'John Carter' Review - A Perfect Return to Pulp Fiction Adventure and Science Fiction

For over a hundred years, Edgar Rice Burroughs' eleven book 'Barsoom' series, which began with 'A Princess of Mars', has been an inspiration for many of our most well known science fiction films, and has become a small staple of popular culture. Things like 'Star Wars', 'Avatar', 'Flash Gordon', 'Buck Rogers' as well as authors like Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke have all been inspired by Burroughs and his many characters and their adventures on the planet Barsoom, or as we know it as, Mars. But no character from the series has become more popular over time than John Carter, the hero of many of Burroughs' 'Barsoom' novels. Hollywood has spent many years of attempting to bring John Carter and Barsoom to the big screen, and now Academy award winning director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-e) and Walt Disney Pictures have worked together to finally give this series it's due on the big screen. Stanton has managed to bring the incredible world Burroughs envisioned all those years ago to the big screen in a true pulp fiction style adventure that fans and newcomers alike will fall in love with. This is science fiction, as well as action and adventure, at its finest.

'Chronicle' Review - A Brilliant Take on Found Footage and Superheroes

When anyone utters the words found footage when talking about movies, I become very hesitant of the film. I'm not usually a fan of found footage features, with a select few such as 'Cloverfield' and 'Rec'. But the idea of a found footage movie dealing with superheroes had me very intrigued, especially one written by Max Landis, the writer of one of my favorite novels, 'World War Z'. Directed by new comer Josh Trank, 'Chronicle' not only is one of the best superhero films that's been made, but also one of the best uses of found footage that's been used.

'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' Review - An Unfortunate Misstep For the Marvel Character

It's been five years since Marvel comics Ghost Rider last graced, or crashed and burned in some eyes, in Mark Steven Johnson's movie 'Ghost Rider'. The movie starred Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a man who makes a deal with the Devil to save his father, only to become cursed as a flaming skull vigilante known as Ghost Rider. The movie did well at the box office, but was considered by many to be a wasted opportunity to bring  the character to the big screen. Now Sony has gone back to the character to try again, with the duo behind the 'Crank' series, a new take on the character, and Nicholas Cage back as the anti-hero. But unfortunately, the movie falters out the gate and never quite recovers during it's short running time, making 'Spirit of Vengeance' a very disappointing return to the character.

Torchwood: Miracle Day - 'The New World' Review

Two years ago, the fate of Torchwood was up in the air. After the incredibly shocking finale of Children of Earth, Torchwood's series three miniseries, it almost seemed as if the show may be ending on a dark, and final note. Where did you go from there? Jack (played by the incredible John Barrowman) left earth and was on the run, trying to atone for his sins. Gwen (played by the always gorgeous Eve Myles) and Rhys ( the always dependable Kai Owen) were now parents of a little girl. And the Torchwood Hub was quite literally destroyed. It seemed as if Russel T. Davies, the creator of Torchwood, and the man who revived Doctor Who for the BBC, had penned his last adventure featuring Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper. But here we are, for the first time in two years, with the continuing adventures of what's left of the Torchwood team, fighting what may be their biggest threat yet. Did the co-financing of America hurt the return of the critically acclaimed British series, or did it manage to move across the pond in tact? Find out after the jump.

'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' Review - An Unexpectedly Solid Sequel

This is everything a summer blockbuster should be. Loud, fun, and full of action that knocks you back in your seat and barely lets you breathe! This is a huge step up from Revenge of the Fallen, and in many ways, better than the first. Michael Bay and the cast pulled out all the stops in their final outing with the Autobots and the Decepticons, and have proven that this series really is more than meets the eye. It's not just a series based off toys anymore, but a series with real characters, real fun, and real stakes. And I'm pleased to see that Bay and Co. went out with a bang.

'Super 8' Review - An Incredible Nostalgic Adventure of Family and Friendship

I won't beat around the bush about this: I LOVED Super 8. From the opening moments of seeing the Amblin logo back on the screen, the music, the atmosphere, and the characters I couldn't help but have a big grin on my face while watching the movie. These are the kind of movies I grew up on. The Spielberg produced and directed films of the 80's which had amazing casts, great stories, and incredible special effects for good measure. If you put ET, The Goonies, and Close Encounters in a blender, Super 8 would be the outcome. Hollywood doesn't make movies like this anymore, and this was a big gamble for Paramount and those involved, and I'm glad to say that they hit this one out of the park. This is a very special little movie, and the must see of the summer.

'X-Men First Class' Review: A Return to Form for a Broken Series

It's been eight years since I've truly loved an X-Men movie. I'm a fan of the comics and I've been burned many times over the past few years by the series. So going into this, I was expecting the worst. The ads have been awful, the behind the scenes sounded disastrous, and the movie just seemed rushed. It wasn't since Bryan Singer's X-Men 2: X-Men United came out in 2003 that I really loved an X-Men film. Singer got the universe and the characters and took the series to new levels after the first movie, paving the way for a great third and final movie, but when 2006 came around Singer was gone and the series nearly imploded on itself with X-Men: The Last Stand. Fox decided to try and take the series in a new direction with X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was also poorly received by fans and critics a like. It seems Fox realized what it was missing in the series without Singer and brought him back as a producer and got Matthew Vaughn, the director of Kick-Ass, behind the camera for this movie. The movie these two have crafted is really, really well done. Between the cast, story, and score, the film truly brings like to what I thought was a dying series. So much so that X-Men First Class has made me fall in love with the X-Men universe all over again, and may be the best movie in the series.

What Does the Future Hold For Marvel Studios Post 'Avengers'?

Back in 2008, Marvel finally broke the shackles that had been holding them back from making great movies based off of their films. Recovering the rights to man of their characters (minus the big hitters of Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, DareDevil, and Ghost Ride), Marvel started their own production company so they could make their own movies based off their own characters. First up to bat was their adaption of Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr., that came out to critical and audience acclaim. For those who stayed until the end credits, they were hit with a stinger with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, director of SHIELD, who came to Tony Stark to talk to him about The Avengers Initiative. After four years and five movies of ground work (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America), Marvel's gamble for the ensemble film The Avengers will hit screens next May. So after that, what is in store for fans and audiences alike, and what does Marvel have in store for us? My thoughts and more after the break.