The Minority Report - "X-Men: First Class" (2011)

“A new species is being born. Help me guide it, shape it, lead it.”
I have been waiting to see this movie ever since there was a small hint that it was going to be made. I am, admittedly, surrounded by nerds that were all quite excited for it as well. Finally, I was able to see it and was definitely not disappointed. Rebooting a franchise isn’t easy. Considering the fact that this is a summer of superhero movies, it has to make its mark, and make it well. It most certainly did that. With excellent cinematography, a phenomenal cast, and an emotionally charged storyline, this movie is truly something to behold.

The movie begins with the classic scene we all remember: a young boy getting separated from his parents during the holocaust. In the midst of his anger, he begins bending the gates separating him and his parents until he is struck over the head with the butt of a rifle. The location quickly changes to a child living in an opulent home that gets awakened by his “mother.” In reality, it is a young shapeshifter named Raven (at this point, Morgan Lily, but later Jennifer Lawrence). Meet Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). The former gets tortured for prolonged periods of time by a man named Dr. Schmidt (Kevin Bacon) to enhance his metal controlling abilities, while the latter flirts with women by using his telepathic powers and suave talk about genetic mutations. Two completely different lives clash as the CIA becomes involved because of Cold War tensions between the United States and Russia, culminating in the Cuban Missile Crisis, with the X-Men trapped in the middle.

This is in no way, shape, or form, a full synopsis. If I had tried to give a complete synopsis, I would ruin some great moments in the film. For one thing, the evolution of Magneto and Xavier is beautiful. You see them grow and mature over time. Magneto, driven by rage and revenge makes it his life’s mission to kill his captor from the concentration camps, Dr. Schmidt (aka Sebastian Shaw). His efforts have taken up most of his young life and hardened him as an individual. His character has glimmers of sanity in between the clouded hatred and fierce disposition with which he behaves treats those around him. Xavier, on the other hand, is a quirky individual who cares deeply for his fellows. He carries himself with a wisdom and serenity that allows him to help people. It is these same traits that are also his greatest weakness. Both the actors do a phenomenal job portraying the individuals in the film.

Interestingly enough, the cinematography and editing (in one specific point) is slightly reminiscent of that employed by the often forgotten “Hulk” movie from 2003. Here, the split-screen employed works phenomenally to depict multiple angles of the same scene instead of sucking at displaying different scenes all around the screen. It also shows the passage of time really well. Overall, this movie is definitely a great one. I went in expecting a great movie, and it delivered. Like critics have said: it isn’t a great superhero movie, it’s a great movie. This movie is only very slightly like watching paint dry on a mutated rendition of the Cold War.


By Kulguy

The Caucasian Report - "Bridesmaids" (2011)

~Off the Chain on the Airplane~
When I saw the trailer for this movie, I definitely thought it was going to be the type of movie I would enjoy. It looked like it had everything: two actresses from “Saturday Night Live” and all the crude humor associated with a Judd Apatow film. It had all the potential to be absolutely hysterical. However, most of the movie disappointed me…especially the first half. The people I saw it with thought it was ‘awesome’ or said it was ‘funny-funny,’ but I have to disagree. I would categorize it as ‘decent-funny.’ I would not go out of my way to watch this movie again.

The movie is about a single, middle-aged woman named Annie (Kristen Wiig) going through a rough patch in her life. After losing her bakery due to the recession and taking a major blow to her self-esteem in the process, we see that she has started letting the people in her life push her around. She is paying half the rent for the apartment she shares with two other people, her car is falling apart, and she is holding onto the false hope that the guy she is sleeping with is interested in more than just casual sex. When her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged, she asks Annie to be her maid of honor. The engagement party is held at a swanky estate where Annie meets one of Lillian’s new acquaintances: Helen (Rose Byrne). She is an overdressed snob whom Annie feels immediately threatened by. Annie and Helen instantly clash as they each call themselves Lillian’s best friend. A competition to plan the best pre-wedding events, including the bachelorette party and bridal shower, quickly ensues. Unfortunately, everything Annie plans turns out to be one disaster after the next.

I did not enjoy the first half of the movie, as I laughed at maybe 10% of the jokes in that time. I found most of the acting annoying and forced, and some of the jokes went on much longer than necessary. The speech battle between Annie and Helen was funny maybe the first minute, but it definitely didn’t need to go as long as it did. Kristen Wiig’s acting is fine for SNL skits, but it’s a little too one-note and passive to pull off a main character in a feature length film. Most of the supporting actors were ok—nothing terrible, but nothing extraordinary. I did enjoy Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of the butch of the group; it was crude yet confident, and that’s what made it stand out among the cast. The movie did have some genuinely funny scenes; it’s just too bad they had to happen toward the end of the movie. I found Annie’s misfortune during the airplane scene truly entertaining, and this was the best part of Wiig’s performance. And I do have to give this movie credit for having a developed plotline underneath all the raunchiness. Indeed, what made the second half of the movie better than the first was the character development. To my surprise, the movie actually had an uplifting, dare I say inspirational, message. I will let you watch it to find out what that message is. The first half of this movie is like watching paint dry in an empty paint can, but at least during the second half the can is half full.


By WhiteChick

The Minority Report - "Get Him to the Greek" (2010)

"Where are you? Why haven't you called? I'm calling you right now and I just got hit by a motherfucking car."
I watched this movie quite a while back. If anything, it must be the most hyped up comedy this summer. It was pretty much plastered on every wall and displayed every 5 seconds on the television. Being a somewhat indirect yet direct spin-off of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", this movie centers around one of the secondary characters in that film, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), and expands his universe so everyone gets to know who he is. I basically watched it because it was everywhere and, I must admit, it had me curious. I did not know what to expect, but I was ready.

The premise of the movie is simple…Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) has 72 hours to get Mr. Snow to The Greek for a show. He works for an agency called Pinnacle Records and is used to music and all that it encompasses. His girlfriend is Daphne (Elisabeth Moss), and they seem to have a one-sided (my opinion) relationship. He is a big fan of Aldous Snow, but not of his latest release, which has basically bombed in sales. Because of it, his career is in decline and his girlfriend, Jackie Q (Rose Byrne), has left him. At Aaron Green’s behest, Sergio Roma (Sean “Diddy” Combs) sends him to transport Snow to a show in The Greek to regain his spot as the greatest rock star of all time. What ensues is a wacky, insane, and painfully memorable trip that takes them pretty much everywhere.

All in all, the movie was very enjoyable. Undoubtedly, many people will be repeating lines from this movie for a while. The thing is, it is a good movie, but it is not memorable. It’s good to watch end enjoy, but you will not be recalling it when watching another comedy, saying “That’s like Get Him to the Greek.” It just won’t happen. Furthermore, it was a bit less funny than it was cracked up to be (notice I didn’t say it wasn’t funny, because it was). In the end, surprisingly, it has a little message to take home to your everyday life. Very enjoyable and quite funny, so go watch it and enjoy. This movie is like watching paint dry…if the paint is on a furry wall (you will get it if you see it).

By Kulguy