Movie Review: "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

Seen on: August 10, 2011

The players: Director: Rupert Wyatt, Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Cast: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis

Fact of interest: Charlton Heston (the star of the original “Planet of the Apes”) is shown in his role as Moses in “The Ten Commandments” on a TV in the background in one of the scenes.

The plot: An origin story of the “Planet of the Apes” films, explaining mankind’s downfall.

Our thoughts: In 1968, the movie “Planet of the Apes” introduced us to a world where mankind was considered an animal next to the evolved, civilized talking ape. It further blew our minds when (spoiler alert) at the end of that film, it is revealed that the planet is, in fact, our own, sometime in the near future.

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'X-Men: First Class' grabs $3.4 million at midnight

Matthew Vaughn's "X-Men: First Class" did pretty well at the box office last night, because the 20th Century Fox prequel grabbed a satisfying $3.4 million from midnight shows, which is very close to the $3.3 million "Thor" grabbed when it opened.

It will be pretty interesting to see how the film performs, considering it's a prequel and isn't filled with big-name actors. I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard great things. I also encourage you to read our writer Danny's excellent review right here.

By the way, "X-Men: First Class" is now playing at 3,641 theaters. It could fetch as much as $65 million this weekend. Who out there will see it this weekend?

New trailer for 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'

Rupert Wyatt's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" won't open until Aug. 5, 2011, but the folks at Yahoo! just debuted the brand-new feature trailer for the prequel starring James Franco, Tom Felton, Brian Cox, Andy Serkis and Freida Pinto. Check it out after the jump.

This is an origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. The trailer focuses largely on Serkis' super chimp character Caesar.

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Movie Review: 'X-Men: First Class'

Seen on: May 31, 2011

The players: Director: Matthew Vaughn, Writers: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goodman, Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne

Facts of interest: Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy both appeared in “Band of Brothers.”

The plot: The origin of the superhero team, the X-Men, is told against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Our thoughts: The “X-Men” has been one of the most popular series of comic books in the Marvel cannon for decades. The popularity skyrocketed when Bryan Singer (director of “The Usual Suspects”) turned the comic stories into two of the most successful and highly regarded superhero movies of the past few years.

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This week's new movie releases - June 3, 2011

It is time for another week with only one major release. Seems a bit weird considering it's the summer season, but then again, this film is bound for box office success. Of course, I am talking about Matthew Vaughn's "X-Men: First Class," which drops this Friday!

"First Class" is the anticipated "X-Men" prequel that follows Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) as he starts up a school and later a team for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender), his best friend and future archenemy.

Expectations for this one are high, but photos and trailers have been incredibly promising. Plus, I have no problem putting all my faith into Matthew Vaughn. He's a dab hand at directing superbly entertaining flicks loaded with strong charaacters and intriguing stories.

Watch this new 'X-Men: First Class' clip

Matthew Vaughn's anticipated "X-Men: First Class" action adventure is set to open in theaters June 3, 2011, and Yahoo! just released a new clip from the prequel chronicling the beginning of Charles Xavier and Magneto. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence lead an all-star cast.

This particular clip, which you can check out after the jump, introduces viewers to Hank McCoy, also known as Beast (played by Nicholas Hoult). And is it only me or does Jennifer Lawrence looks pretty good as Raven Darkholme? Anyway, see for yourself.

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'X-Men:First Class' logo, trailer news

Okay then, let me start with the trailer news: if you want a first look at Matthew Vaughn's upcpoming "X-Men: First Class" movie, check out the film's Facebook page tomorrow, because that's where it will debut. No kidding. Anyone else pretty excited about how this will look like?

Anyway, EW posted a brand-new image from the movie as well, and it's posted above for your viewing pleasure. It's a shot of Magneto (Michael Fassbender) doing his thing. Co-starring in the flick are James McAvoy, January Jones, Jennifer Lawrence and Rose Byrne ("Damages").

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Ridley Scott chats 'Alien' prequel

As you may know, Ridley Scott is working on prequel to "Alien," and the folks at MTV recently got to talk to the man and asked him a bunch of questions about where this project will be heading. Let's find out.

"As we speak, I've got a pile of pages next to me; it's like the fourth draft. It's a work in progress, but we're not dreaming it up anymore. We know what the story is," he told MTV. He said the project is rolling.

On whether he will consult with original alien designer, H.R. Giger, Scott said, "Yeah, he's still around. Once I get more serious and get going, and the big wheels start turning, we'll certainly talk."

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Bryan Singer to direct 'X-Men: First Class'

Just recently, Bryan Singer said he would love to do another "X-Men" film, and now, he's on board to helm "X-Men: First Class," the debut of a new series of flicks with a focus on younger mutants.

Singer also directed "X-Men" and "X2." Variety says Singer wrote a treatment Fox really enjoyed. Jamie Moss ("Street Kings") has been hired to write the script, and Lauren Shuler Donner is back to produce.

"This is the formative years of Xavier and Magneto, and the formation of the school and where there relationship took a wrong turn," Singer recently told Variety. He said there will also be new villains.

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Movie Review: “Ong Bak 2”

Seen on: October 21, 2009

The players: Directors: Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai, Writers: Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai, Cast: Tony Jaa, Santisuk Promsiri, Sarunyoo Wongkrachang

Facts of interest: Prequel to "Ong Bak."

The plot: After Tien sees his parents get murdered, he's picked up by a group of warriors who teach him martial arts.

Our thoughts: Tony Jaa returns to kicking major ass in “Ong Bak 2,” a film that boasts an impressive photography but eventually suffers from many overlong scenes and monotonous action. As expected, a story is pretty much nonexistent, and while the film is not entirely boring, it still failed to win me over.

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