Realizing they are falling behind, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the latest entry from Warner Brothers to cash in on their share of superhero dollars. Is this a cash grab or a serious attempt to be a real player in the superhero genre?

Release Date: March 25, 2016
Writer: David Goyer
Director: Zach Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Gal Gadot

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a decent action movie. Unfortunately, it is loaded is popular DC comic book characters and has Marvel Studios setting a high standard for comic book movies. The movie delivers on its title. The all-powerful Superman battles the street-smart vigilante Batman and the battle itself is fun to watch.

The problem is everything leading up to this moment was thrown at us in rapid-fire succession and not developed well. Before we go into the problem, I’ll say what was good about the movie is Ben Affleck’s Batman was not bad, and the action/fights are good.

The main problem with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is its need to present a lot of information and only having two and a half hours to present this information. Sadly, the movie needs another two hours to tell its story and no one wants to sit through that.

The movie starting strong with the final battle between Superman and General Zod but seen through the eyes of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). Bruce for some reason is in Metropolis, and he is trying to get to some guy trapped in building owned by Wayne Enterprises. Of course, this building is destroyed as collateral damage from the aforementioned fight and the guy, who we only know as Wayne’s good friend perishes. On top of that, we are once again treated to flashback memories of the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents. Already that is a lot.

Next, we jump to Lois Lane (Amy Adams) in the middle east attempting to get an interview with some alleged terrorists. This moment serves only to reintroduce Lois as the main character and her relationship with her protective lover, Superman (Henry Cavill). Later, there is a discussion with Lois and Superman in a bathtub, which is super-hot. Other than that, Lois as a character serves only to expose ultimately Lex Luther as the mastermind of the tragic events that are about to happen.

The next storyline follows the newly discovered Kryptonite. Lex (Jesse Eisenberg) needs help from Congress, led by Senator Finch (Holly Hunter), to import the substance to his lab in the U.S. so it can be used as a weapon against Superman. The twist occurs when the substance is stolen by Batman so that it can be used as a weapon against Superman.

Let us now return to Batman’s story. Haunted again, by the death of his parents, Batman sees the only salvation the world has is the death of Superman. Of course, Batman is conflicted. He also doesn’t trust Lex. Batman hacks into the phone of Lex’s henchman to discover the identity of four “meta-humans” who may be able to help defeat Superman.

Back to Lex, who is upset about his stolen Kryptonite, manages to blame Superman for another national tragedy, figures a way to instigate a fight between Superman and Batman and finally discovers all of Superman’s secret by accessing Zod’s ship from the first movie.

Now to Superman, who only wants to bring peace to his new home and protect his girlfriend. Look, this movie suffers from too much plot. There is so much plot going on that every strand of the plot is not serviced adequately leaving it weak and full of holes.

Another problem, secondary characters only serve to move story along. Lois Lane exists to slowly reveal the mystery of Lex and the Kryptonite and Lex Luther is the vehicle the film uses the pit Superman and Batman against one another and to ultimately unite them together. You could have interchanged Lex with other DC villains and still told the same story.

Lastly, the introduction of the Justice League is weak and underwhelming. As seen in the trailers, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is introduced late into the action. Very little is said about her and she kicks ass, which is what we want, but clearly anything related to the Justice League feels last minute and serves only to create excitement about the Justice League movie.

It’s hard not to feel like Batman v Superman is a movie that needed to exist because Warner Brother’s was falling behind in the superhero race. The difference is that Marvel built its universe over the course of 10 years and Warner Brothers started two years ago with Man of Steel.

The tone of Batman v Superman is dark and moody. There is very little humor in the film. I don’t necessarily have a problem with this. One, it sets itself up as a different kind of filmmaking compared to Marvel. Two, it’s borrowing from brooding tones of the Dark Knight. My only problem is that Superman has always been a character of hope and justice. His storyline, beginning with Man of Steel, as the misunderstood alien just isn’t striking the right tone for Superman.

There you have it. A movie with both Batman and Superman, an introduction to Wonder Woman and soon the Justice League. That’s the best thing you could say about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

6 out of 10 stars

I did not see the original Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightly back in 2005. Mainly because I was not interested in seeing it. Nor have I read the Jane Austin book, because I was not interested in seeing it. Now, throw in a few zombies and I’m in. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a mash-up between 19^th-century romance and the Night of the Living Dead.

Release Date: February 5, 2016
Writer: Burr Steers
Director: Burr Steers
Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Charles Dance, Lena Headley, Matt Smith

If you’re familiar with Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, you know it is about the Bennet family. The aging patriarch, Mr. Bennet (Charles Dance) cannot pass his estate on to any of his five his unmarried daughters unless wed. The story becomes the interweaving tale of manners and matrimony of the Bennet sisters.

Jane Bennet (Bella Heathcote) is in love with Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth), but they cannot marry because Bingley’s childhood friend, Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) does not get along with the Bennet’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth (Lily James). Elizabeth manages to strike Darcy in all the wrong way because she is a strong woman. Darcy in return cannot stand her presence because she does not act like a proper woman. Elizabeth soon begins to fall for Darcy’s estranged adopted brother, Mr. Wickham (Jack Huston). But Elizabeth has also been promised to her cousin, Parson Collins (Matt Smith).

Oh, let us not forget the zombies. A plague has flooded all of England, turning its people into the living-dead, hungry only for the brains of humans. On the edge, Mr. Bennet trained his daughters to not only defend themselves when confronted by a horde of zombies but to attack and permanently kill one without flinching.

The movie begins at a Bridge party. The local constable, Mr. Darcy has arrived because he believes one of the guests is infected with the zombie plagues. Using flies which are attracted to dead flesh, Darcy discovers and dispatches the head of the undead guest.

My one complaint is that the rules of zombies are always rewritten from film-to-film to accommodate the larger story. It tends to weaken, in small ways, the ferociousness of zombies altogether. But then again, you have to tell a story. In this film, infected humans are dead, but their full conversion to brain eaters happen over time. As the flesh decays and wounds go unhealed, they can still act like people, which is often used as a trap to ensure the healthy ones. Eventually, the human mind will ultimately die, and the person becomes mindless brain eaters.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies succeeds because it introduced me to the fascinating world of Jane Austin. The film manages to tell a true Austin story while at the same time mix a horror element. The movie stays true to Austin-era England while weaving in not only the existence of zombies but also the imminent zombie threat.

What makes the movie work is it takes itself seriously. There are comic moments that help ease the tension. At no time do the actors wink at the camera to make sure in on the joke. The actors take their roles seriously and ultimately makes the absurd tale worth watching.

Lily James is memorizing as Elizabeth Bennet. She is beautiful and deadly. She is a woman who stands her ground and not allowing any man change it; not her father and certainly not Mr. Darcy. Sam Riley is equally likable and unlikable as Mr. Darcy and his unflinching view of the world around him. Matt Smith shines as the comedic Parson Collins, in search of a wife that he can rule over and a wife that can protect him from the undead.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a fun, action-filled movie for people who do not know the world of Jane Austin. I have a feeling the Austonians may find the film distasteful, possible because they are against tampering with the source material.

7 out of 10

Ex-Special Forces Agent, Wade Wilson, becomes the smart-mouth mutant mercenary, Deadpool. Deadpool first appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and at that point he becomes a silent villain. Ryan Reynolds proves in Deadpool, that maybe the original creators were right, and you should base the characters on the source material.

Release Date: February 12, 2016
Writer: Rhett Reese, Paul Wenick
Director: Tim Miller
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is an Ex-Special Forces Agent, who earns money today as a hired gun doing favors for the weak and not-so-innocent. On one special job, Wilson runs into the beautiful and equally tough, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and they quickly “hit-it-off.” By “hit-it-off,” I mean they have sex right away, which then leads into a sequence of sex through the holidays.

In the film’s early moments of Wilson breaking the proverbial fourth wall and talks to the audience, he keenly points out that a no movie can end on a minute of happiness. Soon Wilson is diagnosed with cancer in his lungs, brain, and any place cancer can exist. Not wanting to have Vanessa watch his slow and painful deterioration, Wilson enlists the help of Ajax, who has found a way of awakening dormant mutant cells through a series of near lethal injections and torture.

After weeks of torture, Ajax brings Wilson to the point of death, and this is when Deadpool is born. Deadpool’s new power is the ability to heal rapidly and regenerate, but the treatment disfigured Wilson’s normal appearance. He looks like a monster.

Soon, we find out that Ajax is not healing people of diseases, but, in fact, creating an army of mutants who will become the slaves of the highest bidder. After burning down the lab facilities, Wilson goes on the hunt for Ajax, who he believes can heal him. He hides from Vanessa because he can’t let her see him in this state and also serves as his protector.

Simply put, this movie is a Deadpool movie. It is incredible to see how much research the filmmakers put into studying and ultimately realizing the comic book Deadpool on the big screen. The costume is one of the best comic book replications in movies today, and the tone and attitude of Deadpool is dead on (pun intended).

Everything in this movie serves as a showcase of Deadpool. This movie is to show the world, who this Deadpool guy is and why everyone thinks he’s cool. He’s cool because he doesn’t care about anything but himself. He has a small conscience and loves Vanessa dearly. He’s self-aware and says everything everyone is thinking. You can take away the entire plot because it’s unnecessary. This movie is a showcase of everything great about the original Rob Liefeld character.

The film is brutally violent throughout the entire film. The film uses incredibly raunchy language throughout the entire film. The film is hilarious throughout the entire film. There are several great performances. Morena Baccarin as Vanessa is beautiful, sexy and can hold her own against any criminal. Stefan Kapicic is the voice of Colossus, a CGI version of the popular character, but true to the original X-men character. His fight scene with Deadpool is gruesome and hilarious, which leads to an incredibly funny scene with veteran actress Leslie Uggams. Brianna Hildebrand shines as Negasonic Teenage Warhead. She is all hero and all teenager. Let’s not forget T.J. Miller as Weasel, the only friend Deadpool has in the world, even though he has Wilson on his Death Pool.

You are not going to watch Deadpool because it has an awesome story. You are going to see Ryan Reynold’s portray the perfect Wade Wilson/Deadpool and show that a rated-R superhero movie can be successful as a film and successful at the box office.

9 out of 10

Fans of the Coen brothers are sure to have a good time with their latest offering, Hail Caesar!. The film tells the story of studio head, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) running an entire studio, while leading man, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) of its biggest budget feature has been kidnapped and held for ransom.

Release Date: February 5, 2016
Writer: Ethan & Joel Coen
Director: Ethan & Joel Coen
Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Alden Ehrenreich

Hail Caesar! follows a single day for Capital Pictures head, Eddie Mannix, who must juggle crisis after crisis while keeping the movie making machine rolling. First there is newcomer, Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich). Hobie is a naïve stuntman, who is being touted as the next up-and-coming star. After a series of successful singing cowboy movies, Doyle is being moved to dramatic roles. In the film’s funniest scene, Doyle’s heavy western accent is not working for director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes).

Actress DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) is the studio’s swimming beauty and she finds herself pregnant out wedlock. Mannix must spin the story as to not become a tabloid scandal. He enlists the help of professional “person” Joseph Silverman (Jonah Hill). He also needs to deflect studio rumors from tabloid journalist Thora Thacker (Tilda Swinton) and her competitive identical sister, Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton).

The studio’s biggest problem is the abduction of its biggest star, Baird Whitlock. Whitlock is literally in the middle of filming a scene in Capital Pictures largest budget movie, “Hail Caesar!” He is kidnapped by two extras and being held ransom for $100,000. Mannix figures out who kidnapped his star, how to get him back and keep the news out of the tabloids.

The Coen brothers have managed to create an amusing film that is more or less a throwback to the movie studios of old. They produce a stunning water ballet scene featuring Scarlett Johansson, a whimsical song and dance routine with an amazing Channing Tatum and an old school Biblical epic with George Clooney.

The main problem with Hail Caesar! is that it’s being sold as a studio thriller. In actuality, the movie serves as a slice of life. That’s not to say that being a slife-of-life movie is bad. The movie is fun to watch, but the subplots are low stakes and the kipnapping story is not an exciting story. The Coen brothers have captured the whimsical world of the early studio days and that about it.

As the studio head, Josh Brolin is clearly the lead of the movie. He’s a likable studio head and his struggle to balances the craziness of the studio with his personal life is quite charming. There are a lot of big stars in this movie, but the real shining moment of the film is Alden Ehrenrich as Hobie Doyle. His portrayal as the young naïve actor, who wants to be a team player, is sweet and endearing. Where did this guy come from and can we see him in more movies?

If you are a fan of the Coen brothers, Hail Caesar is distinctly the work of the Coen Brothers in terms of tone and humor. But compared to their other film it’s definitely a light movie, missing a dark edge and violence.

6 out of 10