Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Country: USA
Genre: Action
I’m the bat, man.
The Dark Knight is obviously herald as the superhero movies to end all superhero movies, but it wouldn’t be half as strong as it is without a firm structure to stand upon. Batman Begins is one hell of a film. It’s the reboot to put all other reboots to shame. The elements really aligned, from a suspiciously talented director to a dream cast that makes the mouth water. Add to it a script that stays faithful to the character while crafting an intriguing and thrilling story, plus cinematography by incredibly skillful up and coming director of photography, and you have a rock solid flick. Christopher Nolan has almost single handedly shown that even superhero movies should be taken seriously in addition to how entertaining they can be.
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupart Grint, Emma Watson
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Country: UK, USA
Genre: Fantasy
Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.
After two films that followed the same formula, a new director stepped in to helm the third installment of the series. Alfonso Curaón, probably best known for Children of Men, turns the frothiness of the previous two films and shrouds it in the dark of night. Where the first two films left audiences with a resonating feeling of sitting by the firelight, Azkaban leaves the audience with the feeling of being lost in the woods at midnight. Gary Oldman steps in, in the perfect way that only Oldman can to any role he’s given, to the notorious role of Sirius Black. The mystique of the Harry Potter series takes a turn for the better here, foreshadowing the long journey to come.
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart
Director: Christopher Nolan
Country: USA
Genre: Action, Drama
Duh.
What can be said about TDK that hasn’t already been said? Not much. It’s obviously the greatest and best superhero film of all time. So, instead, I’ll just pay homage to it: Remember Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker? That was awesome. Remember the opening bank robbery? That was awesome. Remember the moral choices that Bruce Wayne had to make? Those were awesome. Remember the car chase in the tunnels? That was awesome. Remember when they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal? That was… a choice. Remember Batman’s voice? … Even the best things aren’t without their flaws…
Starring: Brad Pitt, Christophe Waltz, Mélanie Laurent
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Country: USA
Genre: War
The master of homage is back in his homagiest homage yet!
It took two viewings of this film to fully appreciate it. The first time I was looking for the nuance of its brilliance, but it’s quite blatant and I think I took that as arrogance. Maybe it is. This is by far Tarantino’s most patient and deliberate film to date. For being two and a half hours, it’s only filled with a small number of incredibly long scenes. As it’s been said by many more articulate people than I, it’s his use of dialogue to build the suspense of the scenes, particularly the opening. Plus, his dialogue, though completely fantastical as it may be, is just so fun to listen to. Performance wise, Christophe Waltz almost doesn’t need mention as his talent is beyond obvious. However, many harp on Pitt for his lame accent. I, however, found it to be obvious that he knew he was doing a cartoon version of his character… because it is after all a fairy tale film. Once upon a time, and happily ever after.
Starring: Matt Damon, Joan Allen, David Strathairn
Director: Paul Greengrass
Country: USA
Genre: Action
Ultimatum (noun) – a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations.
What’s surprising about the third film in the franchise is its timeline. It overlaps quite a bit with The Bourne Supremacy, though watching the previous film in the series you’d never know it. It takes a bit to catch up, but luckily Ultimatum doesn’t play to the lowest common denominator. It’s jam packed with the stuff we’ve come to love from Bourne, fist fights (he punches a book into someone’s face!), car chases (even one on a motorcycle!), and good ol’ fashion treason. Strathairn brings a wonderful intensity to the mix, while Allen becomes a very appealing ally. It’s an incredibly thrilling film, certainly equal to its predecessors. The scene at Waterloo Station with Paddy Considine = pure adrenaline. And when all is said and done, the film leaves open the possibility of another sequel, but doesn’t fail to give closure to the trilogy.
Starring: Matt Damon, Brian Cox, Joan Allen
Director: Paul Greengrass
Country: USA
Genre: Action
A.K.A. Jason Bourne Hunting
Sequels always face an uphill battle. Simultaneously they must forward the story of the character(s) while still stringing together all of the things audiences loved about the first film. It’s an uphill battle that Bourne handles with a magazine slap to the face. The Bourne Supremacy takes all of the action sequences from the first film, and mixes it in a story of espionage and revenge. It takes the action sequences and pumps steroids into them. The end car chase that mirrors the first films is so outrageous and over the top, but it’s hard not to admire its brazened stunt driving. It’s pure thrilling entertainment. Damon kicks it as Bourne, but it doesn’t hurt when you have a supporting cast like Brian Cox and Joan Allen. Greengrass takes over the helm, and knocks it out of the park with his fast paced style.
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoë Saidaña
Director: James Cameron
Country: USA
Genre: Fantasy
You’ll probably want to make sure you see it in 3-D.
Whether you buy into the hype or not, it’s hard to argue that James Cameron’s labor of love doesn’t push the boundaries of current film technology. Seeing the world he created on the big screen, there was no doubt any of it was real, and in the beautiful digital 3D, it was unreal how realistic the realism was… real. Avatar isn’t without it’s faults though, as it forcefully pushes the narrative forward through awkward dialogue. But when it boils down to it, no one is buying a ticket to get the specifics on how a person is transferred into one of the Avatar bodies… a drive down a glow in the dark worm hole and waking up in the body is completely sufficient, and way more fun. It’s this spectacle that the film delivers best. It’s not Cameron’s best action, it’s not his best story, but it’s one of the most fun rides he has to offer.
Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman
2005 Films | this guy over here March 9, 2010 | 
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