Batman returns for final installment

n his signature sleek black costume with accents of yellow, Batman has been a staple of American entertainment since first appearing in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Soon after this he began gracing the big screen with films beginning in the 1940s and stretching on until the latest film in 2008, “The Dark Knight”, a sequel to “Batman Begins” from 2005. Now the Caped Crusader (one of Batman’s many nicknames) returns in the third and final installment in the series directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/ Batman with “The Dark Knight Rises”, set to hit theaters July 20.
According to IMDb.com, the movie takes place eight years after the city of Gotham identified Batman an adversary in the conclusion of the last Batman movie. Now he must resurface to protect Gotham once again from a new rising terrorist leader known as Bane (Tom Hardy). The movie also features familiar stars like Anne Hathaway (“The Devil Wears Prada” and “The Princess Diaries”) as villainess Selina Kyle and Morgan Freeman (“Glory” and “The Shawshank Redemption”) as Wayne’s right-hand man, Lucius Fox.
Those who have grown up with Batman, or who have followed this three-part series over the past seven years, will be the target audience for this film. With Bale at the helm of the film bringing home a duly dramatic ending to the series, those well accustomed to his acting will not be disappointed. However, even for those who are not, anyone who prefers their comedy dark and their action even darker will surely revel in this histrionic roller coaster of an adventure movie.

Yo, Joe’s coming back to theaters

If you are a fan of the intense fighting and battle scenes that took place in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” then you’ll love the new “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” movie. Featuring tough-guy actor Dwayne Johnson, actress Adrianne Palicki and actor D.J. Cotrona, this summer blockbuster is full of “pretty girls” and “action guys.” If you aren’t a fan, this movie still has something for everyone that will enhance the movie experience for both die hard and new fans.
For those unfamiliar with the plot or who just need a reminder, in “Transformers,” Optimus Prime led Autobots against the evil Decepticons, who were determined to avenge their defeat in the previous movie, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” In that prequel, the Autobots and the Decepticons participated in a space race between the United States and Russia. As happened previously, human Sam Witwicky helped his machine friends, while the movie also introduced a few new characters.
This newest G.I. Joe movie has a similar plot.
The main theme of “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” revolves around an evil mastermind impersonating the President of the United States and planning to begin World War III. The evil president frames the Joes for crimes they did not commit then orders his team of assassins to exterminate all of the Joes as punishment for their false crimes. Some survive, and the remaining Joes set out on a long, action-packed journey to try to prevent the evil tyrant from taking over the world. Like Transformers, G.I. Joe also manages to introduce a few new characters to the movie who are sure to entertainment fans.
This new G. I. Joe movie takes everything that the fans of the previous movies enjoyed and repackages and expands it into the new movie. This movie is “made for the fans,” and critics expect it to be one of the biggest box office action movies of the summer. There’s little doubt that action movie fans will pack the theaters after a long summer day. Adding actor Johnson as one of the main characters helps exemplify the attitude and toughness that the Joe’s reputation is solidly built upon. Of course, the addition of Adrianne Palicki’s character is quite comprable to the role played by Megan Fox.
So if the action and suspense of the “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” movie was right up your alley, or you want to see an exciting, new film, then seeing “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” would be worthwhile.

Masked webslinger looks to repeat as another box office hit

back onto theater screens in IMAX 3D on July 3 with “The Amazing Spider-Man” (Columbia Pictures), after being absent since the 2007 premiere of “Spider-Man 3.”
Directed by Marc Webb, this film will replace what was originally intended to be another sequel to the Spider-Man franchise, “Spider-Man 4”, with a whole new cast but similar plot line, according to IMDb.com. The film stars Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”) as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man and Emma Stone (“The Help” and “Easy A”) as Gwen Stacy.
The plot centers on the life of social outcast Peter Parker, as he grapples with the loss of his parents many years earlier and his desire to win over his crush, Gwen. As his super powers continue to evolve, so do clues to solving the mystery of his father’s abandonment. This mystery leads him to face his father’s former partner, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), as he further uncovers his father’s dark secret and forms his future as the famous Spider-Man.
This film, produced by the same studio that brought the first three Spider-Man movies to life, will likely benefit from the loyalty of its already built-up fan base, as well as attracting newcomers who may not be familiar with the franchise yet. Those who are fans of the comic books or any of the previous movies will likely enjoy this film; however, hard-core fans may have a difficult time adjusting to a new cast, particularly the new and younger version of Peter Parker. For those seeking an action-packed film to wake up their lazy summer days, “The Amazing Spider-Man” should fulfill that need perfectly.