'Marvel's Thor' Review - The Superhero Genre Just Got a Lot More Mythical

I had a chance to see an early screening of Thor today, and I have to say, I'm very impressed. Thor is a character that could have been very hard to translate onto screen, and I know some people worry how it they could make it connect to Marvel's Universe of Iron Man and Hulk seemlessly.The short answer: They did it. But there will be more on that later. This movie was a lot of fun, and is nothing like you've seen before. Although the trailer suggests that most of the movie takes place on Earth, but the better portion of it actually takes place in Thor's home of Asgard. A bold move, but something that makes this movie stand apart from all the other comicbook based films, and in my opinion, elevates it. Along with its fantastic cast and great direction, Thor looks to be one of the biggest hits of the summer, and it deserves to be. Marvel once again proves why they are the best at making movies based off of comics: they stick to the source material and make it real. They don't take the comics for granted, and it works wonders in their favor. Other studios could learn from their example.

'Fast Five' Review - A Very Exciting and New Direction For An Aging Series

Alright, I went at midnight last night and all I have to say is.....WOW! Anyone who has any doubts about this movie, just let them go. Summer is starting off in a big, big way, and for me, this is going to be hard to top. This is a big and exciting as movies come guys. It was great having so many of the key members back, in addition to adding Dwayne Johnson. This one feels more like the first with a lot of the family dynamics that has been missing making a welcome return.

'Red State' Review - An Unexpected and Twisted Film From the Mind of Kevin Smith

I never thought I'd see a filmmaker reinvent themselves so much that the entire length of movie, I forgot who directed it. But Kevin Smith has absolutely done that with his new film Red State. Smith, who is best known for his wildly vulgar and geek friendly comedies such as Clerks, Dogma, and Chasing Amy, decided to take on some very dark material and has created a very bleak, unsettling movie that is much like an exploitation movies of the 70s. It took over four years for him to get this made, and in a way I can see why. But any studio who would have picked it up would have ruined what Smith was trying to do. Making this as an independent film was absolutely the way to go. Even more impressive was the cast he was able to assemble for this. You have Michael Park as Pastor Abin Cooper, leader of the Five Points Church, Academy award winner Melissa Leo as his daughter Sarah, John Goodman as ATF Agent Keenan, and a whose who of young up and coming Hollywood actors.