Summer Blockbusters 2009

1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

This was my first summer blockbuster of 2009 and I was really disappointed L I usually really love the X-Men movies (the last one is my favorite) and Wolverine is my favorite character. The plot was pretty weak, the action was lame, and I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. I am not knowledgeable about the comic book series and not sure how closely if at all they followed that plot. One thing I do know is that if that’s the best Wolverine origin story they could come up with I hope this is the first and last of the origin series. If you really want to see it wait for it on DVD, don’t waste the money.

2. Star Trek

I am not a Star Trek watcher; I can honestly say I have never seen an episode of Star Trek. This is not a movie that I was interested and was not planning on seeing it. My husband talked me into in and I loved it! I had heard that a lot of Trekkies did not like the movie because it did not follow the original series and tried too hard to appeal to a bigger audience, and that it did. I thought the action, plot, actors were great. There were lots of things I didn’t really get and my husband had to keep telling me when there was a reference to the original series but I still loved it. I am now in love with Spock and Vulcan powers. Live long and prosper words to live by. Go see it now!

3. Terminator Salvation

First, I have to start by saying I have only see Terminator 2, I never saw the first one so I went in without having all of the background information. I had really high expectations because I really loved the second one, thought it was way ahead of it’s time and the trailer looked awesome. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. Overall, the movie was okay, the action was pretty good, the plot was lacking, and I don’t know if they want Christian Bale to do his Batman voice or if that’s his new thing, I felt like I was watching a Keanu Reeves movie. Within the context of Batman movies it’s okay but that’s it. I normally love Christian Bale; he was awesome in the Machinist. Sam Worthington played the hunky star; I thought he was really great. He’s relatively unknown; I would like to see more of him. Maybe a matinee movie, wait for the dollar theatre, if you really want to see it, I would see it in a theatre not at home.

4. Angels and Demons

I have not read any of Dan Brown’s books, not something that I am interested in reading. This is not a movie that I would have put on the top of my list to watch but my husband wanted to see it so we went. I had pretty low expectations. Overall, the movie was pretty entertaining. My husband is an architecture student so it was really interesting to watch Tom Hanks run around Rome visiting a bunch of Bernini’s buildings and sculptures. I thought the outcome was amazingly ridiculous. It was so off the charts unbelievable that it really ruined it for me. Like I said I didn’t read the book so I don’t know how closely it followed the book but the ending was just silly. If you have read the book, know what’s going to happen and are just looking for some entertainment, go see it. If you have high expectations, you might want to skip this one.

1 out of 4… Not the best start to summer movies.

Movies I am really looking forward to:

1. Away We Go: The trailer is awesome, the movie looks so fun and heartbreaking but happy. Dave Eggers is one of the writers of this movie, that makes me so happy. His first book A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius was good but he has another book that I really love called Teachers Have it Easy. It is one of the reasons I decided to not be a teacher.

2. Where the Wild Things Are?: I think anyone who loved this book as a child or adult is exciting about this movie. I am no different. This movie is directed by Spike Jonze, who I love, is sure to deliver.

3. Inglorious Bastards: There are great things being said about this movie, it was the movie to see at Cannes this year. I have heard nothing but good reviews. I have heard it is Tarantino's bloodiest film, Brad Pitt is the lead role, what's not to love?