It's both a return to the over-the top fun and action of a previous era and an intensive updating for a modern audience.
The Guardians of the Galaxy is well done and has plenty of humor. I just love Rocket Raccoon.
Edge of Tomorrow has action, excitement, and lots and lots of Tom Cruise death, if that's your thing.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is a fun, exciting, fully fleshed out romp that finally gets the franchise going strong where it's been weak for a good while.
Gareth Edwards' Godzilla is a monster movie for the new generation.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has good moments but feels diluted overall.The filmmakers had better have some great ideas coming up to make this one worth it.
The events of The Winter Soldier will send ripples throughout all other Marvel franchises. I'm excited to see what comes next.
Muppets Most Wanted is a solidly made film that may not be quite up to the same level as their previous excellent outing, but don't let that keep you away from this gem.
The Lego Movie is an interesting idea with an excellent execution and an absolutely riotous sense of humor. I absolutely love it. "That may sound like a cat poster, but it's true."
The Desolation of Smaug mostly works. They've added a couple action sequences and only one of them really really excessively very much rather bugs me. High praise? I do what I can.
Frozen has some quite touching moments and, more than that, funny segments that got me seriously laughing.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a well-made adaptation with fun, excitement, and monkeys. Can't go wrong with monkeys.
Thor: The Dark World is much more involved and interesting than the previous movie for this golden-haired god. It's still not as thrilling or compelling as The Avengers, but it's still solid and fun.
Ender's Game is well made but problematic movie. A bit of lightness here and there and a bit of tweaking to the pacing could have really elevated this one.
Gravity takes the audience on a nerve wracking ride through the vacuum of space with a story that is a highly condensed version of Castaway in Space.
R.I.P.D. isn't nearly as funny as you hope it will be, but there's an irreverent charm that helps smooth over a few of the rough spots. Not great, but can be entertaining in the right situation.
The Wolverine is a fine movie. It does its job well enough but not much more. It's a step up from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but please let this be his last solo outing.
Pacific Rim is a much better Godzilla than Emmerich was able to make and a much better Transformers than Michael Bay made. Great fun action.
Despicable Me 2 has laughs for the whole family. It does a great job of proving that there is plenty of humor that can be equally enjoyed by kids and parents alike.
Monsters University is the prequel that Monsters Inc. deserves. You can guess where' the story's going, but not where it will end up.
Now You See Me is fun. However there are a few real weaknesses. But don't just shut off your brain. Keep your brain on, but know that there will probably be a few aspects you need to accept.
Don't let your expectations get in the way. Man of Steel is a very enjoyable movie. Just maybe not what you were expecting.
A quick, easy to browse list of the movies I've reviewed here at Hub Pages.
Star Trek Into Darkness is an amazing addition to the Trek pantheon and you seriously don't need to know anything about Star Trek to enjoy it.
Iron Man 3 is a great movie to round out the Iron Man trilogy. They could continue if they wish, but the movie gives the Tony Stark character a good resting spot and there's little I would change.
The Host fits a long story in two hours. To do it, most of the book's character development is dropped. If you've read it, you can fill that gap, but may have problems with some of the other changes.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation isn't a great movie, but it improves on its predecessor. And in any case, if you're simply in the mood for action, there are some fun sequences.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a beautifully shot movie, inspired by Baum and set in his world, but a completely new story. Good overall, though a couple of the characters could use a slight tweaking.
A Good day to Die Hard is largely enjoyable as you watch it, but is by far the shortest of the Die Hard movies and simply leaves me wanting more.
Warm Bodies: It's basically Romeo and Juliet and Zombies. Very funny and extremely touching. You'll love it.
Les Misérables is a heavy experience, but the music is wonderful and you will love to hate the Thénardiers.
Blast from the Past goes a little out of its way at times to show the mildly seedier side of society, but still ends up entertaining and just making you feel great at the end.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has a bit too much Lord of the Rings, but can still entertain quite handily.
For family friendly feel-good movies as holiday alternatives, two that you should definitely consider are While You Were Sleeping and Sleepless in Seattle.
At Christmas, sometimes we overlook the time spent with the family more than we should.
Skyfall should silence those who felt disillusioned after Quantum of Solace didn't meet their expectations. It's action packed and very compelling.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is an excellent capstone to the series. If for no other reason than they've finally gotten rid of all that angst lying about.
Hotel Transylania is a great movie to take the kids to and has a big-name cast that, frankly, should have been slightly more humorous.
Wreck-It Ralph is a fun movie for the whole family, whether they're into gaming or not.
Predators brings the franchise back to the Predator itself, then kinda gets distracted and takes it a step further.
AVPR makes some of the same mistakes but bigger, plus a few completely new ones.
AVP mixes two great franchises and, oddly takes maybe a slight step down, but still ends up as a fairly enjoyable outing.
Alien Resurrection is an odd mixture of classic Alien horror elements and Joss Whedon creativity. Overall, just a bit weird.
Alien³ is the kind of sequel that might have worked well enough as its own movie but suffers from comparison with what has come before.
Predator 2 takes what some may feel was a natural next step in following after Predator, but misses its footing and briefly derails the franchise.
Predator takes the monster movie in a unique direction and creates one of the great, iconic creatures in monster movie history.
The yet unmade Red Head Randy hopes to become the "first anti-bullying horror film."
Aliens is a different kind of approach than Alien, but still knocks it out of the park.
Alien is a classic of both monster movies and cinema in general. Since 1979, any serious attempt at making a monster movie must be aware of what went into this Ridley Scott masterpiece.
What makes a creature a monster? What makes monsters scary? And what are the difficulties in keeping the fright in a franchise too popular for its own good?
Resident Evil: Retribution follows nicely on the heels of its predecessors with many hat tips to what has come before and just as much violence (lots) and depth (none).
The Bourne Legacy is a serviceable action movie that takes a bit too long to really get started.
The latest Total Recall is almost like a mid-point between the 1990 version and the 1966 Philip K. Dick short.
The Dark Knigt Rises is a fine capstone to Nolan's Batman trilogy, though it may be the weakest of the three.
The Amazing Spiderman takes Peter back to highschool, and does it very well. The reboot was probably not necessary, but if you're going to do it, this is a good pass at it.
Brave is enjoyable but a little bit predictable at times. Great film, though.
Prometheus is a great science fiction thriller on its own. There are elements of the Alien franchise, but be sure to take this one on its own terms. You won't regret it.
Men in Black 3 takes the characters forward by moving the story backward and throwing your expectations sideways.
Battleship is definitely trying to be the war movie for the new generation based on a game from two generations ago. Trying and coming up decidedly short.
In many ways, The Avengers epitomizes what super hero movies can and should be.
The Cabin in the Woods both uses and plays with tropes of the teen-massacre-in-a-remote-location horror. And you'll never guess the ending.
Titanic was filmed for 2D and doesn't really need the 3D conversion, but if you really want to see it, this is the best conversion I've ever seen. As close to flawless as I think anyone could get.
As one who hasn't read the book, I was still able to enjoy this movie adaptation. However, it's not perfect and may or may not play better for fans of the book.
Shutter Island is a great example of an effective mind game, leaving you still wondering the answer to some very important questions.
The Thomas Crown Affair is considered classic, but I don't see what in this snoozer actually makes it so.
Spirit of Vengeance improves greatly upon the foundation laid in the first Ghost Rider movie. You don't have to have seen the first one to understand this one, but it may help you appreciate it even more.
Star Wars in 3D? Even The Phantom Menace deserves better treatment than this.
Chronicle is a nicely compelling story with interesting characters. But the amateur documentary style seems to get in the way and distract at times.
The Beastmaster has earned itself a cult following over the years. Largely that appears to be due to the imagination and fantastical world they present. The movie itself has problems, but not enough to kill the movie completely.
Beauty and the Beast definitely deserves a second look. That look, however, shouldn't be in 3D.
The Lord of the Rings is such a seminal work in the Fantasy genre. There's no way you can make that movie and not automatically place yourself under the biggest fan-boy microscope around. But I think the trilogy holds up.
The Year Without a Santa Claus and Rudolph's Shiny New Year come bundled together on DVD and make a good addition to your holiday collection.
Rankin/Bass' Night Before Christmas is charming and fun.
The Little Drummer boy isn't my favorite Rankin/Bass production, but it's ... okay.
Rankin/Bass puts forth an interesting story to explain some of the odder traits of a certain jolly old fat man.
VeggieTales is always putting out videos of good Christian values. So it's only fitting that The Star of Christmas speaks strongly of the heart of the Christmas season.
The Small One is a wonderful show for everyone's Christmas movie library.
The Santa Clause is unique. The Santa Clause 2 is fun. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause is a re-telling of another Christmas classic.
A Game of Shadows is a fun action movie. Some may take issue and say it's not the Holmes they want, but don't let the presence of explosions distract you from the fact that there is still some serious mystery and deduction at work here.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is random and a bit raunchy. It can test the patience of those who don't like potty humor in their yule tide spirit.
White Christmas is a great time for the family and I just love Danny Kaye.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a great action film with interesting characters. I may still prefer #3, but this one holds its own very well.
Elf has Will Ferrell at his most bright-eyed and innocent. Very fun.
The Uncanny Valley tends to pull The Polar Express down from time to time, but overall, it's a very pretty movie with some real heart to it.
When we think of Rudolph, we often think first of either this made-for-TV special or the song that it uses as inspiration. But there's much more to the story's history than that.
A Christmas Story gives a slice of life from a unique era. Makes me start remembering things that never happened in my own childhood.
The 'Horatio Hornblower' movie series is a wonderful adaptation of C.S. Forrester's novels. Here I make a character study to focus on how the filmmakers brought the character of Archie Kennedy to life.
Home Alone itself is a fine movie. But maybe they really should have left it well enough alone.
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is unique and heart-felt. A bizarre story that we could only get from the mind of Tim Burton.
For a simple seasonal song, Frosty certainly has gotten a whole lot of screen time.
Holiday Inn may not be part of my Christmas traditions, but if it's part of yours, you could do worse.
Kermit and the gang get together for their favorite kind of Christmas: madcap. The theater is at stake and they must pull together. Then it suddenly becomes "It's a Wonderful Life." Not a problem. Just the way it is.
Ernest is chaos incarnate, but the kind of chaos that maybe we need for the holidays.
Claymation Christmas is a great way to sing the holidays.
Charlie Brown, the little kid the world loves to pick on, can still show the world the reason for the season.
Miracle on 34th Street is a great classic for the whole family.
The Grinch is a well known story, but is it really all about Christmas commercialism?
There are more versions of A Christmas Carol than I care to mention, but I'm sure you each have a favorite. That is, of course, assuming you aren't completely sick of it by now.
It's a Wonderful Life lives forever in the public eye as the prototypical Christmas movie. You can debate whether it's a Christmas movie, but nobody can argue that it isn't a classic.
Christmas is coming. Which means a whole new batch of movies to tell you how to celebrate it. But what about all those Christmas movies that are already out? What made them Christmasy in the first place.
"The Muppets" proves that the Muppets still have things to show us and are still relevant and beloved today.
The Peanuts gang endured for decades and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving deserves its position as part of every family's Thanksgiving traditions.
You should already know whether Breaking Dawn Part 1 is your kind of movie. It's basically exactly what you would expect, though maybe not completely what you may want.
Puss in Boots is great family fun. Banderas and Hayek are together again for the fifth time and they both work excellently here.
Have you ever looked seriously at how wind is used in the movies? Judge for yourself whether the mystical properties of wind are really there or hot air.
The Changeling has an atmosphere that enhances every moment. The movie scary movies should aspire to be.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - if you haven't seen it yet ... what's up with that?
Stephen King's It is iconic. Pennywise is the greatest clown you love to hate.
Salem's Lot is imperfect but shouldn't be discounted.
Legend's a bit odd. It can get a bit creepy and confusing. But if you see this one, be absolutely sure to catch the Director's Cut.
Lady in White is imperfect, and suffers a little from its small budget, but overall, the story is well done and well acted, and there are scenes that do work quite well.
The Others builds a great atmosphere and the ending forces you to re-think not only this movie, but many other ghost stories you've seen before.
A horror movie that shows you its hand but still manages to excite you? This one puts fun into the genre.
1408 is a well-done movie that takes its time to generate the right atmosphere before moving on to bigger events. And it gives you something to think about in the end.
Jim Varney makes Ernest genuinely stupid, genuinely ridiculous, but also, genuinely sincere.
A wonderful scary movie that the whole family can watch together that makes parents cherish their kids a little more and makes kids fear the television as they should.
Friday the 13th launched a franchise, but those who haven't seen the original may be surprised. Not my favorite, though.
The Watcher in the Woods is a scary movie that the whole family can watch. I remember loving this one as a kid myself.
The first two movies in the Alien franchise may be the only ones universally loved, but their distinct visual look will keep them going for years to come.
Spiders are everywhere. Most of 'em will leave you alone. This movie proves to you that you should fear them anyway.
Casper's not as deep as it tries to be, but that's fine. Get too deep and you start losing kids inside.
The Shining is tense, creepy, weird and will linger with you.
This classic has endured in our public consciousness, but much of it has been misunderstood over the decades. Check this one out.
Nightmare gets weird and creepy and it's created one of the most uniquely iconic images in horror. Well done Mister Craven.
This is a classic movie of the Horror genre. There are good reasons why this one influenced so many scary movies that came after it.
Why do we like scary movies? Many people have their own answers to this question. Here are three possibilities.
A quick rundown of Dennis Quaid's career and some much deserved praise to an actor who's not afraid to try something new.
A quick summary and opinion of the 1995 turd Congo. I'd tell you what I think of this stink fest right here, but you really oughtta read the hub.
My Fair Lady has held up very well over the years. Not because it's modern or speaks to today's concerns, but because you just can't help but fall in love with the songs and performances.
Final thoughts (for now at least) on film adaptation and the difficulty of converting a story from literature to film.
A series of reactions as I watch the second Mortal Kombat movie.
The 2005 version of King Kong is very well done and compelling, but its long action sequences wear out their welcome and make the movie much longer than it needs to be.
King Kong is a classic piece of modern Americana. It's only natural to want to revisit and modernize it. The result, however, may not quite live up to everyone's expectations.
Catwoman, according to some, is the worst movie ever made. That's not true, but it's not for lack of trying.
The 1933 classic, King Kong, has lingered for decades in our public consciousness. This one is truly a modern American myth.
Species started a series. I just don't completely see why.
Mortal Kombat is one of those bad movies that can still scratch a certain itch for you. Here we have a series of reactions you may have while watching this ridiculous tour de farce.
A simple comparison of two versions of the same story. Everyone has a different idea and approach, but it's up to you to determine which is "better".
A discussion regarding the difficulties that film makers run into and the decisions they must make when attempting to adapt a pre-existing text for the big screen.
With the recent surge in 3D movies, are we actually getting a better theater experience? Or is it just another tool for movie makers who are to lazy to make good movies on their own?
A new beginning to this iconic series. Extremely enjoyable but some die hard fans of the original may feel betrayed.
Ultraviolet simply doesn't work. There is style and attitude coming out its wazoo, but the movie just doesn't come together well.
The first sequel in the Planet of the Apes series stands out, but maybe not in the best way. It's still well done, but leaves you just feeling dirty.
A simple reaction to a film that has entered into the realm of "classic". I just don't quite understand why.
A fun action movie that is obviously having fun, and taking you along for the ride.
Whether you've seen it or not, the 1968 release of Planet of the Apes has changed the face of Sci-Fi movies for decades. Jump into the discussion regarding why.
An oddball dark comedy that can take a few times before you really start to see everything that's going on.
As the Potter saga comes to a close, we find ourselves asking one question: Was it all worth it?
A very funny performance by Stallone that was largely overlooked when it came out. Definitely check it out if you haven't seen it.
Super 8 hearkens back to classic Spielberg. The ending, however, could use a little shoring up.
A great return to what made the X-Men movies fun. Definitely worth the time.
A very intelligently written and directed story about a pair of friends who accidentally invent time travel.
Still frenetic and loud, but the third movie in the series is a good capstone to the trilogy.
Enemy Mine is a largely forgotten jewel of 80's sci-fi. This is a wonderfully told tale of confronting and overcoming cultural divides that may seem insurmountable at first.