The Losers

The first time I saw The Losers, it was a month before the theatrical release and I knew almost nothing about it. I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a lighthearted, hilarious, high-octane action movie with a great cast that could possibly be one of the most fun movies you'll see all year.

The Losers is based on a Vertigo graphic novel of the same name. The story follows a U.S. Special Forces team who are on a mission in Bolivia when they are betrayed and left for dead by their handler, Max. I'm going to stop right there, because in all honesty, the plot is not the reason to go see this movie. It's all about the cast. Everyone is top notch, but it is Chris Evans who steals the show as Jensen, who provides the comic relief to great success.

The Losers will obviously draw some comparisons to the recently released superhero action-comedy Kick-Ass, which I absolutely loved. Although The Losers is not as visceral due to the fact that it's PG-13 compared to the hard R of Kick-Ass, it's still an insanely fun movie that is definitely worth checking out.

B+

KICK-ASS

KICK-ASS kicked ass. There is no other way to put it. It's one of the most fun movies you'll see this year. It's hilarious, it's violent, and it contains one of the coolest costumed vigilantes I've ever seen in the form of an 11-year old who goes by the name of Hit-Girl, who deserves her own movie.

KICK-ASS follows the adventures of Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a normal comic-book loving teen who decides to become a superhero (with no powers, of course) because "nobody has ever tried before". He ends up becoming an internet sensation and attracts the attention of the aforementioned Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage). Everyone is top-notch, but it is the combination of Moretz and Cage who steal the show. When Hit-Girl storms a hallway with a hail of gunfire to the sound of Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation", you can't help but watch with a big, stupid grin and cheer as she takes out henchman after henchman. I also have to give credit to Mark Strong and Christopher Mintz-Plasse who play father and son. Strong seems to be Hollywood's go-to guy to play villains now after his role as Lord Blackwood in Sherlock Holmes, and Mintz-Plasse (better known as McLovin) is hilarious as Red Mist, another costumed vigilante whose intentions might not be as noble as those of our hero.

Some might complain about the senseless violence and some of Moretz's more "colorful" dialogue, but those elements just add to the experience. Go see KICK-ASS, because it will kick your ass. And I mean that in the best way possible.

A+

Clash of the Titans

Here it goes, my first review.

Clash of the Titans was exactly what I expected it to be, if not a bit more. I was hoping to enjoy it, and I did. To say that it improved on the special effects of the original would be an understatement, but to most people, the special effects are what make the first film a classic. Both the original and the remake suffer from a somewhat weak plot that is basically there to move the characters from action scene to action scene. The acting has been improved upon over the original, with Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation, Avatar) in Harry Hamlin's role as Perseus. I might be biased in my opinion towards Sam, but I think that for an action star, he is a rather good actor. However, the Gods steal the show. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are great as Zeus and Hades, respectively. There was clearly a lot of effort put into the production, with character design and make-up both looking pretty great.

I ended up seeing this movie in 3D, and in my opinion, it was not as terrible as everyone is saying it is, but then again, its not very good either. It was obvious that the conversion from 2D to 3D was a very rushed job. The very quick editing and fast camera movements make it hard to focus your eyes, which becomes somewhat of a hassle during fast-paced action scenes. If you really want to see the Kraken get released in 3D, go right ahead, but it's really not necessary. All in all, I'd say that the remake of Clash of the Titans was somewhat enjoyable, but flawed in the same places that the original was.

C