Fame
Night At The Museum 2
The Boat That Rocked
Observe and Report
Adventureland
Sherlock Holmes
Fired Up
Year One
Land of the Lost
Funny People
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Zombieland
Inglourious Basterds
Watchmen
Inglourious Basterds
Public Enemies
Whip It
Killshot
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Star Trek
New Moon
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
It Might Get Loud
The Vampire's Assistant
A Perfect Getaway
Ong Bak 2
Jennifer's Body
Mutant Chronicles
Law Abiding Citizen
Underworld
Notorious
Jennifer's Body
9
Fast and Furious
Gamer
Terminator: Salvation
2012
Brothers
Terminator: Salvation
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Law Abiding Citizen
Inglourious Basterds
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
New Moon
Fast and Furious
Avatar
Gomorrah
Push
A Perfect Getaway
Terminator: Salvation
Watchmen
9
Mutant Chronicles
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Push
Nine
Gamer
State of Play
Underworld 3
Notorious
Armored
9
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Antichrist
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Crossing Over
Whiteout
Avatar
A Perfect Getaway
The Proposal
New York, I Love You
(500) Days of Summer
Adventureland
Hannah Montana: The Movie
The Boys Are Back
Phoebe in Wonderland
Coco Avant Chanel
Amelia
Adventureland
In The Loop
I Love You, Man
Whip It
The Ugly Truth
Motherhood
New York, I Love You
Taking Woodstock
Shrink
The Burning Plain
Let Them Chirp Awhile
Up In The Air
Paper Heart
New York, I Love You
Last Chance, Harvey
A Serious Man
Extract
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Whip It
Love Happens
(500) Days of Summer
The Burning Plain
Spread
The Boat That Rocked
Spread
I Hate Valentine's Day
The Brothers Bloom
The Boat That Rocked
Year One
17 Again
Nine
I Love You, Man
Spread
Adam
The Boat That Rocked
Phoebe in Wonderland
The Time Traveler's Wife
Sunshine
Let Them Chirp Awhile
Angels and Demons
Cheri
Funny People
My One And Only
Bright Star
A Christmas Carol
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Boys Are Back
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Post Grad
The Time Traveler's Wife
Inkheart
Phoebe in Wonderland
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Love Happens
Fame
Away We Go
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
District 9
The Soloist
Coraline
Ninja Assassin
Old Dogs
The Informant!
Where The Wild Things Are
Taking Woodstock
Up
Merry Gentlemen
Shrink
Mary and Max
Paris
Night At The Museum 2
Adam
A Serious Man
New Moon
Invictus
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cracks
Cold Souls
Sugar
Terminator: Salvation
Julie and Julia
Nine
Bright Star
The Young Victoria
Everybody's Fine
New York, I Love You
Precious
Tetro
The Lovely Bones
An Education
Che
Crazy Heart
It Might Get Loud
Taking Woodstock
Cracks
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Invictus
Nowhere Boy
Public Enemies
(500) Days of Summer

The trilogy meter

Indiana Jones and the Fortress of Suckitude

Those of us whose formative childhood memories include snake pits and being chased by giant stone spheres have been awaiting the release of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Would the new movie make us feel like the excited 10-year-olds we were back when we first met Indy? Or would George Lucas exercise his awesome talent for sodomizing his own franchises and give us some earthly version of Jar Jar Binks?

Well, an operative for AICN has seen a sneak preview of the movie, and the news ain’t good. This guy obviously learned his grammar, syntax, and keyboard skills from Courtney Love, but the message is clear: Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull pulses with all the energy and excitement of a Fred Thompson presidential bid. Worse yet, he claims that the special effects are cheesy and inept, and for the last ten years special effects have been the only thing George Lucas was any good at. Well, rats. Guess I’ll be re-seeing Iron Man and trying to ignore the Indy trailer at the beginning.

agentbedhead.com

Rambo comparison :)

Official "Saw IV" Teaser

After the Comic-Con footage and all the waiting, Lionsgate finally decided to release the official teaser for the upcoming fourth installment of "Saw." In it, are the many victims who will be forced to play Jigsaw's games, unfortunately, we won't find out how until the movie is released. This one is a real teaser.

After Comic-Con rejected the first five minutes of "Saw IV" and the film was awarded an 'NC-17' rating by the MPAA, the studio knew that edits had to be made. A little slicing took place and the MPAA came back with an 'R' rating for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture throughout, and for language. That's better, now I can take the kids to see this.

You can check out all the grisly bloody violence for yourself, when the film hits theaters on October 26th.

Matt Damon Talks "Bourne Ultimatum" DVD Extras

With the release of "The Bourne Supremacy: Extended Edition" in the UK, fans have been complaining that there is nothing extended about it. In fact, the 104 minute running time is exactly the same as the original.

DeadlineHollywood contacted Universal, who had the following to say: "The Extended Version was released by our UK operating company (Opco); it includes extra bonus features, and so the DVD running time is longer but the actual film is not longer."

Seems like false advertising, but on top of that the bonus material is apparently not that great either. Speaking about previous DVD extras from the past two movies, Matt Damon said: "One of the DVDs came out and it said explosive extra scenes and it was all these scenes that were not good enough to be in the movie. It's kind of like walking into a house, holding a bunch of dog sh*t and saying, 'Hey look what I almost stepped in.'"

As difficult as it might be to accept, Damon wants to let us know that it will be different with the "Bourne Ultimatum" DVD. "I've seen the extras for the next DVD and they are very good. There is more behind the scenes footage."

The Bourne Ultimatum - Theatrical Review

There are actually three screenwriters credited for The Bourne Ultimatum, though it's hard to imagine what exactly they all did to earn their paycheck. "You don't remember anything, do you?" "It's Bourne." "It ends here." [insert car chase] That doesn't mean that this third installment of the popular shaky-cam travelogue spy thriller series doesn't deliver all that it's intended to, and occasionally more, it just means that you're more likely to hear barked-out commands or the sound of squealing tires and shattering glass than two or more actors exchanging full sentences as part of a conversation. This is a film that asks exactly how much traditional storytelling structure can you cleave away and still have a coherent and engaging piece of work? The answer: Nearly all of it.

Coming off last year's abysmally underrated United 93, director Paul Greengrass thankfully returns for his second film in the series about the titular amnesiac CIA-trained assassin (Matt Damon) with identity issues. Although the resulting film is not nearly up to the hard-to-match bar set by the preceding film, The Bourne Supremacy, it's hard to imagine any other director currently working who would be able to keep the relentless pace delivered by Ultimatum. Unfortunately, it's also all too easy to see that the filmmakers and Damon are coasting when they could be soaring.

The stripped-down storyline that powers the film with motorized intensity concerns Bourne's identity. Having lost his girlfriend in the previous film, and spent a few years now running from various rogue CIA elements who want to eliminate an embarrassment before it can cause them any political damage, at film's start Bourne is now hot on the trail of his missing identity. It's clear that somebody inside the Agency is talking, as Bourne is reading stories about himself in The Guardian by an investigative journalist (Paddy Considine, nicely twitchy) who must have a highly placed source. Those previously mentioned rogue Agency elements are pretty hot to keep Bourne away from the secret program that created brainwashed killing machines like himself, and so the assassins -- a number of whom seem as relentlessly lethal and mindless as Bourne himself, an interesting twist -- come out of the wordwork to give chase in a variety of locations, from Tangiers to midtown Manhattan to an extended and exceptionally taut chase and surveillance sequence set in London's cavernous, clamoring Waterloo Station. Needless to say, by brains and brawn, Bourne burrows ever closer to discovering the true secret of his identity that's been eluding him as he races from one exotic European locale to another.

It would be ludicrous to say that The Bourne Ultimatum is not a thriller worth notice. Greengrass's hyperfluid direction and Oliver Wood's documentary-style cinematography make for an addictive mix, a pared-down action series for the post-9/11 era, where it's more about speed, lethality, and moral grey zones and less about cartoonish villains and sarcastic quips. But there's a limit to how far you can push this style, and this film flirts with that limit quite seriously. There are long stretches where little to no dialogue is provided beyond shouted directions to the thankless drones monitoring surveillance footage for the CIA as they track Bourne around the globe. Once Bourne gets closer to his target (the occasional pained flashback cutting in, giving glimpses of the training program that turned him into the killer he currently is), it's difficult to feel the necessary emotional impact for him, since the series has worked so hard at turning him into such a robotic entity.

It's much easier to impress an audience with masterfully assembled chases or killer martial arts moves -- and there's a couple of extraordinarily bruising fight scenes here that are unlike anything Hollywood has produced in quite a while -- than it is to get that audience to feel a human empathy for the man negotiating all that lethal territory. The audience may clap for Bourne when he executes a particularly smart maneuver (has there ever been a screen spy who has so flawlessly mixed graceful cunning with predatory nerve?) but will they feel for him when he's confronted by a woman he loved from the past but whom the amnesia has erased from his mind? Does it even matter? Probably not; a fourth film is most likely on the way, but it would be nice if, in the future, the filmmakers remembered that Bourne was human, and treated him as such.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Director Paul Greengrass
Produced by Patrick Crowley, Frank Marshall, Paul L. Sandberg, Doug Liman
Written by Novel Robert Ludlum
Screen Story Tony Gilroy
Screenplay Tony Gilroy and Scott Z. Burns and George Nolfi Tom Stoppard (uncredited)
Starring Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine,
Edgar Ramirez, Albert Finney, Joan Allen,
Music by John Powell
Cinematography Oliver Wood
Editing by Christopher Rouse
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Plot Outline: Bourne dodges new, superior assassins as he searches for his unknown past while a government agent tries to track him down.

Running time 111 min
Country USA
Language English
Budget $110 Million
Gross revenue $244,539,830 (worldwide)


The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 film loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same name.

A sequel to The Bourne Supremacy and the third film of the Bourne Trilogy, it stars Matt Damon reprising his role as Ludlum's signature character, amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne. Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Albert Finney, and Joan Allen co-star. The key cast members reprise their roles from the two previous Bourne movies, with additions such as Strathairn, playing a CIA department head; Paddy Considine as a British journalist; and Edgar Ramirez as a new assassin sent to kill Bourne. The film continues the saga of Jason Bourne after he survives the harrowing Bourne Supremacy car chase in Moscow, Russia, and follows the character as he travels to Paris, London, Madrid, Tangier and New York City to uncover his real identity, while the CIA continues to send assassins after him.

Paul Greengrass directed the film from a script by Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns, George Nolfi and an uncredited Tom Stoppard.[citation needed] The producers were Patrick Crowley, Frank Marshall, Paul L. Sandberg and Doug Liman, who directed the first Bourne movie, The Bourne Identity.

The Bourne Ultimatum was produced by Universal Pictures and was released on August 3, 2007 in North America, where it grossed $69.3 million in ticket sales in its first weekend of release, making it the highest August opening. The film was released on August 16, 2007, in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Singapore.

By the end of August 2007, the film was said to be on track to exceed the international box office gross of the first two films in the trilogy.


Cast

* Matt Damon as Jason Bourne (Captain David Webb): an amnesiac who was previously a CIA assassin, Bourne is trying to escape Moscow police at the beginning of the film, shortly after stopping a Russian assassin in an auto chase near the end of the previous film.
* David Strathairn as Noah Vosen: a CIA Deputy Director, Vosen is the head of Operation Blackbriar, a renamed and upgraded Operation Treadstone.
* Joan Allen as Pamela Landy: a CIA Deputy Director, Landy is working with Vosen to track and capture Bourne.
* Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons: formerly Bourne's Treadstone contact in Paris, she was assigned to Madrid after attempts to capture Bourne in Berlin and Russia failed.
* Paddy Considine as Simon Ross: a British journalist who has been uncovering the secrets behind the origin of Operation Treadstone, and Bourne's past.
* Albert Finney as Dr. Albert Hirsch: the CIA specialist who supervised Bourne's behavior modification training prior to Operation Treadstone.
* Scott Glenn as Ezra Kramer: Director of the CIA.
* Colin Stinton as Neal Daniels: CIA's Station Chief in Madrid.
* Joey Ansah as Desh Bouksani: a Blackbriar assassin quartered in North Africa.
* Edgar Ramirez as Paz: a Blackbriar assassin who is sent after Ross and Bourne.
* Tom Gallop as Tom Cronin: Landy's deputy.
* Corey Johnson as Wills: Vosen's deputy at Operation Blackbriar.
* Sam Dang as Raymond Sykes: Deputy commander of CIA New York branch. Former field agent attached to Vosen.

Die Hard 4.0

Synopsis

In this action-packed sequel, John McClane no longer works for the police department, but his job chasing down dangerous hackers for the Department of Homeland Security still places him directly in the line of fire. When an attack on America’s vulnerable infrastructure begins to shut down the entire nation, McClane is assigned the dangerous task of capturing the mysterious figure behind the act of terror and preventing chaos and catastrophe.

Die Hard 4

The latest film in the “Die Hard” will start shooting later this month, with two new actors joining Bruce Willis.

As Variety reports, Justin Long and Maggie Q were chosen as the co-stars for “Live Free or Die Hard”, with “Underworld”'s Len Wiseman directing.

The 28 year-old Long previously appeared in “Herbie Fully Loaded” and “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story”.
Maggie Q recently appeared in “Mission: Impossible III”.

Rumors of a fourth “Die Hard” film were in circulation since “Die Hard With a Vengeance” was released in 1995.

"Our villain is high-tech, but the way McClane deals with him is low-tech. A fist fight still solves a lot of problems", said director Wiseman towards the nature of the film.

”Live Free or Die Hard” is set to be released next June.

Transformers wallpapers

Fantastic Four - DVD Review

If you have been looking for an exciting movie, Fantastic Four is perfect for you. This movie has great special effects and loyalty to the comic book. This is an awesome film for everyone that is an old Fantastic Four fan and even for today's generation.

Volunteering for a voyage to an orbiting space station, four scientists are changed by cosmic rays. Johnny Storm, played by Chris Evans, creates and controls fire. Ben Grimm, played by Michael Chiklis, turns into an incredibly strong...thing! Dr. Reed Richards, played by Ioan Gruffudd, gets the ability to stretch his body. Sue Storm, portrayed by Jessica Alba, becomes invisible and can generate force fields.

Before leaving Earth, Dr. Richards approaches Victor Doom, played by Julian McMahon, with a business proposition involving research on genetics and finding a cure for a wide variety of diseases. They agree to use Doom's hovering space station to observe a unique space storm that contains the building blocks of life. Everything seems routine until the storm picks up speed and hits the station far ahead of schedule.

All at once, everyone on the space station is affected, though none of them are aware of it...until the genetic changes begin to happen.

Together, the "Fantastic Four", as named by the press, must intervene in the evil plans of Doom, a tycoon billionaire businessman. Being aboard the space station with the other four, Doom also changes gaining an invincible metal alloy body that absorbs and controls electricity.

Then it really gets complicated. Sue Storm and Reed Richards join forces to find a cure for their "special powers" and yet somehow, have to get past their old personal conflict. These two extremely intelligent scientists once were in love and had a painful end to their relationship. Now, suddenly reunited, they try to be professional with each other in order to figure out a way to change their bodies back to the way they used to be.

Ben Grimm really gets the short end of the stick. He has the most changes to deal with since his total appearance is altered to a walking huge hulk of living rocks. Even though he has a heart of gold, his girlfriend rejects him immediately, frightened by his new body. Ben Grimm endures even more humiliation when the press gives him the name, "The Thing". He cannot even use an elevator because his weight exceeds the limit of what elevators can handle, over two thousand pounds.

The movie grows more intense as Doom grows in his abilities and ambitions for power. Like his personality, he remains cold to human suffering, caring only for what he can use and control.

After being threatened directly by Doom, all four heroes, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Sue and Johnny Storm must band together to stop Doom from destroying the city and killing millions of innocent people.

"Fantastic Four" is Rated PG for sequences of intense action and suggestive content. This movie really delivers to the fan a lot of action, humor, and fun.

About the Author: Tom Straub is a successful author and webmaster of the DVD Reviews website featuring online reviews of all your favorites.

Official site

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - No.1 movie in sales

The 20th Century Fox sequel "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" debuted as the No. 1 weekend flick with $57.4 million in sales, slightly surpassing the $56.1 million opening of "Fantastic Four" two years ago, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The new "Fantastic Four" reunites the quartet of astronauts-turned-mutant-superheroes, played by Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans. This time, the comic-book heroes join forces with archenemy Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon) to take down the Silver Surfer, an emissary leading a planet-destroying entity to Earth, according to AP.

The studio and filmmakers toned down the action so the sequel could earn a PG rating to broaden the audience to family viewers. The first "Fantastic Four" was rated PG-13.

"A lot of the superhero comic-book movies are sort of geared toward being darker and edgier. We think 'Fantastic Four' is a more family friendly group of superheroes," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president for distribution at 20th Century Fox. "We wanted to make sure to cast a wide net and go after the family audience, and it worked."

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Sequel
Release Date: June 15th, 2007 (wide)
Distributors: 20th Century Fox Distribution


Riding the wave of success most comic book adaptations are receiving at the box office, the Fantastic Four are returning for a second helping. Not only am I extremely happy to see Jessica Alba in a skin-tight super costume, the next film introducing a new DC comic book character. Apparently the plotline reads: The Fantastic Four learn that they aren't the only super-powered beings in the universe when they square off against the power Silver Surfer and the planet-eating Galactus.

Shooter

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover, Kate Mara, more cast
Directed By: Antoine Fuqua
Released By: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: 03/23/2007
Run Time: 124 min.

Synopsis:

A top Army sniper who previously abandoned the military after a routine mission gave way to tragedy is double-crossed by the government after reluctantly being pressured back into service in Training Day director Antoine Fuqua's adaptation of Stephen Hunter's novel Point of Impact. There was a time when Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) was the best trigger-man in the military, but after growing disillusioned with the system, he disappeared without a trace. After being located at his remote mountain retreat by high-profile government officials following an extensive search, Swagger is coerced back into service in order to stop a determined assassin from taking out the President of the United States. In the process of carrying out his mission, however, Swagger suddenly realizes that he has been betrayed when he becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Now wounded and desperate to reveal the culprits behind the conspiracy before it's too late, Swagger sets into motion a revenge plan that will send shockwaves rippling to some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world. Danny Glover, Rhona Mitra, and Ned Beatty co-star in this conspiracy-driven action thriller that asks what it truly means to serve one's country.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Release Date: 07/13/2007
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, more cast
Directed By: David Yates
Released By: Warner Bros.
Genre: Family and Children, Fantasy, Action and Adventure

Synopsis:

In the fifth installment in the 'Potter' series, Harry and Dumbledore try to brace Hogwarts for the return of Voldemort, but find their warnings ignored and themselves targeted by the Wizard authorities. Meanwhile, an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at the school.

'Shrek the Third' Sneak Peek

Release Date: 05/18/2007

Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, more cast
Directed By: Raman Hui, Chris Miller
Released By: Paramount
Genre: Comedy, Animation

In Shrek's latest adventure, the green ogre with a heart of gold must find the rightful heir to the throne of Far Far Away -- or become king himself. Back for the ride are Donkey, Puss in Boots and Fiona -- but they're also joined by a slew of new characters, including a young King Arthur (voiced by Mr. Sexyback himself, Justin Timberlake). Meet the cast and get an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek.

Synopsis:

When Shrek married Fiona, the last thing he had in mind was becoming the next King. But when Shrek's father-in-law, King Harold, suddenly croaks, that is exactly what he faces. Unless Shrek (with the help of his trusted companions Donkey and Puss In Boots) can find a suitable King for Far Far Away, the ogre could be stuck with the job. The most promising candidate, Fiona's cousin Artie, an underachieving Medieval high school slacker, proves to be a more of a challenge than they bargained for.

Radcliffe, Grint and Watson Sign On to Final Harry Potter Films!

Well, we can officially scratch those rumors that suggested Emma Watson was not going to reprise the role of Hermione in the final two Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. According to a press release, Jeff Robinov, President of Production for Warner Bros. Pictures, made the announcement today. He says, "It would be inconceivable to imagine anyone else in the roles with which they have become so identified, so we are thrilled and proud that Daniel, Rupert and Emma have chosen to complete the arc of their characters in the final two films."

Reports circulated last week that claimed Watson had refused a last-ditch offer of around $4 million to appear in the final two films. Of course, Potter fans were not too happy about the news. However, it now appears none of it was true. With regards to her signing on, Watson states: "I could never let Hermione go-she is my hero! I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me. I am excited and honoured to be finishing what I started and playing her in all seven of the films." In this day and age, it's pretty remarkable to retain the central part of a cast for a total of seven films. Kudos to Warner Bros. for pulling it off. This is shaping up to be a huge summer for Potter and his clan; the final book in J.K. Rowling's series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, hits shelves on July 21, one week after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix hits theaters (July 13). Can you fans handle the excitement?

Spider-Man 3 -- Erik's Review

I decided to begin this review with a quote from the 10 year old (maybe 8 or 9) kid who walked behind me as we exited the theater. When his father asked him what he thought about the movie, the boy responded with, "I don't get what the big deal was." Although I kept walking, I wanted to turn around and tell him that if a film like Spider Man 3 came out when I was ten, I would've talked about it for weeks. The special effects alone would've infiltrated my dreams; I'd demand that my parents run out and immediately buy me any action figure associated with the film so that, within the comfort of my own home, I could let my imagination run loose. When I was ten, my friends and I prayed for films like Spider Man 3 - not because of the hotly-debated conversations we could have about the film's potential box office figures, but because it was bursting with the kind of energetic spirit us kids craved. I'm not sure whether kids these days know the power of imagination; part of the problem is that they've grown up in a medicated world without any surprises. And I guess if you're a kid who watched both Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 on your HD flat-screen TV in between games on your PS3, while trying to decipher the coded text messages your friends are sending, then you might not get what the big deal is here. Or maybe you did get it ... and you're just not impressed.

If anything, Spider Man 3 could be looked at as a healthier form of Ritalin - heck, there's so much going on in this film, kids don't have a lot of time to lose concentration. If you've seen any of the trailers, then I'm sure you already know the basic premise. In between Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has done a bit of growing up. Saving the day is no longer an overwhelming responsibility; instead, he's addicted to the attention. And though he's still madly in love with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), he's become consumed by his own greatness. The geeky, self-conscious kid from Queens has been replaced by a guy determined to be the best at every task he takes on, be it inside the suit or out. He's become the kind of guy who can't help but brag about his own adventures even when someone, like Mary Jane, is simply looking for a shoulder to cry on. Problem is, everyone is beginning to notice ... except for him. To Peter, life couldn't get any better. Sure he's still got some unsettled business with Harry Osborn (James Franco), but he has Mary Jane by his side. A woman he adores. A woman he wants to marry. Well, that's if she says yes.

The greatest thing about Spider-Man 3 is that it doesn't leap into your lap during those opening moments. Director Sam Raimi waits a good half-hour before serving his appetizer (which, in this case, is the first of many confrontations between Peter/Spider-Man and Harry Osborn/New Green Goblin). Some might criticize the film for not jumping right out of the gate, but there's this quiet build that's very enjoyable to watch. And when the rest of the film comes at you like a bloodthirsty pack of wolves, then it's the simple moments you end up cherishing the most. Though he's far from the awkward teenager he once was, Peter is having trouble making the transition from kid to adult. Thus, his relationship with Mary Jane is suffering. Whereas he used to find it tough to balance all these responsibilities at once, the immature side of him has become convinced that, because he's a superhero, he can do no wrong. Whatever doubts and insecurities he still has are now buried deep under several layers of Spidey coolness. Essentially, he's a little boy trapped in a grown-up body - a boy who's immune to real-life struggles, like losing a job or maintaining a successful career.

Once it's established that Mary Jane isn't crazy about the new (and improved?) Peter, the A.D.D. portion of the film begins. This consists of introducing one new character after another, while at the same time trying to tie up any loose ends left over from the previous two films. There's Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), The Daily Bugle's new photographer and Peter's greatest on-the-job nemesis. Eddie is determined to land a staff job by providing the newspaper with a handful of controversial Spider-Man photos. Yeah, like Peter would ever let that happen. There's Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), an escaped convict whose only goal is to reunite with his sick daughter and provide her with enough money to get better. (And though we're never really told what's wrong with her, it's nice to know that money solves all our problems.) Of course, along the way Flint stumbles into some sort of particle machine that fuses his body with a whole lot of sand, turning him into Sandman. At the same time, Captain Stacy (James Cromwell) informs Peter that Marko is the guy who killed his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), and not Dennis Carradine (Michael Papajohn). While all this is going on, some sort of alien symbiote conveniently crash lands on Earth in the same spot that Peter and Mary Jane are hanging out. We're not sure what it is or where it came from, but it arrives complete with a fashionable black Spidey suit. Oh, and then there's Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard). She's a waste of a character, but we'll get to her later.

All of these new villains begin to take time away from what I feel is the meat and potatoes of the Spider-Man story; that being the relationship between Peter, Harry and Mary Jane. I suppose it could be compared to hanging out with your three best friends in the same spot - your special spot - for years, until one day all of these strangers show up eager to join the party. Suddenly, that unique bond you once shared becomes infected by a slew of folks looking to share your memories. Are the special effects great? Yes. Are the action sequences fun to watch? Yes. But when Peter puts on that black suit, not only does he become a different person, but it also becomes a different movie. One that's too campy, too comedic. Whatever dark (but brief) moments Peter has while in the suit are overshadowed by a silly Saturday Night Fever sequence. Since Peter doesn't know how to be "cool," the alien symbiote helps him project his own ideas of being "cool." And folks, let's just say that none of it is very cool. That being said, it's all a bit too much to handle. And while I have to give credit to Sam Raimi for somehow packing it all in there (and still churning out a decent enough film), I would've been happier if some of this stuff was saved for a future installment.

Case in point: the Gwen Stacy character. Since Raimi and the gang missed the boat early on, failing to introduce Stacy in a spot that would've remained more faithful to the comics, including her here felt too forced. The angle they took (which involved Peter saving Stacy's life, then using her to make Mary Jane jealous) was an interesting one, but definitely rushed. Her character should've come into play in Spider-Man 2. But if you're the type of person who could care less about the silly romantic plot twists and are more interested in Spidey kicking some major ass, then this third installment will not let you down. Though, at times, the inclusion of two villains at the end of the film felt a little too much like Schumacher's Batman films, the battle scenes provide plenty of edge-of-your-seat excitement. If he failed to convince you before, Sam Raimi proves here that he owns this character. And if he refuses to helm another installment, then Sony should cash in their chips and call it a day. In the end, Spider-Man 3 succeeds at being a new form of summer blockbuster entertainment; one that's carefully constructed to appeal to a generation that's hard to impress. Like the character of Peter Parker, hopefully when these kids finally grow up they'll learn to appreciate the little things in life. In the grand scheme of things, Spider-Man 3 might not be a big deal. But getting to experience a major film like this in a packed auditorium with hoards of screaming fans is something to remember. And getting to do so in the company of your father is a memory no one can take away. That, my friends, is a big deal.

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Mel Gibson Wants to Do 'Maverick 2'

If you expected Mel Gibson to stick firmly behind the camera following his well-known and drunken tirade, guess again. Looks like the statute of limitations has worn off our collective distaste for the actor, and he's planning to celebrate by mounting a sequel to the 1994 flick Maverick. Word is that James Garner is interested in coming back -- but nothing on the participation of Jodie Foster has been offered thus far. (Which is a shame because Jodie, playing it light for a change, was one of the true highlights of Richard Donner's Maverick.)

According to Hollywood.com, Mr. Gibson is overstuffed with nifty new ideas for Maverick 2: "I think audiences will enjoy what we've got in mind. It won't be happening immediately, but I dare say, it'll happen." He then goes on to say that there'll be no more Mad Max or Lethal Weapon sequels because "there's nowhere to move with those characters." Right, but the characters in a sequel to a remake of an old Western series ... tons of latitude there. Kinda funny that he'd deride sequels with one breath while also floating teasers on a different sequel, but hey, Mel's always been a bit eccentric.

(For the record, this (Jewish) writer holds nothing against Mel Gibson for his nasty remarks. The guy said some stupid things, apologized for them, and moved on. Happens to "normal people" every day -- but it's still kinda tough to forget about it completely, you know? Having said that ... Maverick 2? The first one was cute enough, but ... nah.)

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