My NYC Comic Con 2014 Experience

I've been to conventions in the past. In my 20's, my friends and I went to quite a few and got to meet a lot of the cast of the original Star Trek. It was great fun, and I was looking forward to getting back to one, after the smaller Wizard World Con I went to last year.

Was I ever unprepared for what I experienced.

I've never been to anything this big. I've been to cons, sporting events, and short of a NASCAR race, I have never seen anything this big before. I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the event.

I'm sure a lot of people probably think of these events as a bunch of basement dwelling nerds getting out of the house. While there were indeed a lot of people there who may have fit that stereotype, they were actually small in numbers. This was people from all walks of life, from the comic/movie nerds to families with their kids, all gathered together in a celebration of the things they love, all under one roof. A united community of very different people, but all with common interests.

Everything was represented here. Science Fiction, Horror, Comic Books, Television, Movies, Fantasy, collectibles....if it's a part of geek/pop culture, it was there.

It's so easy to get lost in the never ending stream of things there to purchase. Things you have never seen, or have only heard about. Things you have always wanted, things you use to have, things you never knew you wanted. It's a collectors dream. The artists there were also all over, and so many different styles, as with the merchandise, almost any type of art that interested you, you could find there.

Some of the highlights for me included.....

The cosplayers. I've made or helped make costumes in the past, so I know what it is like to create these things, and you could see the amount of work so many people put into their costumes. The quality ranged from obviously amateur, to nothing short of professional. But it didn't matter what the quality was, the passion was there, in everyone.

I got to see a Q & A panel with Ron Perlman, star of Hellboy and Sons Of Anarchy. He spoke about a book that he just released, memoirs of his life and career. The way he spoke about it, and the things he talked about that were in the book, made me want to read it. He was very funny, very personable. He took questions from the audience and answered all of them. You could tell he is a guy who is extremely grateful for his career and the people that got him to where he is. I'm glad I got to see him.

Stephen Amell. He's the star of the TV show "Arrow", one of my current favorite shows. I got an autographed picture of him and got to speak to him, albiet very briefly. He also comes across as a guy who really embraces his fans and is grateful for his success. Even got a fist bump from him, which may seem silly, but it was still cool. He comes across as a regular guy, no ego.











Now this next one may throw some people, but I think there will be those who will appreciate it.

I was walking down one of the many aisles, and I came across a table where I saw a gentleman signing autographs. I did not recognize him on sight, and looked at the table where it said his name....Peter Robbins. I'm sure some of you are saying "Who?" I said the same thing until I looked below his name.....

The original voice of.......

Charlie Brown.

I was in awe. I grew up with the early Peanuts animated specials. I have such fond memories of A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, and others. To get to meet the man who voiced Charlie Brown in those shows that i love so much, and speak with him for a short time, meant as much to me as meeting any big name celebrity...perhaps even more.

My only disappointments were the fact that we went on Friday, and there were even more things going on Saturday & Sunday that would have been great to see. Next time, we will make sure that we get tickets for the weekend so we don't miss anything. Also, we wanted to get a copy of Ron Perlman's book, as he was autographing them, but the books sold out quickly.

All in all, a great experience, a bit overwhelming, but next time we will be more prepared. Anyone who has not been to this kind of event, and has any interest at all, should experience it at least once.

Review - "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes"

Following up the first excellent film in this revised series, “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” was definitely going to be a tough job. The end of that movie left you wondering where they would take the next movie. After the director, Rupert Wyatt departed, it left a big question mark as to who could follow up such a great effort. I can safely say that director Matt Reeves not only met, but exceeded expectations.

Set ten years after the events of Rise, Dawn starts with the apes living in their own community, away from humans, living in peace, and wondering if human beings even exist anymore. Well, the humans show up, and the conflicts begin.

What was so great about this movie was that you saw the struggles on both sides, and characters who were very similar in their fears in beliefs and sometimes in behavior, both ape and human. You could understand both sides, and you could see the inevitable conflicts that were to come in this very delicate situation. Everyone wants to live in peace, but you know that as much as either side wants it, somehow, something will go wrong.

Andy Serkis again delivers a stellar performance that needs few words to convey the emotions and struggles of the ape leader, Caesar.  The rest of his companions in the ape community are also equally well portrayed. Koba, played by Toby Kebbell, was also great as the ape who suffered greatly at the hands of the humans in Rise, and does not trust them at all, and wants nothing to do with them .I really liked that the apes, although capable of speech, choose to use it only when they feel it necessary. Speaking of their speech, it is done very well, they just don't talk like humans, they talk like a species that is just learning how to talk, which makes it very believable.

The human cast, led by Jason Clarke (“Zero Dark Thirty”) are also very solid, although no one gives what I would call a stand out performance, but that is not to say that anyone wasn't good. Gary Oldman wasn't in the movie as much as I though he would be, but delivers his usual solid performance as Dreyfus, the leader of the surviving humans in San Francisco, who cannot see the apes as anything more than mere animals, and considers them nothing but a threat to the human race.

The ape effects are absolutely stellar, you really believe you are watching animals, not actors. The music, composed by Michael Giacchino, is wonderful and adds a great emotional element to the movie.

To say much more about the story would give too much away, so I won't elaborate. I'll just say that there are so many great moments, I can't even pick one that I can say was my favorite.

The build up to the inevitable conflict is exciting, and the action set pieces really deliver the goods. There were even a few moments I got a bit teary eyed. Make no mistake , this is a dark movie, but one that is absolutely fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you liked Rise, you will love Dawn. I can only hope that director Matt Reeves will return for another movie, he's stepped up to the big time now, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Review - "RoboCop" (2014)

Where do I start.

I didn't hate it. But I didn't love it either. 

The original “RoboCop” is one of my favorite movies. So I went into this cautious, as remakes tend to always miss the mark when it comes to capturing the magic of the original. Comparison to the original is inevitable, as much as the film maker's tried to make their own movie, you will always have the original in your mind and comparing the two. But I tried as hard as I could to give it a fair try.

The cast....Joel Kinnaman was fine, but I didn't feel a connection with his Alex Murphy like I did with Weller's Murphy. With Weller, I immediately like Alex Murphy and dread what is coming for him. I didn't feel that here. Considering that you spent more time with the character before his transformation into Robocop, that's not good. Michael Keaton was fine, and Gary Oldman was Gary Oldman. Jackie Earle Haley's character was the most interesting, but they spend almost no time with him, he's just kind of there, they should have developed him a bit more. He's kinda just there to hate Robocop, for no real clear cut reason. 

The beginning kind of dragged a little, they took a bit too long to really get into things, and that dragged the movie down a bit. It picks up, but they should have tightened it up. I agree with the others who have said there is no clear cut villain. Keaton is shady, there's some corrupt cops, and a drug dealer that was pretty much a waste. I didn't like that they try take away his humanity after he becomes Robocop...did they really think his humanity wouldn't present a problem? The whole “illusion of free will” thing I wasn't buying, I knew it wasn't going to work. Oh, showing him without the suit? Hated it. Totally not necessary. What is it with movies lately where they have to show you everything? You can't just say something and not show it anymore. 

It was nice to see the family interaction before he becomes Robo, and should have made his tragic event even sadder, but it didn't. In the original, Murphy dies a brutal , painful, horrible death. That didn't happen here, in fact it seemed to almost be an afterthought. I felt nothing when it happened. Oh he got pretty badly damaged, but it didn't seem important to the film makers to show us just how horrible it was. After he becomes Robo, the family didn't seem to serve any purpose at all. This all comes down to one thing....Murphy should have died before becoming Robo. Takes the family out of the equation, and makes him an actual machine. His death gives everything more gravitas.  I think for me what it all came down to was this movie lacked the one thing that made the original so special...heart. Didn't feel that here at all. Felt kind of empty. I had no emotional connection to anyone in this movie. That's a problem.

Visuals were very good, I liked the new slick look of the ED-209 (although I still like the original better, but this one was cool). The action sequences were shot pretty good, I really liked the shootout that took place in the dark. A bit too much with the shaky cam, but not enough that it drove me crazy. I barely noticed the score, except when they used the original theme redux, which was ok, but didn't have the grandeur of the original theme. It almost felt like things were being set up for another movie, even though the way it ended a sequel isn't clear cut. Even the ending seemed a bit anti-climactic.

They didn't make many references or lift too many lines from the original. The two that stand out most were a split....one of the worked fine for me, and the other did not. The one that did not, felt like it was put in there for nostalgia sake. It didn't work in the scene they used it in, and if you have seen the movie, you know what I mean. If you are gonna use a classic line, DO IT RIGHT. 

All in all, as I said before, I didn't hate this movie, even though it may seem like I did. It was swiftly paced after a slow start, and it did entertain me on a basic level. 

While I do applaud the film makers for trying to do something different with this remake, in the end it doesn't matter how new and shiny everything is, if you don't have heart, if you don't have a bad guy you wanna see killed, and a hero (or any character) you don't connect with, you don't have much at all.

Review - "Riddick"

I give Vin Diesel a lot of credit. He loves the character of Riddick. I'm glad he finally decided to make another movie. I heard he even contributed to the budget of the film. That's dedication. Let him keep making Fast And Furious movies (another series I love as well) if it allows him to make more Riddick movies.

Now, the movie.

Loved it. I like that they went back to a more basic story, a la Pitch Black. Now I liked The Chronicles Of Riddick, I liked the wider scope the movie. That said, Riddick had his more epic story with that, and it was time to get back to basics, and that's what this movie did.

Riddick is stranded on a planet, and needs to get off. The first part of the movie is just about him surviving, but he knows he needs to get off this rock, so he pulls a very Riddick type move, and a way presents itself. From that point, we get the mercenaries. Are they cliche characters? Yea, but they work in this movie. Without spoiling it, one character's identity came as a pleasant surprise to me.  The rest of the movie is Riddick being Riddick, putting his plan in motion through stealth, violence, & misdirection. Good bits of humor, good action sequences, all building up to an inevitable climax with some pretty nasty creatures.

The effects were quite impressive considering the movie's relatively low budget. Loved the creatures. To me, it looked as good as other movies costing twice or even three times as much. Now that's getting the most out of your budget.

Performances were solid all around, with nobody being what I would call outstanding, but I was totally buying that these people were their characters. Of course, Diesel was, well, IS Riddick.

Now, was this cheesy pulp sci fi? Yup. But it totally worked for me, because that is what Riddick is. It was exactly what I expected and wanted out of another Riddick movie, just a good time with a character I really like.

More please.

The Greatest Movie Experience Of My Life

Movies today are not the events they once were. With the quick release of movies on DVD/Blu Ray, and the home theater experience becoming larger and larger, movies are no longer a “must see” in the theaters for a lot of people. The internet gives us much more information about movies then we have ever had. Some people are even happy with watching bootleg copies of movies while they are still in theaters, despite their usually sub par quality. I've been guilty of it a time or two myself, but I try not to do that. I prefer seeing movies on the big screen, something home theater really can't duplicate.

Which brings me to the last, and best, great experience I've had seeing a movie in the theaters.

The year was 1983, I was in my third year of High School. Everyone was waiting for the release of “Return Of The Jedi”, the third, and at the time, final “Star Wars” movie. We knew little about the movie, aside from the fact that we knew there was another Death Star. Anticipation was of course, extremely high for the movie. Being the hardcore “Star Wars” fan that I am, it had been what I was looking forward to more than anything.

May 25th, 1983, a Wednesday. The day we were all waiting for had finally arrived. The line at the theater I was at was so long, I can't even estimate its length. I was attending the movie with a friend and his sister, with the intention of seeing the movie at every scheduled showing, which we did. We brought a bag of food and drinks, and chatted with other fans while waiting on line. I made a conservative guess that at least 60-70% of my school cut class that day to see the movie.

I was dressed in a Darth Vader costume my friend had made. Many small children came up to me with their parents, wanting to meet Lord Vader. They shook my hand, I took pictures with a few of them, even scared one kid a bit when he said to me “You killed Ben!” I took two steps towards him and he ran back to his mother as she chuckled a bit. I was even briefly interviewed by a local radio station covering the premiere. Standing on line for a movie had never been so much fun.

We were finally let into the theater, and approximately 20 mins later, the lights went down, and the movie began. Oddly enough, this is not the moment it became the greatest movie experience of my life. The crowd applauded when the 20th Century Fox logo came on screen, and at various other times during the movie. The movie was great, and I couldn't wait to see it again. Luckily, I didn't have to wait too long. We sat through two more showings of the movie, and finally came to the last showing of the day. A few other friends had shown up and joined me and my friend for the movie. This is where it gets awesome.

The lights went down, and the applause started. Applause followed the Fox logo, then after “A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away”. The applause erupted when the “Star Wars” logo appeared on the screen. Every major character received applause on their initial appearance.  When Luke first gets his lightsaber at the Pit Of Carkoon, everyone went crazy. You could just feel the excitement in the theater, the applause, the laughter, the reactions to things happening in the movie. It was like we were reunited with old friends, rather than just watching a movie.

Then we come to the final battle between Luke and Vader.

When their lightsabers first clash, applause. When Luke cut off Vader's hand, louder applause. When the Emperor was hitting Luke with his lightning, you could hear the crowd grumbling with tension. I've never been so glued to my seat and fixated on the screen ever before, and everyone else was reacting the same way. Then the moment came, Vader, looking back and forth between Luke and the Emperor. The rumbling of the crowd increased with each change of Vader's gaze. Luke's cries of “Father please....help me” only increased the tension. Then, Vader turns and grabs the Emperor.

The applause were so loud, it actually drowned out the movie...that's right, the applause of the audience drowned out the sound of the movie. People were jumping out of their seats. It was a moment unlike any other I had ever experienced watching a movie. The applause finally calmed, but not for long. The destruction of the Death Star caused more, and when the credits rolled, the applause was almost as loud as earlier.

The air of excitement that day has never, even been duplicated for me. Even when “Star Wars Episode I:The Phantom Menace” came out, after a 16 year gap in Star Wars films, it was not as exciting as that day in 1983. It gave the movie a special place in my heart, than can never be replaced or duplicated. Is it my favorite “Star Wars” movie? No, but the experience of seeing it  was something very special, something that sadly, I don't think people will ever get to experience. I feel very fortunate to have had that experience. It's something I won't ever forget, and something I am more than happy to share with others, as I have told the story many, many times since then. I never get tired of telling it either.

Movies are still my favorite form of entertainment, and the first “Star Wars” trilogy are still my favorite 3 movies of all time. But the magic of that day in 1983, is something that has sadly disappeared from the movie going experience. Sure, people still applaud at movies, but it just isn't the same.

May 25th, 1983. A day I will never, ever forget....The greatest movie experience of my life.

Review - "Man OF Steel"

Been a while since I have posted anything here, seems like I have been saying that a lot lately, but unfortunately life has a tendency to get in the way of things, even something like this blog, which I love doing.

Anyways, now is as good a time as any to start things back up again, so here we go.

“Man Of Steel” Directed by Zack Snyder.

Where to begin....this movie was phenomenal, on every level.

1978's “Superman:The Movie” was the first really big, serious take on a superhero at the time. Since that time, the Superman movies that followed ranged from very good (“Superman II”) to mind numblingly awful (“Superman IV:The Quest For Peace”). Bryan Singer's “Superman Returns” was an attempt at a continuation of the series, and although I liked it very much, it was more of a homage to the earlier Superman movies. “Man Of Steel” is a new vision, a new beginning, and it's different in many ways, but manages to maintain the spirit of Superman.

One of the first things I really loved about the movie was that Krypton, Superman's home planet, was a fully realized, alien world. Visually stunning, and definitely not just another planet like Earth.

I have heard some complaints about the nonlinear storytelling that the first part of the movie utilizes. Clark Kent's childhood is told in flashbacks, as we see him progress from place to place, keeping a low profile as he comes to terms with who he is. In my opinion, it is a refreshing break from the standard structure of an origin story. Some have said that the first act drags a bit, but I never felt that at all. IT was great to see Clark's reactions to his emerging powers, it wasn't just “gee whiz I got super powers how cool is that” kind of thing, he struggles to understand and deal with what is happening to him, and at first, it's not pleasant, it's overwhelming. Even when he first begins to fly, he doesn't just soar away, it's awkward for him. I also love that he isn't the perfect hero from the start, he has a hard choice to make in this movie and it is handled perfectly, and makes Superman grounded in a way we have never seen before, and sets the tone for his future behavior.

When I first heard about this movie, I was a bit bothered by the fact that General Zod was going to be the villain, at the same time glad it wasn't going to be Lex Luthor, because he's been done to death. Lex Luthor should be a part of Superman, he just doesn't need to be the bad guy in every single movie. I also loved Terence Stamp's portrayal of Zod in “Superman II”, so like many, I was weary of another actor 's take on the character. After seeing the movie, I can honestly say I really loved Michael Shannon's take on Zod. He is a military man, dedicated to his planet and his people, unfortunately he takes that dedication to a genocidal level. But his intentions at first are not what I would call truly evil, they evolve into it. Shannon took the part and not only played it to perfection, he became General Zod.

The movie is visually stunning, as you would come to expect from director Zack Snyder (“300”, “Watchmen”). But his movies, while visually brilliant, have always felt devoid of heart, almost as if he really didn't understand his characters to the degree that he needed to. Not so in this case, I definitely felt that Snyder understood Superman, and gave him some depth. Having Christopher Nolan on board as a mentor to Snyder was a great combination, although the downside, as many have pointed out, is that the main female lead, Lois Lane, played by Amy Adams, wasn't as fully developed as I would have liked to have seen. Adams was fine in the role, but I felt like there was more she could have done, I feel like they didn't do the character the justice she deserves, but perhaps they are going to do that with the inevitable sequel. That has always been an issue with Nolan, as his female leads never seem to be as strong as the male leads. Hopefully Snyder will remedy this in the next movie.

The action was on a level we have not seen in a Superman movie. The fights between Superman and the Kryptonians are huge, and there is massive destruction, as there would be from super powered beings fighting each other. There is also collateral damage, it is clear that people were killed as a result of these battles, something else we never really saw in a Superman movie. While that is a good thing, it brings up another point that others have pointed out. The collateral damage seems glossed over, no one really stops to look at what has happened, when all is said and done, it's basically, “ok thank god it's over” and that's pretty much it. Even a few lines about it would have at least given recognition to the fact that everything comes with a price. Apart from that, I thought the action was well staged and exciting, and on the level it needed to be at. Visual effects were solid, what imperfections there may have been , I didn't notice. I absolutely loved seeing Superman break the sound barrier when he flew, a very nice touch. The score by Hans Zimmer was also very good, although at times the score wasn't as noticeable as it should have been, but it could just be that the movie kinds distracts you from it. The one thing I missed was a central theme, the theme from “Superman:The Movie” is iconic, and one of, if not the best theme for a movie, ever. I wasn't expecting anything along those lines, but I was really hoping for a new Superman theme that was as fitting as the John Williams theme was. Not a big deal, as the rest of the music was solid, just the nostalgic side of me coming out.

The acting....solid all around, with Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe being the standouts, they owned their roles, two of the best performances from them both. In fact, I'd say it's the best role Costner has done in a long time, one of the finest of his career in fact. Laurence Fishburne was a great Perry White, Diane Lane was also excellent as Martha Kent. Henry Cavill, as Clark/Superman. While he was not what I would call outstanding in the part, he was very good, he made the part his own, he was not trying to emulate Christopher Reeve (the quintessential Superman, always has been, always will be) but that's not what the film makers were going for, so on that level, they succeeded. He did what he needed to do to make this a fresh start for a new Superman. Christopher Reeve was an outstanding actor, so anyone who takes the part of Superman, has a lot of weight on them, and Cavill handled it just fine.

I can see why people would not care for this movie, as it is very different from any Superman movie we have seen to this point. Many people, including myself, have a great love and affection for the 1978 movie. But this is a different time, and as we saw from the reaction to “Superman Returns” trying to  recreate the magic of that movie is a difficult task, and one that probably should not even be attempted. Like I said earlier, I liked “Superman Returns” but I see it as a stand alone love letter to the Reeve movies, and looking at it from that point of view, makes it enjoyable for me.

“Man Of Steel” brings us a new vision of Superman, one that can stand on its own as a great movie, but also serves as the beginning of a new series of Superman movies, and I look forward to the future adventures that Snyder and co. will bring us.

Most Anticipated Of 2013

These are some of my most anticipated movies for the coming year. I am placing them in order of release date, except for the movie I am anticipating the most, at least right now.

“Oblivion” April 19th

Tom Cruise, Sci-Fi, Joseph Kosinski, the director of “Tron Legacy”, and an original story. Not a sequel, reboot or re imagining. Since this is a rarity in Hollywood these days, how could you not want to see this? “Tron Legacy” got a very mixed reaction, some loved it, some hated it, some were indifferent. Count me as one of those who loved it.  I really liked the visual style of the movie, and I feel like Kosinski will deliver a solid sci fi movie with Cruise on board. Both of Cruise's sci fi outings, "Minority Report" and "War Of The Worlds", were great movies, so it seems he has an eye for good sci fi.

“Iron Man 3” May 3rd

Director Jon Favreau is out, director Shane Black is in for the third installment of the Iron Man series. Expect a darker, grittier edge this time around. The trailers give a sense of real danger, as if everything in Tony Stark's world is about to come crashing down around him. After the enormous success of “The Avengers”, Marvel studios knows they have to up their game with the moves that will lead to the next Avengers movie. I am expecting all of Marvel's upcoming movies to up the stakes, but this one needs to set the bar for the other movies that follow.

“Star Trek:Into Darkness” May 17th

JJ Abrams and the crew of the Enterprise are back from the 2009 reboot for a new, and from the looks of it, darker adventure. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the mysterious villain, on a quest for some kind of revenge. Ok, so Nero from the first movie was after revenge as well, but as long as there is no time travel involved, i'm ok with the whole revenge angle again. The  trailers look great, so I am expecting another great outing from JJ & Co. I am hoping that this one has a different feel from the last one, Star Trek has always been about different tones....dark, lighthearted, comical, emotional, and I hope that we see a different tone this time, and so far it seems there will be.

“Fast And Furious Six” May 24th

This series is a rarity...one that has gotten BETTER with each new installment. I did not see the second movie, “2 Fast 2 Furious”, and i'm sure i'll get around to it, but as far as i'm concerned, the only ones that really count are the one's with Vin Diesel's Dominic Torreto in them. So that would be the first, fourth, and fifth movies. Like I said, each movie has been better than the last. Fast Five being probably the best one so far. The presence of Dwayne Johnson really gave the movie a great presence, and seeing him back for the sixth movie is very exciting. This new movie looks to be even crazier with the car action than the last one, These movies are adrenaline fueled, balls to the wall action, and nobody does it better.

“Man Of Steel” June 14th

Superman has had one heck of a bumpy ride. Some good movies, some so so, and one god awful abomination (“Superman IV:The Quest For Peace” for those fortunate enough not to have seen it). Although the last movie, Bryan Singer's “Superman Returns” did decent box office (approx $200 mil domestic) it wasn't the return to glory Warner Brothers was hoping for. So they went and hired the stylized director Zack Snyder (“Watchmen”, “300”) to give the son of Jor El a much needed restart. A new cast, including English actor Henry Cavill, who plays Superman/Clark Kent, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Russell Crowe as Jor El, Lawrence Fishburne as Perry White, and Michael Shannon as General Zod. Batman master Christopher Nolan as Producer, and hopefully mentor to Snyder. All those add up to a lot of promise.The trailers are very cool, and it looks like Superman may finally return to his former glory.

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“Despicable Me 2” July 3rd

“Despicable Me” really took me by surprise when it was released in 2010, an it was one of my favorite movies of the year. Of course, those little yellow minions stole the show, but the entire movie was great. Great characters, great voice acting, and a sweet, emotional heart among the laughs and silliness. It was nice to see Dreamworks getting away from “Shrek” and making something different and very entertaining. I hope they don't go too over the top with the sequel, strike the same balance that the first movie had, and you got a winner on your hands. They don't need to top the first movie, just equal its humor and sweetness.

My most anticipated movie of 2013 is....

“Pacific Rim” July 12th

Director Guillermo DelToro, monsters, giant robots fighting the monsters. That's a formula for a great movie. DelToro directed “Mimic”, “Blade 2” (the best of that series) and both “Hellboy” movies, 4 movies I really enjoyed. I have yet to see another highly praised film of his, “Pan's Labyrinth”, but I have heard nothing but good things about it. The trailer for “Pacific Rim” looks awesome, and it's refreshing to see a big summer blockbuster that is an original idea, not a sequel, or reboot. I guess you could say this is a decent year for those kind of movies, with “Oblivion” being the other one. I just hope that audiences embrace these movies. “Pacific Rim” has all the elements of a big summer movie, and a great director at the helm, Unlike the “Transformers” movies, which while entertaining, were devoid of any kind of substance,  DelToro should bring some.

Check the trailer out....

Along with the movies I just talked about, some others I will be seeing are: “Kick Ass 2” June 28th, “The Wolverine” July 26th, “Riddick 3” Sept 6th, “Thor:The Dark World” Nov 8th, “Ender's Game” Nov 1st, “Catching Fire” (the second “Hunger Games” movie) Nov 22nd, “Anchorman The Legend Continues” Dec 20th, “The Hobbit:The Desolation Of Smaug” Dec 13th. I am sure there are more that will come along, or have just slipped my mind. But so far, there's a lot I am looking forward to at the movies this year.