Hello internet perusers!  We are back with round 2 of the four part year break down of things to come.  Between April and June, the writers on HST have plenty that we are looking forward to in movies, music, and games,, and we want to share them with you.  No, none of these are April Fool’s jokes.  Zac is actually really excited to see a movie about male strippers.

Movies

The Cabin in the Woods (April 13)

Lauren’s #1 Pick:  As per usual, I included the trailer below, but honestly this is definitely a movie in which I think you should avoid the trailer.  I watched it when it was first put out and it seemed rather spoiler heavy, so I have avoided it like the plague since then.  I am just putting my faith in Joss Whedon (who co-wrote this) to create one fun horror film.

Heather: I’m not usually one for horror films, but this actually looks kind of intriguing.  I’d see it.

Zac: Avoid everything about this movie and just see it, that is what I am doing.

(Days pass)

Zac: And now I have seen it, it’s amazing, see it opening night with fresh eyes and little to no knowledge of what’s ahead.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits (April 27)

Zac: Aardman Animations, doing another stop-motion film.  Sold!  Film looks like silly and goofy British humor fun and its an adaptation of a great little book; this is going to catch people off guard how good it is I think.

Lauren:  [Shivers] Claymation … Still creepy.

Nate: I agree with Zac on this one.  Claymation can be extremely creepy, Jan Svankmajer is probably the ultimate example of that, but this looks absolutely gorgeous.  I’m sure in 3D it will be even more pleasing to the eye.  I think Zac is absolutely right and that it will completely catch people off guard just as Chicken Run did back in the day.

Lauren:  OOO Chicken Run!  See, with that alone you have reminded me of one example of this style that warms my heart.  Fine.  Count me in.  But if it’s creepy…

The Raven (April 27)

Zac: Hopefully more V for Vendetta and none of Ninja Assassin, the trailer looks fun and John Cusack could be great in the role as Poe.  Could be a darker Sherlock Holmes franchise if everything goes right.

Alan: I am so ready for this movie! I’m a big Edgar Allan Poe fan, and seeing his works getting translated into a murder mystery sounds like a great concept, hoping that it translates into a great film.

Lauren:  It’s like the pilot episode of Castle, but most likely far less hilariously awesome and sexually tense.  Maybe they’ll make the writer BA like as done to our upgraded detective in Sherlock Holmes as well, like Zac says.  Color me intrigued.

Heather:  Maybe it will be less hilarious than Castle (I should hope so) but Edgar Allen Poe is the master of all things twisted and creepy.  I scoff at you even comparing Poe’s genius to Castle.  In case you can’t tell, I LOOOOVE me some Poe.  If this movie gets the feel of his stories right, it will be nothing short of wonderfully horrific (in a good way!).

Lauren: I was just talking premise, and it’s not like Poe wrote this screenplay, which is definitely comparable.  So I scoff at your scoff.  Also, come borrow my seasons of Castle already.  Based on this conversation you would appreciate the Halloween episode of Season 2.

The Avengers (May 4)

Lauren’s #2 Pick:  What!? Two projects connected to Joss Whedon in such close proximity to each other!? Clearly I jest.  Well, jest I do not.  Whedon has always had a knack for understanding how to work with large ensemble casts, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Firefly, so if anyone can pull off a team of superheroes and give each their due, I’d put my money on him.  Plus if this works, we may be one step closer to getting a Justice League film.  But I have to say, I am really excited to see how Captain America handles modern day America considering how his solo film ended.

Heather:  So I guess I should maybe actually watch Thor without falling asleep, and then tackle Captain America in prep?

Lauren:  Yes, that would definitely be a great idea for prep work.

Zac: Looks good, Joss Whedon should definitely add a lot to this world.  I hear the talking scenes are as compelling as the action; look out. Hulk Smash!

Nate: I have not made even the slightest effort to see Captain America or Thor mostly because I knew this movie was in the works.  I am extremely excited to see this and I also felt the same as Lauren when I heard about this movie, in that I too am really hoping a Justice League movie gets made, but they would probably have to do a decent remake of Superman first.  I’m just really afraid this movie simply won’t be long enough to cover everything and that we will end up getting a shallow action packed mess.

Lauren:  [Lightly grumbles] Superman Returns was a decent Superman film…

Dark Shadows (May 11)

Lauren:  This has the potential to be really, really, stupid, but I am willing to watch pretty much anything Tim Burton puts out because I have always been a fan of his style and world building.  German Expressionism and all that jazz.  Plus, it has a great cast with Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, and Chloe Grace Moretz.  Then again, just cuz I am willing to watch Burton doesn’t mean I always like what he puts out.  This could be one of those.

Zac: I saw the preview before The Hunger Games and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was laughing.  Looks weird and silly, and that period setting will hopefully be a fun playground for Burton to recapture that magic he hopefully still has in him.

Alan: Ok, I cannot get behind this movie. I watched the soap opera in its entirety with my dad a while back, and NONE of it was trying to be funny. Of course, this isn’t a straight adaption, but if you are going to use Barnabas as the main character, you can at least stick to the source material. I might see it, but I’m probably going to skip it.

Nate: I too saw this as a preview before The Hunger Games, and I’m pretty sure I did not laugh at any part of the trailer.  Most of the jokes were incredibly old and the story seemed absolutely awful.  I love Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp is always fantastic no matter how awful the movie is, and I am really hoping this movie turns out to be good, but right now I just can’t see it happening.

Moonrise Kingdom (May 16)

Lauren:  I don’t know why, but whenever I see this trailer it just reminds me of some modern day Shakespearean adaptation.  Must be its apparent epicness.  Now, I shall let Zac go on about this one cuz he is probably foaming at the mouth in anticipation.

Heather: This looks awesome!  But why are you foaming at the mouth Zac?

Zac’s #1 Pick (Tie*): *Homer Simpson Drool Face* The reason I am frothing at the mouth is because I LOVE Wes Anderson, and this movie looks like he has taken his last feature, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and merged it into live action.  I mean, the cast is worth price of admission alone, but seeing all these new faces play in Anderson’s world (Ed Norton, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton) along with the old staples is going to be a real treat.  Plus it looks like a blast, weird and hilarious.  Can’t wait!

Alan: This reminds me of what Garden State was when it came out in 2004. The trailer didn’t give anything really away, besides that it looks to be a coming of age movie that will appeal to everyone. Also, the huge cast makes it look so much better. This is one I’m definitely going to see when it comes out.

Nate’s  #1 Pick: This is without a doubt the movie I am looking forward to the most.  I love Wes Anderson and I will watch anything he does.  There has yet to be a single movie he has done that I did not think was absolutely brilliant.  Ever since Rushmore (my personal favorite of Wes Anderson’s) it seems that he has no trouble putting together amazing casts, and I can completely understand why.  It has been a really long time since a trailer has gotten me this excited to go see a movie.

Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1)

Lauren’s #3 Pick:  At first I would have said that in comparison to Mirror, Mirror this Snow White film would easily be the victor, thus why I want to see it.  However, it just keeps looking better and better as the release date nears, reaching for visuals that I really wasn’t expecting.  Plus I cannot wait to see Charlize Theron’s evil queen, who reminds me of some woman who would bathe in the blood of peasant girls from the nearby village to stay young.  I got caught watching something about vampires on the History Channel…

Heather:  This actually looks good.  Here’s to hoping Kristen Stewart doesn’t ruin it.

Zac: Having seen Mirror, Mirror, these two Snow White tales will have no problem existing in the same world as they will be almost incomparable.  As for this, it looks splendid; I like all three of the leads a lot, and the action seems to be very well done.  We will see.

Prometheus (June 8th)

Lauren:  One name: Michael Fassbender.  Oh, that not enough for you?  Well for anyone who knows Greek mythology, “Prometheus” sure doesn’t bode well for those involved in the movie, so I think it was safe to say that we’re in for quite the sci-fi adventure.  Plus, the screaming noise that accompanies the last portion of the trailer is also rather promising.

Alan: AHHHH THIS LOOKS AWESOME! I’m not a big sci-fi fan, but I know when something coming out looks completely amazing. Ridley Scott hasn’t really put anything decent out in years, but THIS looks like a futuristic masterpiece that will cement Scott’s name in film’s hierarchy.

Zac’s  #1 Pick (Tie*): The film looks stunning, the teaser trailer is phenomenal, and I am ecstatic to head back into Ridley Scott’s sci-fi universe.  The cast, again, is phenomenal here with Fassbender, Theron, Elba, Pierce, Rapace all primed to turn in top notch work for a top tier director hopefully returning to his A game.  Also can’t wait to see what another visual master like Scott does with 3D.

Nate: Ridley Scott making a sci-fi movie.  Nuff said.

Safety Not Guaranteed (June 8th)

Lauren:  As imdb.com describes it: “Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.”  Then add Kristen Bell, Audrey Plaza, and Jake M. Johnson and we’ve got ourselves some great potential for ensuing hilarity.  But the real question remains, in the end, will there have really been time travel?  And not just that emotional finding peace with the past or anything like that, but actual traveling through time.

Alan: This movie looks like it can make me feel everything. The cast looks great (didn’t know that Mark Duplass from The League was going to be in this), the trailer looks funny, and gives off a hint of sadness towards the end. FilmDistrict has been on a roll lately (they did Drive last year), and this will just be another notch on their ever-growing belt.

Zac: In for the cast and heard good things out of Sundance, I’ll be there.

Rock of Ages (June 15)

Zac: Tom Cruise sings as part of a fantastic ensemble that could be the next great musical feature based on what I know about the stage show.  A musical built around rock music seems to make a lot of sense and I will give Cruise a shot in anything he does, so I will see you in line.

Lauren:  Ugh… It’s like the font on the poster for this screams “Hate me!  Remember Guitar Hero!?  We’ll be just like that!”  But this one was actually saved by the trailer for me.  So take that Zac!  Trailer for the win!  That and musicals.  Musical trailer win.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22)

Lauren:  Lincoln did this much for us and all we did was stick him on a stupid penny!  That’s right, this is a true story.  Yep.

Zac: Liked Wanted a lot, been waiting for the director’s follow up, this should be a visual treat and a whole lot of fun.

Nate: I remember when I first walked out of the Des Peres 14 Cine and saw the cardboard display for this movie and knew right then and there that I wanted to see it.  I’m sure it will be bad, but the title alone has me sold.

Brave (June 22)

Lauren:  A new Disney/Pixar film is a new must see film.  Simple as that.  But who doesn’t also love a story about a girl doing more than what she is expected to?  That’s a story this tomboy can get behind.

Zac: I don’t really like the trailer for this, too many blue sight gags, but it’s Pixar so I won’t lose hope anytime soon.  The trailer alludes to something mythical going on here and I am sure Pixar will continue its killer run.  (Yes, Cars 2 counts)

Lauren:  I refuse to acknowledge Cars 2 until a good Pixar film gets a sequel!  I’m sure Nemo can get lost again!  And what about The Underminer!?  The Incredibles  have plenty of villains we haven’t faced yet, or more importantly, for Jack Jack to go crazy on.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (June 22)

Lauren:  Remember how at the end of Armageddon the asteroid was destroyed and earth was saved?  Well, what happens when plans to avert impending doom don’t go as planned?  While you’re deciding how you would spend your final days, you can watch what Steve Carell and Keira Knightley would do (a pairing alone that is worth seeing this simply because of how random it is).

Zac: Premise alone has me sold.

Beasts of the Southern Wild (June 22)

Lauren:  Here’s another film that just simply needs a storyline copy/pasted to peak interest: “Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in “the Bathtub,” a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink’s tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he’s no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack-temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink’s health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother.”  Sounds pretty weird, aka promising.

Zac: I don’t know anything about this other than that it is supposed to be great, count me in.

(Sorry, no trailer)

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (June 29)

Zac: I had fun with the first one and the addition of The Rock and Bruce Willis knowingly acting in a G.I. Joe movie might bring a lot of fun with this one.  Plus, that cliff ninja fight looks crazy cool.

Lauren:  Ugh… I want to like it after the trailer, and The Rock being a part of Fast Five probably helped keep it from sucking as badly as the previous films in the series (1 is still the best), so he could help here.  Plus, getting rid of G.I. Joe is very Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol…  But the first one just… It wasn’t good.

Magic Mike (June 29th)

Zac: Steven Soderbergh is back again for the third time in less than a year, this time with a dramedy based around the life of male strippers; partially inspired by Channing Tatum’s life.  This is the year of Tatum and I am sure this will cement his greatness as the new superstar of tomorrow. (Hopefully alongside Michael Fassbender!)  Plus, ladies, lots of hot guys stripping!

Lauren:  Yeah, this just sounds awkward.  I don’t know about you, Zac, but I may be able to resist my feminine urges to drool over half naked men.

(Sorry, no trailer)

Music

Of Monsters & Men’s My Head is an Animal (April 3rd)

Heather:  I have only recently gotten into this Icelandic band (I listened to their four song EP Into the Woods for the first time just a couple of days ago) but I am already hooked.  Rolling Stones Magazine called them the next Arcade Fire, and although I don’t really get the comparison, I am excited to see what their first full-length album is like.

Lauren:  Heather does know how to find groups that know how to blend male and female vocals.  She did introduce me to The Civil Wars, after all.  Ok, technically So You Think You Can Dance did, but I leave credit with Heather.  Also a fan of their EP, so I hope their full length CD will bring more soothing songs my way.

Heather:  Alan actually found a preview of their full length album on NPR’s website (thank you NPR… and Alan!)  I love everything about it!  Listen while its up:  Preview Of Monsters And Men’s upcoming album here!

Alabama Shakes’ Boys And Girls (April 10th)

Alan: I don’t know much about the band personally (besides listening to their first single “Hold On”), but as an avid listener of NPR, I’ve only heard great things. They’re not too country, not too folksy, just down the middle. The way I like it.

Neon Trees’ Picture Show (April 17th)

Alan: Since we haven’t heard a lot from The Killers for years now, it’s time for someone else to take the reins of the electric pop alternative genre. Neon Trees started out nicely a couple of years ago with “Animal,” but that alone didn’t catch on as much as it probably should have. Now, they have “Everybody Talks,” and I can bet that it’ll be #1 on the alternative charts in no time.

Jason Mraz’s Love is a Four Letter Word (April 17th)

Heather’s #3 Pick:  I love Jason Mraz.  And although I still prefer his earlier albums over some of the later ones, I wont give up on him.  Coincidentally, “I Wont Give Up” is the name of the first single he has released off his upcoming album.  I don’t really like it all that much (it’s pretty slow and in my opinion drags, not to mention he looks gross in the music video), so I hope it isn’t representative of what the rest of the album will be like. If it is, I’m in for a big disappointment.

See what I mean? He looks sleezy.

Lauren:  I actually think the song’s rather pretty, and I am usually not a big Mraz fan.  But my first thought was also, “why does he look like that?”

Jack White’s Blunderbuss (April 24th)

Alan: Firstly, let’s pour some out for The White Stripes, as they are no longer with us. Luckily, frontman Jack White is still putting out music (in more than one way) for the masses to enjoy his random genius. The first two songs I’ve heard so far, “Love Interruption” and “Sixteen Saltines” shows the creative directions that he wants to go with on his first solo endeavor – which is everywhere. He can be folk, he can be rock, he can be awesome. I have high hopes that Blunderbuss is going to be a complete success.

Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away (May 1st)

Heather: I’m not a fan of country music, but Carrie is the one exception I will make.  I don’t typically like her ballads much, but she sure knows how to put together some lively songs that make me want to stomp by boots and sing along.  Her voice is just so powerful and well suited to those types of songs, a la Good Girl, her first single.

Silversun Pickups’ Neck of the Woods (May 8th)

Alan’s #1 Pick: The level of excited that I currently am for the third studio album from the California rock quartet cannot be put onto a chart. It’s WAY above whatever mark would be the top. Before the Seasick EP that came out earlier this year, I was itching for something new from SSPU, and since then, all I’ve wanted was more (I have an unhealthy addiction of SSPU). Now, their new single “Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)” is on loop on my iPod, and until May 8th, it will continue to be on my rotation of awesomeness. I’m only hoping that the album is as awesome – if not more – than any of the recent material that came out. Here’s hoping!

John Mayer’s Born and Raised (May 22nd)

Heather’s #2 Pick: Although I was not a fan of John Mayer when I first heard his music in high school, I grew to love him and have been a huge fan ever since (even if he does seem both shady and arrogant in real life).  He had to cancel his upcoming shows due to the recurrence of the granuloma in his throat, but at least fans will have his album to listen to while he recovers.  I can always count on Mayer’s albums to be consistently good, every time.  No flops for him!

Regina Spektor’s What We Saw From the Cheap Seats (May 29th) 

Heather’s #1 Pick: It’s been 3 years (in other words far too long!) since her last album Far came out, but I would much prefer her taking a bit more time to write good quality music as opposed to the never ending stream of garbage that many pop stars like Katy Perry mass produce.  Her first single “All the Rowboats” is perfect in my opinion, making this my most anticipated CD of the next three months.

Lauren’s #1 Pick:  Agreed.  Definitely far too long.  I am pretty sure that during my senior year of college I listened to her stuff every day on my way to school.  There is just something about her music and lyrics that really makes me happy.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ Title TBA (May 29th) 

Heather:  My friend Amy was the one who first introduced me to this band, and I hated them my first go ‘round.  I think my exact words to her were, “Ew, it sounds like hordes of terrifying children are singing along to these songs.”  Maybe that was being a bit dramatic on my part…  But just like John Mayer, Amy was right about Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and they have slowly nestled their way into my heart.  I think the song called “Home” was the one that really did it for me.  I hope the next album is every bit the frolic in a sunflower filled field as the last one was.

Other notable albums include: Nicki Minaj, Trampled By Turtles, Bassnectar, Rascal Flatts, Spiritualized, Eve 6, B.o.B., Santigold, Norah Jones, Best Coast, Tenacious D.

Lauren:  Oh Eve 6.  I didn’t realize they’re still around since “Here’s to the Night.”

Video Games

Prototype 2 (April 24)

Lauren:  The first game had some problems, but I really enjoyed my time running/gliding around infected NYC as I pieced together what happened by obtaining info through consuming other people.  I mean, that’s how everyone learns, right?  And changes clothes.  Good times…  Point is, I can’t wait to see how they chose to build on a sturdy foundation.  Plus with a new protagonist, it will be interesting to see how the game brings in Alex Mercer from game 1 because this guy sure seems pretty devoted to finding him.  …Wait, what happens if we consume Mercer!?

Max Payne 3 (May 15)

Lauren: (Yes I did copy/paste this from our post about Q1.  Not my fault the game got pushed back.)  The only experience I’ve had with Max Payne was the movie, and I am going to pretend that never happened.  So I am coming in to this with virgin eyes, full of hope thanks to the graphics and slow motion action.  I enjoyed Wet, but this looks better because the slow-mo doesn’t look mandatory to rack up the kills (assuming a point system isn’t incorporated).

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (May 22)

Lauren:  I have never really been big into military shooters, but for some reason I have always liked the Ghost Recon games during the 360 days.  It could be possible that Advanced Warfighter was one of the interesting games around launch time, but the 3rd person shooter gameplay was what kept me around for the second (not that there is anything wrong with FPS games, I just prefer 3rd person).  And now, with Future Soldier, I can yell military jargon into my headset at my boyfriend while we play co-op.  Or, you know, what I make up and convince myself is legit jargon.  I’m not perfect.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (June 1)

Lauren:  LEGO + Super Heroes + video games = gleegasm, and not the breaking out into song kind.  Ok, maybe humming of the Batman or Superman theme songs, but nothing crazy.  Sure, these aren’t the most hardcore games since they’re family friendly, but that doesn’t stop them from being highly addictive.  Come on, you know you wanna play it.

Other notable games: Aliens: Colonel Marines, Darksiders II, Devil May Cry HD Collection, Diablo III, Lollipop Chainsaw, The Secret World, The Walking Dead, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (Enhanced Edition)

The Deathly Hallows: Part II is an exciting, heart pumping, and near perfect finale to the Harry Potter series.

We last left our heroes as they escaped Malfoy Manor and our villain had acquired the Deathly Hallow, the Elder Wand.  Harry, Hermione, and Ron pick right back up where they left off, on the trail for Voldemort’s Horcruxes, and they have a lead on the possible location of the fourth.  Meanwhile, Snape is headmaster at Hogwarts and Voldemort may be realizing the fate of his Horcruxes.

The film opens with a couple scenes of exposition and then basically hits the ground running.  The pacing is fantastic and the film rarely gives you a chance to breath.  Those complaining about the ‘aimless’ camping scenes in Part I will have nothing to really latch on to here.  Besides a brief detour at Gringotts, most of the films action takes place at Hogwarts.  And when I say action, I mean action.  The film is basically a giant fight with only a couple minutes to compose yourself in between scenes.

The Battle of Hogwarts is wonderfully realized and even makes some improvements on the book by extending to some action not seen in the book.  The setting of defenses, the fight itself, the death eaters assault all work spectacularly and David Yates and team are even able to sprinkle in some humor.

The film nails it as an adaptation as well by cutting little and realizing most of the big moments about as good as I imagined.  Even when they depart from the book all the changes are in line and work with the original text.  They are even able to pull off the Kings Cross scene with seemingly ease.  Snape’s memories are also done brilliantly and serve as one of the highlights of the series for me.  The extension/changes to the final battle are all pluses in my book as well and I think they did a great job making the final showdown more epic and expansive between Harry and Voldemort.  There were a number of moments I was expecting to be tough to handle as an adaptation and Yates and his team pull it off.

Book lovers will find a couple quibbles here and there, but for the most part nothing essential is missed.  Relocating the infamous scene in the shrieking shack, changes to the fate of Harry’s wand, Dumbeldore’s extended history, and a lack of acknowledging Hagrid’s actions in the book will be the biggest red flags for book lovers.  Oh, also, they didn’t bring Peter Pettigrew back so I guess Dobby took care of him with that spell.  A shame we didn’t see his redemption and Voldemort’s hand do its work.  Wormtail’s fate and the bit around Harry’s wand was the only thing I really missed.

The actors are great as usual here as well from top to bottom.  Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman get the best material and turn in the best performances here, with Matthew Lewis nailing his big moment as well.  The story only allows for most of the supporting characters to have nothing but moments, but so much is happening it doesn’t feel like neglect.  Ciarán Hinds and Kelly Macdonald are the two newcomers to the cast and they both nail their small roles in the story.

In the end, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is a fantastic finale to the series that will play wonderfully with it’s counterpart from here on out.  The film is an action packed spectacle to Part I’s slower build up and I can’t wait to see them play as one (I actually already am as this posts at midnight).  The Deathly Hallows is a contender for the best film in the series and this experience is one of the best you will find in theaters this year; as the series will live as one of the all time greats in cinema history.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an A

The King’s Speech is a fantastic retelling of King George VI over coming his speech impediment and his rise to the throne that is funny, sharp, and interesting every step of the way.

Prince Albert was always a well respected leader and Duke in England and among the family but the rise of the wireless during his time forced him into the public eye in a way that never suited him; as a public speaker.  Albert was the confidant and by the books second son of George V and Albert was more than content and resigned to his role as the next in line behind his brother Edward.  But when Albert begins work with a new speech therapist, Lionel Louge, his previous unfounded progress with his impediment begins to appear.  Both Louge and Albert’s wife, Elizabeth, begin to see a potential future on the thrown if Edward continues down his current path of un-royal actions, but that is something that Albert both fears and is reluctant to embrace.

The premise of the film seems like it would be an incredibly dull and dry affair but that couldn’t be any further from the truth.  Tom Hooper has craft a brisk and compelling narrative with his film and he will affect your eyes, heart, and funny bone along the way.  Watching Albert grow into George VI is as mesmerizing as his overcoming of his speech impediment and the later is told masterfully and as about as entertaining as one could hope for.  Whether it is a long back and forth between Louge and Albert or a fantastic montage of Albert’s progress/vocal exercises, the speech scenes are fantastic and some of my favorites of the year.  Hooper makes the potentially dull beautiful and cinematic and he uses every trick up his sleeve to make speech work compelling. The look of the film is also magnificent and the production team does a marvelous job recreating the era from the poor streets Louge lives on to the tailored army uniforms Albert wears.

The actors in the film are also a marvel with some of the best performances of the year coming from both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush as Albert and Louge, respectively.  Firth is about as good here as he was last year in a Single Man and that is really saying something.  Whether Firth is in a touching moment with his daughters, a sweet nothing with Elizabeth, flying off the handle with Louge, or pleading with his brother to change his was, Firth’s performance never wavers.  Firth is also incredibly convincing as a man with a speech impediment and shows a subtle improvement throughout the picture that is just remarkable.  When Firth and Rush are on screen together though is when the film reaches its highest heights.  The two just play so wonderfully off one another, challenging each other along the way, and they are one of the best on screen duos of the year.  Rush delivers great work as always again here as he has a fire and sternness with Albert that is controlling yet respectful and watching their somewhat forbidden friendship grow is the heart of the film.  Helena Bonham Carter is great as well here as Elizabeth and she provides the perfect balance of what every Duchess/Queen should be, the voice of strength and reason behind her man.  Guy Pearce sneaks his way into another great film as Edward and strikes the right bit of confidence/defiance/loyalty to his role as heir to make the character tragic but respectable.  Rounding out the cast is Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill and he plays the rather bullish figure role more than adequately under a lot of jowl makeup.

In the end, The King’s Speech is another great entry into the 2010 film year.  Featuring fantastic performances and a surprisingly brilliant cinematic telling of this engaging story one can’t ask for much more from Tom Hooper’s film.  Fans of just about every genre will find something to enjoy here unless you expect Albert to run into battle against the Nazi’s with a couple AK-47’s.  The film is not to be missed as it is one of the years best and is another entry into an already crowded docket of great films this season.

The King’s Speech is an A

A few years back when the last Harry Potter book was released I went with my sister to pick up her reserved copy at Borders.  Stepping hesitantly into the throngs of Potter devotees I picked a seemingly safe place away from the costumed clusters animatedly discussing their favorite memories from the series and what is to come.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the books and all, but when an excited voice snuck up behind me shouting, “You’re a wizard, Harry!” and I turned around to find Dumbledore, Hagrid and a Death Eater laughing at my expression, I was clearly not as fanatical as they come.  No matter where you fall on the Potter fan spectrum, you will be pleased to know that they are looking to go out on top with the first half of the 7^th book’s adaptation to film.

Those of you who will be running out the theaters to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 can probably spout off the basic storyline of this chunk of the Potter saga, while the rest of you should stick your toes in the water back with the first novel and/or film because at this point drowning is the only way out without previous knowledge. In any case, here’s the nutshelled plot of Part 1: after Dumbledore’s murder at the end of book six and Voldemort’s growing power around the wizarding world, Harry, Ron and Hermione are forced to go on the run in order to find the remaining Horcruxes and put a stop to the Dark Lord’s nefarious plot (see non-fans?  I can hear you drowning gurgles).

For those of you frustrated that the final book of the series has been chopped into two films then there is a strong chance that it will still feel like something is missing when leaving the theater.  There is obviously no completed story arc on the grand scale, looking back not a whole bunch goes down, and as exciting as it is to end on a climax it really does make the wait all the more frustrating (let’s face it, I don’t need the cliffhanger to convince me to see Part 2).  Yet with that said, and as weird as the feeling was of not really feeling like I had seen a completed movie, Part 1 really is a great film that is able to do a lot with the partial story it contains.

Stylistically and tonally The Deathly Hallows is looking to keep with the melancholy feeling of the last film.  Mirroring the grimness of the story, a dark presence has moved over the sets and environments, bringing cool colors and dense shadows to create shots that really are beautiful.  Think Picasso’s blue period, but less depressing.  In other words there is a nice complimenting of the look and tone of the film, but because of the lack of rush to cram one book into 2.5 hours there is time for each shot and moment between the characters to breath, even the little ones that don’t further the main storyline.  Though Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in an extremely dangerous and stressful situation, they are still allowed the moments to be teens and enjoy the little things, making a story that can easily be summed up as “the tent phase” of the Potter experience fun, and I was surprised to realize that not once did I have a pouting moment about not stepping foot on the Hogwarts campus.  Sure there is still plenty of business to attend to, but these moments and bits of humor thrown in are a relief to what could have easily been a much more depressing (and boring) experience, thanks in large part to the perfected characters created by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.

The choices in filmmaking have also done a lot to keep the film from falling on the less than exciting side of the spectrum.  With all of the special effects and CGI work of the Potter films to make this magical word come to life, a comfort level has been found with the formula of these films (not to be confused as a crutch; they just really know what they are doing at this point).  However, this time around there are a few noticeable changes to mix it up a bit.  As part of the constantly moving lifestyle the core three characters have to deal with, the camera has become an antsy character unto itself, with a lot of skewed angles, sweeps and movements around the sets.  For the most part it really helps with the franticness of some of the scenes, but a few times I did notice it more than I should have and was even taken completely out of a scene on one occasion thanks to my easily distracted nature.  In addition to the camera work, one of the major changes to what we are used to came in an animated sequence during Hermione’s reading of the story of The Tale of the Three Brothers.  It really was a surprising departure from the usual look of the Potter films, and this sequence that could easily be confused with something creating by Tim Burton was by far a highlight of the film.

As much as I wish they would have just put out the two films at the same time with a long intermission to break up the sitting, I am far less disappointed than I expected to be after only getting to see half of the story come to life.  At this point in the process the actors and filmmakers really know what they are doing in order to create the best experience in this world of witchcraft and wizardry, and as sad as it is going to be to no longer hear that familiar music as a new teaser is released for the next film, it is good to know that if they stick to what they created with Part 1, Part 2 really will be something that goes out on top.

Final Grade: A-

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 definitely feels like a part one, but it is executed nearly perfectly and it sets the stage for The Deathly Hallows to easily be the best of the Potter films when it is all said and done.

Picking up more or less right where the last film left off, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are foregoing their last year at Hogwarts in an attempt to track down Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes and destroy them.  And if that sentence made any sense to you than that is all you need to know about the film.  If you don’t, go read the books!

If you aren’t a Harry Potter fan, of either the films or the books, then there is no reason to apply here as the movie will not cater to you in the slightest.  That is a good thing and the film does a great job at respecting its audience and doesn’t feel the need to flash clips to reminds us what happened every time they mention something from a previous film; ala Return of the King.

Keeping pretty much the entire creative team from the last two films is a great move, and David Yates and his team take their talents to their limit here.  The tone of the film perfectly captures the book as this is clearly the darkest entry into the series and things get grim in a hurry.  Major characters will die, the mood in this world is somber and depressing, and hope is slowly being extinguished in everyone and thing.  The violence and imagery of the film is also the most graphic yet and with some gruesome, scary, and racy images thrown up on the screen.  The film also gets a great animated sequence in the Tale of the Three Brothers that feels right at home to the series even though it is a complete departure from anything we have seen in the series.

If you are a fan of the wonderful supporting cast in this series and you haven’t read the books be warned that there isn’t a lot of faces to look at outside the core three.  We are following Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they seclude themselves in the wilderness from Voldemort’s minions and that means we don’t seem them interact with anyone really beyond themselves.  Luckily, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint all turn in their best work yet and there isn’t a weakness in the bunch.  Watson especially has picked up her game over the last two films to catch up to Grint and Radcliffe who blossomed into great actors a few movies ahead of her.  Ralph Fiennes is the most prominent supporting face as Voldemort and he is as nasty and vile as ever; Fiennes has crafted one of film’s greatest villains.  All of the other surviving characters are played wonderfully as always as with the newcomers Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy living up the series’ pedigree.

For fans of the books that are a bit over protective of their source material there won’t be much to complain about here either.  Splitting the film in two has allowed them to include just about everything in the book with negligible changes.  In fact, I think the film even improves on a bit or two, especially with the fate of the first fatality in the film.  For anyone that needs to know what changes there are in the film to properly prepare themselves are, (****SPOILERS****) we don’t get to see Kreacher and Voldemort together in the cave and Wormtail’s fate at Malfoy Manor is decidedly different and unclear.  Other than that you would have to be nitpicking and if are going to complain over such small things than you should probably just stick to the books. (**End Spoilers**)

In the end, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the start to what seems to be the crowning achievement in the Harry Potter film series.  From the effects, the acting, the direction, everything is operating either at or above any other film in the series and fans will have little to complain about.  Sure the film is deliberately paced and a bit exposition heavy, but this is all build up to the film’s final act, which we will see in Part 2, and this film still manages to have its own three acts and a thrilling/heartbreaking conclusion.  I don’t know who this review is supposed to really be for as there is a good chance you are seeing this right now as it is published on the internets.  If you haven’t read the books or seen the films you won’t, and shouldn’t, start here but for me this was one of the best films of the year and a great start to what looks to be the best entry into the Harry Potter Series.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is an A

The 1951 animated version of Alice’s story is far from the top of my list of favorite Disney films from my childhood, but that does not keep me from being overly disappointed in the additional trip down the rabbit hole in this year’s Alice in Wonderland.

13 years following young Alice’s nightmare riddled nights of a mysterious world with crazy talking creatures, Alice finds herself all grown up and in the midst of an engagement party celebrating the proposal that has yet to occur.  When the question is finally popped Alice decides to avoid responding and exercise her affinity for chasing clothed rabbits down really deep holes.  When she eventually makes it into Wonderland a welcoming party of a few familiar faces greets her and we learn that the run in with the rabbit in the real world was a planned occurrence on his part.  Apparently since the last time Alice was there things have taken a turn for the worse and the inhabitants have been searching for the right Alice to fulfill the prophesy of bringing an end to the Red Queen’s reign of terror.  Unfortunately for them Alice is less that enthusiastic about filling those big shoes.

The design work used to create Wonderland is definitely the highlight of the film for me, with a lot of beautifully constructed costumes and amazing CGI environments and creatures (including the Cheshire Cat, Jabberwocky, and both the red and white armies) filling out the world.  Unfortunately the story is not one to match the scale of the world.  The majority of the film is actually a revisiting of places Alice came across in the animated film, such as the room with the “drink me” bottle to enter Wonderland and the tea party with the Mad Hatter.  Though this set up plays into a memory sequence later in the film, it just seems like a bunch of uninspired allusions to the prior film as they play out on the screen.  What’s worse is that the time taken going through these familiar scenes overshadows Alice’s mission in this film, which fails to build as the film progresses.  Instead she just spends the majority of the film going through the motions as she prattles on about wanting to wake up from this dream with a chorus of “but you are our champion!” being spouted from the citizens of Wonderland, who are just hoping she will decide to slay the Red Queen’s dragon for them no matter how unenthusiastic she seems about the whole idea.  Once the ending finally does comes around it just seems rushed and tacked on, and continues to get worse as the credits get closer.

The characters of the film go the same way as the story, with acting that could have been much better from the talent collected.  Mia Wasikowska could have been much stronger as Alice instead of just sticking to her “I don’t want to be here” range of expressions and line readings, but I do feel like she has the potential to do much better with a stronger role.  Anne Hathaway is fine as the White Queen, amusingly playing up the upper crustiness in how she carries herself (which you will either find annoying or amusing.  I fell into the latter group, but I love Hathaway).  The actor who does the best in their role is Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, who shines in the moments when she is given more to do than just shout “off with their heads!”  Unfortunately, Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter is actually a weaker part of the film.  For starters, his character is far too difficult to understand.  He may be insane and should therefore be anything but cut and dry, but usually there is some mind to the madness.  Here it just seems as if Depp was given so much freedom with his interpretation of the character that he never actually finds it.  Furthermore, the spotlight he is given is just not warranted in the end because it pulls focus from Alice, who I am assuming this film is actually supposed to be about.  I mean, her name is in the title and everything…

On the whole I am a big fan of Tim Burton’s films, but unfortunately Alice in Wonderland is not something I can add to the list of his movies that I love.  Overall the design elements may create a really pretty world, but the substance just isn’t there.  And though it may have some of the craziness of the 1951 animated film, it fails to come together in its attempt to become something more than just a trip through madness.

Final Grade: D

Tim Burton’s latest collaboration with Johnny Depp is a gigantic, uninspired, and boring mess of an adaptation of the Alice in Wonderland mythology.

The story is a sequel to Disney’s previous animated version of Alice in Wonderland and picks up some years later with Alice, now nineteen, about to be married off to the son of an old family friend that is very well to do but Alice is still haunted? By reoccurring “dreams” of her trip to Wonderland as a child.  When the young man proposes to her in front of a giant crowd at a prearranged engagement party, Alice gets cold feat and runs off into the garden, chasing the white rabbit, and down into a rabbit hole and back into the world of Wonderland.  The look of the place has changed significantly and we discover from a few familiar faces that there is a long standing search for Alice and they aren’t quite sure if this Alice is the real one.  The prophecy is that Alice will return to Wonderland to rid it of the tyrant Red Queen and restore peace to the once jovial nation.

Now, I have a lot of problems with this film, but first and foremost I just didn’t find it at all that engaging or entertaining.  When the film isn’t seemingly just walking down memory lane of Wonderland, and it does a lot of this for the first hour, the story they try to concoct is so unoriginal and uninspired it just never grabs you.  The plot also has countless gapping holes in it, just ignores logic, and makes no sense on a number of occasions.  From the desperate attempt to give the Mad Hater some depth to his character, the complete surface depth of the evil characters, the use of CGI for Crispin Glover’s body, and the fact that nobody in Wonderland seems to like the Red Queen yet she is some how in power, these are just the tipping point of problems I have without spoiling things.

Possibly my biggest issue with the film is Alice’s demeanor and logic on her being in Wonderland.  She is convinced this experience is a dream, even though her old method of waking up from one doesn’t work.  Also, she doesn’t seem to remember or recognize Wonderland, how is this possible?  It doesn’t look all that different and she has previously told us that she is still having “dreams” about her first trip to Wonderland so why is everything so foreign to her?  It takes 95% of the movie to unfold before she starts to finally come to this realization and I don’t know if she ever acknowledges that she really had been here before, but more or less just bought into the laid out prophecy.

Burton given this endless world of imagination brings next to nothing new to table and the film is creatively dry if you ask me.  The moments that work in the film are re-hashes of the animated film, Cheshire Cat and the Blue Caterpillar are a pair of the very few highlights, and I just didn’t find the world incredibly rich or wondrous.  Also of note, the use of 3-D is just as uninspired and pointless and not necessary for the viewing enjoyment of the picture.  Avatar has spoiled us and I think a lot of the 3-D pictures this year will come across as a disappointment in that element as most directors are still trying to figure out how to use the medium.  The CGI in the picture, especially for one that cost two hundred million dollars, was also not that impressive stylistically or consistently.  There are a number of shots in the picture that do look gangbusters, don’t get me wrong, but for every winner there are two shots that look a little too eh.  Danny Elfman’s score is even an uninspired and unnoticeable element to the film.

The acting work in the film is also nothing to write home about and none of the on screen actors do anything special for the entirety of the picture.  Helena Bonham Carter is the highlight as the Red Queen but her part gets stale and repetitive in a hurry.  Johnny Depp’s interpretation of the Mad Hatter is bad weird and never really worked for me as he tried to give him a dark side, or something, on the inside.  The kookiness of the character never charms or is all that funny and it is probably one of the worst turns of the gifted actor’s careers.  Mia Wasikowska stars as Alice and she is unfortunately really flat and has no pep what so ever in the picture.  She dully delivers her lines and doesn’t have the cheery aloofness Alice has in the animated classic, Wasikowska does come a bit alive in the third act.  Anne Hathaway needs to put her hands down, Crispin Glover does alright and kind of weird work, but most of the voice actors do solid jobs in their roles.  Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat and Alan Rickman as Blue Caterpillar are the highlights of the voice actors, and the voice casting was one of the few things Burton got right.

In the end, Alice in Wonderland is nothing but a big mess.  Where the original film was a crazy and tripped out adventure through this mysterious and wondrous world, Burton and company try and give this iteration a plot that is stale, uninspired, and unoriginal that leaves us scratching our heads.  Beyond being unoriginal the film doesn’t really flow very well, idling with nothing much happening for the majority of the picture, and then tries to patch together a plot that makes no sense with gaping plot holes to get us to the finale.  The acting is weak, the direction uninspired, effects that are dull, and 3D that is pointless and misused there is nothing to really recommend about this picture.  A front runner for biggest flop of the year due to the talent involved, there are at least a couple characters and scenes worth checking out but this is a rental at best and the worst Burton and Depp film to date by a wide margin.

Alice and Wonderland is a F

HP and OTP is the best film in the series and sets the tables for the thrilling conclusion of the last two films to come. The book and the film both serve as set-ups for the last two plot lines but that doesn’t hurt the material as it is both full of information and adventure.
David Yates is a first time film and Harry Potter director and he knocks it out of the park. Known for great character drama’s on British television he brings that alleged greatness to the series that has been getting stronger ever since Azkaban. Yates also does an excellent job with the action with some major props to his work with ILM.
Harry is dealing with some weird dreams of Voldemort and is a bit of an outcast after his claims of the dark lord’s return fell on many deaf ears. It doesn’t help that he is also being smeared by the Ministry of Magic as a liar along with Dumbledore. And speaking of Dumbledore, the headmaster is avoiding Harry and all this thrown together is making Harry a bit angry. He has one shinning point in his life, his Godfather Sirius Black, and Harry desperately wishes for them to be a proper family and move on to a time where just the two of them can be together.
The story is given a new villain in Dolores Umbridge, played by the amazing Imelda Staunton, which you just want to punch in the face by the third time we see her. She begins to slowly gain power at Hogwarts as she is a not so covert snake for Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, at Hogwarts; keeping an eye on Dumbledore.
The rest I will let you discover for yourself, but just know that the cast is solid, all but a couple shaky moments from Emma Watson as Hermione, with Rupert Grint out acting all of the kids in the movies. All the regulars return on the teaching side, though most of them just make brief appearances and take a backseat to Umbridge.
The movie is dark and not full of a ton of fun, but it allows the material to be taken more seriously and shows the maturation of the series, just as the books grew as they went along. Order of the Phoenix is another great entry into the franchise and I can’t wait to see what Yates and company do with The Half Blood Prince in a year from now.
A-

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp re-team for their 6th film together, and is my favorite Burton film since Big Fish, and is probably right there with Big Fish for his second best film behind Ed Wood.
The film is an adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name and is a full blown musical, so you idiots that won’t give a movie a shot just because there is singing, just go ahead and save yourself the time of reading any further. (I find it funny that a lot of people that grew up on and loved Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, say they can’t even watch musicals or grown at the mention of one.)
The story goes like this, Sweeney Todd(Depp) roles into London some years after being arrested and thrown out by a conniving Judge who wants to steal Todd’s, then Benjamin Barker, wife. He returns brooding on revenge and seeks to hunt down the man who took his life away. He returns to his past barber shop and home above Mrs. Lovett’s Meat Pie Shop where Lovett(the always great Helena Bonham Carter) is still cooking “The Worst Pies in London’ and tells him that his wife is gone.
One of Todd’s shipmates is a teenage boy named Anthony Hope (Jamie Bower) and he has the anti-emotions to Todd about returning to London. He stumbles upon the rich district to find a beautiful girl perched in a window, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), singing about being trapped. We quickly find she is on lock down under the control of, Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who put Barker/Todd away, and his accomplice Beadle (Timothy Spall). The two kids sing a love song to each other and Hope gets a warning from Turpin to stay away from Johanna.
The movie sets up the main players with the first few songs and is a slow build up, but isn’t at all boring, and really gets going with the appearance of Sacha Baron Cohen as Pirelli a competitor Barber. Soon after Pirelli’s arrival Todd’s blood lust begins to boil over beyond containment and boy does the blood flow. I won’t go any further into the plot, but be warned; there will be buckets of blood by the end of the film.
As for the songs, singing, and acting Depp is great as usual and makes the most out of a pretty one dimensional character and is a fairly good singer as well. Carter is fantastic as Mrs. Lovett and steals a lot of the scenes she is in. She is also the best singer of the bunch and has the best, or is at least involved in, of the songs. All of the young actors have great voices with Wisener and Bower showing off their skill. I will give special mention to Ed Sanders who is the youngest of all the actors and is great as the assistant to Pirelli and has a wonderful singing voice. Cohen is hilarious as usual as the Italian barber, and does a good job singing as well.
The movie looks great, the CGI London backdrops might rub some people the wrong way, but I think the look is of Burton’s intention. I’ve already mentioned the grisliness and the gore and the movie is not for the squeamish, but you should still bare it if you are at all interested in the movie. There isn’t really any dance numbers like many Broadway shows but that doesn’t take away from this being one of the better musicals to be released since the revival of the genre with Moulin Rouge!. Now this movie isn’t as good as the fore mentioned Rouge, or Chicago, but I think it fits in as my third favorite of this new era for musicals.
If you are a fan of Burton and Depp this is a must see same for any fans of Broadway or musicals. The movie works most of the time and is never boring, just slows down once or twice. The darker fare might keep some away but they would be missing out on one the most entertaining films of the year.
B+